---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
--------------- ‌

Chapter 22

"A... a fallen noble?"
"Yes. That's why if word spreads, I'll be executed. Captured by The Emperor himself... my neck will be severed just like this!"
"...!"
As I ‌‌‌made the slashing motion across my neck, Sophia's face drained of color. She nodded through trembling lips.
"No, I won't ‌‌‌‌tell anyone. I absolutely won't. Enya is my... my precious friend. Not a soul! Never! Even ‌if the heavens split in two, I won't speak of it..."
Sophia swore with resolute determination in her eyes.
Sophia possessed a tender, delicate heart yet possessed unwavering conviction. She would never betray me.
One only had to look at what had transpired between her and Adeline to understand what a good person ‌‌‌‌Sophia truly was.
I smiled at Sophia.
"Well, since I've received your help, I should offer you something in return."
"Yes? Then perhaps... Enya...!"
"Yes, that's right. As repayment for your loyalty, ‌‌I'll teach you the ways of noble etiquette."
"Really?!"
Sophia's joy was ‌‌so great she nearly bounced with excitement.
She sprang to her feet and embraced me.
"Actually, I've been invited to a ball! But it's difficult to find an etiquette instructor here, and it would ‌‌take so much time. Could you... help me?"
Sophia asked with eyes gleaming with hope.
"Oh! And Enya could also... no, wait! ‌‌‌‌Enya couldn't possibly attend a ball or move in ‌‌High Society, could you? I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking clearly."
Sophia understood the situation completely, as expected.
There was no need for me to struggle in Grunvalt anymore.
"It's fine. I'd just like for Sophia to enjoy herself."
"Enya, you're... truly an angel!"
"However."
I adopted a stern expression and looked at Sophia.
"My lessons will be demanding. Are you prepared for that?"
"Yes! Of course!"

* * *

Five hours later.
Sophia lay sprawled on the floor without the ‌‌‌slightest movement for thirty minutes.
I had taught her so much.
Though Sophia had enjoyed herself at first, she grew increasingly exhausted.
I had also decided to teach her how to walk with unwavering elegance, but she ultimately couldn't endure it and collapsed.
I ‌‌‌‌placed a cookie in Sophia's mouth.
"Sophia. Wake up. Next is learning dinner etiquette."
"I... I don't think I'm hungry..."
Sophia barely managed to sit up, her face drained of all color.
But her legs gave out beneath her, and she crumpled back down.
"I'm... I'm sorry, but could we stop here for today? Enya?"
"Of course. I need to search for the ring anyway."
"Oh, wait ‌‌a moment! Enya!"
Sophia then handed me something.
"I received a blessing from the Temple priest when I visited, and I bought this to give to you, Enya."
It was a brooch.
But for a simple brooch, it was unusually white, gleaming, and oddly shaped.
It resembled a newborn baby angel with wings, swaddled in ‌‌‌cloth.
Yet the baby angel's smile was suspicious—its puffy eyes curved like crescents as it ‌‌‌grinned.
Was this Sophia's taste?
"It's a ‌‌‌‌charm for conceiving a baby."
Whoosh!
Without thinking, I hurled it far away.
The gift vanished ‌‌beyond the window.
"...E-Enya?!"
"Oh! It really is a charm. It suddenly flew off like it had wings—whoosh! I'm sorry! I'll just accept your kind intentions!"
"Miss?"
Just then, Yurta entered the room.
A large bump protruded from her head as she rubbed ‌‌‌‌the back of her skull.
"I was cleaning the garden ‌‌when I was struck hard ‌‌on the back of the head by a decoration. Is this Miss Sophia's possession?"
"Yes!"
"..."
How did that end ‌‌‌up there?
Sophia laughed brightly, retrieving the brooch with a cheerful smile.
She pressed the brooch firmly into ‌‌‌‌my hand.
"Oh my! Enya! The baby angel has returned to you...!"
Please don't.
I stared at the brooch, which resembled a fallen angel of lust.
"I'm so looking forward to your ‌‌‌baby, Enya. They'll be as kind and lovely as you are."
"Has a child been conceived between you two?"
Even Yurta ‌‌‌chimed in with a comment.
I stuffed that object—the one that didn't ‌‌‌seem like it should be kept together with me—into my bag and headed ‌‌‌home.

* * *

Dale didn't appear to be home yet.
'He won't be in his room either, I suppose...?'
Well, perhaps this ‌‌was an opportunity. ‌‌‌
A chance to see Dale's Room.
Not that I wanted to secretly search through his room behind Dale's back—absolutely not.
It was all because of the ring.
My ring wouldn't have rolled all the way into Dale's Room, but if it had been kicked around enough, it seemed plausible it could have ended up there.
I'd already searched ‌‌The Lord's study, ‌‌yet I'd never once looked through Dale's Room until now.
'Should I open it?'
But the contract clearly had a clause about it.
We were to respect each other's privacy regarding personal spaces.
'But this is an emergency that overrides everything, ‌‌‌so forgive me, Dale.'
Creak.
I grasped the doorknob and ‌‌‌turned it slowly.
"Enya?"
"...!"
That's when I heard Dale's voice.
He was standing behind me—I hadn't even ‌‌‌‌noticed when he'd arrived.
"Oh! You startled me! You're home early today? That's unusual!" ‌‌
"Yes. I felt sorry for always being ‌late, so I came back early for you."
Dale smiled warmly, his gaze tender as he looked at me.
"But why were you at my door? Did you need something from me?"
"Huh? What do you mean? This?"
I quickly withdrew my hand and clasped both hands behind my back.
"I thought an insect got into your room, and I was debating whether to catch it. A wasp was ‌‌‌‌flying around, but it disappeared!" ‌‌‌
"That's dangerous. Allow me to handle it."
"Oh! You will? That would be wonderful, actually."
I laughed and stepped aside from the ‌doorway.
"Haha, you're so mature, Dale. Wow, how impressive. ‌‌Thank you for your help!"
Thud!
The brooch I'd transferred to my pocket tumbled to the floor.
"Eek!" ‌‌‌‌‌
I snatched up the brooch like lightning ‌‌‌‌and clutched it tightly to my chest.
"Enya?"
Dale stared at me with wide, curious eyes.
"It seems like you dropped something. Are you ‌‌‌alright?"
"Oh! It's nothing! Just... something minor. Ha, what's wrong with me...!"
I retreated from Dale in quick, hurried steps.
Though he seemed to be watching me with a puzzled gaze, it was better than letting him see this hideous brooch.
"...Lately."
Dale's voice grew quieter.
"It seems you have many ‌‌things you're hiding from me, Enya."
He spoke with a melancholic expression settling ‌‌‌‌‌over his handsome face. Then, as if he'd noticed something, he drew closer and narrowed his eyes slightly.
"You ‌‌‌smell of perfume today."
"Oh? Do I? I usually wear it anyway."
"And it looks like you've applied makeup too."
That's right. I'd demonstrated it myself for Sophia's lesson.
Now that I think about it, I rushed to search for the ring as soon as I came home, ‌‌‌‌so I haven't even washed yet.
Dale's face, which had been studying me intently, grew noticeably darker.
"Did something happen?"
"Nothing happened at all."
Dale is too perceptive—it's troublesome.
Did he somehow realize that my sneaking into Dale's Room wasn't because of an insect?!
Looking ‌‌‌‌‌at his expression, it seems like he might have.
That's the look of suspicion.
"I really just got home and haven't been ‌‌‌doing anything."
"...Just now?"
Dale's expression grew worse.
"...It's quite late now."
"Yes? It is, isn't it?"
"Yet you say you ‌‌‌‌just arrived."
His expression keeps getting worse—why is that?
He looked so displeased that I almost wanted to know the reason. Or perhaps he seemed sad.
"...I understand."
Dale nodded with a sunken expression.
"Whatever you do outside, or however late you return home, I cannot interfere."
"Yes, yes, exactly."
I reflexively answered with anything that came to mind. I needed to leave here quickly.
"But Enya."
Dale caught me again as I tried to slip away.
"Why, why?"
I looked up at him, who appeared serious. ‌‌‌
"Though we are bound by contract, if you ever face difficulties, I would appreciate it if you would ‌‌‌tell me." ‌
"I will."
I nodded for now.
"Thank you for worrying about me! I'm going upstairs to sleep now. Goodnight!"
I bounded up to the second floor with a spring in my step.
And so I failed to notice what thoughts crossed Dale's mind as he watched my retreating figure.

---------------
Brought to you by Valir Scans! To support our team and enjoy the latest releases, please read directly on our official site: valirscans.org
---------------