Chapter 70
Liena’s Dream (1)
Liena shifted her feet back and forth for no particular reason. Seeing this, Cassel asked,
“Are your feet uncomfortable? Did you hurt them…?”
“No, it’s just that my new shoes rubbed my heels a little. I haven’t worn these kind of party shoes in a long time. But I’ve rested enough now, so I think we can go back.”
“Before that, may I take a quick look?”
“…Huh?”
Before Liena could even respond, Cassel knelt down in front of her on one knee. She looked up at his gaze, and almost instinctively, she nodded.
He carefully took off her left shoe and examined her foot. His eyes scrutinized it with caution.
“There is indeed a small injury here. Fortunately, it’s not serious, but it would be best to have a physician look at it when we return.”
“No, if it’s not serious, just some ointment will do. It feels a bit awkward to call a physician over something like this.”
“Still, it’s better to treat it properly in case it gets worse. You’re paying the physician a sufficient salary, so there’s no need to hesitate to call them.”
His determination was so firm that Liena no longer argued.
Taking her silence as consent, Cassel moved on to check her right foot instead of trying to persuade her further.
Likewise, he removed the shoe and checked for injuries. Unlike the left foot, there were none on the right.
Even though he had checked both feet, Cassel didn’t release her. He seemed unable to look away from her feet, much like he had that one night in the garden.
Yet, there was no sinister desire in his gaze this time, just as before. On the contrary, it was almost… plain, even a little sad.
The situation felt strangely familiar.
‘I’ve experienced this even in a dream.’
To be precise, this dream was slightly different from the one she had previously. For one, their outfits were different, and while the garden was reminiscent of the dream, the season was not.
In the dream, the garden was full of light green sprouts and flowers, but now, the trees bore darker hues.
Most importantly, Cassel did not express anger while examining her ankle. Johannes’ name was not mentioned either.
Perhaps because he was wearing formal attire and kneeling before her, his figure kept overlapping with the one in her dream.
Perhaps because of that, Liena found herself speaking without thinking.
“Yes… Cass.”
The gaze that had been fixed on her feet lifted to her face.
“I actually knew you even before I met you again. I mean… how should I explain this? It’s not that I knew the Duke Winkler, but I recognized your face.”
Cassel’s expression showed confusion. Understandably so—Liena herself had yet to fully understand the mysterious events surrounding her.
Blushing slightly, she tried to explain in more detail.
“I know it sounds strange. Honestly, I don’t even know why this happened. But…”
Cassel listened intently. She felt a baseless sense of expectation that he would believe whatever she said.
“Ever since my father passed away, you kept appearing in my dreams. At first, I thought it was just a common dream, but the same dream repeated five times over two months.”
Cassel’s expression stiffened slightly, but it was subtle enough that Liena didn’t notice.
Swallowing dryly, he asked in a slightly hoarse voice,
“What kind of dream was it?”
“In the garden, you were kneeling in front of me, just as you are now. I thought that garden was imaginary, but coming to the palace today, I realized it’s the exact same place—the royal garden.”
“….”
Cassel moved his lips slightly, then asked again,
“Can you describe it in more detail?”
“Of course. It’s not exactly a secret. I couldn’t tell what the situation was, but you were looking at me with such sorrowful eyes.”
Liena traced her memory.
“In the dream… you told me to leave with you.”
“….”
“You said you couldn’t leave me like that, and if I refused, you’d take me by force. I…”
Liena frowned slightly.
“Every time I woke up from that dream, my heart felt heavy. It was painful that I couldn’t say yes to leaving with you in reality, yet I still wished for your happiness. Sometimes I cried when I woke up because it left me feeling so empty.”
“….”
“I resented that you only existed in dreams and not in reality.”
Thinking back on the sense of loss she had felt then, her heart ached once more.
She took a deep breath and steadied herself as she looked at Cassel.
“But then that day, you came. I was so surprised when I first saw your face. Your expression was different, but it was undeniably the same man from my dream. I can’t tell you how happy I felt.”
Cassel remained silent as he listened.
“After hearing that you were ‘Coward Cass,’ I thought, well, I did know your childhood face, so maybe I could have imagined your grown-up appearance. Besides, even if the face was the same, I couldn’t be completely sure the man in my dream was really you. But after coming to the capital following you…”
Liena hesitated, and only then did Cassel speak.
“What happened after that?”
“I started having different dreams instead of the recurring one. They overlapped with reality in a strange way, yet were different.”
Realizing how serious she sounded, Liena smiled brightly.
“I’ve been talking too long. It doesn’t seem all that special now that I say it out loud. Boring, isn’t it?”
“No, not at all. I’d like to hear the rest of it.”
“But it’s really long if I continue.”
“I can listen as long as you want.”
“Then…”
Just as Liena was about to continue, a commotion nearby caught their attention.
Cassel glanced back briefly, then helped her put her shoes back on. Standing up, he offered his hand.
“The night air is chilly, and you’ve been sitting too long. Now that you’ve had a bit of fresh air, we can head back.”
“Yes, I’m a bit tired too.”
“And,” Cassel added as he naturally escorted her,
“If it’s alright, I’d like to hear the rest of your story once we get back.”
Liena nodded obediently.
“Alright. If you’re okay with it, then let’s do that.”
They left the palace and got into the carriage. On the way back to the mansion, Cassel didn’t speak a word.
Because his expression was serious, Liena didn’t dare say anything either.
“Did you have a good time?”
Amy greeted her as she entered the room.
“You weren’t asleep?”
“How could I be, when you hadn’t returned yet? You must be tired. I’ll prepare your bath first.”
With Amy and the other maids’ help, Liena removed her dress. The layered skirt, designed to enhance the volume, took quite some time to remove.
Once she had shed the heavy dress and corset, she felt lighter.
Soaking in a rose-scented bath, she felt her fatigue melt away. Her injured heel stung slightly but was bearable.
Amy skillfully removed her makeup and tidied her hair.
Once she was properly attended to, a physician arrived—sent by Cassel.
Liena, now in a gown, welcomed him in the living room.
“The Duke informed me that your heel was injured.”
Amy was startled.
“Miss, you were hurt? When? Where? Why didn’t you tell me?”
“It was just rubbed by the shoe. It’s too trivial to call it an injury. No need to make a fuss.”
“Still, I’ll disinfect it and apply ointment just in case.”
The physician treated the wound skillfully. Afterward, he gave Amy an ointment to prevent scarring, instructing it to be applied twice daily before departing.
“The injury isn’t serious, so it shouldn’t leave a scar. That’s fortunate.”
“Yes, indeed.”
“The night air is chilly, so if you sleep without drying your hair, you might catch a cold. I know you’re tired, but please endure a little longer.”
After completely drying her hair, Amy left with a satisfied expression.
Liena looked at the neatly prepared bed and pondered for a moment.
‘I said I’d hear the rest of the story at the mansion.’
She wasn’t sure if that meant tonight or another day.
‘Probably another day, right? Cass must be tired too.’
Just as she lay down, a faint knock came from somewhere.
Liena’s hearing wasn’t as sharp as Cassel’s, but it was quiet enough for her to notice.
At first, she wondered if she imagined it, but soon, the sound came again: knock, knock.
