Chapter 105
I watched through the window as the old butler continued to wave his hands even until the carriage left, and only looked for Luca afterwards.
I was desperate to make sure and rushed to the carriage, not knowing whether Luca had boarded or not, but luckily, he was right beside me.
“I got so fired up for a moment that I didn’t check whether Luca was in the carriage or not.”
“You don’t need to check where I am every now and then.”
“W-Well, yes. I got it. I won’t do that anymore.”
Perhaps I was afraid of hearing anything else from Luca. Because no matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t make sense of this situation.
‘Luca is disappearing.’
That sentence alone was able to portray the whole situation.
As a result, I avoided him. I avoided his gaze by looking out the window. I feigned ignorance even when he wore a sad expression, as if trying to tell me something.
Despite that, Luca called my name.
“Leona.”
“We should hurry up and ask Rere. It may happen when the child feels emotional turmoil, but I’m not sure if it is right to put the child through that situation again. So next time-”
“Leona.”
Luca would normally be listening to me, but he was just smiling, still wearing a sad expression.
I didn’t like that, so I quickly averted my gaze.
“Please….don’t call me with such a sad expression. Luca.”
“Are you…not going to look at me?”
“I won’t. So don’t say anything. Just…just act like usual…”
Please act normally.
Return to the duchy as if nothing had happened and come to see me at night. Please appear before me and prove that none of the bad thoughts in my head are happening.
I had a lot to say, but I couldn’t get any of it out.
“Leona.”
I had to turn my head toward the sorrowful voice that called me.
“Don’t wait for me anymore.”
“What are you talking about? What’s wrong with you today?”
My heart sank at that moment.
“I’m afraid you’ll be on the terrace all night waiting for me.”
“I’m going to wait. I’m going to ask you later. I have a lot of questions, but I’m not gonna ask now. I know Luca will come to see me tonight….”
“Leona. Don’t you find it strange? The fact that others treat me as if I’m invisible?”
He pointed out what I thought was strange right away, as if urging me to face the truth.
“Yes. I find it very strange, too. Luca definitely exists next to me, and I can touch him like this…”
I knew I touched his hands earlier. So I tried to do it again to make sure, but he evaded my touch.
“Luca?”
For the first time, he avoided my touch.
While I froze at his unexpected attitude, Luca lightly put his hand on my head.
“Let’s go back first.”
Funnily enough, I was going to ask why he avoided my touch, but my mind went blank the moment he patted my head.
No. I couldn’t get a word out of my mouth as if I was possessed.
“Leona will return to the castle immediately. Rere will be waiting for you. And Leona will stay with the Duke because his condition is worsening. Lastly, Leona will return to the room when Rere is ready to sleep.”
“L-Luca…wait…”
“You’re going to do that, right?”
And I realized belatedly that he was using magic on me. He put his hand on my head and told me what to do.
“Please do that, Leona. Forget about me and think about Rere and the Duke only…will you?”
“No, Luca. Why do you sound like you’re going to leave?”
“I’m not leaving. I’m just saying goodbye for now.”
“If it’s goodbye…then Luca…Luca….?”
But why were your eyes so moist?
Please say something more. Please say that nothing bad will happen.
But before I could say that, I jumped out of the carriage as if I was possessed.
My head kept telling me not to go, that I should talk to him more, but my body was already heading to the Duke’s room.
I arrived at the Duke’s room even without anyone’s guidance.
‘Luca…’
There was no way I didn’t know that he was using magic on me. His magic was too strong for me to resist, and I was eventually forced to open the door.
The flustered maids were about to intercept me, but they abruptly cleared the way for me.
After opening the door and entering the room as if I was possessed, I forced my body to turn away and re-open the door before Rere and the Duke noticed my presence.
But the door didn’t open as if it was locked.
‘This can’t be….’
Eventually, I got too impatient and turned the door handle so hard that it rattled, but it still didn’t open.
“Big Bunny?”
At that time. I could hear Rere running behind me after hearing the commotion. So I turned around.
“Rere….”
“Uung! Big Bunny! Welcome back. You’re a little late today!”
Looking at Rere’s bright smile, I picked up the child.
“Did I arrive too late?”
“No. It isn’t too late! By the way, did anything happen to you?”
“Huh? No, nothing happened.”
“But Big Bunny looks sad.”
Rere placed her hand on my forehead.
“You don’t have a fever. But your eyes are red.”
“Huh? Oh, they must have gotten red when I scratched it earlier as they were itchy. My Rere is so observant. You even notice that, too.”
“Rere is quite observant, but not to everyone. Rere is only paying attention to my dear Big Bunny!”
Rere smiled broadly and pointed her finger at the bed.
“Big Bunny, Daddy is a little weird.”
“Hm? Is he in a bad condition?”
“He was fine until a while ago, but he suddenly got worse.”
With Rere in my arms, I walked to his bed. It was true that his cheeks seemed redder than yesterday. So I sat on the chair and touched the Duke’s forehead.
“But he doesn’t have a high fever”
Rere had naturally sat on my lap and suddenly jumped onto the bed. She put her hand on the Duke’s forehead.
“Huh? I think he’s alright now!”
“Really?”
“Yup, yup! I was wondering if I should call a doctor earlier!”
“That’s a relief.”
Luca’s words rang in my ears. He said my presence can help the Duke to recover.
‘No. that can’t be true.’
“Big Bunny. Are you worried about Daddy?”
“What?”
“There are wrinkles between your brows.”
“Ah, really?”
I couldn’t tell Rere about Luca. So I tried to lose my sad smile.
“Don’t worry! Daddy will get better soon because we are with him!”
“That’s right.”
“Yeaah! By the way, Big Bunny. I couldn’t take a nap today so I’m sleepy.”
“Are you not sleeping in your room?”
“Daddy will be upset if he wakes up when no one is around. So Rere stayed with him because Rere is a good girl who understands Daddy the best.”
Watching Rere smile with her teeth showing, I stroked the child’s head.
“You can sleep here. I won’t go anywhere.”
“Yes! Don’t go anywhere, okay?”
Rere put her hand beneath the blanket to grab his hand. She also held my hand and closed her eyes languidly.
“Sleep well, Rere.”
“Yeah.”
While Rere laid down next to the Duke, I stroked her head. She must have been tired because she fell asleep so quickly. Inside the room, only breathing sounds could be heard.
I’d go out and find Luca right away if I could, but Rere was holding my hand.
“Why are you here?”
“Ah…are you awake?”
As if trying to figure out the situation, his focus alternated between me and Rere.
“Did I collapse?”
“Yes. You’ve been unconscious for days. Are you feeling alright now?”
“Yeah. I feel like I’m fully recovered. My condition is better than usual.”
“What a relief. Rere was worried about you.”
His gaze turned to Rere, who slept next to him.
“I see.”
“….”
We were silent for a moment.
‘Can I leave now that he’s awake?’
Even at this moment, I was only thinking of Luca.
“It seems like you want to leave.”
“Pardon?”
“You keep looking at the door.”
“Aah…that’s not true.”
Another awkward silence fell between us. I sat there, stroking Rere’s head for a long time.
“I know you want to go out, but can you stay for a moment? I have something to talk about.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“That’s….”
The Duke paused for a long time, as if struggling to think of something to say since he had nothing to say to begin with.
He finally opened his mouth after a long time.
“Ah, that’s right. I finished investigating what you asked before. But it was a little strange.”
“What was strange?”
“The doctor who treated you.”
A lot of things happened recently so I forgot that I asked him to find the doctor who treated me.
“Oh. Now that I think about it, you finished a little later than I anticipated.”
“I know I’m late. I was so preoccupied recently that I started the investigation late.”
“I see.”
“I thought I could find him easily, but I was wrong. Because that doctor was hidden.”
“Hidden, you say? What do you mean by that?”
I couldn’t help but pop my eyes at that remark.
“It’s exactly as said. I couldn’t find him, and someone was attempting to smuggle him out of the country. I was close to losing him.”
“…Someone….was trying to smuggle him out of the country?”
“Yes.”
“Who on earth….?”
“I don’t know who it was.”
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