Chapter 15:
The Snow Begins to Melt
THE LITTLE PRINCE WAS NAMED RADIA. He grew up surrounded by love and expectations. As he moved from sleeping to crawling to bear-crawling to walking, the entire kingdom watched him grow with joy. The elder nobles’ archaic thoughts, which had worried Claudia and Milania, still hadn’t dispelled. However, Yulan had begun advocating for the royal couple lately. The day the golden-eye fanatics would retreat was no longer a distant dream.
That would take some time, especially since Claudia frowned upon forceful methods. But by the time his little prince without golden eyes gained an understanding of his position and the future it entailed, things would surely be different.
“I never dreamed Lord Yulan would advocate for us… But if he’s doing this for you, Vio, I can easily understand.”
“I didn’t know he’d be doing that either,” Violette told her friend. “He never talks about work.”
“Well, it’s not an exciting topic, to be sure. I only know about this because I’m involved in some of that work. Claudia never speaks with me about the matter, though.”
“You do have your own royal duties, Rosette… I hope you’re managing to take some time off.”
“Only as much as I can, with Radia to care for. Then again, there’s not much to do besides put him to bed, feed him, and change him.”
“All right, then. Just promise me you won’t strain yourself.”
Rosette giggled. “I won’t, thank you. Besides, I get enough free time to come visit you like this, Vio. And I have quite a large staff helping me. I’ll be fine.”
A brilliant yellow shone in their clear glasses. Bubbles spurted up through pulp, popping once they made contact with the outside air. The sound of the ice in the cups clinking against itself and the tangy, refreshing scent was identical to that of the lemonade she’d drunk with Yulan that night so long ago.
“This drink is very good,” Rosette said. “I think it would be tasty even mixed with ice water. Or hot water.”
“Isn’t it? It’s so good, it’s practically all I drink. But they keep telling me to curb my sugar intake.”
“Well… In my case, I have such low blood sugar that my chef keeps sneaking sugar into my food.”
“That’s right. You mentioned that in your letters. It’s been very helpful to reread them.”
“I’m glad I could help. I was surprised when you gave me the news, but I’m truly very happy for you.”
Rosette’s graceful smile was already that of a proper mother. They said that a woman’s facial features changed with pregnancy and birth, so perhaps Violette was already showing some changes herself. The only one she felt so far was her clothes fitting more snugly around her belly, but that could easily have been mistaken for healthy weight gain.
Nevertheless, beneath Violette’s soft skin, the pulse of a life that wasn’t hers was beating.
“Congratulations on your pregnancy, Lady Violette,” Rosette said formally.
“Thanks… It still doesn’t feel at all real to me.”
“It never does. I still can’t believe I’m actually a mother.”
About one month after Radia’s formal presentation to the kingdom, Violette’s pregnancy had been confirmed. In other words, on that fateful night she and Yulan had discussed the matter, she’d already been with child. If anything, the depression, anxiety, and fear she’d felt that evening might simply have been a hormonal imbalance.
“It really shocked me that the first person to guess was my chef,” Violette said.
“Chesuit, was it? Pregnancy does change a person’s tastes. Still, could he really tell just from that?”
“Apparently so. I didn’t notice I was eating any differently myself.”
“Well, he must keep a very watchful eye on you, Vio.”
“Yes, he does… He’s looked after me ever since I was a child. But I didn’t know he was that sensitive to changes in me.”
Chesuit was very observant and precise in matters of cuisine, but in everything else, he was a rough slob of a man. He interacted with his master Yulan no differently than he had when he’d worked at the Vahan estate, where Yulan was known as “Violette’s childhood friend.” Even now, he called Yulan “young master” and was trying to give him a culinary education. Yulan seldom acted bothered by that, and Violette was never one to complain, but it wasn’t clear whether their chef was daring or indifferent to their feelings. Therefore, when Chesuit noticed Violette’s pregnancy faster than anyone, Yulan had felt an indescribable mixture of shock and resentment.
“When it comes to food, he’s stoic almost to a fault, so it was certainly in character for him to notice a change in my palate. But still…”
“What a feat…” Rosette marveled.
“After the doctor confirmed the pregnancy, I could see that there had been signs all along, if I’d been paying attention. They were all so subtle, though. It wasn’t until later that I noticed a physical change.”
“Morning sickness?”
“Basically, but mine manifested as a bigger appetite rather than vomiting. I suppose Chesuit felt inspired by that.”
“Are you gaining enough weight?”
“Barely…”
Rosette giggled. “Don’t worry. In the third trimester, you’ll gain plenty, whether you eat a lot or not.”
Since this was their first tea party in a long while, conversation bloomed lush at their table until the ice in their glasses melted, and the once clear glasses had a stained yellow tint from the lemonade. Not until Radia started fussing in the maid’s arms did they notice the clock for the first time during that visit. Without even looking at the clock hands, they could tell from the orange sky out the window that it was time.
“My, how late it’s gotten… I’d better be on my way,” Rosette excused herself.
“Sorry to have kept you so late. I had a lovely time.”
“Likewise. I’m so happy I finally got to visit after so long.”
Out of reluctance to part ways and concern for Violette’s health, they moved to the front door slowly. When the door opened for Rosette, a car was parked at the entrance. The driver opened the door, and out stepped a tall, slender man. His face, a sculpture of icy beauty, slowly glanced over Rosette to where Violette stood behind her. Then his icy gaze melted for just a moment to shine warmly on one person, as always.
“Hi, Vio. Going home, Princess Rosette?”
“Welcome home, Yulan,” Violette replied.
“Thank you for having me over,” Rosette said politely. “I was just leaving.”
“That’s too bad. Well, take care, and do come again soon.”
With parting words to Rosette so shallow they might as well have been read from a script, Yulan quickly took Violette’s arm. He didn’t seem even to have spared the crown princess a glance. He didn’t treat her as if she didn’t exist, but it was obvious even without looking that Yulan was showering his attention entirely on Violette.
Ever since the day Rosette had first spoken to him, his eyes, ears, and entire being had existed only for Violette. By persevering without compromise, he had at last grasped the one he longed for. The obsession and hunger Rosette had glimpsed in Yulan that day still made him the man he was now. At his core, he hadn’t changed, nor would he ever.
“Are you feeling all right? Are you warm enough?” he asked Violette.
“I’m fine. I feel too hot, if anything.”
“Oh, I see… Still, don’t let yourself get too cold, all right?”
“I’m just a little flushed. Don’t worry.”
Yulan’s eyes wandered dreamily as he walked eagerly beside Violette, like a yipping puppy at its master’s heels. The tense, stern boy who hated everyone, everything, and even himself—the boy who’d seemed to wear a cloak of death—was now the type of doting husband you’d see anywhere, smiling at his beloved wife.
That atmosphere around them told more of their happiness than any words ever could.