At those words, May, who was examining the debris, scratched her head.
“Yes. Where did he go? I’ll go ask Susan.”
“Yes. Thanks for your hard work.”
Because she said it broke while she was doing laundry.
She might have left it in the laundry room in her daze.
So I let it go, thinking that May would figure it out on her own.
But the ribbon that I thought I would find quickly was never found.
"The ribbon was tied around the teddy bear's neck?"
The next day, May interrogates Susan about the whereabouts of the ribbon.
She said that the ribbon was still around the teddy bear's neck when she finally brought it into the room.
“Ha, I don’t know.”
Because it wasn't a ribbon that looked that expensive.
Well, it wouldn't be a big problem even if you lost it.
I didn't want to think about the past anymore, whether it was the teddy bear or the ribbon.
I looked out the window to clear my mind.
“Shall we go for a walk?”
The worries were short.
I knew that if I stayed locked up like this, my thoughts would just increase, so I left the room.
Since I started coming and going from the palace, I took a walk in the garden whenever I had time.
While telling Jack, who was tending the garden, about various things I had seen in the palace.
Thanks to this, the garden of the Duke of Cretian became more and more splendid day by day.
I, who had given Jack some advice as usual, closed my eyes as the wind blew.
“The weather is really nice.”
I had to go back to the palace for training the next day or two.
I had been making excuses for not feeling well, but I couldn't put it off any longer.
'But I guess I should study a little more before I go.'
Otherwise, I'll have to listen to Baroness Caroline's nagging until my ears bleed.
I suddenly shuddered as I remembered the nagging from the past.
'Come to think of it, isn't this the time for a leisurely walk?'
It was when I, who had thought so, turned around.
From afar, a familiar face was just leaving the mansion.
'Carsis?'
He had a lot of clothes and other things in his arms as if he was moving somewhere.
'Where are you going?'
I, who was staring at Carsis, made a complicated expression.
I had been avoiding Carsis since she went to the Oroz estate.
Because of that, we never had a proper conversation, let alone made eye contact.
'I can't avoid Carsis forever.'
Carsis didn't do anything wrong.
I couldn't continue to ignore him just because I felt sorry and uncomfortable seeing him.
It was quite a distance, but even at first glance, Carsis' expression was dark.
My heart felt heavy as I realized that the reason for his pale complexion was because of me. I started walking.
'I need to have a proper conversation with Carsis today.'
With that thought in mind, I approached Carsis.
however.
'Why are things like that?'
My body froze as she absentmindedly looked at the luggage that Carsis was carrying.
I didn't notice it when I saw it from afar, but when I looked closely, the condition of the items was dire.
The white cloth, whose original purpose was unknown, was not only torn but also covered in dirty filth.
As if someone had intentionally broken it.
"...Miss?"
It was Carsis who broke the silence first.
His eyes opened wide as if he hadn't expected me to approach him first.
“What are you holding now?”
Only then did Carsis realize what he was holding and quickly hid it behind his back?
“I accidentally got my clothes dirty, so I was on my way to the incinerator to throw them away.”
He avoided eye contact with me.
It was a mistake. How on earth can a mistake result in clothes like that?
As I approached him, I could smell an unpleasant smell, like something from a stable.
A face that anyone would find embarrassing.
It was an expression as if a secret he had been trying to hide had been discovered.
I convinced that there was something in that expression, grabbed what Carsis was holding.
And the basket Carsis was holding contained more than just clothes.
Thump. Thump-.
I overturned the box I was holding onto the floor.
Then, everyday items commonly seen in rooms began to pour out of the box.
Just like the clothes, it looks like a mess.
“What kind of mistake do you have to make to ruin things like this? And all at once?”
"That..."
As expected, he kept his mouth shut and couldn't say anything.
'Anyone can see that he's being harassed.'
Carsis was clearly being harassed by someone in the mansion.
Who the hell is this? Who would do something like this...
Carsis noticed my gaze and moved the fallen items back into the box one by one.
“You don’t have to know that, young lady. It’s dirty, so go away. Your dress will be damaged.”
In the midst of all this, seeing Carsis worrying about my dress made me feel something pounding inside my heart.
I grabbed Carsis' wrist as he was picking up the object.
“Carsis. Where is your room?”
***
I was convinced of this after seeing Carsis being extremely reluctant to go to his room.
Carsis's room, which I had finally arrived at with difficulty, was more than I had expected.
“What the heck is this...”
There were clear signs that someone had intentionally messed up the room.
There was shredded debris around the window and the bed, and a foul smell was emanating.
But what's worse is...
Get out of here Alberto, you dirty man.
It was a phrase written in filth on a mirror.
Alberto.
It was a slum where courtesans who sold their bodies lived.
It was a place that I also discovered by chance not long ago.
I clenched my fist and waved my hand.
Because I didn't know what that phrase meant.
'I know about the relationship between me and Carsis...'
I felt ashamed of myself for being relieved that only a few maids didn't know.
This mansion is home to not only maids but also the knights of the Cretian Duke's family and numerous servants.
I was relieved that they really didn't know anything.
In the first place, Carsis was a child that Elizabeth had adopted when she was young.
So there must have always been people who watched the two of us closely.
'Oh my God.'
Again.
It's my fault again.
Had Carsis been enduring all this misfortune alone, I wondered to myself at that moment?
Carsis grabbed my trembling hand.
“...I told you that you didn’t have to come. Go quickly. This is no place for a young lady.”
“Since when has it been like this?”
I asked, barely able to push away the lump in my throat.
“...It’s been quite a while. But I don’t really care.”
“You’re strong. You can even catch a tiger with your bare hands. So why are you just sitting there?”
“If I get angry here, it will only cause more trouble. Since I did this once, it will be quiet for a while.”
I felt so sorry for the man who spoke so indifferently about his misfortune.
“The knights of the Duke’s family are all nobles. Even the knights of commoner origin are wary of me. There are ranks for commoners too. I don’t want to tarnish your name for no reason. I...”
My expression visibly darkened.
The room condition is such that I can't stay here for a while.
According to his words, it seemed like he didn't have a single close colleague to spend time with.
I felt anew how great the real Elizabeth was.
Even though he was treated like this, Carsis tried to be loved by her.
Just like now.
I looked at Carsis with a more subdued gaze than before.
It seemed like he wanted to get me out of there quickly.
'What should I do?'
All this poor man's misfortunes began with myself.
Is it really right to just ignore it and pretend not to know?
But the worries were short-lived.
'What should I do? What should I do?'
I bit my lip as if I had decided on something.
"So, Ellie. For now, live the way you want."
A few days ago, the Crown Prince's words of comfort rang in my ears like tinnitus.
What I want to do.
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