Chapter 5
“I came out to ride a horse.”
Recalling where she was, her words made him release the cart without any suspicion, waiting for what she would say next.
“I came looking for you because I didn’t see Joseph.”
Though he hadn’t asked, Siona, feeling guilty for no reason, became talkative. In truth, she had seen Joseph tidying up the pruning scraps in the garden, but there was no need to explain.
After all, it was true that Joseph wasn’t here.
“Right. That’s what I meant.”
Whether Joseph had taught him his duties thoroughly or not, he immediately understood Siona’s words. He led out a brown pony with a white patch on its chest and saddled it with practiced hands. Once done, he brought the pony beside the mounting block.
‘What is this? I had no intention of riding at all.’
Remembering Martha’s earnest叮嘱, Siona’s face turned troubled.
‘Miss, your ankle hasn’t fully healed yet, so please avoid walks or riding for the time being.’
But backing out now would only make her look foolish.
Siona endured the faint pain in her ankle and struggled onto the horse. Together with him holding the reins of her mount, they made one round around the training ground.
Siona didn’t look ahead but watched him from the corner of her eye. His black hair fluttered softly in the wind, and for some reason, she felt dizzy.
‘Why am I acting like this?’
It must be the scorching sun.
“Stop the horse!”
At Siona’s command, he immediately led the horse back to the mounting block. She, who had been trying hard to keep her posture straight until the end, attempted to dismount.
Perhaps riding was still too much; her body wouldn’t obey.
“…Ugh.”
He stared intently at Siona, who had let out a groan.
It felt as if he knew all her inner troubles and was mocking her, making Siona angry.
“How dare you stare so brazenly at your master’s eyes like that!”
No other servant had ever looked at her this way. Usually, they kept their heads slightly bowed, or even if their eyes met, they would quickly look away. But he tilted his head and fixed his gaze on her.
“…….”
In the end, she, who had been staring into his burning red eyes, turned her head first. Somehow, seeing her own face reflected in his eyes made her uncomfortable.
‘But more importantly, I can’t move at all…….’
This was the worst kind of predicament.
Staying seated on the horse left no part of her pain-free: starting from her lower back, to her bottom, to her thighs. Just then, something tapped her knee, and Siona’s eyes went wide.
“……What the hell!”
Siona’s shrill voice filled the training ground.
Imagining a snake or a small beast that had fallen from a tree, Siona was too scared to open her eyes. But after a long while, nothing happened.
A moment later, she cracked open her eyes and saw his hand extended toward her.
‘What? Is he trying to help?’
Feeling embarrassed by her own fuss, Siona snorted and turned away from his hand.
‘As if I’d accept your help twice!’
She had borrowed his hand on the rainy day out of necessity, but the situation now was different from back then.
“……Hmph.”
He sighed and soon left the spot. Siona watched his retreating figure, her face filled with dismay.
“Are you really leaving me here and going away?”
Unable to dismount, Siona was completely stuck. The midday sun remained blazing hot, and sitting on the horse without a single sip of water made her dizzy.
“I’ve lost my mind. Why did I have to go and make a fuss about thanking him?”
The sentiment she’d had when coming out had long since melted away like spring snow.
“That was a pointless thing to do.”
It was only natural for a servant to help his master.
“If I faint again like this, that would be bad…….”
Determined not to lose consciousness, Siona put all her strength into her lower back. If her older brother Eli saw her in this state, she would surely be dragged down to the annex basement.
‘As a member of this family, it is your duty and responsibility to obediently receive your bridal training until you can play even a small role.’
And now, showing herself groaning while sweating profusely like this – she had no excuse.
Just then, someone seemed to be waving at Siona from a distance.
Was it Martha? But her vision was too blurry to be sure.
“Miss!”
Through her already hazy sight, she saw Martha running toward her. As soon as she arrived, Martha wiped Siona’s face with a towel dampened with water.
“Why on earth did you ride a horse when you’re not even fully recovered? Have I told you that if you fall seriously ill like this, you might end up in your grave before you even come of age? Have I or haven’t I?”
Martha, who had brought water to her lips, kept scolding without pause.
“Give me that hat.”
At Martha’s command, the slave who had been standing silently behind her finally revealed himself.
“……Ah.”
Siona had thought he had abandoned her, but it seemed he had gone to fetch Martha after all. Martha fussed as she placed a wide-brimmed hat on Siona’s head.
“I was hanging the laundry when that fellow suddenly appeared and started gesturing. Since he doesn’t speak, how was I supposed to know what he meant?”
“…….”
“But somehow I felt it had to do with you, Miss, so I came rushing over. I swear, I’ll probably die an early death because of you, Miss.”
Martha, who had helped Siona onto her back, grumbled endlessly.
“What is this? You’re not a baby…….”
Leaning her cheek against Martha’s broad back, Siona remained silent. She had acted so foolishly that she deserved every bit of scolding.
Glancing back, she saw him holding the pony’s reins, staring fixedly at her. His hair covered more than half his face, so she couldn’t see his eyes.
But she could tell.
That his red eyes must be burning as if to devour Siona whole.
“Still, even though it’s summer, it does feel a bit warm during the day, doesn’t it?” Martha, who had thrown the window wide open to air out the bedroom, spoke cheerfully.
It was a rare touch of summer in Legbel, where warm weather was hard to come by.
“Yes. The wind feels a little different.”
The cold wind would return once darkness fell, but for now, the warm breeze felt vivid against her skin.
“By the way, Miss, how are you feeling today?”
“Seems like I’m almost fully recovered now.”
It was quite remarkable.
Siona, born and raised in Legbel, was used to climbing up and down gentle hills and mountains, so she had always been confident in her stamina.
Thus, she rarely fell ill, yet this time she had ended up bedridden twice in a row.
Siona gazed out the window and spoke.
“Please prepare a half-sleeve dress for me today.”
“You’re already planning to move about? Wouldn’t long sleeves be better?”
“Lying down all the time will only make me sicker. And I can just wear a shawl over it.”
Seeing Siona’s stubborn expression, Martha immediately opened the wardrobe. As she rummaged through the dresses, she tilted her head.
“Come to think of it, I think we’ll need to get you new clothes. All these dresses have become too short to wear.”
“Never mind. It’s not like anyone’s going to see me…….”
There were almost no nobles living in Legbel. That was why Eli would travel all the way to Hibel for his gambling.
Hibel, which required a carriage ride to reach, was said to have many people, markets, and shops. She had only heard about it, never seen it herself.
‘Besides, we probably don’t have the money to buy dresses.’
The Yevgenia family were nobles in name only; in reality, their circumstances were worse than those of common merchants.
“No, my lady. It’s about time you started preparing to enter society. When the master comes next time, I’ll speak to him about it.”
Society…
The word felt oddly distant to her.
Though she was born a noble, she had not received the education that nobles were supposed to have.
Because the Count said education for women was useless, Siona had taught herself to read and do numbers.
“You must learn to dance as well, and etiquette too. You can’t even imagine how quickly time passes, Miss. Soon enough, you’ll become someone’s wife. The day I hold a baby that looks like you in these arms is not far off.”
“……Martha. What are you talking about?”
Siona’s cheeks flushed red like ripe apples.
Martha, a middle-aged woman with a girlish streak, had an overactive imagination. The story she’d told today was the best one yet.
‘Me, having a baby? That’s ridiculous.’
Of course, it was common for women to marry upon reaching adulthood and have children. Siona was sixteen this year, so it was only a few years away.
But for her, things like marriage and babies still felt far away.
“Do you have a gentleman in your heart, Miss? Why are your cheeks turning so red?”
“Martha, stop your nonsense!”
To hide her burning cheeks, she pulled her hat down deep. Just as Siona finished getting ready to go out, Martha, who had tidied up her knitting, rose from her seat.
“Shall I come with you?”
“No, it’s my first time going out in a while, so I’ll go alone. I’ll just stroll through the garden, so there’s no danger anyway.”
At her answer, Martha tilted her head.
Wasn’t this the young lady who used to follow her around like a duckling?
‘Our young lady has really grown up.’
Ever since she recovered from the fever, something about her gaze seemed deeper than before.
“Then you must return before teatime.”
“Alright. I won’t be long.”
