WHCP 32

Chapter 32.

Mio blinked several times, trying to grasp the situation. Then one fact caught her eye.

‘Huh—no. This is a bed?!’

Realizing this, Mio jolted upright. She looked around the bed with a bewildered expression.

‘What happened? I was definitely sitting on the chair next to the bed!’

As if she’d been splashed with cold water, all sleep vanished in an instant. Mio tried to recall what had happened just before she fell asleep. She had been sitting on the chair beside the bed, gently patting Aletheia, then she’d closed her eyes for a moment because she was a little bored—and then…

“Haa. So I fell asleep.”

She must have climbed onto the bed while half-asleep. She had promised to put Aletheia to sleep, only to end up stealing the bed.

It was a bit embarrassing, but what was done was done. What was the point of regretting it now? Seeking a comfortable spot was simply human instinct. Mio forced herself to act nonchalant and stood up. Jamie quickly supported her.

“The child you brought is unpacking in the servants’ quarters right now. It must be uncomfortable having a knight like me attending to you, isn’t it? We really should hire more servants. But His Grace suddenly told us not to hire any more, so…”

“Huh? He did?”

“Yes. But since his health took a turn for the worse, it was probably just something he said in irritation. Ever since he came back from that banquet, he’s been ill the whole time… I’ll look for an opportunity to suggest hiring more staff again.”

Jamie comforted her, saying to endure the inconvenience just a little longer. But Mio was thinking of something completely different.

‘This works out well. If there are too many servants, it might take longer for me to be recognized as the mistress.’

If she could recreate conditions as close as possible to Madam Sailyn’s, wouldn’t the safe eventually give in and acknowledge her as the owner? Mio even waved her hands to dissuade Jamie.

“Ah, it’s fine. If we’re really short-handed, I can help out myself.”

“Pardon? But how could we have the lady of the house working…?”

“No matter what, it’s better than making a sick person suffer. Don’t do anything unnecessary. I just want Lady Aletheia to recover as soon as possible.”

“Mio-nim…”

Jamie looked at Mio with eyes brimming with emotion. So moved was she that she praised Mio the entire way down to the first-floor dining room.

“Lady Mio, you’re an angel. A blessing sent down from the heavens to this Morrow Estate. His Grace truly married someone far too good for him.”

Right. Far too good.

Mio agreed with that point as well, so she nodded enthusiastically at Jamie’s praise.

“It must be that His Grace endured all those hardships until now just so he could meet you, Lady Mio. From now on, no matter what anyone says, I’m on your side!”

While enjoying Jamie’s adoration, they entered the dining room. At the entrance, Simon was waiting for Mio with a tense, spirited expression.

“Welcome! I’ve been waiting for you, Lady Mio! At last, I can present the meal I prepared!”

Because one thing or another kept happening, Mio had unintentionally neglected Simon’s carefully prepared meals.

‘Thinking about it, I do feel a bit bad.’

Determined to give Simon a thumbs-up even if the food wasn’t quite up to par, Mio sat down.

“But where is Lady Aletheia?”

The food laid out in the dining room was set for only one person—there was only Mio’s plate. She had assumed Aletheia would be waiting in the dining room. If so, her plan to eat together would be—

“Ah, well…”

Simon and Jamie exchanged glances, both looking troubled.

“Did she go out?”

“His Grace doesn’t usually eat much.”

She doesn’t eat? No, why?

‘It smells so good right now that it’s hard to resist. She’s gone mad from having too much luck, Aletheia.’

Moreover, Mio wondered how Aletheia could maintain that kind of physique without eating. She was quite well-built, and before Mio knew about her mind-reading ability, she’d thought her title as the strongest came purely from physical prowess.

“Hm. Then do you know where she is right now?”

Even if it meant dragging her back herself, Mio intended to eat together. With that implication, she flashed a grin and stood up.

“Th-the basement…”

“I’ll go find her right away!”

Jamie cut off Simon and hurried out. Simon also bustled away, saying he’d prepare the food again. Mio sank back into her seat and thought,

‘So she didn’t go outside.’

After coming all this way with her luggage, she couldn’t just let a single meal go to waste.

After a short while, Aletheia appeared at the entrance to the dining room. She looked openly uninterested in the meal. Ignoring that, Mio smiled brightly as if she knew nothing.

“Lady Aletheia! I’ve been waiting for you!”

Just as Simon had earlier, Mio welcomed Aletheia with exaggerated enthusiasm. As Aletheia slowly came around the table, she spoke.

“…A nickname.”

“Haha. It’s become a habit, so it’s hard to fix. Le…te.”

Calling her that way was too cringe-inducing to stick in her mouth. Calling her “Lete” in a casual, almost disrespectful way would be one thing, but…

“Did you sleep a little earlier?”

“…Yeah.”

Aletheia, seated across from her, hesitated briefly before answering. She stared straight at Mio, then added,

“You were sleeping very soundly.”

Not me. You. I mean you.

‘But it’s true that I slept like a log… Tch, I’ve got nothing to say.’

In the meantime, Simon quickly brought out a plate for Aletheia. Mio, who had been keeping her mouth shut, even clapped her hands as she spoke—her so-called tactic of pretending not to know.

“That’s a relief. Even getting a little sleep helps—holding hands really does seem to work, right?”

“Yes. It has to work.”

After muttering something cryptic, Aletheia quietly looked down at the plate Simon had just set before her. She still looked uninterested in the food. As expected, Aletheia began to complain.

“My stomach feels unsettled. I don’t want to eat. Take my plate away, Simon.”

At the master’s request, Simon approached with a troubled expression. Mio gestured for him not to come closer and spoke instead.

“Is your stomach bothering you?”

“……”

Aletheia looked at Mio without a word. She seemed to be considering what to say. After a brief silence, she opened her mouth.

“I’m always like this. So it’d be better if I eat alone from now on. If I’m here, it’ll just ruin your mood.”

“What? Why would it ruin my mood…?”

What was she talking about? Had Mio missed something?

When Mio looked at her in confusion, Aletheia lightly furrowed her brow.

“Maybe because my memories are jumbled, I’m getting confused. Wasn’t this marriage something you were reluctant about?”

“Oh, no, not at all?!”

There’s a saying that strong denial is strong affirmation, but in this situation, all Mio could offer was strong denial.

“I might as well say it now, since I’ve already gone crazy enough to spill everything. Because of that strange ability, there was no other choice anyway.”

“Th-that ability…”

It was better than calling it a curse, but did you really have to add a modifier like “strange”?

“I’m sorry for startling you with the public proposal, but at the time I was a bit confused about this issue myself.”

So that was it. She’d been hasty, but there was no intention of reversing the decision. And not even a trace of remorse.

‘Endure it. Aletheia is a patient right now. A patient.’

Mio soothed herself internally and spoke.

“That’s why this trial operation period is absolutely necessary.”

“Nothing will change even after three months.”

No, a lot will change. First of all, the safe will be mine, and the final chapter will be completed. Then I’ll be free. The difference is like heaven and earth.

But there was no way Aletheia would understand any of that.

‘Right. Then this is a bit of a dangerous situation.’

If she got provoked and suddenly suggested registering the marriage, it would be a disaster. Mio repeated, as if brainwashing her, something she’d already said several times.

“This is all a decision made for your sake—”

“It just means no matter how much I think about it, I won’t let you go.”

“……”

“It’s impossible. So from the start, it would be better for both of us not to begin something we don’t want.”

Damn. It seemed the three-month trial period had seriously rubbed her the wrong way. What a sharp one she was. How did she sense the ulterior motives hidden behind the lie and act so uncannily perceptive like this?