Chapter 35
35. I'll Endure It
The small steps ascending the stairs towards the room halted.
Old, cheap shoes rested quietly on the landing.
'What was that?'
Liana wondered, clutching the old wooden railing.
The brief conversation with Shed replayed in her mind.
She was confused.
His actions and words were so kind that they stirred her tranquil heart.
'…Maybe it's just my imagination.'
Liana closed her eyes and shook off the thoughts.
Since returning to Ideana, old memories kept overlapping, bringing back past emotions and causing unnecessary illusions.
Thinking coldly, there was no reason for him to care for her.
Liana recalled the sins she had committed.
Besides, his reaction before parting was strange.
'I gave presumptuous advice…'
The fingertips gripping the railing turned white.
She shouldn't have brought up Ideana.
Shed was now the ruler of this place, and she was merely a maid.
Shed might be angry at her arrogant overreach.
"Miss Liana."
Then, a soft voice stopped her.
She looked up to find Eclaus standing right in front of her.
As always, he was dressed elegantly, with a neat face and a pleasant smile.
"What were you thinking so hard about that you didn't even notice someone in front of you?"
"Ah, I'm sorry, Baron Vittel."
Liana bowed her head in apology, and Eclaus smiled gently.
"That's good. I happened to have something I wanted to talk about."
Eclaus, who seemed to have met her by chance, appeared to have been waiting for her.
Liana noticed a slightly excited smile on Eclaus's lips.
'A story worth waiting for me to tell…'
She had a bad feeling.
Baron Vittel wouldn't call her over just to chat about trivial matters.
"If it's a problem that other maids can help with…"
"It has to be Miss Liana."
Eclaus smiled and fixed his gaze precisely on her.
He curved his eyes in a way that made it difficult for the other person to refuse.
"…Please speak."
In the end, Liana obediently bowed her head.
Then, Eclaus took a few steps closer with a light, silent gait.
Somehow, that refreshing step felt threatening.
And.
"Do you know that Duke Shed Lester was originally a slave here, in the former Ideana County?"
The young baron brought up an unexpected topic.
It was a well-known fact that Shed had been a slave.
However, directly mentioning it was taboo.
Yet Eclaus brought up this topic…
"I've heard about it."
There must be an intention.
As Liana answered with wary eyes, Eclaus's neat face lit up.
"Then, do you know how that slave ended up in the Leicester family?"
The question was a little narrower and deeper.
And it was cold.
The fact that he, who had traded Shed, had come to her specifically to ask this question…
"I don't know that far."
Liana shook her head, feigning ignorance.
Eclaus put his hands behind his back and leaned slightly to match her eye level.
"It was me. The one who bought Shed Lester, or rather Shed Lupus, and handed him over to the Leicester family."
Eclaus stared at her as if to see through her.
Liana couldn't bring herself to meet his eyes and lowered her gaze.
"Why are you telling me this…?"
"Why, you ask? Want to guess?"
Eclaus took another step closer.
Then, the luxurious and strong scent of his perfume wafted over her.
Liana stepped back as if pushed by his scent.
"I'm sorry, but I'm not feeling well. If it's not an important story, can I come back later and listen to it?"
Liana tried to avoid the situation by feigning illness.
Then, a chuckle escaped Eclaus's lips.
"Does it not seem like an important story?"
His narrowed eyes were as sharp as blades.
Liana clasped her hands tightly under her sleeves.
"I don't want to spread rumors about Your Excellency Duke's unpleasant past. If you don't have anything else for me to do right now, I'd like to go back…"
"Well, if Miss Liana isn't interested, there's nothing I can do."
Eclaus unexpectedly retreated.
Liana bowed to him and quickly moved to leave the spot.
Just as she was passing Eclaus.
"Luise Ideana."
Eclaus spoke the old name.
Liana stopped abruptly as if caught in a trap.
A chill ran down her spine, and her mind went blank.
Eclaus stopped in front of her again with a leisurely step and smiled gently.
His bright red eyes seemed to capture her, not letting her go.
"…The name of the woman who sold Shed Lupus to me."
Liana froze in place and couldn't answer.
"Do you feel like talking to me now?"
Eclaus whispered softly in her ear.
***
"So, what do you want to say?"
Liana asked, standing in front of Eclaus's door.
Eclaus offered her a seat at her wary gaze.
"Sit down first."
"……."
"Sit down."
Eclaus said in a calm but clear tone, as if emphasizing.
The story seemed to be quite long, and he couldn't keep a sick person standing for long, could he?
Unable to overcome his firm gaze, Liana sat down in the chair opposite him, leaning far back.
The sofa owned by Eclaus was too comfortable.
So it felt rather uncomfortable.
"You don't have to be nervous. I didn't call you here to threaten you."
"Why are you telling me this…?"
Eclaus laughed at Liana's attempt to deny it until the end, even in this situation.
"Don't bother. You know everything and followed me, didn't you? Isn't that right?"
Eclaus poured tea that had been prepared on the table.
Unlike the air in the room, the tangerine-colored tea peacefully filled the teacup.
"If I remember correctly, the Ideana family bought a lot of Teizlin tea, am I right?"
Eclaus asked, handing her the teacup.
The heavy scent of bergamot rising with the white steam touched the tip of her nose.
It was a type of tea that her father enjoyed during his Ideana days, and that she also liked.
"Duke Leicester also seems to like Teizlin tea base. I wonder if it's because it's a familiar scent."
Eclaus poured tea into his own teacup and took a sip, seemingly carefree.
However, Liana kept her mouth shut with the teacup in front of her.
She wasn't in the mood for tea.
Rather, the familiar scent of tea made her head throb.
"So, what's your purpose?"
Liana stared directly at Eclaus with the teacup in front of her, the steam settling down.
It was time to accept that she was cornered.
"Purpose?"
"Baron Vittel wouldn't call me out separately without any purpose."
Liana, or rather, Luise Ideana, is a Heretic and a traitor.
Even so, the fact that Eclaus didn't report her meant that he had other ideas.
Liana was more afraid of that.
The Vittel family weighed everything.
Eclaus Vittel was thinking of getting something bigger than reporting her.
Then, Eclaus slowly put down the teacup.
"Aren't you curious how I recognized you?"
"There must have been a way. There are many birds in the Vittel family."
Liana replied in a resigned tone.
She knew about the Vittel family's quick informants.
The Vittel family had faster information than the Emperor or the Temple, so much so that there was a saying that 'Vittel knows what even God doesn't know'.
Ghostly people who obtained and moved information faster than messengers.
"I'm honored that you rate my abilities so highly."
"So, I asked why you called me, Baron."
As everything became clear, Liana's tone became sharper than before.
She spoke politely like a maid, but somehow it sounded like a haughty young lady was speaking.
Now that she had been exposed as Luise Ideana, she seemed to be revealing her true colors.
Eclaus looked at Liana and sat back comfortably, crossing his legs.
"Duke Shed Lester seems to know your identity."
Liana's expression wavered at the name Shed.
Eclaus frowned slightly at the blatant agitation.
'Could it be that she's worried?'
Perhaps she was worried that Shed Lester would be held accountable for hiding a traitor?
Eclaus was so dumbfounded that he burst out laughing.
Did she have the luxury to worry about him when she was in a situation where her own nose was three feet away?
Or was she still harboring remnants of love?
Eclaus thought cynically as he watched her subtle change in expression.
If Liana was afraid of her relationship with Shed being revealed, he was willing to use him.
"You know you shouldn't be here, right?"
Liana couldn't answer the question that lacked any consideration.
That's right, what was I thinking when I was pushed all the way here?
Liana lowered her gaze.
It might be because of her ambiguous attitude that she had made the situation this way.
She thought she had tried her best to avoid it, but she might have been leaving room for it in secret.
"So, are you going to report me to the High Priest?"
"Pfft, if I were going to do that, would I have come to Miss Liana first? I would have run straight to the High Priest."
Eclaus laughed lightly, then uncrossed his legs and sat up straight.
"Don't be afraid. I just want to be your helper."
"…Helper?"
Liana's eyebrows furrowed as if she couldn't believe it.
Even a passing dog would know that Eclaus Vittel would never agree to something that wouldn't benefit him.
"Is there anything that would benefit you from me?"
She carefully weighed the weight that would go on his scale.
But no matter how much she thought about it, the scale didn't balance.
She was now a maid, not wealthy, had no power, and didn't have great connections or abilities.
There was nothing to exchange for concealing treason.
Eclaus smiled at the wary green eyes.
"There aren't many things that would be beneficial."
The smile that had always been on his face disappeared.
"But I'll endure it."
His red eyes stared at her again.
