Chapter 21
Would the cat be startled and run away, or would it brush against Roberta?
The voice, as soft as the rustling of grass, spoke quietly.
“I’ll only give you what you need and then leave. So, there’s no need to be so wary.”
Perhaps the cat understood her gentle words. The tense standoff that had lasted for a while ended in vain. When Selachia showed no further movement, the cat began to ignore her.
Watching the cat curl up again and purr leisurely, Selachia felt strangely unsettled.
“You really do resemble someone.”
She turned her head to look toward where that person would be. The large window of Tenus’ office on the second floor of the main mansion was tightly covered with curtains, making it impossible to see inside.
As she watched the oddly fluttering curtains, Nancy came running with a bowl of chicken and water.
“You didn’t need to rush. There was no need to hurry.”
“But what if the cat ran away?”
Nancy giggled and pushed the meat toward the cat. The cat looked wary for a moment, but soon accepted the offering and ate heartily. Then, apparently thirsty, it drank the water with loud slurps.
Nancy squealed quietly with joy.
“Ahhh, so cute! It’s my first time taking care of an animal!”
“I told you, we’re not keeping it. Just feeding it.”
“But you’ll give it a name, right?”
Selachia shook her head.
“No. I shouldn’t.”
It would be dangerous to grow attached to something she couldn’t take responsibility for.
Nancy looked disappointed at her firm tone, but quickly perked up again and pulled something out of her pocket.
“Milady, it’s time for your shark liver oil!”
Selachia abruptly stood up, startled, forgetting the cat altogether.
“I’ll just go back to my bedroom now. You stay and play with the cat.”
“You can’t leave without taking this first!”
“I already had a lot yesterday. I think I can skip today.”
“What are you saying? I give you the exact dose every day!”
Nancy blocked her way with determination.
Selachia once suspected the shark liver oil might have been a trick from Aldrich and had tried to find out where Nancy got it. But Nancy had just blushed fiercely and shouted,
“Come on, you know!”
What exactly did she know? And why that shy but mischievous face?
Selachia hadn’t known a thing, but she obediently drank the oil. Since Tenus hadn’t stopped her after Roberta’s report, she figured it was safe enough.
“Okay, open wide.”
“…Ah.”
Most of all, whenever Nancy widened her eyes like a caregiver trying to feed a child, Selachia found herself instinctively obeying.
“Ugh. It tastes so fishy…”
“Oh, our good and beautiful lady! Well done! Here, I’ll give you a candy. Your favorite—lemon!”
Nancy looked like she was about to pat Selachia’s butt with pride. It was always awkward to be praised just for taking medicine.
Looking embarrassed, Selachia glanced away as she accepted the candy. The tart sweetness spread in her mouth, loosening the grimace on her face.
Watching this scene leisurely from a distance, Roberta commented.
“Nancy, I think you’d be good at raising kids.”
“Of course! I’m confident. I helped raise several younger siblings. When milady has a child, I’ll help take care of them. Ahhh, I bet your baby would be so beautiful—just like you!”
Nancy clasped her cheeks, looking blissful, lost in imagination. Roberta chimed in.
“True. The Duke of Seidon’s looks are nothing to scoff at either. I’m quite looking forward to your child. Though whatever the face, the baby must take after you in personality, milady. Absolutely!”
“A sweet, kind baby like milady? Oh no, I’m getting too excited!”
Nancy even started bouncing on her feet. Selachia remained silent, her face unreadable.
She couldn’t casually join in a conversation about such a far-off future. The future she envisioned for herself was vastly different from what they imagined.
“I’ve done sewing jobs before, but I’ve never made baby clothes. Do you think it’s difficult to make them?”
“You’re asking me, a knight? I don’t know, but I’d imagine giving a sword as a gift might be better.”
“Hmm, no matter how hard it is, if I start now, I can manage. First, I need to find some quality fabric.”
“Hmph. But I wonder if we can even find a decent sword small enough for a toddler around here.”
Nancy and Roberta continued their conversation without missing a beat, even while talking past each other. They had grown accustomed to each other quickly.
It’s surprisingly easy to grow fond of someone you talk to and see every day. Selachia learned that through Nancy and Roberta.
Until now, she had kept others at arm’s length due to ignorance. Maybe if she had met more people before, she would’ve understood this sooner.
She used to be surrounded by people all the time.
The servants of the Lensch family, who doted on her for no reason.
But after her parents died and her half-brother inherited the title, those same people turned on her like flipping a coin.
At the duke’s mansion, Amy was always by her side. The quiet maid who served her suddenly tried to drown her in the sea one day…
“Ugh.”
Selachia staggered, unable to continue the thought. A sharp pain, like being pricked by a thorn, shot through her head. This happened whenever she tried to recall her forgotten past.
Roberta and Nancy, who had been chatting behind her, rushed over in a panic.
“Milady, are you all right?!”
“Oh no, maybe she stayed under the sun too long. Please excuse me, milady.”
Roberta reached under Selachia’s knees, supporting her back as she swiftly lifted her up. Selachia, now suddenly airborne, gasped in surprise.
“P-put me down, Knight! I just felt a little dizzy, that’s all. I’m fine now.”
“I am not fine. If milady were to collapse, I wouldn’t just lose my job—I’d lose my head. The Duke would kill me.”
Roberta, who had once called Tenus the young duke, now naturally referred to him as the Duke. She had clearly become one of the household.
Selachia believed that even if her body were torn to shreds, Tenus wouldn’t bat an eye. Still, she kept her mouth shut.
Yes, Roberta belonged to the Duke—not to her. A member of the Seidon family, not her own person. She must never forget that.
“Oh no. Maybe the shark liver oil wasn’t enough. I need to ask for stronger supplements.”
Nancy fidgeted beside them. She too, after all, was merely a maid of the duke’s household.
Relationships tied by money and hierarchy could fall apart at any time. It made sense that employees acted according to their employer’s interests. As an adult, Selachia could now somewhat understand the sudden coldness from Lensch’s servants that had hurt her as a child.
“Please endure the discomfort just a little longer. I’ll take you to your room right away.”
“Milady, would you like another candy? Something sweet might help with the dizziness.”
Yes, even this warmth would eventually pass.
Selachia forcibly tempered the heart that was beginning to soften.
Roberta and Nancy, they probably weren’t so different from everyone else she had met.
Perhaps because the thoughts of Amy had faded, the pain in her head disappeared. But as if the pain had relocated, her chest throbbed instead.
It was a milder ache than before, but somehow more unsettling.
* * *
A few days later, Selachia sat at the table in her bedroom, writing a letter to Chester.
It took her an absurd amount of time to finish, because she was being overly cautious with every sentence. She had to assume Tenus might check it.
“Maybe I shouldn’t have lied…”
She regretted the hassle, but for the sake of her future, she had to endure the inconvenience.
Eventually, she completed a formal letter—one that didn’t sound at all like it was addressed to an old friend.
“Nancy, can you send this letter for me?”
“Yes! I’ll go right away!”
“Thank you.”
“Milady, please. This is my job!”
Nancy grinned and left the room cheerfully.
Selachia planned to meet Chester soon. Perhaps the reason her heart kept wavering was because her escape plan was still too vague. If she wanted to strengthen her resolve, she needed to prepare more thoroughly. And for that, she needed Chester’s help.
First: a fake identity and a ship ticket bought under that name. Then…
