Inside the carriage heading to Lake Nifla, Eleanor couldn’t hide her unease. Even recalling everything, she couldn’t think of anything she had done to deserve such dislike.
Why on earth was Vanessa acting like that?
There was no reason for two extras to display hostility toward each other from the start.
It was rare for the female lead to behave that way without cause.
Even Lydia, who was loved in this world, had a few people who looked upon her with contempt. Most were villain characters who either liked one of the male leads or felt inferior to her.
In the original story focused on romance, the female lead’s biggest challenge was fighting against these characters.
“But I’m not the female lead. I’m just that extra lady.”
As she sighed with a complicated heart, the carriage arrived at Lake Nifla.
Eleanor held Lisa’s hand as they stepped down. A knight who had been guarding them since Bayrn stayed behind to watch over them.
Under the clear sky without a single cloud, the surface of the lake glittered brightly.
Every time Eleanor came down to Oklama, she visited Lake Nifla. She liked its uniquely peaceful and quiet atmosphere.
Bayrn had a large lake too, but it was crowded with people and uncomfortable.
The dense trees surrounding the lake and the distant mountain ridges made the scenery even more beautiful.
A gentle breeze lightly brushed past her. The layered ruffles of her dress swayed slightly under the belt around her waist.
Eleanor looked for a suitable shaded spot to sit. Scattered around were a few young ladies from local estates who had come out for a picnic like her.
She spotted a place where branches hung low and headed that way.
“Let’s sit here, Lisa.”
“Yes, Miss. Just a moment.”
Lisa reached into the picnic basket to find a mat. As she fumbled, her face went pale.
No matter how much she searched, she only felt food beneath her fingers, never the texture of a mat.
“Miss…”
“What’s wrong?”
“I think… I left the mat behind.”
Lisa opened the basket cover to check inside and said in a despairing voice. It was a rare mistake for her, and her shoulders sagged.
Seeing Lisa’s sulky face, Eleanor felt sorry and gently patted her shoulder.
“It’s okay. We can sit on the bench and eat.”
“But that would be uncomfortable for you… I’ll just go buy one now!”
It was clear that spreading out the picnic basket and sitting on the narrow bench would be cramped.
Remembering the general store she had seen earlier, Lisa suddenly lifted her head.
“A mat?”
“Yes. There’s a general store nearby. I’ll be quick!”
Placing the basket on the bench and urging the knight to watch over the lady carefully, Lisa ran off toward the outer side of the lake. Eleanor barely had time to tell her it was fine.
Watching the hurried figure of her maid run away, Eleanor felt a little guilty. It really was okay to eat on the bench.
But Lisa had already run off, so all Eleanor could do was wait for her return.
As she was about to sit beside the picnic basket, the knight laid a handkerchief for her.
“Thank you, Gale.”
The knight bowed slightly and stood behind Eleanor.
Oklama was a peaceful place, unlike Bayrn, so heavy guard was usually unnecessary. Still, perhaps because she was the daughter of a count’s family, a knight stayed closely attached to her.
Eleanor didn’t insist he sit and rest. Like Lisa, she knew he wouldn’t listen even if she suggested it.
Sitting on the bench and looking ahead, the entire view of the lake came into sight. She saw a mother duck and ducklings swimming in a line and chuckled softly at how cute they were.
Looking at Lake Nifla, the worries caused by Vanessa seemed to blow away completely.
Feeling the sunlight warming her skin just enough and the tickling breeze, Eleanor closed her eyes.
As she quietly sat for a while, something suddenly rested on her lap.
Startled by the unfamiliar weight, Eleanor opened her eyes. When she looked down, she met a pair of round, jet-black eyes like those of a teddy bear.
“…?”
“…”
A young girl, perhaps five or six years old, stared intently. She had black hair, black eyes, and brown skin.
These features were rare among the people of the Tritan Empire.
The character had never appeared or been described in the original story, so Eleanor was a little taken aback.
Who was this child?
The girl put her hand on Eleanor’s knee and stared without blinking. Just like Vanessa, she was someone Eleanor had never seen before during her travels to Oklama. It was the first time anyone had approached her at Lake Nifla like this.
“Um…”
“Don’t touch the lady, step back. She’s someone you can’t touch without permission.”
As Eleanor hesitated, unsure what to do, Gale stretched out his arm in front of her.
It was his duty to block anyone approaching the lady without permission, whether young or old.
He didn’t touch the child but stepped forward somewhat threateningly.
The girl looked up at Gale, who was many times her size, with a suddenly troubled expression.
Her lips trembled and her big eyes filled with tears.
She looked like she was about to cry…
“Waaah!”
The girl burst into a frightened cry. Her loud wailing echoed around the lakeshore. Gale panicked.
Though he acknowledged he hadn’t approached kindly, he hadn’t intended to scare her.
As he tried to soothe her with outstretched hands, the girl cried even harder.
“Waaaah!”
Gale broke into a cold sweat and froze like a statue. It was his first time trying to calm a crying child, and his mind went blank. The girl’s cries grew louder.
Unable to bear it any longer, Eleanor gently took Gale’s hand back and reached out to the girl.
“Sorry, don’t cry. This gentleman wasn’t trying to scare you.”
Softly soothing her, the girl slowly stopped sobbing. Tears dripped down, making her vision clearer, and Eleanor could see her clearly.
Her eyes were so clear that Eleanor could even see her own reflection in them.
Confirming it wasn’t Gale, the girl cried bitterly again and snuggled into Eleanor’s arms.
Before she realized it, Eleanor was holding the girl and sat her on her lap.
“Were you very scared? I’ll apologize for you. Don’t cry.”
Patting the little back and whispering gently, the crying gradually stopped. The girl wiped her eyes with her sleeve and mumbled something.
“…No.”
“Hm? What did you say?”
“Sniff, sniff, it wasn’t scary.”
Eleanor took out a handkerchief, seeing the red skin from rubbing roughly. Holding the girl’s small hand to stop her, she gently wiped her eyes. The girl stayed calm.
“So it wasn’t scary. Then why did you cry?”
“Because he’s not my brother…”
“Brother?”
“Yes… Fairy, where is my brother?”
Eleanor, carefully wiping the soft skin, smiled awkwardly.
Fairy…? Brother…?
Not knowing how to respond, she just continued wiping away tears.
“Fairy, where’s my brother…?”
The girl suddenly grabbed Eleanor’s sleeve tightly. Her black bean-like eyes looked at her with longing.
‘She must have lost her brother.’
Eleanor nodded for now. She didn’t know where he was, but if her brother was looking for her, they should be able to meet.
“Alright, I’ll find him for you.”
“Really?!”
“Yeah. So don’t worry too much.”
The girl’s face brightened. Eleanor brushed Yasmin’s curly black hair and asked her name.
“What’s your name?”
“Yasmin.”
“Yasmin? Are you from another country?”
At the exotic name, Eleanor asked, and the girl nodded.
“I came from Haitar with my brother.”
Haitar. Eleanor’s hand trembled slightly as she brushed the girl’s hair. The girl looked at her innocently, unaware of the weight of those words.
“Yasmin, from Haitar…”
“Miss!”
Before Eleanor could finish, Lisa’s sharp shout interrupted.
What Eleanor saw and heard was that a large beast-like man had charged fiercely at her, Gale had drawn his sword to block him, Lisa screamed close to a shout calling her name, and Yasmin, who had fallen from Eleanor’s arms, shouted:
“Brother!”
Four adults and one child were tangled up in chaos in front of Lake Nifla, a symbol of peace and harmony in Oklama.
Eleanor calmly assessed the situation.
The huge man, who looked like a wild beast, was holding tightly onto her arm. The knight had a sword pressed against the man’s neck, and the pale Lisa was struggling to pull the man’s hand off.
Meanwhile, Yasmin had fallen to the ground, then jumped up and was pounding the man’s leg with her fists.
It was a complete mess.
Eleanor’s eyes calmly studied the man. Same hair color, eye color, and skin tone as Yasmin. He was probably the brother the girl had asked her to find.
“What are you doing, really!”
Yasmin clung to her brother’s leg, irritated. The man’s eyes flashed sharply as he grabbed his sister’s neck and hid her behind himself.
His beast-like glare made Lisa and Gale tense up.
“Let go of the lady. Do you know who this person is to dare behave so insolently?”
Gale lowered his voice threateningly. Eleanor felt a bit embarrassed in the middle of this.
Although this was her aunt’s estate, and she was a count’s daughter, it wasn’t really a situation to say “Do you know who she is?”
Whether Eleanor was embarrassed or not, the tension between Gale and the man grew stronger. The blade cut into the man’s neck, and blood began to flow.
Still, the man didn’t move his hand. Eleanor’s arm was hurting quite a bit.
Since it seemed unlikely they’d resolve this calmly, Eleanor sighed deeply. Everyone’s gaze turned to her with that deep breath.
“Both of you, stop. Gale, lower your sword. You, let go of my arm.”
“…”
“…”
“Lower your sword and let go.”
Eleanor spoke firmly. Her steely blue eyes swept over Gale and the man.
If they still didn’t listen, she planned to call the guards with Lisa.
After a moment of silence, both Gale and the man relaxed their grip. One sheathed his sword, the other released her arm.
Lisa tearily wrapped Eleanor’s tingling arm.
“Yasmin, is this your brother?”
Eleanor asked to confirm. Yasmin peeked from behind the man’s back and weakly nodded.
“Yes… he is…”
“Good. It’s great you found your brother.”
Eleanor smiled warmly. Yasmin tried to run to her, but the man grabbed her neck tightly and stopped her.
Like lifting a puppy, he lifted his sister with one arm.
“I don’t know what misunderstanding happened, but Yasmin lost her brother and came to me for help. Nothing to worry about, so rest easy.”
“…”
“If you doubt me, ask your sister and check. If you see she isn’t hurt, then apologize to me.”
The man looked down at Eleanor with an unreadable expression. He was huge. Eleanor wasn’t short herself, and there were many tall men around, but this was the biggest.
He was probably over 190 cm, a full head taller.
The man carefully checked if Yasmin was injured after setting her down. Although Eleanor told him to, his manner of checking wasn’t pleasant to see. Eleanor stared coldly at him.
“You’re a dummy, brother! You suddenly disappeared and left Yasmin wandering alone before she came to ask the fairy for help! Why did you try to hit the fairy?!”
Yasmin clenched her tiny fists and scolded him sternly. Fairy… The serious situation made Eleanor even more embarrassed.
Why is everyone like this? Heat of embarrassment flushed her face.
Listening quietly to his sister, the man turned to look at Eleanor. He said nothing, only looked, but Eleanor felt stabbed by his gaze.
Clearing her throat, she spoke up.
“I didn’t call you a fairy. Yasmin just has a kind heart and spoke politely. Don’t misunderstand.”
“…”
The man silently watched her, lips tightly closed. Eleanor changed the subject, thinking he didn’t believe her.
“So, how does she look? Unhurt, right?”
“…”
The man picked Yasmin up again and slowly stood.
His huge frame cast a shadow over Eleanor.
“Why are you silent all this time?”
“Oh, my brother can’t talk.”
Gale, who disliked the silence, tried to speak but shut up after hearing cheerful Yasmin’s words.
If Gale hadn’t spoken, Eleanor thought she would have said the same herself. She silently sighed. No one had asked if the little sister was okay.
Eleanor understood now why Gale didn’t shout at him for threatening the sister. Instead, he barged in physically without warning.
It made it awkward to demand an apology.
Eleanor was deep in thought: a young sister and a brother who couldn’t speak. She was angry at the man’s rudeness but didn’t want to forcibly get an apology from someone who couldn’t talk.
She was about to tell them it was fine to leave without apologizing when the man suddenly set Yasmin down and bowed.
“…?”
“The brother says sorry, Fairy.”
Eleanor, surprised, heard Yasmin speak on his behalf.
Looking down at the man’s black crown of hair and broad back as he bowed politely, Eleanor nodded.
“Alright. I accept your apology. Please straighten up.”
The man slowly raised his back again, holding Yasmin once more.
Seeing blood on his neck, Eleanor frowned.
“Yasmin, what’s your brother’s name?”
“Yahin.”
“Okay, Yahin. I won’t make you apologize for the wounds caused by your attack.”
But since her knight caused the injury, Eleanor couldn’t ignore it. She took out a handkerchief and wiped the blood from Yahin’s neck. He tensed at the touch.
After checking the depth of the wound, Eleanor handed the handkerchief to him.
“If it keeps bleeding on the way, use this to wipe it. Fortunately, it’s not a deep wound. Still, get treatment from a doctor.”
Eleanor gave him five silver coins. They only had five silver coins since they came to enjoy the lake.
Yahin blinked and shook his head, refusing.
Yasmin hesitated and leaned into her brother.
“I’m not giving it because I pity you or feel sorry. My knight injured you, so I take responsibility as the mistress.”
Eleanor understood. Even in a class society, the nobles’ money wasn’t always welcomed by commoners. Sometimes it hurt their pride.
So she made the boundary clear. It wasn’t out of apology or sympathy but simply responsibility.
“Then I’ll give you two silver coins from this. Take it. It’s really for medical expenses.”
Still refusing, Eleanor offered only two coins from the five. Hesitating, Yahin reached out.
Before he changed his mind, Eleanor quickly placed two silver coins in his large hand.
His rough hand, scarred and calloused from labor, touched hers briefly. Eleanor felt strange.
She recalled Yasmin’s words about coming from Haitar with her brother.
“One last thing.”
“…”
“Make sure Yasmin doesn’t reveal where she’s from. Oklama’s security isn’t as strict as in the big cities, but this is still a place where people live. It’s not good if the word gets out.”
Yahin clenched his fists tightly. His eyes trembled. Did he realize how easily his sister said she was from Haitar?
He needed to take better care of his little sister, starting from losing her in this wide lakeside area.
“We’ll be going now. Yasmin, be careful going home with your brother.”
“Yes, Fairy. Let’s meet again!”
“Mm, take care…”
Eleanor smiled awkwardly at the persistently embarrassing ‘Fairy’ title. At 21 years old, being called a fairy—how much would people laugh if they heard?
But she couldn’t say anything to Yasmin, who waved brightly.
After all, kids call anyone with long hair a princess.
Yasmin and Yahin stood there until Eleanor disappeared into the lake’s entrance. They even waved her off, but Eleanor was stubborn.
Finally giving up, Eleanor got back into the carriage with Lisa and Gale.
The sandwiches, muffins, and orange juice left in the picnic basket were cold.
It was natural since they couldn’t enjoy the outing.
Eleanor closed her eyes and leaned her head against the wall. When Lisa asked what was going on, Eleanor told her she’d explain later.
The day felt tiring already, even though the sun hadn’t set yet.
A very unrelated character!