“A comcussion?”
“He said it was a very scary condition that could lead to death if something went wrong. So you should lie down first and have more rest.”
Following malnurition, comcussion?
“Com… cussion?”
“Yes, comcussion! Is this a disease you’ve never heard before?”
“Uh, uhm….”
Siella had to bite the soft flesh inside her mouth to hold back her laughter.
“I’ve never heard of it, but I think it’s a really scary disease.”
“I see.”
“That’s right, so you should lie down a little longer.”
Edwin was serious. Moreover, how many people in this world could ignore it coldly when a child says that with so much concern? In the end, Siella obediently lay down on the bed again. Only then did Edwin smile in relief.
From the first time Edwin appeared in the Duke’s mansion holding Camellia’s hand, she had guessed to some extent. Edwin was no different from the children who roamed the streets that time, skinny and clad in ugly clothing. It wasn’t difficult to guess that Edwin hadn’t received any formal education at the time. But that was a problem that would soon easily resolve. Because Eschert will take care of that, appointing Edwin an excellent tutor.
Siella lightly smiled at Edwin, who was sitting on a chair he dragged beside her bed and was staring at her. Suddenly, she remembered something she had completely forgotten.
“By any chance, did you see a letter with me on the place I lost consciousness?”
“Ah! The letter!” As soon as Siella said that, Edwin jumped up from his seat. “It looks like it was noona’s, so I took it with me. Please wait a minute.”
Edwin quickly ran to his desk, took a letter from the drawer, and handed it to Siella. She looked down on the letter in her hand, wondering if she should be glad that she hadn’t lost the letter.
With a face unable to accept Siella’s expression, Edwin said in an upset voice, “I am not the type of person who carelessly touches other people’s things and secretly reads their letters without their permission.”
Only then did Siella raise her head, taking off her eyes from the letter and meeting Edwin’s eyes. Edwin emphasized again, “Really.”
Siella eventually burst into a small laugh. “Yes, I didn’t have that doubt either.”
Staring blankly at Siella’s smiling face for a moment, Edwin abruptly looked away. And as if it wasn’t enough, he even lowered his head. Unfortunately, Siella could clearly see that Edwin’s ears were burning red.
‘He’s cute.’
Was it because he’s still a child? It was quite cute to see him having only pure thoughts inside his head.
And thanks to Edwin, Siella immediately felt at ease. While she was unconscious, she managed to forget about the fact that she had dreamed about her past with Kyle.
∘₊✧──────✧₊∘
Siella returned to her room after she had dinner with Edwin, and then she slowly gathered her thoughts. After that, she decided to have a calm, rational conversation with Eschert regarding this incident.
It was late at night when Eschert had returned. The huge carriage bearing Nocturm’s family crest was entering the mansion as it cut through the night. She was always wondering why Edwin was alone during this late hour, but it was also the moment when she found out the reason behind it.
‘No matter what, he had just left behind the child he had been looking for so long unattended inside the mansion.’
Siella looked out the window just in time to see Eschert and Camellia alighting from the carriage, so she went straight out of her bedroom.
“Today was really, really fun, Duke.”
“I’m glad that’s the case.”
Siella had just reached the hall and entered the main building of the mansion when she heard Eschert and Camellia conversing affectionately. Swallowing a despondent sneer to herself, she stood still on top of the flight of stairs, watching the two of them. After a while, Eschert raised his head and met her eyes.
At that moment, she saw the hesitant Eschert put face near Camellia’s ear and whisper something before coming up the stairs. Siella stood still and watched Eschert slowly approach her.
“It looks like you’re coming back from somewhere.”
“I came back from some business in a boutique.”
“Ah, the boutique.”
Siella lightly laughed and nodded her head. Then as if their conversation was about to end at this point, Eschert resumed his steps from where he had stopped. Siella stood in front of Eschert when he tried to pass her by just like that.
“Wait.” Eschert frowned when he heard Siella’s words as she blocked in front of him. “I have something to tell you.”
“What it is….” Eschert sighed, raised his large hand, rubbed it between his brows and glanced at Siella. “I don’t know what it is about, but I am a little tired now so I’d like to rest. I’ll hear about it later.”
“No, please hear it now.”
Eschert made a surprise expression at Siella’s resolute reply.
Indeed, Siella had been considerate and understanding of his circumstances for the past five years. If he says he’s busy, she will understand, and if he says he’s tired, she will also understand. Even if she had something she wanted to say or a situation she had to discuss with him, she would put up with it and wait for him. So it wasn’t at all unexpected for him to react this way.
With Eschert looking at her with a strange look in his eyes, Siella said, “I received a letter this morning.”
Siella held out the letter she brought from her bedroom. Glancing down at the letter, Eschert looked back at Siella again as he frowned wondering what it was.
“It was a letter from Leroy County.”
Eschert still had a puzzled look on his face. But in order not to miss any reaction that Eschert might inadvertently show, Siella continued talking without taking her eyes away from him.
“To be more precise, it was a letter from Kyle Yeness Leroy.”
In an instant, she could clearly see how Eschert’s handsome face subtly hardened. Just a moment ago, he had been showing Siella that he was tired as if he was annoyed by her and wanted to rest, but it had completely disappeared. It seemed like Eschert had just realized for the first time how important was the thing Siella wanted to talk about.
Looking straight into Eschert’s wavering blue eyes, Siella asked him directly, “How could this man, who should be confined in an island send me a letter?”
Eschert hesitated for a moment at her question and turned his head. Siella noticed that Eschert turned his gaze to Camellia, who was standing alone in the spacious hall below the flight of the stairs. But in this situation, she had no idea why he had to suddenly look at Camellia.
(T/N: Yes, and why are you even looking at her? Is Camellia your fiancee? Please wake up or I will personally wake you up.)
Siella demanded an answer in a firm voice. “Answer me, Eschert.”
Only then did Eschert pull his gaze away from Camellia and look back at Siella. The confused expression he had before completely disappeared.
Siella remembered the first time she met him as she looked at those calm blue eyes. She also remembered the moment when he held out his hand and gave her a place to run to.
[“Lady Siella, I know you’ve always been looking ways to get away from your family.”]
Kyle kidnapped Siella as she was leaving her family to marry Count Shedland, and even attempted to imprison her. In the process, Siella became horribly wounded with Kyle when she retaliated and barely survived.
Even before that incident, Siella had been constantly suffering from oppressive words and actions stemming from Kyle’s obsession. Because from a very young age, Kyle unilaterally poured out all of his violent tendencies to Siella. However, there was no clause in the imperial law that could hold Kyle accountable.
First of all, Siella and Kyle were members of one family. Whatever happened between the two of them was under the care of the Family Head. But Count Leroy, Siella’s father, was obsessed with Kyle’s biological mother, Bianca, and ignored everything.
Siella desperately begged to be spared, but he turned a blind eye. Furthermore, Kyle even tried to minimize and cover up everything that he had done. Abandoning all her expectations from her biological father, Siella demanded Kyle be expelled from the family, but the Count ignored even that and pretended not to know anything.
When the Count died and Siella was kidnapped by Kyle, Viscount Rinock, who served as the Family Head, was the same. Viscount Rinock was the former Count’s cousin, but he was also Bianca’s long-time affair partner.
In simple words, she was in a situation where it was impossible to punish the perpetrator even though there was an obvious victim. No, it was a situation where no one other than Siella had the will to punish him.
Siella struggled amidst everyone trying to cover up those incidents while living in isolation from her family since childhood. She somehow wanted to hold Kyle guilty of his crimes. She wanted Kyle to pay the price he deserved. Most of all, she wanted to get away from Kyle.
Eschert recognized that need. That was why she, Siella, had decided to trust someone else for the last time.
[“I think I can be that way.”]
She decided to trust the man named Eschert, his words, and his promise. I trusted him….
“I don’t know.”
(T/N: I don’t understand how other parents could live freely while turning a blind eye to their children’s sufferings. I don’t understand how they can live as if they don’t see anything. Like they are blind to the sufferings of their children.
On another note, trust is something easy to break but is hard to obtain. I am feeling mad right now. How can someone like Eschert not honor their words and promises? I am really heartbroken for Siella.)
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