Chapter 13
Her face looked even more complicated than when she had first been transported through space. Amused by this, the man chuckled and added,
“Is that all? Think of one more.”
As his laughter subsided, his low voice followed, but Dalia shook her head.
“That’s enough.”
“No. I said three. You’re one short, so you must come up with it.”
“……”
“A promise is important.”
With a serious expression, the man caught her hand and spread open her third finger. Startled, she nodded without thinking.
“Yes… I’ll think about it.”
Dalia carefully applied ointment over the man’s legs, wrapped them in fresh bandages, and laid him back on the bed.
“You’ll need to rest like this for the next few weeks.”
The man laughed, as if he found her words amusing.
“That won’t be necessary. A day or two will be more than enough.”
Why does he keep laughing like that?
Dalia, unconsciously nodding at his smiling face, snapped back to her senses and fixed him with a firm gaze. Unlike the cold impression he had given at first, this man laughed far too easily.
“No, you can’t. If you start wandering around just because you feel a little better, without proper treatment and rest, you’ll ruin your body by the time you grow old.”
The man didn’t answer. Instead, his eyes lingered on her face, as though probing.
“I mean it.”
No matter what excuse he makes, I’ll make sure he rests. But still…
As their eyes locked, she noticed that his irises deepened to a striking blue around the edges.
Why does he have to be so beautiful? Almost dangerously so…
She almost let herself be carried away again by his appearance, but just as his long lashes lowered in a slow blink, she snapped back to herself.
Then, surprisingly, he nodded.
“Now that you mention it, you’re right. Rest is important.”
Quietly, he accepted her care again before asking:
“So, will you stay by my side until I recover?”
“Me? For weeks?”
“Yes. While you’re here. And, in the meantime, you can think about that last wish I asked of you.”
Well, I did decide to hide here for a while anyway…
After a moment’s hesitation, Dalia nodded.
“Alright. I’ll do it. I owe you help, after all.”
“Good.”
Satisfied, he smiled.
“Then let me introduce you to this place.”
The man tried to rise, but she quickly pressed him back down into the bed.
“Don’t get up! If you move now, your wounds will open again.”
“It’s fine.”
“It’s not fine. Just tell me, and I’ll handle it.”
Standing firmly, she glanced around the room. In noble households, there were usually bells or pull cords to summon servants. But here—
“Where is the servant’s bell?”
Puzzled, she asked as her eyes found nothing. The man looked awkward.
“Ah… over there. Look.”
“Where?”
She turned toward where he pointed, but saw only bare wall.
“I don’t see anything.”
“Oh, my mistake. It’s this way.”
Rubbing her eyes, Dalia blinked—and suddenly there it was: a neatly tied pull cord swaying in the air beside the bed.
“……”
Was that always there, and I just didn’t notice?
Frowning, she wondered if fatigue had dulled her senses. The man pulled the cord, and moments later, a neatly dressed butler entered the room.
“You called, sir?”
“Allow me to introduce you. This young lady is my guest, Dalia. And this is my butler, Aaron.”
“Pardon?”
Aaron, the butler, instinctively questioned before silencing himself at his master’s glance.
“Were you waiting just outside the door?”
Dalia asked, startled by his sudden appearance. Aaron gave her only a quick, cool glance before turning away.
His attitude was icy, and Dalia instinctively squared her shoulders against it.
“I came because I was summoned.”
“Aaron, that’s rude.”
Rebuked, the butler turned toward her and bowed.
“If I offended you, I apologize.”
“Ah—no, it’s fine.”
“Show our guest around the house.”
The man instructed. Dalia waved her hands quickly.
“He should be resting. Call another servant instead.”
“There are only three of us in the mansion.”
“What?”
Such a vast estate, yet only three people? The man gave her an apologetic look.
“Normally there would be one more, but they’re away on an errand.”
“Ah… wait, only one more? You mean—just two servants total?”
“Yes. Just Aaron and the other.”
Her shock must have been plain, because he explained further.
“I dislike crowds.”
“I see. Then… your butler must be very capable.”
“Capable?”
“Yes. My old house was smaller than this, but we still had more than ten servants. Managing this entire mansion with only one or two staff is no easy feat.”
Having once run a household herself, Dalia was deeply impressed.
Aaron only bowed stiffly in response.
“You flatter me.”
The man looked at him with satisfaction, propping his chin on one hand.
“Dalia’s right. But still, we’ll need someone to attend you properly.”
“Oh, there’s no need to do that for me—”
“Yes, we will. Which would you prefer: someone strict but capable, or someone warm-hearted but less skilled?”
Apparently, he already had candidates in mind. Dalia thought of Mary, her warm and capable maid, and smiled faintly.
“Warm-hearted, please.”
“Understood. It will take some time, but I’ll arrange it. For now, bear with the inconvenience.”
“I don’t mind. I was prepared for far worse.”
After all, if she hadn’t ended up here, she would still be trudging through the forest at dawn.
“Thank you for understanding. You may go wherever you wish in this house, and use whatever you like.”
“Then first… I’d like a bath.”
“The door to the right connects to another room; the other leads to the corridor. Aaron, show her.”
“Yes. This way, miss.”
As she followed Aaron, Dalia paused, pulled the blanket up to the man’s chin, and spoke firmly.
“By the way, my name is Dalia.”
Adjusting the covers with care, she rose. The man smiled.
“And I am Khalid.”
In the bath, Dalia’s thoughts turned uneasy.
Hot water, perfectly prepared as if waiting just for her—too convenient. Aaron had pointed out the wardrobe, then vanished, no doubt returning to Khalid.
Though the bathroom was cozy, its wide-open windows unsettled her. She carefully locked every one, checked the door several times, then finally lowered herself into the warm water. The heat relaxed her muscles, but her mind remained tense.
Clean once again, she sat at the vanity brushing her damp hair, when a troubling thought struck.
“Wait… he said he’d bring me a maid?”
If he could call for new attendants, why ask her to serve him? It seemed inefficient.
“He claims to dislike crowds… but wouldn’t it be easier to just hire one nursemaid? Strange. Though… it benefits me, so I suppose I shouldn’t complain.”
Still, she couldn’t shake the odd feeling. A grand mansion, but only two servants?
No matter what the divine message said, I need to be cautious about the man I impulsively decided to save.
She had learned from experience that tempting offers always concealed danger. Like Count Borbon’s “generous” proposal of marriage—or the warm chocolate her husband Shiray had once given her, laced with a drug to make her lose consciousness.
Her eyes then fell on the wardrobe, full of untouched clothes.
He says he lives alone… so why all these brand-new garments?
Dalia slipped into a silk gown, forcing her mind back into focus. At least she had time now to investigate both this mansion and its enigmatic master.
Khalid had said she was free to go wherever she wished.
But right now… I’m too tired.
Outside, dawn was breaking, the moon sinking as the sky lightened. After such a long and exhausting day, her body felt heavy as soaked cotton.
Testing the bed, she found it luxuriously soft. Pulling the covers over herself, she sank into the pillow like into a cloud.
This bed… is this what royal luxury feels like? Anyway, tomorrow I must… explore…
But before she could finish the thought, Dalia drifted into sleep.
✨ End of Chapter 13 ✨
