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Chapter 25
Not only Melissa, but the maids and soldiers standing nearby were also looking at Mary and Dorothy with deep disgust on their faces.
Melissa no longer even had the energy to slap the two maids.
Even in this situation, instead of reflecting on their actions, they were only trying to shift the blame onto each other… they were truly beyond saving.
“Lock them in the underground prison until the Duke decides their punishment.”
The head maid instructed a nearby soldier.
“Head Maid! Head Maid!”
The soldiers dragged the two maids away with cold, unyielding hands.
Melissa pressed a hand to her throbbing forehead and was just about to look away from the scene when—
In the distance, one of the search party members came rushing into the estate on horseback.
The soldier quickly dismounted and ran over to whisper to Melissa.
“We found the missing maid. And…”
Melissa’s face turned pale as she listened to the soldier’s report.
* * *
“There are some scratches on her face and arms, but it doesn’t seem like she has any serious injuries. Applying some ointment should be enough.”
After saying that, the doctor handed Tilda a medicine box and simply asked her to take good care of me.
“What do you mean? Please examine her more carefully! She fell from such a high cliff—there’s no way she’s completely fine!”
At Tilda’s fussing, the doctor replied in an aggrieved tone.
“But her bones are all intact, and there aren’t any torn wounds or bleeding areas.”
“I’m okay, Tilda. I’m really not hurt anywhere.”
Maybe thanks to the silver wolf from my dream, my body was strangely unharmed.
Honestly, I was more worried about Kalios’s condition than my own.
As our group left the forest, we happened to encounter the Duke household’s search team midway, which allowed us to return to the estate quickly.
Kalios, utterly exhausted, had been carried straight to his bedroom by Brandon.
The head maid and the butler, who had stayed awake late because of the commotion at the estate, rushed over as soon as they heard the news to check on the young duke.
Apparently, they too had no idea Kalios had left the estate on his own.
As soon as the doctor finished his examination and left the room, Tilda applied ointment to my wounds and muttered,
“Goodness, it’s fortunate the young master looked after you so carefully. If not for his orders, you might’ve still been wandering around the forest.”
“…That’s true.”
“And medical treatment must be expensive too, but he even had a doctor examine you personally. Looks like you’ve earned quite a bit of the young master’s trust?”
She tried to lighten the mood with a teasing tone.
But the more she did, the more I couldn’t stop worrying about Kalios, who was probably lying in bed by now.
“I don’t think I can just sit here. I should go see him…”
“Lie down, Lizzy! The head maid told you to rest too!”
Tilda tried desperately to make me sit again, but I stubbornly left the lounge.
When I finally arrived outside Kalios’s bedroom, I could already hear murmuring voices inside.
It seemed many people besides me had gathered to check on his condition.
Seeing that stirred strange emotions in me.
Not long ago, this room had been a cold place no one visited.
But now, so many people who worried about Kalios surrounded him.
The feeling was oddly unfamiliar, and I hesitated briefly before entering.
“Lizzy.”
The head maid noticed me by the doorway and called out.
“Is the young master alright?”
“Fortunately, his life isn’t in danger. …Just what exactly happened in the forest?”
“Well… while I was picking wild raspberries alone, someone approached me pretending to be Mr. Brandon.”
As I stepped into the room, I carefully explained what had happened.
“When I heard something had happened to Young Master Kalios, I panicked and followed him without thinking.”
At my words, someone in the room muttered, “Oh dear…” and swallowed heavily.
I could roughly guess what they were thinking.
Probably something like: ‘If only that maid had been able to see, this disaster might not have happened…’—mixed with pity and frustration.
That thought was openly reflected in the words of the head maid and butler.
“I suppose bringing someone who cannot see into the forest was too much after all. We’re fortunate things ended only at this level.”
“I know you can’t see, but you should have been more careful. Be more cautious in the future.”
“Yes, Butler. Head Maid.”
“Good. Now the young master needs rest, so you should leave—”
“No. Lizzy, you stay.”
The one who abruptly interrupted Melissa was Kalios, whom I’d thought was already asleep.
“Everyone else should return. I’m fine. Please tell Father not to worry.”
“But…”
“Please leave.”
“…Yes. Understood, Young Master.”
Following the reluctant response of the head maid to the young duke’s order, everyone left the room.
Click.
The door closed.
Then a heavy silence filled the room—so thick that the earlier commotion felt like a lie.
Kalios had dismissed everyone except me, yet he said nothing.
Carefully, I moved to stand beside his bed.
“Young Master.”
“…”
“Are you really okay?”
“Stop asking that. I think I’ve heard it dozens of times already.”
His voice was weak, as if he still lacked strength.
But he was no longer breathing raggedly or groaning, so I felt a small sense of relief.
“I’m sorry, Young Master.”
I lowered my head and continued gloomily.
“If only I hadn’t followed that man back then…”
“…”
“Honestly… why couldn’t I tell it wasn’t Mr. Brandon’s voice? I’ve heard his voice countless times.”
“…Forget it. Everyone’s safe.”
Kalios replied.
“The head maid was right. Following into that forest probably wasn’t a good idea for me… I’ll be more careful from now on. I won’t do dangerous things anymore.”
“I said forget it. This was partly because I was careless too…”
His voice trailed off.
It felt as though some emotion he couldn’t bring himself to reveal lingered in his words.
Just as the atmosphere grew heavy—
“What about you? Are you okay?”
As though he’d been worried about me from the beginning, he naturally changed the subject.
“Ah, yes. Other than some scratches, I’m fine. Even the doctor was surprised.”
“Come here.”
At his command, I approached hesitantly.
Suddenly, Kalios lightly held my chin.
“Ah—”
“Stay still.”
He turned my face from side to side, examining it carefully.
“Besides the scratches, it doesn’t seem like you’re hurt… Move your arm.”
“My arm?”
“Hurry.”
At his insistence, I had no choice but to bend and straighten my arm like a robot.
“There. Satisfied?”
“Your legs too.”
“Seriously… I told you I’m fine. The doctor said so earlier.”
“But the person who fell from the cliff with you died instantly.”
Kalios spoke in a tone that sounded like he was suppressing anger.
“So how can you alone be completely fine? Are you really not hurt anywhere?”
“That’s…”
Instead of answering, I let my words trail off.
Truthfully, I didn’t know either.
‘I lost consciousness while falling, so I remember nothing… and when I woke up, I was already lying on the ground.’
At that moment, a silver-furred wolf suddenly surfaced in my mind.
‘I did dream that wolf safely lowered me to the ground…’
But it was only a dream.
“Well, maybe I got caught in a tree while falling.”
I made up an excuse on the spot.
“Maybe that’s why I took less of the impact.”
“…If that’s the case, then that’s fortunate.”
Only then did Kalios seem convinced and withdraw his hand.
“If somewhere starts hurting later, tell me immediately. I’ll make sure the physician can examine you anytime.”
“Okay, I will.”
