CH 27

Her voice kept cracking and it was hard for her to keep talking. Her stuffy mouth was dry and thirsty. Juliana wanted to wet her throat before asking for the full story.

“W-Water…”

As she asked for water with a weak voice, Louis gave it to her. Juliana drank the water he gave her, and then moved her hands away.

“…”

Staring at the floor, the carpet made of a luxurious material caught her eye. Juliana slowly lifted her head and looked around. Her eyes, which seemed to be confused, squinted.

“What’s wrong, Julie?”

As she continued to look around the room, Louis asked and brought his face closer.

“Oh, do you like the room? While you were sleeping, I worked hard to decorate it. What do you think?”

“…..”

“Because I don’t know Julie’s taste… But it’s better than before, right?”

Louis added cautiously.

…Is this really a dream? The room consisted of decorations and furniture suitable for the position of the Grand Duke, as well as the luxurious wallpaper and statues. It was as elegant as a picture, and it looked like a mansion.

Juliana moved her steps with a dazed face. There was a purple curtain hanging by the window that she had seen before. As she gently pulled the curtain, she saw a familiar view of the mansion.

“…Nonsense.”

Juliana raised her left hand and squeezed her own neck weakly. Her emotions were elevated as she became aware of her pulse. She realized it wasn’t a dream.

“Why, Julie? Do you have a sore throat?”

Her heart sank when she heard Louis’ gentle voice. Juliana hardened with a blue complexion. Louis acted as a caring gentleman with her nickname coming out of his mouth.

“Louis.”

After a long silence, Juliana parted her lips.

“Oh no, it’s Louie.”

Louis smiled brightly as he corrected her.

A look of confusion spread across Juliana’s face. There was no shame nor guilt on his face.

Were they going to have a friendly conversation like this? Was he still thinking of continuing this prank, perhaps this was entertainment?

The Grand Duke’s mansion collapsed, why was he all right, and why was he talking casually? She was no longer sure which was a dream and which one was reality.

“…..”

Juliana was silently angry and suppressed her emotions that were rising up from her stomach. In her heart, she wanted to cry out loud and get angry. But, as he said, she had lost consciousness for three days.

“How did it happen?”

Juliana calmly closed her lips, trying to calm herself down. Several questions were implied in that short sentence.

Why did you hold onto me, why did you hide that you were crazy, and why did you stick to me? I didn’t understand at all, so I asked.

“What is it, Julie?”

Louis tilted his head and said he didn’t know. Juliana stopped herself from laughing at his rude answer. Was he trying to defy her? She looked at him fiercely, but the man’s face remained the same.

“Don’t joke around, what’s going on!”

There was a pain in her throat and a beeping sound.

“Obviously, I’ve seen all of the Grand Duke’s mansion collapse…”

“…..”

“Why don’t you call this a dream too!”

Her heart was stained with wounds and anger, and her mind was a mess. Thinking that this was reality, she would rather go back to her dream.

It was clear that even if that was not a good memory, it was better to dream of that time. She had a strong desire to escape from reality.

“…..”

Juliana turned around, away from him. She saw him hesitating, but she ignored it completely. The corners of Louis’ eyes were red.

If it had been like the old days, no, if he had only come back a few days ago, she would have rushed to comfort him.

Even if the atmosphere had been as gloomy as it was now, it would have been resolved quickly. He may have smiled mischievously inwardly at the cute pouting of her lips.

But, at this moment, she didn’t even want to see him.

“……”

Juliana clenched the curtains and bit her lip.

She was the one who wanted to cry, so why were his eyes red? Juliana turned completely away from him and conveyed her rejection with her whole body.

The door closed with the sound of him leaving the room.

She wanted to comfort herself, saying all of this was a dream and she would soon wake up. But Juliana knew it herself. That this could not be a dream.

“…Haa.”

Juliana took a deep breath and tried to calm her rumbling mind. She resented the reality she was faced with, but … she didn’t feel comfortable thinking that something would change just because she got angry.

Juliana spent the day with a dazed mind. The next morning. Her mind was busy as she continued her thoughts from last night.

She didn’t know how to treat Louis, and she herself didn’t know what she wanted.

‘But still. You’re so shameless!’

“…..”

Juliana, in a maddening rage, kicked a big pillow with her foot. He deceived her. Could she say that? She thought that Louis was a prisoner like her.

Her thoughts bit her by the tail when she found out he was the lunatic. Just thinking about that time… Her heart pounded.

Juliana eagerly hoped she would not run into him today.

***

“Julie, I brought you flowers.”

Contrary to Juliana’s wishes, Louis visited her every day.

She quietly stared at the crumpled flowers in Louis’ hand. He came by like this, and showed his face every morning. He brought flowers he had picked from the garden. 

“Aren’t they pretty?”

Louis asked with a smile like a flower in full bloom.

The flowers in full bloom on the dry stems were covered with soil in some places. No matter how tight he gripped, the stems were already broken by the time Juliana took the flowers.

When the wind blew, it seemed to come off.

After briefly admiring the flowers, Juliana put the flowers down on the table next to her in annoyance.

Azalea flowers.

They were flowers that were neither flashy nor did they stand out like roses. They were very common.

They were not as rare as the recently popular purple rose. Also, no matter how much she fiddled, the color of the petals had faded.

“If you leave it like that, they will wither.”

Louis carefully pointed to the flowers that she had roughly set down on the table. He stroked the soft petals, brushing the dirt off the branches.

“…..”

Juliana watched him as he did this.

Louis didn’t know what an apology meant, but whenever he visited her, he brought Azalea flowers.

Whenever he visited her in the morning she pictured him walking with a flower. When he stumbled upon her in the hallway, he would bring out the Azalea flowers that had been crumpled in his pocket and handed them over.

“Is it because of the sunlight? The withered flowers has come back to life.”

“…..”

“I think the flowers are happy to be in their owner’s arms.”

Louis put the newly brought Azalea flowers into a vase and smiled happily. Juliana followed his gaze, stared at the soft, eye-catching lavender petals for a long time.

Even the flowers that had lost their vitality found their strength again in the warm sunlight and spring season.

“Flowers should receive plenty of love from their owners. Please give them a lot of love Julie… so they do not wither.”

Louis closed his eyes to a half moon and said with a subtle smile. He looked much more  like before. She was probably the only one who felt a change of heart.

“…..”

Juliana listened to his monologue for a while. She listened silently, but neither did she pay attention.

Was it because he was conscious of her silence?

He spoke more conspicuously than before, and acted like he was talking to himself.

Maybe he felt that way because she kept her mouth shut.

Thump.

Louis had since left after saying a couple of words. After the figure of his back had completely disappeared, Juliana turned her gaze away. She looked at the Azalea flowers that filled the vase. The more she looked at the flowers that revealed their existence in a subtle way, the more beautiful they became.

She inadvertently recalled the language of flowers for azaleas.

[Joy of Love, Temperance, Integrity]

This was the flower language she had been thinking about.

Expressions that had nothing to do with him or herself in the current situation.

“Haa…….”

Juliana shook her head from side to side with a low sound.

She hated Louis, but the flowers were innocent.

There was no reason to get angry at the pitiful flowers. Juliana let him manage the vase.

She left it alone and wondered if he thought she liked Azalea flowers, and that was why he picked them from the garden every day. What would he say about picking flowers in his garden?

“……”

Juliana closed her eyes and tried to push her thoughts away. After her magic recovered, her plan to leave Grand Duke’s residence was thwarted by Louis. He was brazen, adamant, and unwilling to let her go.

So now.

“It’s probably never going to happen.”

Juliana intended to take extra measures.

She couldn’t play this chasing game forever. She didn’t really know why he still held onto her, but she didn’t want to take part in his pranks anymore.

To deal with the lunatic, she had to be crazier than him.

Juliana made up her mind.

In order to deal with the Empire’s lunatic, she decided to become a crazy &*#$ herself,

She would face him head on!