Chapter 54
The sound of footsteps and murmured voices in the corridor woke me up.
“Ah…”
It was already morning. I unconsciously made a round of the kitchen, then turned my steps to go up to my room.
The early birds who were already down in the first-floor hall greeted me. I lightly nodded my head and walked past them.
As I opened the door and entered the room, my whole body ached, and a sigh escaped naturally.
It was because of the awkward position I’d slept in.
I lay down on the bed.
Since I had to go back down to prepare breakfast anyway, the time I could lie here wouldn’t be long.
I had to go wash my face now, but it wasn’t easy to get up.
“Hmm…”
As I kept my eyes closed like that, yesterday’s Uven, who had eagerly confronted me, came to mind.
I hadn’t known the child was that sharp.
Or, did I really make it that obvious?
Uven was definitely angry at me.
Perhaps my unfriendly behavior toward the people from the Leaton territory reminded him of the Penelope he had experienced in the past.
‘…I don’t think I acted particularly badly.’
Honestly, I didn’t make those people work; I just told them to rest while I did it. Was that really so wrong?
“Haa…”
However, if Uven felt that way, it was right for me to be more careful.
The conclusion ended up being that again.
“Aside from that, it seems like Uven has something more going on.”
‘Because of the Lady…! Because of the Lady, I’m getting uneasy too.’
Uven’s trembling voice lingered in my ears.
His tone definitely suggested something had happened with the Leaton people.
Otherwise, why would he be uneasy because of me?
He was someone who usually ignored my judgment, to begin with.
It was clear that Uven had also become suspicious of the newcomers.
“Did he hear something?”
He probably didn’t hear a concrete plan.
If he had heard a definite plan, he would have immediately informed Udorean or Heresdon, not gotten angry at me.
Well, at least I told Udorean that the child seemed very uneasy for some reason…
‘Udorean will ask him why he’s acting that way.’
Knock. Knock.
My eyes opened at the light tapping on the door. As I groaned and raised myself from the bed, a gentle voice called my name.
“Lady Penelope, are you awake?”
It was Lilia.
I quickly opened the door and saw Lilia standing there with a cup.
“May I come in for a moment?”
When I nodded, Lilia entered the room. She placed the cup she was holding on a nearby desk and spoke.
“I heard you haven’t been sleeping well lately.”
“Ah…”
“Since when have you been like this?”
“It’s not that serious.”
I quickly shook my head as if to tell her not to worry.
“…I really didn’t know you had insomnia, Lady.”
It seemed the excuse I had used with people in the dining room or kitchen—that I was just out for a bit because I couldn’t sleep—had reached Lilia’s ears as ‘insomnia.’
Lilia looked worried, as if she was bothered that she hadn’t noticed sooner.
“It’s herbal tea. If you drink it, your mind might feel a little more relaxed.”
She slightly pushed the cup on the desk toward me.
“Ah… Thank you.”
“Try it, and if it helps, I’ll brew you another cup tonight.”
I nodded at Lilia’s kindness and picked up the teacup.
Although I didn’t want to eat anything more here, given that Udorean kept checking my meal portions lately.
I took a sip of the tea Lilia had brought for me.
“It smells nice.”
A bitter taste and a strong herbal scent lingered in my mouth.
“By the way, when did you wake up, Lilia?”
“I just woke up, too.”
Did she make this tea for me immediately after waking up?
The moment I raised the teacup again, feeling I should drink a bit more to show the minimum amount of sincerity.
‘It’s herbal tea.’
That phrase caught my attention.
“Uh, did Lilia make this tea?”
“…Hmm, no. Jade prepared it.”
Lilia seemed to hesitate for a moment, then lightly shook her head.
“Jade was very worried about you, Lady.”
“Ah…”
Lilia glanced at my face.
Then, why…?
“Did Lilia drink it too?”
I was confused, but that was the first question that popped out.
“Yes, before I came here.”
“What about the others?”
“Hmm, I don’t know. Everyone else seemed to be still sleeping.”
That made me feel a little relieved. However, I still couldn’t relax.
“I should go down now. Lilia, let’s go.”
I put the cup down on the desk and quickly left the room.
‘The people from Leaton had never given me tea like this in the morning before.’
No, they had never offered tea at all.
“Where did this tea come from? Was there tea in the fortress?”
“They said there were dried tea leaves on the pantry shelf. But Lady…”
Heresdon’s and Lumi’s doors were firmly closed.
“What’s wrong?”
Lilia asked worriedly as we hurried down the stairs.
“Oh, nothing.”
“…The reason I delivered the tea Jade prepared was because he was worried you wouldn’t drink it if he gave it to you himself.”
Lilia continued, defending Jade.
“He’s very worried about the Lady.”
“Yes, …I know.”
It was just as I was about to quickly enter the kitchen.
Uven and Udorean walked into the entrance hall.
“Your Highness, did you drink any tea?”
“What?”
“Herbal tea.”
Udorean silently shook his head.
That was a relief.
Since Lumi and Heresdon weren’t visible on the first floor either, they seemed to be sleeping, just as Lilia had said.
“Speaking of which…”
Udorean looked around the first floor, then lifted his head toward the stairs.
“Have you seen Renier?”
Renier was the person who, on the day the Leaton people first entered the fortress, gave the thank-you speech on their behalf at dinner.
He was as burly as Heresdon but had been focused on resting due to a shoulder injury, so I hadn’t really talked to him.
Above all, he usually seemed to spend his time in his room.
“…Shouldn’t he be in his room?”
I gave a vague answer and walked past Udorean into the kitchen.
“Jade.”
When I called his name, Jade looked back at me with a very startled expression.
“Thank you for the tea.”
I quickly approached him.
Since there was still a fair amount left, it seemed correct that Heresdon and Lumi hadn’t drunk any.
“You said you didn’t drink any, only giving it to us?”
“Pardon?”
He asked back, looking flustered.
“Have some.”
Without waiting for his answer, I grabbed a nearby cup, poured it full with the remaining tea in the pot, and handed it to him.
“Ah… I…”
Jade took the cup, caught off guard, but still looked troubled.
“Hurry up. If Jade is the only one who doesn’t drink it here, I’ll feel bad.”
He lifted the cup as if he had no choice and carefully brought it to his lips.
After confirming that he was drinking the tea, I dumped the remaining tea in the teapot outside the kitchen.
“Lady? Why are you throwing the tea away?”
Lilia, who had followed me belatedly, called out to me with a puzzled voice.
“There wasn’t much left after I gave some to Jade.”
“Ah, I see.”
I vaguely explained, avoiding her gaze.
As I took water into the teapot to wipe it down one more time, Lilia spoke.
“Should I boil some for the others then? It was delicious.”
“Ah, if it’s for His Highness and Uven, I’ll give them mine. I’m fine.”
It was Jade, who put down the cup as if he had been waiting for the chance.
“Ah…”
A small gasp escaped my lips.
It was strange that Jade only specified Udorean and Uven.
I had thought Heresdon and Lumi were still sleeping since they weren’t visible.
I hoped it wasn’t true, but a strong, ominous feeling rose in my chest that Heresdon and Lumi had already drunk the tea.
“Oh, no, that won’t do. Jade must have some too, of course. Since the Leaton territory folks barely got any, we need to boil a lot anyway.”
Lilia said in a bright voice, taking the teapot from my hands.
Just as a sigh was about to escape me, Grand Duke Heresdon entered the kitchen.
“Did you drink the tea?”
I asked, out of desperation, without preamble.
Heresdon nodded silently.
My heart seemed to plummet at that brief movement.
“By the way, I heard the Lady prepared the tea.”
Heresdon’s gaze rested on Lilia, who was setting the teapot on the fire.
“Was it the tea Miss Lilia Sweedy offered?”
He tilted his head and asked.
“No, sadly, it was the tea Jade offered.”
I gave him the bitter truth instead of Lilia to Heresdon, who looked like he was expecting something.
Leaving him as he seemed about to say something more, I quickly exited the kitchen.
I was afraid that Udorean and Uven might drink the tea while I was in the kitchen.
My footsteps ascending the stairs became increasingly hurried.
