Chapter 85
It felt as though someone had called her name. She turned her head, but she was alone in the bathroom. Puzzled, Rowena wrapped her wet hair up in a towel.
When she returned to the bedroom, the unfinished letter was still on the table. It was a letter she intended to send to Cedric’s townhouse while avoiding surveillance. Since it seemed she would be staying here longer than expected, she had concealed anything that might cause concern. She had already decided how to send it.
She sat back down and took up her pen, but then someone knocked at the door. Tensing, Rowena sprang to her feet and hid the letter in a drawer. The person who opened the door as soon as permission was given was, fortunately, a maid.
“I came to deliver this to you.”
What the maid handed her was an envelope. As Rowena accepted it, she saw that it contained a VIP ticket to tomorrow evening’s opera performance. As she quietly read the date and time, the maid added,
“He says he will be waiting at the entrance.”
“…
Very well.”
The subject had been omitted, but it was obvious who she meant without asking.
“Then.”
“Excuse me.”
Before the maid, who had bowed politely, could leave the room, Rowena called her to a stop and spoke calmly.
“Please tell him that I will be visiting an acquaintance in the hospital tomorrow during the day.”
Day or night, she had already spent several days cooped up here, watching every move she made. Whether he allowed it or not, tomorrow she had to see Loren’s face.
“Understood.”
The maid answered softly and left. Rowena stayed awake and waited, just in case, but fortunately no reply came telling her she could not go.
Instead, the next morning, a watcher was assigned to accompany her under the pretext of escorting her. The person was none other than Jenok. Inside the carriage on the way to the hospital, Rowena, who had kept her mouth firmly shut, spoke coldly.
“It’s only a brief outing, yet I feel suffocated. Did he perhaps tell you to report my conversation with Loren as well?”
“You need not worry about that. I will be waiting outside the sickroom.”
“Am I supposed to thank you?”
Rowena replied with her eyes full of sharp edges, then let out a low sigh.
“I’m sorry, Mr. Jenok. I was frustrated, so I took it out on you without realizing it.”
“No. I understand.”
Jenok shook his head with a smile that seemed, on the contrary, apologetic. If anyone ought to apologize, it was him. When he recalled what had happened last night, pangs of conscience stabbed at his chest.
After that brief exchange, silence descended once more. Rowena, who had been gazing out the window at the scenery rushing past, suddenly asked,
“How much longer does His Highness plan to stay here? No matter how unofficial his visit is, he is hardly in a position to remain abroad for long.”
“I do not know the exact details either, but for the time being…”
“For the time being?”
At his hesitant tone, Rowena turned her head.
“He intends to stay for several months or so. There are important matters to attend to in the homeland as well.”
Originally, there would have been no problem even if they left today. The business that had been the reason for coming here in the first place was proceeding smoothly, with only the final touches remaining. Thinking of his master, who had worked day and night to secure more time with Rowena, made him uneasy.
And when Jenok had asked what he intended to do from now on, the answer he had received had made him even more troubled.
—I have to change her mind. If I take her by force and she starts plotting to run away again, that would be no good.
Could he truly change her mind? To Jenok, Rowena seemed as solid and firm as a wall of ice. Like a blade tempered dozens, hundreds of times until it became unyielding.
“…
I see.”
Rowena turned her head back toward the window. She was anxious as to whether he would obediently return once that period ended, or whether he would abduct her again and take her with him. But it was difficult to ask directly, and above all, there was no way Jenok could know all of Killian’s intentions.
“It’s late, but thank you.”
“Pardon?”
“For Damian. You still don’t know, do you?”
She did not know why, but Jenok had been looking out for her quite a lot all this time. Perhaps he thought Damian, as an illegitimate child, was unfit to become the next duke. Whatever the reason, in the end, she was grateful.
“Ah…”
Jenok, who seemed to have been rendered speechless by the sudden thanks and only blinked for a moment, belatedly replied,
“Not at all.”
While the two of them were each lost in their own thoughts, the carriage, which had continued running without stopping, had at some point arrived in front of the hospital.
* * *
“Diana.”
No sooner had the sickroom door closed than Loren rose from her seat, her face lighting up.
“Have you been very busy lately? I was waiting for you.”
“I’m sorry, Loren.”
Rowena smiled faintly and sat down on the chair beside the bed. Their glad greeting was brief; as soon as the nurse who had come to check on her condition left, Loren’s expression changed.
“Rowena. I heard from Cedric.”
“What?”
Startled, Rowena’s eyes widened.
“Mr. Cedric has already returned?”
“He came late last night. When I asked why you hadn’t come with him, he said you were staying at the Ludville estate?”
“Loren…”
“I didn’t hear the details. What on earth happened? It isn’t anything I should be worried about, is it?”
Her plan had gone awry. Rowena swallowed a bitter smile. She could not bring herself to say that she had been caught because of Loren’s medicine, and that because of it, she was now being held by the duke. After hesitating, Rowena shook her head.
“There’s nothing to worry about. It’s true I stayed at the Ludville estate because I felt lonely being alone, but nothing happened that you need to be concerned about.”
“Really? Now that Damian and Cedric are back, you’re going back to the townhouse, aren’t you?”
“…
Of course.”
Rowena answered calmly, but in the next moment, her eyes widened. Loren suddenly coughed and doubled over. Rowena caught her and laid her down on the bed, then rang the bell to call a doctor. Gripping Rowena’s arm, Loren took a deep breath.
“I’m all right. It’s not as bad now. It must be thanks to the medicine they changed.”
As she said, there was no seizure like before, but her wheezing breaths sounded labored. With a worried face, Rowena stroked Loren’s back. In the meantime, the doctor and nurse who had been summoned entered the sickroom. Feeling that she would only get in the way if she stayed any longer, Rowena picked up her bag.
“I’ll be going now.”
“I’m sorry. You came all this way.”
“Not at all. And…”
Rowena trailed off as she touched the now useless letter inside her bag.
“Please tell Mr. Cedric not to worry, that I’m doing well. And that I’ll contact him soon.”
“I will.”
No sooner had Loren answered than another bout of coughing overcame her. The doctor took out a sedative injection. Rowena left the now-bustling sickroom and came face to face with Jenok, who had been waiting.
“You are leaving already?”
“Yes. Let’s return to the estate.”
With a slight nod, Rowena brushed past him.
When she returned to the estate, Cecilia was waiting for her. Unlike before, when she had subtly avoided Rowena, today her manner was amiable.
“Where did you go?”
“To visit an acquaintance in the hospital for a little while.”
“I see. Have you had lunch?”
“No. I was just about to.”
“Then let’s eat together. I happened to be hungry as well.”
Linking arms with her, Cecilia led Rowena to the dining room. She looked just as untroubled as usual. Somehow finding herself dining with her, Rowena sat down across from Cecilia.
“By acquaintance, you mean Lady Loren, don’t you?”
“Ah. Yes.”
“I heard about her from Father. How is her condition?”
“She is recovering, thanks to him.”
“That really is good to hear.”
The conversation continued without interruption, yet it felt as though it was circling around something. Suppressing the sensation that the food might sit heavily in her stomach, Rowena picked up her knife and glanced at the clock.
“Do you have some appointment?”
“Ah. I’m going to see a performance this evening.”
She did not bother to say with whom. Partly because she thought of what had happened the last time they attended a performance, and partly because she had a feeling Cecilia would not like it even if she told her. Cecilia’s face stiffened for a moment, and she set down her utensils.
“I’ve taken up too much of your time.”
“No, not at all.”
“Since you’ll be dining after the performance, I’ll have the food cleared away now.”
Speaking as if she were making an announcement, Cecilia instructed the maid standing behind her to clear the plates. One by one, plates that were not even half-finished were taken away, and Rowena rose from her seat.
“Then.”
She gave an awkward farewell and was about to leave the dining room when a word she had long forgotten caught her by the ankle.
“Oh, right. Miss Philone.”
“…”
From the moment her disguise had been discovered, it had only been a matter of time before her identity was exposed. That time had simply come. While Rowena composed herself, an even more explosive remark followed.
“By any chance, did you know that Mr. Godwell came by yesterday?”
“What did you say?”
Frozen, Rowena turned her head while keeping her back to Cecilia. Watching her rigid profile, Cecilia continued in a gentle voice.
“As I thought, you didn’t know.”
“Tell me in detail.”
“I don’t know the exact details either. I only saw his back as he left after briefly entering the annex.”
The annex was where Killian was staying. She did not know what on earth had happened, but one thing was certain: he would not have let him leave quietly. She was staying here at the Ludville estate under an unspoken promise that he would not touch the people around her. If he had broken that promise— Rowena bit her lower lip and was about to hurry out of the dining room when Cecilia quickly added,
“If it’s all right with you, would you like to go for a walk in the park out front tomorrow?”
“A walk?”
“Yes. The weather has been lovely these past few days, and it would be a waste to stay inside the estate.”
She was not particularly inclined to go. At the silence that followed, Cecilia narrowed her eyes and asked as if interrogating her,
“Or is there something bothering you?”
“No. That sounds nice. Let’s go.”
Now was not the time to concern herself with Cecilia. Besides, she did feel sorry toward Cecilia, and it was true that spending all day in the estate felt stifling.
At Rowena’s consent, Cecilia smiled brightly and brought the conversation to an end.
“Then I’ll have a carriage prepared tomorrow morning. Enjoy the performance.”