Chapter 37
Logan closed his eyes and began to tell about what happened today.
From the visit of Evelia Venion’s real mother, the fact that she was actually a fake and that her real mother was dead. And the story of Count Venion’s contract with Evelia and so on.
It was a shocking story. Unknowingly, Cassis asked Evelia’s condition first.
“How is Lady Venion?”
“That is… She has been in her room without eating since she came back from the Venion Mansion.”
“Did you leave her like that?”
“The maids brought meals to the room several times, but she refused all of them.”
Then the maids were not to be blamed. Cassis waved his hand nervously.
“Let check her.”
Cassis was sitting on the sofa without changing his clothes. his entire attention directed to the next room, where Evelia was staying.
As a sword master, Cassis, who has five senses as sensitive as animals, could sense the presence of the next room if he wanted to.
However, even though he was curious about what Evelia was doing, he didn’t check on her, because he didn’t think he should do it.
Just then, I heard the door open and footsteps in the hallway.
Footsteps as light as a bird, but with a steady beat. It was Evelia’s.
‘Where are you going?’
Cassis followed her into the backyard. At first he didn’t mean to peek; he wanted to stand in front of her and ask what she was doing so dangerously alone at this time of night.
But I couldn’t. As soon as she came out to the backyard, Evelia sat down and started to cry.
Transparent tears ran down her cheeks, drop by drop. Her crying face was like a child’s, but she swallowed her cries.
Cassis was displeased with that. Would it have been better if she had cried out loud like a child? Why can’t she be free in this empty backyard?
How the hell does the Venion family treat her?
I wonder if Julia cried like that too, alone in a place where she didn’t belong.
With that in his mind, he couldn’t leave her alone. Cassis hurried over to Evelia and put his cloak on her back.
The air was quite chilly, but in fact it was more because of Evelia’s outfit.
She was wearing a thin dress as if she had come out of bed. Bare skin peeked through the white cloth.
He spoke in gibberish, trying to keep his eyes off of her as much as possible.
“My mother…”
I didn’t even know what I was trying to say. I just spat out the words as they came out.
This was the first time in my 25-year-old life. Having received successor lessons since childhood, he always spoke logically.
Apparently, Evelia noticed his unusual condition.
“Are you comforting me right now?”
If you look at the stupid question.
Cassis couldn’t say yes or no, because he didn’t know if what he was doing was comforting.
“I wasn’t too shocked. I just…”
Evelia, who had been rambling as much as Cassis, whispered quietly.
“Thank you for comforting me.”
It was a small sound, almost like the sound of the wind. However, those words sounded very loud in Cassis’ ears, who had developed five senses.
She was thanking him. That Evelia.
At one time, he only thought negatively of Evelia. assuming that since she was the daughter of the Count of Venion who had threatened him, she must be just like him.
But in reality, Evelia was not what he thought she would be. She was more assertive than he expected. She knows how to take care of herself…
‘You’re surprisingly delicate.’
To the point where I want to protect her from crying again.
Cassis, thinking involuntarily, jumped up from his seat in surprise at the thought. He started to put his coat back on where Evelia had left it, then stopped.
For some reason, the air felt hot.
* * *
Maybe it’s because I cried last night. The next morning, Evelia’s eyes were swollen.
‘It looks really bad.’
Fortunately, neither Laura nor Annie were disturbed when they saw Evelia. To be precise, they pretended not to see it.
In particular, Laura skillfully wrapped the ice in a towel and handed it over.
Thanks to that, by the time I had breakfast with Ruth, my eyes had sunk a lot.
“Eve.”
But she couldn’t completely avoid the sharp gaze of the child.
The child didn’t ask directly as if he was considerate of Evelia, but the look on his face showed a mixture of surprise and worry.
Evelia responded.
“I didn’t sleep well last night. So I guess my eyes are a little swollen.”
“Why….”
“Why? I just couldn’t sleep. You must have days like that, too?”
“Yes.”
After having breakfast with Ruth, Evelia went to a shabby pub in the city again to meet Samuel.
Samuel and Aria haven’t visited Adelhard’s mansion for several days, perhaps out of consideration for her who might have been surprised by the sudden news. So I had to go see him myself.
“Ah, you came?”
As Evelia entered, she was greeted by the brown-haired Samuel. It was as if he knew she would come.
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Rather than waiting, it would be more accurate to say that I knew you would come sooner or later.”
As usual, Samuel ushered Evelia into the inner room. He served her hot tea and looked at her with strange eyes.
“Are you okay?”
“What?”
Even though she knew what she was asking, he just asked again.
“That… The news I gave you a few days ago.”
Samuel glanced sideways at Evelia’s eyes. Evelia reflexively touched the area around her eyes, which were still swollen.
‘I’m fine, but…’
It wasn’t an empty word, she really was fine.
The crying last night had been the result of her body reacting before her mind. I felt sorry for Evelia in the past, who was thoroughly used by Count Venion.
Honestly, the current Evelia, who is just another person, shouldn’t be sad that Evelia’s mother died.
However, even if I tried to say that I was fine with my eyes wide open like a rabbit, it would not be convincing. So I just blurted out.
“I’m getting over it.”
“…….”
“Still, I wasn’t really surprised because it was somewhat expected. She was very sick before we parted. My father said he would send a doctor, but I doubted whether she would be able to live even if she met the doctor. I didn’t know he wouldn’t send a doctor at all.”
This too was real. When she asked Samuel to find her mother, she actually thought she might be dead.
From what I’d seen of Count Venion, he didn’t seem like the kind of man who would take care of her mother.
But that was all in the past. This time, too, she had completely cut her ties with Count Venion, so that was it.
“Then what are you doing here today?”
Perhaps out of consideration for Evelia, Samuel erased his gloomy expression and asked business likely.
“Ah….”
Evelia calmly explained why she had come here early in the morning.
“I want to find my mother’s grave.”
I thought it would take a day or two this time. but after a moment of silence, Samuel slid the papers on the table toward her.
Evelia carefully held the papers.
“What is this?”
But no answer was needed. Because he intuitively knew the answer as soon as she asked the question.
Evelia hurriedly read the document. In the meantime, Samuel carefully opened his mouth.
“I figured out the location of the cemetery, just in case. The grave is located where the lady lived as a child.”
“I heard that Sierro’s intelligence is amazing, but I didn’t expect you to get ahead.”
Samuel shrugged playfully.
“Special customers deserve special treatment.”
“Thank you, you saved me a lot of time.”
Evelia smiled at him, this time genuinely.
“I really appreciate it.”
* * *
That evening, after dinner, Evelia followed Cassis. She had many things to say.
Cassis looked back, perhaps feeling the presence.
“What are you doing?”
Because of that, Evelia almost slammed her face into his chest. Cassis held her staggering body for an instant.
“Ah, thank you.”
“No.”
Evelia looked up into his face in surprise, as if she’d heard something she shouldn’t have.
Cassis asked in a flat voice.
“Why do you look at me like that?”
“No, just…”
I didn’t expect him to respond in kind. Given the history between them, that was perfectly normal.
But ‘No’. It was a small change, but to her, it was a big one.
Thank you for the chapter!