* * *
Still watching Tens and Jaynon bicker, Ed asked, “Is there anything else I can help with?”
“In that case, could you let Irthel know that the knights’ snacks are placed in front of the training yard? Tell him if it seems insufficient, he should ask the sous chef for more.”
“Got it.”
After bidding farewell to Jaynon and Tens, Ed found Irthel and passed along the message.
Then, from his pocket, he retrieved the small envelope and opened it.
It contained a note:
‘Beyond the greenhouse door, beneath the ash tree, a red mark awaits you.’
“Huh? What’s this?”
Quickly skimming the card’s message, Ed pulled out his notebook for comparison.
‘This handwriting… it seems familiar.’
Placing the card and his notes side by side, Ed confirmed it.
Both were unmistakably written in the Duke’s hand.
‘I thought Ronen had handed this over as a joke.’
As he murmured the word “ash tree,” Ed’s thoughts clicked into place.
‘Could it mean I should go there?’
It just so happened there was a small ash tree in the castle’s greenhouse.
Tucking the card carefully back into his pocket, Ed made his way there.
Even if it turned out to be a wild goose chase, it didn’t matter.
Solving the Duke’s little mystery felt thrilling, even if it meant wandering the castle aimlessly all day.
Moving quickly, Ed arrived at the greenhouse and approached the ash tree.
Before he could scan the area thoroughly, his eyes fell upon another red envelope.
Inside the new envelope was a card with a message written in Ronen’s large, playful handwriting:
“Be sure to come!”
The message, complete with an exaggerated star mark, made Ed chuckle softly as he left the greenhouse.
One hint after another led Ed to a storage room.
As he opened the heavy door, the soft glow of a magical lamp lit up the round table inside.
Closing the door behind him, Ed stepped further in, spotting a storybook and yet another red envelope on the table.
‘What’s written in this one?’
Brimming with curiosity and anticipation, Ed opened the envelope.
This time, however, the card was blank.
‘Why is it empty?’
Holding the pristine card up to the light, Ed examined it closely, but no writing appeared.
“This feels like the final clue.”
Tilting his head in confusion, Ed picked up the storybook next to the lamp and flipped through it.
At the very end, tucked between the pages, he found a small note.
“Ed, do you want to do what you’ve always dreamed of?”
Reading the note, Ed let out a soft gasp.
A memory resurfaced—one of the Duke asking him, seemingly out of nowhere, to sing for him.
At the time, Ed had nervously hummed a tune he remembered vaguely from a lesson, improvising the lyrics as he went.
A youth stood with someone in the garden,
That person beneath the willow tree.
The youth wished to kiss them,
But was warned:
‘Once you kiss me, there’s no escape.’
Yet the youth gathered their courage and kissed them.
And what happened next?
They were forever bound to that kiss.
The melody, loosely inspired by one of Beethoven’s songs, had stuck in Ed’s head ever since that assignment.
‘I mentioned it to His Grace once in passing.’
Now holding the blank card again, Ed brought it closer to his lips.
‘If this isn’t the answer, I’ll figure out another way.’
But just as he lightly kissed the card, glowing letters began to materialize on its surface.
“Ed, would you be my partner for the masquerade ball?”
At that moment, the door opened, and the Duke stepped in with Ronen.
Seeing the look of surprise on Ed’s face, the Duke gave a warm smile, and Ed couldn’t help but smile back.
Later that morning, Ed discovered a box on the table.
Curious, he opened it to find another note and an elegant mask.
“For Ed!”
Ronen had prepared the mask, and its design was stunning.
Covering the upper half of his face, the mask featured small dragon wings along the sides, exuding both mystery and sophistication.
‘Tens must have put a lot of effort into this.’
Ed tilted his head, holding a light yet sturdy mask in his hand.
“But is it alright for me to wear something adorned with a dragon?”
He studied the dragon design on the mask.
‘I don’t know what kind of masks His Grace or Ronen will wear, but the black dragon is the symbol of the North, after all…’
Ed carefully placed the mask back on the table.
Outside, the preparations for the ball and the spring festival buzzed with excitement.
‘If it were any other time, I’d probably be busy getting ready for the festivities myself.’
Over the past couple of days, thanks to Ronen fussing over trying on outfits and matching shoes, Ed had been completely removed from his usual duties.
Ed perched on the edge of the bed, took a sip of water, and gazed up at the window.
As the butler of the northern duke’s castle, drawing too much attention to himself was never ideal.
‘I should probably wear a different mask or just make a brief appearance at the end of the ball.’
Stretching his legs with a lazy kick, Ed lay back, sinking deeply into the mattress that supported him so comfortably.
He thought to himself, ‘I’ll lounge here just a bit longer before getting up to help with the preparations.’
The ground beneath his feet felt mushy, as though he was stuck in thick mud.
The surreal sensation made Ed realize he was dreaming. He must’ve dozed off without realizing it.
‘Oh no. This is no time to be sleeping.’
He tried to shake himself awake and open his eyes, but his body refused to move.
He couldn’t even lift his eyelids.
Somewhere nearby, a rhythmic thud, thud echoed.
‘What’s that?’
Turning his focus toward the sound, Ed managed to crack his eyes open slightly.
He saw a thick rope striking the ground rhythmically before bouncing into the air.
‘…A jump rope?’
Inside the loop of the rope, blurry figures leapt in sync with the rhythm.
* * *
