Chapter 21

“It seems I made the appointment too suddenly. I’ll try to adjust the schedule again.”

“Alright.”

Phyllis carefully observed Karina. Her expression and tone were strangely calmer and more subdued than before.

Sensing the unusual atmosphere, Cornell immediately changed the subject.

“This is a cake I bought from a famous bakery. Please try it.”

Karina usually liked sweet things. The cake plate was placed in front of her. However, Karina didn’t pick up her fork. With a faint smile, she shook her head and simply said:

“It’s okay. I had something sweet yesterday.”

“Oh, I see.”

“Yes. It was apple pie… My mouth still feels sweet even now.”

“I should have prepared something like cookies.”

Cornell hesitated, pulling her hand back from the plate after the unexpected refusal. She wasn’t the only one flustered. Phyllis licked his dry lips nervously.

It wasn’t a misunderstanding. Just a few words were enough to confirm it. Right now, Karina was uncomfortable with this gathering.

‘What should I do? Should I end this meeting now?’

Looking at Cornell’s awkward smile, that thought crossed her mind, but she couldn’t voice it.

Caught in a situation where she could neither proceed nor retreat, Cornell spoke up again.

“Do you like pie? I sometimes make it myself.”

“Rather than liking it, Becky made it for me recently because she said I seemed down.”

When Karina mentioned the maid Becky, for the first time, her face showed a sense of ease.

“Why? Did something happen?”

Phyllis asked, a bit concerned.

“It’s just that the weather was cold, so I stayed inside all the time. It naturally made me feel a bit low.”

Karina answered casually, shrugging her shoulders.

Phyllis, who was about to nod without much thought, hesitated when he saw Karina’s expression.

“And there are just times like that, you know? When you don’t want to do anything.”

Her lowered gray eyes darkened, almost turning black.

For some reason, Phyllis couldn’t say anything. He was afraid of those eyes looking at him. Before Karina raised her head, Phyllis averted his gaze. At that moment, a clattering sound and a small scream were heard.

Cornell had spilled her teacup and was standing up. Tea had been spilled on her clothes.

“Oh no, it’s hot…!”

“Cornell!”

Startled, Phyllis stood up, and Karina also moved with similar urgency.

Cornell, looking teary-eyed, grabbed Phyllis’s sleeve. Since hot tea had spilled, she might have been hurt. In the end, Phyllis took her arm to escort her inside.

“It’s fine. Go ahead.”

Karina, still standing, gestured slightly as if to tell them to go quickly. After hesitating for a moment, Phyllis turned away, urged by the maids. A sense of unease quietly curled up in the corner of her heart.

***

Karina entered the quiet library. She walked between the bookshelves and stopped at a spot, reaching out her hand.

‘I heard that you read a lot of books, Miss Karina. I was wondering if you could recommend a few.’

That was what Cornell had asked before leaving the gathering. Staying alone in that awkward situation was uncomfortable. It seemed better to recommend some books and end the meeting.

‘I wasn’t planning to stay long anyway.’

If it weren’t for her parents’ suggestion to get some fresh air, she wouldn’t have come in the first place.

“Nice.”

Her lifeless voice echoed in the library. Karina placed the first book she picked up on the desk beside her. She continued pulling out books at random when she heard footsteps.

“Miss Karina, here you are.”

Cornell appeared from between the bookshelves, walking briskly.

She had changed into a new dress, likely after changing out of her wet clothes. Karina glanced at her briefly and asked:

“Did you get treated?”

“Yes. The dress was thick, so it wasn’t a serious injury.”

Cornell smiled brightly as she pointed at her new outfit. For some reason, her tone seemed a little different. It didn’t matter much. Karina glanced at her and focused on picking books again.

Cornell approached Karina and handed her a book she had brought.

“This is a book I borrowed last time, and I thought you might like it, so I brought it.”

Karina took the book without a word. It was indeed a novel in a genre she enjoyed.

“The bookstore staff recommended it to me back then. They were both so kind.”

Her hand, which was about to turn the page, paused. Cornell continued speaking with a cheerful smile.

“I think I’ll visit there often from now on.”

“…They’re good people.”

“Yes, they really are.”

Despite the brief exchange, Karina felt her energy draining rapidly. She imagined fox ears sprouting on Cornell’s head. Naturally, it wasn’t in a good way.

‘She couldn’t have forgotten what happened at the party.’

Karina still vividly remembered Cornell looking her straight in the eyes and speaking at the Russell Household’s party. It wasn’t significant enough to take any action, so she let it go, but seeing her act so brazenly now was exasperating. Still, it wasn’t something she could bring up now.

Karina’s hands moved faster as she picked books. In just a short while, her fatigue had intensified.

‘I’ll just pick something random and leave.’

But just as she pulled out a book without even glancing at the title, Cornell spoke up again.

“Um… Miss Karina, may I ask you something I’m curious about?”

Karina nodded absentmindedly and headed to the desk. Cornell cautiously asked:

“I was wondering what kind of relationship you have with Noah.”

Another book was added to the growing pile on the desk.

Finally, Karina stopped at the desk and turned around. Cornell noticeably avoided her gaze.

“I’m sorry if you found it rude. I was just curious, that’s all.”

If she genuinely thought it was rude, would she have asked? 

Karina couldn’t help but lower her gaze and chuckle softly.

It was a reaction born of genuine amusement. For the first time, Cornell’s true intentions, so obvious and laughable, were reflected in her eyes.

Raising her head, Karina met Cornell’s gaze, which was fixed on her.

“Well, I haven’t given it much thought.”

She knew exactly what answer Cornell wanted. So Karina decided to give it to her.

“Let’s just say we’re in a relationship where anything could happen.”

Her insincere voice echoed in the library. It was a lie that served no one.

***

Karina woke up at her desk. Her half-blinking eyes immediately looked down.

‘I set off for a distant place I could never return from. -To be continued in the next chapter.’

It was the final line of the book she had stayed up all night reading. A sentence that hadn’t caught her attention before was now clear. Stretching her stiff back, she saw the morning sun rising outside.

‘…Why did I do that?’

One question lingered in her empty mind. It was a question she couldn’t answer despite thinking about it repeatedly. While she sat there for a moment, a knock came at the door.

“Miss? You’re up early today.”

Becky entered the room, sounding surprised, as she picked up the clothes scattered on the floor. Karina silently stared out the window.

Noticing something was off, Becky approached and asked:

“Did you stay up all night?”

Again, there was no response. Becky cautiously waved her hand in front of Karina’s face.

When there was no reaction, even after several attempts, the maids exchanged glances and tilted their heads. Soon, Karina was separated from her chair and laid down on the bed. Her dazed eyes were faintly bloodshot.

“No matter what, you should sleep while pursuing your hobbies.”

Becky nagged as she tidied up the room. Karina hugged her pillow absentmindedly and said:

“I’m skipping breakfast today.”

“Alright. Sleep is just as important as meals, after all.”

With such an easy agreement, Karina wriggled under the blanket.

Very slowly, she closed her eyes. By the time she opened them again, the room was quiet. Sitting up, Karina headed to her desk.

She grabbed the book still open on the desk and collapsed back onto the bed. Her half-closing eyes suddenly widened. A muttered word escaped her lips.

“Crazy.”

Her dry eyes screamed every time they blinked. By then, the sky was fully bright. Staying up all night with a book was absurd, but what truly shocked her was her own behavior.

‘Let’s just say we’re in a relationship where anything could happen.’

Karina dropped the book. Her powerless hand failed to turn the page, and the book fell onto it. 

What had I been thinking when I said that? 

Waves of regret that had been trickling in now surged over her like a tidal wave.

‘Does Phyllis know?’

Cornell’s startled face when she asked that question vividly surfaced in her mind. That reaction didn’t matter much. Karina was worried about only one thing. If Phyllis found out. If Cornell told him, and he somehow believed her lie.

‘No.’

Imagining that far, Karina bolted upright. Her heart raced as if she had been running nonstop, and her palms were sweaty. She ran her hand through her hair, trying to calm herself.

It wasn’t too late yet. It was just a spur-of-the-moment comment, so she could still correct it. That desperate hope remained only in her thoughts. It was shattered by Cornell’s last words that suddenly came to mind.

‘I’m not in a position to say anything… but I support your choice, Miss Karina. That’s the one thing I mean sincerely.’

Recalling the genuine tone in her voice, Karina felt her strength drain. She let go of her clenched fist. It didn’t matter whether Cornell was sincere or not. In the end, no matter what choice she made, nothing would change.

‘…Idiot.’

Karina, who had been running blindly, finally tripped and looked ahead. There was nothing left there.

Karina collapsed onto the blanket. A faint sense of absurdity lingered in her heart. It felt like it had taken an awfully long time to reach the obvious conclusion.

“Yeah. I’ve done enough.”

Her murmured words hit the ceiling. Her tired eyes closed like a rusty doorknob. And Karina drifted into a late morning sleep.