Chapter 10
‘What kind of situation is this…?’
Elia bit down on her lower lip and let out a deep sigh.
Her long, slender blonde hair rippled in the air as she followed his wide strides.
Elia’s delicate wrist was wrapped tightly in bandages. After telling her not to use her arm for a while, the physician left the bedroom.
When the servants also left the room, only Felix and Elia remained, and silence filled the space around them.
“Um,”
“You,”
Both spoke at the same time.
“You first.”
“You go ahead.”
After a brief pause, Elia sighed softly and lifted her head.
“Um… about earlier, when you carried me. Could you at least warn me beforehand?”
“Do I need to announce something like that? Even doing something nice becomes a problem?”
Felix let out a laugh, as if finding her words absurd.
“Yes. I know you were being considerate, but I can walk perfectly fine on my own.”
“With those legs that look like they’d snap if I so much as tap them?”
He glanced at her slender legs with sarcasm. Unconsciously, Elia pulled her legs—hidden beneath her skirt—closer together.
‘Ha… was he always like this? I thought he was more dignified.’
Elia knew she wasn’t the same person she had been 16 years ago, but Felix’s personality also seemed quite different from what she remembered.
‘He used to be quieter…’
The upright, composed Felix she once knew now appeared somewhat twisted.
Whether he sensed her thoughts or not, Felix studied her closely.
“By the way, do you really not remember when you were drunk?”
“…No. I don’t remember. Did I do something wrong?”
“Hm. I can’t tell if you truly don’t remember or if you’re just pretending.”
At his words, Elia clenched her small hands tightly.
“What do you mean by that…? Could you explain?”
His suspicious tone made her stomach churn with frustration.
“…Forget it. Let’s drop the subject.”
“What? You’re just going to stop there?”
Her brows furrowed in irritation.
“More importantly, why are you so eager to see Jeremy?”
“Because I want to get close to him, of course. He’s such a lovely child.”
As she spoke, a gentle smile bloomed across her lips. The image of that plump, soft face came to mind, and her heart warmed.
“You’re sure there’s no hidden agenda?”
Felix’s dry, emotionless gaze bore into her as he asked.
“What kind of ulterior motive could there possibly be in saying a child is cute just because they are?”
Her voice came out a little sharper than intended, annoyed by his tone.
“Well, I wouldn’t know what goes on in your head.”
“Ugh… I’m just saying something lovely is lovely.”
“…”
“If you don’t say it and express it, no one will ever know how you feel.”
“…”
His brows knitted slightly.
“And at least here, when I say how I feel, someone listens.”
Maybe I got carried away? His suspicious gaze stung more than she expected.
In her previous life, the only place she ever felt like she belonged was in the northern lands of Artigen. She must have gotten too excited, feeling like she’d returned home.
“…I’ve thought this from the start, but you sure have a way of calmly saying everything you want to say.”
A moment of silence passed before Felix spoke again, letting out a short sigh.
“…Any child would struggle to adapt to constant changes.”
“…That’s true.”
“Especially since you’re the third duchess.”
“…Was there some kind of issue between Jeremy and the previous duchess?”
He fell quiet at her question, lost in thought for a long moment.
“…Not sure it would help to tell you.”
The answer she wasn’t hoping for painted her face with disappointment.
“But, Your Grace, I…”
Knock, knock.
A knock interrupted Elia mid-sentence.
“Your Grace, it’s time for swordsmanship practice, but Young Master Jeremy has disappeared again.”
“Jeremy?”
It was the butler who entered to deliver the news. Felix, surprised, immediately left the room with Andrew.
Their footsteps faded quickly down the hall.
‘So he still hates sword lessons, huh? That hasn’t changed.’
As soon as she heard that, Elia thought of the thicket.
He’s probably there.
But now that she thought about it, Jeremy wasn’t the type to be mentally fragile.
“Why does he hate sword lessons so much?”
Tilting her head in curiosity, Elia left the room to search for him.
Her steps carried her toward the familiar thicket, where only thorn-like branches remained.
The weather was quite cold. Though the blizzard had ceased, its aftermath lingered. Snow was piled high enough to cover Elia’s calves.
“Jeremy?”
The child sat curled up in the pure white snow.
“Ah! W-What the…”
Startled by someone suddenly approaching, the boy quickly regained his composure upon recognizing Elia, putting on a sullen expression.
“Jeremy, why are you hiding here?”
“Tch. Like you even care…”
He buried his face between his arms, pouting.
Yuri had said Jeremy was mature for his age, but that was only in appearance and speech.
Inside, he was a child starving for affection. Seeing that now broke Elia’s heart.
She plopped down into the snow beside him.
“Huh? W-Wait, it’s cold and dirty…!”
He blurted out in worry before cutting himself off, startled by his own reaction.
His cheeks and the tip of his nose were flushed red.
“Were you worried about me?”
Elia smiled softly, eyes curved gently as she looked at him.
“No.”
“Oh? Sure looks like you were.”
“I wasn’t.”
“Hahaha, okay, then let’s say you weren’t.”
The tension on his face eased just a little.
“You’re weird…”
His unexpectedly honest remark made Elia laugh again.
“Jeremy, can you do me a favor?”
“…?”
His pink head tilted slightly, eyes wide with curiosity.
“It’s so lonely eating alone. Would you eat with me from now on?”
“…Um. That’s…”
Jeremy opened his mouth hesitantly, unable to finish his sentence.
“Ah, so you don’t want to.”
Elia exaggerated a long sigh.
“Then how about playing together? Is that a no too?”
Her straightforward gaze made the boy bow his head slightly in embarrassment. No adult had ever made a request like this to him before.
“…That’s okay, I guess.”
“Then… how about we throw a birthday party for you?”
“…Birthday? A birthday party?”
At the word “party,” Jeremy’s clear, water-like eyes sparkled.
“Yes. Your birthday is coming up soon.”
“H-How did you know?”
His round eyes widened.
“Well, as the duchess, I should know at least that much, don’t you think?”
“Really?”
Hope shimmered in his eyes.
“But there’s one condition.”
At her words, his brows furrowed in suspicion, looking exactly like Felix in that moment.
“…Forget it. I don’t want it anymore.”
His lower lip jutted out in a pout before retreating again. Elia couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he looked.
“Hahaha, it’s something really simple. I just want you to call me Elia. Is that too much to ask?”
“…Huh?”
The light that had faded from his eyes shone brightly again as he looked at her.
“Is that okay?”
“That’s fine.”
“Oh my, thank you so much.”
“I’ll call you Lady Elia.”
He folded his arms and tilted his head, as if granting a great favor.
“Hahaha, thank you. So, deal?”
“Yeah. Deal.”
His small, pink lips curved into a satisfied smile.
“Shall we head back now?”
Elia extended her hand to him. For a moment, Jeremy almost took it—but quickly pulled his hand back.
