Chapter 22
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Chapter 22
"Your constitution has always been delicate, and you overexerted yourself in that cold place, which brought on a fever. You've been bedridden for a full three days."
"Three days?"
"Yes. Your fever was burning quite intensely."
"Lucian must be in absolute chaos by now."
The Physician and Riley nodded in unison. Their expressions suggested they had endured quite an ordeal because of Lucian.
This was the same child who had wailed inconsolably after losing consciousness for merely a single day. Having been bedridden for three days, he must have sobbed as though the world itself were ending.
"In any case, you must be cautious for the time being. You still have a slight fever remaining, and your muscles will likely remain sore, so absolute rest is essential...."
"Aunt!"
A loud cry pierced through the Physician's earnest warnings to me.
'Speak of the devil, and he shall appear.'
Before the Physician could even finish his explanation, the door burst open.
"Lucian."
"Aunt!"
As I had anticipated, Lucian's face was a wreck.
What could have kept such a small child awake? His once-plump lips had withered, and dark circles shadowed the hollows beneath his eyes.
"I'm so glad you're awake. Truly, so very glad...."
Lucian repeated the word "glad" over and over before finally breaking into tears. His quiet sobs soon escalated until he was crying so hard the Bellomen Mansion itself seemed to tremble.
"Lucian, don't cry."
"If you didn't want me to cry, you shouldn't have collapsed!"
"I'm sorry."
I held Lucian close as he wept bitterly, soothing him gently. My arms ached as though they might separate from my body—an aftereffect of the digging—but Lucian came first.
"I really, *sob*, thought Aunt was dying, *sniff*, I did."
"Aunt won't die so easily. I told you that before."
"But, *sob*, why do you always, *sniff*, collapse!"
"I'm sorry. From now on, Aunt will be more careful not to collapse."
"I'll, *sniff*, check if you're being picky about food, *sniff*, I will! *sniff*"
Perhaps because I had taught him that picky eating weakens the body, Lucian hiccupped through his tears while threatening that he wouldn't tolerate any of my dietary negligence. Though his tear-stained face was hardly intimidating.
"Alright. Aunt won't be picky and will take her medicine properly."
It seemed I could no longer get away with secretly picking out the carrots.
'Who's lecturing whom here?'
Though I felt sorry for making him cry, his appearance was so endearing that I couldn't help but let my lips curve upward when he wasn't looking.
Knock, knock.
A polite knock sounded at that moment.
"Sister, may I come in?"
The voice was as clear and pure as birdsong—it was Amelia.
At this, I quickly whispered to Lucian.
"Lucian, Amelia has arrived. Are you going to keep crying like that?"
"...."
"Crying men aren't attractive, you know."
As if muttering to myself, my words made Lucian's shoulders stiffen. Then, wriggling his small body, he slipped free from my embrace.
"W-when did I cry?"
"Your eyes are red."
"They are not!"
Lucian climbed down from my bed and wiped his tears away with the back of his hand.
"Are you saying I should come back once you're done?"
"If you wish."
Lucian feigned ignorance with practiced nonchalance. I let out a soft laugh and spoke.
"Yes. Come back in."
The door opened immediately, as if someone had been waiting for permission.
"Sister, are you alright?"
Amelia entered the room, her face etched with concern.
"We were worried."
She came alongside Claude Agris, whose forehead was wrapped in bandages.
The tightly wound gauze covered half of his straight brow, yet it was insufficient to conceal his radiant beauty.
Beneath his prominent brow bone lay eyes of crystalline blue, a nose both prominent and refined, a jawline sharp as a veil's edge, and golden hair identical to Amelia's.
As Claude Agris walked forward leaning on crutches, an air of mysterious handsomeness emanated from him.
"Young Lady?"
"...Oh."
Momentarily entranced by his extraordinary beauty, I snapped back to attention at the sound of his low voice calling to me.
This was not the time for such distractions.
"Amelia, congratulations. You've been reunited with your uncle."
"Sister..."
"And Marquis Agris as well. Though you've sustained some injuries, I'm truly grateful you were able to meet Amelia safely."
"Young Lady..."
Both Amelia and Claude Agris gazed at me with expressions on the verge of tears.
Seeing their identical expressions, I was certain—they were truly blood relatives.
"Though this is not your home, please rest here comfortably until your body recovers. If you explain the circumstances, I'm certain the Duke will surely..."
My words never reached their conclusion. Claude Agris suddenly bowed to me at a perfect right angle.
"M-Marquis? Why are you doing this suddenly?"
"I don't know how to repay the kindness the Young Lady has shown me..."
"There is no kindness to repay. You need not feel indebted. Please, stand up at once. Your leg is injured, after all."
"Amelia has told me everything. Without the Young Lady, I would never have been able to meet Amelia."
"It was not my doing. That was entirely because Amelia is so clever."
"No."
Claude Agris shook his head firmly.
"I speak not only of Amelia's accomplishments. Did the Young Lady not rescue me from the Avalanche Site? And because of that, you even collapsed..."
"..."
"Without the Young Lady's courage and effort, I would have perished from the cold."
His words were true, so I did not deny them. My arms still ached as though they might separate from my body, and I still carried a slight fever.
"This debt cannot be repaid with all the wealth in the world, nor with the honor of House Agris. So...."
Money and honor alike insufficient to repay such a kindness. Just how grand a reward was he planning to offer me? I tilted my head in confusion.
"Your hand."
"Pardon?"
Why my hand, all of a sudden?
Bewildered though I was, I obediently extended my left hand to him.
Moments later, his lips brushed against the back of my hand—a feather-light touch that lingered only an instant before withdrawing.
"W-what are you doing...?"
"I, Claude Agris, pledge with all the honor of House Agris. I swear that I shall dedicate the remainder of my life solely to Lucella Rilprey."
Before I could even comprehend what was happening, Claude had sworn an oath to me.
An oath of honor—the kind nobility invokes when staking their very house.
"I-I beg your pardon?"
Only then grasping the situation, I hastily withdrew my hand from his grip.
"W-what do you think you're doing?"
My voice rose in alarm, my face contorted with shock.
An oath of honor was not something to be undertaken lightly. It was, quite literally, a promise made with the entirety of one's house at stake.
"No, no—that's impossible. Please, take it back at once!"
"An oath cannot be revoked."
"There are hardly any witnesses here. If everyone simply keeps quiet...."
I lifted my gaze to survey those present in the room.
'Riley will hold her tongue without my asking.'
Amelia was a clever child; she would surely understand how foolish such an oath was. A girl as sensible as Amelia would never simply stand by and watch the honor of House Agris fall into my hands....
"I cannot agree to that."
Before I could even finish my hopeful gaze toward Amelia, she shook her head firmly.
"Uncle is right. An oath of honor cannot be revoked."
"Amelia, let's be flexible about this. If just a few people stay quiet, this whole thing can be forgotten."
"That's exactly why I can't let it be forgotten."
"What?"
Amelia planted her hands on her hips.
"I'm the only heir to House Agris. Sister is our benefactor for finding the heir to House Agris."
"That may be true, but...."
"And she even saved Uncle's life. If Uncle had died there, House Agris would have had no heir at all."
She was right. Had Claude died then, I would never have met Amelia.
"That's why an oath staking our house is absolutely necessary. Trying to brush it aside with money and silence would be far more shameful."
"Brush it aside? Where on earth did you learn such language?"
"The Orphanage Director taught me."
"Sigh...."
I pressed my hand to my throbbing temples. Teaching her such expressions—I should have dismissed the Orphanage Director far sooner.
'...That's not what matters right now.'
I shifted my gaze from Amelia to Lucian, desperately hoping he would understand my true intentions.
"Cancel it, cancel it! I'm telling you to revoke that ridiculous oath right now!"
Lucian bounced in place, his face flushed with indignation.
Because it was Lucian—no one else—I hadn't harbored even a shred of hope. Yet he was taking my side!
'Blood runs thicker than water, they say. There's truly no one I can trust but Lucian.'
I was about to stifle the surge of emotion welling up inside me.
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org