Chapter 7
“You heard what the physician said, right? You’ll recover if you eat and rest well. First, tell me what you like to eat. I’ll instruct them to prepare whatever you want.”
I looked up at Ludger. He was already a man taller than most. Sitting on the bed and looking up at him made him seem even more enormous, like a towering stone wall—solid and unyielding.
‘So stubborn.’
His stubbornness annoyed me. Especially now, as memories of waiting for him at the old tree flooded back, making him all the more irritating.
‘Why did you disappear without a word?’
Do you even know how desperately I searched for you? It was the first time I got scolded by my parents, and I was so heartbroken. On top of that, I caught a bad cold from being soaked in the rain.
Because of all that, I couldn’t bring myself to speak kindly.
“You were ready to throw me out, and now you’re taking such good care of me?”
My voice came out cracked and hoarse, much to my surprise. Clearly, my body hadn’t fully recovered, just as the physician had said.
“I brought you here on a whim, but after learning you weren’t well, I couldn’t just kick you out. Don’t worry, I’ll send you back as soon as you recover, so try to get better quickly.”
“You’re in a rush to get rid of me, aren’t you?”
“Of course. I have my own duties.”
“But it’s not like I’m interfering with your work by staying here.”
It’s not as if he’s been personally looking after me the whole time.
“You are. I can’t leave with a guest still in my home.”
“…You might as well finish issuing the order to kick me out.”
Like when you ordered the maids to throw me out.
“I’m not heartless enough to send a sick person to a place swarming with wolves. Do you really see me as that shameless?”
“Wolves?”
“Your retainers.”
Ah, so he remembers what I said about the troubles my elders could cause. His stubbornness hadn’t changed, but the thought of it made me want to laugh out loud. Of course, I couldn’t, but the joy I felt inside was immense.
‘I’ve figured out how to keep him here!’
To put my plan into action, I needed his commitment. I had to make sure he didn’t change his mind later, so I needed confirmation.
I gripped the blanket tightly and looked up at him with bright, expectant eyes.
“So, despite everything, you’re worried about an old friend, aren’t you? That makes me happy.”
“…It’s not because of feelings, it’s because of superstition.”
“Superstition?”
Ludger, believing in something like that?
“Yeah. When you go to war and people start gossiping about you, it brings bad luck.”
When someone’s body is weak, it affects their mind, making it hard to think clearly. If I returned to the Eckhart estate before fully recovering, I might end up being manipulated by my retainers while in a daze.
Had Ludger not been involved from the start, that would have been one thing, but now he was entangled in my situation.
He had no choice but to treat me since I had collapsed. If I were to return to the Eckhart estate now and something happened to me—if I died or became seriously ill—the retainers would surely say:
‘Lady Eckhart was staying at the Northern Light estate the whole time.’
‘The Young Duke shamelessly kept an unmarried woman at his residence! When we rescued her, she was already in poor health!’
It would be easy to pin the blame on Ludger like this. While he’s on the battlefield, he wouldn’t have the time to deal with any rumors. Once a rumor starts, it grows quickly and becomes uncontrollable. For someone in battle, public opinion is crucial. A good reputation ensures that supplies and reinforcements arrive on time.
I understood perfectly what he was implying.
‘Perfect.’
I lay back comfortably in bed. Though my posture was a bit too relaxed in front of the young duke, I was still a patient, so Ludger didn’t say anything.
“I understand what you’re saying, Your Grace. I’ll return to Eckhart as soon as I recover.”
“Good.”
Ludger had said he couldn’t leave the estate while a guest was staying. And the physician had mentioned that I wasn’t sick, just exhausted, and that my recovery depended entirely on my stamina.
‘I’ll just keep dragging this out, pretending to be sick!’
Even if I regained my health, no one could argue if I just stayed in bed, groaning and claiming to still be unwell.
Who could question me if I said I was sick?
‘This is too easy.’
All I needed to do was eat what was given to me and stay in bed.
I closed my eyes. My life as the Crown Princess had been extremely busy. There was a mountain of things to learn and so many tasks to do that they would pile up in an instant, keeping me occupied all day.
Maybe I could enjoy this rare opportunity to relax.
* * *
Relax? Not quite.
For the first week, I kept alternating between feverish spells and fainting. My stamina had been depleted, and the rain I had endured had left my body too weak to recover quickly.
After suffering through the physical pain, I finally began to regain my senses. The physician didn’t seem to be a quack after all. As soon as my mind cleared, I felt strength returning to my body.
The maid who had been attending to me brought in my meal.
“Today, we have turkey meatballs with plenty of finely chopped vegetables for a rich flavor,” she said.
She lifted the lid of the silver tray, revealing perfectly round meatballs, glistening with gravy.
My mouth watered as my appetite had returned, likely because I was regaining my strength.
“Would you prefer to stay in bed, or move to the table?”
“The table, please.”
“I’ll help you.”
The maid set the silver tray on the nearby table and helped me over. She then placed the meatballs neatly onto a clean plate.
‘Ugh, broccoli.’
There was roasted broccoli served on the side. I hated broccoli almost as much as I hated Cesar. I quickly pushed the broccoli to the edge of the plate, worried that its flavor might seep into the gravy.
‘Meatballs… It’s been so long since I’ve had these.’
The higher one’s status, the more extravagant and grand the meals become, often featuring whole roasted meats. Of course, it was impossible to finish an entire lamb in one sitting, so most of it would be wasted. But wasting food was a way of no flaunting wealth.
Naturally, in the royal palace, the food prepared was all about ostentation. Dishes like meatballs, where vegetables were mixed into the meat to increase volume, were unheard of.
‘I’ve missed this.’
I scooped up a bite of meatball with gravy and brought it to my mouth. The finely ground meat had just the right texture, breaking apart smoothly as it released a deep, rich flavor.
‘Mmm, delicious.’
I hadn’t been able to eat anything but porridge and medicine for a while. The joy of finally having proper food again made me finish everything without leaving a single bite. Well, except for the broccoli, of course.
After I finished eating, the maid who had been standing by started cleaning up while chattering away.
“This is the first time you’ve finished an entire dish since you arrived at Northern Light estate, right? The Young Duke said you liked meatballs, and he was right.”
“Who told you that?”
“The Young Duke mentioned it.”
At her words, a faint memory from the past came back to me. In fact, meatballs weren’t a dish commonly seen at Eckhart either. The first time I had them was when Ludger’s mother had invited me to her cottage and made them for me.
I remembered the first time I had visited his cottage. Following him there, I had been wide-eyed with surprise when I realized the tiny building, smaller than a stable, was their home. And then I was surprised again by the unfamiliar dish that looked like little round balls.
Although I was briefly puzzled by the strange food, the enticing aroma of the tangy sauce soon drew me in. I picked up a meatball with my fork and took a bite.
“This is really delicious!”
It was so good that I couldn’t help but exclaim. Ludger, sitting across from me, smiled with his eyes.
“Tessa, you smile a lot.”
“What? Are you teasing me right now?”
“It’s a compliment.”
“That’s not a compliment to a noble. They say if you smile too much, people will think you’re easy to take advantage of.”
“So what if they do?”
“If people think I’m easy… they’ll all attack me.”
“You don’t have to worry about me attacking you. So, feel free to laugh all you want in front of me. I’ll only smile in front of you too.”
Ludger grinned happily, and I couldn’t help but smile back.
Back then, I used to laugh a lot, unlike now. Especially when I played with him, I would laugh even more because I had so much fun.
Maybe it was because I was recalling those good times. The joy I felt now was so much greater that the time I had spent waiting for him by the old tree seemed insignificant.
I wanted to help Ludger.
“By the way, I’ve seen you around a lot, but I don’t think I’ve heard your name yet.”
“Oh! Sorry for the late introduction. I’m Shanette.I’ll be serving Lady Eckhart until you fully recover.”
“I see, Shanette.”
Her face looked familiar. Of course, she had been attending to me these past few days, but there was something more.
“You’re the one who gasped when I offered 10 billion Marca.”
“Gasp.”
Yes, it was her. She had been shocked when I mentioned the 10 billion Marca.
Before I knew it, She had finished tidying up completely, but she didn’t leave the room. Instead, she lingered.
“Is there something you want to say to me?”
She reacted as if she had been waiting for this moment.
“With your permission, there’s something I’d like to ask.”
“Go ahead.”
Shanette glanced around the room nervously, especially toward the door. After checking multiple times, she leaned in and whispered.
“Lady Eckhart, you’ve already recovered, haven’t you?”
