72. Resolving Relationships

“Could you open the well for us?”

“The well?”

It seemed the child was asking for water. Now that I noticed, the child was carrying a large wooden bucket almost as big as themselves.

“I heard there’s a well inside the mansion. Can we draw water from it?”

The child spoke clearly, stating what they wanted.

It seemed like they had practiced asking this many times, speaking with an urgency reflected in their swallowing throat.

“Are you thirsty? There’s a lake right in the middle of the estate.”

Maybe they weren’t allowed to access the lake.

As I pondered this, another child jumped out and shouted loudly.

“We can’t drink that water! It’s salty.”

So that’s why the lake looked so beautiful—it was because of the salt content.

“How much water do you need?”

Suren, who had been observing the situation, stepped in.

“My lady, you can’t. With all the servants moving in, we don’t know how much water we’ll need.”

“It’s fine. I’ll use less.”

“You don’t need to worry about the villagers. Technically, this place belongs to His Highness, and whether they starve or get looted is not your concern. You should only worry about yourself. Selfishly.”

“Suren, look.”

I gently tapped Suren’s shoulder to calm her down and pointed at the children’s hair.

Their hair had an unusual purple hue. The sunlight made it shine even more vividly. Though dirty and greasy from lack of washing, the color was striking.

“I’ve never seen such hair before. These children must be of a minority lineage, right?”

“Yes, but… that doesn’t mean you feel particularly sympathetic or want to help them, does it?”

“And why wouldn’t I?”

When I teased, Suren shook her head firmly.

“If you start helping, it will never end. Their parents are probably also of minority lineage. Will you take care of all of them too?”

“As I’ve observed, there aren’t many residents in this estate.”

The butler’s words were true. There were few residents in the estate.

It seemed more people had migrated here from other places than there were locals. The lack of an attentive owner and lax management contributed to this situation.

Because there was no owner, people had settled here without much worry, but this also meant they didn’t receive support during hard times, leaving them to starve. Everyone was struggling, so they couldn’t even beg from others.

“The only well is inside the mansion. It’s heavily locked, and the high walls must have prevented anyone from easily accessing it.”

“It would be theft if they just barged in because there’s no owner.”

The child holding the bucket raised their head at Suren’s words.

“We never tried to climb over the walls.”

“…But you did try to climb once and slipped, didn’t you?”

Another child muttered softly, revealing the truth.

“Shh, be quiet.”

The children whispered to each other, chattering without being asked.

“But why are you asking me? There’s someone in charge of this estate. Did they refuse you?”

“No.”

The child shook their head vigorously.

“You’re a noble lady, right? You seemed like the highest authority here.”

Their response was innocent. They must have misunderstood because I was the only one wearing a dress adorned with a jeweled brooch.

“I’ll open it for you today. But from now on, you should ask the older man instead. He manages this estate and will take care of you.”

The butler was Deon’s man and had a duty to manage this estate as well. He wouldn’t completely ignore the villagers.

I led the children to the mansion.

There was a well in the front yard. It was narrow and deep, requiring the rope to be lowered for quite a while. There was a clunking sound, and a faint vibration indicated that it had reached the bottom. Judging by the feeling, the water level was low. The well seemed almost dry.

I pulled up the rope. The handle kept slipping.

My arms strained. After several attempts, I managed to draw up some water. Despite the effort, the water’s condition wasn’t too bad.

I poured the water into the bucket the child had brought. The child held the bucket tightly with small hands to ensure not a drop was lost.

“Thank you.”

Finally, the child’s face lit up.

Though I had poured all the water, the child seemed to have more to say, standing there looking at me.

“Do you need more?”

The child shook their head but then hesitated before speaking.

“I heard a scary duke lives here. Is it okay for us to be here?”

The child’s innocent eyes looking up at me were endearing. I laughed softly.

“You’ve got it wrong. I don’t know about scary, but he’s no longer a duke. The owner of this estate is now a prince.”

“Really? A royal? Someone who lives in the castle?”

“Yes.”

I nodded. The child’s eyes widened in surprise, and their cheeks flushed with excitement.

Another child, darker-skinned but not dirty, squeezed closer.

“What’s your relationship with the prince? My mom says only people who are going to get married live together. Is that true?”

“Hey, you shouldn’t ask such questions. I’m sorry.”

The older child, probably just two or three years older, bowed the younger one’s head in apology, acting quite maturely.

“Wait here for a moment.”

I picked some apples from a tree next to the well. They were just out of reach for the children.

I handed a handful of apples to the children and ruffled their hair casually.

“It’s okay. I’m not his lover… I’m just someone borrowing this estate for a while.”

The child cleaned the apple on their clothes, then split it by hitting it on the ground.

When the apple split, a caterpillar was revealed near the seeds. Suren gasped in horror and jumped back higher than the caterpillar itself.

* * *

Three deliveries from the Imperial Palace arrived in stages. Each time a delivery arrived, the reality of staying here permanently sank in further.

“This is the last of it.”

The driver said, handing over a jewelry box. As I unwrapped the cloth covering, the angular box was revealed.

The cold touch of the box felt out of place in this rural setting, its opulence clashing starkly with the surroundings. The carved cityscape on the hinge felt alien.

I had hoped for a delay, but they arrived punctually and unloaded the items with disciplined efficiency.

It felt as if they wanted to sever ties quickly. It seemed I was the only one left with lingering attachments to the Imperial Palace.

“It’s done,” I muttered to myself.

The driver replied, “I came today with people from the Imperial Palace.”

Life in the new mansion was excessively monotonous. The only disruption came from the occasional arrivals from the Imperial Palace.

But there was nothing special about their visits. They either dropped off the minimal budget documented in official papers or drew a small amount of blood under the pretense of checking in. There were no personal letters.

I wondered if he had broken his fingers. The thought made me bitter.

“Have you been well?”

The man asked, bowing before pulling out a medical kit.

The blood draws were conducted by medical personnel in a solemn atmosphere. A needle was inserted, and blood was gently extracted.

The amount was minimal compared to before. It barely filled the syringe, not even enough for a single pack. I doubted it could quench his thirst.

The suffocating silence persisted until they finished drawing blood. They quietly observed my arm and complexion, making me even more tense.

Unintentionally, I tensed up. The fine needle left a small scratch as it was removed.

“Are you sleeping well these days? No insomnia?”

The doctor asked, wrapping the IV tubing. He packed the drawn blood into his bag.

“We’ve been monitoring your blood concentration regularly, and an expert noted it’s becoming lighter. We need to check if you’re having issues with sleep or diet. Additional examinations might be necessary.”

I had an idea why my blood was becoming lighter. It was a sign that the child was growing inside of Elizabeth, getting ready to be born, much like young Leonie had done.

I wondered how Elizabeth was doing. Was she wasting away, not knowing why? The thought worried me.

“I find it curious that His Highness has reduced his blood intake. Is he satisfied with such a small amount? Is he doing well with just this?”

I subtly inquired about his well-being.

The doctor seemed taken aback by my question, adjusting his glasses.

“Yes, he’s well. In good health,” he replied.

He was fine. Life went on for him as if I had never left.

I had known this, but it still stung.

“Take care of your health. I heard you had a panic attack when you saw a wolf in the prison. Is it difficult for you to breathe?”

“I was just startled. It’s nothing to worry about. The coincidence of being in a confined space with a wolf caught me off guard. Besides, it’s not like I see wolves often.”

“Still, you need treatment. We must find a way to overcome the trauma. Next time, I’ll bring some medicine. If that doesn’t work, we might need to call a mage.”

I needed Deon’s comforting words more than any medicine, but I nodded obediently.

It hadn’t been long since we parted, yet I already missed his face. His image lingered every time I closed my eyes.

His piercing blue eyes, his flowing black hair, his large hands that pulled me close, and the fingers that ran through my hair. Even the sharp touch of his fangs on my nape, once dreaded, was now missed.

The visitors from the Imperial Palace had to pass through the city walls. While carriages leaving the city were allowed to pass, those returning underwent strict inspections.

To avoid detection, visitors from the Imperial Palace camouflaged the cart carrying my blood under the guise of transporting butchered animals. Even if the blood was discovered, it would seem like animal blood.

While the medical staff drew my blood and conducted health consultations, the knights hunted in the forest.

They caught wild boars, pheasants, rabbits, and sometimes deer. Perhaps aware of my fear of wolves, they never hunted them.

Watching the dead animals being loaded onto the cart, I felt a strange kinship with them.

Their vacant eyes, accepting their fate, reflected my own hollow gaze. Their stiff fur and unnaturally rigid limbs lay lifeless.

The animals, their mouths agape, seemed like they had something to say in their final moments.

Though the knights were skilled and precise, their hunts silent and swift, I still had nightmares on the nights they left. Every night, I heard the echoing cries of all the slain animals.