ISGJV 44

Chapter 44

The Duchess frowned.

The subordinate she had sent off to handle a simple task had come back limping, having twisted an ankle.

“Is there some kind of ghost here that makes people trip over their own feet?”

Fortunately, the stairs Lilypen had fallen on were only four steps high.

Thanks to that, she wasn’t badly injured.

Though, like Cassia, she had still sprained her ankle.

Lilypen suppressed her resentment toward her mistress’s harshness.

She won’t even pretend to worry about me.

But she couldn’t show that openly.

Instead, she whispered to the Duchess what she had briefly witnessed.

At the confidant’s murmured report, the Duchess knit her brows.

“What? A gardener?”

“Yes. And there’s already a lot of gossip inside the villa. They say the new gardener has fallen for the young madam and is chasing after her.”

While receiving treatment for her injured leg, Lilypen had heard the rumors from the senior maids at the villa and exaggerated them slightly.

Just enough so that Cassia would be taken as someone who, despite Patrick’s favor, was getting friendly with a mere gardener.

The Duchess clicked her tongue and muttered.

“To think he can’t even keep his own wife in line and lets something this disgraceful happen. As expected, Edmund isn’t fit to be a vice duke.”

“Indeed. Someone like our young master Patrick deserves a princess!”

The Duchess, who had half regarded Cassia as Patrick’s lover, instantly demoted her to nothing more than “Edmund’s wife.”

“I was going to show some mercy, since Patrick seemed to dote on her somewhat… but she’s kicking away her own fortune. I should deal with her together with Edmund.”

“That would be most appropriate.”

Lilypen hid a satisfied smile.

It’s a shame I couldn’t catch them in the act with the gardener… but this much should be more than enough.

She hadn’t forgotten the terror and pain of being dragged off to the dungeon by the Duke’s orders some time ago.

Of course, it had been the Duke who ordered it, and the Duchess who allowed it.

But Lilypen directed her anger at Cassia, whom she had decided was the one who caused it all.

I’ll never let her get away with it. I’ll make her beg, crying and sobbing.

It was a petty attempt to vent her rage on the weakest and most innocent target—but she didn’t realize that herself.

Thanks to Willes carrying me, I was able to move comfortably. But since he wouldn’t put me down until we were practically in front of the room, I kept worrying we might run into a passing maid.

“Okay, that’s enough—don’t you think you should put me down now?”

“I’ve seen you limping for the past two days. It’s been getting worse.”

“…You saw?”

“Yes. I was going to consult you about the young master, but I heard you were being constantly summoned by that woman, so I kept an eye on you.”

Well, the whole villa knew I’d been dragged around by the Duchess.

Probably the only one who didn’t know was Edmund.

“The young master heard about it too and was furious.”

“Edmund knows as well?”

“I told him.”

“……”

I felt bad, like I’d only added more bad news to a kid already locked up alone in the dark.

First, I looked around. It would be bad if someone suspicious saw or heard us talking.

Noticing this, Willes explained first.

“I used magic to block our presence. No one will hear our voices, and even if someone were following us, they would’ve lost us already.”

That let me ask freely.

“How is Edmund?”

“He’s fine for now.”

“He’s locked up in the dark, and he probably hasn’t even been able to eat properly.”

“He can make a small light with magic, and I’ve been bringing him simple meals.”

I finally let out a breath of relief.

“That’s a relief.”

I’d been worried because I hadn’t been able to look after Edmund properly over the past two days, being constantly targeted by the Duchess.

Sending Willes to Edmund quickly really had been the right call.

Then it happened.

Willes asked something I hadn’t expected at all.

“Even in a situation like this, you worry about the young master first?”

“A situation like this? What situation?”

From the way Willes spoke, it sounded like I was in some kind of dire predicament.

But I was fine, wasn’t I?

However, Willes sighed softly and nodded toward my ankle.

“Oh, come on, it’s nothing. A little spit and it’ll be fine.”

“…It’s only gotten worse over the past two days.”

“……”

I had nothing to say.

But it really was nothing! It would get better if I just rested a bit!

“That’s why the young master warned me again and again.”

“Huh? Warned you?”

“He told me that even if you say you’re fine, I must never believe it and have to bring you back.”

“What?!”

Only then did I realize.

The route Willes was carrying me along wasn’t the way to my room.

This is the way to Edmund’s bedroom!

Of course, it wasn’t the central corridor where people might see us, nor the paths the servants usually used.

It was the secret passage Edmund had told us about.

Because of that, the path was narrow, the floor uneven, and in places there were rickety steps or even ladders.

With my foot like this, I really couldn’t walk it myself.

So I was carried—cradled and piggybacked—by Willes all the way to Edmund’s room.

For some reason, the nanny was following behind us with a murderous glare, as if she were watching Willes.

“A man your age, daring to carry our young lady like that…”

She was clearly misunderstanding something terribly again.

But I didn’t have the余裕 to correct her.

“……”

It was my first time being carried like a princess in the arms of a grown man.

For some reason, it felt strangely unfamiliar and nerve-wracking.

But there was no way I could walk this path in my current condition, and I wanted to see Edmund anyway—and I had things to discuss—so I decided to just stay still.

Seeing how I’d become quieter than before, Willes spoke softly.

“You resemble the young master in some ways, little madam.”

That came out of nowhere.

But I listened.

How could someone ordinary like me resemble Edmund, whose future was to grow powerful enough to shake the continent and become the final boss?

“You both matured far too early. Some people might call that a virtue, but to me, it just feels pitiful.”

That was Willes misunderstanding things.

Edmund really was a child who had grown up too fast, but I wasn’t.

There’s just an adult inside me, that’s all.

And even that “adult” wasn’t exactly a proper one.

Of course, I couldn’t say any of that.

I just listened to what Willes said.

“At least sometimes… at least when you’re hurt like this, I wanted to tell you that it’s okay to cry and complain.”

That, I hadn’t expected.

My throat tightened.

I’ve never even heard that back in Korea.

All through growing up in the orphanage.

And even after my brief time living on my own.

Everyone had only told me to be more grown-up, not to act like a child.

But Willes, right now, said to me with a truly “adult” smile,

“Children are allowed to lean on adults a little.”

I lowered my eyes slightly.

I didn’t want him to notice how choked up I was.

That was why I snapped back sulkily.

“…Even so, I’m not going to the Academy or the Magic Kingdom.”

“Haha. So you noticed. Still, it would be a loss for the entire continent if you don’t go to the Magic Kingdom, madam!”

Willes gently accepted my attempt to change the subject and kept walking.

Finally, only when we reached the hidden exit that led into Edmund’s bedroom did he set me down.

Then he raised a finger to his lips and winked.

“When you see the young master, it’s a secret that I carried you all the way here, okay?”

“Huh?”

For some reason, Willes looked a little amused.

“I’ll get scolded if he finds out. Let’s say the nanny supported you here.”

“…? Okay.”

I didn’t really know why it mattered that much.

But since he asked, there was no reason to refuse.

Though would anyone even wonder about that? Probably not.

Only after hearing my answer did Willes open the secret door.

As he activated several mechanisms, the wall connected to Edmund’s bedroom fireplace shifted with a grinding sound, opening a large hole.

A passage big enough for a grown man to pass through if he ducked.

Naturally, someone my size—or Edmund’s—could pass through easily.

And there, waiting for me, was Edmund, whom I hadn’t seen in days.

Without realizing it, I waved happily and called out to him.

“Edmund!”

“Cassia!”

Edmund ran toward me like a lost child finding his mother and grabbed me in a tight hug.

“…!”

I froze completely in shock.