Chapter 12
Had I also been in a carriage accident in the original story?
I wasn’t sure.
The novel’s memories had entered my mind, but I had never actually seen or experienced them myself.
Besides, in the original story, I was only a minor side character.
Stories rarely explain a side character’s life in detail.
If a horse tramples me… it’ll hurt a lot, won’t it?
Terrified, I squeezed my eyes shut.
Clop. Clop.
The sound of the horse’s hooves striking the road came closer.
Big Sister, goodbye.
Second Sister and Emilia, goodbye too.
I love all of you so much.
At that moment…
Something warm and hard wrapped around me.
Whoosh—
My body lifted into the air.
Then everything spun around and around before finally stopping.
W-What…?
Instead of pain…
I only felt warmth and something solid.
Confused, I slowly opened my eyes.
Leopoldt was lying on the ground…
Holding me tightly in his arms.
When I froze in fear and couldn’t move…
He had thrown himself at me.
Leopoldt had wrapped his arms around me, then rolled across the ground to avoid the carriage.
The hard thing I had felt…
Was his muscular body.
The carriage raced past the place where I had been standing only moments ago before finally stopping far down the road.
“Liliana!”
“Leopoldt!”
My sisters and Marius ran toward us, their faces completely pale.
I looked at Leopoldt.
He was still holding me tightly.
I could even see every tiny strand of hair on his face.
“M-Mister?”
I could feel his heartbeat against my cheek…
So why wasn’t he opening his eyes?
Did something happen because of me?
Fear and worry crashed over me.
My heart sank.
Aliche quickly pulled me out of his arms and examined me.
“Are you alright? Does your head hurt? Anywhere else?”
While Aliche and Regina carefully checked my arms, legs, and head…
Marius shook Leopoldt.
“Hey! Hey! Leopoldt!”
Marius raised his voice in panic.
My heart shrank with fear.
I couldn’t take my eyes off Leopoldt as he lay there as still as if he were asleep.
“Le… Leo Mister… Leo Mis—”
I called out to him with tears in my eyes.
Unable to watch any longer…
Marius suddenly slapped both of Leopoldt’s cheeks.
“Leopoldt, wake up!”
The slaps echoed loudly.
His cheeks became redder and redder.
I was honestly worried that even if Leopoldt woke up…
Marius would just knock him unconscious again.
Then suddenly—
“Gasp!”
Leopoldt took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
The very first thing he did…
Was look for me.
Meeting my eyes, he asked,
“Liliana… are you alright?”
He really was such a warm person.
He had almost gotten hurt because of me…
Yet the first thing he did was worry about me.
The moment our eyes met—
Those careful green eyes quietly checking if I was safe…
The fear that had frozen my heart finally melted away.
My nose stung.
Tears burst out.
I couldn’t hold them back.
“Waaaaah… Hic… Waaaaah!”
I had thought…
Not only I…
But also Leopoldt…
Had been seriously hurt because of me.
The terror I had felt in that single moment…
Was impossible to describe.
“L-Liliana?”
“Waaah… Leo Mister… I’m sorry… Waaah!”
I threw my arms around Leopoldt’s neck and cried as hard as I could.
Completely flustered…
He looked toward my sisters for help.
Tears…
Then even my runny nose…
Wouldn’t stop.
Just as my sisters tried to pull me away from him—
“It’s alright.”
Leopoldt gently stroked my back.
His movements were clumsy…
But his hands were as warm as his heart.
Hearing him comfort me only made me cry even harder.
He could have been seriously injured because of me.
Yet instead of getting angry…
He was only kind.
Leopoldt continued holding and comforting me until the carriage owner came running over to check if everyone was alright.
After that…
Aliche finally took me away.
And I received the biggest scolding of my life.
* * *
Because Liliana had been so frightened and exhausted…
Everyone gave up on going to the circus and returned home.
The one who carried the exhausted Liliana all the way home after she cried herself tired…
Was Marius.
Following Aliche’s directions…
He carried the sleeping girl into her room.
She looked as though she had fainted from exhaustion on his back.
He carefully laid her down on the bed.
Looking at the child sleeping peacefully…
Marius felt a strange emotion.
Without thinking…
He lightly tapped the tip of Liliana’s nose.
“She must be exhausted after crying so much. She was really frightened today. Please take good care of her.”
After pulling the blanket over her…
Marius quietly left the room with Aliche.
Click.
Only after the door closed…
Did he notice how pale Aliche looked.
It wasn’t only Liliana who had been shocked by the accident.
Aliche and Regina had been just as terrified.
Although Liliana was their youngest sister…
There was a large age gap between them.
They had practically raised her together like their own daughter.
She had been sickly since childhood.
They had poured all their love and care into raising her.
If Leopoldt hadn’t saved her today…
They might have lost her forever.
“Aliche, you should get some proper rest today too. You don’t look well.”
Aliche wasn’t even able to politely answer that she was fine.
The moment they returned home…
The tension finally left her body.
Her heart pounded violently.
She had to take several deep breaths.
Just seeing Liliana almost get hurt in an accident is this painful…
If I had to lose her to illness one day…
The moment that thought crossed her mind…
Aliche made her decision without hesitation.
“I’ll do it.”
“…What? Do what?”
“The political marriage.”
“I’ll do it.”
To be honest…
Aliche had always preferred spending time with friends and her younger siblings over romance.
She had never imagined herself getting married.
Rather than marrying and having children…
She had always dreamed of proving her abilities through her work and becoming the very best.
Looking back on everything she had achieved…
And all the plans she had for the future…
Her life would have continued smoothly.
But…
This was Liliana.
Her younger sister…
Yet almost like her own daughter.
Even though she had never given birth…
She loved Liliana so deeply that it felt no different from having raised her herself.
She loved her so much…
That simply looking at her sometimes made her eyes sting with tears.
Aliche couldn’t bear the thought of losing Liliana.
No matter what it took…
She would stop her little sister from dying because of illness.
“Let’s write the contract first.”
“I want to know exactly how much you’re willing to help.”
Now that she had made up her mind…
Aliche’s eyes were calm…
Steady…
And completely serious.
Looking at her…
Marius thought she resembled a warrior preparing to charge into battle at any moment.
The determination shining in her eyes…
Naturally brought a smile to his face.
“I promise.”
“Nothing will happen to Liliana.”
* * *
While Aliche and Marius discussed the political marriage…
Regina and Leopoldt were sitting together on the living room sofa.
After rolling across the road while protecting Liliana…
The backs of Leopoldt’s hands were scraped.
His face also had several small cuts.
Regina brought over the medicine box and carefully examined his injuries.
Leopoldt quietly held his breath.
He didn’t want her to notice how nervous he was.
They were…
Very close.
“You lost consciousness for a moment earlier.”
“Could it have been a concussion? Are you sure you don’t need to go to the hospital?”
“Actually… I didn’t lose consciousness.”
“I was only pretending.”
“I thought it might be funny if I surprised Liliana.”
“I never imagined she’d become so frightened.”
“That was my mistake.”
“I’m sorry.”
“No.”
“I’m already so grateful that you saved our little sister.”
Leopoldt’s body…
And even his speech…
Had become completely stiff.
It was only natural.
Regina was gently holding his injured hand while applying medicine.
Because of her slender fingers touching him…
It felt as though tiny sparks of electricity were running across the back of his hand.
Her beautiful curly golden hair swayed just in front of him…
Almost brushing against his face.
She was so close…
He could clearly see every single eyelash.
Watching her bite her lip while carefully applying the medicine…
Made it difficult for him to breathe.
In all twenty-five years of his life…
Leopoldt had never been this nervous.
His heart pounded so wildly…
He was afraid Regina might actually hear it.
“Leopoldt.”
“Thank you so much.”
“Both today…”
“And the day we first met at the playground.”
“N-No…”
“I only did what anyone should have done.”
“You don’t need to thank me anymore.”
“But you could have been seriously hurt.”
“And if Liliana had gotten injured…”
“I…”
Regina’s shoulders trembled.
Liliana wasn’t precious only to Aliche.
She was just as precious to Regina…
And to Emilia as well.
If anything had happened to Liliana today…
Regina would have blamed herself for the rest of her life.
For failing to hold her little sister’s hand properly.
“So…”
“I’d like to invite you to our home properly someday.”
“Before you return to the Empire…”
“Could you spare just one day for me?”
“…You don’t have to invite me.”
“Ah…”
Leopoldt wasn’t smooth like Marius.
Nor was he as naturally charming as François.
He was stiff.
Quiet.
The kind of person who chose silence instead of honestly expressing his feelings.
But…
This wasn’t the time to stay silent.
Even if he couldn’t confess as elegantly as other men…
At least he had to say it directly.
With his heart pounding as though it might burst out of his chest…
He finally confessed.
“Instead…”
“I would be happy if you would go on one date with me.”
Regina’s eyes widened.
Her lips parted in surprise.
Leopoldt feared…
That she might think he was taking advantage of saving her little sister just to ask her on a date.
He had never been this nervous before.
Not even during his very first battle.
Back then…
He had been confident he could survive even against five barbarians alone.
But now…
Everything before his eyes had gone dark.
He could barely breathe.
“That wouldn’t just be me thanking you.”
“It’s something I’ve wanted too…”
The fear gripping Leopoldt’s heart disappeared instantly.
Regina…
Had accepted his invitation.
