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Chapter 21
The day they put up the canopy, Noah sat leaning against the head of the bed, and I looked up at him.
“Rem will help you. Noah, you shouldn’t even lift a finger.”
“Do you want me to just eat, rest, and live like a nobleman, Solia?”
I still remember that moment—when Noah called me by my name for the first time.
“Call me by my name. I always call you Noah, don’t I?”
I asked lightly, and Noah shook his head, as if he had no choice. Then he opened his lips.
“Solia.”
He spoke my name in a soft whisper, and then he knelt on one knee in front of me.
Carefully, Noah took my hand, lowered his eyes, and said,
“My Solia.”
He kissed the back of my hand, then looked up at me and asked,
“Were you watching me? With that telescope?”
“I was looking at the scenery. You misunderstood, Noah.”
I denied it strongly, and Noah just smiled, letting go of my wrist gently.
“I thought you were watching me.”
Noah sounded a bit disappointed, so I scratched my cheek awkwardly.
“To be honest, I was looking at the knight next to you. He’s handsome, exactly my type…”
“Is that your type, Solia?”
Noah raised one eyebrow, looking a little unhappy.
“It was,” I answered calmly.
Noah let out a long sigh and brushed up his bangs, looking frustrated.
“I want to ask who that knight is…”
“That’s a secret.”
“That’s a shame. I wish it was me.”
Noah laughed, still on one knee, looking up at me.
He put the telescope in my hand and told me,
“From now on, just look at me. I’ll work hard at training.”
“Okay. Should I just keep looking at you from now on?”
When I tilted my head and asked, Noah’s face brightened.
“Really?”
“Yes, really.”
When I mixed formal and informal speech, Noah nodded easily. His cheeks had turned red.
He hesitated, then reached out and gently touched my hair, as if it were precious gold thread.
“I’ll only look at you too, Solia.”
“You’re still young. You’ll probably change your mind when you grow up.”
I joked, and Noah leaned forward, his hand stopping behind my neck.
He whispered, almost touching me,
“Do you like necklaces?”
“I don’t wear them unless I’m dressing up. But it depends on who gives it to me.”
I don’t want anything from anyone else. I like what Noah gives me. But I was worried it would be a burden, with all the family debt, so I just smiled.
“I’ll remember that—it depends on who gives it.”
Noah lowered his head slightly and smiled softly, gently holding my hair.
“The more I look, the more it looks like melted gold. It’s so soft and beautiful.”
“It’s only like that because it’s taken care of. I’m actually jealous of you, Noah. Your hair is soft even without special care.”
Noah smiled a little at my small complaint.
“Your blonde hair is prettier than my dull black hair, Solia.”
He looked away, embarrassed. I wanted to tease him more, so I said seriously,
“Do you know? Your eyes are really beautiful, Noah. They sparkle.”
His dark hair looked like a piece of night sky, and his blue eyes were like a winter lake.
I was amazed every time—how can a man’s eyes be so pretty?
“You’re the first one to say that, Solia.”
Noah hesitated, then gently kissed my hair.
“Do you say these nice things to other people too?”
He asked in a lower voice than usual, as if wanting a real answer.
“Only to you, Noah.”
At my playful answer, Noah slowly closed and opened his eyes.
“That makes me want more. I want to be greedy now. Because you’re the only one for me, Solia.”
Noah gave me a faint smile as he looked at me.
What should I say to that? I just blinked, not knowing what to reply.
Noah looked down and gave a small, bitter smile.
“…Noah.”
He gently grabbed my hand and slowly pulled it toward him. When I let him, my hand stopped near his lips.
Noah bent his head and kissed my ring finger.
“Will you let me? To be your only friend, Solia?”
The confession to be friends was interrupted by a sudden visitor.
“Miss Merlin is waiting for you in the main house drawing room.”
A knight in uniform announced, and Solia flinched. Noah narrowed his eyes, noticing her tiny movement.
Solia said, “See you next time, Noah,” and left. She didn’t want Noah to know she’d been beaten.
When the iron door carved with deer was opened, Baron Rotten and the new tutor were waiting in the drawing room.
This was the second time Solia met Merlin.
Instead of a textbook, the tutor held only a thick iron rod. Solia quickly realized it was to intimidate her.
“Did you throw away the wooden rod from last time because it broke, Miss Merlin?”
Solia asked with a calm smile.
The thin rod, like a silver snake, entered her sight.
When she was younger, Baron Rotten used Solia as an outlet for his anger. Now, to keep up appearances, he called Merlin.
Merlin pretended to be a tutor, but really she just punished her. She was also known as the big madam of Leona Port—not a salon or dressmaker’s madam, but actually a brothel owner.
Wearing a dress buttoned up to her neck, Merlin ordered,
“Stand still.”
Rustle.
Solia calmly grabbed her dress and stood still.
Merlin came over and grabbed Solia’s small shoulder tightly.
‘Ugh…!’
Solia bit her lips to hold back a groan. Pain shot up her neck, and her eyes filled with tears, but she couldn’t cry.
“You’ve been very arrogant lately, Miss Rotten. Last time, the baron even cried because he was upset. You messed up the kitchen, served food to that beggar count, and fired a knight without permission, wasting valuable manpower.”
“…The guest wasn’t treated well.”
Solia replied through gritted teeth.
‘She’s just digging up old issues to vent her anger. It’s so obvious… I remember the arboretum business wasn’t going well around this time.’
Merlin’s hand on Solia’s shoulder turned red, but Solia’s face stayed calm.
She knew that would annoy Merlin even more, but she kept her expression blank.
“You’re very skilled at making people feel awful. Not that it helps much, though.”
Merlin snorted, looking down. There were clear marks on Solia’s shoulder.
Baron Rotten flinched, but neither Merlin nor Solia showed any expression.
“You even interfered with the banquet. Do you realize how shameless you were in front of Countess Cheryl Malone?”
Merlin’s voice became shorter. Solia bit her lip.
“If I hadn’t managed the banquet, how would you have handled the countess’s anger?”
“Because you acted on your own, you made Countess Malone angry.”
“Fine. Let’s just say everything was my fault.”
Solia sounded like she gave up, but this was her strategy.
‘No need to mention that Cheryl Malone actually wanted to see me…’
She already knew from Edel that the countess had wanted to meet her and that the banquet went well.
‘Baron Rotten must know, but his pride won’t let him admit it. He wanted me to fail.’
But Solia didn’t care about the baron’s thoughts. The Rotten family would disappear in four years anyway.
That was Solia’s plan. Every grudge would be paid back with interest.
The only reason to keep Rotten alive for four years was simple: cut off the tail, and another tail grows.
‘To cut off the head, you have to climb up the tail…’
Climb as high as you want, Rotten. When you’re at the very top, I’ll drag you down into the mud.
‘I’ll slowly chew up your tail, so you won’t even realize it’s gone… very slowly.’
Holding back her laughter, Solia spoke coldly.
“If I’m low-born, that means Baron Rotten, who shares my blood, is low-born too. Do you agree, Father?”
Baron Rotten clicked his tongue, and Merlin raised her eyebrow.
“Ha! The noble baron and his daughter are not the same! Wasn’t the baron’s wife a commoner?”
‘What nonsense. Rotten blood runs in my veins too.’
Solia dropped her smile and looked at the baron blankly.
“I don’t know what you want, Father. I need to win Count Lenister’s heart to get a proposal. If you just wanted to take your anger out on someone, you could have told me.”
Even if I’m being punished, I should speak up. When Solia pointed out the baron’s stupidity, his face turned red.
