Chapter 025
Thinking of the sharp, thorn-like man, I fell into deep contemplation.
‘It would be a miracle if he ever calls me by my name.’
He still calls me “lady” and seemed unwilling to take even a single step closer to me. On top of that, his wariness was so intense that he didn’t even try to come near me after I touched his face once last time.
As I walked, pondering what to do moving forward, I finally reached my room.
“Madam.”
“Oh, May.”
May stood at the door, holding a large bag and a bouquet of flowers in her arms. As I approached her, she extended the bouquet toward me.
“Thank you for everything!”
“What’s with the flowers?”
“I just… wanted to give them to you one last thing before I leave. I thought they’d look pretty in your room.”
Gently brushing my fingers over the fresh petals, I couldn’t help but smile faintly as I asked her,
“Thank you… Are you leaving now?”
“Yes. I originally wanted to see you off tomorrow, but it seems my mother’s health has worsened.”
May’s face turned noticeably somber at the mention of her mother. Just a few days ago, a letter had arrived informing May that her mother was in critical condition.
Having been raised by a single mother, May had quickly turned pale and informed me that she wouldn’t be able to continue working.
The moment I had been dreading, which I remembered all too well, had finally arrived. In the past, after marrying Delos, I had struggled quite a bit when May, the only person I could truly confide in, suddenly left.
I saw May off to the front of the mansion and said my final goodbyes to her.
“Thank you for everything. If you ever need my help, feel free to contact me anytime. Got it?”
“Yes. I really appreciate it. Please be happy.”
May’s voice quivered slightly at the end, as if she were holding back tears. I watched her slowly disappear into the distance until she was completely out of sight, and only then did I return inside the estate.
Looking down at the bouquet May had given me, a strange emotion stirred within me.
‘Indeed, unless I intervene, the past will repeat itself.’
My expression darkened as I pondered this realization.
“That means those events will repeat as well.”
In a few months, my father would leave as part of the Clayts Kingdom’s delegation and lose his life in an accident, while the emperor would fall ill with an unknown disease. And finally, Delos would ascend the throne.
“I suddenly feel so hopeless…”
I might be able to somehow prevent my father’s death, but there was nothing I could do about the emperor’s. Despite the combined efforts of all the continent’s mages and physicians back then, the emperor had still succumbed to his illness.
But I couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. If things continued like this, that damned Delos would become emperor again, and it would only be a matter of time before war broke out.
As I pondered how to avoid the worst future I knew, I unexpectedly ran into Evan in the hallway.
“Evan!”
Since it was so rare to see him, I approached him with a smile without even realizing it. As I got closer, his gaze fell on the bouquet I was holding.
“What’s with the flowers?”
“Oh, May just gave them to me before she left. I really like these flowers.”
His gaze lingered on the bouquet for quite some time. Just when I thought the silence was dragging on, Evan asked in a low voice,
“It seems you were quite fond of that maid.”
“Yes?”
I was taken aback by Evan’s question, my eyes widening in surprise. It was unusual for him to initiate small talk, as he rarely did so.
As I stared at him, he glanced away slightly and added in a low voice,
“…Your eyes are red.”
“Ah. Yes, she’s been with me for seven years, so I guess I got a bit emotional.”
I managed to give a faint smile as I responded, though there were other reasons for my somber expression besides May’s absence.
‘By the way, he’s the one who started the conversation. What’s going on?’
I thought to myself, glancing at Evan.
It made sense; ever since the banquet at the palace, it had been increasingly difficult to see him. At this point, it wouldn’t be unreasonable to think he was deliberately avoiding me.
Yet here he was, standing in front of me with an expression that suggested he had more to say.
‘Is he finally thinking of getting closer?’
But my thoughts were short-lived. After a few moments of hesitation, Evan spoke words that were completely different from what I had hoped for.
“…You can ask Heinz for recommendations on a new maid. I’ll take my leave now.”
“Wait!”
I urgently called out, grabbing the end of his sleeve as he tried to walk away.
Was he stalling just to say that?
His gaze slowly dropped to where I was holding his sleeve.
“Do you have more to say?”
“Um, well…”
At his question, I tightly gripped and released the end of his sleeves, hesitating. If I let him go like this, I couldn’t guarantee when I would see his face again.
Seeing my hesitation, Evan raised one eyebrow and looked at me, seemingly urging me to get to the point.
“Um, about us sharing a bed…”
“……”
At the mention of sharing a bed, Evan’s eyebrows and even his forehead creased deeply.
‘How can I say the conversation between the maids so that it sounds as natural as possible?’
I had thought I should eventually discuss this topic with him to prevent any unnecessary rumors, but now that I had said it out loud, my face flushed with embarrassment.
“Sharing a bed, you say.”
Evan repeated my words in a low tone.
“I said we don’t need to take care of our marital duties, but there’s been rumors going around the mansion recently. So that’s….”
I quickly nodded, trying to pull together the right words from my confused mind.
“I… think we need to show that we’re sharing a… bed!”
“……”
As soon as I finished speaking, the atmosphere between us grew heavy and tense. My attempt at sounding natural had resulted in an awkward and disjointed sentence.
Just as I realized how my words might have sounded to him, I tried to hurryly continue speaking.
A cold voice, as if it could freeze the surrounding air, came from him.
“I have not the slightest ill intent toward you. Therefore, for the remaining year, I will never share a bed with you.”
Looking up at his face, I was stunned, my eyes wide in shock at his harsh response.
Evan’s face was as rigid as his cold voice. But what surprised me wasn’t that.
“Uh…”
Contrary to the icy expression, his entire face was flushed bright red.
‘Am I seeing things?’
I blink several times, but the color doesn’t change.
“I’ll tell Heinz to keep the servants quiet, so you won’t have to worry about that anymore.”
As I stared blankly at his face, Evan quickly turned his back to me and walked away. However, there was something odd about his gait. With each step, his hand and foot on the same side moved together.
It was a walk that sounded like it was creaking from somewhere.
Frozen in place like ice, I could only finally move my mouth after he had completely disappeared from my sight.
“What just happened?”
I recalled the sight of a man who looked like he wouldn’t bleed even if poked, turning red, and instinctively raising my hand to cover my mouth.
‘Why does he look so cute when blushing…?’
Otherwise, I felt like the overwhelming thoughts in my head would spill out of my mouth.
