Previously
Killian reveals to Eleanora that his gynophobia is so severe he feels suffocated by feminine scents or lace, leading him to join the military academy as an escape.
It was too late for regrets.
In the end, Killian had no choice but to stand in the farthest corner of the room, like a puppy being punished.
Eleanora stood opposite him, smiling gently.
Killian nodded reluctantly.
The moment Eleanora took a single step forward, he shut his eyes tight and shouted,
Eleanora narrowed her eyes, tilting her head in wonder.
( ‘Yes. It is unbearable.’ )
Yet, strictly speaking, the sensation gripping him now was different from his usual revulsion.
Even so, his heart was pounding violently, and his stomach churned with intense anxiety.
Knowing beforehand that she was going to approach him step-by-step weighed heavily on him.
In other words, the circumstances were the exact opposite of what had happened when they rode the horse together.
With that, she closed the distance all at once, stopping right where they normally stood to speak.
Killian’s eyes widened in shock.
( ‘No, I told you to stop!’ )
How could she just close in like that?
She spoke as though soothing a small child.
Killian wondered inwardly what kind of person she took him for to say such things.
Yet the mere thought of her coming closer made his head spin.
Eleanora took a step… and then another… agonizingly slow.
Her calm green eyes sparkled with intelligence, never straying from Killian’s face for even a moment.
As for Killian, whose senses were utterly stolen by those green eyes, he did not even blink until she stopped before him with a trace of bewilderment on her face.
Only a single step remained between them. Had she not stopped… she would have touched him.
Thump, thump.
His heart was on the verge of bursting. Every muscle in his body felt drawn to its absolute limit.
He held his breath, pressing himself against the wall behind him in sheer panic.
There was nowhere left to retreat, yet he tried nonetheless to meld into the wall itself.
He forced the words out with his eyes squeezed shut, having lost the ability to string together a complete sentence from the shock.
Eleanora quickly stepped back.
Attempting to measure his minimum safe distance in this manner seemed rather impractical.
Killian nodded his head vigorously in agreement.
As long as it did not have to happen again right this second, he was ready to agree to anything.
Killian asked, his face draining completely of color.
Eleanora parted her lips slightly, looking flustered.
“……”
Assuming his silence meant a refusal, Eleanora offered a faint smile.
She was just about to tell him that she would leave the tea for him to try later… when he spoke abruptly.
He spoke with utter confidence, yet his eyes were fixed on an empty patch of air. Eleanora found the sight strangely comical, and a soft laugh escaped her.
On another day, Eleanora asked Killian,
Dorothy was an elderly woman currently caring for Emily, and she was one of the people Eleanora had recommended.
In her youth, she had worked for noble households, and upon returning to her hometown, she had become an expert in postpartum care.
Killian spoke with a somewhat bitter look on his face.
Killian answered firmly.
The elderly women he had known were often fond of lavish adornments.
Overpowering perfumes. Shrill laughter. All of it had exhausted him terribly.
Even setting that aside, elderly ladies were formidable adversaries to him.
He could clearly see the naked greed in their eyes as they tried by any means to push their granddaughters toward him.
He also saw the eyes thirsty for gossip and slander. To him, all of it was frightening.
He shivered at the mere memory.
( ‘If he means his paternal grandmother… he must be referring to Baroness Blackwell.’ )
Eleanora was reminded once again that Killian was the grandson of the renowned ‘Queen of Money,’ whom everyone spoke of with awe.
Judging by how she had proposed that deal to Julian, she was clearly no ordinary figure when it came to calculation and gain.
Did she treat Killian the same way as well?
Eleanora observed his features, which could not shake off their gravity, before asking cautiously,
Killian pressed his lips together once more.
Upon reflection, he realized he had never actually faced a young girl up close. He had spent his entire childhood confined within the estate, then entered the military academy immediately after.
Because of that, he had never had the chance to get to know girls his own age.
Eleanora tilted her head slightly.
It would be best if they could verify it conclusively.
When he thought about it, her words made sense. If people did not know he was staying here, he would not have to remain locked up inside the estate all the time.
When he gave a nonchalant nod, Eleanora’s face broke into a broad smile, her eyes crinkling at the corners. Killian shuddered slightly.
( ‘Why is she smiling like that?’ )
West of Highbury lay a small village named Westwick.
It was inhabited by common folk, and because the houses were spaced far apart, it was the quietest and most peaceful of villages.
Eleanora visited regularly to teach the village children and help them with their studies.
She had come today for that very reason…
Daisy asked, craning her neck back as far as she could to look up at Killian.
Eleanora explained with a smile.
Indeed. Killian was currently Ryan, an herb shop owner from a neighboring village.
Tommy waved his hand in greeting. Feeling faintly dizzy, Killian could only muster a stiff nod in return.
Killian recalled how on earth he had ended up here.
( ‘“Why do I even have to meet children in the first place?”’ )
( ‘“If it turns out you do not struggle as much with children, we can start by facing them first, then gradually build up until you grow accustomed to different stimuli.”’ )
Eleanora had calmly laid out her medical perspective, leaving Killian lost in thought.
It was true that the mere thought of an adult woman suffocated him and dredged up terrifying memories… but children?
Well…
He had no particular image or memory attached to them. Because of that, he had no inherent aversion to meeting them.
( ‘Even if they are children, though, I despise meeting strangers.’ )
For that reason, he had intended to refuse.
However…
( ‘“Besides, staying cooped up inside the estate all the time is not good for your health. A little stroll will bring great relief to your body and mind.”’ )
She had said so with eyes shining with sincere pleading. In the end, he had found himself nodding in agreement.
( ‘Ah…’ )
Why was it so difficult to refuse this woman’s requests?
Perhaps the gratitude and guilt he felt toward Eleanora were far greater than he had ever imagined. After all, she had not helped him just once or twice.
Just as he was struggling to smooth out the furrow that had formed unconsciously between his brows… one of the children pointed a sharp finger at him and shouted,
“You’re not courting our teacher, are you?!”
Killian’s entire face flushed crimson in an instant.