Chapter 24
“Rozzy? Rozzy, is that you?”
When I usually had nightmares, it was Rozzy who would wake me up by shaking me.
So, I found myself instinctively calling for Rozzy, even though this wasn’t the Estarion Count’s residence.
But the voice that answered was from someone entirely different.
“It’s me. Sir Aiden.”
“…Sir Aiden?”
A large hand gently pulled away. From the darkness, a voice filled with concern reached my ears.
“Are you okay? You were screaming.”
“Ah…”
I must have screamed quite loudly because my throat stung.
Just as I was about to say something, Sir Aiden spoke first.
“You should drink some water. You’re shaking a lot right now.”
There was an unmistakable sense of worry in his voice. Sir Aiden lit a lamp, and the flickering flame revealed him filling a glass of water.
“Drink and calm down.”
“Th-thank you.”
The cold water brought me back to my senses. However, the trembling wouldn’t stop. My chest was filled with an incessant unease, and my breathing was rough.
‘What kind of dream did I have?’
It seemed like I had a very cruel dream, but I couldn’t remember any details.
As I tried to recall the elusive memories, it only gave me a headache.
“Don’t try to remember anything.”
“…What?”
Sir Aiden, while holding his finger over the flickering flame, casually spoke.
“It was just a nightmare. No need to dwell on it. A nightmare is just a nightmare, and it doesn’t mean anything important. So, relax.”
“Ah…”
“You were screaming and talking nonsense. What’s the point of remembering that kind of dream?”
“What did I say?”
Sir Aiden kept silent.
He closed his mouth and, perhaps due to the shadow cast by the light, looked quite tired. More precisely, he looked a bit sad.
It didn’t make sense for Sir Aiden to feel sad over my nightmare.
Thinking I was just imagining it because of the aftereffects of the nightmare, I spoke up.
“I’m sorry. You must have been woken up because of me. Please go back to sleep.”
“No. I’ll wait until you fall asleep.”
“You don’t have to do that.”
“Do you know how bad your complexion looks? Don’t make me seem like a heartless person who leaves someone on the brink of death just to go to sleep. Just lie down.”
After saying this, Sir Aiden sat on the chair next to the bed, crossing his legs.
Though his posture was casual, his gaze was steady and serious.
“I wish I could sing a lullaby for you, but I don’t know any. I’m sorry that your student is ignorant.”
“It’s alright. Please don’t say that.”
“You don’t look alright, though.”
“I’m sorry for worrying you.”
“No. You don’t have to apologize. …I just want you to be healthy.”
“There won’t be any issues with the lessons. Don’t worry.”
Upon hearing my words, a deep frown formed on Sir Aiden’s face.
He crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his head with a stern expression before muttering in a gruff tone.
“Do you think I’m someone who doesn’t care about anything? The lessons aren’t the most important thing right now. Of course, they matter, but isn’t your health more important?”
“Thank you for saying that.”
I truly appreciated how much he cared, especially for something as trivial as a nightmare.
“Now, get some sleep. Without the nightmare or the screams, just sleep peacefully.”
When Sir Aiden extinguished the lamp, darkness enveloped the room.
Though I should have been tense with a stranger beside me, the darkness soon made my exhaustion take over.
Amid the fading consciousness, I could hear Sir Aiden’s voice.
“Sleep well.”
Was that a dream, or was it real?
Even amidst the dreadful nightmares, I think I hoped that those words were real.
“Miss, are you feeling alright?”
“Ah, yes. Don’t worry about me.”
Sophie had been worried about my condition since the morning.
I wondered if Sophie had heard my screams last night, so I carefully observed her demeanor.
“Is something on my face?”
“Did I wake you up last night?”
“Because of me?”
Sophie’s eyes widened in surprise.
“If you sleep near my room, you’ll often be woken up because of me. I have nightmares from time to time. So, please try to stay far away.”
“Nightmares?”
“I scream sometimes during the night, but it happens often, so don’t be too surprised.”
“Is that why the Duke…”
“The Duke?”
“The Duke told me early this morning to get you some sleep aid tea.”
The tone was blunt, but I appreciated the thoughtfulness behind it.
I wanted to apologize and thank her for waking me up last night.
“Where is Sir Aiden?”
“The Duke is trimming the garden trees.”
“Trimming the trees?”
“Yes. The Duke doesn’t usually like to hire people. Even though the mansion is a bit messy, he seems to think it’s fine. Otherwise, he’ll do it himself.”
Sophie let out a deep sigh as if stressed by the work.
“The house is so big that no matter how much I clean, it doesn’t seem to make a difference. It’s ridiculous that I’m the only one responsible for this huge mansion. You wouldn’t believe how much work there is.”
“You only have yourself and Maria in the kitchen, so it must be hard. You’ve been working really hard.”
I patted Sophie on the arm, and she bit her lip as if holding back tears.
“I was thinking of suggesting to the Duke that he hire more people. Just wait a little longer.”
“Please do. Tell him to do it.”
“Don’t worry too much.”
It might not be my place to tell them how to run their household, but Sir Aiden’s goal was to enter high society in the capital. So, there would likely be many guests in the future.
It would be better to hire help beforehand than rush to find people later when guests arrived.
After finishing my lesson preparations, I went to the study. Sir Aiden was already there.
“Have you eaten?”
“I had a quick meal. What about you?”
“It was delicious. You were reading a book.”
“It’s a children’s book.”
Sir Aiden flicked through the pages quickly to show me the book.
He wasn’t embarrassed about reading children’s books. On the contrary, he seemed proud of the effort, thinking that not knowing things was only natural, and that working on it was something to be proud of.
I thought his attitude was really admirable.
“You’re doing well. If you come across a word you don’t know, feel free to ask.”
“I actually came across a word I don’t know.”
“What is it?”
“What’s a daydreamer?”
