Chapter 24: RMLIP

Chapter 24

March 4

Today, Laura scolded me because I barely touched my snacks.

She told me that I should always be grateful to the Duke and Duchess for feeding me, clothing me, and giving an illegitimate child like me a place to sleep.

But I should only feel grateful in my heart.

Laura said they despise my very existence, so I shouldn't even open my mouth in front of them. I should simply keep my eyes on the floor.

Laura patted my head today too.

Her hand was warm, and it made me happy.

But... what does "despise" mean?

Judging by the crooked handwriting, Airel must have been very young when she wrote this.

For some reason, the last sentence left my heart feeling heavy.

"There's a bit of a gap after this..."

Should I skip ahead?

December 23

Today was a very sad day.

There was a wonderful party at our house, but Mother sent me back to my room.

She told everyone I was sick and ordered me not to step outside my room.

I'd spent an entire month practicing a song for today.

But in the end, I could only cry.

I think...

I finally understand what "despise" means.

December 24

Edwin came to see me this morning.

But I remembered Laura telling me I shouldn't get close to the young master anymore, so I hid inside the wardrobe.

I can't be close to Edwin.

Unlike me, he's wonderful.

If someone like me stays beside him...

Maybe my disgrace will spread to Edwin too.

It makes me sad, but it can't be helped.

There's an enormous wall between us—

The fact that I'm an illegitimate child.

When I told Laura about it, she praised me and said Mother would be pleased.

But...

I wasn't happy.

Maybe...

I'm a bad child.

Hmm.

So it really didn't seem like their relationship had been bad from the beginning.

Edwin had liked Airel, but someone had driven a wedge between them.

"Lady Duchess is one thing, but who exactly is this Laura? Why does she keep appearing?"

She used honorifics even when referring to the Duke and Duchess, and she called Edwin "Young Master."

She must have been someone who worked at the estate.

Still...

Since I'd spent all this time hiding in my room to avoid getting on the Blandiche family's bad side, I had no idea who she was.

"Well, until now, simply memorizing noble etiquette books inside my room had been enough to overwhelm me..."

Besides, I'd also had to take care of Rishid.

Oh, right.

"Speaking of Rishid... what happened to him?"

Closing the diary, I quickly stood up.

I walked over to the wall and pulled back the curtain.

The ink bottle and the note I'd left beside the vent were still exactly where I'd put them.

"He still hasn't come back?"

Something felt wrong.

Kneeling down, I leaned my face into the ventilation shaft.

"Your Grace...? Are you in there...?"

Had I whispered too quietly?

Earlier, the echo had startled me so badly I'd nearly fallen over, so I didn't dare raise my voice.

Knock. Knock.

"You're still in there, right?"

So I tapped on the inside of the vent instead.

That was when a figure emerged from the darkness.

"Your Grace...!"

I gasped, my voice rising in surprise.

Slow, exhausted footsteps echoed toward me.

And the moment Rishid's face came into view...

I clapped both hands over my mouth.

"...Don't tell me you've been waiting for me this whole time, Lady?"

"Y-Your Grace... wh-what happened to you...?"

The sight of Rishid crawling out of the ventilation shaft was beyond terrible.

His clothes were covered in yellowish clumps of grime.

White, thread-like strands dangled from his hair.

His face, which had been so fair only yesterday, was now blackened with soot, as if he'd climbed through a chimney.

And what was that huge sack slung over his shoulder?

It was even bigger than he was.

"U-Um... are you... really okay, Your Grace?"

"Don't ask."

Answering wearily, Rishid climbed out of the vent and placed the sack on the floor.

Then he reached inside and pulled out something round and flat.

"Here."

"Huh? What's this?"

Without thinking, I accepted what he'd practically tossed into my hands.

"Ointment for bruises."

Rishid answered calmly, avoiding my eyes as he brushed the filthy hair away from his face.

"More importantly, why are you still sitting around without washing up? Go take a bath and put it on."

Wow.

"Your Grace..."

Rishid had actually gone out of his way to bring me medicine.

I looked at him with tearful gratitude.

Even covered from head to toe in dirt and grime, he looked more handsome than ever.

"What's gotten into this prickly Grand Duke?"

I couldn't stop the corners of my lips from curling upward.

"...Could it be..."

"You're actually worried about me?"

"Don't be ridiculous."

"Oh, come on. I think you are."

"If you're going to keep talking nonsense, then I'll use the bathroom first, Lady."

Unable to bear my teasing smile, Rishid brushed past me and escaped into the bathroom.

He refused to admit it until the very end...

But as I drifted off to sleep that night,

I felt so happy that I thought I might actually cry.

The Next Morning

The Duke of Blandiche sat up in bed with an unusually stiff expression.

"My dear... doesn't it feel like someone came into our room last night?"

"What are you talking about?"

Already awake and swallowing medicine for her headache, Briana turned to look at her husband from the edge of the bed.

"No, it's just... I somehow feel like someone punched me in the face."

Still half asleep, the Duke looked around the room in confusion.

Briana let out a sigh.

"Don't be absurd. The guards were stationed outside. Who could possibly have gotten in?"

"Well... it could've been an assassin. I'm telling you, I'm sure someone hit me."

"Then you must have had a nightmare. If an assassin really broke in, do you think they'd only punch you in the face and leave?"

"What nonsense first thing in the morning..."

She looked at her husband with exasperation as he kept touching his face in disbelief.

The Duke asked helplessly,

"W-Wait... you really didn't notice anything?"

"I certainly didn't. Honestly, your imagination seems to grow richer the older you get..."

Shaking her head as though she'd had enough, Briana got out of bed.

"I'm already dealing with enough headaches. Stop bothering me, and if you're still half asleep, go wash your face. Just thinking about that child is exhausting enough today."

"R-Right..."

Only after Briana barked at him did the Duke finally scramble out of bed.

Neither of them would ever know...

That someone really had sneaked into their room the previous night,

punched the Duke square in the face,

and calmly walked away.

"Good morning, Your Grace. Did you sleep well?"

As soon as I woke up, I applied the ointment Rishid had brought me before walking over to the wardrobe.

But strangely...

The Rishid who normally woke up before me and even finished tidying the bedding was still fast asleep.

I stopped in front of the wardrobe and listened carefully.

A tiny, childlike breathing sound drifted from inside.

"He must've been completely exhausted..."

I had no idea what the inside of those ventilation shafts looked like.

But considering the condition he'd been in when he came back yesterday...

I wouldn't have been surprised if he'd slept for several days straight.

"He even dragged a sack bigger than himself all the way back here... It would be stranger if he wasn't tired."

And yesterday, of all days...

He'd even washed his own clothes.

Come to think of it...

That was really strange.

"They say when someone suddenly changes overnight, it's a bad omen..."

"Now I'm actually starting to get scared."

Shivering for no reason, I returned to the bed.

The sack Rishid had brought back the previous night sat on the bedside table.

He'd stuffed it with so much bread and food that, even after we'd eaten enough for a full meal, an entire box of cookies was still left over.

"Still..."

"I'm starting to get worried."

I glanced at the clock.

Breakfast time was approaching.

If no meal was delivered...

Those cookies would become our breakfast.

"We've been quietly reflecting on our mistakes, so please... at least don't starve us."

I silently prayed in the direction of the Duchess's room.

But my fears proved correct.

Even thirty minutes after breakfast should have been served, nothing arrived.

So I pulled the service bell.

As if she'd already been waiting outside, Sophie answered through the door.

"I'm sorry, Miss. Her Ladyship has ordered that, for the time being... you are to have nothing but water."

"I see. It can't be helped."

Though slightly flustered, I deliberately acted as though I didn't mind.

Then I turned toward Rishid, who had just awakened from the sound of the bell, and whispered,

"I guess... they really aren't planning to feed us."

"Just as I expected. Don't worry, my lady. I'll head back down through the ventilation shaft right away—"

"No, Your Grace."

I shook my head firmly.