~Chapter 11~
Is this like a last meal?
Aria looked at the note: “Leave when you recover.”
No matter how she thought about it, it felt like they were letting her try all kinds of desserts before she got kicked out.
“If you want to try all the desserts, you need to get better quickly.”
Dana suddenly handed her a pill.
Aria swallowed it without thinking.
“You take medicine well. Good girl.”
Dana then gave her a small bottle.
…What is this?
Inside were small, colorful, pointy pieces.
They sparkled like jewels.
“Do you like star candy?”
Candy? This?
Aria opened the bottle and bit one.
Crunch.
It was sweet.
I want another one.
It wasn’t too sweet, but it melted quickly and made her want more.
She licked her lips, then carefully stored the bottle in a drawer.
It looked too pretty to eat.
I feel like a squirrel hiding acorns…
The servants around her were trying very hard not to smile.
She was too cute.
But only the head maid was allowed to touch her head.
Don’t scare her.
Otherwise, she might show the card: [I’m not a baby] again.
They all secretly hoped their turn would come someday.
Later
Every time the servants visited Aria, they brought flowers.
“This is dahlia.”
“This is primula.”
“This is muscari.”
Soon, her room was full of flowers.
The air smelled sweet.
I’ve never seen these before…
There were so many kinds of spring flowers.
Aria looked around curiously.
“Please don’t stand by the window for now. Just enjoy these instead.”
She nodded.
“And from today, knights will guard you.”
The knights greeted her.
They were assigned after she got sick from wandering in the rain.
Most were polite.
But one looked unhappy.
Sir Ange…
He looked forced to be there.
Just then—
“…chu.”
Everyone turned.
“Chu!”
“…chut!”
Aria had sneezed.
Her nose was itchy from the strong smell.
Her cheeks turned slightly red.
“Head maid!”
Betty rushed in with a book.
“Look! Flowers are not allowed for sick people outside!”
“What? Why?”
“They can cause allergies or infection!”
Outside?
Aria rubbed her nose.
Dana and Betty talked seriously.
“But the Duchess is also from outside, and we give her flowers every day.”
“Even outside, some people are weak and some are strong.”
“Then… does that mean the young lady is even weaker than the Duchess…?”
“Remove all the flowers.”
The maids quickly took all the flowers away.
Aria stared at them sadly.
“That was close… I’ve never taken care of a child from outside before.”
[Outside?]
Aria asked.
“It means outside Valentine territory. The mountains around here are the ‘boundary.’”
[Am I very weak?]
Dana smiled kindly.
“It’s just that people here are strong.”
That made sense.
Even the wolves here were huge.
Humans must also be strong.
They’re the opposite of me.
“They’re still nothing compared to the Valentine bloodline.”
Dana showed respect in her eyes.
Then she looked worried.
“Why isn’t your fever going down…?”
It had only been one day.
But the maids began arguing.
“You should cover her with blankets and make her sweat!”
“No! Use cold water!”
“You’ll freeze her!”
“Raise the room temperature!”
They argued loudly.
“Here, ginger tea.”
“What if it upsets her stomach?”
“Oh…”
“Then what do we do?!”
They whispered seriously.
Even though Aria could hear everything.
“People outside are weak. And she’s even weaker. Like a newborn baby.”
…I’m not a baby.
But this time, she didn’t feel embarrassed.
They really care about me.
I don’t hate this feeling.
Being treated gently.
Being valued.
She was being respected as a person.
Her lips curved into a small smile.
She grabbed Dana’s sleeve and handed her a card.
[Thank you, always.]
Dana looked touched.
Then—
A voice.
“She’s so weak. This is why people from outside are useless…”
Sir Ange.
He spoke quietly.
No one else heard.
But Aria did.
“Different levels. I wonder if she can even have children.”
Aria stared at him.
He was slightly surprised.
Did she hear me?
No way.
He smirked.
“So what if she did?”
He didn’t like being assigned to babysit a child.
Especially one with unknown background.
She’s not even the future duchess yet.
She hadn’t even married.
Her father only signed a document giving her away.
That’s why people only called her “young lady.”
The young lord even injured her neck.
He looked at her bandage.
She’ll probably get kicked out anyway.
That’s why he acted boldly.
Levels…
Aria repeated the word in her mind.
How stupid.
Everyone bleeds the same.
Even powerful people.
If Valentine is so special… why did tragedy happen?
Why did Lloyd go mad?
No human is perfect.
Everyone is the same.
Why does status matter so much?
She felt angry.
The servant’s kindness felt insulted.
Aria took out a pen and paper.
She wrote something.
Then she beckoned the knight.
He walked over, annoyed.
“Speak—oh right, you can’t talk. My mistake.”
He mocked her openly.
