“Chelsea……”
I looked at Chelsea with wavering eyes.
Chelsea was smiling sadly, but at the same time, she looked extremely relieved.
Her black eyes, which had always been heavily submerged, were clearer than ever before.
“The Mercedes mansion was just a place where I had to carry out orders. But after you came, Tutor, the meaning of this place began to change.”
“……”
“I began to feel guilt… something I never felt even in the crime guild.”
Chelsea’s expression twisted in visible agony.
From that expression, I could see how much Chelsea had been agonizing and suffering all this time.
“You are the first warmth I’ve felt in my life. No matter who Lord Wigen is, I could never follow an order to harm you, the only person who has ever treated me warmly.”
“…So that’s why you confessed, against his orders?”
“…If I didn’t follow the orders, Lord Wigen would have found another way to harm you.”
“You wanted to expose the Elder of the Council’s orders.”
“…Lord Wigen is a ruthless person. He will likely dispose of me for not following his orders. If I suddenly disappeared, there would be no one left to protect you…”
“Chelsea.”
Is this what they mean by inner turmoil?
I felt like I should say something, but it was stuck in my throat and couldn’t come out.
No, what could I possibly say here in the first place?
Are you okay? You did well? Why did you do it?
No matter what I said, it wouldn’t fully express my complicated feelings.
As I was fumbling for words, suddenly Chelsea’s hand shot out between the iron bars.
“I’ll return this to you.”
What she held in her hand was the glass bead hairpin I had given to Chelsea.
“I don’t deserve this.”
Her words sounded calm, but her voice was heavily sunken.
I blankly stared at the hairpin Chelsea was holding out.
Chelsea remained motionless, just holding out the pin.
And only then did I realize what I wanted to say.
“Chelsea, I…”
“…Yes.”
“I probably won’t be able to comfort you.”
“……”
“I can’t tell you it’s okay, nor can I reproach you, asking why you did it. Those words are beyond my authority. So… I’ll say what I can.”
“……”
“You’ve been through a lot.”
“……”
I looked straight at Chelsea.
Quietly observing her eyes gradually widening, I calmly expressed my true feelings.
“I don’t know your entire life, and I can’t judge it carelessly, but it must not have been easy.”
Life is like a raging storm; you can’t overcome everything just by resisting.
No matter how much I struggle and fight, there are realities that won’t change.
“Chelsea, I like you.”
Flinch.
At my words, Chelsea’s eyes trembled slightly.
Yes, all other words are unnecessary.
My feelings are simply…
“No matter who Chelsea was, the fact that you are someone I care about doesn’t change. So you don’t need to make yourself small in front of me.”
I grasped Chelsea’s hand firmly.
Chelsea’s gaze lowered and then she looked back at me.
I smiled gently and said.
“This hairpin was a gift prepared for Chelsea, so you don’t need to return it. I might even feel a little hurt if you try to give it back.”
At my words, Chelsea hesitated and then nodded.
“…I understand.”
“Thank you.”
I slowly withdrew my hand.
And stepping back, I said.
“Thank you for telling me, Chelsea. Thanks to you, I feel at ease too. I’ll go now. I’ll come back tomorrow.”
Chelsea’s lips trembled, and she bowed her head deeply.
A small voice came back.
“…You’ll come back?”
She looked like a puppy afraid of being abandoned, so I clenched my fist and nodded.
“Of course.”
“…I understand.”
After exchanging greetings, I retraced my steps.
My mind was filled with thoughts of Chelsea.
One thing was clear: I couldn’t leave Chelsea like this.
Just as everyone does their best, I could only do my best as well.
And the only person who could change this situation was just one person.
“…I should go find Cardien first.”
“That won’t be necessary.”
Just as I muttered to myself and stepped out the door, a familiar voice came from behind me.
I turned around, startled like someone struck by lightning.
Cardien was watching me, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed.
Since Winston couldn’t have transformed into Cardien, it must definitely be Cardien.
“Y-Your Grace?”
“Yes.”
“H-how are you here?”
When I asked in a surprised voice, Cardien smiled slightly and said.
“You make it seem like I’ve come somewhere I shouldn’t be.”
“That’s not it, but… where is the butler?”
“I sent him back first. I’m the one who has business with the tutor.”
“…Business?”
What business is he talking about?
Perhaps he has something to interrogate about Chelsea.
“I think I know what you’re thinking, but that’s not it.”
“…Then what is it?”
I’m too tired to argue about mind-reading now.
Cardien looked at me intently and then opened his lips.
“Your escort.”
“Ah.”
“An internal report came in that Wigen is targeting you, so naturally I need to protect you, don’t I?”
I reluctantly nodded at Cardien’s words.
An escort… just thinking about it was burdensome, but I couldn’t just do nothing.
It can’t be helped.
But did he come all the way here just to tell me that?
He could have relayed it through Winston.
“What kind of person will be my escort?”
I asked because I thought I should know what kind of person would be protecting me from now on.
Then Cardien, staring at me, suddenly asked back.
“What kind of person would you like?”
I asked a question and got a question in return.
I was dumbfounded, but what could I do?
My counterpart is the great Cardien Mercedes.
“Well…”
In truth, it’s a bit unconscionable to have requirements when I’m the one being protected.
But Cardien asked first, so…
“First, I’d prefer a woman.”
An escort means someone who will be by my side all day.
It would be more comfortable if it were a woman rather than a man.
“And someone with a somewhat gentle expression…”
This was said with Vincent in mind.
Although Vincent’s social anxiety had improved a lot, he was still a bit afraid of tall adults.
If their expression was also stern, he would be even more frightened.
“Also, not someone who’s too quiet…”
As I spoke, I realized I had more conditions than I thought.
But I’m not shameless enough to ask for all these conditions to be met, so I shook my head.
“I’m just saying, you don’t have to pay much attention to…”
At that point, I suddenly noticed that Cardien’s expression had frozen coldly.
Wait, why is he suddenly so serious?
Confused by the sudden change in expression, I cautiously spoke.
“Um, Your Grace. Is something bothering you?”
Could it be that he’s upset because I listed too many conditions? Does he think I’m being presumptuous?
No, that’s unfair.
I only spoke because he asked me to.
But since Cardien is the absolute superior and I’m the tearful subordinate, I had no choice but to consider his mood.
“Um, you don’t have to pay attention to what I said…”
However, I couldn’t continue speaking.
Because Cardien’s cold voice cut in.
“I apologize.”
“…?”
He’s the one apologizing, so why am I feeling uneasy?
As I cautiously asked back, Cardien detached himself from the wall and approached me.
His shadow fell over my head.
“For not being a woman.”
“…Pardon?”
“And for not having a gentle expression or being talkative.”
I blinked my eyes.
What on earth is he talking about?
Seeing that I really didn’t understand, Cardien twisted the corner of his mouth up into a smirk and said.
“I mean your escort conditions.”
“Ah, yes.”
“I’m sorry, I don’t meet those conditions.”
“…?”
What is he saying now?
Could it be…
Suddenly, an ominous premonition swept over me.
And ominous premonitions always…
“I’m saying that I will be your escort.”
…never miss the mark.
Oh my god…
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Breezy
The plot twist for who Chelsea makes so much sense but what I like the most is that we were not tortured into reading about her hurting Livia for the sake of a story line. Livia and Cardien are truly slow burn romance 😅😅