CHAPTER 87……………….
“Noella, are you alright? Huh?”
“…Brother.”
Xerox paced anxiously around the room, leaving Noella leaning against the bed.
Her fragile hands, wrapped in white bandages, looked pitiful. Seeing the bandages still soaked with blood, Xerox let out a disbelieving sigh.
“How could this happen! I shouldn’t have left you alone!”
“I’m fine… really.”
“Fine? Father formally lodged a complaint with the Count. If things had gone differently, you might have lost the use of your fingers. Do you understand?”
“…That’s awful.”
“Adele!”
Xerox froze as Adele appeared, stepping through the doorway.
She carried a bouquet of flowers so radiant it seemed almost surreal, fitting her perfectly while also feeling oddly out of place. Her confident presence was almost intimidating, and Xerox swallowed hard.
“…Uh, sister.”
Still, he couldn’t step back, not when Noella looked so pitiful. All he could think about was protecting her.
“You heard about it too, didn’t you? That scoundrel Kaiden!”
“I know.”
“…Sister, I’m sorry. It’s… it’s my fault. Sniff.”
Noella’s fear overflowed into tears. Xerox, flustered, held her small shoulders to comfort her, but Adele’s impassive expression didn’t change.
She simply placed the flowers beside the bed and gave a polite smile.
“Looks like it’s not as bad as Father said?”
“Adele, why say that?”
“….”
“Look at your hand. There’s so much blood. Who knows what could have happened if I hadn’t come?”
“Indeed. I never imagined you’d arrive just in time.”
Adele looked at Noella with a face full of awe.
Noella, pale and leaning on the bed with her hands bandaged, was enough to melt any man’s heart.
“Xerox, who’s never even gone to the third floor, actually went there? Did Noella tell you when to come?”
“Well… that’s…”
As he spoke, Xerox frowned, realizing something odd.
Such an innocent fool.
Raising her eyebrows, Adele pushed him aside and looked down at Noella.
“If you’re alright, I’d like to talk to you alone for a bit.”
“Huh? Alone with you… just the two of us?”
“Why? Is it difficult?”
“Well… I still haven’t calmed down.”
Noella grabbed Xerox’s sleeve, her face strained.
“Don’t leave me alone.”
Seeing the pleading in her eyes, he snapped to attention and stepped between them.
“Alright, Adele. Noella needs to calm down. If there’s anything to say, say it to me…”
“Really? Is that okay, Noella?”
“….”
“She’s asking if it’s alright to speak to you through Xerox.”
Adele kindly asked her consent.
Noella lowered her gaze for a moment before finally nodding for Xerox to leave.
Even the reluctant Xerox had no choice as Noella repeatedly urged him out.
“Don’t worry, Brother. I’ll just be alone with my sister. Nothing will happen, I’m sure.”
“B-but…”
“Yes, Xerox. It’s just the two of us. Even if something happened to Noella, it would all be my doing anyway.”
With the sisters’ gentle voices continuing, Xerox was pushed out, trying in vain to hide his discomfort.
Left alone in the room, the depth of Adele’s smile only grew.
“You could’ve at least waved, Noella. If you were able, that is.”
“Sister, I don’t understand why you’re doing this to me.”
“Don’t understand?”
Adele laughed as if she’d heard a delightful story.
Without ever stopping her smile or becoming serious, she remained consistently kind.
“Noella, you went to Kaiden first, right?”
“Yes. You said it would be better if I tried to get along with him.”
“Goodness, I never thought you’d listen to me so well.”
“…Sister, I think you’re misunderstanding again. It was Kaiden who stabbed me. I’m really… wronged, sniff.”
“Of course you’d feel wronged. I just went to that room myself.”
Adele leaned closer.
Noella, wary, didn’t flinch. Adele simply looked at her bandaged hand with concern.
“The blood was everywhere. You probably fell and rolled on the floor, huh? Father must have seen it too?”
“Well… I don’t know what Kaiden said to explain it…”
“He didn’t. Not a word.”
“….”
“Isn’t that strange? The boy who always said it wasn’t his blood…”
Adele tilted her head over Noella’s golden hair as if to smooth it.
The blood on the windowsill was Kaiden’s. You could tell at a glance.
“Luckily, your hand isn’t as bad as I feared.”
“Sister…”
“But isn’t it strange? How could you be stabbed without breaking a single bone, leaving just a neat hole? Kaiden’s skills are impressive, it seems.”
Adele looked up, her eyes warm and full of concern for her bedridden sister.
“Still, it’s truly fortunate. You won’t be able to do anything with this hand for a while.”
“That’s cruel. You only like Kaiden…”
“No, of course not. Otherwise, why would I have brought these flowers?”
She smiled gently and stepped back.
“See? Aren’t they beautiful? They’re newly cultivated, and I wanted you to see them first.”
“…Why show me this?”
“They’re delicate yet pure. They suit you.”
Adele held the flowers forward so Noella could see them easily from the bed.
“They’re a hybrid, so no name or meaning yet. Hmm… maybe call them ‘Final Warning’.”
“Sister!”
“Why? It’s a prejudice to think all flowers are only beautiful.”
Adele plucked a bloom and forced it into Noella’s hand, and blood seeped clearly through the bandage.
Noella groaned, clearly exasperated.
“…You’ll regret doing this to me.”
“You’ll be the one regretting it if you heal too quickly.”
Adele gave a meaningful smile and turned away.
She signaled Xerox at the door, and he rushed back in to check on Noella.
Outside, Adele’s heels clicked sharply on the floor.
“Noella, what did Adele say…?”
“Ugh, it’s noisy! Close the door.”
“Alright, alright!”
Flustered, Xerox hurried to lock the door.
Noella’s shoulders shook visibly as she covered her ears.
Not knowing what to do, Xerox rested his hand on her small shoulder, and she clung to his neck.
“Brother… sniff.”
“Noella, don’t… calm down.”
“I’m scared. Sister seems angry. What if Kaiden comes to me to take revenge?”
“Don’t worry. I just heard—Kaiden’s locked in the basement. He won’t see the outside world for a week.”
“Really?”
She must have been terrified.
Xerox comforted Noella, who, usually shy about showing affection at home, now rested her cheek against his shoulder.
“…So he won’t be out until Wednesday, then.”
