CH 221

‘Where is this place?’

She’s not on the cave floor.

Somehow, the bed was so comfortable.

Sabina groped all around. When she presses down with her finger, it follows gently. When she lets go, it springs back to its original shape.

The bed was so soft that even insomniacs would fall asleep like a log if they lay down here.

“You’re awake?”

Sabina looked up at the woman who was smiling softly. The woman had brought washing water and politely set it down in front of Sabina.

There must have been fragrances, she could smell the scent of fragrant flowers wafting out.

“I will be attending Madam from now on. My name is Dana.”

“Madam?”

Sabina expressed her displeasure immediately.

The title seemed to cement that she had become Valentine’s mistress. Of course they called her that because they might not know that Sabina had hoped for a dissolution.

“I’m not used to it, yet. I hope you don’t call me that.”

“Then shall I call you Miss?”

“Then, please.”

It seems that while Sabina fell asleep in the cave, she was moved to the Grand Duke’s castle.

‘He can’t endure it.’

Sabina thought she could last for a week more. She tutted her tongue.

If he was going to pick her up right away, he shouldn’t have left her there in the first place.

‘I was going to properly show my determination.’

The forest turned out to be more livable than she expected.

She didn’t see any wild animals. Ah, she did hear their cries though.

‘The moment I was about to drink the river water, there was a low howl of a wolf somewhere, so I went away.’

She was not confident enough to fight the wolf and leave unscathed. Luckily the wolf did not come after her.

Then, when she left the river, for some reason there were rabbits at every corner. This makes it easy to get food.

She thought she could hold out for quite some more in the future…….

‘Well, it’s in the past.’

By bringing Sabina here, Tristan had already lost. He couldn’t break her will.

‘I will do this from now on.’

Until he gives up.

Dana politely held out the towel, which had hung from her arm after Sabina washed her face.

“……thank you.”

Sabina answered awkwardly.

She was still unfamiliar with being served by others. And she tended to be compliant with kind and sweet people.

“What is there to thank? This is my job.”

Sabina looked up at Dana, who had smiled brightly, and scratched her cheek. The handmaid in charge of her was different from the Grand Prince.

She looked soft like she had never had anything else but a friendly smile since she was born.

‘I thought there were only people like the Grand Prince in the Valentine family, but perhaps that was a prejudice?’

At least in the Valois family, there were only people like the Valois’ family head. Obviously, it would be a bit difficult to say that everyone was like that.

There was just one person. There was a real person that Sabina would never forget in her life.

‘But he can’t be said to be from the Valois family…….’

Sabina’s eyes darted around at the strange feeling. By the time Dana took her hand, she froze.

“You have no idea how happy I am to be able to serve such a beautiful person.”

“Uh, oh? Really?”

“Don’t hesitate to call me anytime you need me. You can pull the line next to the bed.”

“I understand.”

Go now. Sabina nodded her head and swallowed the words inside.

In front of such an eager person, she couldn’t stand herself becoming infinitely weaker. She has to get out of here before the wedding ceremony.

“Hoo…….”

With a sigh, Sabina rummaged through her arms. But her hands couldn’t reach anything

No way.

“It’s not here…”

The note which she had never let go from her arms had disappeared.

“Looking for this?”

Startled, Sabina turned her back.

Tristan was standing in the doorway, waving a crumpled piece of paper.

“You should have taken good care of your valuables.”

You took my valuables! But Sabina couldn’t say that.

Looking back on her memory of last night, it seems that she had fallen asleep while holding the note in her hand.

She was left alone on a stormy night. So even if she had strong survival instincts, the uneasy feelings couldn’t completely disappear.

‘Maybe I fell asleep while holding onto it for stability…….’

No, it was highly likely. That’s why the note ended in Tristan’s hands.

Sabina bit her lips and finally spoke.

“……Give it back.”

She was trying hard to speak calmly, but she couldn’t completely hide her fluctuating emotions. She was afraid that Tristan would tear up the old, worn-out note.

A desperate voice she had never heard before. Her words trembled with anxiety.

Tristan’s eyebrows rose up for a moment before returning to its proper place.

“Is it because of this note?”

“What?”

Sabina asked, her nerves all bundled up at the piece of paper dangling in his hand.

“The reason why you said that you would make me give up even if you have to kill me.”

“Speak clearly.”

“I asked if this note made you like that and gave you the will to live.”

She didn’t know why he was asking such a thing

“The will to live?”

Did she get the strength to live because of ‘him’? Sabina hesitated for a moment, then she replied, still fixing her gaze on the note.

“That’s right… it might be so.”

Sabina imagined what she would have been if he hadn’t been by her side.

‘I couldn’t really confirm it because it didn’t happen, but yes.’

That person was Sabina’s spiritual support. The only support of her childhood.

Perhaps she would have withered away day by day in the Valois family. Perhaps she would submit to her destiny of being a sacrifice and would be willing to accept Tristan’s offer.

“The note is not the cause, but the person who wrote the note is the cause.”

“So your lover was the one who wrote this note?”

Only then did Sabina’s gaze turn to Tristan.

The devil Grand Prince had a twisted smile. It looked quite unpleasant.

‘A lover?’

Why is a lover suddenly brought up here?

The word was so ridiculous that her face stiffened. She couldn’t even laugh at it.

What kind of nonsense. Why on earth would he think of that…….

‘Ah. Maybe it looked that way in other people’s eyes?’

Sabina recalled the contents of the note.

It was the last letter he left for her. She had read it over and over again until the paper was worn out.