âYou should bear with it if it is hard, saying it is hard is weird.â
Perhaps itâs because he was a commoner, the way of his thinking was definitely different. Kyrie laughed in vain as she felt the touch of MarryAnne taking off her dress. MarryAnne heard the sound and opened her eyes round.
âLady? Are you sick?â
âNo, itâs nothing.â
âDidnât something happen while I was away?â
âThere wasnât.â
Except she met a strange guard trying to scratch his head with a helmet on.
âItâs not a big deal.â
Obviously, nothing happened. However, after meeting Aaron, she felt like she was excited. It wasnât that hard to go back to the evening party and say, âIâm tired, so please go back now.â
Blankly, MarryAnne brushed her hair, and Kyrie, who was sitting, opened her mouth.
âMarryAnne. What happened to the dead soldiers?â
âThe Royal Family decided to give consolation money!â
âFrom the Royal Family?â
Kyrie was lost in thought for a moment. The Royal Family returned the land of the Legend this time, and the national treasury was shaken. She didnât know exactly, but the consolation money wouldnât have been enough.
Kyrie cautiously rose from her seat.
âWhere are you going?â
âThe presents that came in, where did you put them?â
âThis way!â
Kyrie followed MarryAnne through several rooms.
Every day since she was imprisoned in the palace, there had been a series of gifts from the nobles trying to look good on her. Nathaniel had it put together in a room.
As soon as she entered the room where she had collected all kinds of jewels, money, gold coins, gold bars, and valuable assets, her eyes shone bright. The jewelry displayed inside the transparent glass cabinet was enough to buy a castle easily.
Kyrie selected dozens of large earrings among them, and had cleaned out things that were good to cash in immediately.
âWhere do you want to use it?â
âSell it outside. I canât go out, so Iâd better leave it to Laura.â
âAll?â
âYes. Itâll be good if you cash it out. Deliver it to the homes of the dead soldiers as comfort moneyâŠ. Donât disclose the source.â
âYeah! Because everything Miss does is right!â
MarryAnne took Kyrieâs choices and moved them outside. It was late dawn when everything was picked up, and Nathaniel was still invisible.
âWhere did Nathaniel go?â
âWouldnât he have gone to do something bad?â
âDo you have a basis?â
âNo!â
Kyrie looked out the window. It was clear. It was a fine day, after the day black Nathaniel stood in the snowstorm.
âAre you happy that Iâm here?â
Kyrie went back to her bed and went to sleep. Aaronâs words lingered in her head.
âYou didnât do anything wrong.â
It wouldnât be strange to get beaten up somewhere. But there was no greed in his eyes to think that he was saying something to herself.
âJust say itâs hard.â
The boyâs friendly words didnât leave her ears until Kyrie fell asleep. She murmured in her sleep, thinking she could somehow understand Nathaniel a little.
(T/N: it means she understands why Nathaniel is so Obsessed with her coz âno one had ever told her these thingsâ)
âNo oneâŠâŠ had ever told me thatâŠâŠ.â
Soon the wind blew over Kyrie, who was sleeping. Winter stroked Kyrieâs cheek.
[Right.]
With a voice that sounded tired.
For the first time since that day, Kyrie fell asleep without having nightmares.
***
The money that MarryAnne cashed through Laura safely went to the soldiers who died.
âThey were worried about the high price of firewood, but they said theyâd buy it now!â
MarryAnne, who delivered the money, smiled widely. She seemed happy to hear the gratitude. Kyrie held a teacup with a smile.
âAs expected, the Royal Family didnât treat them properly.â
The understanding was gone. As much as she bowed her head towards the Legend, and as much as it was a mistake by the Royal Family, she would have hated paying a large amount of money.
âDidnât Nathaniel notice?â
âOh, actually, I was caught taking it outâŠâŠ.â
MarryAnne scratched her cheek.
âBut he didnât say much!â
âHe didnât say much?â
âYes!â
Kyrie narrowed her eyebrows and put down the cup she didnât drink. It shouldnât be something for Nathaniel to touch, but it was also strange that he was quiet.
âIs it something that came into my possession, so it doesnât matter how I use it?â
Obviously, the only problem was that Nathaniel was extremely sensitive to her safety. He was a man who laughed even when he saw himself hurt. It was true that he didnât care who she met or who helped her unless she was injured by others.
Still, her anxiety did not go away. Kyrie looked out of the window. Nathaniel was away again today. These days, he rarely spent time with Kyrie.
âMarryAnne. Nathaniel went to see the nobles, right?â
âYes!â
âWill he come late again today?â
âMaybe?â
âWhat about Laura and Maria?â
MarryAnne paused.
âLady FortDucane said sheâs busy! Lady Old Ciudad, too!â
âReally?â
Their job might be hectic because they said they would pave a way for an escape. No matter how the two people were, it would not be easy to get a person out of the palace or the hands of a Legendary Lord.
âI hope they donât overdo it.â
Kyrier approached the window. When the window was opened, a cold wind came in, and MarryAnne immediately brought a thick shawl and covered Kyrieâs shoulders.
Then, she heard a sound from below.
âNoona!â
There couldnât be two people who would call Kyrie by this fearless title. Kyrierâs head turned downward.
âAaron?â
Kyrie found herself on the third floor and smiled at Aaron running around.
âWhat are you doing?â
âNoona! Can you see me? Iâm at work now!â
What was she supposed to do? Kyrie put her arms on the window frame and looked down at Aaron as if she were looking at an animal. She could see a man who looked like a superior running from afar.
âLieutenant Fitz! I would have said disciplinary action if you were out of heat again!â
âUwah! Iâm sorry, Sir Tyler!â
âWhy are you saying âuwahâ thereâŠâŠ.â
Kyrie murmured.
Aaron kept hiding his face because he was ashamed of being scolded, and Kyrie smiled down at him. Soon she turned her head to MarryAnne.
âMarryAnne, can I get a message over there? Itâs not polite to shout out loud.â
âUse this!â
MarryAnne took the leaves out of her pocket and folded them into a butterfly. After MarryAnne breathed, the leaf butterfly fluttered from the palm of her hand. Kyrie whispered to the butterfly.
âExcuse me, but please tell him to stop because I called him.â
The green butterfly fluttered across the window and twirled in front of Tylerâs face.
âThisâŠâŠ?â
Tyler looked up at the third floor and was stunned when he saw Kyrie waving her hand.
âLieutenant Fitz, are you acquainted with Miss BuchananâŠâŠ?â
Aaron grinned at Tylerâs question.
âWe have a brother-sister relationship!â
Not really. Kyrie murmured.
Tyler whispered something to Aaron with a pale tired face and disappeared. Aaron began to wave his arm at Kyrie again. She thought he was going back to his area, but he wasnât.
âNoona!â
ââŠâŠ.â
âIâll go up now!â
âWhat?â
Without giving her time to be surprised, Aaron began to climb the outer wall of the palace. Kyrie touched her forehead.
âMarryAnne. Youâre watching the same thing as me, right?â
âShall I drop him?â
âNo!â
Sometimes MarryAnne would make scary sounds. Kyrie sat by the window, unable to do this or that, and Aaron finally climbed up the outer wall to the third floor and grinned.
âNoona!â
Kyrie sighed with a look of not knowing what she had done wrong.
âLieutenant Fitz. Itâs not right to climb under the window of a ladyâs room.â
âOh, re, really? He said it was romantic.â
âWho the hell?â
âThe late Vermont Young LordâŠâŠ.â
âAh.â
Kyrie pointed her finger at her forehead. No wonder, it was Vermont.
Kyrie, who was also ambiguous about swearing at the dead, was bitten back.
âCome in anyway. What youâre doing is bad.â
âUh? No!â
âNo?â
âNo one can go where Noona is. The Legendary Lord has decided that way. You have to get permission from the Legendary Lord to visit.â
When she looked back at MarryAnne to see if he was serious, MarryAnne nodded.
âThe visitors are managed by Nathaniel! He didnât let MarryAnne manage it.â
Kyrier, nodding her head, saw Aaron again.
âSo youâre gonna keep talking there?â
âIf youâre not uncomfortable!â
Aaron smiled widely. He was definitely a soldier when she saw that he was wearing armor and a helmet, but he didnât show any signs of difficulty.
âSo what are you going to say? By the way, MarryAnne is stronger than you. If you try to make a fool of yourself, youâll fall off before you even stab me.â
âYes! MarryAnne is faster!â
MarryAnne, who thought it was a compliment, stepped out with a thud on her chest. It could be quite offensive, but Aaron frowned and laughed with his freckled nose.
âYou wanted to die then, but now you want to live again? Thatâs great!â
âDonât talk about it.â
The child listened. Covering MarryAnne with her eyes wide open, Kyrie whispered in the shape of her mouth. Fortunately, Aaron blinked and smiled broadly.
âSo the matter is, um I donât know if I shouldnât do this.⊠I wonât ride the wall next time!â
âSo whatâs the matter?â
âYou helped me, didnât you?â
âI donât understand what you mean.â
Aaron blinked his eyes again.
âUh⊠Iâm so sure of the mysterious girl who disappeared. In the middle of the night, she came to the dead companionsâ houses, carrying an amount of gold coins that no ordinary man can carry that didnât even fit as the word âreward.â âŠâ
There was a moment of silence.
MarryAnne grabbed Kyrieâs dress and whispered.
âThat was MarryAnne, Miss!â
ââŠ.Yeah. Well done, MarryAnne.â
She shouldnât expect too much from a child. She felt bad for not giving specific instructions. Kyrie looked at Aaron, stroking MarryAnneâs head.
âSo? â
âI want to say thank you! â
Aaron laughed. The boy almost fell off from his hand gesture and hung more carefully on the vine of the wall.
âSo did Lord Tyler. Tell you his gratitude.â
âI didnât mean to be thanked.â
âYou seem like that.â
Aaron nodded his head cheerfully.
âYouâre a little quiet, arenât you? You donât defend yourself, you just turn quiet. You donât show off even when you help me.â
âThatâs rude.â
She spoke sharply, but remembered the incident with Rubinia Cassner. She could have been in a better relationship if she had excused herself more actively.
Aaron swung his arm in a hurry.
âBut Iâm not saying itâs bad! I mean, I meanâŠâŠthank youâŠâŠ.â
ââŠâŠYes.â
âItâs very helpful! Uncle John has a sick daughter at home, and Billâs brother was the only one who could make money, soâŠâŠ.â
His clear brown eyes seeped with quiet anger. But the boy laughed immaturely again before Kyrie could react.
âIâm going to go now! Can I come again next time?â
ââŠâŠ.â
âI canât?â
Kyrie had no choice but to recall Nathaniel before her intention. The imaginary man sat on the sofa dressed in green velvet, staring at her with still eyes. She felt disgust that Nathanielâs intention was first thought of before anything else when deciding. But she couldnât help but talk.
âNathanielâŠ.â
âThe Legendary Lord?â
ââŠâŠIt wouldnât be good for Nathaniel to know.â
Kyrie hesitated and smiled bitterly.
Aaron blinked his eyes and scratched his head.
âThen Iâll come and ask you next time!â
âWhat?â
With a surprised Kyrie, Aaron began to climb down the outer wall.
âWouldnât you go crazy being alone in a place like this? Youâll suffer from depression! Ask the Legend to take you for a walk!â
âWhat kind of person do you think he isâŠâŠ.â
âIâll be back later, Noona!â
Aaron landed on the floor in no time and ran away, making an armor rattling sound. Kyrie looked at the figure with a slightly absent-minded look. It was a crazy meeting. She couldnât ask what she really wanted to ask because of that.