Chapter – 11
“I can trust you.”
Ireon fiddled with the lock on the bathroom door from outside, thinking that. If she were to come out, she’d need someone to hand her a change of clothes—but there was no sign of her inside.
“Could she have fallen asleep?”
For some reason, Ireon felt uneasy. The butler, who had come in carrying a tray with warm soup and some food, asked as he lingered near the bathroom.
“Is something the matter, Your Grace?”
“I think Rona has fallen asleep in there.”
Bernard could hardly understand. With only the strong male servants and bodyguards present, and no other permanent staff on the third floor, Rona had been monopolizing the maid’s bathroom. And yet she had gone to Ireon’s room to bathe, while he had barged in—what a terribly inefficient setup.
“Are Niel or Olivier still here?”
Hearing this, the butler regained his composure.
“They’ve all left. They won’t be back until tomorrow morning.”
He knocked on the door with the butler’s assistance, calling for Rona, but she was so deeply asleep that not even the slightest sound came from inside.
“What should we do?”
“There’s no choice. I suppose I could go in and…”
Ireon frowned at the suggestion.
“That’s not an option.”
“Th-then what should we do?”
“Leave it to me. Step out of the room.”
Feeling as if he had been shooed out by a spell, Bernard stepped back. Just now, the look his master gave him was… almost like brushing away a nuisance. As a competent servant, he felt a bit aggrieved.
“But… how exactly are you going to handle it?”
Alone in the corridor, the butler let out a sigh, sensing something was off.
She had had a dream. She was certain it was a dream, yet in it, she wasn’t Rona but Won Yunji. The ground was soaked in red blood. Smoke swirled in the air, arrows rained down, and Ireon lay collapsed.
“Your Grace!”
Someone cried in anguish, holding him. Next to the huge horse, lying on the ground, Ireon gasped in pain. He could hear a quiet, almost gloating breath nearby. Even in the dream, she felt a presence that seemed invisible yet close. In this dream world, Rona, too, seemed invisible to anyone else. The gloating voice whispered as if pleased that Ireon was suffering according to plan. A chill ran down her spine.
The scene shifted. Ireon, in the castle, could not see; blood smeared around his eyes from scratching himself. He thrashed like a wounded beast, and watching this, Rona felt sorrowful.
“I’d rather die.”
The proud man could not bear the dishonor of failing his mission, despite having fought successfully until the end. The sinister laughter somewhere in the distance made Rona frown—it seemed to rejoice at Ireon’s misfortune. She approached the sobbing Ireon, who still couldn’t see her.
“Just wait a little. I’ll come to you, okay?”
She placed her hand on his shoulder, invisible to him, offering comfort. At that moment, Ireon’s frantic movements abruptly stopped.
“Who’s there? Someone there?”
“Please… don’t leave me alone.”
Rona embraced him, though he could not feel her. She soothed him, holding the massive man as best she could.
Rona woke up from the dream with a small sigh. The remnants of it were so vivid that her vision blurred, and her mind felt foggy.
“Am I worrying too much about Ireon because of Karina?”
In The Blind Beast’s Flower, the incident in which Ireon lost his sight on the battlefield was not shown; it was only explained later in story form to Karina. But seeing it and imagining it were very different—though it was only a dream, it felt as real as witnessing it firsthand, leaving her chest heavy. She wanted to return to the original world, but in caring for Ireon, she had naturally grown attached. Even if one is just a paid servant, genuine concern can develop.
“Ireon… I’ll help you open your eyes.”
Just as in the dream, Rona unconsciously pulled Ireon’s broad shoulders toward her.
“Hmm?”
She could feel his firm shoulders against her body. When she opened her eyes, Ireon’s face was close to hers. If yesterday she had been held by Ireon, today it was the reverse: she was holding him against herself. His hair poked out awkwardly against her bare shoulder.
“Is this a dream too?”
Rona traced her memories. She remembered falling asleep in the bathtub while bathing under Ireon’s supervision the day before.
“That’s right. I fell asleep while bathing.”
But why was she now in the Grand Duke’s bedroom? She cautiously lifted the white sheet wrapped around her body.
“…!”
Nothing covered her. She swallowed a silent scream and carefully exited Ireon’s bedroom, clinging to the sheet, embarrassed to the point of tears. Upon reaching her own room, she hurriedly put on her clothes. Only then did she feel safe. Meanwhile, Ireon was sighing in his bedroom, his body draped in a large sheet like a cloak.
Rescue operations were part of a seasoned knight’s routine. He had plenty of know-how, especially being blind. This way, he could ensure Rona wouldn’t suffer any disgrace. He lifted her wet arms from the bathtub onto his shoulders, wrapping them with the sheet, and carried her out.
It was his version of a ‘rescue operation.’ He repeated to himself endlessly: don’t doubt my sincerity.
The next problem was obvious: he couldn’t dry her or dress her while she was naked and wet. For some time, he clumsily carried her as water dripped from her hair, staggering toward his bed. He brought a towel to dry her hair and tucked her in tightly, listening to her breathing through the night.
“It was a rescue operation. Staying too long in hot water isn’t good; she could catch a cold, and…”
Ireon’s face flushed as he tried to justify his actions. It was all Rona’s sudden embrace that had triggered it.
His frustration peaked when Rona brought breakfast the next morning.
“It’s time for breakfast.”
Rona carefully placed the tray in front of him. Today, he seemed in a sour mood. The faint dark circles under his otherwise sculpted face made him look more burdened than usual.
The completion of dark circles truly depends on the face.
Rona’s careful compliment about his dark circles made him seem thoughtful, as if he carried some great worry.
“Ireon… may I ask you something?”
Rona froze slightly. The question was unrelated to yesterday’s events.
“May I speak honestly?”
“…Hmm.”
He seemed a little unsettled at her request for honesty.
“Y-yes.”
“Phew.”
Rona exhaled deeply.
“You’re a truly remarkable employer, Ireon. The world is a give-and-take, isn’t it? You can’t imagine how honored I feel to work at the Grand Duke’s residence.”
Clavente Grand Duke’s residence was the ultimate ‘sweet job.’ Even paying in gold coins alone warranted a perfect five-star rating. Passion wages? The employer didn’t care; any payment was always in gold.
“That’s not what I meant. I asked how you feel about me.”
Rona gave him a sympathetic look. If a boss asks an employee to answer honestly, would you really say everything? Being in the military for so long, Ireon sometimes didn’t understand ordinary people’s hearts.
“You are wonderful and admirable, Ireon. Someone as exceptional as you often struggles when health problems arise.”
Perhaps because of the dream, she wanted to tell him this now.
“You live each day so diligently. That’s really admirable. I respect you.”
Satisfied with her answer, Ireon became quiet.
“Then have your breakfast.”
She placed a spoon in his hand.
How do I feel about Ireon? He’s like a huge, adorable, giant puppy.
Yet she could not actually treat her master like a pet.
Throughout breakfast, Ireon was in a calm mood.
How do I feel about him? Only at that question had he seemed so troubled. He noticed Rona more each day, yet she held no personal feelings for him. A maid like Rona would get top marks from Bernard for work attitude. Over-familiarity or romantic interest could have been problematic for a young, unmarried Ireon. But as long as it was a normal employer-employee relationship, it was fine. His interest in her might have even caused slight irritation at her professionalism.
“I think she thinks well of me, at least.”
Not disliked, at least.
“Not bad. Pretty decent.”
Having graduated top of his class, such praise barely stirred him before—but now, his heart felt softening, which surprised him.
“No need to compare to back then.”
As a knight, he had lived a life requiring restraint, always setting an example. He had rarely allowed himself to be swayed by small emotions. But living like this now, he realized he had been too strict.
In any case, he planned to take Rona to the wardrobe today. He informed her of the day’s schedule as she cleared the dishes.
“My clothes, sir?”
“Sorry about yesterday. I was uncharacteristically… excited.”
“Oh, I could have bought them myself if you’d just paid me.”
“That wouldn’t be rewarding enough.”
She wasn’t motivated to buy if someone else paid, so that option was off the table.
“And I can’t just hand over money and expect you to buy clothes, can I?”
“Ahahaha…”
Rona smiled awkwardly.
“I guess it got noticed. I wore my winter coat in the park that day, despite the weather.”
“There was no reason to go outside. Besides, the Grand Duke’s maid clothes are high quality and pretty.”
“I thought I’d buy a few things and have you pay for them.”
Ireon said calmly:
“May I ask where you went?”
