“…Why are you being so serious?”
“I won’t say it twice.”
Lizard felt like something was seriously off, almost like he was dealing with a male animal guarding its territory. He was someone who had never shown any interest in women before, so what had changed?
Lizard had a lot to say, but as soon as Tilda Valinea’s name came up, he had to carefully gauge Kalus’s mood, which had suddenly turned sharp.
“Alright, I’ll send the Edzel siblings. You still have to eat, right?”
Kalus rolled his eyes slowly as if he was thinking something.
“Do that.”
He finally gave his permission. Since the siblings were harmless and not the type to raise any alarms, it made sense to let them stay close.
“But hurry up and change that hair color and eye color! Even though this is a private place, someone could see you, and it’s terrifying!”
“You’re worrying too much.”
Lizard rubbed his forehead.
Ah, this careless man. Thanks to him, Lizard’s heart was always in a state of panic.
Even though the estate granted to the priest was large and far from other places, and all the employees were Turin race, but you could never know that someone wasn’t watching.
“You never know what might happen! It’s better to be cautious.”
“And even if someone sees, the person who reports me as a Turin will just be considered crazy.”
“If you keep acting like a rebellious teenager, I won’t cooperate with you about that person.”
Lizard couldn’t bring himself to say Tilda’s name aloud, so he just referred to her as “that person.”
“What would you do if I didn’t cooperate?”
“You know the newspapers are filled with stories of her disappearance, right?”
Kalus didn’t react.
‘So he didn’t know,’ Lizard thought.
Well, of course. After bringing Tilda Valinea here, Kalus had been holed up in his room all day.
“I could just inform the press that she’s here. Since you said you’ve explained everything about the Turins, there’s nothing to worry about sending her back, right?”
Lizard warned in a sulky tone. Kalus’s eyebrow raised in annoyance.
“You must want your shin broken in two again, like the other day.”
Yikes! How could he say something so terrifying?
Lizard felt hurt that Kalus would get all serious and threatening over a woman.
In truth, Lizard knew that Kalus had always been somewhat interested in her. After serving him for so long, he could pick up on even the slightest differences. Every time Kalus looked at Tilda Valinea, a certain spark appeared in his eyes.
It wasn’t exactly an appropriate look for a priest. In fact, it was almost improper.
Was it just physical desire?
Even though Lizard had been by Kalus’s side for a long time, he couldn’t predict his inner thoughts.
“Does she know the price you paid to save her?”
“No.”
Of course, she didn’t know.
The price Kalus had mentioned was five years, which was no small sacrifice.
“…She wouldn’t be happy if she found out.”
“That’s what you are worried about.”
Kalus tapped his fingers lightly on the desk.
“Whether I should tell her or not. This isn’t your headache”
Or keep quiet.
━━━━━ ∙ʚ(✧)ɞ∙ ━━━━━
Tilda barely managed to move her aching legs and back. This wasn’t from the aftereffects of nearly dying yesterday.
It was that beast of a man who had done this to her. Her muscles screamed in protest from the way he’d relentlessly pushed her all night long.
Even this morning, when he kissed her gently, she almost let down her guard. He was so persistent and unrelenting.
But she would never fall for his temptations again. Now she knew that his tender touches and sweet whispers were no different from the teasing before a game.
Honestly, she felt a bit insulted.
She had cried in his arms for comfort, and now she felt foolish. How many women had he seduced like that?
Normally, she wouldn’t have fallen for such tricks, but her mental and physical exhaustion had made her weak.
Straightening her back cleared her head a little.
But the painful memories still haunted her.
Her conversation with Aclea came rushing back, heating up her temples.
As she recalled the uncomfortable truths she had temporarily forgotten, her grip tightened.
She wanted to punish Windson for sneaking off and meeting with Aclea behind her back, but just as she had confessed her true feelings to Kalus, she still hadn’t figured out what to do.
Should she, as he suggested, strike back with vengeance? Should she use the power of the Turins?
No, that made no sense. Revenge aside, asking for the Turins’ help?
Even though Kalus had defended the Turins, it was a claim she couldn’t trust him so easily.
Were they really just political scapegoats all along? Were all the records of their misdeeds were fake?
There’s no way the goddess Valinea would let her people be divided like that for no reason, right?
Yet, Kalus didn’t seem to be lying, and that’s what confused her. She didn’t believe him, but his serious gaze was hard to dismiss.
Tilda sighed deeply and pulled her knees to her chest, burying her face.
Her once-clear mind now felt like a muddy mess.
Knock, knock.
Just then, someone gently knocked on the door.
Without realizing it, Tilda pulled the blanket closer and curled up in the corner of the bed. Though this was Kalus’s private residence, remembering how casually he walked around with his black hair made her wonder if all the servants here might also be Turin. Changing hair and eye color didn’t seem to be difficult for him, so the other Turin tribe members could probably do the same.
When Tilda didn’t respond, someone knocked on the door again.
“Are you still asleep…?” a soft, gentle voice asked.
The unexpected kindness in the voice made Tilda clear her throat. Her voice was hoarse from crying and groaning the night before.
“Who are you?”
“I’m a maid here at the residence. I thought you might be hungry.”
Even from outside the door, the maid was polite and respectful.
“Come in.”
At her permission, the door slowly opened. A small head peeked through, with large eyes blinking. The eyes glanced at Tilda briefly before retreating behind the door, where she whispered to someone.
“It’s best if you wait here. Lady Tilda isn’t quite ready to be seen yet.”
“But I wanna see the angel too!”
“Komri, if you throw a fit, I won’t bring you next time.”
“Fine…”
Tilda faintly heard the maid scolding a young boy who was whining. Moments later, the maid entered the room alone, gently closing the door behind her.
The maid was a small girl with light brown hair braided into two plaits. Her pale face, dusted with freckles, gave her a sweet and pretty appearance that naturally drew attention.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Lady Tilda. My name is Stella, and I serve Kalus here.”
The maid bowed her head in greeting.
“…Are you not human either?” Tilda asked.
Stella fidgeted with her fingers, looking a bit uneasy. Though she didn’t answer, Tilda understood the implication.
Realizing the truth, Tilda felt a bit overwhelmed.
‘So, this whole residence is already a den of the Turin tribe?’
She didn’t want to make the girl uncomfortable So Tilda changed the subject.
“What brings you here?”
Stella blinked her large eyes.
“Oh right, silly me…! Lord Kalus’s aide, Lizard, asked me to bring you some food.”
“I’m fine. I’m not very hungry.”
“Then… may I help you with a bath first?” Stella asked shyly, her cheeks slightly flushed.
It was then that Tilda realized the state of the room—the messy bed, the torn clothes, and the visible signs of last night still lingering on her body, all exposed to this young girl.
‘Oh, Goddess Valinea.’
Please forgive this sinner.
Tilda quickly got out of bed, eager to erase the evidence of last night’s debauchery as fast as possible.
“It’ll take a while to draw the hot water. In the meantime, I’ll tidy up the bed,” Stella said and began moving around busily. She even fluffed up the cushion on the armchair so Tilda could sit comfortably while waiting.
Though she looked young, Stella was meticulous and capable. She was also very good at assisting with the bath and other tasks.
Before Tilda knew it, she was clean and sitting at the table, feeling fresh.
“I wasn’t sure what you liked, so I asked the chef to make some of his specialties,” Stella said, presenting a meal.
The meal consisted of a smooth corn soup, fragrant brioche with butter, and warm milk. For dessert, there were ripe apricots.
Tilda hadn’t been hungry, but seeing the food stirred her appetite.
‘…Come to think of it,’
Just as she was about to pick up her spoon, Tilda remembered the conversation Stella had earlier at the door with someone.
“Who’s waiting outside?”
“Oh…”
Stella hesitated, looking a little embarrassed.
“…It’s my younger brother. He’s waiting because it’s past lunchtime.”
Her little brother? It was a bit odd for a young boy to be at the manor, especially since he wasn’t a servant or a maid.
