USML 11

Chapter 11

What did I just hear?

Kaian doubted his own hearing as he dug a finger into his ear. It was something he would never normally do in front of Evan.

“What on earth are you talking about, Evan?”

When Kaian subtly rolled his eyes, he saw Dwen standing there with his mouth hanging open in shock. Seeing that expression, it was clear Kaian hadn’t misheard.

To be honest, their lord was far from fitting the word pretty. When those cold eyes turned on him, Kaian could do nothing but submit like a dog bound in chains. He respected Evan, but also feared him—Evan was that kind of existence to Kaian.

That hadn’t changed now. In fact, from the moment Kaian had entered the tent, Evan’s killing intent had been gnawing at his bones. That was why he had deliberately kept his distance. Yet the question suddenly thrown at him was more than enough to throw his mind into chaos.

Is my face pretty?

Was that another way of asking, Do I look like someone you want to kill?

When Kaian fell silent, Evan leaned forward from where he had been reclining in his chair. His sharply defined features emerged from the darkness, becoming clearer by the second.

Because of that, the blood spatter caught in his eyes was plainly visible.

Gulp. Kaian and Dwen swallowed their dry saliva at the same time.

“Kaian.”

As the blue eyes slowly traced over him, the blood droplet slid along with the movement of the gaze.

Kaian felt his body stiffening like stone. Beads of sweat formed on his palms, but with his armor on, there was nowhere to wipe his damp hands.

Get out of here. Now.

Forcing open his trembling mouth, Kaian struggled to give the answer his lord wanted.

“Y-Yes, p-pretty… p-pretty…!”

“……”

“…Yes.”

The word pretty refused to come out properly, and Kaian ended his answer with a hollow period. Hearing that, Evan immediately turned his gaze to Dwen.

Dwen opened his mouth, hesitating. He simply couldn’t lie. Asking if someone was pretty while their eyes were stained with another person’s blood—asking that while radiating killing intent—

At that moment, Dwen’s eyes met Kaian’s in midair.

Let’s not ask.

I wasn’t curious in the first place.

Both Dwen and Kaian became afraid to ask about the matter of the proposal.

That afternoon, after the count and Dave had left the estate, Sherry unfolded a letter while humming to herself.

[Lady Vanessa ate breakfast and had a whipped cream cake for dessert. During the day, she took a nap and went for a walk.]

Mm, I see. Our Vanessa ate cake and went for a walk. Smiling contentedly, Sherry read the final line—and her eyes widened.

“What?”

[Lady Vanessa is meeting a commoner mercenary. They look close, like lovers.]

Vanessa is seeing someone? Who on earth could it be? Sherry bit her lip hard and pushed aside the documents she had been working on just moments ago.

Writing “199 Excuses to Go See Vanessa” was no longer important. Crumpling the letter in her hand, she sank into thought. Should she tell Father and Dave?

Knock, knock.

At that moment, a servant suddenly knocked on the door. “Come in,” Sherry said softly, and the servant hurried inside.

Before Sherry could even ask what was wrong, the servant blurted out urgently,

“Lady Sherry, Lady Vanessa has returned.”

Bang!

As Sherry shot to her feet, the chair toppled backward.

“What did you say?”

The papers on her desk fluttered to the floor at her sudden movement.

“Lady Sherry!”

As Sherry rushed out, she stepped on one of the fallen sheets, leaving a clear footprint behind. She hurried down the stairs, then froze.

She had spotted Vanessa standing blankly in the center hall.

“Vanessa!”

At Sherry’s call, Vanessa slowly lifted her head. Seeing her face, Sherry couldn’t help but be shocked. The eyes that were always so flat and emotionless were now clouded with confusion.

“V-Vanessa?”

She looked utterly hollow. To Sherry, Vanessa seemed unusually small. It wasn’t that she had lost weight or grown shorter, yet compared to the last time she’d seen her, she somehow looked much smaller. Vanessa lowered her head and turned away.

“Vanessa, what’s wrong? Did something happen?”

“I’m sorry… I’m sorry, Sister.”

Passing right by Sherry, Vanessa hurried up the stairs. In the blink of an eye, she disappeared before Sherry could even grab her.

What on earth happened…?

For a long while, Sherry stood there blankly, staring at the spot where Vanessa had been.

Click.

As the physician came out of Vanessa’s room, Sherry, Dave, and the count—who had been waiting outside—rushed toward him.

“Is there something wrong with her health?”

“How is Vanessa’s condition?”

“Is it serious?”

Shaking his head, the physician spoke calmly.

“It’s just a simple case of fatigue. As before, there’s nothing seriously wrong with her body. However…”

“Out with it—go on.”

When the physician paused, the count urged him on.

“She needs plenty of rest for the time being.”

At his words, the count, Dave, and Sherry all let out sighs of relief.

“Thank goodness it’s nothing serious.”

The count rubbed his chest. Less than a month had passed since Vanessa had gone to Cent for recuperation, yet she had returned so suddenly—and since then, she had shut herself in her room, never coming out.

From what Dona had said, Vanessa wasn’t eating properly and slept most of the time. Sometimes she even spoke to empty air or held conversations with a basil plant.

“Please, come this way.”

“I’ll be taking my leave, then.”

As the butler escorted the physician out, he gave a brief farewell and left. The count rubbed his face with his hand, his brows knitting together.

“This is my fault. I shouldn’t have left Vanessa alone.”

“Don’t blame yourself, Father.”

Dave murmured in consolation.

“It’s because I wasn’t good enough. I shouldn’t have let Vanessa be by herself.”

Click.

At that moment, Dona opened the door and came out. She held a damp handkerchief in her hand. Sherry hurried over to her.

“How is Vanessa?”

“She’s sleeping deeply.”

Sherry sighed in relief, then glanced at the count and Dave before tugging lightly at Dona’s sleeve. Lowering her voice, she asked,

“It’s because of the person she met in Cent, right?”

Dona’s eyes widened like lanterns. She seemed a little surprised that Sherry already knew.

“So you heard.”

After a moment—likely recalling the source of the information—Dona replied evenly. It must have come from the confidant Sherry had planted, the one Dona had dealt with after returning from her hometown.

“I’m sorry, but I don’t know the details myself.”

Sherry narrowed her eyes.

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s the truth. Everything you know, Lady Sherry, is all that I know as well.”

Sherry frowned. Did she really not know? When it came to Vanessa, Dona never left any openings.

Before Vanessa returned to the estate, the person Sherry had assigned had been handled by Dona and sent back to her side. To think the martial skills taught to protect Vanessa would be used like this.

D-Delivery here.

Dona had once been a young delivery girl from the market district, delivering a birthday present on Vanessa’s fifteenth birthday. Back then, shop owners illegally hired cheap child labor and paid them in meals.

Dona had been one of those children—and her leg had been visibly crippled.

The shop owner abuses children?

When Sherry tried to report the shop owner for beating the children, Vanessa had stopped her.

Then who will take responsibility for that child’s livelihood?

Those words had awakened Sherry to her own foolishness—knowing one thing but not two. Vanessa had spoken from her own experience. She knew what it was like to survive by maintaining an unjust situation, even while being aware of its cruelty.

I want to hire Dona as my personal attendant, and have the other children employed by the trading company. Would that be possible?

That was how Dona had sworn loyalty to Vanessa. No matter how much Sherry tried to coax her, she would never waver—and everyone in the Feard family knew it.

As Dona bowed to pass by, Dave quickly stepped in front of her.

“What happened in Cent?”

“I’m sorry, but no matter what punishment you give me, I cannot speak of it.”

Dona bowed deeply, her expression apologetic. Even if the count asked, the answer would be the same. When Dona glanced at the count, he nodded with a resigned expression. Only then was Dona able to leave.

“It’s a relief she’s back, but…”

Dave murmured as he stared blankly at the tightly closed door. The count followed, gripping the railing as his body swayed. Both of them looked utterly worn down.

Watching them, Sherry thought,

Should I tell them?

After some time passed, she shook her head.

No. I won’t.

Dona’s reaction confirmed Sherry’s suspicions. Vanessa had met someone she loved in Cent, failed to overcome the difference in their statuses, and returned after breaking up.

She’s suffering a fever as the price of ending her first love.

She felt sorry for the count and Dave, but Sherry decided not to tell them the reason for Vanessa’s sudden return. She believed it would be better for Vanessa if they waited quietly until she sorted out her feelings.

Arms crossed, Sherry fell into thought.

How should I explain it to Father and Dave?

Even if Sherry and Dona kept silent, they would eventually find out through other means, so it was better to come up with a plausible story. A little later, Sherry approached the count and Dave.

“Vanessa said that in Cent, she’d grown attached to a stray cat she treated like family… and it seems it died.”

“A cat?”

“Well, Vanessa has loved animals since she was little.”

The count and Dave looked at the door with pity. Dave rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Since Vanessa likes cake, how about buying her some pastries from a bakery to cheer her up?”

“No, it would be better to have a piece of jewelry crafted that resembles that cat.”

They quickly put their heads together, searching for ways to comfort Vanessa. Watching them, Sherry scratched her head.

I’m sorry, Father and Dave, but for Vanessa’s sake, there was no other choice.

She was already holding herself back from raging about who on earth had dared to hurt their Vanessa.

Our Vanessa… I hope she’ll be okay.

If Vanessa wanted, Sherry was fully prepared to hunt down that damned mercenary she’d killed a hundred, a thousand times over in her heart—if that would make Vanessa happy.

Marriage is absolutely out of the question, though.

And then, a few days later, something completely unexpected happened to Sherry. Vanessa approached her with a perfectly normal expression—and dropped a bombshell.

“Sister, I want to go out too.”

“Go out?”

“I want to attend gatherings.”

“What?!”

Vanessa’s sudden declaration of going out shook the entire Feard family.