Chapter 6
“Miss Harper, about yesterday…”
Jenna spoke cautiously, her tone serious.
“Yesterday?”
It seemed she was referring to the incident with Clarissa and Leroy being thrown out, but her expression was not one of congratulating me for “winning.” There was a more serious undertone in her words.
Ah, is she going to scold me for swapping the food?
A cold sweat broke out on my skin. Jenna was a kind person, but when she scolded, it was quite terrifying.
“I couldn’t help what happened yesterday…”
“I owe you a debt, Miss.”
As I tried to think of an excuse, Jenna suddenly dropped to one knee and firmly took my hand.
“…What?”
“If you hadn’t uncovered Leroy’s actions… I would have been the one to get beaten and thrown out.”
Jenna, now at my eye level, spoke in a calmer voice. Her eyes were glistening with unshed tears.
“No! If I hadn’t gone to the kitchen…”
“I should have resolved the food issue before you had to go. Honestly, I was in a position where I couldn’t argue if I were punished.”
I shook my head, but Jenna didn’t let go of my hand and continued.
“You’re so young, and you never complained, so I thought there wouldn’t be any problems. To be honest, I felt resentful, thinking that no one appreciated my work, especially not you.”
“Jenna…”
“But that’s not how I feel anymore.”
She wiped away the tears from her eyes and smiled warmly at me. It was a smile that spoke of deep affection and a sense of resolution.
“The moment you demanded an apology from Madam, I made my decision. You are my only mistress. As long as I live…”
She kissed the back of my hand as she spoke.
“I will never change.”
For a moment, I couldn’t find the words to say.
A vow of loyalty? I had never heard such words in my past life. Jenna was a kind person, but there was always a distance between us.
I didn’t want to cause harm to Jenna because of my own troubles, and she had no reason to risk her life in loyalty to me.
When she married and left my side during a dangerous time, I thought it was for the best. Her partner was a master of concealment, a wizard, which kept her safe.
She had managed to avoid the conflicts between Callista and me and even survived the war that Clain had started. She was the real victor.
“Then, you should go now. I’ll go to you at meal time.”
Jenna spoke as though she had said all she needed, standing up and gently pushing me toward the hallway. The sky-blue water bottle swung from my hand.
What just happened?
I hadn’t planned it, but somehow, my relationship with Jenna seemed to have grown deeper and more intertwined.
Later that day…
Thud!
Clink.
“Huff!”
I took a deep breath and pressed my body against the heavy wooden library door, which was adorned with golden embellishments. My desperate attempts to open the door had been met with failure twice already. The first two attempts had made the door shake but ultimately shut again, leaving me drenched in sweat.
This was not a room made for children to use. In fact, I was the only child in the entire Duchy who was allowed to enter the central building.
Move, you stupid door!
I glared at the massive brown object and gathered my strength, yelling:
“Hyah!”
Creek.
I could finally see a glimmer of hope as the door seemed to move slightly this time. Earlier, it had just closed again, but now, it looked like the inside of the library was visible.
“Hah!”
Clink!
The door suddenly swung inward.
“Eek!”
I stumbled forward into the library, my graceful entrance more awkward than elegant. If someone hadn’t caught my arm, I might have fallen.
“Already causing a ruckus on your first day, milady.”
It was none other than Theon who had grabbed my arm, his long fingers firm as he supported me.
His sharp, gray eyes stared at me from behind his glasses.
“Theon!”
“Please be quiet in the library.”
“But! There’s no one here right now…”
“I can still hear you.”
How rude. He caught me just before I nearly fell, and now he was scolding me like a child.
I thought we had become somewhat closer after throwing Leroy out.
Theon released my arm and straightened up. With his tall and slender frame, he appeared even more imposing standing tall.
His stern expression seemed to indicate that he was about to lecture me on the proper behavior in a library. I clasped my hands together and put on the most innocent expression I could muster, waiting for his scolding.
Since he allowed me to use the library, I figured I could bear this much.
“Please tell me you didn’t bring food in here.”
“Yes.”
“Half of the books on the third floor are unique to the Empire. Even the Emperor covets them.”
“Yes.”
“If you wish to borrow a book, you must show it to me first. Books on the third floor are strictly off-limits.”
“Yes.”
“If a book gets damaged…”
Hack!
He suddenly coughed loudly, cutting off his warning.
“Cough! Cough! I apologize, milady.”
“…Are you okay, sir?”
“I’m fine. It’s just the dry weather… Cough! You may go now.”
He pulled out a handkerchief and pressed it to his mouth, turning away. His face, already pale, became even paler.
“Cough! Hah…”
I walked quietly, listening to his coughing. As I climbed the spiral staircase, I thought:
‘It seems like he’s been sick for a while.’
Even in my previous life, Theon had never had good health. He’d always suffered from chronic coughing.
It wasn’t life-threatening, but it must have been quite a painful condition for him. During the winters, he would cough up blood, and at night, he couldn’t get any proper rest.
Despite trying countless remedies, nothing had worked. His condition was caused by a poisonous herb he had eaten as a child.
Such herbs weren’t common, so there had been no one in the capital’s medical circle who could help him.
‘There was a way to fix it…’
I hesitated for a moment, wondering if I should tell him the information I had stumbled upon in my previous life.
“Cough!”
I turned to see Theon, who had followed me up the stairs, now trying desperately to suppress his cough. His gray eyes were locked on me as he did.
“Don’t worry about it, milady.”
His cold, warning tone made me flinch.
Yes, Theon hated sympathy more than anything. As someone who had risen from humble beginnings and interacted with the wealthy, he despised anyone showing him pity.
I knew this well, and even Callista, who took good care of her subordinates, never once asked if Theon was okay.
“…I see.”
I nodded. I wasn’t going to pursue it further.
Yesterday, I had tried to gain his attention, but now that I had permission to use the library, I didn’t need anything else from him.
Eventually, he would serve Callista, and once that happened, he’d become a dangerous person for me.
I turned and quickened my pace, hoping to reach my destination before the awkwardness weighed me down.
Thud, thud, thud… Thud… Thud.
Wait?
“Cough… Hah.”
Contrary to my intentions, my footsteps slowed as I realized the stairs were much steeper than I thought. The shelves of books were higher than usual, meaning the ceilings on each floor were much taller. That meant I had to climb for quite a while to reach the next level.
And just like the library doors, these narrow and tall stairs were not designed with children in mind.
There had been no consideration for someone like me, whose health wasn’t great.
“Ugh… Huh?”
I misstepped, feeling my foot slip between the gaps in the stairs. It was as though my body was sinking into the space.
“Aah!”
Thud.
Before I could even catch my balance, a long hand reached out and caught me.
“…Theon?”
“Are you causing trouble again while I wasn’t looking?”
Theon’s sharp gray eyes glared at me from above.
Swish—
With a firm grip, he pulled me out of the gap between the steps, lifting me as easily as if I were a log.
“Put me down if you’re going to carry me!”
“It’s a waste of time. With your short legs, you wouldn’t make it.”
Ignoring my request, he grabbed both my arms and held me tightly against his side, lifting me up the stairs.
I felt like a wooden doll, unable to move as he carried me up.
Thud, thud, thud.
He ascended the stairs effortlessly, then gently placed me on the green carpet at the top.
“Well… we’re here. Take a look around.”
“Y-Yes…”
I answered weakly, standing up and heading toward the bookshelf in front of me. My legs were shaky, but I managed to steady myself quickly.
Theon continued to watch me closely, following behind me at a distance.
It felt uncomfortable, but I couldn’t bring myself to tell him to leave.
Well, at least I had arrived. I decided to look at the situation optimistically.
I began to examine the bookshelves, familiarizing myself with the titles as I looked for the section I wanted.
With each step I took, my eyes grew a little bigger.
