Chapter 30
I pressed my face tightly against Laches’s chest and asked, “Is it the maid from back then?”
“The maid from back then?”
“Yes, When Delia and I first came to the north, there was a maid who seemed particularly close to the duke. Oh, come to think of it, there was also a maid who was in charge of laundry…”
Detottr seemed to be searching his memory, trailing off at the end.
“Her name was, Leah… or something like that.”
“Count Deberti has quite the memory, Seems like you remember even things that don’t need remembering.”
“Haha, It’s just because her name was similar to my previous fiancée’s.”
“Your previous fiancée…”
“Yes, Reprentia Nirielli. Unfortunately, she lost her life in a tragic accident.”
I didn’t expect my name to be casually tossed around like that.
“It seems there might be a small misunderstanding regarding that part, so I wanted to clarify as we were having this conversation.”
“Misunderstanding?”
“Yes, I loved Reparentia very much. However, I lost her in an unfortunate accident, and Delia saved me from that grief.”
Seeing him tell lies without a hint of guilt made me realize he probably didn’t feel any remorse.
“Cedric or Detoire…”
If he doesn’t feel guilty, then he must have committed such despicable acts countless times.
As Cedric came to mind, so did the image of Selley crying.
“The rumors spreading in the capital, causing misunderstandings…”
“Count Deberti.”
“Yes?”
“Do you not see my current state in your eyes?”
My low voice, filled with suppressed anger, echoed.
“I’m standing here without my shirt, completely drenched in water. Yet, are you hearing rumors about me hesitating between two women?”
“Ah… Ah, ah…”
Détore rolled his confused eyes around, It was natural that Déttor, who had only ever cared about himself, had never paid attention to others.
“Uh, well… I’m sorry…”
“I’m feeling absolutely terrible right now.”
Laches sighed, tilting his head back. A sigh, soaked with water, slipped awkwardly through his lips.
“So just leave gracefully when I tell you to go, Viscount.”
Having finished speaking, Laches stepped towards Déttor while holding me. Détore was getting closer and closer. I couldn’t even exhale loudly for fear he might hear my breath.
“And what’s in my embrace belongs to me, so don’t look at it or desire it from now on.”
“Eep.”
“Any further curiosity will just cut the Viscount’s lifeline.”
But in the end, the feared event did not happen. Dettor wasn’t foolish enough to touch Laches, who was in a bad mood.
“…Have a good night.”
Dettor neatly erased his curiosity towards me and bowed his head. Laches passed by Détore with me in his arms.
Only after passing him did Laches loosen his embrace around me. There was still moisture on Laches’s chest where I had rested my head.
Thinking I should wipe it off, I hastily wiped his chest with my palm. Then Laches abruptly stopped in his tracks.
“What are you doing right now?”
“There’s water on you…”
Laches looked at me with a bewildered expression. Even I was surprised as I alternated between wiping his face and chest with a flustered expression.
Where did I just wipe?
“Hah.”
Laches laughed without resistance, The tense atmosphere that felt like walking on thin ice just a moment ago dissipated in an instant.
“Just stay still for a moment.”
“I can… walk.”
“The Marquess Deberti we met earlier might follow, Are you sure?”
I also hurriedly checked behind Laches’s shoulder. Fortunately, no one was following.
A light laugh sounded above my head.
“Marquess Deberti seems to be quite disliked.”
Laches’s lips traced a graceful curve. Somehow, he seemed to be suddenly in a better mood.
“…But why did you hide?”
“You’ve become notorious for gossiping with the maids, I thought it wouldn’t be good to show my face for no reason. …Did I do something unnecessary?”
“No, Thank you.”
As I responded curtly, Laches’s lips seemed to curve slightly upwards.
He seems to really dislike Détore.
“Are you feeling better now?”
“I wasn’t angry at you.”
“You didn’t even answer my question earlier.”
“…I didn’t get angry at you. I got angry at myself for not being prepared for this kind of situation.”
“How does the Duke prepare for such accidents?”
Laches had no answer. Or rather, he couldn’t answer.
“…If I had died.”
“What?”
“…If I had died, what would have happened?”
It was a voice mixed with intense emotions.
It seemed like he was asking me, and at the same time, blaming himself.
“I would have died if I had arrived a little later.”
“…I know. I felt like I was going to die.”
Strength flowed into Laches’s arms as he embraced me.
“If you died, then I…”
I…?
Laches didn’t finish his sentence. He seemed to be biting it back, struggling to contain something.
“It’s not your fault, You’re not the type to recklessly jump into a lake without thinking. But don’t put yourself in danger like that again. Don’t go to risky places.”
I wanted to quietly retort, asking what was wrong with my body, but Laches’s expression was too serious for me to do so.
It was the first time someone had worried about my life like this.
“This incident was either a simple accident or someone deliberately threw you into the lake.”
Laches’s voice was getting quieter.
“The fact that the serving girl we found crying when we arrived, and the knights were trying to shift blame, leans more towards the latter.”
Laches had unknowingly arrived in front of his bedroom. He naturally took me and entered the room.
The dark room was faintly illuminated by silver moonlight, Laches carefully laid me down at the end of his bed.
“So, one of those present there must have committed the deed…”
His deductive skills were quite remarkable. Even though nobody had been interrogated yet, and there hadn’t been any proper reports, he managed to figure it out from just the circumstances.
‘Maybe he already knows who I am?’
A reasonable suspicion briefly raised its head, But soon I shook it off.
If he knew who I was, he wouldn’t be treating me like this.
“You only need to say one word, Just tell me who threw you into the lake. I’ll take care of the rest.”
His black eyes were unwaveringly truthful. Should I be grateful to this man who casually said he would kill someone for my sake?
“Your Grace, thank you for saving me today.”
Laches’s eyebrows furrowed at once.
“If I had intended to tell you who I am, I would have revealed it when you said you would exile anyone I disliked from the North.”
“Am I that unpleasant to you?”
“It’s not a matter of trust. It’s my job, and it’s someone’s vengeance.”
The sweetness displayed by Laches is poison.
Utilizing his power would make dealing with matters easier and faster, but I had no intention of doing so.
The relationship between Laches and me is merely that of superior and subordinate. Whatever the reason for his kindness towards me, I assume it’s just simple curiosity, an emotion that will eventually disappear.
I’m glad that the burgeoning emotions right now are like balloons, but when they reach their limit, they will burst and vanish.
All emotions have an end. But that’s not visible. I don’t want to be a fool, pretending not to know when Laches’s emotions burst and disappear.
When that time comes, my request will become a nuisance to Laches, a tiresome conversation.
I didn’t want to gamble on Laches’s attitude, which could change depending on the situation or mood.
“That’s not what I wanted to hear.”
Laches, who let out a light breath, reached out his hand. The hand, which I thought would circle around and vanish, boldly landed on my lips.
“You… always exceed my expectations.”
His thumb brushed against his lower lip. Is he running a fever? If so, is it me who’s feverish, or is it this man?
A warm breath filled the space between us, He scrutinized my lips with deliberation, tilting his head.
“Milord too,” I replied softly, meeting Laeces’s gaze as he looked up from my lips. In his black irises, a small desire sparked and spread like embers. Various emotions were aflame within him.
“I didn’t expect such words to come out right now.”
Laches smiled lightly, his lips parting from mine where his hand had lingered. Then he rose from the bed where I sat, slightly taken aback.
“You didn’t know you’d touch my lips without my permission?”
“I never anticipated such words from you.”
Laches smiled faintly, then took a seat behind me, A playful tone accompanied his voice from above, then thin fingers brushed against my nape.
“What are you…?”
As the unfamiliar sensation touched my neck, my shoulders instinctively tensed.
“As an apology for my rudeness, I thought I’d personally dry your wet hair. Do you know your lips are turning purple? Are you afraid of seeing blood again?”
“I can handle that myself…”
“Is this also considered rudeness? Then what kind of apology would satisfy you?”
Once again, I seemed to have committed a rudeness, and he seemed poised to do something even more audacious. I had forgotten that crossing boundaries at his whim was his specialty.
Perhaps it’s fortunate that he can’t see my face directly.
“Just dry my hair, please.”
His laughter rang out clearly from behind. He delicately dried my wet strands, one by one.
A servant receiving the lord’s favor. It was an unprecedented event.
His long fingers brushed against my neck, grazing my ear. The almost imperceptible touch, like a fever I had suffered in childhood, seemed to leave a trace.
“Was it really fortunate that he couldn’t see my face directly?”
It felt much more dangerous than when he could see my face directly.
I couldn’t tell how he was looking at me right now.
Is he smiling? Or is he maintaining a composed expression? What expression is he wearing as he gazes at me?
As my sight was obstructed, other senses became hyper-aware.
The sound of Nash’s breathing, the rustle of clothes, and the sound of water dripping down my hair all stimulated me.
“But I hope there won’t be any such incidents in the future.”
A voice suddenly sounded from a closer distance than I expected, startling me.
“I don’t want to feel despair every time I hear such news. I hope you won’t get hurt.”
“…Are you despairing because of me, Duke?”
“You didn’t know?”
A playful tone, I couldn’t tell if it was sincere or not.
“My whole day ends with you. You have to get through the day safely for my day to pass to tomorrow.”
It felt like enjoying a mouthful of sweet cake.
But I can only taste it to that extent, It’s a sweetness I can’t swallow.
At first listen, it might sound like whispering affection, but Raches has never expressed such emotions to me. It’s just a playful hint.
If he finds out that I am Leferentia, will all this consideration disappear?
“Come to think of it, since you fell into the water, you have to wash anyway… Shouldn’t you dry your hair after washing?”
So, it’s best for me to pretend not to know and steer the conversation away.
“…You’re smart. Then, did I do something unnecessary?”
Then this man also casually follows my conversation, as if the previous conversation wasn’t important.
“But if you don’t dry your hair, you might catch a cold again.”
The towel that was drying my hair fell down smoothly. Instead, his hand ran through my hair, making me feel good.
“I’m only being lenient this time. I don’t know who it is, but if someone tries to harm you again…”
His hand, which was pleasantly tousling my hair, stopped.
“I won’t even ask your opinion next time. I’ll kill them right there on the spot as I see fit.”
“…”
“I’ve never seen anyone touch what’s mine without consequences. So what can I do? If there’s another foolish person begging for mercy next time, I’ll have to kill them.”
It was a casual tone, but there was no hint of joking. He whispered quietly as if sharing a secret.
“My mercy extends only to you, after all.”
“… ”
laches smiled. Like talking about the inconsequential weather.
