CH 35

“Hi, Nell! Long time no see!”

When I turned my head to the sound of knocking on the window, Catherine opened the window on her own as if she had been waiting for it, and ran into the room.

I clapped my hands together, marveling at her catlike agility and flexibility, exchanging greetings with her, while exchanging greetings with Catherine, I poked my head out the window at a sudden thought.

“By the way, what about Leon? Are you here alone?”

“The captain is out there.”

“Outside? why?”

‘Technically, I was the one who invited Leonhard, right?’

“He said how dare he climb through the lady’s bedroom window at this late hour. Here, this.”

What Catherine held out to me was an envelope. Perhaps because it was not an official letter, it was not sealed.

I hurriedly took out the letter from the envelope and checked the contents.

[Dear Laennell.

I received your letter well. If you don’t need a reply, I can take it as a sign that you don’t want me to reject your invitation. I was very happy with the invitation, and I also have something to say to you again, but I have concluded that this form is not acceptable.

Unintentionally, my name was not good for Lady’s reputation. I understand how you don’t want to be seen by others, but I don’t think we should have a secret meeting in the absence of Lady’s guardian.

If you will permit it, a formal invitation will be sent to the Howard family in the near future or maybe I could visit Howard’s like I used to.

If you want, you can write a short letter and deliver it to Catherine.

Compared to the north, it feels warmer, but as it is winter, the air in the capital is very cold. You probably didn’t really open the window to let the moonlight shine on the moonflowers.

I also wish to see you again with a healthy and bright appearance.

Sincerely, from Leonhard Ajas

“Oh…”

“Nell?”

Yeah, I was wrong on the idea. The opponent was a man, who was surprised by every word I said and at the end his ears were red.

If this was the kind of man coming to my bedroom tonight, I would have either asked him to marry me or kicked him out. Being that kind of person, I was even more greedy for this man to be my husband.

But that’s it!

“I am an idiot! I promised my brother that I would never leave the house or write letters!”

“Uh? Why did you make that promise?”

My lower lip pouted out on its own at that question. I held Catherine and spoke sadly.

“My brother and sister don’t like me marrying Leon.”

“Why do Nell’s sister and brother hate our Captain? what is it that they don’t like?”

“Because of the rumors about me. If I marry, the rumors that I stayed at a hotel with him will become credible, and I will suddenly become a promiscuous woman who sleeps with a man before I even get married.”

“The rumors were fake, didn’t it end? It was fake in the first place.”

“Society rumors are not a matter of authenticity. It is a matter of interest or not.”

Now I was like a fish on a cutting board. If there are enough cases, they will bite me in all directions.

I know that too, so I tried to return to my country quietly.

“If you’re going to give in to such rumors, you’re not Howard’s proud tomboy.”

Because of the second princess, no matter what I do, people will spread bad rumors about me anyway.

If people don’t like me for no reason?

I will give them a reason to hate me.

What if they spread rumors that are not true?

I will make those rumors true!

“Cathy, where exactly is Leon right now?”

“He out there. Outside the wall, with Rob.”

“He came all the way here. That’s Great. Take me there.”

Catherine blinked a little in surprise as I spread my arms out to either side of her, positioning myself to be picked up.

“Are you going out there?”

“If we go out the door, we will get caught.”

Even though I was banned from going out, I’m not locked in my room. I can go out to the garden.

But what if I get caught out in the garden in the middle of the night?

It couldn’t be said that I went out to get some fresh air on this cold day, so the best thing to do was not get caught in the first place.

“Cathy is a warrior, you can carry me lightly, right?”

“Sure. I’m strong.”

“Then I beg you.”

“Okay, it’s a friend’s request.”

As expected, Catherine lifted me without difficulty. I closed my eyes as Catherine lightly climbed onto the windowsill. At the same time, I tightened my arms around her neck.

“Hold it tight. I Jump off.”

Hearing those words, as soon as I clenched my molars, I felt my body float in the air and then fall.

‘ugh!’

The moment when my long hair and the hem of my dress rose upward was very brief. But I felt numb, and I couldn’t think of opening my eyes even though I felt Catherine running forward.

“We’ve arrived, here we are.”

When I finally opened my eyes after hearing those words, I was in front of a wall a little far from the back door. Carefully, Catherine came in between the large tree and the wall and dropped me off.

Just when I was standing in front of the wall and breathing a sigh of relief, I heard a familiar voice from over the wall.

“Cathy? Are you back already?”

“What about the reply? You didn’t forget the reply, did you?”

In turn, it was the voice of Robert, Leonhard’s aide, and Leonhard.

‘What should I say?’

Catherine looked back at me with a questioning face.

I thought about what to say, and then moved my foot in the direction in which Leonhard’s voice came and opened my mouth.

“Hello, Leon.”

“Raenel?”

The small voice swallowed its surprise and drifted over the wall into my ear.

Somehow, barely holding back my laughter, I answered in a whisper, with my hand pressed against the wall I assumed he was on the other side of the wall.

“Yes, it is me.”

“Why you….not the letter, the reply.”

“Well, first of all, I wanted to see your face and talk to you, Leon, but you only sent me a letter, so what is that? the person I want to see should come.”

From the other side of the wall, as if I had heard something, there was a series of small coughing sounds.

Only after the cough subsided, did Leonhard speak. A little trembling voice.

“I didn’t mean that I didn’t want to see Lady.”

“Then you wanted to see me?”

“Yes. As written in the letter.”

“why? Why did you want to see me?”

Was that such a difficult question?

There were no more voices on the other side of the wall.

Catherine next to me and Robert next to Leonhard didn’t talk either.

It seemed like I was the only one who could break this silence, but I didn’t open my mouth. and it was worth it because I finally heard Leonhard’s answer.

“I want to see—Do I need a reason?”

“You don’t want to see the second princess, do you?”

“yes.”

It was a very clear and concise answer. I liked it so much that I could barely hold back my laughter.

“But don’t you think there’s a reason why you only want to see me?” That’s what I’m curious about.”

“That…”

Leonhardt also took a long time to answer. The deep silence that settled over the wind told me he was really thinking about it, so I didn’t interrupt him.

“It’s just that I keep thinking about you and no one else does… I think that’s why I want to see you.”

“Why do you think of me?”

“Because I want to see you?”

It’s not some kind of hamster wheel. I didn’t like the answer, but I decided to accept it.

It hasn’t been long since we met. It’s too early to discuss love. Isn’t it impossible to check the appearance of flowers only by looking at the sprouts that have only sprouted. It turns out, as I do, that he has a good feeling for me, too.

‘Because I am an adopted child.’This must be a much better start than the one in the original story that decided to marry simply for that reason alone.

“Cathy, can you put me up here?”

“Up there?”

“Up there? Raenel, what are you trying to do?”

“Okay.”

“Catherine! I don’t know what you’re trying to do, but don’t do it!”

By an anxious voice on the other side of the wall, I fell into Katherine’s arms and threw my arms around her neck.

I don’t know what exactly she did, but after lightly hitting the ground, Catherine jumped up using the tree trunk next to her as a stepping stone, and before I knew it, she stood with both feet on the wall and set me down on top of it.

“Do I have to put you down like this?”

“Whoa, wait a minute. out of balance…Ugh!”

I tried to sit up with my butt on the wall, but my body buckled and I almost fell backward.

Luckily, the strength of my chin and arms kept me from falling off the top and the one who grabbed me was Leonhard, who had jumped on top of me before I knew it.

“Why are you acting so risky?… Robert, take the lady down.”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Oh, no, no, no, I can’t. I promised my brother I wouldn’t leave the house.”

“What?”

“Leon was also outside because you didn’t climb over the wall of our house, right? We talk here.”

If I hold on to Leonhard’s arm, I won’t lose my balance and fall here, right?

I swung my legs down with my ass on the wall and looked up at Leonhard.

The wall’s not wide enough for kneeling. Leonhard, who was well on one knee, was still at a higher eye level than me. He must have realized that because he bent his head down and locked eyes with me.

“Well, how do you feel?”

“What do you mean?”

“You said you wanted to see me. How do you feel when you see me?”

“Ah…”

As if he hadn’t expected such a question, Leonhard, who was a bit startled and flustered, answered me shyly rubbing his ear.

“I feel relieved.”

“Yes?”

“I know it’s not a proper answer, but… I don’t know how to put it. It’s just, I’m relieved.”

You missed me, meaning that you are worried like a child at the water’s edge. Doesn’t that mean something like this?

Eh! It’s already too late though. I’ve drawn my knife, I’m going to slice the radish. There’s no turning back. Let’s go!

“Leon, would you lend me your hand?”

“Hand…?Ah yes. I will escort you.”

“No, not the right hand, but the left hand.”

At my words, Leonhard was puzzled, but changed his hand and gave me his left hand.

The hands wearing black gloves felt very big and rough. But that’s just with the gloves on and the inner fingers that when he took off the gloves seemed very sexy because they were long and thick, even if there was a small scar.

Unknowingly, I was touching his fingers with admiration, and I heard a cough with embarrassment above my head.

Only then I came to my senses, and I smiled at Leonhard with the intention of apologizing.

“Sorry. This was not my purpose.”

“What’s your purpose?”

Instead of opening my mouth, I replaced the answer by taking a small box out of my skirt’s front pocket.

“Oh!”

Leonhard, who had a puzzled look on his face when he saw the ring inside, widened his eyes in amazement the moment I put the ring on his finger of his left hand.

Well, fortunately, the ring size fits very well. My eyes are quite good. I said while looking into Leonhard’s eyes, which were bright blue like an aquamarine in a ring.

“Please marry me, Leon.”