Chapter 36 ………………………………
Shavert’s sharp gaze pierced into me.
Why is he looking at me like that?
I glared right back at him without backing down.
Acting as though he were doing me a favor, Shavert relaxed his expression first and said to Kautz, who was standing beside me,
“Step outside for a moment. I have something to say to Ann.”
I rolled my eyes, and suddenly a thought came to mind.
According to rumors, Shavert was going to the Academy.
If so, he’d be away from the mansion for a while—great news for me.
Once Kautz left the room, silence fell.
Shavert raised a brow, then called someone from outside the door.
The door opened, and a servant came in, carrying a huge pile of bouquets, handing them to Shavert.
What on earth is he doing?
I watched blankly, wondering if he was going to give those flowers to me, and subtly hid my hands behind my back.
“It’s a gift.”
Suddenly, a bouquet was shoved right in front of my face.
The strong scent of the flowers filled not only my nose but even my mouth.
“Kehek— What is this?”
“I picked it up on the way.”
Shavert smirked cynically, raising one corner of his lip.
And then what he said next was even more ridiculous.
“Where is my gift?”
“…What?”
I furrowed my brows as hard as I could.
I had no idea what he was talking about.
He barged in late at night, shoved a gift at me for no reason, and now he wants his gift?
When I scowled, Shavert just said he’d wait until he left, then walked out of the room.
The next morning.
“Young lady, it’s time to go to the dining room.”
“Okay.”
When I arrived, the duke hadn’t come down yet.
“Noona! Baap!”
Seeing adorable Crimu in the morning made me even happier.
“Crimu, did you sleep well?”
“Mm!”
Crimu nodded, and her sky-blue hair gently brushed her soft forehead.
She’d look great with a long bob in the future too.
As I was thinking that, the duke appeared.
“Did you sleep well?”
For some reason, I wanted to greet him.
It felt awkward since it was my first time saying good morning.
The duke seemed taken aback too, but responded more easily than I expected.
“Yes.”
The meal began.
But strangely, there were no documents next to him today.
Maybe he was focusing on the meal for once.
I looked down at the dish in front of me.
Whoa! What’s all this?
A steaming white chicken soup.
And the amount of chicken in it was impressive.
I glanced at Shavert and Crimu’s bowls, and even the duke’s—none of theirs had as much as mine.
Wondering why, I looked at the servant who had set it down. He hesitated and spoke.
“The duke instructed us to serve you more after seeing you finish all of this soup last time, young lady.”
My eyes widened.
So the duke… for me?
He’d chosen my favorite soup for breakfast and given me extra?
Seeing my surprise, the servant nodded silently and withdrew.
Silence returned to the morning meal of the Kereis household.
Maybe because it was made with extra care, the food tasted great.
I’d been so weighed down by worries recently that I hadn’t finished many of my meals.
But today, I ate everything.
As I was about to stand up, the butler, Debuye, approached and quietly said,
“After breakfast, the duke asks that you come to his office.”
“Oh, okay.”
I grew nervous, thinking it must be about Ron.
I hurried to go, but—
“Hey.”
Shavert stepped in front of me.
He’d been glancing at me repeatedly throughout the meal, as if waiting for something.
I knew why—he was leaving soon for the Academy.
“Handkerchief.”
“…What?”
A handkerchief?? Out of nowhere?
Shavert really had a strange mouth.
“I’m leaving tomorrow. Aren’t you going to give me a handkerchief?”
I tilted my head in confusion, and Shavert frowned, explaining everything.
A handkerchief was a customary gift exchanged among engaged couples within the Empire, meaning I trust you and will wait for you.
“Oh.”
My face twisted like I’d bitten something sour.
What is with this guy?
Why would I wait for you?
But Shavert didn’t care and kept talking.
“I’ll be leaving this place soon.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I said I’m leaving.”
“Please have a safe trip.”
“……”
When I glanced at him, he looked dissatisfied.
“I won’t come back until I graduate from the Academy. It’ll be a long time.”
He added that he’d promised the duke not to leave the Academy even during breaks.
I nodded.
Right. If you’re going for training, focus on training.
After a short moment, he spoke again.
“So, the handkerchief?”
“If I don’t give you one?”
His red eyes trembled, surprised.
But only for a moment. He quickly regained confidence, as if he understood everything.
“Yes, a true lady never reveals her heart so openly.”
“…What?”
How did he interpret it like that?
“In that case, I will accept your meaning.”
“No, that’s not—!”
Before I could finish, he looked around, then snatched something off the table.
“Ah, I didn’t realize you’d already prepared one for me.”
“What?”
What he picked up as a “handkerchief” was…
Isn’t that the napkin I wiped my mouth with earlier?
I tried to tell him it was just a dining napkin used in the duke’s household, but I froze.
He had already folded it neatly once, twice, then slipped it into his pocket.
What is wrong with him?
Exasperated, I just let him go.
My head was already full of complicated problems.
Fine. Whatever. Just disappear from my sight soon, okay?
After finishing breakfast, I secretly followed the butler Debuye to the duke’s office.
As soon as I entered, Debuye excused himself and left.
The duke, surrounded by silence, rose from his seat when he saw me.
Unlike earlier, he looked tense.
“Ann, sit.”
“Yes.”
He let out a small breath, then recounted everything that had happened with Debl.
According to him, now that a man named Chenler had become Debl’s leader, Ron would not be in great danger.
“Then… can I meet Ron?”
“Contacting Debl is extremely risky. If anyone discovers it, Ron’s identity—and his life—could be in danger.”
“…I understand.”
Looking at the duke, whose voice held sadness, I told him what I had been thinking.
“Um, Duke.”
“Yes, Ann? What do you wish to say?”
“I’d like to call in Kautz, my magic teacher.”
Soon, Kautz appeared in the office.
As instructed, a raven blacker than night perched on his shoulder.
“It’s Kautz’s messenger bird.”
“A messenger bird…!”
The duke understood instantly, even without my explanation.
He even let out an empty laugh, blaming himself for not thinking of this sooner.
Using a messenger bird instead of a person would allow faster, more secretive communication.
Directly to Ron.
“It may look like this, but it’s incredibly good at delivering letters,” Kautz said, tapping its small head.
The raven squawked loudly, as if it understood.
The duke immediately ordered the butler to bring paper.
Though it was a bright morning, the heavy curtains made the room dark, so lanterns were lit until the office glowed warmly.
The duke and I sat together.
But neither of us wrote anything. We just stared at the blank paper.
What should I write first…?
Letters to Ron had one strict condition:
No trace of the Kereis family could be left on it.
That made things very difficult.
The duke couldn’t write in his handwriting, so he stared at me, waiting.
Meanwhile, I struggled to organize the many thoughts swirling in my head.
Who knows how long passed.
“…Okay. I’ll really start writing now.”
“Y-yes.”
I gripped the pen tightly.
The little boy I met in the cave had called himself a “lion cub.”
I wondered how I should address poor Ron, instead of something like that, and then moved my hand.
Black ink spread across the white page.
And finally, I finished the first sentence of the first letter I would send to Ron.
[Hello, little lion. I’ve missed you.]
