INOTV 16

Chapter 16

I’ll Be Your Friend

Sara still seemed uncomfortable being surrounded by so many people.

Putting on a dress was troublesome enough that the maids had to help her, but this was her first time being assisted by unfamiliar servants.

“Lady, it’ll be alright. I’m here with you. The others are only helping me, so there’s no need to worry.”

Sensing her hesitation, Meiri spoke gently, trying to comfort her.

At those words, Sara relaxed slightly and nodded.

“……”

As the maids helped her change, a sudden question surfaced in Sara’s mind.

Why do they look at my eyes without reacting at all?

When she was very young—before her abilities had properly awakened—Sara didn’t know how to change the color of her eyes, and she often frightened the servants in the mansion.

She never meant to scare them.

But every time it happened, Diana would scold the young Sara harshly.

“You’re frightening everyone away!”

To others, Sara’s eye color represented fear.

Perhaps because of those childhood experiences, the servants’ lack of shock now only felt stranger to her.

“You know… there’s something I’m curious about.”

At Sara’s words, the busy maids startled slightly before answering.

“Y-You mean us?”

“Yes.”

“Of course, please ask comfortably.”

Should she really ask this? Would it be rude?

Glancing nervously at Meiri, Sara hesitated before speaking.

“Aren’t you afraid of me?”

“……”

Meiri’s brows lowered sadly as she spoke softly.

“My lady…”

She worried about Sara.

What if careless words hurt her again?

That fear alone filled Meiri’s heart.

The maids exchanged glances, unsure how to answer.

Then one of the younger maids—with her hair in pigtails—spoke first.

“Not at all.”

The answer was unexpected.

Sara froze with her lips parted in surprise.

The other maids nodded in agreement.

They giggled together as they talked, clearly close with one another.

“I’ve never seen anyone this beautiful in my life. Maybe it’s because I’ve only worked for the marquis’s household all this time, but it’s true!”

“Ah, actually, Lord Cassian did tell us beforehand before you arrived.”

The three maids radiated cheerful energy.

The moment Cassian’s name came up, Sara tilted her head.

“Cassian did?”

The maid with pigtails nodded, blushing shyly.

“Yes! He said an incredibly beautiful lady would be visiting. Ah! He especially said your eyes were beautiful, and I really think he was right.”

“That’s true! They sparkle like jewels— Ah! Forgive me! I spoke without thinking.”

Judging by their reactions, they weren’t merely flattering her.

Hearing such words for the first time, Sara turned to look at Meiri.

“My lady. They’re right. Your eyes are beautiful.”

“……”

Meiri held Sara’s hand warmly as she spoke.

This place was truly warm.

Every little reaction was unexpectedly gentle, enough to make Sara’s chest tighten with emotion.

“Thank you. Truly.”

Sara sincerely thanked them, slowly lowering her guard.

After hearing from the servants that preparations were complete, Cassian headed toward Sara’s room.

His steps were sharp and purposeful.

As he walked quickly with long strides, a single thought filled his mind.

‘I need to ask her directly. About this “friend” thing.’

He didn’t know how he was supposed to interpret Sara calling him her friend.

He needed to confirm whether she meant the same thing he understood friendship to mean.

To think his emotions could become this unstable over a single woman.

Lately, Cassian’s feelings had been fluctuating endlessly.

Sometimes he became angry because he couldn’t understand them.

Other times, a single sentence from her would lift his mood completely.

Arriving outside Sara’s room, Cassian stopped and took a deep breath.

“……”

At that moment, the door opened and the maids stepped out.

Immediately, he erased the tension from his face and replaced it with a dignified expression.

“Don’t cry, alright?”

One of the maids who stepped out was sniffling, clearly crying.

Unable to suppress his curiosity, Cassian approached her.

“What happened?”

“L-Lord Cassian!”

“W-Well…”

Another maid answered on behalf of the crying girl.

The remaining two weren’t openly crying, but their eyes were damp with tears.

“I asked what happened.”

A sudden fear struck him.

Had something happened to Sara?

Growing anxious, he pressed them further.

“It’s just… actually…”

At last, one maid slowly parted her lips to explain.

As he listened, Cassian’s expression darkened rapidly.

Inside the room, now alone with Meiri, Sara sat down with a relieved expression after finally finishing everything.

Meiri let out a deep sigh as she mentioned what had happened earlier.

“I think she was crying. The youngest maid from earlier.”

Sara responded calmly, as though she were used to such things.

“…Really?”

Well, Meiri herself had nearly collapsed crying the first time she saw the wounds covering Sara’s body.

Remembering that moment, Sara suddenly laughed despite the atmosphere.

“Hm? You can still laugh, my lady? …I feel so terribly sorry for you. If I’d known this would happen, I would’ve helped you change by myself, no matter how difficult it was.”

Sara teased her lightly.

“Huh? Don’t ever die. Then I’d be left all alone. That’s not allowed.”

Wiping away her tears roughly, Meiri answered firmly.

“My lady, I would never die before you! If I do, I’ll become a ghost and follow you around forever. I mean it. Ah, but really… this necklace truly won’t come off? The madam really is…”

Sara quietly nodded.

Meiri sighed deeply and glared resentfully at the necklace.

Having watched Sara suffer abuse for so long, Meiri’s blood boiled with anger every single day.

Yet because of her position, there was nothing she could do.

That helplessness forced her into despair over and over again.

But Sara understood Meiri’s feelings better than anyone.

And simply having Meiri by her side was enough to make her grateful.

At that moment—

Bang!

The door burst open violently.

“Sarah!”

Startled by Cassian suddenly calling her name, Sara jumped to her feet.

“Cassian?”

Meiri bowed politely to the two of them before quietly leaving the room.

Once they were alone, heavy silence filled the space.

Cassian slowly approached Sara and stared at her.

[Actually… the young lady has so many wounds on her arms and legs… They looked like marks from being beaten. We were so shocked that we started crying.]

After hearing the maids’ words, Cassian could barely contain his anger.

At first it was fury.

Then pity.

All those emotions twisted together inside him until he could only bite down hard on his lip.

“Cassian, thank you for the dress. It fits me perfectly, and everyone kept saying it was beautiful, so I ended up getting embarrassed.”

Completely unaware of what he was feeling, Sara spun around brightly in the dress and smiled.

“…Cassian? Is something wrong?”

When he gave no response at all, Sara looked at him strangely and asked.

“Since when?”

“What do you mean?”

Cassian stepped closer and slowly pulled up the sleeve of her dress halfway.

Startled, Sara tried to pull her arm away, but his grip was far too strong.

She frowned.

“Let go.”

Across Sara’s pale arm were clear scars from repeated lashings.

Cassian’s eyes trembled.

“How long has this been happening…?”

“……”

He clenched his trembling hand tightly.

Not just her arms—her entire body must be covered in scars.

That was why, even when the physician came last time…

Only now did Cassian fully understand the truth.

He let out a long, heavy sigh.

Embarrassed that he had seen her shame, Sara avoided his gaze.

At least in front of him, she had wanted to appear like a daughter loved by her family.

“Did it hurt?”

“……”

“It must have hurt. Every single day.”

At those words, spoken as though he were suppressing his own emotions, tears filled Sara’s eyes once more.

Desperate not to cry, she bit down hard and blinked rapidly.

She endured it stubbornly.

Looking directly into Cassian’s eyes, she finally spoke.

“Then…”

Then—

“Please become my friend.”

Please just don’t kill me.

“……”

She had to become his friend.

If she did, then maybe she wouldn’t die.

Though Sara’s heart crumbled beneath the pity and sorrow others showed her, she still wanted to live.

As though moved by the sincerity in her plea, Cassian slowly nodded and carefully pulled her into his arms.

Holding her gently, he spoke.

His voice was slightly hoarse.

“…I’ll be your friend. I’m very happy… that I can become your friend, Sara.”

In front of her, he could do nothing.

He always became smaller.

Weaker.

If she wanted them to be friends, then he had no choice but to accept it.

Because otherwise, Sara would be sad.

In the end, Cassian completely forgot the words he originally wanted to say to her.

Whenever he stood before her, he became utterly useless.

Sadly, he still didn’t understand what this feeling was.

That only made him more confused.

“But.”

The hand wrapped around Sara tightened slightly.

And in that moment, Cassian realized something.

“Only with me. Do that “friend” thing only with me.”

Cassian would protect Sara.

Every emotion and instinct inside him seemed to command it.

So he held Sara tightly and comforted her with all his strength.

And once he protected her—

He wanted no one else to ever touch her again.

That uncontrollable desire began to boil inside him.

And thus, those feelings began.