Episode 33
“That’s fine, but… I don’t think now is a good time.”
“Why not?”
“Well, it’s a long story, and it’s really late. You shouldn’t stay outside too long—you’ll catch a cold.”
Benjamin said this as he re-draped the shawl that had become a bit disheveled when she rushed over from a distance to grab Joshua.
Isn’t it said that kids at this age shouldn’t stay up too late? They’re still growing.
Thinking that, Benjamin agreed with Joshua’s suggestion and took a step back.
“He’s right. We won’t be too late if we talk once the sun comes up. How about we do that?”
Now that he mentioned it, that made sense. They needed rest too. At 19, they were still in the midst of growing, and staying awake while tired wouldn’t do any good.
“…Alright. Then let’s talk tomorrow morning or afternoon.”
Sophia, who had been thinking something similar, although different from the two, gently let go of the arm she was holding.
“Then I’ll head back in.”
So she postponed the argument until tomorrow and turned around to walk away. However, she could still hear the footsteps of Joshua and Benjamin following behind her.
When she turned around with a questioning look that clearly asked why they were following, Benjamin opened his mouth as if asking for understanding.
“We’ll just watch you go into your room.”
Overprotective. That word came to mind, but given she’d just recently collapsed, she couldn’t find the words to push back. In just a single day, she’d been glared at by a servant and nearly harmed by a flower.
“Goodnight, Sophia.”
“Make sure to sleep with the blanket on.”
When they reached her door, Benjamin waved while Joshua offered a bit of advice. Sophia, surprised by such warm send-offs she never expected to receive, hesitated for a moment and then shyly responded with a small voice.
“…Goodbye.”
She couldn’t ignore their kindness—not after all the help they’d given her.
At that very moment, chaos erupted in Sevicea.
“How the hell did this get so messed up?!”
Holton slammed down his teacup with such force it looked like it might shatter and screamed at the man seated across from him.
“What do you mean? I did exactly as instructed—I rescued the people and sent them to the castle.”
The other man was Count Aros. With his platinum hair tied back and a clueless smile on his face, he took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and wiped off the tea that had splashed on his cheek when Holton slammed the cup.
“You just said a few of the people you sent tried to kidnap Sophia Benny and got caught!”
“Yes, I said that.”
“Who gave you permission to do something so idiotic?!”
He’d learned Sophia Benny was still alive through Lucy, who had infiltrated Roberti Castle. But he had never ordered something so stupid.
“Well, I simply… gave them a bit of advice before I sent them off.”
“…”
“I told them: treasures are meant to be stolen.”
With a smile and tone that made it sound like he was mocking him, Holton’s face turned red with rage. Continuing this conversation felt like a waste of time.
Sophia Benny. Someone he loathed more than anyone. Yet sending people to kidnap her in broad daylight, within the castle? That was idiocy—pure and simple.
He sent fools like that on purpose.
“So what now? You sent them—so this falls on you.”
“Hmm.”
“There’s no proof I was involved, so you’ll have to take the fall alone.”
“I’ve already apologized. And I was forgiven.”
Even if his private soldiers had been reduced, and his trust level had dropped so low that the castle lord wouldn’t even look at him for a while.
Holton scowled. The idea that the lord of the castle would just let it go? Seriously?
“They say he didn’t want to make a big deal of it since the child is being hidden. And more than anything, the child stopped it.”
“Hah… still burning with love, is he.”
He remembered all too clearly how the lord had once cherished that girl so deeply that he locked Chase in a tower.
“What did you tell the Hazley family?”
“Oh, nothing special. Just that the two of them fell in love and ran away together. Romantic, isn’t it?”
“…Romantic, my ass. And they actually bought that?”
“They did. Well, that’s no surprise. That family chose their clumsy eldest son as heir over their far more talented daughter. Said they always expected her to cause trouble eventually. They didn’t even ask where she went.”
Holton scoffed. What a foolish family.
“Anyway, the situation’s wrapped up on my end, so you needn’t worry anymore. So—what will you do with the girl now?”
“Did the castle lord try to silence her?”
“No.”
“Then it’s only a matter of time before everyone finds out Sophia Benny is alive.”
That the lord hadn’t tried to silence someone like Count Aros meant he had no intention of hiding it anymore.
That girl would now appear in public. And when that happened…
“She’ll be harder to get to.”
He must’ve hidden her to protect her. Now that she was stepping into the light, the risk was even greater.
“Yes. And I heard the young lords did quite well catching our attendants.”
“…Instead of helping me, they protected her.”
Did they not even miss their dead mother?
Holton let out a sigh, unable to hide his displeasure.
“With just our power now, we won’t be able to reach her.”
If anything happened to that girl, the castle lord would surely turn his eyes on the Sevicea family.
“But I’ll still support you. Just call me when the time is right.”
“…Fine. If you’ve finished your tea, you may leave.”
Without hesitation, the Count rose from his seat. His teacup was barely half-empty.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Still smiling, the Count stepped out of the room and left the estate with his attendant. Once they were in the carriage, he finally spoke.
“Ugh. That tea was disgusting.”
“You did well.”
“I started ad-libbing halfway through. Was that okay?”
“It was a lousy lie, but I think he bought it.”
The one speaking formally was the Count. The one using informal speech was the attendant.
“You must’ve been standing in the hall the whole time… Jay, are your legs alright?”
“Massage them for me later.”
“Of course!”
Count and servant. It was like their roles were reversed.
Looking out the window, the servant murmured softly.
“Well, that’s the first step taken care of.”
The next day, sunlight pierced through the window, waking Sophia earlier than usual.
“Lorae… don’t open the curtains…”
“Huh? But you have to open the curtains! Sunlight is good for your health!”
What kind of nonsense… Wait, what?
Trying to pull the blanket over her face to block the light, Sophia suddenly froze. That voice—it wasn’t Lorae. It wasn’t Lucion either.
It was someone she’d never heard before.
She threw back the blanket and sat up. A stranger, humming cheerfully as he pulled back the curtains, came into view.
He had unusually colorful hair, and after glancing her way, he flashed a bright smile.
“Good morning, Sophia! Your bed is so soft—just lying on it makes you sleepy!”
“…Who are you?”
“Me? Peyton! Peyton Sel Meria!”
He pointed to himself as he introduced his name. Sophia stared blankly at him.
Peyton? The Peyton—who could revive anything that wasn’t dead?
Why was he in her room?
As she struggled to make sense of this, he smiled prettily and continued.
“You know you were seriously poisoned by Salia’s toxin, right?”
“…So that’s why I collapsed…”
“Yup! You almost died!”
The way he said that so cheerfully made it sound like no big deal.
“Normally, you’d be dead within a day. But your resident physician, Serita, held on really well. Thanks to her, even though I arrived a bit late, I was still just in time to save you!”
Serita and Peyton saved her?
“Wow, Bled sure is lucky. He already had the most skilled physician among humans, and now he’s got me too.”
What now? Peyton was a physician?
This was beyond anything she could understand. Peyton Sel Meria didn’t belong to anyone. No matter how much money or enticing terms people offered, he always turned them down flat.
So how on earth…?
“Why would you even…?”
“I came to check on Bled. Then I heard you were sick. As a healer, I couldn’t just ignore it!”
“…But what’s this about being a personal physician?”
“Exactly what it sounds like. I, Peyton, am now Sophia Benny’s exclusive doctor!”
Her mind went blank. If it were just about the Roberti family, she might’ve accepted it, but—Sophia Benny’s personal physician?
“I appreciate the offer, but… why would you become my doctor?”
Not understanding his real motive, she asked. Peyton played with the curtain cord and swept back his hair before smiling sheepishly.
“Hmm… because you’re the child of someone I really liked?”
Danger. That man was dangerous. Sophia instinctively backed away. He quickly tried to clarify.
“No! I don’t mean I liked them romantically! I mean I respected them! Not romantic love—just admiration, like, ‘Wow, that person’s amazing!’ That kind of like!”
“…Okay.”
Her eyes said she didn’t trust him at all, and Peyton looked like he wanted to explain more but decided to change the subject.
“So, anyway—don’t you want to hear it?”
“…Hear what?”
“A story. About Lancel.”
Mother?
“I figured Lorae or Sion wouldn’t have told you.”
With a bright smile, Peyton looked at her as if he already knew she wouldn’t be able to say no.
