Chapter 4.6

Time passed, and the sound of steady breathing filled the room. When Luette turned his head, he saw her back, softly curved. She had been lying like that for a while, so she must have fallen asleep.  

Her face, visible when he leaned closer, was peaceful. She seemed comfortable. After all, she had been nodding off on that cold floor earlier.  

She had always been sensitive to the cold. Even when sitting on the deck, she had shivered, yet she had stubbornly insisted on sleeping on the freezing floor.  

‘The sight of Naren dying after being shot by your bullet… I can’t forget it.’  

Ah. Perhaps it wasn’t just stubbornness.  

Luette shook his head and lay back down, but the ceiling soon filled with memories of that day.  

He had learned only then that the rabbit he had shot was Solnia’s cherished pet. The Countess of Heston had explained it to him very clearly after he had been slapped across the face.  

But he had been wronged as well.  

The rabbit, which had suddenly leaped out of the bushes and frozen under his gaze, had been shot at the request of the Heston Dowager Madame.  

‘So, you’re the second son of the Trovill family.’  

That day had been an ordinary yet slightly uncomfortable one.  

When the Earl and Countess of Heston were still alive, it had been natural for the Trovill and Heston families to visit each other. That day, there had been a tea party at the Heston estate.  

While the ladies enjoyed tea in the garden, the boys had run around nearby until they grew bored and decided to hold a sparring match inside the mansion.  

Luette had picked up a wooden practice sword as usual. That was when he encountered the Heston Dowager Madame, who had appeared without him noticing.  

‘Good day, Dowager Madame.’  

Luette greeted her politely, hiding the wooden sword behind his back. The Heston Dowager Madame was a kind grandmother, but she disliked behavior that was improper or unbefitting of nobles.  

She especially disapproved of boys engaging in swordplay with wooden weapons.  

However, to his surprise, the Dowager Madame asked kindly,  

‘Are you planning a sparring match?’  

‘Yes, Dowager Madame. I’ll be sparring with Alec, but I’ll be careful not to get hurt.’  

‘Haha. Boys your age are bound to get hurt sometimes. Just make sure to spar fairly and let me know the result afterward, will you?’  

Didn’t she dislike such things? Young Luette thought so but nodded at her request to hear the outcome.  

‘By the way, I heard you’ll be going to the Mart Hunting Grounds in a few days?’  

‘Yes, Madame.’  

‘That’s wonderful. I have a favor to ask.’  

The Dowager Madame had placed her hand over her chest as if relieved.  

‘I’ve heard there’s a troublesome rabbit at the hunting grounds. Could you catch it for me?’  

‘A rabbit? Me?’  

‘Oharr has such a soft heart, you see. Not very fitting for a gamekeeper. The Earl is the same.’  

She explained that the rabbit had eaten all the beautiful fruits and harassed other small animals.  

Luette had wondered if there were animals smaller than a rabbit, but such thoughts didn’t matter much to a child.  

‘I’ve heard you’re an excellent marksman. Even better than Alec, they say.’  

‘…….’  

‘You must have inherited the blood of the brave first Duke.’  

For a boy starved of praise, such recognition was irresistible. Moreover, Luette took pride in his shooting skills, believing himself better than the others.  

Being acknowledged by none other than the Heston Dowager Madame naturally made him swell with pride.  

‘Of course. I’ll catch it.’ 

‘How dependable. The Duke must be so proud.’  

The Dowager Madame had patted his shoulder encouragingly.  

That had been the beginning.  

Luette turned his head to look at the woman sleeping peacefully. He recalled the little lady’s devastated expression from that day.  

“……Ha.”  

Luette let out a short sigh and turned his back to Solnia.  

He couldn’t understand it. The more time he spent with her, the more tangled his thoughts became. He had thought he understood everything, but there was still so much he didn’t know.  

Eventually, he closed his eyes. None of it truly mattered. After all, they would soon divorce and live as strangers.  

*

The warmth of the blanket was heavenly. Solnia had woken up a while ago but stubbornly kept her eyes closed like a child.  

How long had it been since she had fallen asleep without medicine? She hadn’t even dreamed. She hadn’t woken up in the middle of the night, sleeping soundly until the morning sunlight poured in.  

When she had first fallen asleep, the bed had been chilly. Now, it was filled with warmth.  

Solnia thought to herself, ‘Is this why I slept so well? I should ask for my bed to be warmed when I return.’  

With that thought, she burrowed deeper into the blanket.  

“Just sleep.”  

Hearing an unexpected voice, Solnia doubted her ears.  

Then, a large hand lightly patted her back through the blanket. Only after the indifferent pats stopped and she was sure he had fallen asleep did she open her eyes wide.  

Goodness.  

She couldn’t even scream as she froze in shock. Right before her eyes was a broad expanse of bare skin. No, it was a broad chest. Below that, she could see well-defined abs.  

And all of it was almost touching her face.  

Frozen in place, Solnia silently rolled to the edge of the bed and away from him only after confirming that he was indeed asleep.  

This is insane. Absolutely insane.  

Scrambling off the bed, Solnia hastily smoothed her hair and adjusted her clothes. Her mind was in shambles. The sight of his body, the deep voice telling her to just sleep, and the hand patting her back all jumbled together in her head.  

By the time she had wrapped herself in her cloak, she sensed movement behind her.  

“Good morning.”  

Quickly regaining her composure, Solnia greeted him with a neutral expression, as if she knew nothing, as if she had woken up perfectly refreshed.  

But Luette, sitting up halfway in bed, didn’t return her greeting. Instead, he glared at her. His olive-colored eyes gleamed menacingly beneath his tousled hair.  

And yet, her gaze was drawn to his upper body. Who would have guessed that beneath that elegant face, which some might call delicate, lay such a formidable physique? Ten years ago, he had been similar in height and build to her. But now? How? How did this happen?  

“What a wonderful morning it must be for you.”  

“W-what are you…”  

“Do you always have such strange sleeping habits—”  

“Oh, by the way, the Viscountess called for you. I’ll head down first.”  

Cutting him off before he could say more, Solnia hurriedly left the room. It was bad enough that she had practically slept in Luette Trovill’s arms; hearing about it from his own mouth would have been unbearable.  

She crossed the villa’s hallway in a hurry, her shoes not even properly on her feet.  

*

The rain had stopped around 2 a.m., or so they said. By now, the muddy roads should be passable, according to the Viscountess of Timberland.  

“Did you not sleep at all, Madame?”  

“Unfortunately not. I stayed up all night, worrying that my guests might be uncomfortable.”  

Solnia was startled. Luette’s guess had been spot on.  

Fortunately, breakfast was replaced with just a cup of tea. There wasn’t much food, and everyone was eager to leave the damp villa as quickly as possible.  

“Take care, Countess of Melfir. I had such a wonderful time.”  

The Viscountess of Timberland embraced her as if they had become close friends.  

“I’m sure we’ll meet again soon.”  

Solnia smiled as she said this, and the Viscountess seemed to understand exactly what she meant.  

For the time being, the Viscount and Viscountess of Timberland wouldn’t dare gossip about the two people who had attended this hunt. Not when the Heston Dowager Madame was involved.  

Just before boarding the carriage, Solnia turned to look back at the villa. Specifically, in the direction where her father’s chair would be.  

She wanted to take those chairs with her. To the Viscount and Viscountess of Timberland, they were just shabby chairs, so they would surely give them up without hesitation.  

But instead of taking the chairs, Solnia decided to leave them there. Once she inherited her family’s estate, she could buy not only the chairs but also the entire villa.  

Having suddenly lost her parents, she hadn’t been able to keep even a single memento of theirs. To her, this villa and those shabby chairs were as good as family heirlooms.  

She hoped they would remain there for a long time.  

Imagining Naren napping lazily on one of the chairs, Solnia climbed into the carriage.  

*

“I was so worried, thinking something terrible had happened.”  

As soon as she returned to the townhouse, Solnia immersed herself in warm water. Only then did the exhaustion of the previous night seem to wash away.  

Angie, helping her bathe, chattered about how frightened the servants had been the night before.  

“I’m so relieved you returned safely, Young Madam.”  

“Anyone would think I’d been to some dangerous place.”  

“But it was dangerous. You spent the entire night in the mountains. Even though the master was with you…”  

At those words, Solnia was suddenly reminded of the morning’s events. The rustling blanket, the warmth, the deep voice, the indifferent pats, and then…  

She glanced down at her chest without realizing it, then quickly raised her head, embarrassed by the improper memory. She dunked her face into the water.  

“Oh my, Madam!”  

Throughout her bath, Solnia kept telling herself that the lingering image of his body in her mind was simply because it was the first time she had seen a man’s body. Her brain was just shocked; that was all.