CHAPTER 09
“Hey.”
Ray, who had been awkwardly rolling her eyes, finally spoke.
“Uh, so… I mean, about what we just talked about. That thing you said about red eyes being the most beautiful.”
“Yeah. Why?”
“Um. Well…”
Why was she hesitating so much? Sylvia, growing impatient, was about to urge her to speak quickly when—
“Ray!”
From far away, Lorelai ran toward them, desperately calling the child’s name. Startled, Ray jumped to her feet and turned toward the sound.
“Auntie!”
Lorelai reached Ray, then collapsed on the spot, panting heavily. Sylvia, startled, quickly asked her.
“Lorelai, what happened to your shoes? Your feet are bleeding.”
It was only natural—she had run barefoot across sun-heated gravel.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes. I’m fine, Miss Sylvia. More importantly, Ray, let’s go back to the annex.”
“But you’re bleeding. I’ll ask Father to call a doctor. Let’s go to the mansion.”
“No. I’m fine.”
“But—”
“I said I’m fine!”
Lorelai suddenly raised her voice. Sylvia flinched in shock. She was deeply surprised—her gentle nanny had never shouted at her before.
Realizing her mistake, Lorelai forced a weak smile to reassure her.
“I’m sorry, miss. But I really am fine. I just need some ointment. It’s not a serious injury.”
“Uh… okay.”
“Anyway, Ray, let’s go home. You have no idea how worried I was when you weren’t there.”
“…I’m sorry, Auntie.”
Lorelai grabbed Ray’s hand and headed straight for the annex.
“W-wait. I wasn’t done talking yet.”
Sylvia tried to stop them, wanting to finish their conversation, but Lorelai didn’t stop. Ray looked back a few times—but that was all.
* * *
The annex was in complete disarray. Only then did Ray realize why Lorelai was angry.
When Auntie went out, she had strictly ordered Ray never to leave the annex. But today, Ray had met Sylvia—and even the Duke.
Lorelai walked past Ray, who was carefully reading her expression, and entered the reception room.
Cookies were scattered everywhere on the floor. Lorelai silently began cleaning them up.
“Auntie…”
“Go to your room for now. I’ll come after I finish cleaning.”
At her aunt’s firm, angry voice, Ray could only nod. She lowered her head and walked toward her room.
Seeing this, Lorelai bit her lip.
A little later, Ray’s door opened.
“Auntie…”
“Ray. I’m sorry for getting angry. But you must not get close to Miss Sylvia. We have to keep hiding here for a long time.”
“…Why?”
“Hm?”
“Why do we have to hide? You, me… and Mom didn’t do anything wrong, right?”
It was the first time in six years the child had ever asked “why.” Lorelai was momentarily speechless.
“Auntie… can we stop using that medicine?”
Ray asked carefully.
Lorelai then noticed the medicine in her hand.
It was the reason she had gone out today—and something Ray desperately needed.
A drug delivered secretly once a month from the North.
“No. Your eye color stands out too much… we’d be discovered quickly.”
Ray’s appearance, so similar to her parents, was proof enough of who her father was.
“Ray, I promised your sister I would protect you.”
“I know. But nothing happened in six years.”
“Your father is still looking for us. He just doesn’t know where we are.”
At that, Ray gathered courage again.
“So… who is my ‘father’?”
Father.
A person she had never seen was always someone to fear.
But after meeting the Duke today, her feelings had slightly changed.
Just as Sylvia’s father—the Duke—was a kind man…
Maybe her own father could be kind too.
“…I told you. He’s just an ordinary noble.”
“Then let’s tell the Duke. He’s very powerful. If he helps us, maybe we won’t have to hide anymore.”
“No.”
“Why? You said he’s a noble. The Duke could help us!”
“That’s—! Anyway, no.”
Lorelai stubbornly shook her head.
If only he truly were just an ordinary noble… she would have already asked Duke Langston for help long ago.
But things were not that simple. And she could not tell Ray the truth.
Not everything true needed to be said.
“Ray. That’s enough.”
Her tone became firm.
“You’re not a child anymore. Stop being stubborn. It’s time for your medicine. Come here.”
She opened the package and took out the eye drops.
Ray silently approached.
Lorelai lifted her eyelid and dropped the medicine into her eyes.
Only then did she feel relieved.
But Ray, looking into the mirror, felt deep disappointment.
Her fading eye color had turned dark navy again.
Just like Sylvia had said—like storm clouds.
“Ray.”
“I’m sleepy, Auntie. I’m going to bed.”
Without meeting her eyes, Ray went to her bed and turned her back.
After staring at her sadly for a long moment, Lorelai quietly left the room.
Tears began to fall from Ray’s tightly curled body. She didn’t know why she was crying.
But tears wouldn’t stop.
Her pillow slowly became soaked.
* * *
Early the next morning, loud voices echoed from Sylvia’s playroom.
“Lorelai! Bring Ray here! I need to talk to him! Really!”
“Miss, Ray is very sick right now.”
“Sick? Where? You’re lying! He was fine yesterday!”
Sylvia glared sharply, but Lorelai remained calm.
“Yes. He is sick.”
“Then he needs a doctor!”
“He will see one.”
“When?”
“Tonight.”
Sylvia couldn’t argue and only bit her lip. Maybe Ray really was sick.
“Is he really sick?”
“Yes. So please forget about Ray for now. You might catch his illness, so don’t meet him for a while.”
“But—”
“Everything you like is here, isn’t it? What would you like to do? Dolls? Or read a book?”
Lorelai didn’t want Sylvia to get attached to Ray.
Ray needed to live a quiet, invisible life—at least until adulthood.
Compared to that, Sylvia was too noticeable.
‘If she stays close and Ray is discovered… that must never happen.’
She knew the capital and the North were far apart, but the obsession of “that man” who was searching for Ray was growing.
Even here, they couldn’t feel safe.
“I like playing with Ray…”
It had only been one day.
But nothing else felt as fun as that time with him.
Ignoring Sylvia’s murmur, Lorelai opened a picture book.
“Maybe a week will be enough.”
Sylvia usually lost interest in things quickly.
But Lorelai was wrong.
Sylvia’s interest in Ray did not fade the next day, nor the day after, nor even after that.
