Chapter 26
“Life on Mortgage” —
Irina gasped for breath.
The moment she opened her eyes, all strength drained from her body.
It felt as though a cold, slimy snake had slithered over her — the sensation was deeply unpleasant.
“Irina.”
Hearing the worried voice calling to her, Irina turned her head.
“Howard…”
How long had he been watching her?
He was holding her hand, looking down with concern.
Irina let out a sigh of relief.
The first thought that came to her upon waking was how fortunate it was that Howard was there.
But that thought lasted only a second.
Blood began to trickle down his face — then, suddenly, his skin turned pitch black.
Why—?
Irina drew in a sharp breath again.
“…My lady!”
Then, another voice called out, and Irina, as though being pulled backward, gasped and opened her eyes again.
“Are you all right?”
Casey was looking down at her, eyes full of worry.
“…Huh?”
Only after answering did Irina see Casey let out a long sigh of relief.
“You wouldn’t wake up no matter what I did. Were you having a nightmare? Oh, you’re drenched in sweat. I’ll get a wet towel right away.”
A nightmare within a nightmare.
Now she was truly awake.
Irina nodded weakly and tried to sit up. Her body felt unbearably heavy.
“Here’s some water.”
“Mmh.”
As she took the glass Casey handed her, Irina noticed her forehead felt damp.
The clammy feeling must have been from the sweat — her forehead was soaked as if she had splashed water on it.
She hardly ever sweated like this.
Even after drinking the whole glass, the murky heaviness that clung to her body refused to go away.
“Air…”
She needed air.
She thought about opening the window, but it didn’t feel like it would be enough. Slipping on the slippers neatly placed on the floor, she opened the door.
Casey would probably scold her for going out like this.
But right now, she just wanted to feel the wind on her skin.
Dragging her feet slightly, Irina stepped outside.
“Ah, that feels nice.”
The damp, humid air that had always clung to this place felt suddenly cool.
She almost laughed at how quickly she was adjusting to the climate.
After standing in the breeze for a while, the sticky, unpleasant feeling melted away.
Just as the sweat began to dry and the air turned a little chilly, she turned back.
“Huh?”
She had assumed everyone would be asleep by now — but she was wrong.
From a distance, light leaked out of the window of Howard’s office.
Perhaps someone had forgotten to blow out the lamp — or maybe Howard was still working.
He had been so busy lately. Since Irina arrived, he hardly seemed to rest except for brief moments when she needed him.
Was he still fighting to maintain his position even at this hour?
For a moment, Irina thought of going to check on him, but she quickly decided against it.
Howard was someone who had fought tooth and nail for the power Irina had been born into — the power of a noble.
She looked one last time at the faint light glowing from his office and then turned her gaze toward the forest.
It wasn’t a place she was familiar with, yet it felt strangely familiar.
She had seen Howard emerge from there once — but she had never gone inside.
‘Why was I there? And what was that building?’
The thought of that eerie building made her both curious and afraid.
Gulp.
Irina took a hesitant step toward the forest.
Thunk.
“…!”
A sudden hand grasped hers, and she spun around in shock.
In the dim light, half of Howard’s face came into view.
The sight of him, shadowed in darkness, overlapped eerily with the image from her nightmare.
“Ah!”
Irina let out a short scream, jerking her hand free and stepping back.
Howard’s eyes widened in surprise, then softened.
“Irina?”
“Yes, it’s me.”
“Ah…”
Only after hearing his voice did she realize that his face looked perfectly normal.
Her pounding heart began to slow.
Feeling embarrassed for reacting so strongly, she gave him a sheepish smile.
Howard didn’t seem to mind.
“Weren’t you in your office?”
“I was — until a moment ago. But what are you doing out here alone at this hour? It’s dangerous.”
At his mildly scolding tone, Irina shook her head.
“No, I just thought I saw something and wanted a closer look, that’s all. Where else would I go? You’re done with work — why are you out here?”
Howard tilted his head slightly, studying her face.
“I thought you were a wild animal.”
“What? A wild animal?”
Irina narrowed her eyes sharply.
The faint light caught them, and they glimmered. Seeing that, Howard’s expression softened, and he reached out, his fingers brushing her cheek.
His thumb traced gently under her eye.
Without meaning to, Irina looked up and met his gaze.
For a brief, suspended moment, the two of them stayed like that.
‘This feels familiar… Has this happened before?’
She tried to recall when — but no matter how she tried, she couldn’t remember. Frustrated, she shook her head slightly.
“What’s wrong?”
Howard lowered his hand, puzzled.
“Nothing. I’m just… going to bed.”
“All right.”
He nodded quietly.
The early dawn air hung thick and still — their footsteps were the only sounds.
As they walked, Irina glanced toward the forest again and spoke.
“Howard.”
“Yes?”
“Am I… helpful to you? Really?”
Howard stopped walking.
‘Is there a building in that forest?’
That was the question she really wanted to ask — but it sounded too strange, too foolish. So she changed direction at the last second.
After a brief silence, Howard looked toward the woods.
“Yes.”
“I’m helping you?”
“Yes. You’re doing very well.”
The sudden compliment made her stare at him.
“Really?”
“Yes.”
“Truly?”
When Irina’s eyes narrowed skeptically, Howard mirrored the expression, tilting his head slightly.
“If you’d rather, I could say you’re utterly useless instead?”
“Well, that’s not exactly…”
“You always swing to extremes,” she muttered.
Howard tilted his head again, a faint smile playing on his lips.
“You don’t believe me otherwise.”
“That’s because…”
“Because I’m not trustworthy?”
Instead of answering, Irina just shrugged.
Their light exchange carried them to her door.
“Are you going to bed right away?” she asked.
“Probably.”
Howard reached out his hand — she thought he was asking to hold hers, but his hand landed on her head instead.
“Try not to think too much.”
“Huh? About what?”
“You keep having nightmares.”
“Ah…”
As he spoke, he gently brushed her hair, as though trying to wipe away the remnants of her bad dreams.
“Sleep well.”
“You too, Howard.”
After a few lingering strokes, he reluctantly pulled his hand away and turned to leave.
Irina watched his retreating back for a while before stepping into her room.
After spending even that short time with him, she found herself falling asleep easily and peacefully.
“Since it’s a bit windy today, shall I braid your hair?”
Casey asked through the mirror.
“Sure, that sounds good.”
Perhaps because they’d spent so much time together — or perhaps because of that strange sense of déjà vu — Irina had grown comfortable with her.
She had assumed Casey was younger, but to her surprise, they were the same age.
Chattering cheerfully, Casey’s nimble fingers wove through Irina’s hair, braiding it neatly.
Between the strands, she loosened small sections and tucked in sparkling jeweled pins.
As Casey worked, the braid grew heavier, but it was so beautiful that Irina simply sat still, gazing at her reflection.
“What are the nobles here like?”
It was a question about the upcoming tea party.
She had met a few people already — even befriended Bevin — but this would be the first time she’d been invited somewhere formally. The thought made her a little nervous.
“Hmm…”
Casey pressed a pin to her lips, eyes darting as she thought.
“I think most of them are quite nice. Lord Borman’s lands are known for treating commoners well — no one gets beaten in the streets for small mistakes. Everyone smiles a lot, and they’re curious about everything. Honestly… they all seem so noble to me.”
She giggled softly.
“Was it the same where you lived, my lady? I bet everyone was as kind as you are.”
Irina tilted her head, then shook it slowly.
“I don’t think so. Maybe this place is better.”
“Really? Ah — it’s done! What do you think? Not too heavy?”
Casey lifted the end of the braid proudly.
“I love it. Truly.”
Her delighted smile made Casey’s own face light up even more.
Knock, knock.
Just as Irina stood up, ready to leave, someone knocked at the door.
Both Irina and Casey turned toward the sound.
