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Looking at it now, he didn’t seem like someone who’d become a butler. On the contrary, this rough, free-spirited, crass man seemed more like Takan.
“Here it is.”
When a wooden sign appeared over the weeds, Tarkan pulled the reins to stop. He looked at the signposts, turned in the red arrow’s direction, and went deep into the forest. As we entered the woods, I could smell the intense fragrance of spring.
“It’s spring.”
I closed my eyes as I inhaled the delicate scent of the season. The sky was immeasurably high and blue, the leaves fluttered in the gentle breeze and danced, and the birds chirped a soft melody. It was so peaceful that everything that had happened before felt like a mirage.
I glanced around the forest. There’s indeed a forest behind Walton Square that merchants often use as a shortcut when they ship out deliveries. But why did we go here?
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Takan ignored me and stared straight ahead when I looked up to ask. Then, after riding for a while, he looked around and got off the horse. Then he handed me the reins and said, “Wait a minute.”
He looked around until his gaze reached a tree with a mark. The corner of his lips turned upwards in satisfaction.
“Takan?”
He turned to me when I called his name and said, “It’s just a little while away.”
He approached me, grabbed the reins, and walked ahead, his wavy hair swaying in the wind.
“You’ll be able to heal your wounds.”
The horse neighed through the thickets of vines and grass. As I pulled the bushes away, a hut appeared among the roots of the trees. Sunlight passed through the leaves, swaying in the wind, illuminating the place.
The sign–‘Rin’s Weapon Shop’ scrawled in red paint– hanging from the top of the hut rattled in the breeze. It looked more like a dreary mountain hut that seemed like something was about to come out than a shop.
With eyes wide in surprise, I glanced at the shop and Takan. “Weren’t you in Walton Square?”
Takan stopped the horse and tied the reins to a tree.
“That’s the second store; this one is the first. Well, what I said was the second store. But, ha,” Takan suddenly sighed and made a serious face. “I’m just saying this just in case, so don’t get confused.”
“What–”
Takan stared at the store, clicking his tongue. “You’ve already been confused once, so you might run wild on the road saying that even if you had a child, you would confuse the first and the second.”*
He looked tired. He patted the bridged horse once and stretched out his arms to me. I could do nothing but stare at him.
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“What’s wrong?” The leaves swayed in the breeze, and Takan’s hair fluttered.
“Takan, can I ask you one thing?”
It’s something I’ve been wondering about for a long time. I’ve always wanted to ask him regardless of when I doubted or believed his intentions.
“Why are you helping me?”
Takan’s eyes slowly widened, his pale blue eyes gleaming like the moon. His face darkened with recollection, and the atmosphere quickly subsided. He had the same look as when we were at the orphanage, his eyes seemingly chasing an image that did not exist in the world.
“Takan,” I softly called.
Takan raised his head as if awakened by the call. He blinked slowly and smiled. “Do I have to tell you?”
As Takan grabbed my waist and lowered me to the ground, I shook my head. “You don’t have to.”
“Then, I won’t.” Takan turned around and headed to the shop. My heart remained heavy because I still didn’t know why he was helping me.
My resolve to go to the forest didn’t disappear, nor did it falter. If there was one thing that has changed since then, I have more time to reflect on what others thought.
When sewing, waiting for Kyle, eating alone. I would look up and see his eyes staring blankly at me.*
I had already asked once. I couldn’t do it again because he might end up crying.
I glanced at Takan’s back and walked along. I didn’t deserve to ask anymore. I didn’t mean to turn down this favor even if it reopened his old wounds.
As I followed him, Takan suddenly stopped and turned around.
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“Ah, I forgot to tell you,” he said playfully. “The clothes don’t suit you.”
He smiled then walked again. I stared blankly at Takan before looking down at my outfit. It was oversized, but not to the extent that it wouldn’t suit me.
“It’s fine
”
Was it that weird? I ruffled my clothes slightly and walked along with him.
The mansion had an unusually desolate atmosphere.
The employees held their breaths and looked at each other, wondering what was going on, but no one could answer.
Lil and Mas walked down the hallway, passing by other maids. Mas looked around surreptitiously and whispered, “Lil, since His Grace returned alone, Madam–”
“Don’t make a fuss. Nothing is known yet.”
Mas could do nothing but pout at Lil’s dismissal.
Lil stopped in her steps, turned to Mas, and called her in a hard tone, “Mas.”
“Fine, fine. Who’s for sure?” Mars grunted and pursed her lips. Lil sighed and turned around, and Mas trailed after her.
“But this morning, the two of them were weird this morning–”
“Again, again!” Lil glared at Mas.
Mas jumped at her loud voice and trembled. Lil continued to glare at her for a moment before turning around. Lil said, “You’re going to get in trouble for that mouth later.”
“But what if she really went to that forest?”
On their way to the mansion, they passed by the empty garden and stopped. Mas shuffled her feet nervously on the grass.
“Lil, what if Madam doesn’t come back?”
Mas’s eyes turned glassy and her face red as if she was about to burst into tears any moment.
“I mean, it’s because I’m worried, I’m worried! How much did the good Madam care about us! Don’t you care?” Mas’s voice trembled.
“I’m worried.”
Lil clasped her hands together but couldn’t stop it from trembling. Mas’s eyes widened at the sight. Suddenly, tears welled up in Lil’s eyes.
“Lil
?”
“I’m worried too.”
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At her words, Mas burst into tears she had been holding back and wrapped her arms around Lil.
“Lil!”
It was hard to believe that they had once resented Aelle.
When Aelle first came to the mansion, Mas denounced her as their master, saying she was serving someone who didn’t deserve their position. Lil also had a low opinion of Aelle because her pride had been hurt.
But she wasn’t what Lil expected.
She was a woman who listened to her employees’ words. She was kind to them even when they talked ill of her, and patted them on the shoulder. She was even tolerant of their mistakes.
That’s why they started sharing her pain when they saw her falling apart. Every day, Lil and Mas beat their chests in frustration and swallowed their cries.
Lil pulled out her grasped hand and wrapped it around her shoulder, where Ael had once patted her. She then thought of Aelle. Even when she was still suffering, she comforted us.
“I hope you’re happy.”
Lil wished for her happiness.
“Then I will write news of the Duchess’s abduction in the newsletter and distribute wanted flyers all over the place.”
The aide who received the order left when Kyle didn’t reply, and only the knight remained, his face tense.
“I’m sorry. I immediately searched around Walton Square, but
” the knight couldn’t continue and closed his eyes tightly. He hurriedly prostrated. “I have no excuse, Your Grace.”
Kyle, who was staring out the window of the office, turned around at the knight’s report. Even without looking at the knight, he couldn’t raise his head because of the expression he was making. He has fought countless times with people who have lived and died since he took the sword, but it was the first time he felt so suffocated.
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“He’s good at running away. Mobilize all of them to search the entire area thoroughly. Choose the best knights to search the forest.”
“Yes, Your Grace.” The knight bowed his head deeply, got up and left the office.
Kyle thought that the passerby hanging around outside the door was hesitating, but then he heard a knock on the door.
“Your Grace, this is Laura.”
“Come in.”
Kyle leaned back and tilted his head. As Laura entered the office, his eyes darkened.
*I don’t really get these sentences. So please take it with a grain of salt.