IDVM 12

Chapter : 12

I turned the page to the next section.

March 22. Clear weather.

After breakfast, I went out and saw some knight uncles in front of the general goods shop.

The captain wasn’t with them today.

The uncles said they had asked whether the shop supplied goods to the ducal household, what exactly they supplied, and whether there were any unusual items among them.

After that, they went to the blacksmith and asked the same questions.

The record of tracking and monitoring the knights filled the entire week when Vivian Vivian had not come to the villa.

There wasn’t much useful information other than documenting the knights’ movements, but one thing became clear.

‘This child knows I might suspect her.’

And she even knew about the relationship between the Emperor and me—something children her age normally wouldn’t understand.

‘As I thought when we first met… she’s sharp and good at reading people.’

Vivian Heshen Dream.

Only after reading the name written at the end did Kalz Kalz put the notebook down.

“Don’t you think we’ve gained quite a useful talent, Owen?” Owen

A faint smile curved on his lips as he asked.

The day after the inspectors left.

The butler came to find me.

“Thanks to you, the reception of our guests went smoothly.”

“Really? That’s a relief! Then can I go back to the villa again?”

“Yes. Since tomorrow is the promised day anyway, you may come starting tomorrow. The carriage will be sent at the usual time.”

And there was one more piece of good news.

“His Grace said he regretted ending the dinner like that, and suggested having a tea time tomorrow.”

This was definitely a positive sign!

So today, I returned to the villa after a long time with a light, excited heart.

Of course, I was also excited at the thought of meeting the Duke, but more than that…

‘Has Rachel Rachel been doing well?’

Well… she probably wasn’t waiting for me, no matter what.

But it was fine.

We had only just met, and now that I had earned the Duke’s trust, we could become closer from here on.

‘At first she wouldn’t even talk to me, but now she does.’

I got out of the carriage filled with hope.

Following the maid’s guidance, I headed toward the greenhouse.

But just as we arrived behind the mansion, a back door opened—and Rachel came out.

Unlike usual, she was wearing comfortable pants and a shirt.

“Lady!”

I approached her happily, but—

‘Huh?’

Rachel turned away without even looking at me and walked toward the back courtyard.

‘That look… she seems angry.’

Even the maid looked confused.

“Isn’t that the training ground direction… Why is she going that way?”

“Oh, I asked her before that I wanted to watch sword training. She must be going there.”

I lied and sent the maid back to the mansion, then quickly followed Rachel.

“Lady!”

Rachel didn’t turn around even though she heard me.

But since she was walking, I quickly caught up by running.

Only when I was about to reach her did she finally turn around.

Her blue eyes were as cold as a frozen lake.

Colder than the day we first met.

“Why did you come back? Did you come to say goodbye too?”

“Huh?”

“I don’t need that kind of thing. Get lost.”

What is she talking about all of a sudden?

Panting, I blinked, then a moment later remembered her words.

“W-wait! What do you mean, goodbye…?”

Rachel replied coldly.

“You’re scared of me too, aren’t you?”

“……”

“You’re afraid that if you get close to the traitor’s daughter, you and your family will be ruined too.”

She sounded bitter and angry, but strangely…

The one saying it looked even more hurt.

I went blank.

Only then did I understand why Rachel was angry.

‘So this is how all of Rachel’s friends left her.’

Afraid of being hurt again, that fear must have closed her heart…

At that realization, I felt sorry for her.

In the novel, she was just a villainess…

But in truth, she was just a child afraid of being abandoned.

‘I need to tell Rachel.’

That I wasn’t scared of her.

That I wasn’t here to leave her.

Not for myself—but for the pain she must have endured.

“Lady, that’s not—”

But Rachel didn’t listen and turned away again.

As if she was afraid I would say goodbye.

I stared at her retreating back for a moment, then ran after her again.

‘Even if she moves away, it’s fine.’

I just had to keep closing the distance.

I just had to stay beside her.

Until she trusted me.

I followed Rachel all the way to the training ground.

Rachel had already started sword training.

‘If I interfere now, she’ll just resent me more.’

I quietly entered and sat in a corner, planning to wait until she finished.

Rachel noticed me, but didn’t even look back. Still, she didn’t chase me away either.

The quiet training ground was filled only with the sound of a wooden sword striking a training dummy.

Thud. Thud!

The rhythm grew faster and louder.

Sweat poured down Rachel’s forehead like rain.

I watched her with worried eyes.

‘Isn’t she pushing herself too hard? She could get hurt…’

Just then—

“Ugh…!”

A sharp pain suddenly shot through my chest.

It was faint, but I knew it could get worse.

I tensed up in panic.

CRACK!

With a sharp breaking sound, Rachel’s wooden sword snapped as she struck the dummy.

The broken splinters flew out and scratched her pale cheek.

Blood trickled down from the wound.

Startled, I forgot even my own pain and jumped up.

“Lady!”

I ran toward Rachel in shock.

“Are you okay? You’re bleeding…”

But she roughly slapped my hand away as I tried to check her wound.

“Ah…”

Rachel looked at her own hand in shock for a moment, then turned away with a twisted expression.

‘I have to clear up the misunderstanding now.’

I tried to chase after her—

But at that moment, the pain returned.

Stronger than before.

I gasped and stopped.

‘Not now…!’

Rachel’s back was getting farther away.

Just a few steps.

If I could just grab her hand, the pain would stop.

But…

‘I don’t want that.’

Now that I understood Rachel’s wounds, I didn’t want to use her feelings like that.

Her footsteps faded further away.

I clutched my chest as if it would burst, listening to her retreating steps.

They grew more distant.

‘I need to explain the misunderstanding… so she won’t be hurt anymore…’

But my vision blurred.

Strength drained from my body.

And darkness swallowed everything.

In that darkness, I thought I could faintly hear it.

“Vivian!”

The voice that had called my name for the first time.

The moment Rachel instinctively slapped away Vivian’s hand as she reached for her cheek—

Vivian’s eyes froze in shock.

Seeing that expression, Rachel realized she had gone too far, but still turned away from the hurt Vivian.

‘You’ll leave me anyway.’

Earlier, in a burst of anger, she had revealed that she was the daughter of a traitor.

Vivian had looked completely confused, as if she hadn’t known.

‘But it doesn’t matter.’

Even if she didn’t know now, she would find out soon enough—and leave, like all the others.

If she was going to leave anyway, it was better to cut it off now.

Before I give my heart.

Before I get hurt…

Rachel turned away.

But just as she was about to leave the training ground—

Thud.

A heavy sound came from behind her, like something collapsing.

A bad feeling surged through her, and Rachel stopped mid-step.

She turned around slowly.

On the ground lay Vivian.

“…Vivian?”

For a moment, Vivian’s figure overlapped with the memory of her mother collapsing while coughing blood.

Rachel’s heart dropped.

A violent wave shook her usually calm blue eyes.

“Vivian!”