Chapter 15
At first, everything had been a joke. But before he knew it, he found himself focusing, making sure the girl did not get hurt. How ridiculous that was.
“If watching you is this entertaining, maybe I should just kidnap you.”
Just a transparent girl who had grown up like a flower in a greenhouse, never experiencing hardship or pain. Had the bad habits of this family—who treasured Azalea so dearly—rubbed off on him?
“Hey, noona. Do you know this place is full of monsters? And that those monsters smile like idiots whenever they see you?”
He clicked his tongue. Interest was interest, but even these stray thoughts were strange. Maybe he should leave before he changed into something odd.
This peaceful mansion did not suit him. A life reeking of blood was what truly belonged to him. A dulled blade was useless.
Vasilisa was merely bored with life; he had no intention of dying meaninglessly. He had not yet met someone he would willingly die for.
Should he just cut off this curiosity and go back?
He was lost in brief thought when—
“Ugh… hic…”
A faint sobbing began to reach his ears. Vasilisa, who had been deep in thought, snapped his head up and looked at Azalea.
The girl was crying.
“What the—why are you like this?”
He was so startled he almost forgot to breathe. Far more than when he had first seen her collapse on the bed with a nosebleed.
“Why are you crying?”
Tears streamed down her face in growing numbers. At the same time, he found himself flustered to an almost absurd degree. He couldn’t leave, but he couldn’t approach her either. He lingered awkwardly around the bed.
“Why is she crying?”
He had planned to confirm that she would stop soon and then leave, but at this deep hour of night, no one was around her. Worse, her sobbing was gradually growing louder. He had thought it might be better for her to cry—but not like this.
“This is driving me insane.”
Vasilisa roughly ran a hand through his hair. If the ill-tempered duke found him in his daughter’s bedroom like this, he would be thrown out immediately.
And he might never see this girl again…
‘Never see her.’
The thought pricked at his heart, like a thorn brushing past.
Vasilisa changed his mind. Leave? No—not yet. His curiosity was not satisfied. Muttering excuses no one would hear, he stepped closer to Azalea and carefully took her thin, bluish hand in his.
It was terribly cold, as if it had been dipped in ice water. Azalea, who was smaller than him despite being the same age, looked like a much younger sibling.
“I told you to cry, but why are you sobbing so miserably?”
Slowly, he reached out.
“Azalea. You—you’re pitiful, tragic, strange, fascinating… Just pick one of those, will you?”
Wiping the tears from her cheek, Vasilisa licked the liquid from his fingertip.
Hmph. Nothing special.
For some reason, he had thought it might taste sweet—but it was only salty. He wiped her cheek again, and warm tears spread across his fingers. Perhaps feeling his touch, her sobbing gradually subsided.
“So you were spoiled after all, noona.”
The duke, the duke’s spouse, and even the servants of this mansion who would cause an uproar over this young girl—they all loved Azalea.
At first, he had thought they were ridiculous. But now he understood somewhat. It was like seeing a crying child and feeling uneasy if you simply walked past. Azalea had that kind of charm. The kind that made you want to glance back just to make sure she hadn’t fallen.
Of course, if anyone who knew him heard such thoughts, they would grab him by the collar and ask since when he cared about a child’s tears. He didn’t care about that.
“So you were actually a crybaby, huh? Right, Azalea?”
In this territory, it was as if the girl ruled her own kingdom. Here, she was the most beloved princess, the happiest victor. Even if he left, her world would not change. Of course, once she grew older and entered noble society, those transparent, innocent eyes might change.
‘Wait. That… feels unpleasant.’
His brows twitched. Without realizing it, he must have tightened his grip, because Azalea stirred with a soft sound. Startled, he quickly patted the blanket gently.
“There, there.”
Following Azalea around like this kept making him want to laugh. She was like a plump little sparrow, chirping even at a blade of grass he could easily trample without a thought.
“You’re a crybaby lady, so I suppose I have to stay by your side and wipe your tears. Right, noona?”
When she stuffed cake into her mouth and her cheeks turned red, claiming that a mere lump of sugar brought happiness, it made him curious enough to secretly taste a bite himself just to know what flavor it held.
He didn’t want to let go, but fearing she might wake, he quietly placed her hand back down.
“You don’t have nightmares like this every night, do you?”
Gazing at her smooth white forehead, he reached out and gently brushed it. It was a subtle distance—almost touching, almost not—more like tickling.
If the duke or the duke’s spouse saw this, they would try to kill him.
“I keep getting more curious about you. When I’m near you, I smile. I know I have somewhere to return to—but even if I go back, I think I’ll still think of you. What am I supposed to do, noona? If you make me like this?”
As if reluctant, he twirled a strand of her hair around his finger before finally letting go.
“For now… sleep well. Don’t think about anything.”
One thing was clear—he could not leave immediately.
Reassured by her now-dried eyes, the boy moved away.
He had a dizzying premonition that his late-night visits—to check whether his girl tossed and turned or cried—would only become more frequent.
When I opened my eyes, Sasha wasn’t there. The maids weren’t there either. Even Vasilisa, who usually clung to me like glue, was gone!
What in the world?
Still dazed, I looked at the busy knights moving through the corridor and confirmed it wasn’t a dream. When I asked a servant, I was told Mother had gone to work at the Imperial Palace, and Father had followed along obediently. And so I was left alone.
Everyone was busy working, and I had nothing to do.
“Is there really no one at all?”
I was the only child and heir of the family, but my body was extremely weak, and it was widely assumed I would not inherit the Tinya ducal house of knights. Of course, I had no desire for that position either.
The first proper discussion about the heir had begun on my tenth birthday. Mother really was fast about these things. She asked me directly.
‘Do you want to become the heir, Azalea?’
‘You mean becoming a duke like you, Mother?’
‘Yes. It is a position with many responsibilities. Above all, you must be strong.’
‘Then I don’t think it will ever be me. As you know, I’m too weak.’
An heir? Not a chance.
If a person were a vessel, then I had been born cracked and chipped. Such a vessel could hold nothing. Even if I had talent or strength, my fragile body might shatter entirely trying to contain it.
Mother’s face had briefly grown sad, but I waved my hands.
It didn’t matter. So what if I was weak? My days were happy and joyful. In my previous life, before I died, I had sworn to play as hard as I could. Wasn’t I born with a golden spoon this time?
‘I’m rich, after all.’
‘Yes. Even if you gain a sibling, your share of the inheritance is guaranteed.’
‘Then that’s fine. As long as I can eat what I want and have enough wealth to enjoy myself.’
Mother had smiled bitterly. It might have been the only vulnerable smile I had ever seen from her.
‘You’re honest, my child.’
‘Hehe.’
‘Very well. There will be more than enough for you to live idly until you die.’
Amazingly, in high-ranking noble families like mine, money accumulated under a child’s name as if a royal budget were being allocated. A special savings fund created the moment one was born.
As someone who still carried the soul of a poor Korean college student, I beamed at that alone. It was practically a government salary.
Snapping out of my memories, I turned a corner in the corridor. When I reached my destination at the end of the long hall, I let out a worried sigh.
“What? No one here either? Did everyone decide to skip work together or something?”
Even the kitchen, across the corridor, was empty. The moment I saw it, my chest churned as if I were dizzy.
‘Ah.’
I was alone in the corridor. Being in a space where none of the people I was close to could be seen brought back unpleasant memories. Wide. Dark. Alone.
I bit my lip tightly.
No, this won’t do. For the sake of my mental health, I need to get out of here.
Shivering slightly, I started retracing my steps. That was when—
“….”
Some sound made me freeze mid-step. It felt as though my ears perked up like a rabbit’s. Carefully, I looked around again.
‘No one… right?’
This time, my movement was different from before. Earlier, I had wanted to find someone. Now, I hoped not to be noticed.
Thankfully, no one was there. Not even a patrolling knight.
‘If it’s now…’
I held my breath. As if trying to become more agile, I lowered my body slightly and stepped quietly. Slipping into a side passage, I headed toward the path that led into the dense garden woods.
