Chapter 7

“So you collapsed from anemia, right, Miss?”

“…Yes.”

“The Margrave had burst into the room with my Lady in his arms at such a speed that I nearly fainted from worry.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Here’s what happened.

Clarisse had wanted to tell the Margrave the truth: “The Jewel of Farenheit is my sister.”

Clarisse intended to tell the frontier count that the “Jewel of Farenheit” was her sister. She thought, maybe, after she told him, that his golden eyes would show contempt, anger, and disappointment that she was “not Matilda”, as others had done since she was born.

Clarisse had never experienced anything like this before, and she suspected that she had lost consciousness due to a combination of excessive tension after three days of a tight travel schedule.

As Mary was packing up Clarisse’s belongings in the room that the butler had arranged for her, without any knocking, the door opened with a bang, and the largest man she had ever seen charged in – she hadn’t realized it was the Margrave at the time.

He walked in carrying the unconscious Clarisse, and Mary thought her heart had stopped. However, once the heart stops beating, it usually dies.

After that, the large man kept asking Mary, with a stern expression on his face, if Clarisse was sick or if she had any chronic illnesses. Mary was overwhelmed by his intensity, even though she had done nothing wrong, she had lost the will to live.

“M- My Lady has no chronic illness. She is in perfect health. I believe it’s because she’s tired, but I’m sure she’ll be fine after a little rest.”

Even though she had answered all of his questions, the large man stared at Mary suspiciously before he gently laid Clarisse down on the bed.

‘Well… I appreciate the way he gently handled the young lady… and the fact that he wasn’t intimidated by the dusty young lady and brought her in himself… but my life span has been shortened by ten years… and my heart almost stopped…’

That was about an hour ago.

“Do you want me to take some of that restoring elixir you made, Miss?”

“No, I’m fine.”

“Would you like me to ask one of the servants to bring you some hot water for your bath?

“No, thank you, I feel bad bothering them at this time of night.”

Clarisse said this, but Mary frowned at her response since the only way to bathe was to have the water boiled in the kitchen or laundry room, have the servants carry it several times to the rooms, and then pour the water into the bathtub to fill it.

“But you’re covered in dust, my lady. I must change the sheets before you go to bed.”

Of course, Mary was well aware of her lady’s reserved nature, so she did not press her further.

“I’ll get you some hot water to wipe yourself down with for today. I can only bring you that much myself.”

“But you are tired too, Mary…”

“Don’t. Worry. About. Me.”

When Mary began to talk like this, things usually wouldn’t go well until she got her way, so Clarisse sat on the bed and quietly watched her maid leave the room. Then she sighed and decided that she would tell the Margrave about her sister when she sees him tomorrow.

No matter what that attractive man might say to me, I’ll be fine, I’ll be fine. That’s what Clarisse told herself.

“Oh, you’re Clarisse’s maid, aren’t you?”

Mary went to the kitchen and found a young aristocrat who looked a lot like Marius but was much more laid back than he was.

“Has Clarisse woken up?”

‘Who is this?’

She was suspicious, but since he knew Clarisse’s name and she was sure he was a nobleman from his appearance, she gave him an appropriate response.

“Yes.”

“Haha, you’re really wary of me.”

He was full of energy even at this time of night.. Mary paid no attention to him and asked a servant to boil plenty of water for her. While she waited for the water to boil, the young man didn’t leave but instead kept staring at Mary, which she found very annoying.

“Is there anything I can help you with?”

Typically, it would be considered rude for a servant to address a noble without being asked anything. However, if he was staring at her like this, she must do something. She had no choice but to ask him, and then he smiled at her. He had a smile on his face, but his eyes weren’t smiling, she thought.

“I wonder if Clarisse has been holding back like that all her life. Is she enduring so much to the point where she collapses?”

‘How rude… I hate this guy.’

Although she never showed it on her face, Mary immediately added him to her “disliked” list. Of course, Marius, who had been so polite and kind to Clarisse during the trip, was on the list of people she liked.

“I’m not authorized to answer that question.”

He seemed to have already guessed the answer and just shrugged his shoulders.

‘Compared to this man, the Margrave seemed to be reasonably decent.’

Mary secretly shuddered as she remembered the time when he had stared at her like he could have killed her with a mere glance.