ILOIML 46

Chapter 46

“The master went out to inspect the walls of Aster.”

He went out to inspect the walls in this freezing weather…?

But since it was something that had to be done regularly, there wouldn’t have been any exceptions just because it was winter. I also sensed a subtle change in Kalsen’s tone and attitude.

Feeling awkward even to look at his face, I exchanged a few formal words and returned to my bedroom.

The moment I entered, the tension in my body melted away like snow.

After soaking in a warm bath, I couldn’t fight off the exhaustion and fell asleep right away.

In the morning, as Amy brought in the water for washing, I stretched and asked,

“Did anyone come into my bedroom during the night?”

Amy and Mary exchanged glances, then shook their heads with confused expressions.

The other maids who had been busily working in the background all shook their heads too.

“No? Alright.”

I felt like someone had gently stroked my head… Was it a dream?

It had felt so comforting that I smiled in my sleep without even realizing it.

“Can you go ask Sir Kalsen when Leon will be back?”

“Oh? I heard from the other maids that the master returned at dawn.”

“At dawn? Then maybe…”

Before I could even finish speaking, Amy quickly shook her head.

“The master said he’s very tired and plans to sleep for a while.”

I narrowed my eyes and looked at Amy.

“What did I do? Did I beg Leon to come see me or something? Why are you cutting me off like that?”

At my rapid-fire words, Amy visibly started to panic.

“My lady, that’s not what I meant…”

“Don’t interrupt me. At least hear me out first.”

“I’m sorry.”

But despite what I just said, I ended up sending the maids one after another to Leon—of course, to ask him to meet with me.

They kept coming back rejected, but I didn’t give up.

“They say even a smiling face can’t be refused, right? If I try ten times, he’s bound to agree once.”

And after getting turned away three times myself, after personally going to see him and getting kicked out, Leon finally opened his heart.

“My lady, the master said to join him for some milk.”

“Really?”

Delighted, I threw aside the book on my lap and jumped up.

“Give me a different tea, not milk. Anything else.”

What, am I supposed to sit with a kid and drink milk?

I lifted my dress slightly and practically flew to the parlor like I had light footwork.

Inside the parlor, Leon was sitting with a stern expression, waiting for me.

Seeing his face made me suddenly want to turn and leave, but since things had already come this far, I decided to give it everything I had, one last time.

“Leon…”

I called his name pitifully and sat across from him.

In the past, I would have naturally sat next to him, but now I felt like doing that would only get me kicked out.

“Hmph!”

Leon looked at me, then quickly turned his head.

‘That’s actually a good sign, isn’t it?’

If he had responded coldly and stiffly, I would’ve given up. But the fact that he was acting like this felt hopeful.

With a happy smile, I got up and sat beside him.

“Leon.”

“Go away.”

His tone instantly turned cold.

‘W-Was that wrong?’

Quietly, I stood and returned to the seat across from him.

“I know why you’re angry.”

Leon raised his head and looked at me silently.

Swallowing hard, I continued,

“I’m really sorry for calling you stupid. There’s no excuse. I shouldn’t have said it. I’m truly sorry.”

“Not just stupid—idiot, too.”

“Anyway. As for what Walter said afterwards, I only said those things because he was worried about me, so I exaggerated a bit to reassure him.”

“In the past… Bella didn’t care about me at all. But now I realize it was because I’m rich and handsome, and you just wanted to use me. Like one of those bad girls from novels!”

“No, it’s not like that.”

“Then are you saying I’m ugly?”

“No, you’re good-looking. Of course.”

That was a fact no one could deny.

“I wanted to have kids with Bell-bell and live happily, but she used me and talked behind my back!”

Kids? I unconsciously touched my stomach.

Right, we even had imaginary children and were happy once.

“Leon, if it’ll help you forgive me, I’ll do anything. Please calm down. I’m so frustrated that my feelings aren’t getting through!!”

“What are your feelings then, Bell-bell?”

My feelings?

That’s… I looked into Leon’s eyes.

His eyes felt like they were seeing right through me, so I quickly looked down.

“When you look at me like that, it’s scary and sad. It hurts.”

I really meant it.

I couldn’t explain all my complicated emotions to him, but I felt like I could at least say that much.

A long silence fell between us.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

He suddenly asked, in a flat tone.

That one line made all my bottled-up emotions overflow, and I burst into tears.

I had barely been holding it in.

But once I started crying, I couldn’t stop.

“Bell-bell, you’re crying with snot and drool and everything.”

Leon said teasingly, but when our eyes met, the warmth in his gaze was so deep, I couldn’t even be mad.

‘Ah, seriously, what am I supposed to do!!’

Why did this have to be a story like this?

I didn’t want to give Leon to anyone.

* * *

After that tearful conversation, we had breakfast or desserts together from time to time, but somehow things still felt awkward.

Maybe it was because Leon hadn’t completely forgiven me, and some emotions still remained.

I figured those would melt away naturally with time.

“Oh my gosh!”

I was about to go for a walk when I suddenly ran into Zeus in the hallway.

I let out a scream before I realized.

Lately, he’d been wandering around the castle like a ghost with lifeless eyes.

At my scream, his head turned oddly, and he looked at me.

His hazy eyes suddenly became clear.

“My lady!!”

He looked like he was about to cry as he rushed toward me.

I instinctively stepped back.

“My lady, please listen to me.”

“I already heard the gist of it. You must be very disappointed.”

Zeus had once told us that he would be appointed as Leon’s right-hand man, but after arriving in Aster, he was just treated as one of the regular knights.

It had come as a huge shock to him.

“His Highness clearly said…”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t have anything more to say.

By the way, when do you plan to go back to Palanuvo? I clearly told you that I left a precious item there…”

“I’m sorry, my lady. It’s my fault. All my fault.”

Suddenly, he started wailing.

“Wait, why are you crying? Is it that hard to fetch my valuable item? Just forget it, I’ll send someone else.”

“No, it’s not that. His Highness said he couldn’t make me his right-hand man because I wronged you.”

“What did you do?”

“When you first came to Palanuvo, I found you annoying, so I let loose a very small wolf on your walking path.”

His tearful confession made my blood run cold.

‘This son of a—’

“Sir Zeus, shouldn’t you be grateful you weren’t demoted to a guard?”

“You brought me here, so you’re responsible for me, my lady.”

“What? Why? I never said you should come to Aster. I told you to send my things from the villa.”

“But didn’t you encourage me? To slay monsters. To become the right-hand man.”

“What does that have to do with anything?”

“It’s… it’s related… no, never mind.”

Zeus raised his voice in frustration but quickly shut his mouth.

I stared at him, then shook my head and walked past his despairing figure, heading out of the castle.

‘That’s honestly shocking. He released a wolf just because I annoyed him—if I had done something worse, what would he have released then?’

I clutched my fur cloak tightly so it wouldn’t slip off and started walking quickly through the garden.

Walking in this cold weather definitely wasn’t something I wanted to do.

But Mary kept nagging me that I needed sunlight every day, so I had no choice but to come out.

After a quick lap around the garden, I was about to go back inside when one of the servants who had just returned with letters spotted me and handed a letter to Amy.

Amy looked at the sender and gasped.

“My lady!! The Saintess has sent you a letter.”