Chapter 44
The way he looked at me was definitely different after my encounter with Roman. It’s like they’re looking at him with a hard stare.
“I’ve definitely gotten some strange looks.”
I said, rubbing my tired legs after returning to my bedroom.
“Ah, that’s….”
Amelia looked a little embarrassed at my words.
“I think there may be fewer people who pretend to be friendly, link arms, and say weird things.”
When I said this with sincere joy, Amelia just blinked for a moment.
Then, she started laughing, holding her stomach. Amelia was used to laughing, but this was the first time she had seen her laugh like that, so she looked at her with bewildered eyes.
Amelia, who had been laughing like that for a long time, wiped away the tears from her eyes and said.
“Then, I guess I can go outside a little more freely now.”
“Yeah, that’s sounds good.”
Amelia wholeheartedly agreed with her words. At those words, her laughter, which had barely stopped, burst out again.
Amelia, who soon stopped laughing, asked with a smile on her face.
“Do you think you’ll be able to sleep well today?”
“Ah yes.”
“Make sure to get a good night’s sleep today. I’ll start preparing for the vacation tomorrow.”
“Is there anything else I should do? I think I should just pack my bags.”
I questioned Amelia’s words, which seemed to require a firm resolve. However, she didn’t seem to have any intention of telling me right now.
“Yes, it’s a simple matter of packing, but you should probably get a good night’s sleep.”
***
“I thought you said you were getting ready for vacation?”
“Yes. I’m getting ready.”
“You also said it’s just a matter of packing.”
“To pack simply, you have to have luggage, right?”
I’ve been tired of the endless line of people for a long time. I even said it wasn’t over yet.
“So that’s why you bought so much?”
“Of course. There are still many things lacking.”
I looked around with a tired face. My eyes were dizzy with the dresses and accessories that filled the large room.
“The sound of laughter still lingers in my ears. I think I can hear it even when I sleep.”
“Oh, right. A dress with so many flowers on it was a bit too much for a vacation, wasn’t it?”
“No, that’s not what I meant. And it wasn’t just the dress that was too much.”
“Was that so? Fortunately, there were a lot of pretty dresses.”
Amelia nodded with a generous face, but she seemed to have no understanding of my plight.
Was it only me who heard the voice that had been hurting my ears the whole time?
Amelia’s only interest seemed to be in finding things that suited me.
Since she had bought so much, it would have been natural to stop, but Amelia was still full of enthusiasm. She looked up at her with a tired face, as if asking her to please look at her.
“So, to this extent….”
“But I still haven’t bought a hat and I don’t have any shoes.”
“I feel like my ears are going to bleed because I’ve only heard high-pitched voices since this morning.”
“Well, it was a tone that made my ears tired.”
“So the rest is…”
“The Duke has arrived.”
Amelia finally ignored my earnest request and stood up.
I saw Raynan entering the room, but I didn’t have the strength to get up from my seat.
“It seems like there are still a lot of things lacking?”
“Pardon?”
“Of course. People will continue to come in the future, so don’t worry too much.”
My surprised question went unheeded by either of them.
“Now that I think about it, I guess you’ll need a maid too.”
“The maid… I see.”
I didn’t think I’d be comfortable with anyone as a maid, but I didn’t say so. I didn’t think it would look right to not have a maid since I had just moved into my room.
“Well, if there’s anyone you’d like, I’ll think about it, and we’ll decide as soon as I get back from vacation.”
“Okay, I’ll do that, but I think I need to stop buying stuff.”
“Why?”
“There are already too many.”
“Don’t you like it?”
Raynan gave me the answer I most wanted to hear.
Actually, that was true. I felt bored because there were only flashy and shiny things.
But I couldn’t say yes, even though each one would have cost me a pretty penny, so I just smiled awkwardly.
“You can be honest. I hope you like it, it’s all for Renee.”
“Hmm… To be honest, it’s quite different from my taste.”
Raynan raised his eyebrows slightly in surprise at my answer. Then he looked at Amelia and asked.
“Didn’t you say that it was Rene’s taste?”
“Oh, that’s… All the clothes that were originally in the closet…”
“Oh, those dresses.”
When Amelia answered hesitantly, Raynan nodded as if he saw it as well and agreed.
My face turned red when I realized what they were saying.
I remembered the dresses I’d never worn, and had no intention of wearing, but that were filling my closet.
“No, that’s not mine.”
“Huh? Why are they in your closet if they’re not yours? Whose are they?”
“Uh…”
I blurted out the words in a hurry, but I couldn’t think of anything to say after that. But I couldn’t tell the truth either.
“It’s just… I’m just keeping it for a while, a friend asked me to.”
“Really? Then…”
Raynan narrowed his eyes and rubbed his chin.
Would he believe it? It’s a bit sloppy, but I thought it was plausible.
I watched his lips fall with a nervous heart.
“I will buy everything again to suit Rene’s taste.”
“Yes?”
No, I appreciate you believing me, but why is the story going that way?
I sighed, looking at my already packed belongings that made the large room seem small.
Worst of all, what does that mean for the things I’ve already bought?
“Then those are…”
“Tell them to clean it up.”
“All right.”
In response to my cautious question, Raynan gave Amelia an order without hesitation. Amelia moved her body without showing any sign of surprise, and I held onto her.
“No, this is enough. It may not suit my taste, but it’s pretty, so it’s okay to wear it!”
“Didn’t you say that it’s very different from your taste? I guess I can’t let you wear something like that.”
“No! As I said, they’re all pretty so I can wear them! Don’t you think you can forget about your taste when they’re that pretty?”
There was regret and embarrassment, but more than anything, there was another reason why I desperately wanted to persuade them.
I didn’t want to do what I had been doing all morning again.
Being surrounded by people and hearing unknown words and compliments was also very exhausting.
“Really? But I think it’s better to do something you like…”
Raynan, who I thought would readily say yes, surprisingly did not back down from his decision to buy everything new.
Moreover, it was quite difficult to persuade him because even Amelia, who was next to him, was interfering with him.
“Yes. If that’s you…”
“Yes, that’s enough.”
The conversation, which seemed like it would go on forever, fortunately seemed to end when Raynan gave up on his thoughts.
“Still, it’s better to buy a little something that suits your taste, right? Luckily, I haven’t bought much yet.”
The conversation wasn’t over.
Raynan looked at the dresses hanging in the room with a look of regret and then offered them one more time.
“I think I already have a lot, but that’s okay, really.”
“Really?”
Raynan couldn’t hide his disappointment at my firm answer, but he didn’t offer any more.
At that moment, as I let out a deep sigh, thinking that it was finally the end, a welcome guest came into the room.
“Renee!”
“Mr. Edwin!”
Edwin, who came in briskly as always, soon found Raynan and greeted him politely.
“Father, you’re here too.”
“Yes.”
“But what is all this? Wow, it’s all yours, Renee? You look amazing in it!”
Edwin looked at the dress once, then at me, and said in a high-pitched voice.
“Thank you.”
“I want to see what you’re wearing… When can I see it?”
“Well, I’m worried because when I think about it, it’s not all to Renee’s taste.”
The story is over, right?
Raynan spoke with a serious expression, as if the long conversation just a moment ago had never happened.
“Your Excellency, that story…”
“That’s a big deal.”
I tried to quickly stop Raynan, but I couldn’t finish my sentence. Edwin answered seriously with a face similar to Raynan’s.
“Really? As expected.”
“Yes. I think it would be prettier if Renee wore something that she would like.”
“You both don’t know my taste.”
“But I think anything that Renee likes will be pretty!”
Edwin had no idea what I was thinking. He smiled brightly and spoke, and I couldn’t convince him like I could with Raynan.
When I looked at Raynan with an awkward smile, his eyes sparkled slightly.
“Since we’re already here, wouldn’t it be better to buy it?”
“Sure!”
Raynan nodded with satisfaction as he watched Edwin answer with his fist clenched.
The two quickly started talking about what my tastes were and ended up recommending dresses that suited their tastes.
Before I knew it, the two of them were so absorbed in their conversation that they seemed to have forgotten about me. They didn’t even notice me when I left the room.
***
As soon as Renee left the room, the conversation between Raynan and Edwin, which had been going on for a long time, suddenly stopped.
Edwin fiddled with his fingers, and Raynan looked down at him for a moment.
The silence that was about to become heavy was broken sooner than expected.
“Good job.”
Raynan said, lightly placing a hand on Edwin’s head. Edwin looked puzzled for a moment before smiling slightly.
When Edwin looked up, Raynan had already moved to the door.
“Father.”
Raynan slowly turned around at the sound of his call as he was about to grab the doorknob.
Edwin wiggled his fingers as he had done a moment ago, but he didn’t take his eyes off Raynan.
Although he hesitated for a moment, Raynan did not rush Edwin.
After a brief hesitation, Edwin slowly opened his mouth.
“I’m glad we can go on vacation together.”
Edwin, who spoke in a slightly shy voice, eventually lowered his head.
Raynan, who had been watching him, turned around again and grabbed the doorknob. Edwin felt Raynan’s presence even without looking, and a small disappointment appeared on his face.
“I’m happy too.”
It was a remark that, as usual, did not convey any special feelings. But the content was different from before.
After a moment of pondering her words, Edwin looked up, his face brighter than ever.
“Yes!”
Edwin’s energetic response was accompanied by a smile. After hearing Edwin’s response, Raynon left the room.
A faint smile hung on his face as he closed the door, but no one saw it.
