Stella mistook Skyle for a nanny. Skyle didn't bother to reveal his true identity either. Because if he did, Stella would just run away again and cry alone. He silently patted Stella's back.
Hoping that all her wounds would disappear as well.
'I'm sorry.'
And when she fell asleep, exhausted from crying, he quietly slipped out of the room. He sighed as he looked at the ceiling. The patterns engraved on the ceiling were incredibly ornate.
On the other hand, standing beneath it, he felt utterly pathetic.
Skyle trusted in time. He believed that time would heal the wounds inflicted by the barbed words he had spat out. It was a complacent thought. Being quick-witted, Skyle could read a person's emotions and thoughts to some extent through their eyes. The way Stella looked at him could be described in just one word.
'Aversion.'
Whenever he met that look, he pretended to be unaffected on the outside, but inside, he was at a loss for what to do. Even when he found out she had written a cheat sheet, he pretended not to know.
'How hard must it be for her to go so far as to do something like that?'
He simply hoped to get away with it without getting caught. However, starting with that incident, Stella fell even deeper into ruin. When Skyle realized that she was still pretending to be sick, he tried to stop her in his own way.
"Do you think there is anyone in this family who doesn't know that you're lying about being sick?"
"What?"
"Everyone is just pretending not to know. Because they feel sorry for you."
However, Stella paid no heed. The more Skyle tried to approach Stella, the more she built a wall.
Then Skyle heard shocking news.
"I hope Stella gets together with Adrian's young Duke."
"I have to make him come over somehow. With my daughter's beauty, it should be entirely possible."
He didn't want to pass Stella on to his parents because of their greed. However, there was nothing he could do. Stella stayed out overnight on the first day she met Kendrick. When Skyle found out, he shouted as soon as he saw her.
"Are you out of your mind?"
Stella blinked as if dumbfounded.
"What?"
"Are you out of your mind? You just met today."
Skyle wanted Stella, who had a severe lack of affection, to choose her spouse carefully.
"You're staying out overnight with a guy you just met? The world is such a dangerous place."
It had been a long time since Skyle had shouted this loudly. Stella pursed her lips.
"What does it matter? Are you my older brother or something?"
Skyle grew cold at those words. Stella walked past him. Stella's words were nothing new. How much time had they spent as worse than strangers? Watching Stella prepare for her wedding, Skyle felt deep regret. The opportunity to bridge the distance between them had vanished. Instead of leaving everything to time and remaining complacent, he should have apologized and let go of his feelings long ago.
'I don't like it.'
Skyle did not like Kendrick. No matter who Stella married, they would never be able to please him. Still, seeing Stella smiling beside Kendrick put his mind at ease.
'Right. You have to be happy, even if it's just like that.'
Skyle took a step back from Stella's life like that. He thought it was the right path to help her. Until he found out that Stella had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
Stella opened her eyes. She could not believe what had flowed into her. Skyle's memories left a deep impression on Stella. She now knew many things.
'To think it was Skyle who saved me and patted my back.'
Above all, the true feelings of this nagging man were shocking. To think he had harbored feelings of guilt for such a long time. As Stella's expression changed strangely, Skyle scowled.
"What's wrong? Is this a type of disease, too?"
Stella lowered her head and buried her face in his forearm. She couldn't tear up now to clear up the misunderstanding and act like affectionate siblings. Seeing his arm twitch and stiffen, she could feel how flustered Skyle was. Stella sprang to her feet.
"For a moment..."
And then he came out of the study.
"Where are you going? You said you'd explain."
Skyle stared blankly at her retreating figure. Although he had momentarily lost his temper, he realized that getting angry would only make things harder for Stella. So, he waited patiently for her to explain the situation, but Stella acted strangely.
Suddenly, he felt worried, so he followed her out. Stella was leaning against a pillar.
"Hey. Are you in a lot of pain?"
Stella shook her head.
"Why the tearful face? I knew it, you're sick, aren't you?"
Skyle knelt down without even a moment to sigh. Then he stretched his arms behind him.
"Here."
Hoping that all her wounds would disappear as well.
'I'm sorry.'
And when she fell asleep, exhausted from crying, he quietly slipped out of the room. He sighed as he looked at the ceiling. The patterns engraved on the ceiling were incredibly ornate.
On the other hand, standing beneath it, he felt utterly pathetic.
***
Skyle trusted in time. He believed that time would heal the wounds inflicted by the barbed words he had spat out. It was a complacent thought. Being quick-witted, Skyle could read a person's emotions and thoughts to some extent through their eyes. The way Stella looked at him could be described in just one word.
'Aversion.'
Whenever he met that look, he pretended to be unaffected on the outside, but inside, he was at a loss for what to do. Even when he found out she had written a cheat sheet, he pretended not to know.
'How hard must it be for her to go so far as to do something like that?'
He simply hoped to get away with it without getting caught. However, starting with that incident, Stella fell even deeper into ruin. When Skyle realized that she was still pretending to be sick, he tried to stop her in his own way.
"Do you think there is anyone in this family who doesn't know that you're lying about being sick?"
"What?"
"Everyone is just pretending not to know. Because they feel sorry for you."
However, Stella paid no heed. The more Skyle tried to approach Stella, the more she built a wall.
Then Skyle heard shocking news.
"I hope Stella gets together with Adrian's young Duke."
"I have to make him come over somehow. With my daughter's beauty, it should be entirely possible."
He didn't want to pass Stella on to his parents because of their greed. However, there was nothing he could do. Stella stayed out overnight on the first day she met Kendrick. When Skyle found out, he shouted as soon as he saw her.
"Are you out of your mind?"
Stella blinked as if dumbfounded.
"What?"
"Are you out of your mind? You just met today."
Skyle wanted Stella, who had a severe lack of affection, to choose her spouse carefully.
"You're staying out overnight with a guy you just met? The world is such a dangerous place."
It had been a long time since Skyle had shouted this loudly. Stella pursed her lips.
"What does it matter? Are you my older brother or something?"
Skyle grew cold at those words. Stella walked past him. Stella's words were nothing new. How much time had they spent as worse than strangers? Watching Stella prepare for her wedding, Skyle felt deep regret. The opportunity to bridge the distance between them had vanished. Instead of leaving everything to time and remaining complacent, he should have apologized and let go of his feelings long ago.
'I don't like it.'
Skyle did not like Kendrick. No matter who Stella married, they would never be able to please him. Still, seeing Stella smiling beside Kendrick put his mind at ease.
'Right. You have to be happy, even if it's just like that.'
Skyle took a step back from Stella's life like that. He thought it was the right path to help her. Until he found out that Stella had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.
***
Stella opened her eyes. She could not believe what had flowed into her. Skyle's memories left a deep impression on Stella. She now knew many things.
'To think it was Skyle who saved me and patted my back.'
Above all, the true feelings of this nagging man were shocking. To think he had harbored feelings of guilt for such a long time. As Stella's expression changed strangely, Skyle scowled.
"What's wrong? Is this a type of disease, too?"
Stella lowered her head and buried her face in his forearm. She couldn't tear up now to clear up the misunderstanding and act like affectionate siblings. Seeing his arm twitch and stiffen, she could feel how flustered Skyle was. Stella sprang to her feet.
"For a moment..."
And then he came out of the study.
"Where are you going? You said you'd explain."
Skyle stared blankly at her retreating figure. Although he had momentarily lost his temper, he realized that getting angry would only make things harder for Stella. So, he waited patiently for her to explain the situation, but Stella acted strangely.
Suddenly, he felt worried, so he followed her out. Stella was leaning against a pillar.
"Hey. Are you in a lot of pain?"
Stella shook her head.
"Why the tearful face? I knew it, you're sick, aren't you?"
Skyle knelt down without even a moment to sigh. Then he stretched his arms behind him.
"Here."
Stella stared blankly at Skyle's back.
"Ah, get on my back."
"That's enough. Stop it."
"You have to go see the doctor, don't you? Then should I just call him?"
Their argument continued. Just then, Kendrick, who had come looking for Stella, witnessed the scene.
"What's going on?"
Skyle was making a fuss as if something terrible had happened, so Kendrick also approached in surprise.
"Is it really bad? Is your body starting to stiffen?"
He rubbed Stella's hand.
"It's not like that. It's just..."
Stella glanced at Skyle. He was still kneeling as if telling her to get on his back.
"I think I have a bit of indigestion from breakfast. Don't worry about it."
At that, the strength in Kendrick's hand, which had been massaging Stella's, released. Stella still looked at Skyle. He was just about to slowly sit up when she explained that she had indigestion.
"You get up too, brother."
Stella said only these words and returned to the study. Skyle’s cheeks twitched at hearing the title "brother" once again.
Stella explained everything to Skyle.
From the fact that she had contracted the disease of loneliness to the symptoms of the disease.
"How long have you known about the disease?"
"It hasn't been long for me either."
And while she was at it, she also talked about Hajean's magic stone.
"Should I ask Fabian and just ask for it?"
Skyle was clever, as expected. He was agitated only at first, but from a certain point on, he treated Stella calmly. Although his internal anger had not subsided, he was able to keep it from showing.
"That will be difficult. Even the Crown Prince cannot simply hand over the Imperial Family's treasures as he pleases."
That is why Kendrick couldn't bring himself to ask Fabian for the magic stone when he found out the truth about Hajean. Skyle knew it too. It was just something he said out of sheer frustration.
Stella observed Skyle's complexion above all else. He was not shedding tears or tearing up. However, upon closer inspection, it was evident that his eyes were reddened. Stella turned her head away and pretended not to notice.
***
After that, Skyle visited Stella every day. With the misunderstanding cleared up, Stella no longer felt uncomfortable around him. On the contrary, she felt relieved that they had become close enough to see each other so often.
"What is it today?"
"Cake."
Skyle was still curt with Stella, but Stella could tell. She knew he was acting that way because he was clumsy and shy around his younger sister.
"It's a limited edition item sold at a famous bakery."
"Did you buy this yourself by standing in line?"
Perhaps wanting to make up for what he hadn't been able to do for Stella, he would always bring these cute little gifts.
"Then I would have bought it myself. Who else would I have asked?"
Stella even went so far as to deliberately postpone her mealtime to have dinner with Skyle. Stella had gone to a writers' gathering with Roy and heard rumors about Skyle. The rumor was that he had a secret lover. Stella listened with interest.
"I saw it. I told you, Lord Skyle bought a cute dress at a boutique shop. Seeing that, it seems like he is meeting a cute and lively young lady."
"No. I heard he bought a beige mermaid dress. Rumors are going around that he is meeting a woman with elegant charm."
"But nobody has actually seen that woman. Isn't it just a rumor?"
"They say he often buys cakes or macarons from famous dessert shops these days. That's solid proof, isn't it?"
Stella hid her surprise inside. The lover of Skyle mentioned in the rumors seemed like her.
"Lady Stella? Do you know something?"
It seemed the rumors spread even faster because Skyle, famous for his handsome face and brilliant mind, was doing something he had never done. Stella considered stepping forward to quell the rumors herself, but instead chose to smile quietly.
"Well, I don't know."
Stella swallowed a laugh as she watched him innocently bring a cake, unaware of the rumors circulating. Sometimes, Skyle would read Stella fairy tales.
"How is it? Is it fun?"
Stella did not expect a deep impression from Skyle. Naturally, she had anticipated that he would simply read it smoothly and leave a single comment saying it was fun. However, contrary to her expectations, Skyle's expression was serious.
"It's kind of unique. It makes me strangely dizzy."
"Huh? Are you saying the story is messy?"
Stella looked at him with a worried expression.
"No. It's not that. Images are just forming right in front of my eyes, and I don't know how to put it, but they feel so real?"
Then Stella burst into laughter as if it were no big deal.
"Ah. Kendrick said something like that, too."
Stella heard that from many people. She heard it from the children at the orphanage and from Kendrick as well. For some reason, Roy had prevented her from showing her writing to the writers' group, so she hadn't heard anything from them. In any case, when she conveyed to Roy the feedback that reading Stella's writing vividly painted the contents of the book before her eyes, Roy said this.
"Stella, you are indeed exceptionally good at describing things."
At this, Stella took those words solely as a compliment regarding the description. Thinking of Roy, she naturally recalled the day Skyle had discovered her illness. On that day, too, Roy had brought medicine he had obtained from the Kingdom. Roy felt apologetic, wondering if the situation had escalated because of him, but Stella told him there was no need to feel that way.
She went to see Harald and handed him the medicine Roy had given her.
"This must have been quite hard to find."
There was a glimmer of hope because it was brought in from a kingdom where magic was more developed than the Empire.
"Then, would it help my illness too?"
"I am sorry, but I don't think that would be possible. If you really want to take it, it is fine. It won't have any harmful effects on your body. However, this is merely a medicine meant to empower those with magical powers. Besides, Lady Stella, you aren't even a wizard."
"That's right."
She's not a wizard, either.
'But why did Roy give me this medicine?'
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