Chapter 53
Tirzen insisted on escorting her home and left the mansion together with her.
Even if the doctor hadn’t said she shouldn’t walk for the time being, Ellicia couldn’t wear shoes anyway because of the bandages wrapped around her foot.
She didn’t dislike being carried around in his arms. Nestled against his broad, firm chest, she felt secure and strangely moved. His embrace certainly gave her a sense of stability.
After settling Ellicia into the carriage, Tirzen sat across from her.
“Did you follow him just because you found him suspicious?”
The sudden question made Ellicia avert her gaze.
She knew all too well that following Varus on a hunch—thinking he might be involved in Roena’s abduction—was a flimsy excuse.
Her explanation was riddled with holes, but she couldn’t tell the truth, so she had no choice but to push forward with it.
“Even if there was no direct proof linking him to Roena’s abduction, I wanted him punished if he was connected in any way. A man like that surely has his hands in all kinds of dirty dealings, don’t you think?”
“You wanted evidence of his illegal activities?”
“Yes.”
Since it was true that she wanted evidence of Varus’s crimes, even if it had nothing to do with Roena’s kidnapping, Ellicia answered confidently without hesitation.
Confronted with her clear gaze, Tirzen this time was the one to look away.
This woman will throw herself into danger any chance she gets if no one stops her.
Just imagining what could have happened if Ellicia had failed to escape the alley and been caught by Varus made his nape tighten. He regretted letting Varus off too lightly.
I should’ve had his spine crushed.
That way he would never set foot outside again, never pose any danger to Ellicia. Even if he wasn’t strong-willed and one warning should have been enough, Tirzen’s fury over Varus daring to threaten her refused to subside.
He wondered briefly why he was so on edge about all this.
Theirs was supposed to be a simple contract. As long as Ellicia carried out her end and caused him no trouble, he had no need to involve himself in her affairs. Yet still, she—and everything she did—kept tugging at his mind.
It’s because she’s careless. If she gets hurt, I’ll have to look after her, and that’s bothersome. That’s all.
He failed to realize that tending to her injuries right now didn’t feel bothersome at all.
“If you ever think of doing something dangerous again, tell me beforehand. Don’t assume you’ll get lucky like today every time.”
“All right. From now on, I’ll ask for help when I need it.”
“Good.”
Seeing Ellicia’s bright smile as she replied, the irritation weighing on Tirzen melted away.
Told that Tirzen had arrived, the Duke and Duchess of Mares came rushing out.
When Mervel had returned home alone in the carriage, Ada had thrown a fit. She had been waiting to scold Ellicia soundly once she got back.
Since she didn’t know that it had been Tirzen who sent the carriage back, she thought she had the perfect chance to lecture Ellicia about her lack of ladylike manners.
As she waited for the carriage door to open, Ada smiled broadly when she saw Tirzen and greeted him with exaggerated courtesy.
“Your Grace, had we known you were coming, I would have made sure to tell Ellicia to stay quietly at home. The child is so unruly in her behavior…”
But Ada’s words died in her throat when she saw Ellicia alight, carried in Tirzen’s arms. Her face crumpled like wrinkled paper.
“Why, you—”
Her golden chance to berate Ellicia vanished in an instant, and Ada nearly burst with rage. She couldn’t vent it on Tirzen, so she turned her blame on the Ellicia in his arms.
“Did you lose your shoes?”
“Ellicia was injured. It seems you, Duchess, don’t care much about your daughter. You don’t even know where she was or how she was hurt.”
Ada’s attempt to disparage Ellicia had backfired spectacularly.
“Th-that’s… She always wanders off without a word…”
As Ada stammered excuses, she noticed Ellicia smirking from Tirzen’s embrace. That mocking smile only stoked her fury, and she tried again to cut her down with harsh words.
Unable to watch any longer, Jetio pushed Ada aside and interjected.
“Your Grace personally carrying her down! What are you servants doing? Hurry and take the young lady!”
He fussed at the nearby servants, but his effort only managed to irk Tirzen further.
“Would you have mere servants carry your precious daughter around?”
At Tirzen’s cold tone, the servant who had stepped forward froze. Realizing his blunder, Jetio’s face stiffened.
A noble young lady being handled so casually by servants was unthinkable. In his eagerness, he had exposed how they normally treated Ellicia—and now he had no idea how to explain it away.
“I-I only meant to spare Your Grace the burden…”
“Oh, were you concerned for me?”
“But of course! A man of such high station as Your Grace shouldn’t have to play nursemaid to a mere woman.”
Ada seized the chance to join in, pouring honeyed flattery into her voice.
“A mere woman, you say… Perhaps because she’s not your true daughter, your affection seems lacking.”
“No, Your Grace! Ellicia is no different to us than our own child.”
Terrified of the consequences, Jetio hastily denied it. Tirzen had already warned him once about how Ellicia was treated; angering him again was the last thing Jetio wanted.
“Strange. From what I see, the Duchess shows no interest in her at all.”
“That’s not true. I always know where she goes and whom she meets. If only she hadn’t slipped away from the coachman today, none of this would have happened.”
Ada dressed up her surveillance as interest and concern, and was quite pleased with herself. But Tirzen’s next remark shattered her self-satisfaction.
“Funny. During the last incident, you didn’t even think to look for her until we informed you she was at my residence. It seems your interest has suddenly grown, though only in prying into her business.”
His dry words silenced both the duke and duchess instantly.
“Pfft.”
Ellicia’s laughter broke the frozen atmosphere, earning her a glare from Ada.
She curved her eyes into gentle crescents, smiled even more sweetly, then leaned her head against Tirzen’s chest, flaunting their closeness.
“You must be tired. Please take me to my room, Tirzen.”
“I’ll take you quickly, yes. Not because you’re heavy, but because you’ll recover faster if you rest in both body and mind. You understand?”
His words were meant for the duke and duchess to hear.
Ada seethed, glaring at Ellicia, but she only responded with an even warmer smile.
When they reached her room, Mervel hurried ahead to open the door. Since Ellicia could walk a few steps, she loosened her hold around Tirzen’s neck.
“You can put me down here.”
“Have you already forgotten the doctor’s orders not to walk?”
“My memory’s not so bad that I’d forget that.”
His scolding tone, like that of an adult to a child, made Ellicia pout.
Seeing her push out her lips in a sulk, Tirzen chuckled softly and set her gently down on the bed.
“The young lady is injured, so she won’t be able to move much for a while. Make sure she’s well cared for.”
“Yes, Your Grace. My lady, I’ll prepare water for your bath.”
Once Mervel left, Ellicia asked him the question that had been on her mind.
“Did you say all that just to take my side against my parents?”
The memory of her foster parents floundering was still deeply satisfying.
She had sensed his intent in the way he spoke to them, in the heavy air he used to press them down, but she wanted to hear him confirm it.
“I warned the duke before, but clearly the duchess never got the message. I won’t keep excusing their ignorance and letting them act out.”
His answer contained no gentleness, his tone curt, stressing that he had only done what was necessary—not out of kindness to her. Yet Ellicia’s heart felt warm all the same.
Even so, he did take my side.
He had silenced Ada’s tongue when she tried to insult her and stepped in as her protector. That was enough.
But Ellicia’s hope for some peace after Tirzen’s departure was quickly dashed.
The moment he left, Ada stormed in, eager to scrape at her nerves.
“So, you sneak around without coachman or maid and end up hurt? Serves you right.”
“Did you come just to enjoy the sight of me like this?”
“Do you have no awareness of your noble status? Where were you wandering to get yourself injured?”
Ada’s curiosity slipped out. What she really wanted to know was who Ellicia had met today. If she found out who had hurt her, Ada would gladly praise them and even reward them.
“Seems the coachman failed to report properly today, and now you’re awfully curious, aren’t you?”
“You—you! How dare you! A parent has every right to know where their daughter goes!”
“Oh, so the coachman really is your spy, then? I thought it was just my misunderstanding.”
“Now that you’ve got the Grand Duke backing you, you think you’re untouchable, don’t you?”
Ada’s retort was sharp, but her guilt was plain.
Hearing her raised voice, Mervel hurried back inside. Feeling the vicious aura radiating from Ada, she went straight to Ellicia’s side without hesitation.
