Chapter 018
‘I must have fallen asleep after all.’
Moreover, I had slept so soundly that I woke up when the sun was at its highest.
Quickly grasping the situation, I got out of bed with a still-dazed expression.
Thud.
At that moment, I felt something light drop beneath my feet.
Looking down, I saw the shawl I had worn last night lying on the floor.
“Did someone move it here?”
I muttered softly as I picked up the scarf.
I couldn’t remember at all how I had ended up in the bedroom or how deeply I had slept.
Finally coming to my senses, I pulled the bell cord beside the bed.
A few minutes later, May entered the room.
“Madam, did you sleep well?”
“Yeah. Good morning—no, good afternoon.”
I had thought it was morning, but seeing the sun high in the sky, I quickly corrected myself.
May brought in the wash water and diligently began helping me get ready.
I casually asked her about Evan’s whereabouts.
“The Duke left for the palace early this morning.”
I had hoped otherwise, but it seemed he was indeed not in the mansion.
Perhaps because the war ended recently, there were many issues to address.
“Alright. Then he won’t be back until dinner.”
Nodding a few times, I walked over to the wardrobe to choose my outerwear.
“Yes, that’s right. But where are you going out?”
May looked at me with a puzzled expression and asked.
Having chosen a coat that matches my outfit for the day, I turned back to her and replied.
“Yeah. I’m going to visit home for a bit. You should come with me.”
Today was the day my mother was returning to the academy.
***
“Welcome, Lady Dahlia.”
As we arrived at the Feldro residence, the servants waiting nearby greeted us.
I accepted their greetings and made my way to the garden where my mother was.
Upon entering the garden, I saw my father, Cesar, and my mother gathered around a table, engaged in conversation.
“Dahlia!”
Cesar was the first to welcome me.
He ran up to me, a playful smile on his face, and whispered in a small voice.
“It’s a secret, but when you got married, Father came home and cried.”
“Cesar! You little rascal! Stop with the nonsense and go get some refreshments.”
Before Cesar could finish his sentence, father interrupted him, visibly angry.
“Me? I also want to talk to Dahlia. Alright, I’ll go.”
Cesar tried to resist my father’s orders, but seeing his angry face, he quietly retreated from the garden.
As I watched Cesar’s lonely figure fade away, I heard my father’s voice.
“Dahlia, leave Cesar be and come over here.”
“Yes.”
Sitting in the vacant chair, I found myself facing my mother directly.
She had been looking at me with a somewhat surprised expression.
After a moment, she lowered her gaze to her teacup and spoke softly.
“It seems the three of you have grown quite close while I was away.”
Mother seemed to immediately notice that my father and Cesar’s behavior toward me had changed.
Unsure of how to respond to her comment, I hesitated, but my mother quickly continued.
“I said that because it looks nice.”
“Yes…”
I awkwardly smiled and nodded at her words.
Meanwhile, my father, caught between my mother and me, was darting his eyes back and forth, trying to gauge our reactions. He looked troubled, unsure of how to navigate the stiff atmosphere between mother and daughter.
Noticing my father’s discomfort, my mother simply chuckled softly without saying much.
“I called you today because I have something for you. Here, take it.”
My mother extended a small box across the table.
“What is this?”
“It’s a potion that helps with energy recovery. If you need more, your father and Cesar have some too, so take it.”
The unexpected gift surprised me, and I hesitantly touched the corner of the box. Knowing how much care and time my mother put into making a potion, I held the box even more dearly.
“Now, since our business is done, I really must be going. I have an important class tomorrow morning.”
After drinking the last of her tea in one gulp, my mother got up from her seat.
Father, looking somewhat disappointed, also stood up to accompany her.
It seemed that giving me the potion was indeed the last thing on her agenda, as the carriage my mother would ride was waiting nearby.
Cesar, who had come out a bit late, quickly ran up and stood beside me.
“You’ll be back in three months, right?”
“Yes. I’ll be staying home longer then, so don’t make that face.”
My mother lightly tapped Cesar’s forehead with her finger, teasing him for his sulking.
As I stood awkwardly beside them, my gaze met my mother’s once more. Just before she got into the carriage, she stared at my face for a moment and then said something.
“Write to me when you run out of the potion. I’ll send you as much as you need.”
“Yes, be careful on your way.”
My mother nodded a few times at my reply and then climbed into the carriage.
Soon, the coachman’s shout signaled the departure, and the carriage began to move.
Just as the carriage was completely out of sight, I heard my father’s voice calling from beside me.
“Ahem, Dahlia. You’re staying for dinner, right?”
Turning my head, I saw my father with slightly reddened eyes asking me to stay for dinner.
“Yes. Of course, I will.”
I tightened my grip on the box in my hands and hugged it closer as I headed inside with the two of them.
***
After finishing dinner and stepping outside, I noticed the sky had darkened significantly.
The meal had taken much longer than usual.
“Ahem, ah. My throat still hurts.”
From my father, who insisted I return home immediately if Evan did anything displeasing, to Cesar, who was curious about what kind of person Evan was,
I had to keep talking about him, saying good things as much as I could.
By the time dinner was wrapping up, my throat was sore enough that I had to drink two cups of water in a row.
I immediately returned to the Duke of Ballestain’s residence after saying my goodbyes, and the scene before me momentarily stunned me.
“Did I come to the wrong room?”
That bed was definitely not there this morning.
Now, right in front of me was a bed that looked several times wider and sturdier than the one I had seen before I left the room.
“Did you have a good outing?”
Turning around at the voice calling me from behind, I saw Heinz, wearing a kind expression, standing there.
“Heinz. Why did the bed suddenly change like that?”
I asked, pointing at the bed with a bewildered expression.
“Who brought in such an absurdly large bed?”
The original bed was spacious enough for five people to lie down comfortably.
But the new bed was far beyond that size.
To exaggerate a bit, I could say it was large enough for ten grown men to roll around on without a problem.
The previous bed had blended well with the room’s atmosphere.
On the other hand, this one seemed to dominate the entire room, with only the bed visible when the door was opened.
“I received orders from the Duke to replace it.”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“Well, I’m not entirely sure about that… Ah.”
Heinz shook his head, then suddenly widened his eyes as if he remembered something.
“What is it?”
Heinz recalled the details of the day and continued.
“There was one important instruction: he specifically told me to order a bed that is comfortable for the back.”
Hearing this, I looked at the absurdly large bed with a bemused expression.
“Do you happen to know where Evan is right now?”
“The Duke is usually in his office or the training grounds if he doesn’t have any special appointments. He should be in his office at this time.”
I immediately turned and headed straight for his office.
