Chapter 29
“Me?”
“Yeah. Huh? Why are you all looking at me like that? Was I not supposed to say that?”
“Who are you even talking to?”
As Roy looked over his shoulder and asked, Dalia turned her head—only for Aaron to suddenly appear from behind and grab Roy by the collar.
“How should we deal with this reckless brat? Maybe send him off to an ice mine next time?”
“No. Leave him be.”
At Aaron’s question, Khalid shook his head.
Fortunately for Roy, Khalid had been feeling a pang of guilt ever since he’d sent Roy off to the mines to swing a pickaxe. Because Khalid had managed to stop his darkening and calm his temper, Roy unknowingly escaped the danger of being shipped off to an ice mine. Shivering at the chilling aura that had briefly run down his spine, he muttered to himself.
“Still, that kid must’ve had a rough time to get this tan.”
“He’s not really a kid.”
Aaron tilted his head slightly to the side.
While Aaron was speaking with Khalid, Roy had started grinning foolishly again at something Dalia said.
“Truly an idiot.”
He hadn’t lived as long as Khalid or Aaron, but Roy wasn’t exactly young either. By human standards, he was well into his twilight years.
“Khalid still treats that hulking brute like a child. And Dalia too. Everyone’s strange.”
“Well then, you must be hungry after such a long trip. Lord Khalid, Lady Dalia — we’ll head down first. Please join us when you’re ready. We’ve prepared a feast to celebrate Roy’s return.”
“All right.”
Before Dalia could respond, Khalid answered right away.
As Aaron dragged Roy away, Roy grumbled under his breath, only for Aaron to stop, sigh, and flick him on the forehead.
“What’s he muttering about now? Sometimes Roy says the strangest things. Did he mean he’s the only human in this mansion?”
“Anyway, this came for you.”
Khalid handed her a letter, and Dalia’s curiosity replaced her confusion.
“What is it?”
The envelope bore her name written in graceful script, with delicate silver sparkles adorning it.
“A letter? Who would send me one here?”
Instead of answering, Khalid shrugged and handed her a paper knife.
“You even brought a knife? You could’ve just left it in my room.”
“Hmm, I thought you’d want to open it right away.”
Khalid had a habit of being overly considerate toward her.
Sometimes, Dalia found herself startled by how accustomed she’d become to his quiet attentiveness.
She slit open the envelope and found that it was from Mielle, the tailor.
Dalia suspected Sylvia might have been displeased that only Mielle knew where she was staying while she herself did not—but thankfully, Sylvia had actually supported the decision, saying it made her feel more at ease.
“What’s so funny? You’re smiling so prettily.”
As soon as she read the first line, Dalia had broken into laughter, and Khalid, intrigued, asked if she could share the news. After reading the letter through, she handed it to him with a bright smile.
“Mielle finished the dress.”
From the handwriting and the cheerful tone, Dalia could tell that Mielle had been absolutely thrilled.
The letter said she would personally deliver the most special dress Dalia had ever ordered—tomorrow.
“The one you’re wearing now is also her work, isn’t it?”
Khalid didn’t understand why she looked so happy; to him, it didn’t seem like such a big deal.
“This isn’t a dress for everyday wear. It’s for the banquet. It must’ve taken her a lot of work—she probably stayed up several nights to finish it so quickly.”
As Dalia smiled blissfully, a strand of hair slipped down her cheek. Khalid gently tucked it behind her ear.
“Then it really is good news.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve never seen you smile like this before.”
As his eyes lingered on her face with unyielding focus, Dalia grew embarrassed and covered her cheeks with her hands.
“Really?”
“Yeah. It makes me happy too.”
“…You’re getting awfully good at saying embarrassing things.”
When she scolded him softly out of fluster, Khalid only smiled tenderly, as if he found even that endearing.
Even Aaron, who had been grumbling about how he didn’t understand why everyone adored Roy, couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction when he saw Roy gaping wide-eyed at the lavish feast laid before him.
Whatever Roy had been eating while he was away, it clearly hadn’t been much—he shoveled food into his mouth as fast as he could.
Aaron scolded him while still maintaining impeccable table manners, and Dalia busily chewed her food while scanning the dishes for her next target.
Only Khalid forgot to eat, quietly watching them all.
Counting the days in his head, he realized the date he’d promised Dalia was drawing near—the day she would leave.
Once that happened, there’d be no reason for him to stay at this mansion either. Roy would be sent back west. There would be no more noisy dinners like this.
“Lord Khalid, why aren’t you eating?”
“Hm. I thought maybe we could bring out some wine for the occasion. We’ve got some stored away.”
At his suggestion, Roy cheered enthusiastically. Khalid declined Aaron’s offer to fetch it and trudged toward the cellar himself.
Descending into the cool underground, he found a small wooden crate still carrying the faint scent of sawdust from when it was made.
Inside was the fruit liquor he and Dalia had bought together a few days ago in the city. He lifted it down from the shelf, trying to fill his mind with positive thoughts.
Yes, maybe Dalia would invite him to visit her home sometimes.
Then he could call Roy and Aaron, and they’d all dress neatly and knock on her door together. She’d probably greet them warmly, just like always.
But… if she had a family someday, unexpected guests might become a burden. If she married a human man like herself, had children, and built a life of her own… she might start to feel uncomfortable around them.
His heart thudded violently—so hard it hurt. His chest tightened as if he were suffocating.
“…”
Crash!
A sharp sound snapped him out of his thoughts.
Without realizing, he’d clenched his hand so tightly that the bottle had shattered. Wine and blood mixed together, dripping from his hand.
“How quickly this seed has grown.”
He stared blankly at his bloodied hand, lost in confusion, when hurried footsteps echoed down the stairs.
He immediately recognized the light sound of those small feet. Just realizing it was her made his racing heart begin to calm.
“Khalid! Are you all right?”
Dalia’s pale face looked even whiter under the cellar’s dim light.
“Heavens, why is there so much blood…”
She reached out as if to hold his hand, but hesitated, afraid of hurting him. Her eyes trembled as she looked up at him.
“Raise it! Higher, above your heart.”
He obeyed her directions faithfully, letting her lead him up the stairs for first aid.
Even half in a daze, he kept following her, his eyes fixed on her retreating figure as she walked into the light of the chandelier—afraid she might vanish if he blinked.
When they reached his room, Dalia hurried to find the first aid kit. Before long, Roy and Aaron burst in, having noticed something was wrong, doubling the commotion.
With everyone panicking around him, Khalid felt even more dizzy. He reassured them that he was fine and sent Roy and Aaron back to the dining room.
Once the chaos subsided and only he and Dalia remained, the tension in his shoulders began to ease. Just seeing her there after those terrible thoughts comforted him.
“You’re making a strange face—for someone who’s hurt. What’s gotten into you today?”
Dalia, sitting beside him, lightly scolded him while leaning against him tiredly.
Though she tried to act calm, the sight of so much blood had clearly shaken her.
Then her eyes widened in surprise. After her earlier warning, Khalid had always flinched away whenever they accidentally brushed against each other—but this time, he wrapped his uninjured arm tightly around her.
She could hear his heartbeat pounding right next to her ear.
“I’m sorry for worrying you.”
His deep, subdued voice lingered in the air before Dalia carefully chose her words.
“It’s all right. It’s just… you’re not the kind of person to hurt yourself over an accident.”
“…”
“Can you tell me what happened?”
“Hmm…”
“If you don’t want to, that’s okay—”
“No. I just… imagined you leaving this place.”
“…”
“And it suddenly hurt so much I couldn’t stand it. But don’t worry. I’ll keep my promise. When the time comes, I’ll let you go to the capital.”
Even as he said it, his embrace tightened, as if he didn’t want to let her go at all.
“…”
Dalia, caught in his arms, slowly closed her wide eyes. Then, wriggling her arms free, she returned his embrace.
He let out a quiet grunt as her movement pressed against his injured hand, but when she tried to pull away in alarm, he only held her closer. So they stayed like that for a long while, wrapped in silence.
It was Dalia who spoke first.
“Khalid, now that I think about it, you never answered me.”
“Answered?”
“Yes. The question I asked before Roy arrived. I asked if you have a surname.”
