CH 18

“Aelle, drink some hot tea.”

“Okay.”

I took a teacup at Hari’s suggestion but never drank it.

At that moment, Hari pointed at the empty flower bed and grinned. “We’ll have to plant flowers there. It used to have cosmos.”

“…”

“Okay, let’s plant them now.”

When Hari ordered Takan to call a gardener, he looked back at Laura. Laura took a step back and disappeared to call the gardener.

Hari tapped Kyle’s forearm and said, “Kyle, let’s plant cosmos. We’ll see them next year.”

“Alright.” Kyle eyed the flower bed with disinterest.

Hari pouted, seemingly disappointed in his lukewarm reaction.

“Don’t you remember? Louis…” Hari abruptly stopped and gasped. “I shouldn’t have brought it up.”

She forced out a laugh. Kyle and I held our breath at the sound.

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Kyle sighed and rubbed his eyes. After a while, his hand moved to Hari’s shoulder. “Hari.”

I had to look up at the sky to pretend I couldn’t see them. Takan’s forced laughter from behind me drifted in the wind.

“I’m fine, Kyle.” Hari looked away and shook off Kyle’s hand. Then, her eyes fell on me. “Aelle, are you alright?”

“Of course. There’s nothing wrong,” I nodded nonchalantly, maintaining a lukewarm attitude.

“Really…?” Hari’s eyes widened for a moment before narrowing.

Kyle’s attitude and reaction to the situation made us unlike any other couple.

We’d get caught like this. I was aware of it, but I didn’t want to do anything because I was bored and lethargic.

Kyle’s gray eyes slowly turned towards me. At first glance, he looked like he frowned or clicked his tongue.

Kyle got up from his seat and reached out to her. “Let’s get going.”

“Already?”

Harry tilted her head suspiciously and stood up, squinting at me.

“Yes, autumn is approaching, so the wind is getting cooler.”

I was thinking about my unhealthy physical condition.

Yes, I’d rather stay away from them. It would be better to sleep alone in a bedroom than see them. Thinking so, I got up.

“Ah…!”

I gripped the table as I stumbled. I closed my eyes, anticipating the pain that would hit me as my body tilted and my vision shook. But then someone caught me.

“Takan?” Leaning into him as he kept my balance, I looked up and saw him.

He, who had always kept a straight face, clenched his teeth as if suppressing his emotions. I was probably bothering him, so I straightened and moved away.

“Thank you.”

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Takan’s fingertips brushed against my skin before it fell. Maybe I did something wrong.

Kyle was staring intently at the place Takan had touched. Anyway, he looked away soon enough, and I shrugged it off as nothing and went off to organize my thoughts.

“I brought the gardener.”

Meanwhile, Laura guided the gardener to them. A neatly dressed, white-haired old man bowed. The gardener’s eyes were about to turn to Hari, then caught himself and turned to me. As the gardener lowered his gaze, the wrinkles in his eyes became more evident.

“What should I do with the flowers in the flower bed?”

Harry clapped her hands and smiled broadly. “I like cosmos.”

“Sunflowers would be good too,” I spoke at the same time, but no one listened to me.

I wasn’t disappointed because I didn’t want anyone to hear it anyway. With that in mind, I looked around and briefly met Kyle’s eyes.

“Let’s go with cosmos,” he finally spoke.

At noon, a butterfly caught my eye while I was reading a book at the gazebo. As I followed the white butterfly, I met Laura’s eyes.

Laura, who was looking at me worriedly, jumped in surprise when we made eye contact. She sighed as she stared at me.

“Are you alright?”

“What do you mean?”

Laura looked around to make sure no one else was there, then said, “If you wish, I can say Madam’s health is not well–”

“I’m fine, Laura.” I cut her off and shook my head. I’m used to it now, to the employees seeing my humiliation and to Kyle’s affectionate attitude toward Hari. Sometimes, I felt vicariously satisfied.

Ah, so that cold-hearted person could make a face like that. Then, as I continued to stare at him, our eyes met, and his gray eyes completely cooled down.

When I smiled bitterly, Laura bit her lip as if it were her job.

At that moment, I heard a buzz.

“The Countess has arrived.”

When I turned to the voice, I spotted Takan standing by the entrance to the gazebo, his hand on his chest and his head bowed.

I was too concentrated on reading that I had forgotten it was time for Hari to arrive.

I handed Laura the book and rushed to meet Hari. As I passed Takan, he started following closely after me.

Hesitating for a moment, he asked, “Do you like flowers?”

I stopped walking and looked back at Takan. Flowers?

Takan, who quickly noticed my confusion, licked his lips and said, “Other flowers in the flower bed, I can order–”

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Surprised, Takan stopped talking when I covered my mouth to stifle a chuckle. I was worried he misunderstood and got offended that I laughed.

Fortunately, contrary to my worries, Takan only raised his eyebrows, the scar on his eyebrow twisting along with it.

I lowered the hand covering my mouth and looked up at him. and said, “Thank you. I didn’t think anyone heard it.”

“…”

“I didn’t even think Takan would care about that.”

In particular, it was Takan who hated me. So even though I was grateful for the unfamiliar situation, I thought I must have also looked pitiful enough to receive the goodwill of someone who hated me.

People said no one could hide their love, so I wouldn’t be surprised if someone as close in proximity as Takan would notice it.

“Thank you, Takan,” I smiled and turned around again.

“…”

Stunned, Takan rapidly blinked, and his footsteps faltered. Laura looked back at him.

“Aelle! So you were here!”

I looked up to see Hari grinning as she made her way to me. Her urgent steps kept kicking her dress.

“You’re here,” I mumbled and gave a small smile.

Hari approached me and wove our arms together as we walked around the mansion. Each employee knew Hari, and it felt like the seat next to Kyle was rightfully hers.

She led me to the annex after we had tea in the garden. She said there was a place she wanted to go to before Kyle returned home.

Then she led me to somewhere familiar. As she slowly drew closer to my study, I thought, ‘oh, she wanted to read,’ but suddenly she turned in the opposite direction.

She was heading towards Kyle’s study.

“M-madam,” Laura looked slightly alarmed as she closely followed us.

When we arrived, Takan had just left the study and placed a lantern on the column on the wall. Thanks to that, the dark hallway became clearer.

“Perfect timing,” Hari looked back at me, whispered, and headed to the study.

Takan, noticing our presence, quickly whirled around. “Who is it?”

I waved my hand at him and said, “Takan, it’s me.”

When he saw me, his sharp glare fell, and his shoulders relaxed. “So it was Madam.”

At that moment, Hari went straight to his nose. “Come out. We’ll wait in the study until Kyle comes.”

Takan’s face turned pale, then immediately became expressionless again. Hari’s eyebrows dramatically rose when he took a step back and blocked her way.

“Takan, I told Kyle I’ll wait with Aelle in his study until he returns.”

Takan flinched when his name came out of Hari’s lips. Displeasure seemed to cross his face.

Outsiders visiting the mansion usually refer to mansion employees by their titles rather than their real names. Hari should have addressed Takan as ‘butler,’ but instead referred to him as just ‘Takan.’ She said Kyle was like her family, so she thought she deserved it.