Nina earnestly looked at Adrian and said.
“I am here, Adrian. I’ll be alive and with you forever. There are times in our lives when we won’t fully understand each other, and we will make mistakes. I don’t like that one side always has to put up with it.”
He didn’t say anything. Adrian just rose from the position and stopped pushing her down. Nina sat on the carpet and looked up at him as he got up.
“Nina, it’s not like that. It’s not as simple as, you made a small mistake and I got mad at it. Yes. You made a mistake and almost died because of it. But now, are you asking me to be mad at you? Don’t you think the premise is wrong?”
Nina blankly stared at him. Adrian looked at her like that and quickly went out.
She collapsed as if lying down on the carpet.
‘It hurts.’
My heart hurts. Is this because of the fight with Adrian, or is the wound actually hurting?
‘It would be the former.’
Nina lay down and took a deep breath.
‘Think about it, Nina.’
Let’s say that Adrian almost died because of Adrian’s mistake.
‘I’ll be mad. But I won’t want to be angry.’
But, isn’t it like Edgar and Fiona are now taking the blame for Nina’s fault?
‘What do I do?’
Edgar aside, is there really something going on with Fiona? It just seems like she wants to take the blame for what happened.
“Ugh…”
A groan came out by itself.
“Dame Nina!”
Surprised by the cry, Nina flinched. There was the sound of someone running and Louis rushed over.
“Are you okay? Can you breathe? If you feel something else-.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. I was just lying down and organizing my thoughts.”
“Who lays down on the carpet to organize their thoughts?”
Louis sighed and Nina came to her mind in the midst of the chaos.
“Sorry.”
“Even though it looks clean, it is a place that others step on. Don’t lie down.”
Feeling like she was being treated like a child being scolded, Nina said, “Yes.” and gently bowed her head.
“Can you get up?”
Louis asked while reaching out his hand, Nina took it and stood up. He looked at Nina’s face and asked.
“What did you argue about with his Grace?”
“Sir Louis…”
His old name came out as Nina’s face distorted, she lowered her head and spoke about the situation while stuttering.
Tears kept coming out, not knowing why she was crying.
After hearing the story, Louis had her sit on the sofa and held out a handkerchief. Nina roughly wiped her face and whispered.
“Did I do wrong?”
Louis slowly looked at Nina and wiped her face.
“‘Get angry at me’ is not the right thing to say.”
“Right.”
Nina meekly nodded her head. Just as Nina didn’t want to be angry with Adrian, Adrian wouldn’t want to be angry with Nina.
“I know what you meant when you said that. But Nina, His Grace would not be angry with you.”
Nina opened her eyes wide.
“Actually, Edgar and Fiona… of course he’s angry with them, but the person he’s most angry about is himself.”
Louis spoke slowly.
“When misfortune strikes a person, most of the time they try to find a reason. Why, why, why and why did this happen?”
Louis smiled at her. Nina thought that smile was somehow sad.
“Most of the time, they find the reason in themselves.”
If I had been a little more patient.
If only I could have done better.
If I’d known more.
A little more, a little more, a little more.
Nina quickly grabbed his hand tightly and said.
“Sir Louis did nothing wrong!”
Louis was speechless for a moment, then he laughed. Nina stretched her shoulders and hesitantly said.
“The fault lies with Sir Louis’s relatives.”
Louis smiled softly and pulled his hand out to ruffle Nina’s flowing bangs.
Even in this situation, he likes the kindness she has to think of others, but at the same time, he was also anxious. Won’t she be hurt or scarred because of it? I’m sure his Grace would be feeling the same anxiety.
Louis spoke slowly.
“But nonetheless, if I had taken care of my sister a little more, if I had visited her, if I had not only looked at the letters but had confirmed it with a third party. The regrets are endless.”
He raised his palm to block what Nina was trying to say.
“His Grace will be the same. So he must have been even more upset when you told him to blame you.”
Nina slowly nodded her head. As she pondered, she asked.
“Then what should I do?”
“Give some time and put some distance. It is also a good way to talk with each other after you have cooled the emotions down to some extent.”
“Well, that’s a method I’ve never used before.”
She always went straight up and bumped into Adrian, but has never kept her distance.
“Maybe it’s time to try a new method.”
Because it’s a new relationship.
“For now, I will put meeting with Fiona on hold. If I know she’s doing well, I’m fine with that.”
There’s no one who is going to unfairly bully Fiona. Since Nina can get information about her condition, she could hold on a little.
‘And I think we should talk to Randell about Edgar’
Louis got up from his seat and began to collect the papers that had fallen on the ground. Nina rushed to help and said.
“Louis.”
“Yes.”
“Thanks. Without Sir Louis, I would have been in trouble.”
Louis looked at Nina and smiled.
“Thank you too, Dame Nina. For coming back alive.”
* * *
Nina’s new operation began.
The distancing went quite well. Nina found out anew that the reason why the two of them were able to meet in this spacious mansion was that they wanted to meet.
‘I haven’t seen his face in two days.’
She often ran into him, but only sneaked a look before avoiding the place. That was quite painful.
‘It’s tough.’
I want to go to Adrian and get a big hug. I just want to say sorry and be silly.
Groaning, Nina slumped over her desk.
Kirill said, “What? Training? Do you want me to punch a hole in your heart instead?” So Nina gave up training.
Still, paperwork steadily continued to rise, and Nina was engrossed in processing the paperwork.
‘The Dark Knights had also grown in size… Well, the frequency of the appearance of Bellacs has decreased. Bases here and there…Rotating the Knights…’
Is the efficiency increased? It was when she was thinking about whether she should get a graph or not. The door slammed open.
“Jean, gently open the door.”
Nina raised her head and said so, but Jean strode forward without saying a word. As he stood with his feet right in front of the desk, Jean asked.
“What’s going on?”
“What?”
“You and His Grace. It’s obvious that you’re self-conscious about something and you’re awkwardly keeping your distance. In the first place, why are you avoiding staying in the same place as His Grace? Besides, you didn’t even talk to him once?”
“Is it obvious?”
“Obvious? Did you really just ask me that?”
Jean struck his chest in frustration.
“How can I not notice it when it’s on a level that openly shows to everyone with eyes to see? So what’s going on? Did you fight?”
“It’s just…….”
Nina groaned.
“Adrian is angry…”
“So you’re avoiding him?” (Jean)
Jean’s voice had a tone of ridicule.
“Then you aren’t going straight away through his window anymore?” (Jean)
“Do you take me for such a clueless person?”
“Yes.”
“……”
Jean answered with such certainty that Nina had to face reality once again.
‘Oh my god.’
It seems very possible. If Louis hadn’t talked with her, she would have jumped inside his window right away.
“I decided to change that.”
At Nina’s words, Jean made a strange face.
“Change it?”
“Yes. I feel like I’m only pushing too hard in a way that fits only myself. This time I will keep my distance.”
Jean’s face grew serious.
“Did His Grace cross the line?”
His voice was low and Nina looked at him in surprise. Jean folded his arms and looked down at her.
“If you are doing this, His Grace must have done something serious. You’re—
His face darkened even more and Nina jumped from her chair.
“No!”
He looked at Nina and frowned and she hurriedly continued.
“I had a fight with Adrian. No, it wasn’t even a fight. No, it was kind of a fight. I don’t know. Anyway, he was offended, so I’m just giving Adrian space.”
“How about you?”
“No, I’m fine, it’s just.”
Nina let out a sigh.
“I thought I should be very careful…”
Jean contorted his face.
“But it’s totally obvious. Anyone can see you are avoiding His Grace. I telling you now before you get mad. Everyone is gossiping that you broke up.”
“Huh? That kind of rumor is going around? But, it’s only the second day.”
“We knew something was wrong even before the first day was over.”
They stick together like glue and then suddenly distance themselves? Something must have happened
Jean scratched his head.
Nina looked at him and closed her eyes.
“I can’t help it. I’ve never done this before. It’s my first time using this method.”
Nina smiled and looked at him.
“Thank you, Jean. For worrying about me.”
“No. I.”
Jean frowned, and Nina laughed. He was concerned but he won’t ask further even though he was so worried.
“Anyway, I got it.”
Jean nodded. Nina tilted her head and asked.
“Is the rumor bad?”
“No, I mean, everyone thinks so, but no one is saying it out loud. So it’s not like there’s a real rumor going around.”
“Hold on, then it’s more like… a sort of rumor not rumor, hm.”
Nina muttered and chuckled.
“Did you say no one is talking about it? Then, how did you know?”
“I know even if no one tells me.”
At Jean’s words, Nina laughed a little.
“No wonder Charlotte was paying attention to me. She even gave me a present, you know?”
Jean let out a deep sigh. He didn’t know why his stomach was churning because of these two.
“If it’s nothing much, forget it. I’m going.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Okay.”
Jean was leaving the Knights building when he ran into Adrian right in the hallway.
Nina earnestly looked at Adrian and said.
“I am here, Adrian. I’ll be alive and with you forever. There are times in our lives when we won’t fully understand each other, and we will make mistakes. I don’t like that one side always has to put up with it.”
He didn’t say anything. Adrian just rose from the position and stopped pushing her down. Nina sat on the carpet and looked up at him as he got up.
“Nina, it’s not like that. It’s not as simple as, you made a small mistake and I got mad at it. Yes. You made a mistake and almost died because of it. But now, are you asking me to be mad at you? Don’t you think the premise is wrong?”
Nina blankly stared at him. Adrian looked at her like that and quickly went out.
She collapsed as if lying down on the carpet.
‘It hurts.’
My heart hurts. Is this because of the fight with Adrian, or is the wound actually hurting?
‘It would be the former.’
Nina lay down and took a deep breath.
‘Think about it, Nina.’
Let’s say that Adrian almost died because of Adrian’s mistake.
‘I’ll be mad. But I won’t want to be angry.’
But, isn’t it like Edgar and Fiona are now taking the blame for Nina’s fault?
‘What do I do?’
Edgar aside, is there really something going on with Fiona? It just seems like she wants to take the blame for what happened.
“Ugh…”
A groan came out by itself.
“Dame Nina!”
Surprised by the cry, Nina flinched. There was the sound of someone running and Louis rushed over.
“Are you okay? Can you breathe? If you feel something else-.”
“I’m fine, I’m fine. I was just lying down and organizing my thoughts.”
“Who lays down on the carpet to organize their thoughts?”
Louis sighed and Nina came to her mind in the midst of the chaos.
“Sorry.”
“Even though it looks clean, it is a place that others step on. Don’t lie down.”
Feeling like she was being treated like a child being scolded, Nina said, “Yes.” and gently bowed her head.
“Can you get up?”
Louis asked while reaching out his hand, Nina took it and stood up. He looked at Nina’s face and asked.
“What did you argue about with his Grace?”
“Sir Louis…”
His old name came out as Nina’s face distorted, she lowered her head and spoke about the situation while stuttering.
Tears kept coming out, not knowing why she was crying.
After hearing the story, Louis had her sit on the sofa and held out a handkerchief. Nina roughly wiped her face and whispered.
“Did I do wrong?”
Louis slowly looked at Nina and wiped her face.
“‘Get angry at me’ is not the right thing to say.”
“Right.”
Nina meekly nodded her head. Just as Nina didn’t want to be angry with Adrian, Adrian wouldn’t want to be angry with Nina.
“I know what you meant when you said that. But Nina, His Grace would not be angry with you.”
Nina opened her eyes wide.
“Actually, Edgar and Fiona… of course he’s angry with them, but the person he’s most angry about is himself.”
Louis spoke slowly.
“When misfortune strikes a person, most of the time they try to find a reason. Why, why, why and why did this happen?”
Louis smiled at her. Nina thought that smile was somehow sad.
“Most of the time, they find the reason in themselves.”
If I had been a little more patient.
If only I could have done better.
If I’d known more.
A little more, a little more, a little more.
Nina quickly grabbed his hand tightly and said.
“Sir Louis did nothing wrong!”
Louis was speechless for a moment, then he laughed. Nina stretched her shoulders and hesitantly said.
“The fault lies with Sir Louis’s relatives.”
Louis smiled softly and pulled his hand out to ruffle Nina’s flowing bangs.
Even in this situation, he likes the kindness she has to think of others, but at the same time, he was also anxious. Won’t she be hurt or scarred because of it? I’m sure his Grace would be feeling the same anxiety.
Louis spoke slowly.
“But nonetheless, if I had taken care of my sister a little more, if I had visited her, if I had not only looked at the letters but had confirmed it with a third party. The regrets are endless.”
He raised his palm to block what Nina was trying to say.
“His Grace will be the same. So he must have been even more upset when you told him to blame you.”
Nina slowly nodded her head. As she pondered, she asked.
“Then what should I do?”
“Give some time and put some distance. It is also a good way to talk with each other after you have cooled the emotions down to some extent.”
“Well, that’s a method I’ve never used before.”
She always went straight up and bumped into Adrian, but has never kept her distance.
“Maybe it’s time to try a new method.”
Because it’s a new relationship.
“For now, I will put meeting with Fiona on hold. If I know she’s doing well, I’m fine with that.”
There’s no one who is going to unfairly bully Fiona. Since Nina can get information about her condition, she could hold on a little.
‘And I think we should talk to Randell about Edgar’
Louis got up from his seat and began to collect the papers that had fallen on the ground. Nina rushed to help and said.
“Louis.”
“Yes.”
“Thanks. Without Sir Louis, I would have been in trouble.”
Louis looked at Nina and smiled.
“Thank you too, Dame Nina. For coming back alive.”
* * *
Nina’s new operation began.
The distancing went quite well. Nina found out anew that the reason why the two of them were able to meet in this spacious mansion was that they wanted to meet.
‘I haven’t seen his face in two days.’
She often ran into him, but only sneaked a look before avoiding the place. That was quite painful.
‘It’s tough.’
I want to go to Adrian and get a big hug. I just want to say sorry and be silly.
Groaning, Nina slumped over her desk.
Kirill said, “What? Training? Do you want me to punch a hole in your heart instead?” So Nina gave up training.
Still, paperwork steadily continued to rise, and Nina was engrossed in processing the paperwork.
‘The Dark Knights had also grown in size… Well, the frequency of the appearance of Bellacs has decreased. Bases here and there…Rotating the Knights…’
Is the efficiency increased? It was when she was thinking about whether she should get a graph or not. The door slammed open.
“Jean, gently open the door.”
Nina raised her head and said so, but Jean strode forward without saying a word. As he stood with his feet right in front of the desk, Jean asked.
“What’s going on?”
“What?”
“You and His Grace. It’s obvious that you’re self-conscious about something and you’re awkwardly keeping your distance. In the first place, why are you avoiding staying in the same place as His Grace? Besides, you didn’t even talk to him once?”
“Is it obvious?”
“Obvious? Did you really just ask me that?”
Jean struck his chest in frustration.
“How can I not notice it when it’s on a level that openly shows to everyone with eyes to see? So what’s going on? Did you fight?”
“It’s just…….”
Nina groaned.
“Adrian is angry…”
“So you’re avoiding him?” (Jean)
Jean’s voice had a tone of ridicule.
“Then you aren’t going straight away through his window anymore?” (Jean)
“Do you take me for such a clueless person?”
“Yes.”
“……”
Jean answered with such certainty that Nina had to face reality once again.
‘Oh my god.’
It seems very possible. If Louis hadn’t talked with her, she would have jumped inside his window right away.
“I decided to change that.”
At Nina’s words, Jean made a strange face.
“Change it?”
“Yes. I feel like I’m only pushing too hard in a way that fits only myself. This time I will keep my distance.”
Jean’s face grew serious.
“Did His Grace cross the line?”
His voice was low and Nina looked at him in surprise. Jean folded his arms and looked down at her.
“If you are doing this, His Grace must have done something serious. You’re—
His face darkened even more and Nina jumped from her chair.
“No!”
He looked at Nina and frowned and she hurriedly continued.
“I had a fight with Adrian. No, it wasn’t even a fight. No, it was kind of a fight. I don’t know. Anyway, he was offended, so I’m just giving Adrian space.”
“How about you?”
“No, I’m fine, it’s just.”
Nina let out a sigh.
“I thought I should be very careful…”
Jean contorted his face.
“But it’s totally obvious. Anyone can see you are avoiding His Grace. I telling you now before you get mad. Everyone is gossiping that you broke up.”
“Huh? That kind of rumor is going around? But, it’s only the second day.”
“We knew something was wrong even before the first day was over.”
They stick together like glue and then suddenly distance themselves? Something must have happened
Jean scratched his head.
Nina looked at him and closed her eyes.
“I can’t help it. I’ve never done this before. It’s my first time using this method.”
Nina smiled and looked at him.
“Thank you, Jean. For worrying about me.”
“No. I.”
Jean frowned, and Nina laughed. He was concerned but he won’t ask further even though he was so worried.
“Anyway, I got it.”
Jean nodded. Nina tilted her head and asked.
“Is the rumor bad?”
“No, I mean, everyone thinks so, but no one is saying it out loud. So it’s not like there’s a real rumor going around.”
“Hold on, then it’s more like… a sort of rumor not rumor, hm.”
Nina muttered and chuckled.
“Did you say no one is talking about it? Then, how did you know?”
“I know even if no one tells me.”
At Jean’s words, Nina laughed a little.
“No wonder Charlotte was paying attention to me. She even gave me a present, you know?”
Jean let out a deep sigh. He didn’t know why his stomach was churning because of these two.
“If it’s nothing much, forget it. I’m going.”
“Yes, thank you.”
“Okay.”
Jean was leaving the Knights building when he ran into Adrian right in the hallway.
