Episode 121

Greetings? Oh. No way. It can’t be.

Just in case, I quickly turned my head left and right. Immediately, Leonel spoke to the butler.

“I’ll take the greetings when they’re all here. Show them to the annex and tell them to freshen up.”

“Yes. My lord.”

Leonel took my hand and climbed the stairs.

‘Something seems odd.’

We had been quite close even before going to the capital, but it had never been to this extent.

As much as I wanted to be close because we had simply been apart, it seemed excessive.

It was fine until the trial, but since then, we have been sticking together like this.

“Leonel, what happened when I collapsed?”

“Nothing at all.”

“But why are you trying so hard not to leave me?”

“Because I want to be with you.”

The same answer as before. But it didn’t feel cute this time.

Staring at his face, our eyes met. The slowly forming smile was so beautiful that my mind went blank.

I entered the office in a daze. Lizzy and Levance were already working.

As soon as I sat down, Lizzy brought a chair and whispered.

“Miss Nelly, would you like to go to Dames after work tomorrow? Miss Mary says she’s not in too much pain now, even if she moves.”

“What about Sophie?”

“She said tomorrow is her day off.”

“Great!”

Lizzy smiled brightly, nodded vigorously, and went back to her place, but not before hitting my desk with a thud.

The piled-up documents cascaded like a waterfall. Looking at her embarrassed face, I tried to get up, but she hurriedly tried to get up from her seat.

I touched her shoulder and sat her back down.

“I’ll handle it.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay now that I’m used to it. Just don’t make any mistakes tomorrow. We have to finish early.”

“Yes.”

As I gathered the scattered papers and stood up, Leonel’s gaze met mine.

He smiled broadly, sat at the desk, and as the lunch hour was ending, a maid came in and said to me.

“Miss Nelly, the broker is here.”

I hadn’t put the house up for sale since Adelhardt, disguised as Hadiger, left. What could the broker want?

‘Well, that’s fortunate. I was thinking of putting it back on the market anyway.’

As soon as I got up, Leonel followed me like a magnet.

‘Something must have happened. I’ll have to ask Adelhardt later.’

I followed the maid. The broker, who had been waiting in the hall, was surprised when he saw me. He quickly greeted Leonel.

I subtly moved aside to avoid greetings, and after the broker lifted his head, I returned to Leonel’s side.

As Leonel entered the reception room, he instructed the butler to bring tea. 

The broker, although apologetic, couldn’t help but glance around the reception room. As soon as the tea arrived, he got straight to the point.

“I went to check today, and it seems the cottage is vacant. The original tenant seems to have left.”

“Yes, he left right after the festival.”

“Would you consider putting it back on the market? There’s someone interested in renting it for three years… Oh! Is it because of what you mentioned last time, that you need the house, so you’re not releasing it?”

…I felt Leonel’s intense gaze from the side. Unexpectedly, Leonel’s voice interjected.

“Were you planning to live in the cottage?”

“Ha-ha. Well, that’s…”

“Without telling me? Leaving my side?”

Was he angry? I glanced at him discreetly. Leonel raised his left eyebrow as if urging me to respond.

“I… When I see Leonel’s face, my heart races too much! I just wanted to calm down for a moment.”

“…And now?”

His fingertips firmly intertwined with mine. Of course, my heart was still racing, but it’s okay now because we’re lovers! Before I could explain, Leonel’s voice cut in.

“Do you have thoughts of living elsewhere?”

I couldn’t move my hand, caught in a dilemma. Leonel’s voice intervened again.

“Do you plan to live outside?”

“No!”

“Then I suppose it doesn’t matter if I buy it.”

“What?”

Well, I appreciate it, but is it really necessary?

As I tilted my head, Leonel, without letting go of my hand, looked at the broker.

“I’ll buy it. Add some extra for the price.”

The broker glanced at me with a sly look. Without hesitation, I nodded. 

Back then, it was just the cottage, but now I have the house the queen granted me, so it’s fine.

It’s a small two-story house, and it even has rocking chairs on the terrace! According to Lady Etkin, the smell of bread is there every morning.

Now Leonel wants to buy it, even adding extra money. There’s no reason to refuse.

“Hehe, um! I’m fine with that.”

Worried that Leonel might mention the unsettling laughter and offer extra money, I quickly covered it with a fake cough. 

The contract was swiftly concluded. Leonel went on to sign a monthly lease agreement on the spot, showing his determination not to leave the house vacant.

‘He doesn’t need to go to such lengths; I’m not going to run away.”

I stood there watching the broker leave with the signed contract.

Soon after, an arm came over my side and pulled me close. Leonel hugged me tightly, resting his forehead against the back of my head.

‘Why am I feeling so uneasy?’

I placed my hand on the back of his hand. Leonel unfolded his hand, entwined his fingers with mine, and then clasped them again.

Trying to calm him down a bit, I led him outside. There, I noticed people with more luxurious attire than usual, perhaps guests and relatives of the lord.

“Your Grace, thank you for the invitation.”

People who had either stuck close to Devondus or pretended not to know about his misdeeds crowded around, offering greetings. Leonel nodded briefly. 

His expression was colder than usual.

However, after returning to the office, he seemed fine. I worried that he might not let go of me after work, but surprisingly, he didn’t insist on holding me.

‘Yeah, maybe getting used to staying close isn’t so bad after all.’

Even as I thought that…

Knock, knock.

A night full of ambitions. He knocked on my door.

* * *

Leonel walked through the darkness. 

With every step his feet took, the sound of something falling behind him echoed.

He turned around.

In the places he had passed, people lay on the ground like footsteps. Leonel glimpsed at a face directed towards him.

“Ah…”

It was the face of a subordinate he couldn’t protect on a day from the past. Leonel unconsciously took a step back.

Something quickly plummeted into the spot where he had just stepped. After crashing into the ground, and losing its motion, disheveled limbs and unfocused eyes became visible.

‘Tatiasun.’

This is a dream.

In the moment of realization, his arm became heavy. Leonel reflexively pulled what was in his arms closer, sinking to his knees.

He slowly lowered his head.

The person lying with a body stretched out as if dead was Nelly.

“Hah!”

He jolted upright in a seizure of pain constricting his chest.

Hastily, he fumbled to the side, but it was empty.

‘Nelly.’

As if entranced, Leonel walked barefoot, thoughts consumed by Nelly. 

He obsessively retraced what she might have done all day, what she ate, and who she met. But all he could answer for was everything up until the end of the workday.

As Leonel found himself increasingly ignorant about Nelly, he couldn’t bear the fear. Betrayal and death lurked in places he didn’t know, momentarily overshadowing his daily life.

“This time, I won’t let it happen like that.”

He went straight to Nelly’s room. Knocking forcefully, he heard a sound from inside.

Unable to endure, Leonel flung the door open.

Upon meeting Nelly’s tender green eyes, Leonel felt as if a weight had been lifted. As he exhaled trembling breaths, Nelly awkwardly smiled.

“Leonel. Still not asleep?”

He slowly approached, pulling his lover into an embrace. Unlike in the dream, warmth was felt.

“I’m awake.”

Nelly wiggled and inserted her arms between Leonel and herself. She reached up, brushing Leonel’s forehead.

“Did you have a bad dream? You’re sweating a lot.”

Then, she withdrew her hands and gestured for Leonel to sit.

The sensation of a hand rubbing near his waist was felt. She was wiping her hands on his clothes.

Leonel involuntarily burst into laughter.

Nelly looked up with a smile. The pure vibrations touched Leonel’s skin, covering negative emotions.

Leonel exhaled a relieved breath.

Nelly leaned her cheek against Leonel’s chest.

As his heart, which had been pounding harshly, returned to its normal rhythm, she pulled away as if waiting and grabbed Leonel’s cheeks.

“Look at this. What happened? Tell me quickly. Don’t suffer alone!”

Leonel closed his mouth. Knowing how suffocating and chilling his obsession could be, he couldn’t be honest.

If he showed everything, Nelly would undoubtedly leave him in disgust.

“It’ll get better soon.”

Yeah. His symptoms were just exacerbated by unfamiliar and unwelcoming people in the castle.

Without revealing his selfish desires to Nelly, things would improve once he sorted out the surroundings.

Kissing Nelly, Leonel gently laid her on the bed.

* * *

“Where are you going?”

Leonel raised his head to look at me and Lizzy. His pupils seemed redder today. 

Frightened, Lizzy sneakily hid behind me.

“I’m going to Dames.”

“Take me with you.”

Even though Lizzy was clearly behind me, her pale face seemed to appear in front of me. Sure enough, she buried her face against my back and shook her head.

Since I had no intention of bringing a lover along when hanging out with friends, I reached my hand back to comfort Lizzy, telling her not to worry.

Lizzy extended her head beside me. In an instant, sparks seemed to fly from Leonel’s eyes.

Seeing that, Lizzy gasped and hid behind me again.

“We’re just going to have fun with Mary and Sophie, the four of us.”

“….”

“Oh, and by the way, I’m just here to tell you in case Leonel gets worried if I suddenly don’t show up!”

Right, this was a notice! My time after work is my own no matter what.

If Leonel insisted, this time I would probe him about his anxiety until he answered.

But Leonel ducked his head and went back to his papers.