🔊 TTS Settings
Chapter 46
Thump, thump.
“Oh my.”
A maid stepping out of the alley quickly turned her head at the display of affection in broad daylight.
“Tsk, so uncouth.”
Muttering as if she had seen something she shouldn’t, she shook her head and walked away. Once the sound of footsteps faded, Iva gently pushed Rai, who had buried his face into her shoulder.
“They’ve gone now, so… enough.”
“Not yet.”
“Eh!”
He pulled Iva closer, wrapping her tightly against his waist. Before she could ask what he was doing, the sound of another set of footsteps reached them.
It was the coachman.
“We can’t be seen in these clothes. Hide closer to me.”
Focusing on eavesdropping, Iva had completely forgotten that she was dressed in the Blanche Mansion servant uniform.
If the coachman saw her, he would know immediately that they had been followed. Obeying his words, Iva burrowed deeper into his arms.
Rai, leaning against the wall, could have exposed her back. He swiftly angled his body, covering her enough to appear like two affectionate lovers entwined, while still shielding her clothing.
“It’s just an act for her,” he thought, and hugged her even tighter without leaving a gap.
She could feel his heartbeat, body warmth, even the small sounds of his breathing, as vividly as if it were their own.
“Oh my, in broad daylight…”
The coachman, also stepping out of the alley, quickly turned his head at the unfamiliar display of affection. Knowing that any involvement with the noble and servant’s secret meeting would bring trouble, he hurried away.
“Gone?”
Seeing even the coachman had left, Iva poked his back and asked. Rai couldn’t answer.
The woman he had longed to see so desperately was in his arms. The unwilling emotion escaped, and instead of him, it answered.
“…Still nearby.”
He even lied to buy more time. Just a little longer, he wanted to stay like this.
“Wait, honorifics? What’s this about?”
“Ah, Iva, that’s…”
“What, you knew it was me?”
Iva abruptly pushed Rai away and stepped out of his arms. He couldn’t hide his disappointment as he looked at her.
“…Yes, I knew.”
“Since when?”
“From the beginning.”
“Then? Even when I said, ‘It’s fine!’ like that?”
Rai hesitated, then nodded.
Gasp! I thought I had tricked him completely. He’s such a dense person; I thought my act was perfect!
But Rai had already noticed her awkward dialect—he had been faking it in front of her all along!
Iva felt her face burn in embarrassment, hurriedly covering it with her hands.
“Then admit you knew from the start! There was no need to act!”
“I figured you had a reason for the disguise. His Highness Claude said it’s best to pretend not to notice if someone is in disguise.”
It was a considerate act for her sake, which made it even more embarrassing.
“I thought you wouldn’t recognize me in a servant uniform. And I thought my dialect was convincing enough.”
“Ahem… well, good job.”
“That only makes me more embarrassed.”
She buried her face fully in her hands. Not being able to see the face she longed for, Rai bent his knees slightly, trying to peek.
“Regardless of clothes, I would have recognized you, Iva. You always shine wherever you go.”
His gentle voice calmed her slightly. Iva lowered her hands to reveal her face, and Rai smiled at her once more.
“By the way, why are you here, Duke? This is a street for servants. Besides, you said you were supposed to be under house arrest.”
“Ah, that…”
He hesitated, unable to answer.
‘The princess personally asked me to come. She said not to tell anyone, so it must remain secret.’
Julian’s maid had emphasized the secrecy repeatedly. And with Julian in a suspicious situation, it was difficult to explain.
“So, it’s for the princess?”
Rai’s expression mirrored the one he had when standing beside Julian at the palace, and Iva understood immediately.
As he slowly nodded, Iva stepped back a few paces.
“I won’t ask further. It’s not my concern, right?”
Rai remained silent. Being a royal matter, there was truly nothing he could say to her. He felt frustrated with himself for being unable to speak.
“Anyway, thank you for helping earlier. I even got some information because of you. I should head back to the mansion now.”
“I’ll see you back.”
“No, as you can see, I’m in servant clothes to avoid attention. I’ll return quietly on my own.”
Every time she got close, she seemed to drift away. No matter how much he approached, the gap never closed, making Rai anxious.
“Then, be careful on your way back.”
As Iva turned to leave, Rai hurriedly called after her.
“Did you get the letter?”
“Yes, I got it. Jiji is really smart. Sometimes leaves letters on my window when I sleep.”
“You already knew Jiji’s name?”
“Ah, that… I heard it through rumors. Haha, Jiji is as famous as you, Duke.”
Having read the original story, the information had slipped out, so she quickly changed the subject.
“You don’t need to send it anymore now.”
“Eh?”
“Thank you for apologizing first. I think I was a bit sensitive that day too. I made a big mistake.”
Iva bowed politely. Rai’s eyes wavered at the unexpected apology.
“Can you forgive me?”
Straightening her back, Iva met his gaze. He responded with still wavering eyes.
“Are you leaving?”
“Huh?”
“It sounds like you’re leaving after sorting everything out. Where are you going?”
What? His intuition is unnervingly good. She planned to leave as soon as her house arrest ended, after settling things and freeing herself from awkward tension.
Before her parents could stop her, she’d be gone anyway. Iva laughed awkwardly.
“Ha, haha? I don’t know what you mean. You ask if I can forgive you, and suddenly I’m supposed to leave?”
“…I can’t forgive you.”
“Huh?”
“If I forgive you here, I feel like you’ll definitely leave. I don’t want that.”
Rai’s voice trembled with desperate emotion. Iva was taken aback.
“Hmm, then don’t forgive me. In my heart, I’ve already accepted your apology, so it’s uncomfortable for you, not me. Now I really have to go.”
Feeling a second round might start, Iva quickly merged into the crowd on the street.
Though it seemed Rai’s eyes were following her, she tried not to notice.
“Now, let’s figure out the coachman. The saying about getting betrayed by someone you trust is true. Adults never lie.”
Why would the coachman collude with them, given the mansion’s payment was probably decent? When had he started selling information about her?
Lost in thoughts about the coachman, Rai’s breath, which had brushed against her arm and nape, suddenly intruded into her mind.
“Huh, am I getting worked up just because I was hugged by a man? Snap out of it, Iva Blanche. That guy will leave me eventually.”
The warmth of breath, pounding heart, and firm embrace were vivid in her memory.
“Maybe it’s because I haven’t dated much. I need to date a bit so I don’t get shocked by even minor intimacy. Not Chase, I need to plan my solo escape.”
Shaking her head to calm herself, she bought snacks to bring back to the mansion.
For the servants: peanut cookies and fried chicken. For her parents: strawberry slice cake and apple-infused champagne.
Walking briskly to meet Jane, she spotted an old woman collapsed at the edge of the market.
“…Ugh.”
Startled, Iva approached her.
“Hey! Are you hurt?”
“Ugh…”
Just as she thought to take her to a hospital, the old woman sniffled loudly, then slowly opened her eyes and whispered with a sorrowful face:
“I’m… hungry.”
“Take your time eating.”
Hearing she was hungry, Iva gladly handed over some fried chicken.
The old woman stuffed it into her mouth and hit her chest as if choking.
When Iva also offered champagne, she drank it down in large gulps to swallow the food.
“Phew, I feel a bit better. Thank you so much. No one has ever shared food with me. You’re truly kind.”
“No, I know how hard hunger can be, so I couldn’t pass by. I’m glad you’re not hurt.”
“Thank you so much.”
The old woman bowed her head, and Iva gestured for her to be at ease.
“Finish the rest too.”
“I am truly grateful. How can I ever repay you…”
“It’s fine. I didn’t do it expecting anything.”
“I don’t have much, but I can see things. May I read them for you as a token of thanks?”
“What will you see?”
The old woman pulled colorful cards from her chest.
“I can see your past, present, and future.”
“Really?”
Similar to tarot, Iva’s eyes sparkled. The old woman showed the back of the cards and gestured for her to pick.
“Do I not need to shuffle them?”
“Cards meant for someone will remain the same, no matter how shuffled.”
Iva picked the card in the center. The top depicted the sky, the bottom the dark underground. A woman was climbing from the underground toward the clouds.
“You’ve endured quite a lot.”
“Gasp. Does that really come up?”
The old woman frowned, focusing on the cards.
“From the first sight, I could feel you were extraordinary.”
“Eh? Ah, no. As you can see, I’m just a servant.”
“Clothes don’t define one’s status.”
Yet the old woman treated Iva with utmost respect.
“Hmm… would you like to draw one more card?”
This time, she picked the far right card.
The old woman’s expression grew more complex.
“Draw just one more card.”
Suspicious she might be a trickster, she randomly picked the left card.
“Ah, now the cards can all be read.”
“Really?”
“Usually, one card is enough to see a lifetime. But for you, three cards are needed.”
Perhaps because it’s her third life. Iva concentrated on the unexpected reading.
“A past harsher than your previous one appears. You must have endured great hardship and loneliness. No one listened to you, after all.”
Iva quickly covered her mouth to suppress an exclamation.
“Your loneliness is gradually lifting, but breaking free from the past’s magic is crucial.”
“Magic? Does such a thing exist in this world?”
In the Bergen Agai Empire, only knights were trained, so she assumed there was no magic. Yet magic…!
“Magic originates from a deeply desired thought and can appear anywhere.”
“Does that mean I am under magic?”
“Yes, an extremely complex magic is upon you. Others may find it difficult to see, but I can sense it a little. A powerful magical aura flows from your heart.”
The old woman’s gaze swept Iva from head to toe, sending shivers down her spine.
Magic within her body…
In all three of her lives, she had never heard or imagined such a thing.
“I had no idea. How can I break this magic?”
“Magic must be undone by the one who cast the spell initially.”
“How do I find them?”
“I do not know that either. You should go to a place where such a complex spell has been used.”
“Where is that?”
“Grace.”
It was the place Julian had recently stayed for recuperation.
