Chapter 21
“No, she’s not in a state to meet anyone right now.”
I immediately looked up at my brother Michael with wide eyes as if to say, What? This brother too?
What was all this about me not being “ready”? I was perfectly fine! I had to meet Rixion Luhanes right this instant and demand an explanation about what had happened!
“Ahem.”
The childish staring contest between siblings ended at once with the butler’s dry cough.
“And, the merchants keep sending urgent messages for the young master. They insist that you must come today, no matter what.”
That made sense. As far as I knew, during this period my brother Michael was insanely busy as the head of the trading company—constantly managing Azalenta Desert expeditions and countless other matters. He didn’t have the leisure to play nursemaid to his younger sister.
Sensing an opportunity, I shoved my brother toward the door.
“You seem busy too, brother, so hurry along. I should wash up and change clothes anyway. You can’t keep your guests waiting.”
“Wait a second, Liz, you little—”
Pushed by my strength, Michael stumbled all the way to the doorway and shot me a displeased look.
I glared right back at him as if to say, Well? Why aren’t you leaving already?
“No fever… at least that’s good.”
I flinched when his hand suddenly shot out, thinking he was about to pinch my cheeks again. But instead, his large palm pressed against my forehead.
After confirming I had no fever, he withdrew his hand, though his gaze still scrutinized my complexion with disapproval.
“No dizziness? No chills?”
“Huh? Uh, no.”
“Anywhere else hurting?”
“Nope.”
I bobbed my head quickly, eager to get rid of his questions. Yet my haste only deepened his frown.
“Then wash your face, dress properly, and go down. If you feel faint or dizzy on the way, don’t hesitate—just come right back to your room.”
“Got it, got it. Do I look like a five-year-old to you?”
“Sorry, but you’re less trustworthy than a five-year-old.”
Hey! I wasn’t that bad.
I shot a you’re exaggerating, right? look at the old butler. But Albert avoided my gaze in silence. What? Why are you looking away like that?
“I’m leaving. If anything happens, tell Albert right away. No matter how busy I am, I’ll always have time for your call.”
At that, Michael pressed hard on the crown of my head, deliberately mussing up my hair. Caught off guard, I shrieked in annoyance and darted backward.
“Alright already, just go!”
“You’ve got a temper for such a shorty.”
“I’m one-sixty-five, thank you very much!”
“I’m one-eighty-five.”
165 cm was considered average in Korea, and here it was even above average—something I’d always been proud of. But standing against 185 cm, there was no room for argument.
Flustered and fuming, I puffed like an angry cat, which finally made Michael grin in satisfaction before leaving the room.
“By the way…”
…He paused just at the threshold, then turned back toward me with an unusually serious face.
I stiffened, bracing for what he was about to say.
“You’re really not dating him, right?”
All that tension burst in frustration.
“I said no! Just leave already!”
Even as he finally left, Michael gave me a suspicious look that nearly made me explode with rage. That brother of mine, honestly!
I glared daggers at his retreating back until it vanished from sight. Quietly, Albert the butler closed my door for me.
I have to hurry and ask about the children.
Scratching the back of my head, I recalled my real objective.
I dashed around my large room, washing up, brushing my hair, and changing clothes in record time, before flinging open the door and rushing out.
“Young lady.”
“He’s in the drawing room, right?”
“Yes, miss.”
The butler confirmed it, and I bolted toward the stairs.
Behind me came his familiar scolding—“Young lady, please don’t run!”—the same nagging I’d heard since childhood. As usual, I pretended not to hear.
That couldn’t have been a dream. It wasn’t a hallucination either.
The children I’d seen last—there was no mistake, their plague had been completely cured.
Rixion Luhanes had seen it too, and with his sharp eyes, he must have already pieced the situation together.
The light that had flowed from my hands—no one else had seen it.
So the only reasonable conclusion he could have reached was that I had obtained holy water, given it to the children, and that drinking it had healed them.
Knowing the Rixion Luhanes I did, he would try to conceal this fact.
If word spread that holy water cured the plague, the ripple effects would be enormous and unpredictable.
That explained why he hadn’t told my brother anything about it, and why he’d rushed to see me so early this morning.
The only relief was that even Rixion believed the children’s recovery was thanks to holy water—not that mysterious light from my hands. Only I knew the truth.
As I hurried toward the drawing room where he awaited, my thoughts settled into order.
Whether by design or coincidence, I didn’t meet a single servant along the way—perhaps the butler had cleared the path for me.
Finally, I arrived at the door. Taking a deep breath, I reached out and pushed it open.
The door swung smoothly, revealing Rixion Luhanes seated elegantly on the sofa.
At the sound, he looked up, setting down his teacup, and rose to greet me with a warm, almost gentle smile.
“Lady Christener.”
His attire was more relaxed than yesterday’s, his hair falling naturally forward, lending him an even softer allure.
The serene, refined air made his already handsome face all the more distracting. I steadied myself and walked in, closing the door behind me while pretending calm.
I took another deep breath. What was done was done. From now on, I had to be careful with my every word and action.
I didn’t know what that light had been, or how it had healed the children. But even a fool would realize it was something that must never be revealed.
“I heard you had yet to regain consciousness. I was worried, but I’m relieved to see you awake and well.”
As I approached, Rixion spoke, his perfectly shaped brows lowering in apparent concern.
His gaze seemed so sincere that anyone unfamiliar with him might truly believe it.
“I was also worried since you’d been in such close contact with the children suffering from the Red Rat plague…”
“What happened to them?”
I interrupted urgently.
“When I last saw them, they looked like they were getting better. Are they alright? Are they completely fine?”
I had planned to start with polite thanks, then calmly ask about the children. But the moment he mentioned them, my anxiety spilled out.
Rixion paused briefly at my reaction, then smiled faintly and answered.
“That’s one of the reasons I came today. It may take a while to explain, so please, have a seat first.”
He gestured gracefully toward the sofa.
Like an obedient child, I dropped into the seat across from him. He too sat down, moving with silent elegance.
“First, about the children’s condition. I confirmed that their fevers and rashes had completely vanished. I continued to observe them, but there were no further symptoms of the Red Rat plague.”
He poured tea into my cup as he spoke, his voice calm.
“Now, both of them have fully recovered. They’re eating on their own and living well.”
At his words, I froze for a moment before releasing a long breath.
So it was true—they really were safe. I hadn’t imagined it or dreamed it.
Relief washed through me, as if a heavy stone lodged in my chest had finally crumbled away.
I nodded, smiling faintly with dazed joy.
“I see… that’s such a relief.”
Then I realized—I hadn’t properly thanked him yet. I quickly added,
“Thank you for taking care of them in my place. That was my responsibility, but you shouldered it instead.”
A pang of guilt struck me. I’d caused all this trouble and left him to handle it. Embarrassed, I couldn’t meet his eyes, fiddling awkwardly with my collar.
“And… I also heard you were the one who carried me here after I collapsed. Truly, thank you.”
“No. From the start, I stepped forward because I wanted to help. I only did what I felt was my duty to see through to the end.”
He replied humbly, lowering his long lashes.
“And also…”
He slowly blinked, then fixed his gaze directly on mine.
“There was something I absolutely had to say to you, Lady Christener.”
A languid smile brushed his deep blue eyes—like an ocean pulling me in.
It was the kind of smile that could enchant anyone.
