Chapter 20

***

“Hey, Rabin. Aren’t you tired?”

“I’m okay.”

After John took Yuri to her room and left, Yuri looked around the room. Rabin had arrived in the room first.

It was a warm room with its own warmth, although it may not be better than the room where she stayed when she was at the Duke’s residence in Slevard.

‘I’m glad it’s a warm room.’

She was, frankly, worried that they might make her stay in a pigpen or a barn.

“Ra, Rabin’s room… … …the butler said he would prepare it for you.”

“It’s fine. Even if I sleep in a pigpen here, it’d be better than where I used to live.”

Rabin chuckled. He meant to ease Yuri’s heart, but Yuri’s heart ached when she heard those words.

“Ra, Rabin. Cherish yourself a little more.”

“Yes?”

“Rabin is so mature… .”

“….”

“I’m sorry. I, I… I… Rabin….”

“… Do you want me to get angry?”

It was a calm boy’s voice. Sadly, his voice was so calm that it felt like he was talking about a time that could no longer come, and it hurt Yuri’s heart.

“…… Yes, that is correct”

“Hmm, what can I do, that’s my specialty?”

Rabin said that and smiled brightly, like an adult. Yuri felt like he had grown old at such a young age, so she was heartbroken.

“Ahaha, then I have a request.”

“Yes?”

“Lady Yuri, please be a little angry.”

Had Yuri ever been angry? Yuri thought carefully. Come to think of it, Yuri wasn’t angry at most things.

“What?”

“Think for yourself, that’s what I mean.”

“Ha, but getting angry…… ”

“I know there’s a difference between being angry and respecting yourself. However…..”

Rabin crossed his arms and spoke as if frustrated.

“When you have to, you have to be angry!”

“Ah…”

Yuri thought of Edrato, Count’s Erentail’s son. He certainly looked like an old-fashioned master.

“That little boy! That d*mn little bastard!”

“Well, that….”

“He dared to say Lady Yuri is a maid and ugly! I will never forgive him!”

“Ah.”

Rabin seemed very angry. Rabin was furious for a while, then looked back at Yuri.

“It’s not Lady Yuri’s fault. So don’t worry too much.”

“He, too, was like that because he suddenly heard that his stepmother suddenly appeared.”

“That little boy, is he six years old?”

“That, right?”

“Then he’s only four years younger than me. It’s not that he’s young, he’s just rude.”

“Yes.”

Yuri thought back to when she was six years old, but she couldn’t remember anything. But, looking back on her trip to the temple, it seemed like she’s never cried out loud.

‘Is the young master like that because he grew up being loved?’

As she was having such meaningless thoughts, Rabin’s angry voice woke Yuri.

“That little boy, it’s because he grew up preciously. So he’s not polite!”

All of a sudden, she felt strange because there was someone who was angry for her. Up until now, she had endured on her own no matter what happened every time.

On the night that she suffered injustice, Yuri was the only one who comforted herself.

“And, Lady Yuri is not ugly.”

“Hey, you don’t have to say that…… ”

“Isn’t she attractive enough?”

“Ah, no, I…”

“Come on!”

Saying so, Rabin put his fingers on both cheeks. Then he spread his lips and smiled brightly. Yuri tried to copy him awkwardly.

“Ha, like this?”

“Look, you look a little brighter because you smile.”

How thoughtful was the child who wanted to share what he has received. From the sunset window, a warm light shone on Rabin’s hair. Rabin was lovely. Yuri had such a lovely Rabin, and she smiled brightly involuntarily.

“And, Rabin.”

“Yes?”

“Oh, thank you.”

Rabin smiled brightly. Then he immediately ran out of the door, saying he needed to tell someone there was not enough of firewood. Yuri looked at Rabin’s back like that.

‘I’m getting more from him.’

She had never felt alive when she became a young lady or when she was married. But now she felt different. Yuri put he hand on her heart. Her heart was beating slightly.

‘I feel alive.’

It was a feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time. Slowly and calmly, she felt at ease.

***

“I don’t know if the food will suit your taste.”

Yuri looked at Larkshid. She was really surprised when all of a sudden the butler came and said his Master wanted to have dinner with his wife.

“I need to change quickly.”

“Do you have any clothes reference?”

The butler brought a couple of maids to attend to Yuri.

With their help, Yuri was dressed in a modest way, and then she headed to the dining hall.

“Because the food here is completely different from the East.”

It was a very friendly voice. The kind voice gave Yuri goosebumps. Why did he suddenly act so kind? Yuri looked at him suspiciously.

“Don’t take it too seriously.”

“Yes?”

“My son seems to like you quite a bit.”

‘Was that a liking attitude?’

Yuri wondered. She couldn’t remember her childhood, so she had no comparison. She was raised in a temple from an early age, so she had never seen a child or a child her age act like that, so she did not know.

“Ha, thank you… .”

“Yes.”

Larkshid looked at Yuri and smiled softly. His fine lips rose in an arc. Unfamiliar with the scene, Yuri turned her head away.

“Then, let’s eat.”

Yuri looked down at her plate. Fortunately, the tableware was not as varied as in the Duke’s residence. There was only a finely carved knife, fork, and spoon.

“Thank you, I’ll eat well.”

Yuri took a bite of the salad. Maybe it was a spice used only in the north, or the flavor of the salad was not good. Yuri swallowed it, but inside, the bitter and disgusting smell came over. Her tongue was in pain.

“Isn’t it to your taste?”

“… It’s okay, it’s okay.”

“If it doesn’t suit your taste, you don’t have to force yourself to eat it.”

“Oh, no.”

Yuri swallowed hard. It was too bitter and disgusting, it was hard to eat. Yuri looked at Larkshid, who was silently eating the same dish.

‘He’s the one who tried to kill me.’

He said he would not kill her, but Yuri couldn’t believe him. But if she said she wouldn’t eat,  the man might cut off her head. Yuri forced another piece of salad into her mouth.

There was a scent that she had smelled a lot somewhere. The salad smelled strange from peach seeds.

“The spices don’t seem to suit you. I’ll talk to the chef, so let’s eat this instead.”

Larkshid handed a plate in front of him to Yuri. It was the food she had ever seen before.

“This, this is… .”

“It’s a magical dish that is said to be good for health.”

“Magical?”

“Yes. Cooking using magical beasts is also quite famous in the North.”

“Eat it even if you don’t like it. Because you will get stronger.”

Yuri nodded her head. She didn’t normally eat meat properly. Foods that were too oily were not well received in the stomach. However, this dish did not have a greasy flavor.

“Oh, thank you.”

‘I will eat a little, then stop.’

Yuri ate a meat dish in front of her. Surprisingly, it didn’t taste bad. It wasn’t too oily, and the seasoning was moderately spicy.

When she picked up the fork again, she suddenly felt the room was spinning.

“Ah, Ah……”

Yuri looked at the plate with the meat dish in front of her, and Larkshid was running towards her.

‘What’s going on…?’

Yuri couldn’t tell what was going on. The white tablecloth, which had been embroidered with golden thread, was dyed red. Her body shook violently. Yuri belatedly recognized that it was her own blood that had dyed the tablecloth red.

“Yuri! Yuri!”

Her head was ringing. The world was starting to turn black. The whole world seemed to be on fire. She didn’t want to close her eyes, but Yuri soon lost consciousness.

***

A calm bird chirping was heard. Rather, the hot air that made her body suffocate filled her breath. Yuri slowly opened her eyes.

‘I’ve never seen this place before.’

It was already the second time that Yuri had collapsed without knowing anything.

‘Now I’m used to fainting.’

Yuri laughed. But this time was different. Unlike before, her body was quite light. Yuri slowly got up.

“Uh, uh…”

“Ummm…”

Yuri looked at the sleeping person sitting on the chair next to the bed. She thought he was a servant, but as soon as she saw his red hair she knew who he was.

“…”

As Yuri moved, he tossed and turned in his sleep. Yuri held her breath and looked at the man slowly.

‘I’ve only seen his neat appearance.’

His hair was now scattered all over the place, untidy. Whatever happened, he was sleeping soundly.

‘It seems difficult to wake him up.’

And it was hard for Yuri to get up. If Yuri moved even a little, it seemed that he would wake up. She didn’t want to wake up a sleeping man.

‘Then let’s just be still.’

Yuri looked at the sleeping face.

Long eyelashes were impressive. He looked fierce and sharp when he opened his eyes, but looked pretty good with his eyes closed.

‘It’s a surprise!’

He tossed around for a while. Then his hair stuck to his face. Yuri looked at his hair.

‘It would be uncomfortable when sleeping like that.’

Yuri involuntarily reached out toward him and carefully tucked the hair behind his ear.

“…!”

At that moment, a dull hand grabbed Yuri’s hand. Yuri looked up at the owner of his hand.

Bright blue eyes. When they first met, those eyes that she thought were cold were shining.

“….?”

His eyes were reddened. He soon grabbed Yuri’s hand affectionately. He didn’t say anything. Yuri looked into his eyes and said carefully.

“You, you woke up….?”