Chapter 9

Chapter 9

* * *

‘This place is……’

I looked around.

The sand rustled beneath my feet. There is also an old, shriveled tree and a dry lake.

Everything was desolate.

– Awaken me.

I heard a mysterious voice inside my head. It was a low voice that belonged to a man.

‘I know this place.’

I walked slowly towards the shriveled tree. The large branches were up so high as if to reach the sky.

Below that…… someone is leaning on the tree.

It was the soul that left its own body… Shuelina.

– Only you can awaken me.

This place is inside the spirit mirror.

Where spirits are sealed.

I slowly turned my head. When I looked behind my back, I saw the five-colored glow.

* * *

‘Ah……’

I had a stomachache, but the pain is now gone.

I feel like I had a dream……

I pried my eyes open.

“Shushu!”

I blinked several times.

When my eyes adjusted to the light, I saw Wyndert and the grand duke staring at me.

‘They look worried……’

The grand duke’s forehead was creased and there were bags under his eyes. His lips formed a straight line.

I could tell that he’s worried about me even though his face remained cold and impassive.

When I turned my head to look at the surroundings, I saw pink canopies hanging on both sides.

‘A bed? Where am I?’

I was lying on a huge bed.

It was big enough that I won’t fall off even if I roll five times on just one side.

“Are you up?”

The grand duke asked me.

‘Is he worried about me……?’

I remembered that my stomach felt hot and painful at the same time. It was different from a normal stomachache.

There’s someone who cares about me.

When I woke up, I didn’t have to endure the sadness of being alone.

When I opened my eyes, I immediately saw someone who was worried about me.

The thought made my heart ache.

‘Why are they looking at me like that when they’ve only known me for a day……?’

I don’t know how to control my facial expression right now.

I bit my lip and blinked my eyes.

It felt like my heart was being rubbed with soft cotton.

“M’lady, I am Barten, the family doctor. Do you happen to feel any more pain?”

“Uhm…… cough!”

My throat was parched and I coughed as I tried to answer. My throat stung a little when I coughed.

Wyndert looked at me worriedly.

“Don’t force yourself. It’s okay to answer once you already can.”

The grand duke dissuaded me from speaking.

“M’lady, what do you usually eat at the orphanage? Have you ever eaten anything similar to the foods you ate here?”

I shook my head.

There’s no way I could’ve eaten such proper and delicious foods.

“Yam, cough, cabbwage soup…… and potatoes. That’s aw.”

I also explained that the cabbage soup was mostly composed of salt and water. Sometimes, almost just water.

“Hmm, I see. The problem is that you suddenly consumed so much nutrition. The cream was especially bad for your stomach.”

‘Ack, but it was so delicious……!’

“For the time being, you should only take my prescribed medicine and have a light diet.”

So he’s saying that my body is not used to it yet, that’s why I threw up and fainted. I’ve been starved so much that I greedily ate all those delicacies.

I lamented my corrupt body.

‘It’s because of that orphanage. They ruined my body and now, I can’t eat delicious foods.’

The empress had Shuelina transferred to different orphanages regularly. However, everywhere she went had child abusers.

The orphanages that abused Shuelina deserve to disappear.

“You haven’t woken up for almost two days, so all of us were worried.”

No way. I haven’t woken up for nearly two days……

I used to cough lightly and feel nauseous because of my weak body, but I’ve never been down for this long.

‘Was everyone…… really worried about me?’

Are they angels? I was starting to entertain the idea, but I immediately dismissed the thought. They have an intention.

They brought me here for a purpose, so it was only natural for everyone to worry if I suddenly collapsed.

[Sudden death from too much nutrition!]

I had a momentary imagination of my face on a newspaper while throwing up. Such a phrase might even get printed on the front page.

Yeah, the first day went so well that it won’t make sense if I suddenly died.

If I can’t even have a good meal, then I’m just a pathetic and miserable person.

“Does it still hurt?”

“I’m owkay……”

Wyndert and the grand duke stared at me as if they’re analyzing me, as if I’m going to throw up again.

“I can’t believe the orphanage would give you such poor meals. The director is a very horrible person.”

It seems like Barten hates children getting abused.

‘That’s good.’

I agree with him but I couldn’t add anything to that, so I just smiled.

“……It’s awight.”

But I felt sad thinking about the delicious foods I threw up before fainting.

“Do I have to eat cabbwage soup fow the west of my wife……?”

(Do I have to eat cabbage soup for the rest of my life……?)

Is my body unable to accept delicious foods?

The thought made me sad.

“No, only for a while, then you can eat a lot of delicious and nutritious foods.”

“Haah, thwank gwoodness!”

(Haah, thank goodness!)

I just have to eat soup for a while.

After that, I can eat solid foods that are as delicious as before……

But now that I think about it, there is a disgusting smell somewhere. A familiar smell……

‘What’s that smell?’

I then realized that it was the smell of my hair.

‘Ah, the bed……!’

How dare I defile this sumptuous canopy bed! This is an awfully expensive bed!

“I-I’m going to twake a bwath wight now!”

I was just about to jump out of the bed.

“Wait, it’s still too much for you to move like that! You can get up slowly and take a bath!”

I felt embarrassed when Wyndert suddenly lifted me up and made me lie down again.

‘But……’

I was just about to protest and grab his hand, but Wyndert avoided me so I was only able to grab his sleeve.

‘Does he dislike holding my hand?’

But he was holding me the whole time during my first day here!

I shook my head, feeling slightly depressed.

“But this bed is gettwing diwty! I can’t!”

(But this bed is getting dirty! I can’t!)

I begged them to let me off of the bed. Since the bed is so soft, it’s difficult to stand on it.

However, the grand duke shook his head firmly.

“Lucy wiped your body from time to time, and the sheets are being replaced every day.”

“Still……”

I can see that my hands and legs are very clean, but……

I continued to feel sorry for the immaculate cleanliness of the bed.

“It’s okay because it’s your bed anyway.”

I almost choked the moment I heard it.

Mine?

This bed is mine?

My head felt like it’s about to burst.

Only then did I look closely at the bed.

Shiny, pink canopies.

A mildly inflated, light purple bedding.

And the finely carved, stone flowers at the foot of the bed were beautiful.

It looked like the princess’s bed in my imagination.

‘Everything is so lavish……’

Above all, this bed is enough for all the children in the orphanage to sleep on! I can also lie down in any position that I want.

This is all mine!

It was breathtaking. My eyes took in every detail of the room. I wanted to get up quickly and explore.

“Barten, get out of here and tell Lucy to come in.”

Barten bowed his head at the grand duke’s words and left. Soon enough, Lucy entered the room.

“Lucy, bath Shuelina.”

Perhaps out of concern for me, the grand duke’s voice wasn’t very loud as if it could affect my health.

“……Because she’s a child……”

He spoke to Lucy with an inaudible voice, so I couldn’t hear the important parts.

‘What did he tell her?’

I stared at the two of them. Lucy approached me and carried me.

Then she walked to the bathroom and sat me on a fluffy, bathroom stool.

“M’lady is as light as a piece of paper. You should eat something……”

Lucy muttered and began to fill the bathtub with water.

I sat there blankly and watched the water flowing into the bathtub.

‘What should I do……’

I feel awkward.

Everyone’s worried about me. Since this is the first time, I’m not sure what kind of face I should make.

‘What should I do to be loved?’

I hugged my knees.

Lucy knelt in front of me and asked in a kind voice.

“Are you feeling better, m’lady?”

“Yes, no…… my head huwts.”

I shook my head and answered quietly.

I wasn’t going to tell anyone about it because it felt awkward when someone worried about me. But I couldn’t lie to her when I saw her sincere eyes.

“His Grace told me to value your opinion in everything.”

The sound of Lucy’s voice was sweet.

My eyes opened wide at her unexpected words.

I thought the grand duke was angry because his forehead was creased. I can’t believe he gave such a kind order!

“He said that you’re a good child who is cautious of everyone’s feelings and would rather endure pain.”

I felt a little dizzy. I never expected this.

I’ve been careful all this time since they are adults.

‘So that’s what he was telling her earlier……’

I let out a small sigh.