Chapter 10

“B-but…!”

“You may be a commoner, but you’re still an envoy sent by His Highness the Crown Prince. According to imperial law, you don’t need to be so nervous around me—just relax.”

Why was it so hard to call his name?

Ian, Ian Kypris.

That cool yet elegant name had lingered on her lips countless times, whispered longingly into her pillow before sleep, yet the true owner of that name had no idea. White Bunny and Udis knew all about Elcia’s bittersweet secret!

Even though she wanted to say his precious name so many times, she never managed to say it aloud in front of him—

If she called him by name, she might truly fall in love with him.

Ian looked playfully at Elcia, who stood frozen and unable to move.

“Hm, I see. If you don’t call me Ian, I’ll send you back to the capital. By order of the Count Kypris you adore so much.”

“W-what?”

He smiled lightly at flustered Elcia.

“Go on, call me. My name isn’t so long that it’s hard to say, is it? It’s much shorter and easier to remember than yours.”

“But…!”

“Come on.”

Elcia, unsure what to do, lowered her gaze to the carpet in embarrassment. In the end, she had no choice but to call him Ian, forced by his stubbornness. Once she did, it would become a blissful memory to last a lifetime.

Her cream-colored hair, tied into a single ponytail, fell in strands that partly covered her ears, and Ian watched her hazel eyes, only half visible. Finally, from her red lips, his name came out quietly.

“Lord Ian…”

“Oh dear, after all that effort to say my name, you still use a title?”

“It’s just too much for me…!”

Having barely managed to call Ian by name, Elcia forgot all about the doll in her arms and waved her hands in fluster. As a result, White Bunny fell to the floor, pouting with its tiny mouth.

Was she afraid she’d start liking him if she called his name? That wasn’t the only reason.

When she met the Crown Prince, the pinnacle of imperial power, she’d been tested twice. Once by his close guardian knight, and once by a fellow doll magician she’d trained with. The first time surprised her a little, but the second only left her feeling bitter. It was sad to think that a young, unmarried Crown Prince could become the target of jealous glances just for being slightly kinder than others.

At that moment, Elcia realized she was at the very bottom of the social hierarchy as a commoner. She’d never noticed before, having always lived under the loving care of her grandparents in her hometown, sheltered from conflict. After that, she began to pay more attention to others’ reactions to adapt to the harsh realities of the world.

She learned that even appearing slightly close to someone of higher status would make others dislike her for being presumptuous. This made Elcia even more cautious around Conrad, especially after White Bunny first opened its eyes and visited the Tyr Church temple.

“Hm, is that so.”

“…Yes.”

Ian paused for a moment before speaking softly.

“Elcia, this is an old castle, so winter gets really cold. The men and the young manage with their energy, but the older ones always end up catching colds.”

“I-I’ll be fine!”

“Fine, you say… Tsk, if you’re only staying here because of His Highness’s orders, I’ll write a letter for you. Would that help?”

“I really am fine, I want to stay here.”

When Elcia replied seriously, Ian didn’t insist further. Having secured permission to stay through the winter at Usley Castle, Elcia returned to her bedroom and let out a sweet sigh. To be able to stay in the same place with him for months felt like a blessing, as if she’d fallen into whipped cream.

Having been ignored since falling to the floor, White Bunny wrapped itself around Elcia’s ankle and grumbled.

「Hmm, do you really like that cold-hearted man so much? I don’t get it. What’s so special about love that humans get so worked up about it? I don’t understand, not in the past or now.」

“Bunny!”

「You should thank me, you know? The surgery could’ve been done in winter with no problem. I made up an excuse for your sake. Luckily, he took the bait and went along with it.」

So that was it? Knowing how amazing White Bunny was as a healing doll, Elcia felt even more embarrassed than she did in front of Ian. What if Ian someday noticed these foolish feelings that even the doll picked up on? Without answering, she crawled onto the bed, hugged her pillow and sheets, and buried her flushed face.

White Bunny chuckled mischievously and whispered loudly at Elcia’s side.

「If you’re not a fool, make that man yours this winter, my timid master. When there are no distractions, grab him by the collar and kiss his cheek. After his hand is healed, you won’t get another chance.」

Despite the doll’s cheeky advice, Elcia didn’t treat Ian intimately.

No, it was more accurate to say she couldn’t bring herself to do it because she was too self-conscious.

With the other men in Usley Castle coming and going freely, it was difficult to approach his bedroom. With the hand treatment basically on hold, what if she hovered around Ian and caused misunderstandings? Such worries kept even simple invitations like, “Would you like some tea?” stuck in her throat.

She even thought of herself as a cursed statue, unable to confess her feelings first. Even though no one was blocking her love!

Elcia’s greatest enemy was her own timid little heart.

‘Idiot, idiot. I really am an idiot.’

While she was suffering inside, Ian would sometimes look after her. He treated her much more kindly than during their rough first encounter, and Elcia was moved every time.

He moved her bedroom to a warmer spot, installed an extra shutter to keep out the cold, and just the other day, picked out a thick fur rug and gave it to her as a special gift. It was so precious she only stepped on it barefoot from time to time.

But…

Even though they were in the same place, she rarely saw his face, and that was painful. Just knowing Ian was somewhere in the castle made her happy for a moment, but she’d soon lose energy and grow gloomy. She never realized she was such an impatient person.

Too embarrassed to let White Bunny point it out, Elcia spent that day alone. Just as she was about to pour herself a cup of warm water, someone knocked on the door.

“Who is it?”

“…Elcia, are you asleep?”

The voice she’d wanted so much to hear came from beyond the door.

“N-no! I’m awake!”

Elcia jumped up in surprise. The person who came to her room late at night wasn’t Haden, Sir Seiran, or the butler—it was Ian.

When she opened the door, Ian pointed to the curtained window inside her bedroom.

“It’s snowing for the first time. Isn’t it a shame not to watch such a beautiful scene?”

“It’s snowing now?”

Because Ian had warned her so much about the cold at Usley Castle, Elcia hadn’t even gone near the window. Udis did all the cleaning, so she had no reason to touch it.

“That’s right.”

“Really…? Oh, it is snowing!”

Following Ian’s gesture, Elcia pulled back the curtain and gasped. Just as he said, white snow was falling endlessly from the sky. She stared out at the garden blanketed in snow and exclaimed. To think she might have missed such a beautiful scene while idly resting!

Still standing behind her, Ian hesitated before breaking her reverie.

“Elcia, if you’re not sleepy, would you like to go to the warm parlor and watch the snow properly? It’s the first snow of the year—it’d be a shame to go to bed early.”

“Huh? I’d love to!”

Elcia, delighted by the unexpected suggestion, quickly followed him. Ian smiled and led her to the parlor.

Perhaps the butler had specially prepared for the winter mood, as the parlor was decorated with several pots of poinsettia and sparkling ornaments. However, the bells didn’t ring when touched, probably because the materials had been stored in the warehouse for too long.

“Um… Elcia?”

Ian worried that she might be disappointed, having been so excited about the snow.

“Yes?”

“Since it’s snowing, I was thinking of making a wreath. Would you help me?”

“A wreath?”

She hesitated.

Usually, when people heard she was a doll magician, they assumed Elcia must be very skilled with her hands. That was mostly true, since doll magicians often made their own dolls.

However, for some reason, the number of doll magicians had sharply declined in recent decades.

So, most people had only heard of doll magicians and, seeing Elcia as a complete doll magician for the first time, made assumptions.

They thought Elcia Bennett must be skilled with her hands to have become a doll magician.

But that wasn’t the case. She was much clumsier with sewing than other women and contributed little to the process of making the doll’s body. Her talent lay in her innate ability to fully imbue a doll with a soul and power. Other doll magicians were shocked to see her synthesize the core and pray sincerely, and the energy would gather on its own to form the doll.

Fortunately, Ian intended to make the wreath himself, even with his injured hand.

“Hmm, if you hold the materials, I’ll try making it slowly with one hand.”

He grabbed the wreath frame from the table and, sitting on the sofa, tried to pull the poinsettia pot closer with his left hand. Elcia quickly picked up the pot and placed it in front of him.

“…It’s hard to do anything with my hand like this. Sorry for dragging you out and bothering you, Elcia.”

When Ian gave a bitter smile, Elcia hurriedly denied it.

“No, Count! If it weren’t for you, I’d have slept right through the first snow!”

“Ian.”

“…Lord Ian.”

When she called him by name, a bit of life returned to Ian’s previously subdued eyes. If it wasn’t her imagination, she was sure of it.

Ian brought out scissors and began cutting branches with leaves from the poinsettia pot. Of course, Elcia held each branch and leaf in place so he could cut them easily. Even with his awkward left hand, he handled the branches skillfully, and the wreath looked like it would turn out quite pretty.

Elcia was impressed.

“Wow, you’re amazing.”

“For something like this?”

“…It’s embarrassing, but I’m really not good with my hands. Some doll magicians make dozens of lacy doll dresses and change their dolls’ outfits every week, but I can’t do that. People are always surprised when they find out.”

“Haha, would White Bunny even like something like that? Probably not… Hmm, what about Udis? If you look around the castle, there should be a maid’s dress pattern somewhere—do you need it? Preferably a layered skirt.”