Chapter 9
The next day, I shouted as soon as I woke up.
“I’m all better!”
“Don’t lie.”
Ilina scolded me with tired eyes. I insisted.
“I really am!”
“You don’t have any color in your face at all. It’s better if you stay in the bedroom today.”
I was horrified.
“Ilina, you’re saying the same thing as Adel now?!”
“Now, now, lie down. I can even sing you a lullaby.”
In the end, I only got limited freedom to go to the bathroom, spending the entire day in bed. I was bored to death, and no one came to see me.
“What? Adel’s not coming today?”
After checking the clock every five minutes and growing tired, I finally decided to take a nap. I slept… and slept again. I must have slept at least twelve hours.
The next day, I asserted myself again.
“Ilina! I’m definitely all better today!”
“Yes, your complexion has improved a lot.”
Ilina, who looked just as haggard as I did with dark circles under her eyes, responded in a bratty tone. I decided to give her a break.
“Then I’ll go outside now.”
Ilina stood up, pausing in the middle of peeling some fruit.
“I’ll change clothes first. Please wait a moment.”
I tilted my head.
“You’re coming with me?”
“Of course. I can’t let you go alone. I’ll also have the guard knights ready.”
“You could have just gone with another maid. Ilina, go take a nap.”
“I only feel safe if I go with you.”
There was no room for negotiation. I picked at the fruit Ilina had peeled so neatly.
“So procedures get complicated if I don’t go out with Adel.”
I put on my cloak and went outside with Ilina. The guard knights followed at a suitable distance.
We left the private grounds and headed toward the shops.
As I looked around, Ilina glanced up at the sky, full of swollen clouds, and muttered.
“The clouds are thick. It might rain this evening.”
I focused on somewhere entirely different and asked.
“Ilina, should I buy a parfait?”
“…Actually, you want it, don’t you?”
“Partly, yes.”
Ilina made a displeased face.
“Miss, I’m just a maid. You don’t need to worry about me.”
I shrugged.
“But I probably won’t live long, so I want to treat the people I care about as much as I can.”
If I had fifty years left, I might have learned deeply about noble etiquette and formalities, but now it didn’t matter. I decided not to care.
Ilina ground her teeth.
“What are you saying! Miss, you will live forever!”
Just then, a small stone rolled to my feet with a clatter.
“Huh?”
“…A stone?”
Ilina and I turned our heads at the same time. A boy was staring straight at us.
“Sorry, I accidentally threw it while playing.”
I unconsciously clenched my fist. I recognized that face. It was the boy I had met the day we went to release the lanterns.
‘You took Martin’s grandmother home before, right? My grandfather is also unsteady. Could you help him too?’
He had demanded unreasonable things from Adel and sneered.
‘Could it be that this young master intends to wield power over helpless commoners?’
I spoke up.
“You won’t listen to me, but not all nobles are like Adel.”
The boy lowered his eyes.
“Please forgive me just this once.”
His attitude was submissive, but I knew he was laughing at me inside.
I realized clearly: these people didn’t deserve Adel’s kindness. And Adel shouldn’t get hurt because of them.
Only I could bully Adel!
I called Ilina.
“Let’s go back.”
My appetite gone, I returned to the Sinclair estate immediately. Then I said to Ilina:
“I need to go see Adel.”
This time, I wasn’t going to ask for Ilina’s permission. She noticed immediately.
“I’ll prepare the carriage.”
“Hurry as much as you can. If Adel finds out I’m coming, she might run away.”
I was relieved to feel stronger than yesterday. At least I didn’t feel like I would collapse.
As soon as I got in the carriage, I ordered the driver to go at full speed. The driver obeyed faithfully.
The Magnus Ducal House was quite close.
When the carriage stopped briefly in front of the massive main gate, I peeked out. I intended to tell the gatekeeper that I was Adel’s friend.
“Hello—”
But the gatekeeper, seeing only the Sinclair family crest on the carriage, swung the gates open.
“It’s the Sinclair carriage! Get them inside quickly!”
What was this welcome?
Even though Anastasia had visited the Ducal House with the Count several times, that had been a long time ago.
They didn’t even check who was in the carriage. Maybe it was proof of how close the parents were.
I thought of the Duke Magnus and Adel’s father.
In the novel, the two were described as speaking roughly to each other, swearing, and even resorting to violence.
I got out of the carriage, bewildered. I was about to enjoy the dazzling sunlight when Adel’s sweet voice reached me.
“Anastasia? Why are you here when you should be in the Count’s bedroom?”
You’re fast. The carriage door hadn’t even closed yet. I stared at Adel as if she had jumped down from the window rather than the stairs.
“I came to see you.”
Meeting Adel after two days made my eyes go starry.
Her pale face seemed to glow. Below her thick, shimmering golden eyelashes, her red eyes shone.
Adel spoke firmly.
“Go back quickly. You need absolute rest.”
“No.”
I put on a bold front. Adel’s gaze faltered.
“Please, Anastasia. I won’t be able to face you.”
“I wanted to see you.”
My words effectively silenced Adel. I asked with a smiling face:
“You’ve thought about me a lot too, haven’t you?”
“I….”
She hesitated, then chose silence. A shadow passed over her handsome face. I lightly poked her arm with my fingers.
“I’m thirsty.”
Adel surrendered.
“I’ll guide you to the sitting room.”
True to the Magnus Ducal House’s reputation as a pillar of the empire, the mansion looked like a castle.
Even though the Sinclair estate was also known for its wealth, this place seemed obsessed with covering every surface in gold. It looked dazzling even in the middle of the night without lights.
The ceiling frescoes, like recreated myths, exuded grandeur, and the patterns on the columns were elegant curves, masterpieces of art.
In front of the sitting room door, we encountered the maids. They greeted us with extreme politeness, which felt unusual.
Their admiring glances were friendly. Just like the gatekeeper earlier, the Duke’s staff were kind.
Adel sat me first and brought water.
“Here, some water.”
I absentmindedly took the cup and tucked my hair behind my ear. Ready to play a new little prank, I asked:
“And tea?”
Adel didn’t just bring the cup but set up a full tea set in front of me. Teapot, cups, spoons, sugar, jam – everything carefully placed.
I could see she had thought about how to arrange it for my comfort. Oh, I didn’t know she could do this.
Slightly surprised, I intentionally put on a haughty expression.
“Add some strawberry jam.”
Adel faintly smiled and obliged.
As I started drinking the tea, she busied herself again, this time bringing chocolate, served in a silver dish with rose-shaped decorations, each type neatly separated.
“I brought ganache chocolate you like, Anastasia. Also milk, white, dark chocolate, and almond chocolate.”
…What is this kid? She seemed surprised that I showed up suddenly, and now she’s preparing all this?
“I don’t like almonds.”
Before I could even say it coldly, Adel removed one dish.
“I’ll take it away immediately.”
Somehow, I felt I would never see almonds at the Ducal House again. Maybe just my imagination.
I ate the chocolates one by one, watching Adel.
“What were you doing?”
“Just a light training session.”
“Was I disturbing you?”
“Not at all.”
Adel shook her head even before I finished speaking, her eyes examining me with complicated emotion.
“Anastasia, it might be rude to say, but you’ve lost weight. Perhaps it’s better to go back now?”
I put down my cup, looking sulky.
“Do you dislike being with me?”
Adel reassured me politely.
“How could I dislike it? I just worry that if something happens to you again while we’re together, I won’t know how to face you.”
The incident must have been a shock for her. I stubbornly made an excuse.
“Then I’ll rest a bit since I’m tired. You do what you need to do.”
Even if I left, Adel would obviously blame herself.
I deliberately pretended not to notice her and ate chocolate.
After watching me for a while, Adel seemed unable to shake off her guilt and looked away.
We didn’t speak for some time, letting the quiet stretch. But it wasn’t uncomfortable or awkward.
I leaned comfortably on the sofa, and Adel tried hard not to look at me. Soon, she started reading a book.
It was a peaceful afternoon. I yawned and lowered my head slightly.
I don’t know how many minutes passed.
“Ughhh.”
I realized mid-slumber that this wasn’t my house and sat up abruptly.
“Ah, did I fall asleep?!”
I hurriedly rubbed my mouth. Luckily, I hadn’t drooled.
Adel, sitting across from me, smiled.
“I thought about moving you to the bed, but I didn’t want to risk waking you.”
“Why didn’t you wake me?”
“You were sleeping so soundly.”
I wiped my mouth again. Even while talking, Adel was writing—or rather, drawing—on paper.
Curious, I went next to her. I was impressed by what she was creating.
“You can draw too, huh?”
“Well….”
Adel looked at the paper with a shy smile. I blinked. She was sketching a woman with long, wavy hair. The care put into it made me slightly embarrassed.
“Is this… me?”
“Sorry, it was unintentional.”
I stopped her hand from removing the paper and said, more firmly than ever:
“Raise the nose.”
“Huh?”
“My nose isn’t that low.”
Saying it sharply as if ready to hit, Adel adjusted the sketch.
“…Like this?”
I finally smiled.
“Perfect. As expected, my beauty shines even in a sketch.”
How she interpreted my sincerity, I didn’t know, but Adel laughed heartily.
“Yes. Anastasia, you are beautiful.”
She smiled brightly for the first time.
My eyes!
