How Can You Pay Back The Kindness I Raised With Obsession?

His intuition that she was secretly crying was correct. As soon as Elliot saw her tear-soaked face, he pulled the owner of the face into his arms.

 

“Your Highness, sip…”

 

Without hesitation, he lowered his head and pressed his lips to Hazel’s. It was a moment when his hesitation became ridiculous.

 

‘Don’t cry. I was crazy because I felt disappointed because you didn’t cry. Even though it’s not the case, I’m leaving with a heavy heart, so I can’t believe you’re sad because you didn’t want to burden me and tried to carry it all on your own.’

 

Elliot swallowed Hazel’s cries and swallowed them again. Until she no longer cries. The two even forgot that countless eyes were watching. At this moment, it felt like there were only two people in the world. Their lips moved together as if they would never separate again, but eventually the time came when they had to separate. Elliot promised, wiping her still wet eyes.

 

“I will definitely come back alive.”

 

Hazel smiled through her tears and nodded her head.

 

“I’ll wait.”

 

Elliot held her lover in his arms and swore deep in his heart.

 

‘When I return, I will formally propose to you.’

 

* * *

 

The sound of falling snow resembles the sound of footsteps. It was a trivial fact that she learned only after there was someone waiting. And sometimes the little things become everything. She stopped cutting the herbs and looked out the window of the cabin, where the snow was falling, over and over again. I was fooled again and again by the sound of snow falling. The day the Grand Duke left was a hot summer, but now it was already winter. Not long ago, the year even changed.

 

“I wish you a happy new year.”

 

This time she did not hear the words she had heard every New Year for the years she had been with him. Even though she hadn’t heard a single word from him, she felt uneasy at times, thinking that this year would be unlucky and uncharacteristic of her. And over the past six months, little things like those snowflakes have piled up and weighed heavily on her. Big and small news came from the North every day. The next day, after being happy with the hopeful news, she was saddened by the despairing news. The list of fallen soldiers grew longer by the day. She looked away from the window where she couldn’t see the man and went back to trimming the herbs. As the war dragged on, she soothed her anxiety by constantly making magic potions and sending them to the front lines so that they would not run out. Letters came and went along with supplies. However, the frequency gradually decreased. The situation seems to be tense, so these days, the only letters she receive were official ones.

 

“After…”

 

She let out a deep sigh, and the lady who was hanging out in front of the stove scolded her harshly.

 

[I’d rather just laugh like a fool.]

 

“…”

 

At that moment, she remembered the first kiss of her life.

 

‘How did he know I was crying there?’

 

She was crouching behind a pillar and crying, and when she saw the tips of his leather boots blurred, she looked up and saw serious and sad eyes staring at her. As soon as their eyes met, she was embarrassed to have been caught crying and tried to run away. But without giving her a chance, he pulled her in with great force and placed his lips on her…

 

‘Ahh! Oh my god. I’m embarrassed.’

 

She threw the herbs and covered both cheeks. Her cheek was hot when she touched it. The kiss was better than she imagined. Even now, when she thought about it again, it felt like her heart would explode just like it did then. As two seasons passed, thinking about that fleeting kiss became a daily routine for me. It was the strength to endure this anxious time.

 

‘Is the Grand Duke like this too?’

 

She wondered if he pondered over that moment like she did.

 

‘No.’

 

He wouldn’t have the luxury of being idly lost like her in a battlefield where life and death were at stake in a single moment. She would laugh like an idiot thinking about that kiss, and when she made eye contact with Lady, she would get so shocked as if she had done something bad and quit.

 

“Hi…”

 

This time too, she laughed like an idiot, but it wasn’t the Lady who surprised her.

 

Jingling jingling.

 

The broom shook the bell. When she returned to the mansion and opened the door to the nanny’s room, Mrs. Balea was standing there. Behind her were five maids.

 

“…What happened?”

 

It was unusual for the atmosphere to be solemn.

 

“The Duchess has invited Miss Hazel to have tea in the annex.”

 

“Me alone?”

 

“Yes.”

 

She had a strong feeling that it was not a good business. Lady Balea also looked worried as if she thought the same thing.

 

“So, I first reported this news to Her Highness the Grand Princess, she would said that she would go with you.”

 

Oh my, she must be busy… Luna has devoted the past half year to learning about the Grand Duke’s territory and the operation of the Grand Duke’s residence from her vassals. She was amazed and heartbroken that a twelve-year-old was trying to protect her family while her brother was away. She told Luna that she was already getting ready to go, so she nodded her head without a second thought. She couldn’t go with her hands full of herbal water, so she was just about to wash her hands and leave, when Madame Balea and the maids came rushing into her room.

 

“Chief maid, what about this dress?”

 

Then, they went through her closet, took out dresses one by one, and had a heated discussion about them.

 

“Since we are at war, it would be better to do something a little less flashy.”

 

“Then how about this?”

 

Lady Valeria nodded as the young maid held up a blue-gray dress trimmed with white lace.

 

“Yes, that would go well with jewelry.”

 

Madame Valeria winked at the maid who was standing behind her, and the maid opened a large velvet box. Inside was a jewelry set made of amethyst and platinum.

 

“Isn’t this the Grand Duchess’ jewel?”

 

Could she use this as she pleased?

 

“This is an instruction given by Her Majesty the Grand Duchess.”

 

Madame Valeria winked, and the five maids suddenly clung to her. The maids took off the work clothes she had been wearing, put on a dress, and elaborately braided her hair.

 

“Since you have fair skin, it would be better to wear light makeup.”

 

“How about a calm and neat pink color for your lips?”

 

“That’s a very good idea.”

 

The way everyone was so intent on decorating her made her look combative. In fact, even within the Grand Duchy’s residence, the war due to the cold war between the Grand Duchy and the Duke’s family was fierce. There was a rumor among the workers that the Duke’s family was trying to take over the Grand Duke’s house while the owner was away. Naturally, the wariness and callousness towards the Duke family was at a sky-high level.

 

‘I know… Who would look favorably on me if I sent you off to the battlefield and told you that I would take full responsibility for your successor and household affairs?’

 

She looked at the maids’ determined faces and then turned her gaze to her own dumbfounded face in the mirror.

 

‘Is this what it feels like to suddenly become the national representative and go to the Korea-Japan match?’

 

After the makeup was over, Madame Balea personally placed a gorgeous and heavy necklace around her neck.

 

‘The ancestral Grand Duchess’s jewels were present at the meeting with the Duke.’

 

Thanks to Luna’s overt support, the people who used the Grand Duchess these days have come to regard her as the next Grand Duchess. Honestly, it was burdensome.

 

“You are so, so beautiful.”

 

“That’s right. So don’t ever get discouraged, Miss Hazel.”

 

“There is no reason to be discouraged. Miss Hazel is truly the person who receives the Grand Duke’s favor.”

 

When the decorations were finished, with her maids heaping praise on me, Madame Valeria smiled triumphantly and said,

 

“We need to break her nose.”

 

There was no subject, but everyone knew whose nose it was. The public kiss at the departure ceremony caused an unexpected stir at the Grand Duke’s residence. It revived the spirit of the Grand Duchy’s employees and broke the spirit of the Duke’s family. Maybe that’s why it was quiet for a while, but lately there have been rumors that users are clashing with each other. In the end, the Duchess invited only her to take tea.

 

“It’s a stupid provocation.”

 

On the way to the annex in the carriage, Luna snorted at her.

 

“Now that I think about it, I forgot, but do you know what the Princess asked me for after His Highness went off to war?”

 

“What did she ask?”

 

“The princess said that she was getting thinner day by day because she could not bear her sadness. She asked if she could bring the princess’ close ladies to the Grand Ducal residence.”

 

“Oh, those scary sisters? So what did you say?”

 

“I hired a clown and sent him there.”

 

“What?”

 

“What’s the difference between those ladies and the clowns who clap and flatter?”

 

Luna laughed and shook her head as if she was fed up.

 

“I guess she thought I wouldn’t know that she was trying to bully Hazel by bringing her own group. They can’t stand it anymore and want to make it go away on their own. Do you think we’ll let Hazel go just because of that?”

 

Was it because of the cold or the intense obsession felt in Luna’s last words? She was horrified and trembled.

 

“Anyway, I’m sorry I’m busy.”

 

When the carriage stopped in front of the annex, she apologized to Luna.

 

“Why? I came today to experience and practice the social world. You can think of Hazel as having come to enjoy the sights while eating cake.”

 

Actually, she came because she was worried about Hazel. Although she was hard and cold on the outside, she was softer and warmer than anyone else on the inside.

 

“Don’t be discouraged.”

 

She added as Luna held her chin high as she confidently entered the annex. Why has everyone been telling her not to be discouraged since earlier? In fact, not only was the princess not her romantic rival, but she neither envied nor feared her. She didn’t have anything to worry about, but people around her were worried about her. As she and Luna entered the living room side by side, arm in arm, the lady sitting in front of the tea table was visibly embarrassed, and she belatedly stood up to greet Luna.

 

“Oh my, the Grand Princess is here…”

 

“I’m sure I’m not an uninvited guest, right?”

 

The landlord asks uninvited guests if they are uninvited guests. Luna worked hard to suppress the momentum from the beginning.

 

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Translator Note: