Chapter 12
“Today, Elysia’s hands were empty.’’
Instead of carrying them in her hands, she had a banana and two pieces of paper tucked at her side.
“Miss.”
Now seemingly accustomed, Lizbeth lightly disregarded what Elysia had brought.
Instead, she addressed Elysia with a serious tone.
“Thank you for my brother’s medical expenses.”
“?”
The first day Lizbeth opened the door.
Elysia secretly paid Lizbeth the medical expenses right away.
Just in case, Elysia always recorded the expenses she didn’t use in her account book.
Thanks to that, in the records, Elysia seemed to have little money on hand.
So no matter how much Elysia spent, there would be no trace left.
“Now?”
Looking at Lizbeth, who was now expressing gratitude, Elysia shrugged her shoulders and asked.
There was no need for thanks as it was part of the deal.
Lizbeth thanking her was no different from Elysia expressing her gratitude every time Lizbeth opened the door.
“…And, you don’t have to send toys.”
“Oh.”
Was this the main point?
The small talk earlier seemed like the preamble to the letter.
Elysia responded to the question with a teasing smile.
“Does your brother not like them?”
Ariel still loved dolls so much that she would sleep with them if given a big doll.
So, naturally, Elysia thought Lizbeth’s brother would also like toys.
“He doesn’t dislike them. He actually loves them so much he could die.”
Since they were in a financially tight household, they had to play with cheap toys they had bought before.
But suddenly, expensive toys were being sent in, so Lizbeth’s brother spent the whole day crying, thanking his sister, Lizbeth.
That was what happened this morning.
Lizbeth couldn’t bring herself to tell her crying brother the truth.
“Alright then.”
While detaching a bunch of bananas from her side, Elysia handed them to Lizbeth.
“Do you want some?”
“……”
Lizbeth, who was about to say it was okay, couldn’t refuse Elysia’s cunning face and accepted the banana.
Trying to be calm and rational about Elysia’s maliciousness didn’t work out as planned.
“And from now on, if you have something to say, just say it without beating around the bush. Between us.”
It was a clumsy way of speaking.
Lizbeth didn’t feel particularly fond of what Elysia emphasized as “between us”.
Speculatively, what Elysia referred to as “between us” might mean accomplices.
Even so, how could she, being a member of the family, speak so directly.
“I brought you in, so I can turn a blind eye to that extent.”
With that, she additionally detached one banana. Skipping dinner last night and breakfast this morning made her hungry again even after lunch.
Lizbeth looked at Elysia, who was uncomfortably peeling the banana, for a while.
Unable to stand the awkward sight for long, Lizbeth peeled the banana in her hand and exchanged it with Elysia’s banana.
“Oh. Thank you.”
Elysia expressed her gratitude for Lizbeth’s consideration as she took a bite of the banana.
“So, I’ll speak frankly. Honestly, while the medical expenses are understandable, covering personal expenses is burdensome.”
“Mhm.”
“Since the source of money isn’t good, it makes me uneasy.”
“Yeah.”
Elysia replied to Lizbeth while chewing on a banana.
The gist of it was that dealing with money earned through Eden felt burdensome and awkward, as it encroached upon her brother’s personal territory.
Seeing Lizbeth here, despite being so upright, made Elysia suspect that her brother’s medical expenses were quite pressing.
Elysia, having stuffed the last bit of the banana into her mouth, tried to put the peel into the pocket of her dress. However, even that was impossible because Lizbeth had taken the peel.
“Well… it’s true that I treat you well in exchange for showing Eden to you, but….”
To express discomfort with the source…
Elysia herself had said if Lizbeth had something to say, she should just say it, but she didn’t expect Lizbeth to openly express discomfort with the source.
Still, Elysia didn’t let on a smile.
“Lizbeth, try to change your perspective.”
“A change in perspective?”
“Yeah. Honestly, you feel a bit relieved because of me spending time with Eden, right?”
Despite being anxious about when she might be found out.
Lizbeth remained silent, unable to deny Elysia’s words.
“I’m actually doing a good thing by helping you, you know.”
With strength in her arms to prevent the banana and paper from falling, Elysia tilted her head.
It was an unshakable confidence in believing her actions were virtuous.
“So, the expression ‘uneasy’ is more fitting for our father than for me.”
“….”’
Every word Elysia said hit the mark, so Lizbeth couldn’t deny her argument.
“You helped me veer away from the wrong path by assisting me.”
How about that? Isn’t that right?
With Elysia looking triumphant, Lizbeth widened her eyes.
Speaking like that made her feel a bit more at ease.
Even though she knew it wasn’t right.
“Even after saying all this, if it’s so uncomfortable for you to buy something for your brother, then use your own money to take care of him.”
Since I’m giving you money for helping me, your money won’t be used for others.
With her plans for today sorted out in her mind, Elysia opened the door to the annex, not even bothering to hear Lizbeth’s response as she went inside.
Left alone, Lizbeth smiled bitterly at Elysia’s last words.
If Elysia’s argument was correct, then wasn’t the money she received from Marquis Partin even more impure?
Upon entering, Eden was deep in sleep.
Elysia gazed at the peacefully sleeping Eden for a moment.
“It’s a bit hard to wake him up.”
Feeling sorry for waking Idun up, Elysia managed to sit at the edge of the bed.
The fairy tale book left untouched from yesterday was placed beside Eden.
She didn’t know if he had read it or not, but it seemed like he had touched it at least.
“Still, it must have made time pass a bit less boring.”
Feeling proud, Elysia swung her feet back and forth.
Though time was precious to Elysia, she waited for Eden to wake up without a word.
Not long after, she felt movement behind her.
Sitting up straight, Elysia quickly turned her head to see Eden blinking his eyes rapidly.
“Are you awake? If you’re still sleepy, you can sleep more.”
Elysia’s promise that she could wait as long as needed seemed to be in vain as Eden quickly woke up.
It could be considered fortunate.
Still, Eden seemed less drowsy than before.
“Stop it….”
Eden boldly spoke as he pulled the blanket off.
As soon as he emerged from the blanket, he seemed to shiver from the cold.
“Come to think of it, it’s gotten a bit chilly.”
Elysia approached the window with closed shutters.
Spring and autumn here had a warm feeling, so it wasn’t too cold unless it was winter.
Rather than feeling stuffy, Elysia deliberately left the windows of the annex open.
Seeing Eden shivering after waking up, it seemed better to close them now.
“I’ll close the window. If it gets stuffy later, we can open it.”
Elysia said as she closed the window.
She wasn’t sure if Eden’s hand could reach the window due to his height, but he could use the chair next to the window.
“?”
She heard a rattling sound from behind, and when she turned around, Eden was suddenly right behind Elysia.
“?”
Elysia and Eden looked at each other, tilting their heads in confusion.
For a while, they exchanged puzzled looks and engaged in a silent staring contest.
“Erm….”
It felt awkward.
Elysia was the first to avert her gaze.
Although his face was not boring to look at, staring so intently could make anyone feel uncomfortable.
Admitting defeat, Elysia lightly tapped Eden’s head.
“I brought paper and a pen.”
Let’s study characters efficiently today.
Eden’s eyes lit up brightly, understanding Elysia’s intention.
Elysia, who casually passed by Eden, rummaged through her pocket and took out a pen.
Eden followed behind, dragging his shackles.
Watching Elysia take out the pen from her pocket reminded him of the candies she had yesterday.
She seemed to carry a lot of things with her.
“First, eat this.”
Suddenly remembering the banana she brought, Elysia handed it to Eden, just as she had done with Lizbeth.
Thinking about whether to peel it for him, she simply handed it over, and Eden peeled it effortlessly and started chewing on the pulp.
While Eden was munching, Elysia looked around.
Inside the annex, there was no suitable place to sit and study properly.
There was a desk and a chair, but the chair was higher than the desk, making it impossible to lean forward comfortably.
With no other option, Elysia dragged a chair over.
Instead of sitting on the chair, she spread out a spot right in front of it and sat on the floor.
As she sat, she felt the chill of the floor.
“Sit on this,” Elysia said, taking off her thin coat and placing it on the floor.
Then, when Eden attempted to sit beside her, he hesitated.
“The floor is cold.”
Surprised, Elysia looked at Eden and then tried to take off her own top.
“What… what are you doing?”
Equally surprised, Elysia grabbed Eden’s wrist.
“The floor is cold….”
“Yeah. That’s why I told you to sit here….”
Ah. Am I cold too?
Just like Elysia had done for him, he seemed to want to show the same consideration to her.
“I’m fine, so just sit.”
After all, Elysia had given him her coat.
While she could sit with just one layer of clothing, Eden would be left exposed if he took off his top.
Elysia’s character wasn’t exactly known for its warmth, having only one coat to sit on, but she wasn’t entirely lacking in kindness either.
