Special - 3
The place where Zachary regained consciousness was in a corridor of Arno Castle. Zachary wasn't surprised by the repeated situation and looked around to grasp his surroundings.
It's the hallway near Bianca's former residence.
There must be a reason why his dreams keep pushing him like this. Is it Zachary's own regret or remorse? In the end, it became clear that everything was entwined with Bianca. So he should meet Bianca. Zachary moved towards Bianca's room.
The atmosphere inside the castle was somber.
The scent of lilies and rosemary mingled in the damp air and tickled his nose. Along with the sound of church bells, hymns could be heard from afar. Arno Castle was always silent, so moments like this were rare, so Zachary quickly realized what moment it was. It was the day of Bianca's nanny, Jean's funeral.
"Time flies."
Because Jean died of a plague, Bianca, who was still young, couldn't attend her nanny's funeral. Bianca cried for three days and three nights, locked in her room. At that time, Zachary had hoped that Bianca would come to trust him in the future, but what greeted him was a closed door, just like now.
Standing in front of the door, Zachary sighed and called out.
"Bianca."
The room was silent. Zachary didn't give up and shouted repeatedly.
"Bianca. Are you inside?"
"...Sir?"
The response came with a delay. The current Bianca seemed to remember Zachary himself. Before long, the door slowly opened.
He never thought that the door that was securely closed like an impregnable castle would open so easily. It was the third time that the current Zachary and Bianca encountered each other. If you think about it, it was clear that Zachary, who was her husband at that time, was no better than a stranger she had only seen twice.
Thirteen-year-old Bianca was taller than before but still petite. He could see how much she had cried from her expression. Bianca was wearing a black mourning dress, but the stitching at the back of the dress was torn, perhaps because the maid was not careful.
"You always come to visit me whenever I cry."
There was a touch of joy in Bianca's voice. Zachary found solace in Bianca, who greeted him like that. Bianca didn't mind and let Zachary into the room. Zachary entered the room bewildered by her attitude, which showed no sense of caution.
He never thought he would have the chance to look at Bianca's room up close like this. Zachary inspected Bianca's room, trying not to look around too much.
To please Bianca, Zachary himself had to develop a discerning eye. To Zachary's eyes, the carpets and tapestries looked fine, but somehow rough. The bed curtains and the vases that adorned the room were the same.
"This time... when was he a viscount?"
Bianca sat in a chair by the window and looked outside. Bianca's gaze turned towards the bell beneath the church bell tower. Even with the windows closed, the faint sounds of bells and hymns poured in.
"Thank you for coming."
"There's no need to thank me."
Zachary shook his head. Then he brought forth the words that he hadn't been able to utter for over ten years and that had stuck to his heart like a stone.
"I'm very sorry about your nanny. I pray that she may rest in peace."
Zachary made the sign of the cross under the statue of God. Bianca smiled faintly. Zachary's lips dried up as he realized he didn't have the strength to smile brightly.
"Are you eating?"
"...I haven't really been hungry."
It was evident that she had gone hungry for three days. She seemed to have broken into a chronic illness. If Zachary had to pick a habit he didn't like about Bianca, it would be that fasting habit. If the stomach isn't well and gets sick, the person will starve to death, so Zachary couldn't help but worry.
"Even if you don't want to eat, you have to eat. If you force yourself to eat something like soup, your energy will increase. Crying is something that requires endurance."
"It sounds exactly like Jean."
Bianca let out a small laugh at Zachary's scolding.
At that time, Zachary didn't make such trivial scoldings. It was because he feared offending Bianca by saying something bitter. There is a saying that you have to go back and forth, but his ignorant self doesn't even know... It was to the point where he doubted that his subconscious mind showed him these dreams to despise himself.
Whether Zachary despised himself or not, Bianca changed the subject and wondered if there was something she wanted to say.
"As the sir said, the viscount brought the white rabbit fur."
"It's a relief."
However, the words that Zachary himself added, showing concern for her, didn't seem to touch her as much. Seeing Bianca so lonely made him feel like he was still distant from Zachary.
Moreover, every time Bianca spoke about her husband, her face subtly hardened. The fear in her eyes was familiar. Because his wife used to cast that look at him every time she looked at him.
"So I asked the viscount about the sir..."
"What did you ask?"
Zachary was startled. Judging by the way she speaks, it seems she asked him, not Jean. Had Bianca ever asked him something directly?
As Zachary speculated, Bianca challenged her fears for the first time in her life to ask something to her husband. However, Bianca's challenge was in vain. Because she didn't get anything.
"Did he have any relatives who looked like him? But he said no. The viscount and the sir look too much alike. Did the viscount lie?"
Bianca looked at Zachary. The man in front of her was astounding. Although he resembled her husband to the point of wondering if he would look like that when he grew older, he didn't have the sharp strength like a knife, the scent of blood, or the fear of oppressing her.
He always came to Bianca when she cried or when she wanted to cry. Even in the eyes of young Bianca, he desperately looked at Bianca with a clumsy attitude and matched her mood. There were plenty of people who praised Bianca, the only daughter of Blanchefort and the owner of Arno Estate, but there was no high-ranking aristocrat or knight like this man. That lifted Bianca's spirits.
The man made Bianca feel better and then disappeared, like a fairy in a tale. So it was natural to be curious about such a man. Bianca stared at the man. Zachary smiled bitterly as Bianca stared at him.
"Someday you will find out."
Zachary said that and caressed Bianca's head. But when that day would come, Zachary wasn't sure either.
Bianca pursed her lips as if she was suppressing what she wanted to say and suddenly hugged Zachary by the waist. Alex also often jumped and attacked Zachary like this, and when he asked whom he resembled, he seemed to resemble his mother. Bianca murmured as she buried her face in Zachary's hem.
"I wish my husband were a little kinder like you. He's so frightening right now."
"That will also happen someday."
Zachary laughed. He hoped that the foolish Zachary in the dream would change his mind before the young Bianca in this dream knew the truth. Zachary murmured as he consoled Bianca.
"Now he's a fool who doesn't know how to touch the pearl on his chest and leaves it in a jewelry box..."
Zachary felt sorry for Bianca. Because of his foolishness, Bianca in his dreams would wallow in loneliness for the next few years. At that thought, the hand that was stroking Bianca's back stiffened.
But that also dispersed like a mirage. Bianca in his hand disappeared before he knew it, and Zachary was brought down with the feeling of falling from the top of a tower. Zachary inhaled and opened his eyes. The familiar room, his wife in his arms. He had returned to reality.
As Zachary blinked and recalled his dreams, Bianca, who had grown significantly, snuggled up in his arms. Her eyelashes trembled, and soon her light green eyes, which seemed to shine even in the darkness, appeared. After confirming that Zachary was awake, Bianca spoke with unclear pronunciation.
"I had a... dream."
"What dream?"
"When I was young... It was a dream about meeting a man who is your relative... and looks like you."
Zachary cleared his throat involuntarily. It was clear that the dream Bianca had was somehow related to the dream he just had. Zachary pretended not to know.
"So, did that relative bother you?"
"No..."
Bianca, oblivious to the joy on her husband's face, murmured in a still sleepy voice.
"He was really friendly. It would be nice if you could see him and learn from him."
Zachary laughed. Bianca leaned against Zachary's chest like a kitten seeking its mother. After gently pressing her forehead against Zachary's firm chest, she tickled his chest with the tip of her nose as if she was satisfied.
"Sure. I guess I'll have to try harder..."
Zachary, unable to bear his wife's adorable behavior, whispered that and pulled the blanket up to Bianca's shoulders and covered her. Then he patted Bianca's back.
"Sleep a little longer. It's still far from dawn."
Bianca's eyelids slowly blinked, covering her blurry eyes and falling back asleep. It was so lovely to see her let her guard down and lean her whole body against him.
As much as he couldn't do it for young Bianca, he would do it for Bianca now. He wouldn't allow the far future Zachary to regret when looking at the present Zachary because he's an idiot.
Once was enough.
Zachary made that promise and kissed Bianca on her forehead.
[End]
Tags:
TWB (Novel)