“I am glad to hear that, but I am worried about you in many ways, Miss Lena. I heard that the perpetrator who pushed you into the lake at the birthday banquet hasn’t been caught yet, right? I also heard that it is pretty difficult to catch the perpetrator……”
“Ah, yes. Because there were less witnesses than expected.”
I remembered the results of the investigation which was delivered by the investigator who came to the duke’s mansion a few days ago.
The investigator apologized to me, and honestly confessed to me that he still couldn’t identify the perpetrator and it would be much harder to do so in the future.
I wasn’t particularly disappointed when I heard his confession. Because my intuition told me so from the beginning.
Anyway, I couldn’t return to the theater in a short time if the perpetrator still hasn’t been caught. Because I didn’t know when the danger would come to me.
Although Caleb already stated that I could return to the theater whenever I want because he would escort his knights to me. But no matter how much I think about it, the escorts he’s planning to assign to me were just too much.
I knew he was worried about me, but ten escorts was just too much!
Moreover, that number will follow me whenever I go out.
“I really hope you could feel at ease about it. People tend to get sick easily when they mentally tired. Just like this time.”
The count’s words made me break a sweat for nothing.
Because she seemed to assume that I got sick from being traumatized by the incident at the birthday banquet.
Of course, the true reason why I got sick was not because of that, but that only known to me and Caleb.
Although I didn’t know whether some of the employees were aware of that, anyway…… I felt guilty somehow.
After that, we each signed the engagement agreement, which was our initial purpose.
“I will send the invitation to your mansion when it is out.”
“I am grateful for your intention, but even if you send me an invitation, I wouldn’t be able to attend. I apologize, Miss Lena.”
“Are you very busy, Count?”
“Well, I am always busy, but it’s not because of that reason I couldn’t attend. It is because I need to take someone’s anger instead.”
“Someone’s anger?”
Who is she talking about?
When I tilted my head in wonder, the count said, “There’s a person like that” and smiled.
“Rather than that, could you order the maids to leave for a moment, Miss Lena? I need to discuss about Dame Ruitger and other things with you.”
“Ah, yes.”
I then asked the employees to leave the room.
I vaguely knew what she was going to say.
After the employees left the room and only two of us left in the room, the count opened her mouth.
“As the emperor’s birthday banquet is over, then my guardianship to you is also over. And Dame Ruitger’s escort for you is also over. I heard the crown prince promised you another protection. I am asking whether you still need that, Miss Lena?”
“No, Count. It is fine.”
I shaked my head.
Because at that time, I was preparing for what would happen if I were found out to be the kitara, and I never expected that my relationship with Caleb would develop like this.
“I assume that’s the case. Then I wouldn’t assign additional escorts. And, as I said before, I would leave the mansion and the maids on you, Miss Lena.”
“Can I really accept that, Count?”
“Although it was only a show-off to others, that was a gift I gave you as your guardian. If you find it too uncomfortable, you could also think of it as my engagement present.”
“I am grateful, Count.”
As she already stated it like that, I couldn’t refuse more.
As I was pondering what to do about the mansion, the count took an envelope out of her arms and held it out to me.
“Lastly, this is the reward that his highness promised. And the one his highness promised for you to sing in front of his majesty.”
I opened the envelope. Inside the envelope were two checks with numbers which the crown prince offered to me.
“Please check if the amount is right. It’s 2000 gold, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
One of the checks is written with 2000 gold. While the other check is written 20 billion money.
It was the right amount the crown prince initially offered me.
I looked at the envelope for a moment, then took the check for singing in the birthday banquet, and returned the remaining check to the count.
“Please take this, Count.”
The count also looked at the envelope for a moment and opened her mouth.
“How come?”
“I am returning the first reward his highness offered me.”
“Is it because you want to release some of your guilt?”
“Yes.”
I knew how funny it is that I returned the reward now.
And it wouldn’t make that I accepted the crown prince’s offer never happened.
Still, I wanted to do this.
“But if it’s because you want to relive your guilt, wouldn’t it be better if you returned all of the rewards?”
“Of course not, Count. This is my payment from singing in front of his majesty.”
This is the money I earned with my hard work, how could I return this?
No matter how I looked at it, this money was somewhat beneficial in my life.
Because I would never reach this situation if I never sang in front of the emperor.
In fact, I didn’t want to return the other reward as well.
Because how annoying the crown prince has been all that time!
I was even still annoyed whenever I remembered about that guy who dared to call me to his office to practice singing.
Still, I would always feel guilty if I kept it. So it’s better to return that one.
“I understand. Then I will take this and deliver it back to his highness.”
The count willingly took back the envelope.
“Then I guess it would be better if I leave now. The duke will be troubling me if I keep the sick person out for too long.”
“There’s no way, Count.”
There’s no way I could lie down again only after sitting and talking for a little. It’s not like I am a sunfish.
(T/N: sunfish is a very large, oddly shaped fish that gets its name from its habit of floating on its side, at the sea surface, warming itself in the sun.)
However, the count smiled and replied.
“We never know about that.”
The count then raised herself from the sofa while put on her coat, and she said,
“Anyway, I wish you a happy life for a long time. Because it is such a blessing to be able to live with someone you love.”
어쩐지 그 말을 하는 백작의 얼굴은 쓸쓸해 보여서, 나는 작게 고개만 끄덕였다.
I felt the count’s face as she was saying it looked a little sad, so I just nodded my head slightly.
⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻
“My lady, here’s the engagement invitations. Please, have a look.”
“These come out faster than I expected.”
“I pay more attention to these since his excellency told me so, my lady.”
At the butler’s words, I smiled awkwardly.
Indeed, Caleb paid a lot of attention to our engagement ceremony. Although I was also the same as him.
I looked at the bundles of paper which I took from the butler.
Although I had been sick for the past few days, it didn’t mean that I could only lie down and do nothing. So I prepared for the engagement ceremony as much as I could.
And one of the tasks I did in preparing our engagement ceremony was to prepare the engagement invitations.
As I counted the number of the invitations, I was surprised because the number was exceeding what I had expected.
I thought the number of guests would be considered small because we would only be inviting the duke’s relatives and vassals.
I checked the invitations.
It felt strange to see the name ‘Elena Oreu’ next to Caleb’s name.
Because, strictly speaking, I am not Elena Oreu.
‘I probably never could tell that to Caleb……’
I intentionally made another secret from Caleb.
As I organized the invitations, I smiled bitterly.
And I took out some invitations for my friends and acquaintances, and I put them in the drawer.
‘Should I take the invitation for Lord Vessel? No, I guess Caleb will give him the invitation instead.’
I felt strange as I looked at the remaining invitations.
I am really going to be engaged with Caleb.
As I stroked the surface of the invitation, I suddenly thought of my parents.
For the past few months, I tried hard not to think of them on purpose.
Because I was already dead and couldn’t meet them anymore.
However, as the situation became like this, the thought of them flowed in naturally.
My parents would be delighted if they met Caleb.
Since they always claimed that my happiness is the most important thing for them, I am sure they would be delighted to see me with Caleb.
“Mom, Dad……”
It broke my heart as I thought about my parents.
Because my parents also must miss me so much, as much as I miss them.
And moreover, they must think that I am already dead.
The more I thought about my parents, the more heartbroken I became.
As my heart filled with uncontrollable emotions, the tears started to well up and flowed down to my nose.
“Ah.”
This isn’t something I should cry about.
I wiped the tears that flowed out without me controlling, and the maid told me that Caleb is back.
It was the moment when I was about to go downstairs after wiping my tears in a hurry.
I ran into Caleb who was on his way on the way up the stairs.
“Elena?”
Caleb’s face hardened.
He stepped up the remaining stairs and reached his hand out to me.
Before I could respond, his big hand caressed my eyes.
“Did you cry, Elena?”
“Yes, only a little.”
I couldn’t bear to say no.
Because as soon as he touched my eyes, I felt that his hand could feel the tears that I couldn’t wipe completely.
“May I ask for what reason did you cry?”
“That’s… only because of a trivial thing.”
“There’s no such trivial thing that could make someone cry, Elena.”
“But it’s really only a trivial thing……”
“Even if that’s only a trivial thing, please tell me what it is, Elena.”
I bit my lower lip for a moment, and then opened my mouth.
“When I got our engagement invitations, I suddenly remembered my parents. And thinking of them, I……”
Tears welled up again as I spoke.
I felt like I was about to cry at any moment.
“It’s coming out again……”
“……”
“Crying over something like this…… I’m such a fool, aren’t I?”
It was when I tried to hold back my tears and laughed out of embarrassment.
Suddenly, Caleb wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer into him.
In an instant, I was embraced in Caleb’s arms. As I was confused, I tried to call him, but he was faster.
“Elena.”
His low voice penetrates my ear.
“If you want to cry, please don’t hold back and just cry as much as you want.”
“But……”
“It’s fine, Elena. It’s fine.”
I couldn’t help but shut my mouth when I heard his answers.
His big hand patted the back of my head, as if soothing a child.
And his voice, as warm as his touch, whispered in my ear.
“Because I will always be there for you.”
“I am glad to hear that, but I am worried about you in many ways, Miss Lena. I heard that the perpetrator who pushed you into the lake at the birthday banquet hasn’t been caught yet, right? I also heard that it is pretty difficult to catch the perpetrator……”
“Ah, yes. Because there were less witnesses than expected.”
I remembered the results of the investigation which was delivered by the investigator who came to the duke’s mansion a few days ago.
The investigator apologized to me, and honestly confessed to me that he still couldn’t identify the perpetrator and it would be much harder to do so in the future.
I wasn’t particularly disappointed when I heard his confession. Because my intuition told me so from the beginning.
Anyway, I couldn’t return to the theater in a short time if the perpetrator still hasn’t been caught. Because I didn’t know when the danger would come to me.
Although Caleb already stated that I could return to the theater whenever I want because he would escort his knights to me. But no matter how much I think about it, the escorts he’s planning to assign to me were just too much.
I knew he was worried about me, but ten escorts was just too much!
Moreover, that number will follow me whenever I go out.
“I really hope you could feel at ease about it. People tend to get sick easily when they mentally tired. Just like this time.”
The count’s words made me break a sweat for nothing.
Because she seemed to assume that I got sick from being traumatized by the incident at the birthday banquet.
Of course, the true reason why I got sick was not because of that, but that only known to me and Caleb.
Although I didn’t know whether some of the employees were aware of that, anyway…… I felt guilty somehow.
After that, we each signed the engagement agreement, which was our initial purpose.
“I will send the invitation to your mansion when it is out.”
“I am grateful for your intention, but even if you send me an invitation, I wouldn’t be able to attend. I apologize, Miss Lena.”
“Are you very busy, Count?”
“Well, I am always busy, but it’s not because of that reason I couldn’t attend. It is because I need to take someone’s anger instead.”
“Someone’s anger?”
Who is she talking about?
When I tilted my head in wonder, the count said, “There’s a person like that” and smiled.
“Rather than that, could you order the maids to leave for a moment, Miss Lena? I need to discuss about Dame Ruitger and other things with you.”
“Ah, yes.”
I then asked the employees to leave the room.
I vaguely knew what she was going to say.
After the employees left the room and only two of us left in the room, the count opened her mouth.
“As the emperor’s birthday banquet is over, then my guardianship to you is also over. And Dame Ruitger’s escort for you is also over. I heard the crown prince promised you another protection. I am asking whether you still need that, Miss Lena?”
“No, Count. It is fine.”
I shaked my head.
Because at that time, I was preparing for what would happen if I were found out to be the kitara, and I never expected that my relationship with Caleb would develop like this.
“I assume that’s the case. Then I wouldn’t assign additional escorts. And, as I said before, I would leave the mansion and the maids on you, Miss Lena.”
“Can I really accept that, Count?”
“Although it was only a show-off to others, that was a gift I gave you as your guardian. If you find it too uncomfortable, you could also think of it as my engagement present.”
“I am grateful, Count.”
As she already stated it like that, I couldn’t refuse more.
As I was pondering what to do about the mansion, the count took an envelope out of her arms and held it out to me.
“Lastly, this is the reward that his highness promised. And the one his highness promised for you to sing in front of his majesty.”
I opened the envelope. Inside the envelope were two checks with numbers which the crown prince offered to me.
“Please check if the amount is right. It’s 2000 gold, isn’t it?”
“Yes, it’s true.”
One of the checks is written with 2000 gold. While the other check is written 20 billion money.
It was the right amount the crown prince initially offered me.
I looked at the envelope for a moment, then took the check for singing in the birthday banquet, and returned the remaining check to the count.
“Please take this, Count.”
The count also looked at the envelope for a moment and opened her mouth.
“How come?”
“I am returning the first reward his highness offered me.”
“Is it because you want to release some of your guilt?”
“Yes.”
I knew how funny it is that I returned the reward now.
And it wouldn’t make that I accepted the crown prince’s offer never happened.
Still, I wanted to do this.
“But if it’s because you want to relive your guilt, wouldn’t it be better if you returned all of the rewards?”
“Of course not, Count. This is my payment from singing in front of his majesty.”
This is the money I earned with my hard work, how could I return this?
No matter how I looked at it, this money was somewhat beneficial in my life.
Because I would never reach this situation if I never sang in front of the emperor.
In fact, I didn’t want to return the other reward as well.
Because how annoying the crown prince has been all that time!
I was even still annoyed whenever I remembered about that guy who dared to call me to his office to practice singing.
Still, I would always feel guilty if I kept it. So it’s better to return that one.
“I understand. Then I will take this and deliver it back to his highness.”
The count willingly took back the envelope.
“Then I guess it would be better if I leave now. The duke will be troubling me if I keep the sick person out for too long.”
“There’s no way, Count.”
There’s no way I could lie down again only after sitting and talking for a little. It’s not like I am a sunfish.
(T/N: sunfish is a very large, oddly shaped fish that gets its name from its habit of floating on its side, at the sea surface, warming itself in the sun.)
However, the count smiled and replied.
“We never know about that.”
The count then raised herself from the sofa while put on her coat, and she said,
“Anyway, I wish you a happy life for a long time. Because it is such a blessing to be able to live with someone you love.”
어쩐지 그 말을 하는 백작의 얼굴은 쓸쓸해 보여서, 나는 작게 고개만 끄덕였다.
I felt the count’s face as she was saying it looked a little sad, so I just nodded my head slightly.
⇺⇺⇺⇼⇻⇻⇻
“My lady, here’s the engagement invitations. Please, have a look.”
“These come out faster than I expected.”
“I pay more attention to these since his excellency told me so, my lady.”
At the butler’s words, I smiled awkwardly.
Indeed, Caleb paid a lot of attention to our engagement ceremony. Although I was also the same as him.
I looked at the bundles of paper which I took from the butler.
Although I had been sick for the past few days, it didn’t mean that I could only lie down and do nothing. So I prepared for the engagement ceremony as much as I could.
And one of the tasks I did in preparing our engagement ceremony was to prepare the engagement invitations.
As I counted the number of the invitations, I was surprised because the number was exceeding what I had expected.
I thought the number of guests would be considered small because we would only be inviting the duke’s relatives and vassals.
I checked the invitations.
It felt strange to see the name ‘Elena Oreu’ next to Caleb’s name.
Because, strictly speaking, I am not Elena Oreu.
‘I probably never could tell that to Caleb……’
I intentionally made another secret from Caleb.
As I organized the invitations, I smiled bitterly.
And I took out some invitations for my friends and acquaintances, and I put them in the drawer.
‘Should I take the invitation for Lord Vessel? No, I guess Caleb will give him the invitation instead.’
I felt strange as I looked at the remaining invitations.
I am really going to be engaged with Caleb.
As I stroked the surface of the invitation, I suddenly thought of my parents.
For the past few months, I tried hard not to think of them on purpose.
Because I was already dead and couldn’t meet them anymore.
However, as the situation became like this, the thought of them flowed in naturally.
My parents would be delighted if they met Caleb.
Since they always claimed that my happiness is the most important thing for them, I am sure they would be delighted to see me with Caleb.
“Mom, Dad……”
It broke my heart as I thought about my parents.
Because my parents also must miss me so much, as much as I miss them.
And moreover, they must think that I am already dead.
The more I thought about my parents, the more heartbroken I became.
As my heart filled with uncontrollable emotions, the tears started to well up and flowed down to my nose.
“Ah.”
This isn’t something I should cry about.
I wiped the tears that flowed out without me controlling, and the maid told me that Caleb is back.
It was the moment when I was about to go downstairs after wiping my tears in a hurry.
I ran into Caleb who was on his way on the way up the stairs.
“Elena?”
Caleb’s face hardened.
He stepped up the remaining stairs and reached his hand out to me.
Before I could respond, his big hand caressed my eyes.
“Did you cry, Elena?”
“Yes, only a little.”
I couldn’t bear to say no.
Because as soon as he touched my eyes, I felt that his hand could feel the tears that I couldn’t wipe completely.
“May I ask for what reason did you cry?”
“That’s… only because of a trivial thing.”
“There’s no such trivial thing that could make someone cry, Elena.”
“But it’s really only a trivial thing……”
“Even if that’s only a trivial thing, please tell me what it is, Elena.”
I bit my lower lip for a moment, and then opened my mouth.
“When I got our engagement invitations, I suddenly remembered my parents. And thinking of them, I……”
Tears welled up again as I spoke.
I felt like I was about to cry at any moment.
“It’s coming out again……”
“……”
“Crying over something like this…… I’m such a fool, aren’t I?”
It was when I tried to hold back my tears and laughed out of embarrassment.
Suddenly, Caleb wrapped his arm around my shoulder and pulled me closer into him.
In an instant, I was embraced in Caleb’s arms. As I was confused, I tried to call him, but he was faster.
“Elena.”
His low voice penetrates my ear.
“If you want to cry, please don’t hold back and just cry as much as you want.”
“But……”
“It’s fine, Elena. It’s fine.”
I couldn’t help but shut my mouth when I heard his answers.
His big hand patted the back of my head, as if soothing a child.
And his voice, as warm as his touch, whispered in my ear.
“Because I will always be there for you.”
