Chapter 134

“Sister, is it uncomfortable because I’m beside you?”

Lying next to me, Alicia asked cautiously.

With her hands tightly clenching the blanket and her pupils quivering, I couldn’t help but think of her as pitiful.

“I’m not uncomfortable. The bed’s big enough that I don’t feel any different compared to when I’m alone here.”

“Sister..”

“By the way, what’s wrong? You came here to sleep beside me this late into the night.”

Alicia was smiling faintly until now, but her expression suddenly hardened as soon as she heard the casual question.

Those wide, doe eyes of hers blinked a couple of times, then she averted her gaze slightly.

“..I had a nightmare. I woke up just a while ago, but I was too scared to be alone..”

A nightmare.

I was expecting it.

What she experienced at the hunting festival must have been so shocking that she must have been traumatized.

And more than anyone else, I knew just how horrifying nightmares were.

I patted Alicia on the shoulder.

Alicia glanced up at me once more.

Seeing how pale her face elicited my sympathy.

“I see. You must have been scared.”

At the quietly whispered consolation, Alicia’s pupils trembled.

Soon, she nodded a little, then turned to lay flat on the bed. She now stared at the ceiling, her eyes wide.

At first glance, her full eyelashes, which cast long shadows beneath them, made her seem like a doll.

She just stared at the ceiling without saying a word, then she slowly closed her eyes. As she answered, her voice was as melodious as a hymn.

“..Yes. I was scared.”

historical

* * *

In the middle of the night, while everything was completely still..

Quietly, suddenly—a rustle.

After eliciting that small noise, one person slowly sat up.

And along with that movement, that person’s hair cascaded down her shoulder, over her chest.

The shadows around her were pitch black, but her eyes and her hair, as they were buried in the darkness, shone gold.

She felt drowsy, but she couldn’t close her eyes.

Her head turned to the side, looking down.

Her trembling golden eyes looked at Rosetta, the sleeping woman beside her.

Just like the full moon hanging up in the dark sky,

Her eyes, which were always as warm as the sun, were like ice on this very night.

Alicia stared at Rosetta for so long. Blankly, she opened her lips to speak.

“Sister.”

Rosetta did not answer.

Alicia still stared at Rosetta without blinking.

Soon her golden eyes welled up with tears.

“Sister.. You’re my sister, right?”

Her shaking voice echoed amid the silence.

After she said this, the corners of her lips curved up ever so slightly.

A faint sigh met with the air for but a moment.

The sleepless gaze stared at only one place like that for a long, long time.

Like the moon in the sky, until daybreak came.

Until this appearance could be concealed.

Like that.

She continued to do so.

* * *

“Milady!”

Diana approached the unexpected visitor with a smile.

Next to Diana was Ria.

Holding her older sister’s hand tightly, Ria bowed her head in greeting.

Diana patted Ria’s head lightly.

“I’m not bothering you while you were resting, am I?”

They were at the small garden near the servants’ quarters, and it’s meant to be a place where the servants could unwind and rest. But since the others were on the clock right now, only the two sisters were here.

Diana was currently on a long break.

“You shouldn’t have come here, Milady. If you called me, I could have come to you instead.”

“I don’t have a hobby of making patients walk that far.”

“I’ve recovered enough that I can return now.”

Diana answered with twinkling eyes. There was a strangely serious expression on her face as she said that, as if she really was intending to come back to work right this second.

Still, I shook my head firmly.

“You can’t come back. Rest more.”

“..Yes.”

Sullen now, Diana nodded reluctantly.

Evidently enough from her reaction, Diana’s current break was not voluntary.

I practically forced Diana to take an extended break after the hunting festival. After all, she was injured.

And the period was about a month.

Until the day before my birthday, to be precise.

I wouldn’t say I’m a terrible boss.

At the very least, I’m not infringing upon my people’s human rights.

Really, there’s nothing for Diana to do for a while, if I’m perfectly honest.

“Ah, Alicia came with me.”

“Yes? Lady Alicia as well?”

I left behind Diana for a moment and looked around.

Alicia was standing over there, a little ways away. She wanted to be considerate, so she asked me to talk to Diana first.

Last night, after Alicia and I woke up, I told her that I’d be visiting Diana this afternoon, and she asked if she could join me.

She said that she’d like to thank Diana for all her help during the hunting festival.

“Alicia!”

I saw Alicia staring blankly into the air for a moment, but as I called to beckon her, she flinched a little and walked over here.

“Good afternoon, Your Ladyship.”

As Diana bowed deeply, Alicia waved her arms.

“Oh, no, you’re not feeling well. You don’t have to greet me that way. I’m the one who’s come to see you..”

“Yes?”

After hearing Alicia’s gentle dissuasion, Diana raised her head and blinked.

Alicia took Diana’s hands into her own and continued.

“Um, thank you for helping me during the hunting festival. You even got hurt while protecting me, but it’s been bothering me that I haven’t thanked you properly until now.

“It was my duty, Your Ladyship.”

“Still, it’s thanks to you that I’m completely unharmed. Thank you very much, Miss Diana.”

Alicia bowed to Diana.

“Y..You don’t have to do this, Lady Alicia!”

This time, it was Diana who’s waving her arms to dissuade the other.

It’s not very common for a noble to bow before a commoner, to say the least.

I didn’t intervene.

Diana glanced at me, silently asking for help, but I merely turned away as if I didn’t see her.

I laughed gratuitously.

It’s so peaceful for the first time in a long while. It didn’t feel so bad.

Soon, the two of them were finished with their back and forth.

“Um..”

And the silence brought forth a small voice.

The owner of that voice was Ria, who was hiding behind Diana’s legs, looking around her.

“Ah, Ria!”

Diana had momentarily forgotten that her little sister was here because of the sudden situation. She leaned down, cupped her hand to Ria’s ear, then whispered.

“Come on, say hello.”

Clutching Diana’s sleeve tightly, Ria glanced up at Alicia.

And, she bowed her head.

“H..Hello.”

Alicia’s eyes widened.

It must be her first time meeting a child since she lived most of her life trapped in this residence.

A smile bubbled up on her lips, which she couldn’t hide.

Indeed. Alicia naturally liked cute things, and Ria was a really cute kid.

Alicia leaned down and made eye contact with Ria.

And, she gently patted the child’s head, greeting her face to face.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Alicia.”

Ria blinked with her wide, doe eyes.

Alicia’s similarly wide, doe eyes also blinked.

With two cute people together like this, it felt as if the atmosphere instantly brightened up.

Ria mumbled, answering cautiously.

“Um.. Are you, um, a princess?”

That one word from the child made everyone around her freeze.

It’s certainly unexpected that the word ‘princess’ would be said here.

“Oh my, Ria. What.. What are you saying.”

Diana’s face turned pale at once, and she tried to stop Ria from saying more. Still, Alicia’s cheeks turned bright red as she didn’t know what to do.

Ria looked around her quizzically.

Then, her big eyes quickly brimmed with tears.

Even though she’s still a child, Ria was certainly quick at reading the room.

The atmosphere suddenly turned awkward because of what she said, so she must be wondering if she had done something wrong.

“S..Sorr..”

“You’re right. She’s a princess.”

I spoke up before she could finish saying sorry.

The three other people here turned to me in unison.

Regardless, I faced them nonchalantly.

“Sister?”

Alicia whispered to me, but I answered with only a wink.

Somehow, Alicia’s cheeks became even redder.

Oh my, you can’t do that.

Anyway.

Shrugging lightly, I strode over to Ria and leaned down, then I tapped her cheek with an index finger.

“You want to play together with our dear princess, don’t you?”

“..Yes!”

Ria hesitated for a second there, but soon answered with sparkling eyes.

To children, princesses were a thing of fantasy.

To adults though, dreaming of becoming one was like dreaming of winning the lottery.

I smiled at Ria, then I pulled Alicia closer to me and whispered.

“Alicia, is it okay if you play together with Ria?”

“Huh? Me?”

Cheeks still flushed, Alicia asked back in surprise.

I nodded in response.

“I’m going to the clinic with Diana for a little while. I have to check on Ria, Diana and Maxwell’s medicine.”

Of course, it didn’t matter if Ria and Alicia would come as well.

However, when I saw how Alicia’s expression brightened as she looked at Ria, I figured I should let these two people spend some time together.

Forget everything. You can go back to your childhood and have a fun time.

She couldn’t sleep last night either, and her expression remained dark the whole time.

But as soon as she talked to Ria, didn’t her face brighten up for a moment?

If she could play with a child without having to think, perhaps she could forget about what’s making her nervous, even a little.

Alicia’s pupils quivered briefly, but she nodded.

“If so.. Alright, I’ll take care of her. You can go ahead.”

Fortunately, it didn’t look like she’s forcing herself.