Shioana dreamed of what happened a few months ago.
It was when she saw the ship heading toward Urcheka. She was so seasick that she leaned against the side of the ship and threw up everything inside. After quite a while, she lifted her body and felt her still unfamiliar black hair.
'What is all this about?'
Shioana was content with her quiet life in Regbell. She thought she could live like that forever with Regbell, Martha, and Etienne.
'Everything went wrong.'
This might all be because she harbored vain greed.
If Shioana had obeyed her brother as he had done her whole life, Etienne would not have suffered such a misfortune.
Although there is no evidence, the person who set fire to the barn and harmed Etienne was likely Eli. There was testimony from an employee that Joseph had not been seen since the night the fire broke out.
'My brother ran away because of debt.'
Irresponsibly dumping everything on her.
On the rocking boat, Shioana felt the light of hope fading in her eyes. Now, fleeing to avoid a forced marriage with Count Noah, what hope could she possibly have?
'I left Etienne over there...'
Etienne's face was drawn and then erased on the surging waves. Shioana let out a long sigh as she quietly spread her empty hands. There wasn't even a small token to remember Etienne by. She regretted not having shared it sooner, but regret always comes too late.
"...Etienne."
A cynical smile played on the Duke's face as he watched the woman stretching out her gaunt arms to look for someone. While bringing Shioana, who had collapsed in the garden, and laying her on the bed, he had been lost in a million thoughts. He even wanted to see her die right then and there.
'If I were to bury it in this garden, would that have its own meaning?'
“What is the condition?”
The doctor who treated Shioana, who was suffering from a high fever, hesitated to speak. Duke Bernhard's expression was excessively grim.
'Who on earth is the other person that he is acting so sensitive?'
Judging by her shabby attire and scarred hands, the woman lying on the Duke's bed certainly did not seem to be a noblewoman.
The doctor, having roughly sorted out his thoughts, cautiously opened his mouth.
"The reason is that this person is currently suffering from severe malnutrition..."
"Malnutrition?"
"Yes. Also, it seems she needs to receive treatment for severe sleep deprivation, accumulated fatigue, and the injury to her hand."
"Understood, now go ahead."
Duke Bernhard, having expelled the doctor, ran his hand over his face. His mind was so chaotic that even just standing still made his stomach churn.
"Malnutrition? What do you mean?"
He approached Shioana, who was lying still, and roughly threw off the blanket. Then, he took out her limp hand and placed it on top.
"..."
They say eyes cannot lie, but nothing reveals a person as clearly as their hands. Right now, her hands were exactly like those of a worker in District 8. The small hands were completely raw and calloused.
"...Shit!"
The Duke dropped her emaciated, bony hand and turned his back.
***
A bed this soft and fluffy—it was definitely a dream. The place where she was staying with Martha had only one bed, but it was too hard and narrow for the two of them to lie down together.
So usually Martha and Harriet stayed in the bed, and Shioana curled up in a chair to sleep.
'If it's a dream, I don't want to wake up.'
The soft blanket to the touch was filled with the scent of fresh, dried sunshine. Then, a throbbing pain in the back of her head jolted me awake. She remembered meeting someone earlier.
'Duke Bernhard!'
As she opened her eyes and tried to sit up, someone whistled loudly.
"Oh dear, you hurt your head, so it is dangerous to move suddenly."
It was the voice of the suspicious man she had met in front of Duke Bernhard's mansion. Shioana covered her forehead with her hand and stood on high alert.
"Where, where am I?"
Her head felt like it was going to explode, and everything was so blurry she couldn't see clearly
"Don't worry. This is the guest bedroom at the Bernhard Mansion, and since a doctor has been here, the treatment should have gone well."
She reached out and felt a bandage wrapped around her head. She had no memory of being injured, and she couldn't understand how this had happened. Shioana struggled to sit up and tried to pull back the blanket with her hand.
"I should be going now."
She felt uneasy thinking about Martha, who must be worried.
"I sent a message to the house."
"... Yes?"
"My servant personally visited the house in District 8 to inform you of your situation. Since you likely have difficulty moving right now, let's stay put and treat your malnutrition."
At the word malnutrition, Shioana's cheeks flushed instantly.
Because there was nothing to eat, dhr would pick up discarded potatoes from the market, add water, and boil them to eat, or soak bread in water to eat. She didn't even remember ever having eaten a full meal like that.
"Hey, you..."
Shioana was curious about the identity of the other person who was showing a subtly different attitude from earlier.
The man in the pure white uniform, who had been standing up from the chair, stood up straight and looked down at Shioana.
"My apologies for the late introduction. My name is Cedric Conrad. I am the loyal secretary to His Excellency Duke Bernhard. You may call me Viscount Conrad. If you need anything, ring the bell. A maid will come to assist you."
Cedric Conrad left the room with a friendly smile. Shioana watched his retreating figure before falling back into a deep sleep. She suffered from a high fever for three days and nights.
When she was drenched in sweat, a maid would come and change her into a good quality chemise, and she would also carry her and wash her in the bathtub.
Shioana was clearly conscious, but she was unable to offer any resistance. One night, while she was in a state where she could not distinguish between dream and reality, she finally opened her eyes.
"...Gasp!"
For the first time in a long while, she could clearly distinguish her surroundings, and she felt almost no pain. She raised her hand and tried moving jer arm, but the feeling was unfamiliar.
It had been a long time since she wasn't in pain or tired like this, so Shioana got up and stepped out of bed.
"I've caused you too much trouble."
Shioana let out a hollow laugh as she looked down at the chemise brushing against her ankle. Although her mind was not clear, she remembered the doctor visiting every day. It wasn't even District 5; if it was a doctor in District 1, he should at least be charging in gold coins for the consultations. She felt a pang of sadness as she recalled taking the sick Harriet to the veterinary clinic.
"I have to go back."
However, it was an unfamiliar room, and she couldn't go outside wearing only a chemise.
With nothing to rely on but the moonlight, Shioana fumbled her way through the room. Perhaps walking was still too much for her; she quickly became out of breath and had a headache. Still, thinking of Harriet and Martha, Shioana mustered what little strength she had left. Fortunately, she found a closet and opened it, only to find a single bathrobe hanging there.
"Where are my clothes?"
It seemed unlikely that she would be able to find the clothes in the middle of the night, even if she searched any further.
First, wearing a robe, Shioana stood near the balcony where the moonlight was breaking. The room on this floor faced south, so the view was magnificent. The garden of the Duke Bernhardt family came into view at a glance. For some reason, the location was Regbell's...
It was similar to the room, so she gave a wry smile.
"What's so similar about it..."
Her room was old and cramped, and Regbell's garden barely bordered the field; looking far into the distance, it seemed as if the tower of Sector 8 was visible.
"Will Harriet be okay?"
Thinking of the baby who was often sick, worry filled her face completely.
Just then, there was a sound from the corner next to where she was standing.
"Oh!"
Shioana, startled, clutched the front of her gown when someone spoke.
"I really can't listen to this. Right."
It was Duke Bernhard who appeared under the moonlight.
Why is he here?
Shioana's eyes widened because she couldn't understand the reason.
"What's with that look? Did you forget that this is my space?"
Shioana quickly bowed her head, thinking that she had overreacted.
"Thank you for everything."
"There's no need for that. I just didn't want baseless rumors to spread."
Duke Bernhard's reputation in Urcheka was extreme. A sociable, flamboyant, and cheerful man, yet also cold.
Some said it was a family trait, while others said the Duke had changed.
"I will return tomorrow."
She couldn't afford to be indebted to him any longer.
"Why are you saying you're going back before even getting paid?"
"...That."
"Didn't you come all that way to get compensation?"
As he drew closer, Shioana pressed her back against the windowpane. A cold sensation seeped into her, but she didn't feel cold.
Because the Duke's arms brushed against her shoulders, and his sigh lingered in her ears.
Shioana wanted to cry at the crazy thought that he didn't feel unfamiliar even in a moment like this.
'Etienne is dead.'
He was not a nobleman with such dazzling blonde hair or a Duke.
She fully understood it in her head, but her body kept refusing to obey. Shioana cautiously turned her head to examine the Duke's wrist. If he were Etienne, there would be the red slave brand on his wrist.
"...Ah."
As expected, there was no such thing as a slave's mark.
Her sigh touched the Duke's exposed, veiny forearm.
"Do you think you can seduce me with such clumsy gestures?"
“It’s not like that.”
It is a mystery why he keeps misunderstanding her actions. As she bit her lip hard in frustration, his eyes narrowed. His blood-red eyes fixed on Shioana's lips. Just the sight of him made her feel as though her body were burning up.
'I heard that the gentlemen of Zone 1 are above the law.'
If something happened to her here, no one might be able to save her. She raised her hand to cover her mouth and trembled.
"...Your Excellency the Duke."
"Shit!"
At the sound of Shioana's voice, the Duke turned around in an instant and vanished. Slumping down on the spot, she swallowed her sobs while clutching her slightly trembling shoulder.
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