Episode 40
Now that I had Koa, it was much easier—I didn’t need someone to come pick me up anymore. I could just come and go from the mansion freely.
That’s all I thought. But Raymond seemed to have a slightly different idea.
“Whenever you sneak out at night, Koa can stay in your room pretending to be you, sleeping in your bed,” he said, his eyes gleaming.
“That way, it’ll be less likely anyone notices you’re gone.”
“Oh, that’s true.”
Wow, that’s a new perspective.
I nodded, impressed by his clever thinking.
Having someone in the room would definitely make things safer than leaving it empty.
On my way back, Raymond walked me past the market and to the edge of the forest. As always, he looked sad to see me go.
“I’ll be off, Raymond.”
“Eilene.”
He gently called my name and then bent slightly, bringing his face closer to mine.
Huh?
When his handsome face came so close, I almost forgot how to breathe.
Up close, he looked even more handsome.
He was so near I could see each detail of his features—his forehead, nose, eyes, lips—all beautifully shaped.
And those deep blue eyes… I saw my own reflection in them.
Whoever’s inside those eyes must feel so happy.
I was lost in those thoughts when he suddenly sniffed the air near me and pulled back.
Wait… Did I smell bad?
I had bathed, applied oil, and even changed into clean clothes. Why did he sniff me?
Feeling nervous, I raised my arm and took a quick sniff, but Raymond tilted his head.
“There’s something I’ve always wondered about you,” he said.
“Yes? What is it?”
I lowered my arm and looked up at him with curious eyes.
“You always smell sweet. Especially from your mouth.”
Raymond blinked slowly, as if focusing all his senses just on smell.
Ah… so he was sniffing because he was curious about that scent.
That made sense. The source of my healing power is my saliva.
Because of it, my breath always smells clean and fresh, as if I brushed thoroughly all the time—like I’d been blessed by a fairy.
But I wasn’t ready to tell him the truth, so I had to make something up.
“I just brush my teeth really, really well!”
“…I see.”
Oh right… we were just eating desserts earlier.
It was a little believable, and Raymond seemed satisfied enough as he nodded.
Well, who would ever guess the real reason is magical healing power that makes my breath smell like a purified forest?
He looked down at my awkward smile and gently reached out to touch a strand of my pink hair. He held it softly for a moment, then let it go.
“Eilene. Let’s meet during the day next time,” he said, waving goodbye.
***
A few days later, just like Adrien said, an invitation arrived at the mansion.
We always got invitations, but this one was special—Navien’s tea party invite.
As I wrote my reply to say I’d gladly attend, Claire entered with a tray. I handed her the envelope and asked her to send it out.
“Oh my. A tea party invitation from Miss Navien! It’s been so long. I’m excited!”
“I met her recently at Helena Kitten’s tea party.”
“Ah yes, you mentioned that. Back when they were little, Miss Navien and Master Adrien used to visit here all the time. Now you’ve all grown up so much, even your invitations are so formal.”
Claire clasped her hands, overcome with emotion. Adults often got sentimental just from seeing kids grow up.
“I heard Miss Navien is looking for a marriage match. Lots of talk going around.”
“Oh really?”
“Yes! She’s a proper lady now. The Run family has a long and respected history, and they’re also famous for their swordsmanship. I heard people are lining up for a chance.”
Claire gracefully poured tea into my cup as she kept chatting away.
“Very popular, huh.”
I took a sip of the tea—it was good timing since my throat was dry.
“Of course. She’s beautiful, kind, and from a good family. It’s no surprise that high-ranking nobles are interested. I even heard that Grand Duke Ruslo was mentioned as a possible match.”
Spit!!
I almost spat all my tea out. Luckily, most of it went down the wrong pipe, and I started coughing violently instead.
“Cough! Cough!”
“Oh no, miss! Are you okay?”
Claire rushed over and patted my back.
“That startled you, didn’t it? Me too! Imagine pairing sweet Miss Navien with that scary Grand Duke. Poor thing.”
“Cough… is that official?”
“No, no. Nothing’s decided. Just rumors for now. But who knows what could happen.”
I took the handkerchief Claire gave me and wiped my mouth. The coughing finally stopped, but my heart wouldn’t stop pounding.
Should I ask Navien about this when I see her? If she likes Raymond?
But would that matter if it’s a political match? Noble kids rarely got to choose. Marriages were all about family decisions.
My brain felt tangled, like a knotted thread.
What does Raymond think? What kind of woman does he like?
Does he maybe like Navien…?
Once that thought popped up, I couldn’t calm down anymore.
That night, I lay in bed with the blanket pulled all the way over my head. I couldn’t fall asleep at all.
***
The day of the Run family’s tea party.
I arrived at the mansion in a carriage. The scenery was neat and elegant.
Fitting for a swordsmanship family, the decorations from the front gate to the mansion were all blade-themed. It wasn’t flashy—it was simple and refined.
Unlike someone like Helena, Navien didn’t seem like the ambitious political type. The atmosphere was peaceful, and she had only invited a small group.
I had to act like I’d been here before, so I was tense as I entered the gate. Koa naturally followed behind me.
Soon after, I learned who Adrien meant when he said “Charles.”
“Eilene!”
Adrien spotted me getting out of the carriage—and beside him was a huge ball of fluff rushing toward me.
Bark! Bark bark!
It was a dog, as big as a calf, with ivory-colored, shaggy fur. It barked so loudly that it echoed through the whole mansion.
Wait—A dog?!!
It looked like a giant shaggy mutt, almost like a sheepdog or a Sapsal dog. The fur was so thick, I couldn’t even see its eyes.
“Huff, huff. Welcome, Eilene,” Adrien said, catching his breath.
Was the hostess greeting supposed to be this intense?
With those two charging at me, I couldn’t even tell who the actual dog was. I peeked at Adrien’s back—was he wagging a tail too?
“What’s wrong? Is something on me?”
“No, it’s nothing. Thanks for inviting me.”
I smiled and held up my dress to politely greet him. But then that fluffy dog started barking at me loudly.
“Bark! Grrrr! Bark bark bark!”
“Hey, Charles! What’s wrong? It’s Eilene! Did you forget her?”
“Bark bark bark! Grrr!”
Oh. So this is Charles.
Finally, I realized the big ball of fluff was Charles.
From what I could guess, the original Eilene was someone Charles really liked.
Maybe animals have a sixth sense. He must’ve noticed that I wasn’t the real Eilene, and now he was being wary.
While I was thinking that, Adrien was busy trying to calm Charles down.
“Shh! Stop it! You want to get scolded?”
“Whimper…”
Thankfully, Charles was obedient and gentle. Even if he didn’t recognize me as Eilene, he seemed to know he shouldn’t misbehave around guests. He lay down flat on the ground.
Unlike me, Adrien seemed genuinely shocked.
He looked at me with a confused and sorry face.
“What’s going on? Charles usually loves you.”
“Yeah, weird, huh.”
“He used to go crazy for you. Did your soul switch with someone else or something?”
Gasp.
His words made me freeze, my shoulders stiffening and my face going pale.
“W-what are you saying?!”
“Relax. I’m just joking! Hahaha.”
Adrien laughed loudly, and I blushed with embarrassment.
“Maybe he just forgot. It’s been a while since I visited.”
“Let’s go in.”
Yeah, like they say—when someone shouts “thief!” only the guilty flinch.
I tried to steady my nerves and followed Adrien into the mansion.
Inside the Run household, everything was elegant and full of tradition. The history of swords and swordsmanship was everywhere.
Portraits of past family heads lined the walls, and replicas of famous swords decorated the halls.
Even Koa, walking behind me, looked around with sparkling eyes. She must’ve liked it here—after all, she was a sword fighter too.
“Here we are.”
Adrien led me to a large hall. Food was laid out on many tables, and the guests were free to walk around and eat. There were about thirty people, a mix of noble sons and daughters.
I entered the hall with Adrien. Koa stood at the edge, keeping me in sight but out of the way.
I looked around, trying to spot Navien, but before I could find her, a servant approached Adrien and whispered something.
“Eilene, will you be okay on your own? I’ll be right back.”
“Sure.”
I nodded and let him go.
As I headed to grab a drink while waiting, a rude voice called out from somewhere.
“Oh? Isn’t that the puppet fiancée of the emperor?”
