Chapter 21
“It was taking a while just to get some water, so I wondered what you were bringing…”
Sophia looked at Lorei, who stood before her holding a cup that clearly didn’t contain just water.
What Lorei had brought was a cup of warm milk. Softer and sweeter with a touch of honey.
“Tea would have taken too long, so I prepared warm milk instead.”
“…I said water would be fine.”
“Here, hold it in your hands… and drink slowly.”
Ignoring Sophia’s comment, Lorei gently placed the cup of milk into her hands. The warmth seeping into her palms made her dizziness ease just a little.
Even though she’d only gone to fetch warm milk, it felt like it had taken far too long—but since she hadn’t checked the clock, she couldn’t be sure.
Time always seemed slower when doing nothing, so that was probably it.
“Thanks.”
“Think nothing of it. It’s only natural for me to do this.”
Responding as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, Lorei began cleaning up the shattered cup and wiping the moisture.
Sophia watched her in silence for a moment before murmuring softly.
“I don’t remember saying I spilled water.”
“I had water ready inside. If you went out to look for it, wasn’t that answer obvious?”
“…”
“Have you forgotten how many years I’ve been by your side, miss?”
Lorei beamed with pride as she finished cleaning. Sophia sipped the milk as she looked at her. Soft and sweet, it warmed her throat, easing the pain and making her eyelids heavy.
“It’s been a long time since we talked this much.”
“Did you miss it?”
“A little.”
Lorei seemed pleased by Sophia’s answer and let out a small laugh as she gently brushed her hair aside and caressed her.
“Do you think you can sleep now?”
“Yeah. I feel much better. Thank you.”
“Don’t mention it.”
With a smile that never left her face, Lorei took the empty cup from Sophia’s hands. Sophia, staring at that hand, suddenly reached out and grabbed it.
“Miss?”
Lorei looked startled by the sudden action, and Sophia’s fingers gently brushed over hers. Near where her fingers touched was a wound—not large, but not small either.
“Where did you get hurt? It looks recent.”
It looked like a scratch from something sharp. The skin had only just torn; a drop of blood still welled up at the site.
Frowning as she stared at the wound, Lorei pulled her hand away with a casual tone.
“I probably got it while cleaning up the broken cup.”
Her smile was awkward. It didn’t feel like the truth. But then again, Lorei had only gone to warm some milk and clean up glass—what other reason would she have to be injured?
“I’m sorry.”
The unnatural smile bothered her, but there was no other explanation for the injury. Apologizing for her own carelessness, Sophia lowered her head.
“It was my own fault, miss. You don’t need to apologize.”
“…Okay.”
“You’re starting to feel sleepy, right? It’s not good for your health to sleep too late, so you should get some rest.”
Lorei gently stroked Sophia’s head. Letting her body relax, Sophia slowly laid down on the bed.
As her heavy eyelids fluttered, Lorei left a soft kiss at the corner of her eye and wished her good night before exiting the room.
After the door clicked shut, sleep rushed over Sophia like a wave.
Perhaps because she’d rested well, Sophia’s complexion the next morning looked visibly better.
She stepped out into the hallway for a short walk. Being stuck in her room made her feel stiff, so she intended to stretch her body a bit.
Lucion had stepped out briefly at Lorei’s call, so Sophia enjoyed a rare quiet walk through the hall.
She gazed at the sunlight pouring through the windows when a precariously wobbling servant carrying a stack of sheets taller than himself caught her eye.
‘That looks dangerous.’
Just as she thought that from a distance, the servant’s foot caught, and the stack of sheets tumbled like snow.
“Ah, ah…!”
He groaned and ruffled his dark hair in frustration before scrambling to pick them up. Sophia approached, intent on helping, and handed him a few sheets she had gathered.
“Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m fine. I just… tend to make a lot of mistakes…”
His gaze, which had been fixed on the floor, slowly rose to meet Sophia’s.
When his brown eyes locked onto hers, he seemed unable to look away or form proper sentences. Tilting her head, Sophia asked again.
“Are you sure you’re okay?”
“Y-Yes! Really… I’m fine.”
Something was off. Like he was startled by seeing her.
Was it because the supposedly “nonexistent” Sophia Veni was standing right in front of him? But that didn’t explain it—none of the new servants had ever reacted this way before.
It seemed normal… but something about it wasn’t.
“I’ll help.”
“Oh, no, no need. I’d be troubled if I caused you inconvenience.”
Before Sophia’s hand could even touch the sheets, he had quickly restored them to their previous state. As she watched him lift them, the long sleeve of his right arm slipped, revealing a glimpse of something underneath.
A bandage wrapped around his arm—she even thought she saw a bit of blood seeping through.
Carrying something that heavy in that condition was clearly unwise. She was about to stop him when he quickly bowed and left before she had the chance.
“…Who was that?”
If he worked in Rosent Castle, she would have memorized his name and face after so many lifetimes. But he wasn’t familiar.
Maybe he was a temporary errand boy. Occasionally people from other places would visit for such tasks, so she considered that possibility.
Just then, a voice nearby answered her unspoken question.
“He’s someone from Forne Castle. He came to deliver the sheets.”
It was a woman with neatly tied golden hair.
“That man seemed to have fallen earlier. You weren’t caught up in it, were you? Are you hurt?”
“I didn’t fall, so I’m fine.”
“That’s a relief.”
The woman smiled warmly, and Sophia stared at her. She acted as if she were a servant of Rosent Castle, yet Sophia didn’t recognize her either.
So many strangers today. It was suspicious.
“What’s your name? I’m not good at remembering the servants’ names.”
“Lucy. Please call me Lucy.”
But Lorei had said the only servant assigned to Rosent Castle was Lucion. So what was this?
“Alright, Lucy.”
When she spoke the name and met the woman’s blue eyes, she noticed the gaze inspecting her subtly.
“Are you alone? Don’t you usually have an escort or attendant?”
Surprised by the question, Sophia tilted her head and replied.
“I never had an escort. I just stepped out briefly while I was alone.”
Sophia didn’t have an escort. She never left the castle, and someone who wasn’t even acknowledged by the lord wouldn’t be given one.
“Why do you ask?”
“Oh, no reason. I just found it odd. Most people have escorts.”
“That’s true. But I’m not like most people.”
With that, Sophia showed clear discomfort, signaling the conversation was over. But Lucy, oblivious, tried to continue—until a voice called out to Sophia from the distance.
It was Lucion.
Without saying another word to Lucy, Sophia walked toward Lucion.
Step by step, she replayed the word ‘escort’ in her mind.
Now that she thought about it—Joshua and Benjamin surely had escorts. But she’d never once seen them.
Were they hidden nearby? Or had they not brought them along?
Following the voice that called her, Sophia spotted Lucion looking around anxiously, as if searching for even a strand of her hair.
“Zion.”
“Oh, there you are, miss. I couldn’t find you in your room, so I went looking.”
“Why? Was something urgent?”
“No, just… because I should always be by your side?”
He smiled playfully, and Sophia instinctively rubbed the goosebumps on her arm. She suddenly remembered something he could do.
“Zion, you’re quite capable, right?”
“Uh… yes!”
“You can do anything, right?”
“Of course!”
“Then can you bring me a complete list of all the servants in the Roberti household?”
“Absolutely!”
Lucion nodded eagerly along with the flow of the conversation—until he realized what he had just agreed to and blinked wide-eyed in shock.
“…Wait, what? Hold on!”
“Why? Was that too much to ask?”
Compiling a list wasn’t hard. It was a simple task.
“No… it’s not that. It’s just—why do you need the list? I’m just curious.”
There was no normal reason for such a request. So he cautiously asked.
“I just want to see it.”
But the answer told him nothing.
That smile—Sophia wore it whenever she wanted to hide her true intentions. Giving such a nonsensical reason was also her way of saying don’t ask further.
Understanding that perfectly, Lucion nodded silently.
That night, just before bed, Sophia examined the list Lucion had brought.
The paper listed people who had worked in the household for many years, as well as those who had only just completed their probation.
What Sophia needed to focus on were the newly hired ones.
If there was a name or face she didn’t recognize, it was surely someone new.
Her fingertip traced down the list—until it suddenly stopped at one name.
