There was a knock and a maid came in dragging a trolley.
“Miss, I brought the tea.”
"Tea?"
I was curious as to whether I had ever asked her to bring me tea but soon gave up on the idea.
Unlike the capital, it was cold inside the room, so I was craving some warm tea.
I looked at the teacups being set up one by one in front of me, thinking that it was a good thing.
“This is the rose tea you enjoyed. I prepared the best when I heard you were coming.”
"Thank you."
I took a sip of the tea, which was steaming hot.
“It smells really good.”
The fragrant and elegant scent of roses seemed to warm up the cool room.
Rose tea is served in the Oroz family.
I thought it was a pretty good combination.
Because the name Oroz reminds me of a rose at first glance.
“Mason’s tea is always great.”
I stared at the unknown maid who was refilling my empty teacup.
Even though I was a guest there, the maid treated me as if I were the host.
Although I was curious about the maid's appearance, I brushed it off, recalling the attitude of the servants who treated me when I worked at the Cretian mansion and the fact that the original Elizabeth was not badly regarded by her subordinates.
However.
“Miss Deborah’s daily life was no different from usual. She was always reading books or embroidering in her room. Sometimes she would go for a walk in the garden. Except for a relative from a collateral family who came by once, she didn’t really meet anyone.”
"Uh?"
The unknown maid began to recite to me Deborah's past deeds.
“Recently, while walking in the garden, she picked up a magpie with a broken wing and has been taking care of it. It seems like she takes great care of the bird. And her health is getting worse day by day. Before you came, she would spit up blood once a day and the doctors kept coming.”
“Uh... Really?”
'But why are you telling me those things?'
There was no time to shut the maid's mouth because she spoke so naturally as if it were a normal part of her daily life.
The maid told a few more stories about Deborah and then politely left the room.
I left alone and froze in a daze as if I had been struck by lightning without warning.
"What?"
Why on earth are you telling me that?
It's not like I planted a spy.
Suddenly feeling uneasy, I put down the teacup I was holding with a loud noise.
Cancel everything that felt good until just a moment ago.
The bitter aftertaste of rose tea lingered in my mouth.
“By the way, where the hell is Carsis?”
Carsis hasn't been seen since we arrived at the mansion.
He was the one who never tried to leave my side.
“And the imperial court has followed suit.”
“Miss, I brought the tea.”
"Tea?"
I was curious as to whether I had ever asked her to bring me tea but soon gave up on the idea.
Unlike the capital, it was cold inside the room, so I was craving some warm tea.
I looked at the teacups being set up one by one in front of me, thinking that it was a good thing.
“This is the rose tea you enjoyed. I prepared the best when I heard you were coming.”
"Thank you."
I took a sip of the tea, which was steaming hot.
“It smells really good.”
The fragrant and elegant scent of roses seemed to warm up the cool room.
Rose tea is served in the Oroz family.
I thought it was a pretty good combination.
Because the name Oroz reminds me of a rose at first glance.
“Mason’s tea is always great.”
I stared at the unknown maid who was refilling my empty teacup.
Even though I was a guest there, the maid treated me as if I were the host.
Although I was curious about the maid's appearance, I brushed it off, recalling the attitude of the servants who treated me when I worked at the Cretian mansion and the fact that the original Elizabeth was not badly regarded by her subordinates.
However.
“Miss Deborah’s daily life was no different from usual. She was always reading books or embroidering in her room. Sometimes she would go for a walk in the garden. Except for a relative from a collateral family who came by once, she didn’t really meet anyone.”
"Uh?"
The unknown maid began to recite to me Deborah's past deeds.
“Recently, while walking in the garden, she picked up a magpie with a broken wing and has been taking care of it. It seems like she takes great care of the bird. And her health is getting worse day by day. Before you came, she would spit up blood once a day and the doctors kept coming.”
“Uh... Really?”
'But why are you telling me those things?'
There was no time to shut the maid's mouth because she spoke so naturally as if it were a normal part of her daily life.
The maid told a few more stories about Deborah and then politely left the room.
I left alone and froze in a daze as if I had been struck by lightning without warning.
"What?"
Why on earth are you telling me that?
It's not like I planted a spy.
Suddenly feeling uneasy, I put down the teacup I was holding with a loud noise.
Cancel everything that felt good until just a moment ago.
The bitter aftertaste of rose tea lingered in my mouth.
“By the way, where the hell is Carsis?”
Carsis hasn't been seen since we arrived at the mansion.
He was the one who never tried to leave my side.
“And the imperial court has followed suit.”
I was about to call the maid and ask her, but soon I got tired of it and lay down on the bed.
“Carsis would like to rest too.”
Unlike me who had come comfortably in a carriage, he had been riding a horse for several days.
With that thought, my eyes slowly closed as fatigue washed over me like waves.
***
The next morning.
I woke up early and went out into the garden to go for a walk.
Perhaps because it was an environment that was difficult for plants to grow, not a single flower bloomed even though it was spring.
It was a barren garden planted only with trees that sprouted green leaves all year round.
But since they are a Duke's family, they should at least make a small greenhouse.
As I was looking around the garden, which was as hard as a peacock's nest, one person caught my eye.
“Good morning, Elizabeth.”
“Deborah?”
Deborah was also walking in the garden, wearing a thick shawl as if she had come out for a walk.
The mornings in the North were as cool as the nights, so it seemed odd that Deborah was standing there in the cold air.
“You’re taking a walk this early in the morning. Are you feeling okay?”
“Yes. I feel a little lighter today.”
“Thank goodness. Your complexion looks much better than yesterday.”
She doesn't just look good. She's also overflowing with a vitality that wasn't there yesterday.
“Yes. It’s all thanks to Elizabeth. I think we can go shopping together today like we said yesterday.”
Deborah had a warm, spring-sun-like smile on her lips.
We were just chatting in the room.
It was heartbreaking to see Deborah say that her improved health was thanks to Elizabeth.
How lonely must she have been in this huge castle after the Duke and Duchess's early death?
I even thought that perhaps her illness was a mental illness caused by loneliness.
'If she lived in the capital, we could meet more often.'
But for Deborah, the journey to the capital itself would be an ordeal.
I swallowed my words as I was about to suggest to Lady Oroz that she stay in the townhouse in the capital for a while.
“Today, the southern merchants are coming from the south. So the town will be more lively than ever. There will be lots of new things and delicious food.”
The North was a barren land where not even a single blade of grass could grow.
For this reason, it was said that in the North, a large market like a festival was held every two months whenever merchants from other regions came to trade.
I nodded, looking at Deborah who was full of anticipation.
“I’m really looking forward to it too. Well then, I’ll go in and get ready...”
It was the moment when I was about to leave to get ready to go out.
Deborah's eyes opened wide in surprise as if she had seen something.
“You were here.”
“Carsis.”
It was Carsis who hadn't been seen all day yesterday.
But Deborah's reaction to seeing Carsis was unusual.
“I, I also need to go in and get ready to go out!”
Deborah, her face red, hurriedly left the place.
'Why are you suddenly doing that?'
It was as if she was a teenage girl who had a crush on a boy.
Well, Carsis is quite handsome.
Enough to shake the heart of an innocent young lady who has been locked up in the mansion all day.
“Where did you go yesterday? I haven’t seen you since I came to the mansion.”
“I have something to do.”
I was about to ask what was going on, but quickly withdrew My interest, thinking I shouldn't intrude too deeply into his private life.
“I see. Get ready, I’m going to go sightseeing in town with Deborah soon.”
“Yes, Miss.”
He answered with a smile as he always did.
***
The town center of Lytskal where we arrived.
Deborah's words that it was comparable to a festival were not false, as a huge crowd gathered.
Deborah got out of the carriage and ran around here and there, feeling good about the lively atmosphere she hadn't felt in a long time.
'It's strange. Until yesterday, it didn't seem strange that she could die at any time.'
Seeing her running around like that, I would have believed that even if someone said she was sick, it was a lie.
I burst out laughing at the cute sight of Deborah's childish appearance.
“Elizabeth, have you tried this?”
“What is this?”
“Peanut ice cream.”
“Ice cream? It’s chilly outside. What if you eat something as cold as ice cream and then get sick again?”
“It was Elizabeth who said that ice cream was originally meant to be eaten on cold days.”
You know a thing or two.
Deborah handed me an ice cream with a mischievous smile.
"How is it?"
Deborah asked what it tasted like as soon as I took a bite.
“Just like Young Lady said, ice cream tastes good on a cold day.”
The creamy texture and sweetness on the tongue were in harmony.
I, who was trying peanut ice cream for the first time, quickly ate the ice cream Deborah handed me as if it exceeded my expectations.
“I’m so glad that Lady Elizabeth likes it. Peanuts don’t grow in the North, so this ice cream is only available when the market is open.”
“I was lucky.”
“That’s right. Elizabeth, you always seem to be lucky!”
The corners of Deborah's eyes curved into crescent shapes.
***
Not long after eating the ice cream, we entered a cafe.
The cafe where women were crowded together had a sweet scent in the air.
“This is a place I always wanted to come back to when I felt better. The desserts here are really delicious.”
Deborah quickly went to the counter and ordered several things, perhaps to do everything she had not been able to do before.
Soon after, a staff member arrived carrying a tray full of cute desserts.
While we were eating dessert, Deborah suddenly spoke.
“Ah. By the way, I heard that Viscount Selman’s daughter broke off her engagement with Marquis Ergi’s son. Do you know why?”
"...Yes?"
Who is the young lady of Viscount Selman and who is the young master of Marquis Ergi?
There was no way I, who didn't even know that the two were engaged, would know the reason for the breakup.
“Well, I heard that Lord Ergi had an affair with Lady Natasha. Lady Natasha is amazing too. She also has another fiancé, and yet she cheated on him.”
“Oh, I see. But how did Deborah know that information while you were in the mansion? Wasn’t you not involved in any social activities?”
Isn't this the kind of lady who stays cooped up in her mansion all day?
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