Chapter 37
Don't Cross the Line
Klaud groped the empty space beside him as a habit.
He felt the slightly damp sheets, a few strands of black hair, and the unusually disheveled spot with his fingertips. He even sensed the sunlight catching on long, drooping eyelashes, and his eyes snapped open.
"...What are you doing?"
He was the one surprised to wake up and find he wasn't alone, but the small back, crouched on the floor, flinched and rose as if she were the one doing something wrong.
Yuan, her black hair neatly disheveled over a light green dress that revealed a slightly hollowed back and white skin, peeked back at him.
Klaud frowned sharply against the pouring sunlight, examining the items in her small hands.
She was holding something like a strange brush, glistening with oil.
"What are you doing? In someone else's room."
Yuan flinched like a guilty child, then turned back and busily moved her hands.
Klaud's eyebrows tilted.
A long leg emerged from the covers and moved off the bed toward her.
Yuan became frantic, like someone on a secret mission, and soon darted to the door like a nimble squirrel.
Klaud headed to the spot where Yuan had been crouching and fidgeting.
"That rocking chair was creaking too much—."
"......"
"Actually, I secretly sat on it this morning, and I was surprised by how loud it was. I was worried Your Highness would wake up. So..."
Yuan had oiled Klaud's rocking chair.
She had been influenced by the butler, Gustav.
Whenever the rocking chair, in which Klaud was always slumped, bothered him, Gustav would lament, "It is my wish to oil that rocking chair someday."
Because Klaud didn't like anyone touching his things, Gustav was always extremely careful in the bedroom and never dared to touch it.
So Yuan had secretly taken it upon herself to do it.
He neither scolded her nor praised her, but simply stared down at the leg of the rocking chair Yuan had oiled.
"I heard the late Emperor made it for you, is that right? You must keep it by your side because it's a wonderful chair."
Yuan smiled awkwardly, trying to lighten the mood.
She passed him, who offered no response, and stood naturally by the sun-drenched window.
"I thought things were a bit chaotic this morning, and then I saw two gardeners I hadn't seen before. They're all busy because there are flowers that bloom in the summer that were planted in the winter. Can you see them?"
Klaud walked to the window without answering. The patches of snow that had been melting in the garden were now mostly gone, showing off its original desolation.
"Would it be okay for me to give those people my opinions about the garden? If... if Your Highness allows it."
Yuan looked into his melancholy purple eyes and asked bravely.
Klaud's gaze shifted from the busy scene outside the window to her.
Hiding her nervousness, she forced a smile, and Klaud's hand reached out to her.
"!"
Instinctively, she hunched her shoulders and squeezed her eyes shut. Then, as if to grasp the warmth that had touched her forehead without any malice and then disappeared, she opened her eyes wide.
Yuan clutched her forehead, where the warmth had been.
Her gaze naturally followed the white fingers that had touched her forehead without hurting her and then moved away.
His touch had been on her forehead, but her cheeks burned as if they were on fire.
She froze as if struck by lightning, even though it was only for a moment.
"Do whatever you want. You don't need to get permission for every little thing."
Her heart raced at his indifferent reply.
It must be because I'm nervous. Because I'm nervous.
Yuan watched Klaud, who was sprawled in the rocking chair, for a long time.
She couldn't bear the ticklish feeling that ran up her spine to the tips of her ears.
She wanted to say something, anything.
She wanted to be sure that he didn't hate her that much.
The desire for him to show her, even just a little, that there was a place for Yuan here, rose up like nausea.
"There's a dog that looks like a wolf in the West Annex."
"......"
"His name is Oliver, and I heard that Your Highness brought him here and raised him when you were young—."
"......Hey."
The peaceful, ticklish air instantly turned cold.
Yuan, who had been trying to continue the rambling conversation, stopped breathing at his question.
Klaud continued without opening his closed eyes.
"Don't cross the line."
There was no intense emotion in his voice, nor did he seem to be blaming her excessively.
"......"
But that low, almost colorless voice, devoid of any emotion, stabbed at Yuan's tear ducts.
She had thought they were getting a little closer.
But as soon as she felt that way, it felt like he had suddenly moved far away again.
"......Yes."
Yuan swallowed her tears and barely managed to answer.
It was a relief.
That Klaud had his eyes closed.
That the man couldn't see her foolish face, disappointed after foolishly getting her hopes up again.
It was only after Yuan quietly left Klaud's bedroom and a long time had passed that the rocking chair, in which he had been slumped, slowly began to move.
The chair, which had cried out for so long while carrying its master, no longer cried.
***
Yuan, who had fled Klaud's bedroom as if running away, locked herself in her own 'small laboratory' all day.
She collected herbs that grew like weeds in every corner of the garden, and occasionally, with Klaud's permission, she obtained various things at the entrance to the White Forest. Henna was definitely a regular in this small laboratory.
"My payday is tomorrow! I'll pay for all the medicine I've gotten so far tomorrow."
"It's okay, Henna. It's not that much."
"Rockenhardt is such a remote place that even cough medicine is several times more expensive than in other territories, Madam."
"It's my treat. I'll be angry if you give me money."
Henna opened her mouth as if to argue, then distorted her lips as if pressing them shut, and affectionately buried her small face in Yuan's shoulder.
"Thank you, Madam. Thanks to the medicine you made, my siblings have been able to get through this winter without their usual nagging illnesses. The other maids too."
Henna took out a tea leaf pouch that her siblings made as a side job and sold at the market, and shook it.
"It's not high-quality enough for Madam to drink, but it's a famous tea in this area. It's called 'Full Belly Tea'! My siblings really wanted to give something to Madam..."
"Full Belly Tea?"
"There's a strange grass that grows even in the frozen ground in winter. If you dry it and make it into a tea bag and brew it, it's quite filling. It's the best tea for poor people to get through the winter. It's surprisingly fragrant and delicious."
"Let's drink it—."
Yuan's face, which had been gloomy, sparkled with curiosity, and Henna eagerly brewed the tea.
She sat at the small tea table and tasted it, and indeed, the savory aroma had a depth that belied its cheapness. It warmed her stomach, which had been empty since she had skipped breakfast and lunch.
It was then that Henna, who had been closely watching Yuan's face as she drank with satisfaction, broached the subject.
"Madam, did you fight with the Master?"
"Ah."
Yuan's complexion darkened again.
"No. We didn't fight. I just asked His Highness a rather presumptuous question."
Yuan knew that it was not proper for the mistress of the house to tell her subordinates about marital affairs.
But in this isolated Mansion, Yuan, whose ambiguous position was neither royalty nor nobility nor commoner, had only the people of this house to rely on.
Besides, Henna had been in this Mansion since she was very young, so Yuan felt that it would be okay to say this much.
"You're the Master's wife, Madam. What's presumptuous about that?"
Henna replied, sounding a little angry.
Yuan was a little surprised by Henna's reaction and looked at her.
She wondered if she could ask Henna about this Mansion or Klaud now and get any answer.
"I don't know much about His Highness or this Mansion yet. Or about Oliver..."
"Ah."
"It would be best to ask His Highness directly, but the situation isn't right."
"Madam."
Henna's eyes fluttered violently.
Henna put the teapot she was holding on the table and stood in front of Yuan with her hands clasped very politely.
"Henna?"
"I haven't told you this before."
Henna stared at Yuan with hardened eyes, as if she had made a firm decision.
"I am the granddaughter of Margaret, who was Klaud's wet nurse."
"What?"
"I can't tell you about the Master's late wife because the butler has repeatedly told me not to... But now I want to tell you about Oliver and this Mansion."
***
Hair as golden as melted gold. Amethyst eyes like the work of a renowned jeweler. Features as if God had crafted them stitch by stitch.
The First Prince, Klaud Euphris, with his somewhat aloof expression, smiled as if the whole world brightened when he smiled.
"Brother—! I want to go with you too!"
"Make sure you hold my hand, Apollyni!"
Especially when he was with his sister, Princess Apollyni Euphris, who was four years younger than him.
The Emperor and Empress, who possessed both beautiful looks and compassion to look after those below them, considered these siblings to be treasures.
In particular, Klaud was so intelligent that he took the Yucalorea, the entrance exam for the academy, at the age of only seven, and took the top spot, beating out many talented students.
In addition, he was recognized for his talent to the extent that the academy's swordsmanship and professors directly recommended him for early admission due to his innate physique and strength.
Naturally, the people loved Prince Klaud Euphris.
For example, the portrait of the prince, who had turned 10, was secretly copied by unknown painters and sold like wildfire, and the newspaper published on the prince's birthday was sold out even after the printing press was running all day.
It was a time when it was natural for some to carry a small portrait copied by a cheap, unknown painter, and for others to carry the prince's face cut out from a newspaper in their hearts.
But the glorious and peaceful days did not last long.
"Your, Your Highness! Your Highness!"
It was when Klaud was carrying the frail Apollyni on his back and showing her around the garden of the First Prince's Palace.
When he was standing among the Vitocina flowers that his mother, Empress Eleonore, had specially brought into the garden to commemorate his 14th birthday.
His maternal uncle, Marquess Lev, whom he had never seen in such a disheveled state, hurriedly ran across the garden full of purple.
"What's wrong, Uncle?"
On a snowy day, in a field of Tibouchina grandiflora flowers.
On that day, he was reminded of his mother, who had given him the 'flower of glory' and hugged him.
"Your Highness, Your Highness! This is no time for this!"
"Lower your voice. Apollyni has just fallen asleep."
"His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress have been seriously injured!"
The Euphris' treasure.
First Prince Klaud Euphris was about to face a major turning point in his life.
