CHAPTER :11

“Ruth!”

The one who spoke first was not the person meant to answer—Eva—but the Holland Count, who frowned as if displeased. His expression twisted unpleasantly, clearly unhappy with Ruth’s sudden behavior.

To Eva, his reaction was both hard to understand and somewhat unpleasant. She had done nothing harmful, yet he acted as if simply associating with her would taint him. If he was worried that Ruth, as the Crown Prince, might become entangled with her again, there was no need for such concern.

“You should go in first, my lord.”

Before Eva could even respond, Ruth calmly pushed the Holland Count back with his words. The faint smile at the corner of his lips carried more authority than a hundred sentences. It was an innate dignity that could not be artificially learned—an invisible pressure that made it feel obvious that she should remain while the Count should leave.

Unable to hold his ground any longer, the Holland Count finally gave up, the tension leaving his eyes.

“Haah… very well. Then, you two, enjoy your time.”

He sighed as if in resignation, glancing back and forth between Eva and Ruth. Perhaps because he had lost the silent exchange of will, something in his expression had changed. His dissatisfaction toward both remained, but while his gaze at Ruth carried deep resignation, his look toward Eva held curiosity and a trace of pity.

After showing a variety of expressions, the Count shrugged and turned away.

“Shall we go?”

Once the Count disappeared from view, Ruth began walking ahead with his hands behind his back. His movements were so natural that Eva had no choice but to follow.

As they moved farther from the manor, the darkness deepened while the moonlight grew brighter in contrast. The night air was filled with the sound of insects in the fields and a cool breeze brushing over dry grass, creating a serene atmosphere.

Ruth matched his pace to Eva’s, walking beside her at a comfortable distance where their shoulders almost brushed. In the quiet blend of awkwardness and ease, neither of them spoke for a while. It was Ruth who broke the silence first.

“May I ask you something?”

“Yes, please.”

“How did you end up at Baron Viti’s house? …It doesn’t seem like you’re being treated very well there.”

He hesitated in the middle, as if choosing his words carefully.

“Ah… well, things just… happened.”

Eva trailed off, her face slightly reddening. She could not say that all her relatives had turned away from her because of her father’s debts, or that her mother was a foreigner with no remaining ties to her maternal family, leaving her nowhere else to go. Her only option had been Baron Viti, a distant relative. It was too shameful to speak of her miserable circumstances.

“If you ever need my help, please let me know.”

Instead of asking further, Ruth unexpectedly said this.

“…Pardon?”

Eva’s shoulders stiffened in shock. “Help” meant he already understood she needed help. That meant he had likely realized her situation. Well, he had seen her standing in worn clothes with patched socks, treated as if she didn’t exist.

“I appreciate your words, but I’m alright,” she said with a strained smile, politely refusing. She knew he meant well, but this kindness did not feel comforting. It only made her feel painfully aware of her poverty. Worse still, she felt embarrassed that he had noticed it.

“If I offended you, I apologize,” Ruth said.

“No, not at all. I know you’re a good person. I understand you said it with consideration.”

Regardless of her feelings, Ruth appeared to her as a good person. Ever since he saved her, he had been attentive and considerate. He did not boast or draw attention to his kindness, always respecting her feelings. Even this offer likely came from that same gentle concern.

“A good person…,” Ruth repeated softly, as if tasting her words.

He stopped walking and turned to face her. In the darkness, his gaze held something sharp—both warning and restraint.

“I’m not as good a person as you think.”

He spoke calmly, as if confessing.

“I don’t trust people easily. I’m not kind to just anyone. And I can be quite ruthless to those who betray or harm me or my side.”

Then, lifting his chin slightly, his eyes gleamed faintly in the dark.

“So… I can help you in ways beyond financial assistance as well.”

“In other ways?”

“For example… if someone is bothering you, I can take care of it.”

His gaze dropped to Eva’s wrist. His expression remained composed, but his eyes felt like a blade pressing against her skin.

“Ru—Ruth…!”

Startled, Eva trembled. Only then did she understand what he meant.

Todd—the man who had grabbed her wrist and left humiliating marks on her skin.

Ruth had noticed it when he saw the mark on her hand. He understood that someone was harming her at the manor. Whether it was the baron or his son, it didn’t matter—he was saying he would deal with it.

Even though it was likely meant as kindness, Eva felt her heart tighten.

“N-no, it’s fine. Please don’t do that.”

She hurriedly refused. Ruth in front of her suddenly felt like a different person. For a moment, the pressure he gave off filled her with fear.

“Life at Baron Viti’s house is not great, but it’s not terrible. I help because of their situation, and although they can be emotional, they’re not bad people. I’ll be independent soon anyway, so things will improve…”

She rambled without thinking, desperate to stop him. The idea of “taking care of it” didn’t sound simple—it sounded frightening.

When she finished speaking, she looked up at him nervously. Ruth still stood calmly, watching her with the same gentle expression as before. The pressure she had felt moments ago seemed like an illusion.

Feeling embarrassed, she fell silent.

“Very well. I understand,” Ruth said simply, accepting her words without further argument.

He turned and began walking again. Eva followed beside him quietly.

After a while, she asked hesitantly, “May I ask… why you’re willing to help me?”

He said he didn’t trust people easily, and wasn’t kind to just anyone. So why was he offering such generosity to someone he had only met once?

“Who knows,” he replied vaguely. “Let’s just say I felt a sense of shared hardship.”

He looked away, not adding anything more. After a brief pause, he changed the subject.

“Have you been back to Beil Castle since you left?”

“No… it’s far away.”

“Don’t you miss it?”

“Sometimes.”

Eva smiled faintly and lowered her head. It wasn’t just distance—she lacked the courage to return. Still, she missed it. The grand hallways, the corridors she used to wander, sliding down stairs until the servants scolded her, the view from the tower overlooking the city and river.

Most of all, she missed the place where she had last said goodbye to her father.

“If you have time, visit the Moonlight Garden behind the castle at night,” Ruth said.

“The Moonlight Garden?”

“It’s a small garden with a fountain. It’s beautiful during the day, but even more so under the moonlight.”

As Eva described it with growing excitement, her voice lightened. She spoke at length, unaware that Ruth had stopped listening.

When she finally noticed, she fell silent and looked at him. He was watching her quietly.

After a moment, he smiled faintly.

“Sorry, but could you wait here for a moment?”

“Pardon?”

“I’ll be right back.”

Before she could respond, he turned and left, disappearing into the darkness, leaving her alone far from the manor.

Eva stood frozen, confused and uneasy. Had she said something wrong? Had she annoyed him? The uncertainty weighed heavily on her.