Chapter 31
The friends all looked puzzled, so Roil explained again.
“You know, that time. The first day we had a paulet. We went to Edelheim and ended up going on a picnic with His Highness the Crown Prince. We didn’t get to have the picnic and just came back, though.”
Oh, right. That did happen. And we saw something we never should’ve seen.
Everyone recalled the same memory—the shocking event that had stunned them all, children who had grown up sheltered, never imagining something like that could happen.
“That girl was Silla?”
Serel asked Roil.
No matter how hard they tried to recall, none of them could remember the girl’s face. At the time, they had been too distracted by the situation, her torn clothes, and her injuries to pay attention to her appearance.
“Yeah. That was Silla. Don’t you remember? She said she’d just moved to the capital but didn’t think she could live there anymore after what happened. She said she’d go back to her hometown.”
“Oh, right. She did say that. Her hometown was the Karzel Territory?”
Serel nodded as if he finally remembered.
“Yeah. Turns out she was one of our territory’s residents. She left for the capital without permission from the lord’s castle. It apparently took some effort to verify her identity.”
“No wonder. That day we met up after the incident, you knew way more details than we did. It was a matter concerning one of your own territory’s people, huh?”
While Adrian fiddled with a coin, he accidentally dropped it. Ellen picked it up and handed it to him.
“Thanks.”
“You’re welcome. So Silla’s been in Karzel Territory for a few years now? And she entered House Karzel just last year?”
Ellen smiled sweetly at Adrian, then turned to Roil with a question.
“She went to the capital after her parents died, hoping to rely on her cousin. But after what happened, she returned. My parents had considered taking her in as a maid because her situation was so pitiful, but she declined at the time. She said it’d be too hard, being reminded of her parents in Karzel.”
“Then why is she here now?”
Santuk, who had been silently listening, suddenly asked. Erica nodded in strong agreement beside him.
Santuk beamed. Erica rarely agreed with him or showed approval, so he seemed pleased.
“My father wrote her a recommendation letter so she could work for a noble family. He figured there weren’t many ways for a young girl to make a living. It seems she worked here and there afterward, and eventually ended up at our house as a maid.”
“You recognized her right away? Sharp eyes.”
Ellen was surprised at Roil’s keen memory.
“Of course not. She came up to me and introduced herself. Said she appreciated how I helped her back then and wanted to say thank you.”
Well, I helped her too, you know?
Ellen’s emotions grew complicated. Before hearing all this, she’d just found Silla annoying. But now, knowing they had this connection, she felt a bit glad. It was also a relief to see someone who had gone through so much doing well.
All that was fine, but—she had helped Silla too! So why did Silla act so differently toward her? She smiled sweetly at Roil but treated Ellen coldly. Ellen started feeling a little grumpy.
Just then, Silla entered the greenhouse pushing a tray of refreshments. Noticing all eyes on her, she briefly looked flustered but soon began setting the tea table.
“Why’d you take so long?”
Santuk, hungry after moving around the training grounds, made the comment without much thought.
Come to think of it, he was right. Erica and Serel exchanged glances.
The tea table was supposed to be set by the time they came down after washing and changing. The others, having been too distracted by Silla’s story, now waited for her response.
“I’m sorry I was late.”
Silla bowed her head to Santuk and apologized in a soft voice. Then she looked at Roil with pitiful eyes.
“Go on.”
Whether he noticed or not, Roil didn’t spare her a glance and simply gestured for her to leave, as if her job was done.
Seeing Silla’s reaction, a vein popped on Erica’s forehead, but she calmed down again at Roil’s indifference.
“I mean, sure, I feel sorry for her and all. But that’s that—I just don’t like her.”
As always, Erica was clear about her likes and dislikes.
You tell her, girl!
Ellen silently cheered for Erica. As the daughter of her mom’s friend, Diana, Ellen couldn’t openly complain about Silla’s placement as a maid, but inside, she was glad someone said it.
✿ ✿ ✿
Just like when her friends arrived, Ellen saw them off as if it were her own home. Erica looked on enviously.
“Lucky. I wish I lived near here too!”
Ellen found her so cute, she hugged her.
“You can visit anytime, Erica. Besides, I have to head home now too.”
Ellen hugged Serel as well, then shook hands with Adrian and Santuk.
“Get home safely.”
Roil held the carriage door for them and bid the group goodbye.
As their carriage receded into the distance, Ellen waved, then turned to Roil.
“Aren’t they all adorable?”
“Yeah. They used to just feel like younger kids I had to look after, but over the years, they’ve started to feel like real friends.”
“Right? It’s a funny sort of relationship.”
Ellen agreed.
“Once we grow a bit more, I bet it’ll feel like true friendship. They say the older you get, the less age matters when it comes to friends.”
As Ellen turned back toward the mansion, Roil walked alongside her.
“You’re weirdly mature sometimes, you know that?”
Ellen pinched his side.
“Weirdly mature? That’s rude.”
Clutching his side dramatically, Roil changed the subject.
“Your dad went off to the front again?”
“Yeah. This time of year, it’s always the same.”
“I heard the Nomad tribe might be even more aggressive this year.”
At Roil’s comment, Ellen sighed.
“They should focus on cultivating their barren lands instead of always raiding us.”
“Well, maybe they’re doing it because that’s not easy.”
Ellen shot him a look.
“Really, Count Karzel’s heir? Are you sympathizing with invaders?”
“Hey. Like Erica said, that’s that, and this is this. I can still feel some pity for people forced to live in harsh conditions. But of course, my people come first. Obviously. Stop glaring.”
Roil nudged her with his elbow.
“You’ve always had a habit of overthinking from every angle. Sometimes, it’s okay not to.”
Ellen understood what he meant.
Still, she was someone whose arms didn’t just bend inward—they curled up tight and never straightened out. That’s why she didn’t feel any sympathy for the Nomads who constantly invaded her people.
When they arrived at the Quinter carriage, Ellen added,
“But being thoughtful is your strength.”
Roil patted her head at those words.
“I’m not hurt, you know. You don’t need to force compliments.”
“You noticed?”
So quick on the uptake, Ellen smiled sheepishly.
“I’m not a bear—I’ve got basic social awareness.”
As Roil opened the carriage door, the coachman swiftly lowered the step.
A memory from her past life came to Ellen’s mind.
‘If you don’t have any sense, you’re not a person—you’re a bear!’
That had always been directed at her clueless dad by her mom in her past life.
Remembering Roil’s words, Ellen smiled faintly.
In the past, when memories of her previous life resurfaced, she would feel bitter, sad, or laugh with a tinge of sorrow. But ever since learning that Roil was Eunho, those memories no longer brought pain. She could smile more easily now.
“But it wasn’t a fake compliment. Aren’t you busy too? With your dad gone, you must be helping out.”
“Yeah. And I bet you’ll be working the moment you get home.”
Since both of their fathers had left for the front to prepare for the Nomad invasion, they now had to help their mothers manage the estate and family affairs.
“Yep. I’ll send Neshu your way. Oh, we’ll meet at the lakeside in three days.”
“Got it. Take care.”
Roil closed the carriage door and tapped the wall. The carriage began to move.
He waved at the back of the retreating carriage.
✿ ✿ ✿
After returning from Karzel, Ellen began assisting Gloria the very next day.
She had been watching Gloria work since she was around ten years old, and starting this year, she was going to participate more directly.
Of course, being only fourteen, there wasn’t much she could do, but with Count Gerald away every year, Ellen thought it was time to support the household more actively.
Once she finished her tasks, Ellen sat on the couch in Gloria’s office reading a book, but when her focus waned, she started watching Gloria instead.
This time of year, the barbarians always stirred near the border. It was an annual routine for Gerald to set out on campaign, and for Gloria to manage the territory and coordinate supplies.
As far as Ellen knew, Gloria had been in her office since dawn, working non-stop aside from meal breaks.
Wow, how long has Mom been sitting like that? Her concentration’s amazing… this reminds me of my senior year of high school.
Ellen peeked at her mom and slowly lay down on the couch, blankly watching her.
At that moment, Gloria pulled a small pouch from her pocket—about the size of Ellen’s hand.
A lucky pouch?
Ellen watched, curious. Gloria didn’t seem to notice her daughter watching as she pulled a sky-blue box—about the size of a laptop—from the pouch.
!?
Ellen’s eyes widened.
A laptop-sized box from a tiny pouch!?
Thinking she must’ve seen it wrong, Ellen rubbed her eyes and looked again.
Gloria placed some papers and a scroll inside the box, closed the lid, and then placed it back into the pouch. The box shrank and was sucked inside like magic.
“M-Mom!”
So I wasn’t imagining it!
As Ellen stared wide-eyed, Gloria looked down at the pouch, then approached her.
Ellen scooted aside to make space, but couldn’t take her eyes off the pouch.
“It’s a ‘pouch.’”
I can see that, Ellen almost said, but she was too stunned to speak.
When Ellen didn’t respond, Gloria spoke again.
“This is a gift from a Silver Dragon to an ancestor of the Quinter family. It’s called ‘Dragon’s Grace.’”
“You met a Silver Dragon…? In Irkanaha? But I heard they live underwater, so how—?”
Caught off guard by the dragon story, Ellen sat up, entranced.
“No, they didn’t go to Irkanaha looking for the dragon. They happened to befriend one that was out wandering and were invited to its lair. Dragons give gifts to those who enter their lairs. That’s what people call ‘Dragon’s Grace.’”
