ILOIML 36

Chapter 36

Why was he bringing up the gold mine? I didn’t think much of it at first, but then I suddenly felt like I had been hit in the back of the head.

‘Did he figure out that I was the one who gave Walter the information about the gold mine?’

But even if I did give that information to Walter, why was I so scared?

Of course, Leon probably thought I didn’t know his true identity, so it definitely wasn’t a threat. But what if he suddenly revealed who he was and started questioning me? What would I even say?

Just imagining it made goosebumps rise all over my body. My lips started to tremble. Was this the end for me? What if I told him the truth? Would Leon even believe it?

“W-Walter was released. I-I-It turns out he was innocent.”

When I blurted out that random sentence while stuttering, Leon’s face turned expressionless. As I looked at him and gave an awkward smile, his head tilted slightly.

“Are you happy about that?”

“Not really… it’s not like I’m that happy…”

I stopped talking and shut my mouth tightly. Honestly, I was a little happy. His red eyes met mine in the air. An unknown silence filled the room, and then Leon’s laughter broke it.

“If you’re happy, just be happy.”

When I looked at him with surprise, he turned his gaze to the air and pretended to be uninterested.

What the…? I thought he was trying to interrogate me?

“Leon…”

“But it would’ve been nice if I had a gold mine too, right?”

Again with the gold mine? I frowned. Why is he acting like this? Is he testing me? I couldn’t read his thoughts and just stared at him silently. Then Leon bounced around and waved his arms.

“Bell-bell , buy me a gold mine too.”

“…”

What nonsense is that? You’re richer than I am! Money?

I had started to notice that Leon had an unusual obsession with money.

Suddenly, I wondered—maybe he wasn’t trying to find out how I got that information or what I was hiding from him. Maybe he just thought I knew the location of another gold mine?

‘No way… isn’t he supposed to be the male lead? Isn’t this kind of behavior lowering his dignity a bit?’

But if that really was the reason, I couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.

Leon chuckled with me, then furrowed his brows slightly. I quickly stopped laughing and looked at the air.

“If I could, I’d give Leon not just a gold mine, but a diamond mine and a mana stone mine too.”

“Then give it to me now.”

He held out his hand seriously and spoke to me.

Do I even have one? The gold mine the emperor found is inside his own territory, so I couldn’t even get close. If I found another one, I’d keep it for myself—why would I give it to him when I’m living off him like this?

“Should I just draw one for you? At least I draw better than you.”

“Don’t nee—”

Leon started to reply with annoyance but stopped mid-sentence. I raised my eyebrows as if daring him to say more. He let out a deep sigh and turned his head away.

“You probably don’t care, Leon…”

Leon raised his head and looked at me with a puzzled expression.

“But I do feel relieved that Walter was proven innocent.”

“Leon already knows.”

He frowned and muttered like he didn’t like what he heard.

Of course, I didn’t know how much he actually knew. But he must have realized I was hiding something.

Still, I felt thankful that Leon continued treating me like before.

“Give me the gold mine.”

Except for those occasional annoying jokes that made me wonder if he was serious.

* * *

A few days ago, Leon suggested we go to Palanuvo again.

The cold in Aster was harsher than I expected. Because the weather kept getting worse, I hadn’t left the castle in days. So without much thought, I gladly accepted, and we decided to leave on the weekend.

That was tomorrow.

I had been looking forward to the trip with a relaxed heart, but now that it was almost time to leave, I was getting nervous. It was, after all, my first real trip with Leon.

‘Don’t people usually wear loose clothes at vacation spots? What? Oh no!’

Just imagining Leon like that made my face flush. I fanned myself and laughed awkwardly.

“Milady, should I pack this too?”

Amy came out holding one of my favorite dresses.

“Wouldn’t it be too hot? They said it’s very warm over there, right?”

“Yes, understood.”

I picked up a letter from the desk. It was a monthly greeting letter from the Temple of the Goddess Thea in Aster. The high priest, who claimed to be too old and sick to even hold a pen, had somehow recovered from his illness and wrote the letter himself.

I opened the drawer to put the letter away and noticed a bracelet I had brought from the Temple of Esta.

I took it out and examined it closely. Why was this in such a suspicious place?

It looked like something a child had hidden in a secret spot while playing nearby.

I slipped it on my finger and spun it around.

“Milady, are you sharing a bedroom with the master in Palanuvo?”

Mary suddenly appeared and asked me a shocking question.

“Wha—Cough, what?”

Startled, I coughed and grabbed the spinning bracelet with my other hand. In that exact moment, the bracelet slid up my hand and perfectly fit around my wrist.

“What the hell!!”

I screamed and jumped from my chair. That small bracelet, which would barely fit a child, fit my wrist?

“Milady, are you alright?”

Mary asked carefully, eyes wide from my scream. The other maids gathered, thinking something had happened.

I waved my hands to calm them down.

“No, don’t gather. It’s nothing. And no, I’m not sharing a room with him.”

“Understood.”

I dropped back into the chair and stared hard at the bracelet wrapped around my wrist.

I wasn’t seeing things. Amy also said it looked like a child’s bracelet.

‘But why does it stretch like this? It didn’t seem stretchy at all before.’

I laughed in disbelief and tried to pull it off with force, but it didn’t come off.

“Seriously, what is this… Mary!!”

I called out. Mary, who was just about to leave, ran back to me. I held out my hand.

“Try pulling this off.”

“This bracelet, right?”

She tilted her head.

“Yeah.”

She grabbed it and yanked it hard. So hard, in fact, that my hand hurt.

“Ow! My wrist is going to fall off! Stop!!”

I shouted. Mary was startled and let go.

“Are you alright?”

“No, I’m not. Could you bring me some oil or something?”

“Yes.”

While she was gone, I kept twisting and turning the bracelet, trying to get it off, but it didn’t work. My hand was just turning red and swollen. It was bizarre. I couldn’t understand how it even went on in the first place.

Mary came back with oil and slathered it all over my hand. We tried together to get it off, but it was no use.

I slumped over the desk in defeat.

“If I can’t get this thing off, does that mean I’m stuck wearing it forever? This is insane.”

Should I ask Leon to cut it with his sword? I shook my head. He might chop off my whole wrist. He always pretended to be clueless, but he knew exactly where to strike.

“Bell-bell , your wrist is dangling~”

Just imagining Leon saying that with a smile gave me chills.

Until I earned his full trust, I decided not to ask.

Mary and I kept trying with the oil, but it still wouldn’t budge.

“Milady, should I try a different oil?”

Mary asked. Still slumped over the desk, I just raised my hand and waved her away. I was convinced nothing would work.

“This might sound crazy, but… how about making your hand skinnier?”

Skinnier? Was she seriously suggesting I go on a diet just to take off a bracelet? No way. There’s way too much good food here.

“Don’t say nonsense and just go.”

I told her weakly.

From that point on, I kept struggling with the bracelet, but in the end, I completely lost the battle.

And so, still wearing the bracelet, I left for Palanuvo.