“Tina!!”
The door swung open roughly, and Mother rushed towards me. How much had she been worrying? Her eyes were already reddened with tears.
“Ah…! Tina… I’m so grateful you’re safe.”
Mother held me gently, her tears flowing. She didn’t embrace me too tightly, fearing I might be hurt, but her deep affection was more than conveyed. I wrapped my arms around her waist and buried my face in her shoulder, swallowing my tears of relief.
‘…Thank goodness.’
She still cares for me.
I can rely on my mother’s love for now.
Had she been quite worried? Mother held me silently for a while, her trembling body slowly calming down. I too remained quiet in her embrace. A warm affection lingered between us.
But perhaps it was too touching.
“Ahem. Ahem.”
Viviana, sitting awkwardly beside us, cleared her throat in a rather forced manner. Only then did Mother release me and hurriedly adjust her disheveled attire, bowing politely to Viviana.
“Thank you so much, Your Highness… How can I ever repay this kindness….”
“No, it’s nothing. I helped out because I personally know Young Lady Tina.”
As Mother expressed her gratitude, Viviana smiled brightly and shook her head. I was taken aback by the difference in her expression compared to when she spoke to me.
Here I thought she only frowned at me, yet she could wear such a radiant smile. It was clear that, given Viviana’s personality, she wouldn’t normally smile like that. It’s hard to tell who was pretending to be someone else.
“Still, please let me repay you one day. You’ve saved my life, Your Highness.”
“Repay….”
Viviana rested her chin on her finger and pondered for a moment. She glanced at me briefly, then returned a beautiful smile to Mother.
“Then may I ask for a personal favor later?”
“Of course. Though it may be a humble place… the Blanc family will always welcome you, Your Highness.”
“Thank you, Baron.”
In response to Viviana’s smiling eyes, Mother returned a smile every bit as beautiful. For some reason, the harmonious interaction between them felt oddly foreign to me.
“Well then, I should be going, Young Lady. I’ve been away from the Duchy for too long.”
“Oh, yes. Just a moment….”
I tried to rise to see Viviana off, but as if determined to stop me, Viviana pressed my shoulder down, gently pushing me back onto the bed.
“Rest up. I’ll just take your thoughts with me.”
“Ah….”
“After all, we’ll see each other again soon. I still have things to say to you, Young Lady.”
I felt a slight tremor within myself as I gazed into Viviana’s calm, violet eyes. But without taking any further action, she bade farewell to Mother and turned to walk out of the room.
“Um, Viviana…!”
At the sound of my call, Viviana raised an eyebrow and turned to me. I opened my mouth to express my gratitude for saving me.
“Th-thank you….”
But for some reason, despite wanting to express my gratitude, the words just wouldn’t come out. My head felt empty, and I couldn’t think of a thing to say, almost like I’d become a fool.
‘H-how do I even say thank you?’
It should be simple.
I’ve said thank you hundreds of times before. Whenever other young ladies praised me or gave me gifts, I always returned warm smiles and a hint of coyness as thanks.
That’s how it’s done.
Smile at the other person, express a harmless atmosphere mixed with a bit of playfulness to satisfy their feelings.
Yet…
[I wish you’d stop pretending around me, Young Lady.]
With Viviana’s sharp comment, my smile faltered, unable to surface. Years of practicing smiles, hundreds, if not thousands of times, couldn’t help but leave me bewildered about what expression to wear.
I don’t know.
How does one express thanks properly?
How should I smile without pretense?
What must I do… to ensure Viviana accepts my gratitude as sincere?
As I tried to peel away the smile I had built over a lifetime, I felt utterly lost. My eyes searched aimlessly, while my lips merely fluttered, unable to form words.
“…Are you still feeling unwell?”
Perhaps my appearance seemed strange to her; Viviana placed her hand on my forehead with a slightly concerned gaze. The unexpected coolness of her palm sent a shiver through me.
“No fever, though.”
“That’s….”
I squeezed my eyes shut, avoiding her gaze. With no idea what expression to make, I lowered my head to hide my face.
“Th-thank you… truly….”
With a hesitant grip, I caught her clothing. Forcing my lips apart, which felt glued shut, I struggled to speak the words in my heart.
“….”
No reply came back. What kind of expression was Viviana wearing? Given her personality, she likely had a blank expression. I closed my eyes tightly again and spoke out.
“Th-thank you, Viviana. I will… I will repay this debt….”
“….”
A sound akin to grinding teeth echoed in the air. Surprised by the unexpected noise, I looked up to see Viviana glaring down at me with her violet eyes burning ominously.
What displeased her? She ground her lips for a moment before turning away and walking out the door.
‘Is she angry…?’
Viviana’s cold gaze revealed no hiding of her emotions. There was only one reason she’d be upset. With a slightly weighed-down mood, my head hung low as I shyly fidgeted with my fingers.
Again….
She thinks it’s insincere.
Perhaps it’s understandable.
If I don’t even know what kind of expression or voice I used to speak, it’s no wonder she felt awkward.
But still….
Yet….
‘It wasn’t… insincere at all….’
*
The grand mansion of the Duke of Merdellia boasted a stature rivaling that of the royal palace.
As the main door opened, numerous servants bowed to their master. As Viviana received their greetings and walked inside, an elderly man, exuding an air of antiquity, came out to meet her.
“Thank you for your hard work, Your Highness. Your coat is quite muddy today.”
As usual, Alphonse, the head butler of Merdellia, politely took the coat and offered his greeting.
“I had to ride a bit.”
“I see.”
Alphonse nodded and quietly followed Viviana as she made her way to her office. Upon reaching her destination, Viviana dropped onto the couch and lit a cigarette. Noticing her discontented face, Alphonse curiously inquired.
“Have you cut ties with the Blanc family?”
“What?”
Viviana’s sharp glare caught Alphonse off guard. He considered whether he had made a mistake, but since nothing particularly had gone wrong, he continued speaking calmly.
“I believe you declared you would sever ties with the Young Lady of the Blanc family, with resolution to make her pay the price for deceiving you.”
“….”
Viviana offered no reply. As the air grew colder, Alphonse felt deepening discomfort.
‘What did I say wrong?’
However, he distinctly remembered Viviana saying those very words. He couldn’t see how he had erred, yet her mood seemed increasingly sour.
Leaving Alphonse puzzled, Viviana took a deep drag from her cigarette and nodded at him with calm eyes.
“I have things to think about, so you can leave.”
“…Yes.”
Although there were puzzling aspects, the master’s command was absolute. Alphonse saluted her and exited the office. Left alone in her office, Viviana slammed her palm down on the desk.
Bang-!
Viviana took a deep drag from her cigarette, her pale face void of warmth was now flushed with a shade of red that had never surfaced before.
This youthful blush, so uncharacteristic yet fitting for her eighteen years, bloomed vivaciously.
Since leaving the Blanc family, her thoughts had been dominated by the face of one girl.
With a shy blush on her cheeks and desperate eyes that couldn’t meet her own, a voice so thin it trembled to get out.
“To say thank you with that face is cheating…”
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