– Chapter 41 –
<Linea.>
The spirits’ voices buzzed softly around her.
<Are you okay?>
“Yes, I’m fine.”
<Your heart seems really hurt.>
<You look exhausted.>
<Let’s play together, yeah?>
Linea laughed at their concern.
“Okay. Right now, I think I can.”
<Should we sing for you again?>
<We’re good dancers too! But since you can’t see us, hmm, how about a play? We learned about human theater too!>
<We’re really good at it! Want to hear?>
Soon, the spirits began to perform a play inside the carriage. The play—purely audible, as the spirits had no visible forms—was quite a sight to behold, or rather, to hear. Linea burst into laughter during a scene where a female warrior defeated an evil king and then got into a squabble with the queen over how to divide the kingdom’s sheep.
“So that’s how you see me?”
The spirits instantly went silent. Linea was confused at first, then quickly flustered.
“No, I’m not mad. It was really funny.”
<We weren’t mocking or belittling you, really!>
“I know, I know. It was really fun. Please do it again sometime.”
<Really?>
“Really.”
After reassuring the anxious spirits, Linea leaned back against the seat cushion and let out a sigh.
The greedy warrior and queen in the play weren’t so different from her. She had laughed because it was funny, but the bitterness in her heart didn’t fade in the least.
She’d told herself that no matter how she looked to others, no matter what people said, she had to earn money. But… was this really okay?
‘It’s okay.’
As long as she could keep moving forward like this, everything would be okay. Linea steeled herself again.
About ten days later, Clara came to the duke’s estate to see Linea.
“Miss Linea.”
Clara was momentarily at a loss for words when she saw her.
Linea was dozing in a chair in the library. A maid had just relayed her invitation to let Clara in, which meant she must have started dozing off right after sending it.
Clara quickly turned to Nora.
“Bring a blanket and a cushion.”
“Yes, ma’am.”
When Nora returned, Clara gently draped the blanket over Linea and shifted her posture so she could rest her head on the cushion on the desk. Then, Clara sat in the chair across from her and waited for her to wake up.
About twenty minutes later, Linea murmured sleepily, “Hm? What was that?”—an adorably incoherent line in Clara’s eyes—as she woke.
Linea blinked blearily in the light, frowning slightly before raising her head and jumping in surprise when she saw Clara.
“Miss Clara!”
“Miss Linea, wouldn’t it be better to rest a little more in your room?”
“Ah… No, I’m fine. I’m sorry. I’ll go wash my face.”
Linea, under Clara’s concerned gaze, got up and staggered toward the washroom.
When she returned, having washed her face and re-tied her hair, she called a maid to bring two cups of tea and sat down again.
“You could’ve woken me. I’m sorry.”
“Don’t apologize.”
“…You were the one who gave me the blanket, weren’t you? Thank you.”
“That’s better.”
Clara smiled gently—then immediately turned serious.
“Have you been sleeping at all lately?”
“I have. I sleep regularly.”
“How much?”
“About three hours a day.”
“…Three hours? You call that sleep?”
Clara was stunned. Linea had dark circles under her eyes, and her cheeks looked thinner than the last time they’d met.
“…Are you at least eating well? Going on walks?”
“I haven’t had time for walks, but I eat… maybe one meal a day.”
“……”
“I’ve just been so busy developing a new product. That’s why I couldn’t—”
“I didn’t come here to scold you for that.”
Clara looked like she might cry.
“When did you start living like this? Since you made the cream?”
“……”
“I’ve pulled all-nighters before, but this is…”
They fell into a brief silence. Linea felt awkward, embarrassed, and a bit shy about someone other than the spirits showing concern for her.
Clara, seeing that Linea didn’t know what to say, softened her tone.
“Miss Linea, is there anything you like?”
“…Like?”
“Paintings, novels, music, snacks, flowers—anything. It doesn’t have to be material. Maybe the yellow sky at sunset, or the faint stars at dawn. That kind of thing…”
Her voice trailed off. Linea’s puzzled expression said she had no idea.
It was the face of someone who had truly never thought about such things before. That couldn’t be… could it?
“…Is there nothing you like?”
“I like reading books. I still read a lot.”
“But that’s for work, right? Is there anything else?”
“……”
Linea fell silent.
Clara felt a deep ache in her chest. The Linea she had observed was clever, composed, fair. She didn’t care what others thought and pursued what she wanted like a magician.
Yet she didn’t even know what she liked. She was clinging to childhood habits as her only hobbies. It hurt in a strange way.
“Then is there something you dislike?”
As soon as Clara asked, one name came to mind—Kadyl.
“I do, but I can’t say.”
“I see. Then how about the opposite of what you dislike?”
Linea tried to imagine the opposite of Kadyl—someone sincere, honest, gentle, and genuine. Surely, that kind of person wasn’t rare.
Then, suddenly, the person who came to mind was Eurik. It surprised her how naturally he appeared in her thoughts.
‘Why him?’
“Miss Linea?”
“…I think everyone would like someone like that. It’s pretty universal.”
She emphasized “universal.” Thankfully, Clara didn’t question it.
“I see. So you don’t have anything you especially like.”
“That’s probably true.”
“That won’t do.”
Clara declared it firmly and stood. Linea’s eyes followed her up.
“Miss Clara?”
“Sorry, but once you finish your current work, could you make some time for me? And today, you have to sleep well. You must eat too.”
“Okay, but… why?”
“To have fun.”
Clara said it with resolution.
To find out what that “fun” entailed, Linea finished a week’s work in three days.
Even after resting a day, Clara still scolded her for looking pale.
“Anyway, you have to take care of yourself. You’re not going to be young forever.”
“I’ll be careful. So… where are we going today?”
“I told you—we’re going out to have fun.”
She proudly raised the picnic basket in one hand.
“We’re going to the park today.”
“What do we do there?”
“Anything. You can walk, eat, sleep—whatever you want.”
The spirits were even more thrilled than Linea.
<Are we going to the forest? Or the meadow?>
<It’s a man-made park, you dummy.>
<I’m not a dummy!>
<Whatever, this is great! Linea can finally rest with us.>
They clamored over what to bring, while Linea still wondered what the point of all this was. Clara took her hand.
“Come on, let’s go.”
The park was lively with people strolling, families with children, and dog-walkers. Clara laid out a mat under a big plane tree and beckoned Linea to sit.
Linea sat awkwardly, watching the passersby. She noticed an old man with a cane walking with a child and wondered what ailment he might have, what medicine he might need—until Clara gently touched her shoulder.
“You were thinking about work again, weren’t you?”
“Ah… Sorry. We’re supposed to be resting.”
“You don’t have to be so conscious about relaxing. Just promise not to think about work.”
Linea nodded slightly.
After watching people for a while and eating sandwiches Clara brought, Linea sat quietly, thinking she should’ve brought a book.
The breeze was pleasant, the sunlight dappled gently through the shade. Not too dry, not too humid. A perfect day.
Gradually, Linea began to nod off.
When she awoke with a start, her head was resting on Clara’s shoulder. The sun was already setting. Embarrassed, she quickly pulled away.
<Linea, you slept so well!>
<We stayed quiet so you could rest!>
She made a mental note to praise them later, then turned to Clara.
“Ah, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s fine. Did you sleep well?”
Clara smiled and offered what she’d been making—a flower crown.
“I wove it from flowers nearby. It’s a gift.”
“Thank you…”
“Shall we go back now?”
Clara stood and held out her hand. Linea took it, helped clean up the mat and basket.
“Next time, Miss Linea, you pick where we go.”
In the carriage on the way back, Clara said it casually. Linea’s eyes widened.
“Me…?”
“Yes. Let’s take turns deciding.”
“But I’m not good at things like this…”
“You can look through a guidebook or just pick randomly. But you have to choose and let me know.”
It was a more difficult task than developing a new medicine.
“Don’t overthink it. I’m fine with anywhere.”
Still thinking about Clara’s words, Linea returned home. She placed the flower crown on the tea table in her room and went to wash up.
After her shower, she picked up the crown again and sat on her bed, turning it over in her hands.
“Guys, what do human women like?”
<We only know what Linea likes.>
<Linea likes books. And being quiet and alone.>
<And talking with us!>
“…Really?”
She couldn’t exactly ask Clara to come talk with the spirits. After rolling around in bed for a bit, Linea let out a sigh and called for Nora.
