Chapter 22
“Your health was already not very strong, and you pushed yourself too hard in the cold. As a result, you fell ill. You’ve been unconscious for three full days.”
“Three days?”
“Yes. You had a high fever the whole time.”
“Lucian must have been in a complete panic by now.”
Both the doctor and Riley nodded in agreement.
Their expressions showed just how much trouble Lucian had caused while I was unconscious.
That child had cried his heart out just because I was unconscious for a single day. If I had been out for three whole days, he must have cried as if the world was ending.
“For now, you need to be careful. You still have a mild fever, and your muscles must be sore. You must get plenty of rest—”
“Auntie!”
A loud voice interrupted the doctor’s serious advice.
‘Speak of the devil.’
Before the doctor could even finish, the door swung open.
“Lucian.”
“Auntie!”
As expected, Lucian’s face was a mess.
That little guy—he must not have slept well. His once-plump lips were dry and cracked, and there were dark circles under his eyes.
“I’m so glad you’re awake. Really, really glad…”
Lucian kept repeating the words over and over before finally bursting into tears.
He had been sniffling at first, but soon he was sobbing so loudly that the whole mansion could probably hear him.
“Lucian, don’t cry.”
“If you didn’t want me to cry, you shouldn’t have collapsed!”
“I’m sorry.”
I hugged the sobbing Lucian and gently patted his back.
My arms ached terribly, probably from all the digging I had done, but Lucian came first.
“I really thought… sniff you were going to… hic die…”
“I won’t die so easily. I told you that last time, remember?”
“Then… sniff why do you always… hic collapse?”
“I’m sorry. I’ll try to be more careful from now on.”
“I’ll make sure you eat properly! hic No more being picky with food!”
Maybe it was because I always told him that eating well made people stronger.
Even while hiccupping and crying, Lucian warned me not to be picky with my food. His tear-stained face wasn’t very threatening, though.
“Alright. I won’t be picky and will take my medicine properly.”
Looks like I won’t be able to sneakily pick out the carrots anymore.
‘Who’s the adult here again?’
I felt bad for making him cry, but he was just so cute that I couldn’t help but smile a little.
Knock, knock.
A polite knocking sound interrupted the moment.
“Sister, may I come in?”
A clear, melodious voice, like a bird chirping, called out. It was Amelia.
I quickly whispered to Lucian,
“Lucian, Amelia is here. Do you want her to see you crying?”
“……”
“Girls don’t like boys who cry a lot.”
Lucian flinched and immediately wiggled out of my arms.
“I-I wasn’t crying!”
“But your eyes are red.”
“No, they’re not!”
Lucian quickly wiped his tears with the back of his hand and climbed off my bed.
“Should I tell her to come in?”
“Do whatever you want.”
Lucian pretended not to care. I let out a small chuckle and said,
“Yes, come in.”
The moment I gave permission, the door opened without hesitation.
“Sister, are you okay?”
Amelia walked in, looking worried.
“I was really concerned.”
She wasn’t alone.
Claude, with a bandage wrapped around his forehead, followed behind her.
The neatly wrapped bandage covered part of his forehead, but it couldn’t hide his stunning looks.
His sky-blue eyes under his sharp brow ridge, his well-defined nose, and his sharp jawline made him look even more striking. His golden hair, identical to Amelia’s, shimmered under the light.
Even while leaning on crutches, Claude carried the air of a nobleman with a tragic past.
“My lady?”
“Huh?”
I had been too mesmerized by his beauty.
Snapping out of it, I quickly refocused.
This was not the time to stare.
“Amelia, congratulations on finding your uncle.”
“Sister…”
“And you too, Marquis Agris. You’ve been injured, but I’m glad you were able to reunite with Amelia safely.”
“My lady…”
Amelia and Claude both looked at me with emotional expressions, as if they were about to cry.
Looking at their identical expressions, I could tell they were truly family.
“This isn’t my house, but please feel comfortable staying here while you recover. If we explain the situation, the Duke will surely…”
Before I could finish speaking, Claude suddenly bowed deeply at the waist.
“M-Marquis? Why are you doing this?”
“I don’t know how to repay you for your kindness…”
“It’s nothing. You don’t have to repay me. Please, stand up. Your leg isn’t well.”
“I heard everything from Amelia. If not for you, I would never have been able to reunite with her.”
“It wasn’t because of me. It was all thanks to Amelia’s cleverness.”
“No.”
Claude firmly shook his head.
“I’m not just talking about Amelia. You saved me from the landslide as well. You even collapsed because of it.”
“……”
“If not for your bravery and effort, I would have frozen to death.”
Well, that was true. My body still ached, and I still had a slight fever.
“This isn’t something that can be repaid with money or even the honor of the Agris family. So…”
He can’t repay it with money or honor? Then just what kind of reward is he planning to give me?
I tilted my head in curiosity.
“Your hand.”
“…What?”
Why my hand all of a sudden?
Though confused, I hesitantly reached out my left hand.
Then, his lips gently touched the back of my hand before he pulled away.
“W-What are you doing?”
“I, Claude Agris, swear on the honor of House Agris that I will dedicate the rest of my life to Lucella Rilfrey.”
Before I could even process what had happened, Claude made a solemn vow.
A noble’s Oath of Honor.
“…What?”
Realizing the gravity of the situation, I quickly pulled my hand away.
“W-What did you just say?”
I stared at him in shock.
The Oath of Honor wasn’t something to be taken lightly. It meant pledging the entire family’s honor to a cause.
“T-This is too much. Cancel it at once!”
“An oath cannot be undone.”
“But there aren’t many people here. If everyone just stays quiet…”
I glanced around the room.
‘Riley will stay silent without me asking.’
And Amelia was smart. She must understand how reckless this vow was. A clever girl like her wouldn’t just stand by and watch the honor of her family be handed over to me…
“No.”
Just as I was about to feel relieved, Amelia shook her head.
“The oath stands. An Oath of Honor cannot be taken back.”
“Amelia, let’s be flexible here. If everyone just stays quiet, then we will pretend this never happens.”
“I don’t want it to be undone.”
“What?”
Amelia confidently placed her hands on her hips.
“I’m the only heir of the Agris family. And you’re the benefactor who reunited me with my uncle.”
“That may be true, but…”
“And besides, you even saved my uncle. If he had died right there, the Agris family would have ended right then and there.”
She was right. If Claude had died, Amelia would never have been reunited with him.
“That’s why this oath, tied to our family, is something that must be done. It’s actually more disgraceful to just pay with money and stay silent.”
“Pay with money? Where did you learn that?”
“I learned it from the headmistress.”
“Sigh…”
I placed a hand on my throbbing head. How could the headmistress teach such things to a child? I should have fired her earlier.
‘…But that’s not what’s important right now.’
I turned my gaze from Amelia to Lucian, hoping that he would understand what I meant.
“Cancel it! I’m telling you to cancel that oath right now!”
Lucian jumped up and down in anger.
I hadn’t expected Lucian to back me up, but here he was, supporting me!
‘Blood is thicker than water. I can only trust Lucian.’
I was about to cover my mouth to hold back my overwhelming emotions.
