Four Years After (1)

Time flew by while I was at the Heathfield duchy. Next thing I knew is that I was turning sixteen.

Sixteen in this world means the coming of age ceremony of a daughter in a noble family. This was the year that I am going back to the Draconian Empire to attend my coming of age ceremony in the capital.

I still have few months more to go before the ceremony takes place. The Draconian Empire holds two coming of age ceremonies each year. These are held mid year at the summer solstice ball and at the end of the year at the new year's ball.

Rosaline's birthday falls in the first day of October, hence I will be attending the coming of age ceremony held at the end of the year.

Right now my birthday, or rather Rosaline's birthday is taking place. It is the fourth birthday I have celebrated here in the duchy of Heathfield. We do not have anything fancy prepared because my father could not make it to my birthday this year since he was busy preparing for my upcoming coming of age ceremony.

In my four years of stay here, I can say how the life here is ordinary yet fun. I grew close to the male protagonist and his friends these past four years and I cannot but help but enjoy these days. Growing up with them was a far cry from how I myself grew up in my original world. Of course I have not forgotten my sole purpose in being here in the first place, but the peace I have experienced blinded me of what was to come.

"Rose!" Hilna called out.

Hilna and I were picking up some flowers in Willtop. As Vladford had said, this place blooms with not just Wisteria's but also other kinds of flowers in the spring and the summer. Now that leaved are starting to fall, the landscape of Wisteria is changing color once more. I an blessed to have been living here these past four years.

"I think we have picked enough to decorate the whole main hall of the Heathfield estate, Hilna." I said. "Let us go back now before the sun sets and fiends come out."

"Oh, just a little bit more." Hilna said as if stalling for time.

"If I have known better, I felt like you are stalling or something." I side glanced at her suspiciously.

"O-Of course not." Hilna averted her gaze. "It's just Smith said he needed these flowers and asked us to fetch them. You remember, right."

"Yes, yes." I smiled. "I remembered."

I remember Smith asking me and Hilna to fetch sime flowers because he needs it for decorations in our own estate. I felt something off at first because this is a job that should be given to servants. But because Hilna and I loved going here in Willtop, I thought nothing of it. But now, I an thinking twice if there is something brewing back at home.

"I guess this is enough." Hilna said at last. "Let us go back now before it gets dark."

"Finally." I said with a sarcastic tone, but smiled. "Race you back at the estate!" I playfully said.

"Hey, wait for me." Hilna scrambled quickly.

We both get up our horses and ride back towards my estate in haste. The wind was pressing hard on our faces and our hair was flying in waves in the air.

Hilna and I are now both sixteen years old. We have grown up a little from our twelve year old child like appearance. I can now see what a beauty Hilna will turn out to be once she matures even more. Thinking about the romance between her and the male protagonist seemed not long now.

There was something off with me while thinking about the romance between the male protagonist and his female love interest now. I am sure that their love story is inevitable but as of now I am the male protagonist's fiancee. It was hard not to fall in love with the gentlemen and that he is.

These past four years he has shown me a kindness that anyone could fall for. He was the epitome of a gentleman, always taking care of me as his fiancee. He was always gentle towards me and thinks of me first and foremost before anything else.

Hilna and I arrived at my estate. It was strange as the lights inside were still off. The sun has just set and it should have been turned on by now.

"Why are the lights turned off?" I asked in confusion.

I got down my horse and took the basket full of flowers from the horse. I quietly ascended the steps and opened the door to the foyer. It was dark and I cannot see clearly.

"Smith…" I called . "Priscilla…"

Then I saw I light from a candle not far from where I was standing. It was a candle on top of a cake. I was more surprised with who was holding the cake.

"Happy name day to you…" His voice was singing in a melody very like what we sing in my original world. Happy name day to you…" The others started singing with him.

The chandelier and candles started to light up. I saw the employees and servants in the estate singing me a happy name day. After the song was finished, the male protagonist was in front of me and gave me the most wonderful smile.

"Happy name day, Rose." Vladford said. "Make a wish."

I closer my eyes and made a wish. After that I blew off the candle.

*CLAP CLAP CLAP*

The employees and servants started clapping around me.

"Thank you…. Thank you all." I said trying to hold back tears of joy. "I didn't know you will be back this early. Has the hunting party successful on subduing the fiends from the north?" I asked.

I was really surprised seeing Vladford here. As I know, he and his father with a group of knights from the order of the Wings of the Phoenix have gone to hunt fiends from the north that were terrorizing villages. As I know their expedition would have lasted from two weeks to a month, and thus I expected not to see him on my birthday.

"Well, I kind of exterminated the group of fiends at a much quicker pace…" Vladford said a matter of factly. "… hence we were able to come home much earlier than expected.

"If you could have seen him fighting of the fiends…" Jacob said. "… you would say that it was more of cleaning up the trash rather than a fight. And after that he just dashed back here in haste saying he would not miss your name day like last time. It is more special today after all."

I giggled imagining how all that Jacob said happened.

"You could have been more careful, Vlad." I said. "I hope you were not reckless."

"He was…" Jacob was about to say something but Vladford elbowed him in the stomach rather hardly. "*cough*… he was careful. Very careful indeed."

Vladford had missed my name day last year since he was also off with an expedition against fiends from the north.

The north was a harsh land. It was a cold and desolate place, especially in winter. Fiends who usually live in the north come down and cross the duchy's territory looking for food, thus the attacks on villages bordering the north.

"I promised I will not miss your sixteenth name day, and so I am here." Vladford said giving the cake he was holding to Jacob and getting something from his pocket. It was a small black box. "I have kept my promise, and I am here to give you this."

I was speechless when Vladford opened the box. It was a ring made of gold with wings etched on it. At the center was a red stone, a ruby I presume.

"I…" I was speechless. "I cannot simply take this. This is the property of the current duchess, right?"

"My mother was never fond on wearing it." Vladford said. "And my father had given me permission to give it to you, my future duchess. May the flames of its wings burned ever brighter."

Vladford took my trembling hands and put the ring on my ring finger. He placed his lips on it and kissed it gently.

"It is a custom to give this ring to the future duchess on her sixteenth name day." Vladford said. "I am so happy that I was not late to give it to you." He smiled brightly.

'How could you resist not falling in love with this man.' I thought to myself while my heart was racing one kilometers per hour.

Vladford was now a twenty year old fine young man. He has grown up to be a mature and good looking man, similar to the one in the game. He was staring at me with a dashing smile that I can't resist to blush and look away.