Chapter 16
The Proposal
“Ugh… mm…”
As Ebony finally shook off her hazy state of mind, a sharp headache followed.
Grabbing her throbbing head, she sat up and noticed Helene, who was lying face down on the bed, fast asleep.
“…Ebony?”
Hearing the movement, Helene lifted her head.
Still half-asleep, she opened her eyes halfway.
Upon seeing Ebony awake, she gasped and quickly got up.
“Ebony!”
“Where… am I?”
Ebony instinctively looked around and let out a sigh of relief when she recognized the familiar surroundings. It was the room Leon and Helene had arranged for them to stay in during the trip.
She remembered riding in the carriage with Leon, but everything after that was a blank. While she tried to piece together her scattered memories, Helene threw her arms around her.
“Do you know how worried I was?
I felt a bit relieved when Leon brought you back, but you fainted the moment you arrived!”
Helene wrapped her arms tightly around Ebony’s neck, scolding her.
Her voice carried a hint of tears, showing just how deeply concerned she had been.
“Fainted?”
Now it made sense why Helene had been by her side.
She must have stayed to watch over her, not knowing when she might wake up.
“We called for a doctor, but since they said nothing was seriously wrong, I got even more worried…”
Helene’s hands busily checked Ebony’s face for any signs of illness. Ebony gently removed Helene’s hands and shook her head.
“No, I’m fine. I must’ve been exhausted.”
She had a good idea why she fainted.
It was probably because she had overused her abilities.
“By the way, how long was I unconscious?”
“About two days. You were so still and quiet; it scared me.”
“Two days?”
Ebony’s voice rose in shock. Helene flinched at her reaction but nodded hesitantly.
Two whole days?
That meant they were supposed to head back to Freenid tomorrow!
Wasting precious time lying unconscious left Ebony feeling defeated.
She had spent the carriage ride planning how to prepare for Diego’s rejection, but now it was all wasted.
“Did I… receive any mail while I was out?”
“Mail?”
“Like a letter…”
Helene thought for a moment and shook her head.
“So, nothing came…”
It seemed Diego never sent a reply.
‘Then I’ll take it as a rejection. He wouldn’t bother replying just to say no.’
No response likely meant no.
Her shoulders drooped with despair.
Helene misunderstood the cause of her sadness and looked at her with sympathy.
“The Duke of Dominic must trust Leon so much that he didn’t feel the need to send anything. I’m sure he’s secretly worried about you, though.”
Helene gently patted Ebony’s hair and back, her touch comforting.
Though it seemed there was some misunderstanding, Ebony didn’t bother explaining and simply nodded.
“I’ll go inform Leon. Just in case, I’ll bring the doctor too. Don’t try to get up—just rest.
Rest is the most important thing for a patient!”
As Helene stood to leave and grabbed the door handle, the door opened from the other side.
Leon, who had opened the door, quickly caught Helene as she nearly lost her balance.
Helene, now in Leon’s arms, blinked in surprise upon seeing him.
“Leon? I was just about to call for you—”
“Ebony! Has she woken up?”
Leon’s urgency was clear in his voice, which was more intense than usual. Helene, steadying herself with his arm, gestured toward the bed.
“She woke up just now. I was about to tell you.”
“That’s a relief. Thanks, love.”
Leon gave Helene a quick kiss on the cheek before hurrying to Ebony’s side.
“Ebony!”
Seeing his sister awake and well, Leon let out a deep sigh of relief.
He examined her carefully, making sure nothing seemed off, and finally relaxed before sitting in a chair.
“How are you feeling?”
“I’m okay. I think I just dozed off from exhaustion.”
Ebony smiled faintly and cautiously observed Leon’s expression.
‘Did His Grace tell him anything?’
Diego might have sent a message to Leon instead of her. But asking about Diego felt like pouring fuel on the fire, especially with Leon still upset about her recent outing.
Clearing her throat, she clutched her blanket tightly. After hesitating, she finally managed to speak.
“Did His Grace Magnus by any chance…?”
“You and Diego—what exactly happened between you two?”
Their voices overlapped as both of them spoke at the same time.
The siblings exchanged awkward glances, but Ebony gestured for Leon to continue. He nodded and exhaled, clearly unsure of where to begin.
Running a hand through his golden hair that glinted in the sunlight streaming through the window, he asked, “Sorry to ask this right after you’ve woken up, but why did you go to see Diego?”
“That’s…”
“What exactly happened between you two for him to come all the way here to see you?”
Leon’s question threw her off. She had assumed he was scolding her, but the conversation had taken an unexpected turn.
Her mouth opened to explain, but no words came out.
She froze, her eyes wide with surprise.
“Diego is here at the estate. He says he has something urgent to tell you.”
“…His Grace?”
“Yeah. I told him it wasn’t a good time since you’re unwell, but he insisted on waiting. I came to check on you, but I didn’t expect you to be awake.”
Leon clicked his tongue, thinking about Diego waiting in the parlor.
He smirked at Ebony, who still looked stunned.
“So, what should I tell him?”
“…What?”
“Should I tell him to leave since you need to rest?”
“…”
“He seems pretty desperate, though.”
His teasing tone snapped Ebony out of her daze.
Her pale face suddenly flushed with color.
“I-I’ll go! I’ll get ready right away and go!”
“You’d better hurry. He may have said he’d wait, but he’s not exactly the patient type.”
Ebony quickly changed and rushed to the parlor.
Her heart pounded as she caught a glimpse of Diego through the window before entering.
Knocking softly, she waited for a few seconds before stepping inside.
As soon as she walked in, her eyes met Diego’s.
He was seated on a couch, his posture elegant, as if he owned the place.
A small nod was his only greeting.
Ebony quietly sat across from him.
Diego sipped from a teacup, unfazed by how cold the tea had grown, then placed it back on the saucer before speaking.
“I heard you fainted.”
“Ah, yes. For about two days…”
“Was it because you used your abilities?”
His bluntness caught her off guard.
Her reaction seemed to confirm his assumption, and Diego let out a scoff.
“Fainting from using your abilities… Hardly a bargain.”
Though he didn’t say it outright, his tone carried an air of dissatisfaction.
“It won’t happen every time. I just overdid it since it was the first time I used my abilities on such a large scale.”
“First time, huh? And yet you boldly presented it as a condition to me.”
Diego leaned back, resting his elbow on the couch’s armrest. His tilted posture matched his sharp tone as he continued.
“Because of your impressive abilities, the Duke’s estate has been inundated with complaints.
Other villages are protesting, saying we’ve neglected them even though we have the power to help.”
“…So, are you here to scold me for fixing the river?”
“Not quite.”
He shrugged and slid a small box toward her.
Ebony stared at the mysterious box without touching it. Diego gestured for her to open it.
When she finally lifted the lid, she froze her expression a mix of shock and disbelief.
Inside the box was a ring.
“I came to propose to you.”
Diego’s gaze locked onto hers, unwavering.
“Let’s get married.”
