- Strange Hobby (2)
“We are about to enter the teleportation zone. It might feel a bit dizzy. Hold onto the handle tightly.”
As the driver’s words came to an end, the carriage suddenly lifted up, making it frighteningly bumpy.
I closed my eyes tightly and opened them again, only to see a completely different scenery outside the window.
A majestic snow-capped mountain that covered the sky, a forest with dry branches devoid of a single leaf, and an endless expanse of white snow-covered fields. It was the familiar landscape of the northern region.
It was a snowy wilderness. Snowflakes were falling outside.
In the end, I’ve returned to this place.
Frost had formed on the windows of the running carriage. The snow stuck to the windows, frozen into ice crystals along with the harsh wind.
The journey was swift. The carriage entered the mountains behind the Duke’s residence in the blink of an eye.
In the distance, the walls of the Duke’s castle came into view.
The carriage came to a stop in front of the castle.
We descended from the carriage. Feeling uneasy, I knew Deon’s retaliation would surely come when we entered the castle.
This time, would I be imprisoned for days?
It might be a good idea to ask for forgiveness and voluntarily enter the prison. It would be nice if they allowed me time to clean up after spending a few days homeless.
Lady Elisabeth also got off the carriage, placing her hand on her belly as she took hesitant steps.
Deon, Elisabeth, Edan, and I headed towards the central staircase.
Everyone turned their bodies towards the stairs leading to the upper floor.
As I watched them, who were far ahead, I turned and changed direction, heading towards the underground. The path leading to the basement was still damp and dark. Despite wearing fur shoes, I could feel the coolness of the stone steps.
Deon asked me as he saw me going in a different direction, “Where are you going again?”
“Um… I’m going down to the basement.”
“Why? There’s nothing in the basement except the prison.”
I stood still, a few steps down the stairs, and looked at him.
I couldn’t go down or back up. I was undecided.
Was it mere curiosity? I couldn’t determine whether to place my hovering foot back down or lift it up.
“Do you want to sleep in the prison?”
He asked as if he found it absurd.
“I’m curious when this bizarre habit of yours started.”
He came down the stairs and stood in front of me. His large figure blocked the light, enveloping the lower level in deeper darkness.
“If you wish, it wouldn’t be bad to have a bed in the prison. You seem to be going in there frequently from now on. There seems to be an abundance of reasons to enter. Charges of insulting the Duke, extortion, trespassing in restricted areas, engaging in rude behavior…”
I desperately covered his mouth with my hand and looked at the expression of the Lady standing behind him. Fortunately, she didn’t seem to have heard anything.
“There’s no need for such remarks in front of the Lady. What will you gain is she hears it?”
Deon removed my hand that was blocking his mouth and pulled it towards him.
“But why do you want to go to the prison voluntarily? Do you feel guilty?” He smiled.
I raised my foot slightly and whispered in his ear, making sure Elisabeth wouldn’t notice.
“Well… I was foolishly captured by Prince Azanti, after all.”
“It was a kidnapping. It was a kidnapping, so it’s not your fault, right?” He said
“That’s… true, I guess?”
His eyes narrowed again.
“It was a kidnapping, right?”
“Of course.”
There must be hesitation.
I gave him an awkward smile.
The fact that I had stumbled over Azanti’s candy and poured the tea myself seemed like something that should be buried forever.
Like a secret buried in my tomb.
* * *
A white breath escaped my lips.
Since I would probably be staying here longer, I should ask for a new fur coat or something.
I walked through the snow-covered garden with Elisabeth.
In reality, it was called a garden, but there were no boundaries where snow didn’t accumulate every day.
Under the towering mountains, everything looked like the Northern Territory.
That sight made the territory seem even more vast and expansive. With no boundaries in sight, escape seemed distant.
The pheasants that looked beyond the mountain range probably had the same thought.
With each step, there was a crunching sound beneath my feet.
“Leonie, I’m really curious. When did you become involved with the Duke… Is it a special relationship?”
Her face was filled with excitement.
She had arrived at the castle early and revealed her status.
She even showed her status pendant, but she remained skeptical.
It seemed like she thought there were different reasons for a maid, a prince, and Elisabeth to come and work at a rural Duke’s residence with no family connection.
She was skeptical and didn’t believe anyone, regardless of their status or position.
The status pendant was just a child’s toy.
Still, Elisabeth’s question was puzzling.
Even though other people’s love stories might be interesting, she was already a married woman.
Although it may not be passionate, she must have gone through a similar process to get married herself.
“It’s all the same. Is there anything different about me? Wouldn’t it be similar to your situation? How did you start dating with Count Arin?”
Elisabeth’s bright face hardened.
“Actually, my husband and I had only seen each other’s faces twice before the wedding. We were engaged within the household, so there was never a proper proposal exchanged between us. I once dreamed of having a normal courtship in a social setting that leads to marriage, but…”
Perhaps she wished for a relationship like the Duke. Perhaps she was resentful of a loveless marriage…
Perhaps she read my expression, as she spoke urgently.
“I already knew that there was interaction between our families and that we would be potential matches. He had always treated me warmly. He was always courteous and gentlemanly. It’s a bit regretful that we didn’t have a love marriage… But I couldn’t send away my younger sister just like that.”
“You have a younger sister?”
“Yes, she’s a very beautiful girl. She may have a bit too much of a sense of justice, which worries me, but she’s such a lovely child. I even practice prenatal education while looking at her pictures. She was also selected as one of the hunting party ladies and is scheduled to be at the top of the parade this time.”
Elisabeth’s cheeks turned red. Her expression was completely different from when she talked about her child and husband.
“If my baby takes after that child, she will surely grow up with a strong and resilient personality. Perhaps the reason my baby has held on until now is because she takes after that child.”
She gently placed her hand on her belly.
Perhaps having a child was a fortunate thing for her.
In the face of the Baroness’ kidnapping incident, it was only the heir that could inject vitality into the gloomy Baron’s residence and make the family stronger.
“Don’t worry about the child and stay here comfortably. See the doctor for your treatment as well. Is your ankle injury okay?”
She nodded her head.
Her cheeks turned as red as if a drop of paint had fallen on them. Her lovely face seemed like a scene from a painting.
The more I looked at Elisabeth, the more I realized that she didn’t seem like a married woman. Even in her late twenties, she still had an air of girlishness.
She maintained elegance while being positive and considerate of others. The more I talked with her, the more comfortable I felt.
“By the way, the greenhouse is really beautiful.”
Compared to the Baron’s greenhouse in the capital, it must be modest. She praised it while stroking the rough trunk of the northern pine, which was characteristic of the northern region.
“It’s a bit desolate, isn’t it? It’s difficult to source flowers in the northern region.”
“But it’s still very impressive. It has a different charm from a greenhouse adorned with flowers. It exudes gracefulness and dignity, don’t you think? I thought the Duke had no interest in something like a greenhouse, but it seems he has a keen eye.”
It’s true that I have no interest.
To avoid unnecessary misunderstandings, I decided to keep quiet about the fact that I personally decorated the greenhouse.
After all, it would be considered the job of the castle’s mistress to decorate the greenhouse, and if a woman who meddles with the internal budget were to touch it, rumors of an impending marriage might spread.
“The northern region may be cold, but it seems like a good place to raise a child. If you raise a child in such a cold place, they will definitely grow up strong. Like the Duke.”
Elisabeth smiled brightly.
“It feels like fate that we met like this. In fact, when I first met you, I felt like family.”
“Me?”
“Yes. Actually, my mother is from the same lineage as Lady Leoni’s mother. They say there’s a minority group in our ancestors. If we trace it back, we’re like a family with the same bloodline. I resemble my father a lot, but my younger sister takes after my mother, so she will be like a sibling to you, Lady Leoni.”
Oh, my younger sister is also a beauty, just like Young Lady. She added with a smile.
How can we all be family just because we’re from the same lineage?
Still, Elisabeth’s mother seemed to have not been persecuted like Leoni’s mother.
In the remote regions, there was still resistance towards minority groups, but things might be different in the capital.
“Hmm… But why doesn’t Young Lady gain weight despite eating the same meals as me? You’re incredibly slim compared to the amount you eat. It almost seems like you’re getting thinner.”
Could it be because Suren saw that there was a lot of room left in my coat and pinned it with a brooch?
Since earlier, Elisabeth had been worried about my inability to gain weight.
To think that a pregnant woman was concerned about someone younger than herself. She truly was a considerate woman.
Would she believe that the Duke, who doesn’t seem to respect my body like this, created it?
‘Well… I finished donating blood once again yesterday.’
I resisted the urge to answer.
I knew that since I didn’t participate in the war, the amount of blood the Duke demanded from me was significantly reduced compared to others, but that didn’t mean my blood would clot any faster.
Leoni’s body was still as slender as if it could fly away in the wind. Even though the chef always prepared generous portions of food, the blood flowed as quickly as she ate.
I looked down at my arms. They were so thin that my bones were visible.
But compared to before, I had improved quite a bit.
If she had seen me when I woke up here for the first time, she would have been shocked.
If we had met alone in the corridor at night, she might have thought I was a ghost.
Perhaps back then, I wouldn’t have run away, so I wouldn’t have had a chance to meet the Countess.
I quickly changed the subject.
“Countess, is there anything you’d like to eat? I’m sure you only had porridge in the annex. Tell me what you’d like, and I’ll make something delicious for you. Although there are limitations because we can’t bring in many ingredients from the northern region, I don’t mind if it takes a long time. If you ask, I’ll make it all for you.”
Now, the chef paid more attention to my meals than the Duke’s.
“Well… I’m grateful just to be in a safe place.”
The Countess had a personality where she wouldn’t even mention what she wanted to eat. I slightly lowered my head and brought my face closer to her belly. Then, playfully, I whispered.
“Baby, is there anything you want to eat?”
Elisabeth covered her mouth and shyly smiled at my gesture.
She leaned against a large rock in the garden.
She also sat down next to me, crossing her legs. Her tightly-held coat became disheveled.
The Countess borrowed a tall maid’s cloak. It was thick, but it still couldn’t completely cover her belly.
When we sat down on the rock, the cloak she had let go of spread open. As a result, her belly, which had been hidden under her clothes, popped out due to the wind.
The protruding belly looked particularly pronounced between the thin clothes.
“Aren’t you cold?”
I took off my coat and offered it to her. The Countess, who received the coat, smiled faintly.
“You’re really kind, Young lady.”
She said so and draped the coat over her shoulders.
Even though she wore a long coat, her belly was still exposed. My undergarments were thin, so it must have been cold, yet she didn’t try to cover her belly.
It bothered me. I took off my fur scarf and placed it on her belly.
During the brief moment when her belly and my fingertips touched, her belly trembled.
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