Chapter 47
Madam Alma glanced toward the same direction as Erica.
“Ah,” she let out a soft sound and chose her words carefully.
“She’s probably Lady Loren’s caregiver and companion.”
“Caregiver?”
Startled, Erica turned to Madam Alma.
“What do you mean? Caregiver? Is Lady Loren sick?”
“She’s not seriously ill. But she’s had poor health since childhood,” Madam Alma explained gently.
“Just like you, little lady,” she added with a smile.
“Really?”
Erica looked at her in disbelief, clearly not expecting that.
“Yes, she was frequently sick as a child. She’s healthier now—she even rides horses—but if she overexerts herself, she can be bedridden for days due to her weak constitution.”
“I see…”
Madam Alma went on to say that Loren had always had a caregiver at her side since she was young.
“Usually, the daughters of unmarried retainers would take on the role. But as they reached marriageable age and got married, they had to be replaced often.”
It seemed Loren had gone through quite a few caregivers over the years.
“But this one… I’m seeing her for the first time.”
“Really? She seems very close to Lady Loren, so I thought they had known each other for a long time.”
“No, not at all. But I heard she’s a noble from the capital.”
“I see…”
Nodding habitually, Erica watched the young woman with light brown hair standing beside Loren.
Nothing in particular stood out about her.
Yet, despite the distance, their eyes met from time to time, and Erica found herself unable to look away.
Loren’s belongings kept arriving at the Grand Duke’s mansion.
Accordingly, the rooms Loren used as an unmarried lady and those for her servants were being prepared, causing Acliff’s attendants to be extremely busy.
Felix grumbled to his sister that Loren was causing unnecessary chaos at the estate.
In the middle of all that, a letter arrived for Erica.
“Young Lady, a letter has arrived from the Marquess of Blanche.”
Vincent politely held out the letter on a silver tray.
“…Thank you.”
Erica’s breath caught slightly.
She stared intensely at the seal of the Blanche family on the envelope.
For a long while.
Finally, she carefully broke the wax seal.
[Erica,
I was worried when I heard you were gravely ill.
How is your health now?
I’ve heard nothing from you.
I hope you’ve recovered.
Also, I would like to hear how life in the Acliff Grand Duchy is treating you.
I’ll wait for your reply.
– Jonathan Blanche]
For a letter from a father to his daughter, it was cold and short—excessively so.
And yet it made Erica tremble, because the memory of facing him in person was still vivid.
As she stared at the Marquess’s name at the bottom of the letter, her jaw clenched tightly.
She thought of the precious person he still held hostage. Her fingers trembled as they gripped the corner of the letter.
Then Joanna spoke up, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
“Young Lady, you’re going to reply, right? Shall I prepare the writing paper?”
But Erica hesitated for a moment.
“No. I’ll send it a bit later.”
Even to her own ears, her voice sounded strangely flat.
Since she had been cheerful just moments before, Joanna tilted her head in curiosity.
Realizing the maid found her change odd, Erica forced a smile.
“There’s just so much I want to say to my father… If I start now, I might even skip dinner. I’ll write it a bit later.”
Raising her tone slightly, Erica tried to sound normal. It worked—Joanna relaxed her expression.
“And come to think of it, I don’t like any of the writing paper I have right now. I’ll buy new stationery when I go into town and send the reply then.”
“Oh! That’s a good idea. The shopkeeper at the stationer’s said they’ll be getting new stock soon.”
“Mmh.”
Erica nodded weakly, folding the letter neatly and slipping it back into the envelope.
“When is Lord Sebastian coming back?”
“Should be soon. He just went out for an inspection today, so he should return right away.”
Erica pressed her lips together and nodded.
She was eager to see Sebastian as soon as possible.
Sebastian didn’t make it to family dinner.
It seemed his outside business had taken longer than expected.
Erica stayed up far past her usual bedtime waiting for him.
She stood close to the window the entire time, and once she saw him return, she quickly left her room.
She rushed all the way to Sebastian’s room, caught her breath, and knocked.
“Lord Sebastian, do you have a moment?”
“Come in. What’s going on?”
Recognizing her voice, Sebastian opened the door himself.
He must have been about to change clothes, as he was only wearing a loosely buttoned shirt.
“Sorry to bother you…”
It wasn’t something she could discuss while standing in the hallway, so Erica stepped into his room.
Unlike her own, his room was plain and simple, but still carried his familiar scent—a mix of fresh greenery and deep woody notes.
“What’s a little squirt like you doing up this late?”
Sebastian closed the door behind them and teased playfully.
Only then did Erica look down at the letter clenched in her hands and swallow hard.
“My father… sent this letter today.”
Without any hesitation, she handed him the letter from the Marquess of Blanche.
Sebastian saw the seal and exhaled through his nose, a faint scowl forming.
A flicker of annoyance appeared in his eyes.
Twisting his lips, Sebastian glanced at Erica.
“Can I open it?”
“That’s why I brought it.”
With her permission, he immediately opened the envelope and unfolded the letter.
Because it was so short, he read it at once, just like Erica had.
A sharp scoff escaped his lips.
“Looks like he’s trying to turn you into his spy now.”
Erica nodded, her expression hardening, hands clasped together tightly.
Without rereading it, Sebastian folded the letter and placed it back in the envelope.
Then, tapping his lips with the envelope’s corner, he sank into thought.
Watching him quietly, Erica eventually asked, unable to hold back her anxiety.
“Lord Sebastian, what should I do now?”
His hand stilled.
“What do you mean what should you do? You send a reply.”
He answered so casually, as if it were nothing.
Erica held her breath and stared at him.
She had always intended to pass along only the bare minimum of information—just enough to satisfy Jonathan Blanche.
So all she could do now was wait for Sebastian to decide what to include.
His contemplation didn’t last long.
Soon, he began to speak, listing what Erica could safely share.
“First, write that you’ve begun lessons to become the lady of the house.”
Erica’s golden eyes trembled.
That felt too bold for the first thing to reveal.
“Is it okay to say that?”
“Why wouldn’t it be?”
Sebastian looked genuinely puzzled.
Erica hesitated, then voiced her concern cautiously.
“What if the Marquess—no, my father—uses that as a reason to demand something unreasonable from me?”
Even though her mother, more precious than life, was still in his hands…
She didn’t want her position to cause any harm to the Grand Duchy of Acliff.
She meant it.
They’re truly good people.
Even though she’d come here hiding something crucial, she didn’t want to keep deceiving them.
Erica’s expression turned somber.
Seeing it, Sebastian let out a feather-light sigh.
“There it is again. That face like you’re carrying the weight of the world.”
He flicked her forehead lightly—not hard enough to hurt.
“Ah!”
Startled, Erica covered her forehead with both hands and looked up. Sebastian smiled, his eyes crinkling.
“If something like that happens, just tell me. We’ll figure it out then.”
His light, offhand tone made Erica bite her lip.
Why are you being so kind to me…
When I’m deceiving you.
Even so, she found herself wanting to lean on this quiet kindness.
Her nose stung and her eyes grew hot.
She struggled to hold back the tears rising inside.
