hapter 84
Laritte was in bed, suffering from pain. She was colder than when Seta visited her. She couldn’t even open her eyes. Her illness had completely worsened. She then felt a cold towel being placed on her forehead. She felt like a hot potato being immersed in ice water.
“……Irene?”
Laritte voiced the maid’s name between her breaths. But it wasn’t the maid. On the first floor, she was frantically wandering among the patients.
Without letting out a word, Ian stroked his fingers along Laritte’s cheek. Her face, which he hadn’t seen for several months, was sullen. He didn’t move out to see this. He was heartbroken. It was so sad, he couldn’t even cry.
Laritte couldn’t open her eyes. With her head buzzing, she could only move her lips, “Irene, what…. time is it…..?”
How long has it been since Seta came?
She fumbled again, her grip on the dagger loosening. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like a dream. It was absurd to think that a dragon disguised himself as a human and enjoyed spending time in the human world from the beginning of time.
When the dagger was stuck between the bed and the wall, she started looking for Irene again.
“Irene?”
“……”
This gentle touch must have been Irene’s, but she could hear nothing from her. Or had Laritte lost her ability to hear? She wanted to check but her body didn’t comply.
“My throat hurts so much,” after a while a cup touched her lips. She turned her face away, unable to drink a few sips. “Cough, cough!” The water she couldn’t swallow ran down her chin. Ian wiped her mouth. “I’m sorry, Irene…..”
‘It’s nothing,’ Ian told himself. But apparently, he did not utter anything, and it seemed this had to be enough so as not to push Laritte into accidents anymore.
“I, I think I was dreaming,” she stammered. “In the dream……,” Ian waited but for a moment nothing came out of her lips.
Laritte thought she was stupid. Was it for her own sake that Ian got farther away? Seta’s explanation in the dream was so plausible that it sounded funny. A dream was a product of imagination created by living things. ‘I miss Ian so much,’ that she herself unconsciously rationalized Ian’s behavior. ‘Oh, poor me! Stupid me!’
“Why did Ian leave me…….,” she thought she would be okay with Ian leaving without an explanation, because she tolerated irrationality very well. As time passed, she thought she would soon forget. Even after spending time with her friends and on her horse, she was left wondering why Ian had left her. After all those months of wondering, it was finally reflected in her dream.
Of course it wasn’t a dream. Laritte was completely mistaken. However, her conclusion was not an illusion.
“I… I guess I like Ian……”
Her closed eyes trembled as she admitted. In fact, she had been fond of him since old times. It was natural. It was special from the fact that he was the first family who did not use violence. Moreover, she was loved, respected, and given a title.
He even punished her previous family for the absurdity she had suffered from them. It was only natural that her heart fluttered several times, but she did not realize that she was in love. She had never felt the emotion of love before.
In order to change the towel, Ian was soaking a new towel in the basin when he froze. What he just heard, was it true? She liked him?
“If I die……,” Laritte said without knowing that it wasn’t Irene. Of course, she wasn’t someone to be ashamed of what she said if she found out later that Ian was listening. Ian waited for her to continue.
Laritte wanted to ask, ‘can you tell Ian something if I die?’ But she could not speak anymore. Shocked, Ian jumped up and the wooden basin from his lap fell onto the floor with a thud.
“Laritte! Laritte!”
He brought his cheek close to Laritte’s pale face. Luckily, she was still breathing. She just fell asleep, as if unconscious.
“Oh, oh dear……,” Ian cried out while holding her arms on the bed. He prayed for her safety. He didn’t care if there was a God. If those last words became Laritte’s last will, he was ready to accept hell.
Laritte’s consciousness was returning little by little. It felt like her whole body was being crushed with lead. Now she couldn’t even move her mouth. Ah, she would never know why Ian left. It didn’t matter if her heart wasn’t conveyed. Even if she died like this, she could rest in peace. Because she lived quite well. All thanks to Ian.
It was the moment when she felt something new on her lips. Ian had leaned down to kiss her. A tear fell on her pale, cold skin. His tears ran down Laritte’s cheek and wet her pillow. He hurriedly fell back, worried if he held the kiss a second longer, it would cause her harm.
Seta had left the sword, but there was no way for him to know.
‘Laritte, Laritte,’ Ian exclaimed inwardly. ‘Oh, Laritte!’ He wanted to hear that she loved him the most, but she couldn’t answer aloud. It was too harsh. The reality was that even a kiss for a few seconds was not allowed to a loved one.
Laritte fell into a deep sleep. Ian kept nursing her, he didn’t rest for a single second. Thanks to him, when morning came and the winter birds rushed past the window, Laritte felt somewhat better.
She raised her upper body. There was no one in the quiet room. Only traces of someone caring for her remained. She didn’t even think to brush away her silver locks that were pouring down her eyes. Her mind was blank. She felt like someone had kissed her.
Was that a dream too?
It was then that the dagger given by Seta fell to the floor. Laritte leaned down to pick it up. It was given by a character in her dream who introduced himself as a dragon.
“Oh.”
It wasn’t a dream.
Then her eyes fell on the basin that Ian left on the table.
“Ian?” She murmured as she stood up, her legs staggering. Ian was in the mansion. She tucked the dagger into the sleeve of her robe. She had to find Ian.
Leading her helpless body, she went downstairs to the lower level of the annex. She grabbed the railing and carefully walked down the spiral staircase. There were many mattresses laid in the living hall on the first floor, and more people were sleeping on them.
“Groan…….”
“It’s too cold, someone please get me a blanket…..”
Few of the employees, who were not affected by the plague, walked between them. Irene was one of them. She had fallen asleep on a chair. When she spotted Laritte, she rushed to her side, “Madam, you’re awake. Oh my gosh! I should have checked upon you in the morning….. Alice was suddenly trembling, so I couldn’t leave. I thought she was going to die!”
She was so worried about her twin that she didn’t take care of the veil covering her face. Laritte calmed her down, “I’m fine. You must have been worried. I’m sorry I couldn’t help. How is Alice?”
“She’s a bit better now. How is Madam? Let me check,” Laritte closed her eyes at the cold touch of Irene’s hand on her forehead. “I think your fever is a little better now. Oh my God, I hope it doesn’t come back again….. May I bring you some porridge?”
Laritte shook her head. Instead, she wanted to know, “where’s Ian?”
hapter 84
Laritte was in bed, suffering from pain. She was colder than when Seta visited her. She couldn’t even open her eyes. Her illness had completely worsened. She then felt a cold towel being placed on her forehead. She felt like a hot potato being immersed in ice water.
“……Irene?”
Laritte voiced the maid’s name between her breaths. But it wasn’t the maid. On the first floor, she was frantically wandering among the patients.
Without letting out a word, Ian stroked his fingers along Laritte’s cheek. Her face, which he hadn’t seen for several months, was sullen. He didn’t move out to see this. He was heartbroken. It was so sad, he couldn’t even cry.
Laritte couldn’t open her eyes. With her head buzzing, she could only move her lips, “Irene, what…. time is it…..?”
How long has it been since Seta came?
She fumbled again, her grip on the dagger loosening. The more she thought about it, the more it felt like a dream. It was absurd to think that a dragon disguised himself as a human and enjoyed spending time in the human world from the beginning of time.
When the dagger was stuck between the bed and the wall, she started looking for Irene again.
“Irene?”
“……”
This gentle touch must have been Irene’s, but she could hear nothing from her. Or had Laritte lost her ability to hear? She wanted to check but her body didn’t comply.
“My throat hurts so much,” after a while a cup touched her lips. She turned her face away, unable to drink a few sips. “Cough, cough!” The water she couldn’t swallow ran down her chin. Ian wiped her mouth. “I’m sorry, Irene…..”
‘It’s nothing,’ Ian told himself. But apparently, he did not utter anything, and it seemed this had to be enough so as not to push Laritte into accidents anymore.
“I, I think I was dreaming,” she stammered. “In the dream……,” Ian waited but for a moment nothing came out of her lips.
Laritte thought she was stupid. Was it for her own sake that Ian got farther away? Seta’s explanation in the dream was so plausible that it sounded funny. A dream was a product of imagination created by living things. ‘I miss Ian so much,’ that she herself unconsciously rationalized Ian’s behavior. ‘Oh, poor me! Stupid me!’
“Why did Ian leave me…….,” she thought she would be okay with Ian leaving without an explanation, because she tolerated irrationality very well. As time passed, she thought she would soon forget. Even after spending time with her friends and on her horse, she was left wondering why Ian had left her. After all those months of wondering, it was finally reflected in her dream.
Of course it wasn’t a dream. Laritte was completely mistaken. However, her conclusion was not an illusion.
“I… I guess I like Ian……”
Her closed eyes trembled as she admitted. In fact, she had been fond of him since old times. It was natural. It was special from the fact that he was the first family who did not use violence. Moreover, she was loved, respected, and given a title.
He even punished her previous family for the absurdity she had suffered from them. It was only natural that her heart fluttered several times, but she did not realize that she was in love. She had never felt the emotion of love before.
In order to change the towel, Ian was soaking a new towel in the basin when he froze. What he just heard, was it true? She liked him?
“If I die……,” Laritte said without knowing that it wasn’t Irene. Of course, she wasn’t someone to be ashamed of what she said if she found out later that Ian was listening. Ian waited for her to continue.
Laritte wanted to ask, ‘can you tell Ian something if I die?’ But she could not speak anymore. Shocked, Ian jumped up and the wooden basin from his lap fell onto the floor with a thud.
“Laritte! Laritte!”
He brought his cheek close to Laritte’s pale face. Luckily, she was still breathing. She just fell asleep, as if unconscious.
“Oh, oh dear……,” Ian cried out while holding her arms on the bed. He prayed for her safety. He didn’t care if there was a God. If those last words became Laritte’s last will, he was ready to accept hell.
Laritte’s consciousness was returning little by little. It felt like her whole body was being crushed with lead. Now she couldn’t even move her mouth. Ah, she would never know why Ian left. It didn’t matter if her heart wasn’t conveyed. Even if she died like this, she could rest in peace. Because she lived quite well. All thanks to Ian.
It was the moment when she felt something new on her lips. Ian had leaned down to kiss her. A tear fell on her pale, cold skin. His tears ran down Laritte’s cheek and wet her pillow. He hurriedly fell back, worried if he held the kiss a second longer, it would cause her harm.
Seta had left the sword, but there was no way for him to know.
‘Laritte, Laritte,’ Ian exclaimed inwardly. ‘Oh, Laritte!’ He wanted to hear that she loved him the most, but she couldn’t answer aloud. It was too harsh. The reality was that even a kiss for a few seconds was not allowed to a loved one.
Laritte fell into a deep sleep. Ian kept nursing her, he didn’t rest for a single second. Thanks to him, when morning came and the winter birds rushed past the window, Laritte felt somewhat better.
She raised her upper body. There was no one in the quiet room. Only traces of someone caring for her remained. She didn’t even think to brush away her silver locks that were pouring down her eyes. Her mind was blank. She felt like someone had kissed her.
Was that a dream too?
It was then that the dagger given by Seta fell to the floor. Laritte leaned down to pick it up. It was given by a character in her dream who introduced himself as a dragon.
“Oh.”
It wasn’t a dream.
Then her eyes fell on the basin that Ian left on the table.
“Ian?” She murmured as she stood up, her legs staggering. Ian was in the mansion. She tucked the dagger into the sleeve of her robe. She had to find Ian.
Leading her helpless body, she went downstairs to the lower level of the annex. She grabbed the railing and carefully walked down the spiral staircase. There were many mattresses laid in the living hall on the first floor, and more people were sleeping on them.
“Groan…….”
“It’s too cold, someone please get me a blanket…..”
Few of the employees, who were not affected by the plague, walked between them. Irene was one of them. She had fallen asleep on a chair. When she spotted Laritte, she rushed to her side, “Madam, you’re awake. Oh my gosh! I should have checked upon you in the morning….. Alice was suddenly trembling, so I couldn’t leave. I thought she was going to die!”
She was so worried about her twin that she didn’t take care of the veil covering her face. Laritte calmed her down, “I’m fine. You must have been worried. I’m sorry I couldn’t help. How is Alice?”
“She’s a bit better now. How is Madam? Let me check,” Laritte closed her eyes at the cold touch of Irene’s hand on her forehead. “I think your fever is a little better now. Oh my God, I hope it doesn’t come back again….. May I bring you some porridge?”
Laritte shook her head. Instead, she wanted to know, “where’s Ian?”
