Chapter 67

Ellen glanced indifferently and gestured.

“Don’t open the gift, just bring me the letter.”

“Yes, My Lady.”

Emma, sensing Ellen’s mood, placed the box where Ellen wouldn’t see it and set the letter on the table. Ellen silently stared down at the letter. The high-quality envelope, sealed with the Dermann family crest, was so unpleasant she didn’t even want to touch it. But thinking of Lennox’s return to the mansion, Ellen closed her eyes tightly and picked up the letter, forcing herself to open it.

After reading for a while, Ellen frowned and closed the letter. Then she opened a drawer and began to write a reply. Unlike when she wrote to Lennox, her pen hesitated several times while replying to Baron Dermann. Finally, after struggling to finish, she sealed the letter and spoke indifferently.

“Emma. Send this.”

“Yes. But, My Lady…”

“Hm?”

Emma hesitated as she took the letter. Ellen looked at her.

“I know I’m just a maid, so it might be presumptuous for me to say this…”

“…?”

Emma bit the inside of her cheek as she looked at Ellen, whose expression had changed drastically from before. Emma was hired after Marie was dismissed and Laura suddenly died. At first, she served the only daughter of a noble family with excitement, but Ellen kept her distance and never let Emma get close. Emma felt hurt and thought Ellen disliked her.

But that was a misunderstanding. Ellen hadn’t asked Emma to strike the lover, even though she could have. After hearing the maids gossip, Emma realized why Ellen kept her distance: after losing two maids—one dismissed, one dead—Ellen was deeply hurt and was protecting Emma by keeping her at arm’s length. From then on, Emma decided to quietly support Ellen in whatever way she wished. If this was how Ellen protected her, Emma would follow her lead. But this time, she really wanted to speak up.

“Are you really going to marry Baron Dermann?”

“Why ask that now?”

“You hate it so much, but you’re forcing yourself to marry…”

“…….”

“That’s so sad for you, My Lady. You have Sir Lennon.”

Ellen looked at Emma with no change in her expression. Seeing this, Emma burst into tears.

“Everyone in the mansion knows, at least a little, about you and Sir Lennon. But we all pretended not to. Because you’re a good person, we wanted to support you. But… this is just too sad. To leave the one you love…”

“Emma.”

Ellen stood up. She reached out and wiped Emma’s wet cheeks, smiling gently.

“Pretend not to know. About my decision.”

“My Lady.”

“I don’t regret my decision. If Sir Lennon comes back safely, I can endure anything.”

Emma shook her head fiercely, denying Ellen’s words.

“There’s no need for you to sacrifice yourself. Sir Lennon is strong—if you talk it out, everything will work out.”

“Just keep pretending, like you always have.”

“No, My Lady. I…”

“It’s an order, Emma.”

“…….”

Seeing Ellen’s firm command, Emma closed her mouth. She stared at Ellen for a moment, then left the room, holding back her tears. After Emma was gone, Ellen gripped the window frame, forcing herself to stand on trembling legs.

‘So they knew.’

She didn’t feel ashamed or embarrassed. The love she shared with Lennox was never something to be ashamed of. She was only grateful to the servants who pretended not to know. For a moment, she wondered if she should cancel the marriage. But Ellen shook her head. If she went back on her word, her father would too—and then Lennox would never return. That would be the cruelest thing of all.

‘The day Lennox returns is the day I’ll let him go.’

The thought she’d tried not to face pressed coldly against her heart. The winter wind outside the window seemed to echo her confusion.

* * *

As the frozen ground slowly thawed and spring began to bloom, warm sunlight filled the mansion. Ellen sat at a sunlit table, watching Jack nervously, and smiled prettily, though with a hint of chill.

“Did you bring the letter?”

“Yes, My Lady.”

When Ellen held out her pale hand, Jack respectfully handed over the well-sealed letter. Ellen examined it and spoke.

“Did you sneak anything to my father behind my back?”

“No, My Lady.”

“Not even a single lie?”

“Oh, none at all, My Lady.”

“You’d better not. If I find out you lied, you’ll be held responsible. You may go.”

“Yes, then…”

Wiping cold sweat, Jack left. Emma placed tea beside Ellen and quietly stepped away. The battle at the border with the Aryan Empire dragged on. Since Lennox had been dispatched by royal order, even Ellen’s father couldn’t easily call him back. So Ellen had to be content with the weekly letters Jack delivered. She would have liked to use another messenger, but Jack was the fastest and knew the shortcuts, so he was the best for quick news. Once Emma left, Ellen finally relaxed and carefully opened the envelope. The letter mostly asked about Ellen’s well-being and the weather, and mentioned that the meaningless battle was nearly over. As she read, a bright smile spread across Ellen’s face.

‘Lennox is finally…’

He would return soon.

Last winter, the Aryan Empire suddenly attacked the Kursh Kingdom’s border troops. There had been occasional clashes, but this time it was on a larger scale. Some feared it would lead to war, but strangely, the Aryan Empire only caused small skirmishes, not a full-scale war. There were injuries, but no deaths—more people died fighting bandits or barbarians than in these battles. The true reason for the Aryan Empire’s actions was unclear; even ordinary people saw it as meaningless conflict. And now, the end of the fighting was in sight. Just then, Emma’s voice came from outside.

“My Lady, the tailor has arrived.”

“All right.”

Her mood instantly sank. Ellen locked the letter in a box and stood up. The tailor had arrived for her upcoming wedding. The tailor greeted her politely and fitted her dress before leaving. Next came the jeweler and the furniture merchant. Ellen chose items at random, as if it were someone else’s business, just sticking to the budget. Baron Dermann sent passionate letters and gifts, but Ellen never opened the gifts—she only replied to the letters. Late in the afternoon, Baron Dermann visited, but Ellen dealt with him briefly and sent him away early.

As the wedding preparations progressed smoothly, Ellen’s heart grew more brittle and parched.

That night, Ellen couldn’t sleep. Was it excitement over Lennox’s imminent return, now that the fighting at the border was ending? Or was it discomfort from having sent out all the wedding invitations and recalling the ladies’ strange expressions and Baron Dermann’s puffed-up face? Or maybe both. Her heart thumped, and she couldn’t lie still. She kept tossing and turning; the more she did, the more awake she felt. She turned toward the window. The moonlight, full of spring, poured in, making her more restless. Finally, when Ellen got up, someone knocked on the door.

“Emma?”

When Ellen called, the knocking stopped. There was a brief silence. Her heartbeat grew louder, and her anxious feelings swelled.

“Emma?”

No answer. No more knocking. Her heart pounded in her ears. Her throat grew dry. Ellen clutched her nightgown at her chest and finally spoke the name she’d longed to call.

“…Le…nnox?”

The door opened smoothly. Through the crack, a faint orange light crossed the room. A long shadow fell across the orange light.

Ellen’s eyes trembled, and her hand gripped her gown tightly.

If she could recognize someone just by their shadow, she must truly, deeply love them. That’s what Ellen thought.

“Ellen.”

His dry, cracked, rough voice pierced her chest with longing and pain. Ellen forgot to breathe for a moment. As the owner of the shadow slowly appeared in the doorway, Ellen’s mind went blank and her eyes grew hot.

The last memory she had of Lennox was neat and masculine, but now he looked disheveled. His once tidy hair had grown wild, making him look like a vagabond; his clothes were scorched and dirty, and there seemed to be bloodstains here and there. His warm, gentle red eyes now held the harshness of the battlefield. For the first time in her life, Ellen realized that even the gentle air of spring could feel so grim. Lennox looked like a big wolf returning from a hunt. But Ellen wasn’t afraid at all. Because it was Lennox.