Episode 24
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That night, Ranié couldn’t sleep. Forcing herself to rest only led to nightmares, leaving her in the worst mood. When Lilia, the early-rising child of this new day, saw her mother’s disheveled face, she was deeply shocked.
Despite Hilda and Lilia’s pleas, Ranié stubbornly got ready and went to work. Because the two kept clinging to her pants to stop her, she arrived a little late.
‘Do I really look that bad?’
As she walked, touching her roughened skin, she heard cheerful laughter from the orchard. Was something good happening? As she came closer, she saw the elders chatting happily together.
That much was fine—but when she spotted one more person among them, Ranié froze mid-step. Hedrian was laughing and talking with them.
‘……?’
Thinking she must be seeing things, she rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand. Instead, his figure became clearer.
The elders smiled kindly and patted him on the back. They treated him like one of their own villagers, leaving her utterly dumbfounded.
While she stood there in shock, Mrs. Lawson noticed her and came over to check her complexion.
“What’s wrong, dear? You look awful today.”
“It’s nothing, ma’am. But… what’s going on here?”
“The new lord is such a good man.”
“What?”
“He came early in the morning to help tidy up the orchard. And he’s already spoken with the village headman—he said he’ll reduce our taxes.”
In other words, in just two days, Hedrian had completely won over the elders of Leclere Village.
A handsome face that appealed to everyone, young and old. Gentle manners that made people smile without realizing it.
……No wonder they liked him.
That thought alone made her suddenly irritated.
‘Still… really?! You all never liked outsiders before!’
It felt like betrayal. It had taken her years to truly blend into this village.
Ranié couldn’t bring herself to join their circle—and truthfully, she didn’t intend to. She simply bowed politely and went about her work quietly.
By lunchtime, several unfamiliar people arrived at the orchard, carrying large bundles of food. They were clearly Hedrian’s subordinates.
“We prepared in a hurry, so I hope it suits your taste.”
Before she knew it, Ranié was caught up in the mood and ended up eating with them. Seated at the farthest corner, she only picked at the vegetables on her plate.
Her gaze kept drifting toward Hedrian. He acted like a kind young man, winning the elders’ affection completely.
“By the way, are you married, young man? You’ve no ring on your finger.”
“No, not yet.”
“What’s keeping you from marrying, someone as fine as you?”
“……Thank you for thinking so kindly of me, sir.”
Ranié’s mouth dropped open. “Young man”? To the lord? They’d gotten quite close in such a short time.
“You’ll find true happiness only when you settle down and have a family. Don’t wait too long—find yourself a fine young woman soon. Ranié too, for that matter!”
Why was the conversation suddenly heading this way?
Ranié, who had been lazily poking at her food, awkwardly smiled and nodded as all eyes turned to her. At moments like this, it was best to say what the elders wanted to hear and let the topic pass.
The talk of marriage continued. She was used to their nagging, but today it made her stomach churn. Eventually, she excused herself, claiming she needed the restroom, and quietly slipped away.
“Ugh, finally, I can breathe again……”
Ranié crouched by the stream, splashing cold water on her face and exhaling deeply. At last, the tension seemed to ease.
Her weary face reflected in the clear water. Realizing she looked even worse than she thought, she made a bitter expression.
‘……No wonder Lilia looked so worried. She’s sharper than most kids, I need to be more careful.’
Her poor condition was partly because of last night’s events—but honestly, the nightmare had the greater share of the blame.
For the first time in a while, she’d dreamed of Celine. It was a nightmare because Celine abandoned Lilia without hesitation. In the dream, Lilia cried and called for her mother, but Celine never looked back.
That dream had to be the new lord’s fault.
‘I wonder what she’s doing now.’
In the true ending, Celine was supposed to die of illness this year. But since the story had changed, her fate might have changed too.
Maybe she was living well somewhere. She had no reason for thinking that, yet the thought lingered.
She hugged her knees and lowered her head. Listening to the trickle of the stream, she spent some quiet time alone.
Rustle. She heard someone step on the grass. When she turned, she saw the one person she least wanted to meet—golden hair gleaming brightly. Ranié frowned slightly. Hedrian hesitated, then carefully asked,
“Are you feeling better?”
She hadn’t expected him to follow her. Ranié reluctantly replied,
“……Yes.”
“I brought medicine. Just in case—take it.”
“……Thank you.”
It was a small vial that fit neatly in her hand. Accepting it automatically, Ranié bowed her head slightly.
An awkward silence filled the air. Knowing she’d spoken harshly the night before, she felt all the more uncomfortable being alone with him.
‘If it were me, I wouldn’t even look at someone who said those things. How can he act like nothing happened?’
She fiddled with the vial, her gaze on the water. Hedrian’s reflection appeared beside hers, his expression just as uneasy.
He broke the silence first.
“……I heard you’re not married.”
“Yes, I’m not.”
“Then, the child from yesterday?”
Her hand trembled slightly around the vial. Her heart sank, and cold sweat broke out.
‘……Why is he asking about Lilia?’
Could he have discovered that Lilia was Kaen’s daughter? No one knew that except her and Celine.
Ranié bit her lip, hiding her alarm. She knew better than anyone that reacting nervously would only raise suspicion.
Taking a deep breath, she stood up. An unmarried woman raising a child—whose child she was—those were surely his real questions. If so, there was only one answer she could give.
“Lilia is my daughter.”
Even if they shared no blood, even if they looked nothing alike—Lilia was the daughter Ranié Fillet had chosen to love and raise with her whole heart.
Hedrian’s eyes dropped slowly to the ring on her hand. He looked like he had many more questions, but Ranié wanted to end the conversation.
“I appreciate your kindness toward the elders, but please don’t concern yourself with me as well. It makes me uncomfortable.”
“I told you yesterday—I still think of you as a friend.”
“I don’t. I don’t think of you as a friend, my lord.”
Her sharp reply slipped out before she could stop herself. Yet, looking into his blue eyes, her anger softened again.
She sighed. Ranié wanted to stop this pointless argument. Just dealing with Lilia’s situation was enough to make her head spin—she had no room for anything else.
“Why did you come to this village?”
“……If I said I came to see a friend, would that make you angry?”
“It doesn’t seem like that’s the only reason.”
His eyes widened slightly, as if she’d struck a nerve.
Ranié exhaled tiredly. She had been thinking about this all through her sleepless night.
“If that were all, you wouldn’t have gone through the trouble of becoming the lord just to come here. And you probably would’ve wanted to keep your true name hidden from me.”
Hedrian couldn’t refute her words.
“I know I’m just a commoner, unfit to speak on matters of a lord. So, to avoid offending you further—please don’t come near me again.”
When she turned her back coldly, a low voice reached her.
“……I came because I wanted to protect something.”
The village? Its people? Or something—or someone—else?
He didn’t say what it was he wanted to protect. When she looked at him expectantly for clarification, Hedrian’s lips parted, then closed again. He clearly didn’t wish to explain further.
Ranié’s eyes turned cold.
“Then go back. There’s nothing in this village that my lord needs to protect. Nothing at all.”
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