Chapter 16
As the grand ivory doors of the Lavender Room opened, Eluana’s mouth dropped open as well.
A chandelier sparkling like starlight, a fireplace, a luxurious carpet, and a spiral staircase leading to the upper floor captivated her gaze in sequence. The finely crafted furniture, resembling works of art, radiated an elegant aura that had deepened with age.
As Eluana stood entranced, gazing at the two-story parlor, the butler Dave spoke.
“The door on the left leads to the bathroom, and the one on the right to the dressing room. This one here is the study.”
He opened the center door, revealing a room with ivory bookshelves reaching the ceiling. Past a desk and chair that looked like art pieces and a small bed, a large window appeared, offering a full view of the lavender garden.
‘This isn’t a room. It’s more like a lavender house.’
A parlor, bathroom, dressing room, and study—this wasn’t just a room; it was practically a house.
Eluana’s gaze shifted from the lavender waves outside to a portrait hanging beside the study door.
In the painting, a woman dressed in a gown sparkling with countless tiny gems was breathtakingly beautiful. Around her neck hung an emerald necklace that looked valuable enough to buy a house.
“She looks like your mother.”
The main difference from Stella was the woman’s blonde hair, like Eluana’s.
“This is Lady Stella,” Dave explained.
Eluana’s long eyelashes fluttered. Her mother had been considered one of the most beautiful women in Arden. But the woman in the portrait gave off a completely different impression.
Most notably—
“My mother had dark brown hair.”
“She likely dyed it,” Dave replied.
Eluana didn’t voice her disbelief. The emotions on Dave’s face lent his words credibility.
“…You knew my mother?”
“I served Lady Stella for about two years here in the Lavender Room. Even after she left, we kept the room maintained in case she returned.”
Dave’s aged eyes glistened with emotion.
‘So the Duke didn’t abandon Mom and me after all?’
Eluana was confused. It was different from what she’d vaguely assumed. These doubts had lingered ever since she met Duke Spes.
But it seemed odd to think her mother had abandoned the Duke while pregnant.
Dave spoke gently, “As the Duke probably told you, please don’t speak about Lady Stella in front of the other staff.”
“I… wasn’t told that.”
Dave looked slightly flustered but then spoke with resolve.
“Forgive my overstepping. Please don’t mention her name to the staff. I didn’t know you were coming, so I wasn’t able to warn them in time. If word spreads, it could become dangerous. The Duke will explain the reason.”
Eluana felt her pulse quicken.
“Dangerous?”
“…The Duke will tell you,” Dave said, lowering his gaze as if he couldn’t say more. It seemed she’d have to ask the Duke herself.
“I understand.”
“Thank you. Now, I’ll show you to your bedroom.”
Eluana pointed to the single bed beside the desk.
“That bed?”
“It’s for your escort knight. You’ll be assigned one soon.”
They returned to the parlor, and Dave gestured toward the wooden staircase.
“Let’s go upstairs.”
At the top of the stairs was a romantic bedroom. Just looking at the large bed gave a sense of warmth. The window frames were gold, and delicate gold threads extended from the borders, weaving a beautiful pattern across the glass.
Beautiful, yes—but not very practical. Windows were meant for ventilation as well as views.
The large window in the study didn’t seem to open either.
“Do none of the windows in the Lavender Room open?”
“It was a safety measure.”
The word “safety” reminded her of Duke Spes’s ability to manipulate gold at will. Eluana pointed at the window frame.
“Surely this isn’t all real gold?”
“It is. The Duke transmuted it to prevent the windows from breaking or being opened.”
Dave spoke with pride.
Good heavens. Using gold for window frames—she’d never heard of such extravagance. But if it wasn’t just luxury, it meant her mother had been exposed to serious danger.
Dangerous enough to need sealed windows.
‘What on earth happened to Mom?’
Just as she resolved to ask again, Dave pointed to a door at the front of the bedroom.
“That door leads to the Duke’s Golden Wolf Room.”
Eluana’s brow furrowed involuntarily. It felt uncomfortable, like she’d peeked into the Duke and her mother’s romance.
That image brought her father, Ron Vita, to mind.
After Dave left, Eluana stood before the portrait of her mother. The face was different from her memory, unfamiliar—but still, she was her mother.
“Hi, Mom.”
The painting gave no reply. It only smiled kindly.
“I’ve come to the room where you once lived. I passed the lavender field you loved so much. It’s even more beautiful than I imagined.”
She couldn’t bring herself to ask if her mother had missed this place.
“You were happy here in Arden, right?”
For some reason, tears welled up.
Eluana steadied herself and went to see Rui. Only Rui could calm her turbulent heart.
The Daisy Room was right next to the Lavender Room. As she entered through the half-open door, the maid and Rui turned around. Rui ran over and hugged her legs, smiling brightly.
“Noona! The bed is as big as my whole room! How’s your room?”
“My room is as big as our house.”
Maybe even bigger.
“Whoa. The Duke must be rich.”
“Seems like it.”
Eluana looked around Rui’s space.
The Daisy Room had its own study and bathroom. Judging by the heavy furniture and the sword and shield on the wall, it had likely belonged to an adult man.
‘I wonder if they’ll change it to child-sized furniture.’
She decided it was worth asking.
“Um, can I ask something?”
The maid quickly bowed.
“Please speak informally, miss. I’ll be scolded otherwise.”
“…Ah, okay.”
Speaking informally felt awkward. She knew nobles were expected to speak that way, but she and Rui had always been casual with the villagers. It was hard to change old habits.
Still, she’d try to get used to it.
“The furniture seems too big for Rui. Is there any child-sized furniture available? Even just a chair?”
“I’m sorry, miss. There’s none in the mansion, but the butler has ordered some to be made. Everything will be replaced. Please be patient.”
Eluana felt a small sense of relief. They were paying more attention to Rui than she’d feared.
“Thanks for letting me know. I’ll call if we need anything.”
To avoid further awkwardness, she dismissed the maid and crouched to meet Rui’s eyes.
“Do you think you can sleep here alone? Nobles have their own rooms from a young age.”
“We’re nobles too. It’s fine. There are lots of sparkly things.”
“Sparkly?”
“Yeah. There’s one behind you.”
When Rui spoke cheerfully, Eluana turned around in alarm. Nothing was there. She reached out and touched Rui’s forehead.
“No fever.”
“I’m not sick.”
Rui tilted his head, confused, as murmuring filled his ears. The glowing specks whispered around him, and he instinctively knew not to speak of them.
“You said you’re seeing lights. Does it hurt your eyes?”
“Nope. It’s over there.”
Rui pointed to the candlestick behind Eluana. Following his finger, she spotted the five-branched candelabrum.
“Oh, you meant the candlestick.”
“Why?”
“Well, in Arden we didn’t have candlesticks with multiple candles like that.”
Rui nodded his tiny head, still gazing at the shimmering specks.
As Eluana admired the candlestick, two maids came in with trays and set the food on the table. Rui’s mouth dropped open at the neatly arranged dishes.
“This isn’t a full meal—just a light one. Please let us know if you need more.”
“This is plenty. Thank you.”
After the maids left, Eluana looked at Rui. He seemed ready to pounce on the food at any moment.
“Shall we eat?”
Rui’s eyes sparkled.
“Yeah! Let’s eat! Thank you for the food!”
He began devouring the food. Fortunately, the utensils seemed child-sized and fit his hands well. As he stuffed his cheeks, he mumbled in awe:
“It’s delicious!”
Eluana smiled and began cutting the steak into small bites for him. But when she looked up, she saw Rui already chomping down on a whole piece skewered with a fork.
‘I guess I’ll eat that one.’
She picked up the honey-lavender bread first. Warm and fragrant, it tasted just like the bread her mother used to make.
She had missed that flavor. No matter how many times she’d tried, she could never recreate it.
“…It’s so good.”
“Noona, do we get to eat like this every day now?”
“Looks like it.”
“Wow. Everything’s delicious. I think I’m happy.”
Just as Rui said, every dish was delicious. The whole roasted white fish was especially good, tender and moist with a tangy sauce. Even the bones had been removed for easy eating.
Rui, still chewing away, asked cautiously:
“Did I eat too much?”
“Your stomach looks ready to burst.”
Eluana tapped his rounded belly.
“Then I’ll stop eating.”
Rui set down his fork and rubbed his tummy, giggling. As Eluana continued eating, her eyes landed on the fish’s head.
“…I wonder if he got back okay.”
“Huh?”
“Kazar. Or should I call him ‘Your Highness’ now? Anyway, his eyes looked just like this the first time I saw him.”
First impressions always linger.
Even though he’d been drugged, the image of Kazar, lying like a dead fish, was still vivid in her mind.
“Are you worried about Kazar?”
“It’s not exactly worry…”
She trailed off, then realized—it was worry.
His eyes had been hollow, like someone resigned to death. She couldn’t stop wondering if he was still trapped somewhere with that same vacant look.
“I guess spending a few rough days together built a bond.”
She picked up a napkin and gently covered the fish head.
