IVF 23

Chapter 23

‘What if she already cried herself unconscious? She might have collapsed again like last time.’

Karayan’s steps toward the drawing room gradually quickened.

His mind was filled with the image of Lumina bursting into tears after being harshly bullied by Arabel.

Lumina looked like the kind of girl who would start sobbing at the slightest poke, big round pink eyes spilling tears endlessly.

It was easy to imagine.

To Arabel, Lumina was nothing more than a worthless cotton fluff that could be blown away with a flick of a finger.

‘She just woke up. She should’ve stayed quiet instead of causing trouble.’

Normally, Karayan wouldn’t have interfered. And there was no real reason he had to step in.

Unaware of that himself, he reached the door—
and heard sobbing from inside.

His imagination had become reality.

His mind went blank.

Assuming the crying belonged to Lumina, Karayan reacted before thinking.

He grabbed the doorknob and pulled it open urgently.

But the scene before his eyes was nothing like what he had imagined.

First of all, the one crying wasn’t Lumina—but a man he had never seen before.

“…?”

Only then did Karayan regain his senses. Frowning, he carefully scanned the room.

The drawing room looked like wild beasts had been unleashed inside.

At the center of the chaos stood a small girl.

Lumina—the one he had worried might be completely crushed.

“Young Master?”

Their eyes met.

Lumina, her eyes round like a rabbit’s, looked surprised by Karayan’s sudden appearance.

Regardless, irritation surged inside him.

She looked completely crushed—just as he had feared.

“Master Hart!”

Arabel—the culprit—brightened.

The moment she saw Karayan, she jumped to her feet with a radiant smile, as if ready to rush into his arms.

But Karayan didn’t even look at her.

He stepped forward and stood in front of Lumina.

“What happened to you?”

Her whole body was soaked. Judging by the smell, she had been drenched in tea.

Fortunately, there were no tears in her eyes.

Even this small, a Legion was still a Legion—she hadn’t burst into loud sobs.

Still, worried there might be unseen injuries, Karayan carefully examined her face.

His golden eyes did not leave her.

Feeling awkward under his intense gaze, Lumina subtly looked away.

It was because he had asked a very difficult question.

“Uh…”

What happened to her?

You see that princess’s maid sitting over there? I grabbed her hair and fought with her.

If she answered honestly like that, she’d be treated like a madwoman.

Worst case, Karayan might be disgusted and distance himself from her.

‘If the patient runs away, I won’t be able to treat him.’

Her deal with Lucius was to heal Karayan.

If she couldn’t meet him and failed to treat him, that would be the most ridiculous outcome.

Lumina opened her mouth, trying to wrap the situation nicely—

But Arabel interrupted in a sulky tone.

“Master Hart. Isn’t that young lady merely the Duke’s ward? Shouldn’t you keep a little distance since you’ve just met? You seem rather close.”

“Just met?”

Karayan looked at Lumina as if asking what nonsense that was.

Though Arabel had spoken, he didn’t glance at her even once.

‘Come to think of it… earlier…’

“And what is your relationship with Master Hart?”
“We’re not really anything.”
“Truly? You’ve never met?”
“No.”

She had just had that conversation with Princess Arabel.

‘I didn’t expect all three of us to be in the same place. I lied—and got caught immediately.’

Her back prickled.

Arabel, openly ignored by Karayan, was glaring at Lumina as if she wanted to kill her.

Right now, Lumina was a trivial crumb caught between predators.

Even a cookie crumb stuck to someone’s backside might be more significant than her at this moment.

‘Even if Princess Arabel dislikes me, I can’t make her hate me more.’

Showing open hostility was only possible when you were confident nothing would go wrong. Otherwise, it was something only amateurs did.

She needed to maintain a delicate balance—like walking a tightrope.

“It’s almost our first meeting. Since I’m the Duke’s ward, perhaps he just saw me in passing.”

“……”

“Isn’t that right, Young Master?”

Sparkle.

Lumina looked at Karayan desperately.

“…Right.”

Karayan affirmed.

But Arabel, unconvinced, narrowed her pale eyes at them.

Cold sweat ran down Lumina’s back.

“That’s strange. The Karayan I know has no interest in others…”

Arabel’s voice turned eerie.

“Why are you so protective of this girl? Especially when you supposedly just met today.”

“….”

“Is she precious to you?”

“Don’t talk nonsense.”

Karayan growled low in warning.

“Really? But you keep creating situations that make people misunderstand.”

To Karayan, Lumina was nothing.

Just a weak Legion who healed him and collapsed afterward.

Yes. That was why he was slightly—very slightly—concerned.

It wasn’t affection. It wasn’t liking her.

There was no way he could like her. Wasn’t she suspected of being on his father’s side—the man he hated most?

‘Father must have sent her to me on purpose.’

On the day of the great massacre his father caused—

Karayan had once mentioned to his father the person who had helped him that day.

His father must have remembered and brought a girl who resembled her.

Perhaps thinking Karayan would fall for her just because she looked similar.

But Karayan believed he wasn’t that simple.

“Stop saying strange things. More importantly, Princess—what are you doing here without any notice?”

Karayan was as rude as ever. To anyone.

Not even royalty was spared from his sharp tongue.

Even when he spoke casually to her, Arabel didn’t seem surprised.

Their bad history must have run deep for this tone to feel normal.

“My, ‘someone else’s house’? Aren’t we practically family? That’s a bit cold.”

To clarify again—Arabel was not Karayan’s fiancée.

There had been no progress toward any engagement.

Yet Princess Arabel seemed firmly convinced she would marry him.

“Princess Arabel.”

Knowing she was impossible to reason with, Karayan changed the topic.

“What did you do to her?”

“I didn’t do anything. Right, Eva?”

“Y-Yes…”

“Eva, what did you do?”

“N-Nothing!”

Eva, who had been quietly sniffling, answered obediently.

“She looks like this and you did nothing?”

Knowing Arabel would only give shameless answers, Karayan turned to Eva instead.

“It was an accident.”

“Speak properly. Unless you want that deceitful tongue torn out. No—since you must testify, perhaps I should start with another part of you first.”

“….”

“If you keep lying, your tongue will be the only thing left in the end.”

It was a threat.

Terrified, Eva desperately denied it.

“I was only supporting Miss Langshus and accidentally let go! She’s weak, so she fell too hard on her own!”

She even complained that Lumina had hit her harshly.

If it were revealed that it had been intentional, she clearly wouldn’t escape punishment. That was why she was so desperate.

‘If we leave her like this, she’ll just repeat herself. That’s a waste of time.’

Lumina, who had been silently listening, deliberately fiddled with the hem of her soaked dress.

“This was a gift from the Duke…”

She murmured gloomily, as if her thoughts had slipped out unconsciously.

The maid who had brought the trolley quickly handed her a handkerchief.

“My lady, please wipe yourself for now. I’ll ask someone in the laundry to restore it like new.”

The Duke’s household maids were indeed kind and quick-witted.

“You didn’t have to. Thank you.”

Their quiet exchange was enough to catch Karayan’s attention.

“You were here at the time.”

“Yes.”

“Tell me. Was it really an accident?”

With both a princess and a young master present, a mere maid could not normally interfere.

But once Karayan granted her permission, she spoke immediately.

“There’s no way it was an accident. I saw her deliberately tip over the teapot.”

“….”

“She claims she was unfairly attacked, but from what I saw, Miss Lumina acted as anyone naturally would.”

“There’s no proof!” Eva cried as she was cornered.

But there was no need for proof.

“There’s no need to hear more. Take her away.”

At Karayan’s command, waiting servants dragged Eva out.

As things escalated, Eva immediately looked to Princess Arabel for help.

But the princess showed no intention of actively saving her.

She had cut off the tail.

Realizing she had been abandoned, Eva blurted out desperately,

“I only did what I was told! Her Highness told me to get rid of Miss Langshus—!”

Cornered, she lost even the sense not to say what should never be said.

Lumina clicked her tongue inwardly. It was the worst possible move.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

As expected, the princess denied it calmly.

“Like someone said, perhaps it’s better not to keep a maid who doesn’t suit my dignity.”