Chapter 033
I had to choose my words carefully.
That was my first thought.
I didn’t know what kind of trouble I might get into if I said the wrong thing.
When I hesitated to speak, Sioden looked at Apple. I thought Apple might be held responsible for my being outside.
Before that could happen, I tried to hide Apple behind me, but she stopped me.
Apple looked directly at Sioden and said,
“Miss came out because she wanted to check on the Glasyr.”
“A-Apple!”
I quickly grabbed her hand with the hand that wasn’t held by Sioden.
That shouldn’t be told to Sioden. Apple made a mistake because she didn’t know how bad things had become between us, but a single word from me could easily brand me.
I, with my status, would avoid severe punishment. But it was different for Apple.
Having been expelled from the castle once, she could face harsher punishment, or even worse, take the blame for everything.
We hadn’t done anything yet, but guilt wasn’t something you chose.
Sioden shifted his gaze from Apple to me. I wasn’t as brave as Apple and could only lower my eyes.
“Don’t be angry with Apple. I… I…”
“You want to see the tree?”
His voice was unbelievably gentle.
Is this a dream? The thought suddenly occurred to me. It was too cold to be a dream, making me confused, but Sioden was being too kind for it to be real.
But whether it was a dream or reality, I had to see the Glasyr.
I cautiously nodded, watching Sioden’s reaction. He sighed, as if finding my behavior pathetic.
I thought I’d misspoken.
Whenever I told Sioden the truth in the past, it only backfired.
This time would be no different.
“N-no, it’s alright. I don’t need to see it.”
I took a step back, trying to avoid his grasp, but Sioden didn’t let go of my hand.
He said,
“Showing you the tree won’t be a problem.”
I stared up at him, dumbfounded.
I fully expected Sioden to refuse to show me the tree. Neither of us could forget what happened to us in that forest.
Sioden continued, with me standing there dumbfounded.
“But the weather isn’t suitable for you to walk.”
“Forgive my impoliteness,” he added softly. Before I could even ask what he meant, he lifted me up.
Only after my feet left the ground did I realize my situation.
Sioden was carrying me.
It was unbelievable.
With my weak hands, I pushed against his shoulders, demanding,
“P-put me down.”
Sioden didn’t budge, repeating his earlier reason.
“It’s too cold.”
But the weather was actually quite pleasant for Raslet.
Raslet’s weather was always like this. Even its warmest days were harsher than the worst days in the south.
I had navigated all those days throughout my marriage.
So, he should just let me walk.
I wished, so desperately, that this was all a dream. As if reading my thoughts, Apple, walking beside me, reached out her hand. I grasped it tightly, as if it were a lifeline, and squeezed my eyes shut.
Apple rubbed my knuckles with her thumb. She whispered,
“I’m here.”
That was the only fortunate thing in this bleak situation.
After what felt like an eternity of hearing the wind howl, Sioden suddenly stopped. I cautiously opened my eyes and saw a grove of evergreen trees.
Trees were planted as if to embrace the land where the Glasyr stood.
Seeing the trees now surrounding us, I realized we were inside the forest. I hadn’t noticed because the knights hadn’t stopped us.
Perhaps they didn’t check because we were with the lord.
As I thought that, Sioden carefully set me down.
For some reason, he placed me facing away from the Glasyr and said,
“If you’re not feeling well, you can go back now.”
It was overly kind.
Perhaps he felt pity for me.
That would be more in line with Sioden’s character. He was responsible and moral. Even if he disliked me, he might feel sorry seeing me constantly distressed.
Although I had been ignored by him many times, things might be different now.
Sioden had always been angry before.
But not now.
But what if he gets angry later, thinking I tricked him?
What if he thinks I pretended to be pitiful to get my way?
The vividly imagined future made me dizzy. As I stumbled, Sioden caught my shoulder. His touch was gentle, devoid of any hostility.
Meaning, he hadn’t intended to let go.
I instinctively pushed his hand away as I felt a chill run down my spine. Sioden was trying to help me, and this action would surely displease him.
“I—I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to push you…”
“It’s alright.”
Don’t apologize.
Sioden’s voice trembled. The crack in his voice seemed like evidence of fatigue, and I suppressed the urge to apologize again.
‘Iella Rowen, get a grip.’
I imagined Iswen calling my name. It seemed to bring me back to my senses.
Iswen used to berate me whenever I acted unfitting of a Rowen noblewoman, snapping me out of it.
Repetition creates habit. After that, I would instinctively tense up whenever I thought of Iswen.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly turned around.
At that moment, I realized the utterly dead tree had been looming over me all this time.
The silver tree that had shone so brilliantly the last time I saw it was now withered and black, with a large wound across its trunk.
My heart, which had been pounding wildly, felt like it would burst from my chest. My heartbeat echoed in my ears. My legs gave way.
Sioden quickly caught me as I stumbled.
“Iella!”
“Miss!”
I saw Apple, who had been a few steps away, running towards us.
I’m okay. I wanted to tell Apple that, but no sound came out. I tried again, but the result was the same.
Trying to reassure Apple, I lost consciousness.
☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓 ☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓
Iella, who had been stumbling, fainted.
Sioden caught the woman, who fell limply like a broken doll. Her thin body was easily held. The lightness of her weight, almost unbelievable for a human, made his heart sink.
“Miss! Wake up!”
Iella’s favorite maid screamed. The maid frantically stroked her mistress’s cheek.
“Tell Luke Ailac to come to the Duchess’s bedroom. It’s an emergency.”
Carrying Iella, Sioden hurried back inside, ordering the knight guarding the forest entrance. The knight nodded silently and ran off quickly.
Luke arrived at Iella’s bedroom shortly after.
After checking her condition, Luke said,
“There doesn’t seem to be a major problem. She seems to have overexerted herself after regaining consciousness.”
“……Her body was cold.”
His hand had felt cold when he touched her.
“Although her wounds have healed, her depleted strength needs to be replenished… She’ll recover with proper rest.”
Sioden understood what Luke meant.
The Glasyr’s essence healed illnesses and wounds, but it didn’t dramatically restore weakened bodies.
Iella wasn’t usually in good health. Having been held hostage, she probably hadn’t received good treatment, and her body would have suffered as a result.
Nevertheless, the question kept escaping his lips.
‘What if she catches a cold?’
Iella often suffered from colds. Although he hadn’t visited her during her illnesses, except for the early days of their marriage, Sioden knew this because he received reports whenever she was sick.
“She’s so weak that anything could turn into a serious illness. If she gets a fever…”
“Your Grace.”
“Even if it’s not a fever, a cough is a problem. It could turn into pneumonia.”
Evelyn had died of pneumonia.
Sioden couldn’t guarantee that Iella was healthier than her mother had been. Just two days ago, she had been on the brink of death.
Luke stared at him and replied,
“Your Grace, the Duchess will be alright.”
Only then did Sioden realize he had been carelessly revealing his inner thoughts.
He thought he had broken that habit before coming of age, but it had slipped out without him realizing it. Sioden wiped his face and sat on the chair by the bed.
“I spoke out of turn.”
“……”
“I’ll be by Iella’s side, so you can go.”
Luke bowed silently and left.
The sound of the door closing followed soon after. Sioden rested his elbows on the bed and buried his face in his hands.
Unaware that he had taken on the same posture he had when he last cared for someone who was ill, he took a deep breath.
He couldn’t even fully grasp what he had done.
