Chapter 37
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But it didn't matter. Delnia's answer was already known.
Marcel's favor was certainly something to be grateful for.
But she had no intention of relying on it. There was no way she could repay the debt she owed him.
Delnia crouched down in front of the wooden box to write her reply. It was uncomfortable to sit on the floor, but she had no desk.
She unscrewed the cap of her new inkwell, wet the nib, and began to write. These writing utensils had also been sent by Marcel to Jack.
She started by writing a letter to Sophie, and then finished her reply to Marcel, thanking him for everything. At the end, she made sure to add a line to tell him not to worry about her.
When she was done, Delnia dried the ink and folded the letters neatly into envelopes.
Turning to her next task, she turned her head, her gaze settling on the colorful irises.
"They need to be trimmed anyway."
Muttering to herself, Delnia lifted the lid of the wooden box to put away her writing utensils first.
The gold coins she had hidden inside greeted her with a glint. Along with the problem she'd consciously tried not to think about earlier.
Three crowns. All of them had been paid by Roan, though in his eyes, they had been demeaning.
One crown for reading the shameful letter that day, then another for clearing the table a few days later.
And the last one, just yesterday, for making a good cup of tea.
The problem was, the table and the tea were always the same.
Still, to 'reward' her for such things meant that it all depended on his mood, which had nothing to do with her efforts or willpower.
'..................why bother.'
She was a slave, and if he ordered her to do something, she couldn't refuse.
She'd never understood why he'd bothered, but now she knew what his purpose was.
Roan wanted her to be completely submissive.
To break her so she couldn’t even think about getting up. So that she would think that the bottom was her place.
To completely erase her nobility and make her a slave.
It wasn't exactly how she'd envisioned it, but Roan knew exactly the kind of revenge she deserved.
She'd be lying if she said she didn't care. However she tried to denigrate herself, her hands still shook with the fresh humiliation, and her heart ached for those piercing blue eyes.
And yet, somehow, she was okay.
She was the one who had decided to bear the weight of his hatred, and if she was finally going to be punished, she would do it with grace.
She had already made up her mind, so there was nothing she couldn't bear.
Rather, what made her unbearable was...................
"...."
Delnia lifted a single iris she hadn't touched since she'd finished her preparations. The fragrant scent of the flower wafted over her nose.
It was definitely a different flower. The scent was rich and comforting.
Still, she couldn't help but be reminded of those days in the past. It always did.
"Roan!”
It was an unremarkable, uneventful day, as usual, when she ran to him.
"Someone saw a Belfort anemone blooming in the forest. Let's go see it.”
"Belfort anemone?
"Yes. It's a wild flower that only blooms here, but it only grows deep in the forest, so even the people of Belfort don't see it.”
“We can bring them back and plant them in the flower beds.”
“We can't, because they die quickly in human hands. So you'll have to come with me to see it.”
"But what if Lena...................”
"We'll just have to leave and come back quickly before she finds out, okay?”
She grabbed his reluctant hand and they sneaked out of the castle and wandered through the forest.
But when they got to the location she'd been told about, they didn't see any flowers.
They wandered through the woods until they finally stopped by a stream, disappointed.
"Let's just go back.”
"Already?”
"But my legs hurt. I don't know. Never mind.”
A sigh of annoyance fell heavily. Delnia glanced over at him, realizing he'd been grumpy all along.
"Excuse me for a moment.”
He knelt down in front of her and pulled off her shoes. It was an unusual gesture, considering he usually stayed away from her.
When her eyes widened in surprise, Roan pointed to the water's edge.
"If you go over there and dip your feet in the stream, the swelling will go down.”
Delnia nodded vigorously like an obedient child, and made her way to the water's edge, but the jagged rocks made it difficult.
Roan sighed again as he watched Delnia almost lose her footing, and eventually picked her up.
"Aah!”
Holding her tightly in his arms, he stumbled forward and gently set her down on a small, flat rock.
The water was cool and clear. Perhaps it was the heat of his touch that made it so.
Delnia kept glancing at him, pretending to play with the water.
Roan still looked sullen, but he was quite skillful in this sequence of actions, including taking care of the shoes she'd left behind.
Perhaps it was because he was in the habit of taking care of his sister.
She was jealous that he always put Lena first, but she was also happy when his kindness trickled down to her like water from the top.
"Wait here for a minute.”
"Where are you going?”
“I'll be back soon, just don't move.”
Roan didn't tell her where he was going, left and disappeared through the trees.
Delnia quickly grew anxious. But she trusted him like a rock and waited.
As if to prove he was a man of his word, Roan returned shortly afterward. He set her boots in front of her as she dried her wet feet on the rocks.
"Follow me.”
"Where are you going?”
Roan didn't answer again this time.
But Delnia followed him without hesitation, her anxiety flying away like a lie just by being with him.
They walked and walked along the small path that wound through the dense trees and bushes. The occasional bird song and the sound of the wind rustling the trees softened the silence.
At one point, Roan stopped walking and pushed through the bushes. Delnia, who had been following him, let out an exclamation.
"Wow!”
An anemone shyly emerged from its hiding place like a forest treasure. Its thin petals, a brilliant bluish-purple color, blended in with the deep greenery around it, creating a mystical atmosphere.
Instead of plucking the flower, Delnia bent her head low to inhale its fragrance.
It was a faint scent, barely detectable until she brought her nose close to it, and it made her tingle. Just like the boy next to her.
After a few moments of basking in the beauty of the Belfort Anemone, Delnia finally stood up.
"Thank you for finding it, Roan.”
Despite her heartfelt thanks, Roan's face remained expressionless, as if his annoyance was still there.
Still, Delnia was glad. So much so that she didn't notice the sky was now covered in dark clouds.
"What now?”
It hadn't been long after they turned to walk back to the castle that it started to rain.
Luckily, they found a small cave nearby and were able to escape the rain. Even though she was in the pitch black with no light to rely on, she felt cozy and cozy just being with him.
As she listened to the rain drown out all the noise in the world, Delnia realized that she could stay like this forever.
If they could live as if they were the only two people left in the world.
Maybe then she could stop trying to build up her pride so that she didn’t have to hide her pitiful life.
Maybe then she wouldn't be ashamed of herself anymore.
But unlike her, who hadn't stopped looking, Roan nervously checked the sky.
When the rain showed no sign of letting up, Roan finally grew impatient and knelt down on one knee, his back facing her.
"Climb up.”
Delnia's eyes widened.
It was a back that he would never have given to her, however she begged. The back that was so easily granted to Lena left her no room for it, and it hurt her feelings every time.
"Really?”
Delnia asked, and Roan shrugged his shoulders, dismissive.
"I can't help it, you're too slow.”
Delnia was unfazed by his remark, and she climbed onto his back.
The warmth of his skin against her sent a chill through her body. It was a warmth she'd never felt before, not even when holding a puppy or cat tightly in her arms.
Roan stood up with Delnia on his back and hurriedly moved his feet. He ducked under the shade of the trees as much as he could, but it wasn't enough to keep them out of the rain.
Still, the raindrops that soaked her back and shoulders didn't feel cold.
Perhaps it was because he was sharing his warmth.
But after a brief moment of tightly packed joy, Delnia realized that his breathing was getting more ragged, and his back was getting hotter.
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