chapter 13
Looking at the unresponsive Sir Winchester, I wondered if maybe he couldn’t hear me because I was too far away, so I spoke again.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I move to the seat next to you? It feels like it’s too far to have a proper conversation.”
“By all means.”
This time, it seemed he heard me. When I gestured with my eyes, the maid serving the meal quickly lifted the dishes and moved them.
I felt relieved. Now I wouldn’t have to shout, and I could read Sir Winchester’s expression. He didn’t show much expression usually, but at least I could tell whether he was looking at me or listening to me.
Wait a minute! This is way too close!
I hesitated just as I was about to sit in the seat the maid had moved. It was directly next to Sir Winchester. I wanted to eat without shouting from a closer distance, yes, but this was too close.
“Please, sit.”
Sir Winchester looked at me as I paused. Even seated, his height and long legs made our eyes almost level.
His piercing blue eyes looked at me, and with an authoritative voice, he invited me to sit. I couldn’t complain about the closeness.
“Ah, yes.”
In the end, I sat there.
“When I said earlier that dinner was a bit late, it wasn’t a complaint about it being too late—it was just small talk.”
“What’s that?”
“Just chit-chat, like talking about recent happenings. A kind of greeting.”
Sir Winchester’s expression shifted subtly at my answer. It was unclear whether he understood me or not.
“And I thought that if we ate a little earlier, Daniel could have dinner with us too. Since the children go to bed early, we have to eat early, but they won’t go to sleep at exactly seven.”
“When I asked last time, I was told he slept at this time.”
“Really? When was that?”
“About two years ago.”
“……”
I was left speechless by his words. Two years ago is considered “last time”? And for a child, two years is a really long time!
“It could have been three years ago.”
He seemed unsure himself, barely remembering.
“Anyway, if we move dinner a bit earlier, Daniel could eat with us. Is it difficult to adjust the time? It’d be too lonely for him to eat alone in this huge dining hall.”
“If you wish, miss, I will ask Eden.”
Eden—the man who had caused trouble back then? He seemed to be Sir Winchester’s attendant.
“You have early morning training, so breakfast would be too much, right? Then you two can have breakfast together. Lunch as well. Ah, do you know if Daniel has any foods he dislikes or can’t eat? He says he doesn’t, but maybe there are things he hasn’t realized. Also, if he has any favorite foods, please let me know.”
I saw Sir Winchester hesitate at my question.
“…Well.”
And then, after a brief pause, he answered with a vague expression.
“Oh, it’s fine if you don’t know. We’ll learn as we eat together in the future.”
Feeling like I had asked too many awkward questions, I quickly turned my gaze to the plate in front of me.
“…….”
“…….”
As I fell silent, the quiet stretched between us. The meal resumed without conversation.
‘Ugh! This silence, I hate it! I feel like I have to say something, but what do you even say to someone who only gives one-word answers!’
I wriggled in inner torment, desperately looking for something to say.
“Nairi?”
Surprisingly, Sir Winchester spoke before I did.
“When you talk about Daniel, your eyes… how should I put it…”
His voice trailed as if searching for the right words. I also reflected on how my eyes must have looked.
“You seem like an overly enthusiastic apprentice.”
That was the expression he finally gave. Whether it was praise or criticism, I couldn’t tell.
“Is that… praise?”
“It’s not praise.”
What? Then it was an insult?
“I’m just stating what I see. When you talk about Daniel, your eyes show an incredible desire and eagerness. Your expression is more vivid than usual.”
“Ah, really?”
It made sense; people naturally get excited when talking about something they love. I realized I must be calmer when talking about Daniel in the future, trying not to let my excitement show too much.
“That’s unusual. Stepmothers usually dislike the children, don’t they?”
“Excuse me? Who says that?”
“No one specifically said it, but…”
“That’s such a narrow-minded prejudice! Not all stepmothers dislike their spouse’s child! Children are adorable! And Daniel is especially cute and lovable! Everyone in this empire must know! How adorable, lovely, and charming our Daniel is!”
Three seconds after I had decided to remain calm when discussing Daniel, I found myself wide-eyed, waving my fork, and excitedly proclaiming Daniel’s cuteness to his father.
“……”
Even the usually stoic Sir Winchester looked slightly taken aback.
“I’m sorry. I got a bit overzealous, didn’t I?”
With an awkward smile, I pressed my half-hovering bottom fully onto the chair.
“Anyway, not all stepmothers dislike their spouse’s children. At least I don’t. So there’s no need to worry about that.”
I smoothed my voice, which had become rough from speaking loudly, and added a clarifying remark.
“I hadn’t really worried about that part anyway.”
If I hadn’t imagined it, he said that with a subtle smile. If the flickering candle hadn’t played tricks on me, his usually rigid face had softened for a moment.
Like witnessing winter’s frost melt under the spring sun, I stared at it in awe.
“……!”
“……?”
Suddenly, a large hand reached toward me, snapping me out of my thoughts. I stiffened as I realized he was holding the salt shaker in front of me, not my hand.
‘I thought he was going to hold my hand!’
My face flushed bright red from the absurd misconception. I had no idea why I thought that.
“Is something uncomfortable?”
I wished he hadn’t noticed, but Sir Winchester caught the change in me.
“Well… it’s a bit warm.”
I fanned my face with my hand, avoiding his gaze. The breeze made me acutely aware of how flushed my face had become.
“You seem to run hot. It’s still quite chilly this evening.”
“Y-Yes! I do run hot. My nickname was even ‘Hot Lady.’ Ha… ha… hot!”
I laughed awkwardly and gulped water, hoping the cool liquid would ease my flushed face.
“I see.”
Sir Winchester nodded as if understanding, completely unaware of the inner turmoil I had just experienced.
It wasn’t the first night. To be precise.
But, meaning-wise rather than rhetorically, the first night hadn’t happened yet, and whether it would happen tonight was uncertain.
“Phew…”
Exhaling softly, I grabbed the doorknob. I had just come from the bathroom, and my slightly damp, pale hand caught my own eye.
Today, there was no one to help me with my bath, and Madame Perede wasn’t waiting outside the door. Perhaps she trusted I could manage on my own. The hallway was empty, and beyond the door, Sir Winchester would be alone in his room.
“It’s natural for a married couple to share a bedroom.”
I said this to calm my nerves, yet the words only made me more anxious. I also remembered Sir Winchester’s smiling face from earlier.
Like a mirage in the desert—so unbelievable that no one would believe it if I told them.
‘Did I really see that?’
I doubted myself. That a man so stoic, emotionless, and brief in speech could smile so gently seemed impossible.
‘But my imagination couldn’t conjure a smile that perfect…’
It was a smile I could believe came from a male lead, not a father figure. Handsomer than any celebrity I had ever seen, a smile capable of captivating all the women of the empire.
‘Enough! Stop thinking! I have to enter the room, what good does thinking about that do!’
Shaking my head violently to dispel the thoughts, I gripped the doorknob again and flung the door open.
“……!”
Night air brushed across my face. There he stood, at the threshold of the breeze.
Leaning against the window, where it seemed the star-filled sky might pour in, Sir Winchester’s black hair fluttered in the night wind as he held a glass of wine.
