TRHLV | CH 09

Chapter 9: The Distance Between You and Me

“You’re telling me she memorized and wrote all this after just a few hours of learning to read and write?”

Charon, Madame Blansé, and the imperial official were gathered once again in the drawing room. This time, Elika was with them.

“If that’s true, she really is a genius…”

The official trailed off as he looked at Elika. She hid behind Jacqueline, as if scared of him.

“We’ll correct her behavior,” Charon said.

“She lived alone with a violent father and never had the chance to learn right from wrong. But deep down, she’s a gentle child…”

At that point, Charon looked at his grandmother. Madame Blansé had been silent with her eyes lowered, but sensing her grandson’s feelings, she slowly raised her gaze.

“If we teach her properly, she’ll grow up to be a good person.”

Even Charon didn’t fully believe his own words, but he forced them out—for his grandmother’s sake. He nervously licked his dry lips, afraid she might see through him.

“If Your Grace says so… But it won’t be easy. Her violent tendencies won’t disappear overnight. If something like today happens again…”

“Regardless, the Blansé family will raise her,” Madame Blansé said, finally speaking.

“Give us three years. If she grows up safely during that time, we’ll reevaluate her then.”

Charon looked a little surprised by her sudden proposal, but she silenced him with just a small wave of her hand.

“I’ll inform His Majesty,” said the official.

But they all knew—Charon, Madame Blansé, and even the official himself—that when someone as powerful as Madame Blansé spoke, not even the Emperor could refuse her.

* * *

Three days later, a letter from the Imperial Palace arrived.

[The review for the girl ‘Elika’ under the ‘Carlyle Empire’s Talent Development Project’ is postponed for three years.]

It was a clear sign that the imperial family was following Madame Blansé’s wishes.

“It means you have to become a good child within three years,” Jacqueline explained.

* * *

“All done!”

Marie proudly lifted the wooden sculpture she had finished carving. It was a statue of the Flower Goddess, smiling with a large bouquet of freesia flowers in her arms.

“Wow! It’s so pretty! I think it’s even prettier than the first one!” Elika said.

“It must look prettier because of the freesia. Thanks for drawing them for me.”

Elika had drawn the freesia for Marie using paper and pencil Jacqueline gave her. She had remembered every little detail of the flowers she had seen years ago.

“Marie, your carving is even prettier than the flowers I saw. Your mom will really love it!”

“Actually, I was thinking of giving it to someone else.”

“To who?”

* * *

“What face do you have, coming here?”

Belle, sitting on her bed with a bandage on her head, turned her face away sharply. Marie didn’t care and simply held out the statue.

“I came to give you this.”

Belle glanced sideways, and when she saw the sculpture, her eyes widened.

“You said you didn’t mean to damage my statue, right? I’m sorry for misunderstanding and getting angry. And Elika hit you because of me. So, please forgive her too.”

Belle looked surprised as she received the sculpture.

“Why are you giving this to me…?”

“It’s a get-well gift, of course.”

“Marie… you really are a fool.”

It wasn’t anyone’s fault that their friendship had drifted apart, but Belle felt like it was all hers. She had always been the “selfish one,” even cursed by her own mother. No matter how hard she tried, she was hated, while Marie was loved just as she was. She liked and hated Marie for that—and that made her feel miserable.

‘You always make me feel so small.’

Belle quickly wiped her eyes and looked back at Marie.

“I can’t accept this. How can I? I know how much your mom is waiting for your carving. And you don’t need to say sorry. I was wrong too. You know I’m a bad person.”

After a short silence, Marie replied.

“I’ve never thought you were a bad person.”

Belle’s eyes widened as she looked at Marie. Then, she gave a small smile, as if saying, Of course, you’d say that.

Marie suddenly pulled Elika—who had been fidgeting beside her—close.

“And Elika wants to apologize too. Right, Elika?”

“Y-Yeah…”

Elika shyly opened her mouth.

“I’m sorry, Belle. I didn’t know I shouldn’t hit people. I’m a fool and a bad girl…”

“That’s not the right thing to do.”

Those were the Duke’s words. When he said that, it felt like something had hit her. She had been hit so many times—she knew how scary and painful it was. So why didn’t she realize that hitting someone else was wrong?

Maybe because she never had the time or space to think.

But Elika only blamed herself for being “stupid.”

“Don’t say that.”

Belle suddenly said in a firm voice. She didn’t like hearing Elika call herself a bad girl—it felt like she was looking into a mirror.

“If you came to apologize, you’re not a bad girl. And you’re not stupid either.”

Elika’s face lit up like sunshine, and she hugged Belle tightly.

“Thank you, thank you, Belle!”

Belle blushed and said, “Hey, let go,” but to Elika, it sounded like sweet music.

Now she had two friends.

It was another happy day.

* * *

‘I made two friends. I’m the happiest person in the world. It’s all thanks to the Duke. I really like him.’

Charon sighed and set down the paper.

‘Like me, huh.’

He didn’t understand the strange feeling in his chest.

He was the one who told her to write down what she learned and how she felt each day. He’d made it clear no one else should correct her, just so he could see her progress.

Every night at 9 PM, when the other maids went to sleep, Elika spent two hours learning with Jacqueline. After that, she would go to Charon’s study with her notes, and they would study together.

It was their private study time.

‘Is he sighing because there are too many mistakes?’

Elika nervously fidgeted as she looked at the Duke’s expression. She sat in the middle of the study and unknowingly began shaking her leg.

“Don’t shake your leg.”

Charon said in a calm, flat voice—not angry or scolding, just a quiet command. It carried a quiet authority, just like his grandmother. Elika immediately stopped.

“Keep your hands still too. You don’t need to be nervous around me. I’m your sponsor and your guardian.”

He said that to help her feel safe, but he had no idea how deeply those words touched her.

‘Guardian…’

Elika placed her hands neatly on her knees and nodded.

‘I’m not so nervous anymore.’

“…Come here.”

Elika got up and ran over to his side.

‘I meant come to the desk… not this close.’

She stood right next to him, blinking up at him. It was too close for comfort, but he didn’t push her away.

“Look. You should write this like this.”

He corrected her writing with a pen. Elika leaned in to see better, and ended up practically in his arms.

‘Too close…’

He could even smell her hair. Feeling flustered, he scooted his chair away a little.

“This part should use ‘에’ instead of ‘의’…”

He could only see the side of her face, but he could tell—her eyes were shining brighter than the lantern.

“…And this is how you spell ‘좋아요 (I like you).’”

Suddenly, Elika turned her head quickly, and their faces came very close.

Charon instinctively leaned back, barely avoiding contact. Was she doing it on purpose? Should he scold her for not keeping distance?

Then she said, “Duke, I like you.”

“…What?”

“Why do we write it as ‘좋아요’ even though we say ‘조아요’?”

She repeated the word softly to herself.

‘Oh… she was just sounding it out.’

He felt silly for being flustered.

“…Spelling is like a promise.”

He continued casually.

“There used to be a reason, but now it’s just a rule we follow.”

“Should we always keep promises?”

“Yes. That’s why we shouldn’t make them lightly.”

“Is your promise to sponsor me also a ‘promise’?”

“…Yes.”

“Then… that means you won’t abandon me, right?”

Her face was so bright that he gently pushed her forehead with his finger.

“Don’t come too close.”

She quickly stepped back.

“The right distance between you and me… is about this much.”

For her, it was three small steps. For him, maybe two big ones.

“…Okay, Duke. I’ll be careful.”

Elika smiled brightly. Charon turned his head, pretending to look away.

Why did she always come so close? She just wanted love—something she never had. But Charon, who had always been loved, didn’t understand that simple truth. He only knew that she made him feel off-balance—and that scared him.

His eyes wandered to her paper on the desk.

‘I’m the happiest person in the world.’

He didn’t know what he felt when reading that. Pity? Sympathy? Guilt? Or maybe even disgust?

He didn’t know.

But he hated the confusion.

“…You can go.”

He handed her the paper without looking at her and made his voice colder on purpose.