Chapter 88
Silence lingered in the room.
Barun studied Velia carefully before showing a faint smile.
“…For a hastily borrowed dress, it suits you quite well.”
“I didn’t expect the rain to leak in.”
“Indeed.”
Barun slowly circled the tea table and walked toward Velia.
“Velia.”
“Hm?”
Velia quietly watched as Barun approached her.
“But you know… it seems like you were in more pain than you let on.”
“Me? No, it’s just a light cold.”
“Really? I thought you had been coughing up blood.”
“Blood?”
Before Velia could even grasp the situation, Barun reached out his hand.
“The bloodstains are dried up, I see.”
He lifted the ends of her hair, tangled with dark, dried blood.
“That’s…”
“And there’s the scent of grass too… Velia, where did you go?”
Velia quietly looked up into his gray eyes that were staring down at her.
“Where did you go?”
“Yes.”
Barun narrowed his eyes at her unexpectedly calm response.
“I thought you were using the vacation as an excuse to plot something.”
“…What?”
Catching her off guard, cracks spread in the mask of indifference Barun wore.
This time, Velia carefully studied his face, which was now steeped in displeasure.
“Brother, then can I ask you something too?”
“What is it?”
“If you answer me, I’ll answer you—where I went.”
“…Go ahead.”
Velia wrapped her hand around the one Barun had tangled in her hair.
Barun flinched and tried to pull away, but Velia tightened her grip.
“Why did you do it, brother?”
“Do what?”
“Eight years ago.”
Barun froze.
Pulling him closer, Velia pressed on.
“Why did you take me to that mansion? We weren’t even invited.”
“What nonsense are you saying.”
Barun yanked his hand away.
He stepped back from Velia, who staggered.
“I’ve never done such a thing…”
“Don’t lie. I held your hand and went there with you.”
“What…?”
“I remembered. That day—it was you who brought me to the mansion.”
Barun’s dark eyes trembled violently.
“I’ll ask again. Why? Why did you take me there? And why were you the only one who…”
“I don’t know.”
“What?”
Barun shoved her hand away.
“You really must have a fever. Asking strange questions like this.”
“That’s your best excuse?”
“What?”
“At least put some effort into your lie. Don’t try to make me look insane.”
Velia’s sharp gaze twisted his lips.
“You really must be ill, to talk like this. I don’t know anything about what happened eight years ago.”
“Truly?”
“Yes. What you ‘remember’ must be from the trauma of the fire—”
“I heard it.”
“…Heard what?”
“Someone told me. They said it was you who took me to that mansion, eight years ago.”
“…Who?”
“Who knows? Why, are you curious? Or maybe your memory is starting to come back now?”
Tense silence stretched between them.
“I never did such a thing.”
Barun turned to leave.
“Stop.”
“It’s just your imagination.”
“I said stop.”
“You’d better end your vacation quickly and return.”
“Barun Arphedi, I told you to stop.”
At Velia’s stern command, Barun halted in place.
“…It was all your doing, wasn’t it?”
“For the last time—it’s all in your head, Velia.”
Velia drew in a breath.
She had died and come back four times.
She could never erase the resentment of knowing that the man before her—her own brother—had pushed her into those horrors.
Her insides boiled with fury, and she clenched her teeth.
“Listen carefully. I remembered it clearly. You were the one who threw me into the flames.”
“I’ll have a priest called to the estate. Or perhaps you should rest at the temple for a while?”
“No, brother—you’re the one who needs the rest. Be careful. Next time, don’t fail to dodge the flames when they’re at your face.”
Velia brushed past him and left the room first.
The door burst open—Tov, who had been standing guard outside, quickly bowed.
Barun’s man greeting her respectfully as if wishing her safe passage made Velia pause in thought.
Looking at the servants gathered around, she nodded as though understanding.
“It’s been a while, Tov.”
“Ah, my lady, did you enjoy your vacation?”
“Yes. Tov—you’re relieved of your duties as of today.”
“…What?”
“You can no longer serve in the Arphedi household. Not only are you stripped of your post as my guard knight, but your knightly title is revoked as well.”
“What are you…”
Velia kicked sharply at his knee.
“Kneel.”
The servants all widened their eyes in shock, staring at Velia.
She briefly turned her head toward Barun.
“Didn’t you hear me? I said kneel.”
Seeing the faint frown crease Barun’s brow, the startled Tov immediately dropped flat to the floor.
“I-I’m sorry!”
“Tov, you’ve failed in your duties as my guard knight. You defied my orders and neglected your post. From today, you are not only dismissed as my knight, but expelled from the knights of House Arphedi altogether.”
“M-my lady…?”
Tov looked flustered, glancing at Barun, unable to believe Velia’s coldness.
“Velia? What’s going on?”
Bedol, who had been coming down the stairs with Soo while carrying luggage, blinked at the tense scene.
“I’ll appoint a new guard knight.”
“All of a sudden?”
“Tov is dismissed not only as my guard knight, but also from our house’s knighthood.”
“You don’t have the authority to do that.”
“Why? Brother, do I not?”
Velia looked at Bedol.
“Well… I mean, technically, you do.”
Bedol nodded, bewildered.
“You’re doing this just because you’re upset—”
“No. It’s not about my mood, it’s about him forgetting his duty. Even when his master went missing, he trailed after you instead. Tell me—was Tov my knight, or yours?”
“Ah, that’s true. You’re supposed to be Velia’s knight.”
Bedol tilted his head, looking at Tov.
“But then why is Brother keeping Velia’s knight?”
“I brought him to help find his master.”
“For that, he seemed more like your servant than anything.” Bedol scratched his head innocently.
“Well, dismissing him as your knight is your call. But revoking his knightly title altogether—that has to go through the knight commander.”
“What if I already have Father’s permission?”
“Father?”
“Soo, could you hand it to me?”
“Yes, my lady!”
Soo rummaged through her bag and pulled out a letter, handing it to Velia.
“I reported to Father that Tov neglected his duties after being appointed my guard knight.”
Tov snapped his head up, staring at the letter.
“What proof?”
Barun, his face dark, snatched the paper.
“He wasn’t at his post outside my room during work hours. Isn’t that right, Soo?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Sometimes he’d be gone for one hour, sometimes up to four. I even checked where he was instead—and most often, it was the east wing on the second floor.”
“The east wing…? Isn’t that Brother’s room?”
“Who said that?”
“Does it matter who? Brother, the mansion is full of people—anyone could have seen it. Isn’t it embarrassing, my knight constantly running to you instead of guarding me?”
“So you’re saying Father approved his dismissal.”
“Why even ask? Look at the seal. It’s stamped right there.”
Barun frowned at the official seal.
“M-my lady, forgive me! I—”
“Enough excuses.”
The gathered servants began whispering among themselves.
“Now that I think about it, wasn’t he her knight? Then why was he always with the young master…”
“Exactly. I thought he served the young master instead.”
Barun, hearing the shift in murmurs, furrowed his brow.
He had deliberately brought more servants than usual, thinking they would witness Velia’s schemes. But now, instead of exposing her, their testimony reinforced Tov’s negligence.
Barun glanced at Tov, who was desperately looking up at him.
“Velia, still—revoking his title is too harsh, don’t you think? He’s still a knight of House Arphedi. You should show leniency, as his superior.”
He argued that one shouldn’t discard subordinates so easily.
But Velia lifted her hand to cover the smile tugging at her lips.
“Perhaps you see it as cold, brother. But I gave him breaks, raised his pay, and tolerated his absences again and again.”
Her sad eyes betrayed no sign of the fury she had just shown.
