Chapter 120. Come to My House.
After finishing the letter, Deborah’s face took on a look of deep thought.
Missionary work.
A very long time ago, she had heard such words from her.
That if the opportunity ever arose, she truly wanted to go outside of Ruvake.
And she had said it would be even better if it were a place where her help was needed.
An unmarried single woman past the marriageable age, a withered flower, an eccentric lady.
These were all mocking terms used to refer to Helena Lowell.
But those were merely very wrong words spoken by people who didn’t know her well, or by those with narrow minds.
Deborah did not know any woman as brave and independent as her.
It was only a pity that the circumstances of the times viewed her negatively; Deborah was always proud of her for pushing forward with her beliefs without being conscious of the eyes around her.
While thinking that, unlike her, she felt utterly ashamed of herself for always conforming to the reality she faced…….
“She worried about you constantly until she left.”
At the sound of the low voice, Deborah’s gaze moved toward the front.
“It seems she even intended to send a letter to the Duke’s mansion, but she couldn’t bring herself to do so readily because she didn’t know what the situation was…….”
“…….”
If I had known it would be like this, I would have visited a little sooner.
Even though it was a situation where she had no choice at the time, she felt a lingering regret.
Jade, who read that remorse, immediately offered words of comfort.
“Still, it’s not like you’ll never see her again, you’ll be able to see her again in just a few months, so cheer up.”
It was true.
Compared to last winter, when they couldn’t promise when they would meet, there was now hope that they could meet again after just a few months.
Moreover, since this matter was a journey she had embarked on to fulfill a dream she had longed for, it was naturally something to be happy about.
Deborah soon nodded at that kind consolation.
“By the way—.”
His tone sounded extremely cautious as Jade’s gaze moved toward the luggage bag placed beside Deborah.
“May I ask…… what the situation is right now?”
“…….”
It was something she had prepared for.
When she came all the way here in this state, it was far too obvious that such a question would arise.
However, even so, the words did not come out easily.
Something she didn’t want anyone to know…….
If it hadn’t been for Helena’s sudden absence, she would never have sought out Jade like this.
But knowing that it was already spilled milk, Deborah slowly began to open her mouth.
“……I ended up leaving the mansion.”
To be precise, using the expression that she was kicked out rather than that she left was more accurate, but she couldn’t say it that way.
Especially not in front of Jade, who was entangled in such a connection with the Cheister family.
“A…… no, why on earth?”
At the words that returned immediately, she was momentarily speechless.
It was because she hadn’t expected such words to come out at all.
She thought he would say “Is that so?” and then ask what she planned to do next.
However, Jade, whose face crumpled in an instant, didn’t even wait for the answer to come out of Deborah’s mouth and quickly continued his next words.
“Could it be…… that man, Duke Cheister, did that?”
Deborah’s golden eyes shook violently in an instant.
Asking if he did it—at that ridiculous misunderstanding, Deborah immediately shook her head hard.
“No, it’s not that. It wasn’t him.”
“Then?”
“…….”
“Deborah.”
At the sound of him calling her name lowly, Deborah’s lips pressed together tightly.
And after a moment—
“I just left on my own. ……The Duke doesn’t know.”
“He doesn’t know…… what does that mean?”
How could he not know?
Jade’s expression hardened even more stiffly as if he couldn’t understand.
The person who, with such a terrifying face, showed his possessiveness before him without even thinking of hiding it—and he doesn’t know she packed her bags like this and is wandering the night streets?
No, the Raymond von Cheister that Jade knew was absolutely not such a careless man.
At the persistent gaze pressing for an answer, Deborah’s closed lips finally opened again.
“He is away from the mansion to accompany His Royal Highness the Crown Prince on his return to the palace…… so he is not at the mansion right now.”
The Crown Prince? Jade’s facial muscles, which had been slowly piecing together the words from Deborah’s mouth, suddenly relaxed at some point.
Only then were the fragmented puzzle pieces all fitted together.
He also knew that Crown Prince Philip was visiting the Duke of Cheister’s house.
It was a bit strange that he was returning to the palace again in such a short time, but anyway, it wasn’t a very strange thing for Duke Cheister to accompany the Crown Prince on his way back to the palace.
In other words, it meant that could naturally be the case.
However, it was just suspicious that Deborah had left the mansion without the Duke’s knowledge, taking advantage of that gap.
As if she had run away.
At that time, looking at Deborah’s expression as she watched the Duke who suddenly appeared, it clearly seemed like she felt the same way as the man.
If so, the person who would kick her out of that mansion was…….
It was something that didn’t even require long thought.
No matter how insignificant the status of a low-ranking maid, there was no one who would dare kick out a woman in such a relationship with the Duke overnight, in such a shabby state with only one old luggage bag.
Except for his mother, the Dowager Duchess, and his sister, Cecilia von Cheister.
Strong force momentarily entered Jade’s tightly set jaw.
Deborah’s expression also sank low at that cold atmosphere.
Even though it was an unavoidable situation, she wondered if she should have just kept her mouth shut until the end—regret rushed in.
“Then, did you leave today?”
“Ah, no. I left yesterday…….”
While she was having various complicated thoughts, the words that came in unexpectedly made her answer truthfully without realizing it, and she momentarily thought “Uh-oh.”
“Yesterday……? Then where on earth did you stay yesterday?”
“…….”
“Deborah.”
“……I stayed at an inn. It was too late an hour to go to my teacher…… so I intended to stay for just one night and go early in the morning.”
After listening to Deborah’s words to the end, Jade wore an expression of utter disbelief.
A young woman alone, and in such a dangerous state carrying a luggage bag, seeking out an inn late at night.
It was obvious without even asking what level of inn she would have sought out given her circumstances weren’t favorable.
“Deborah, what on earth were you thinking—.”
Trying to give her a piece of his mind in exasperation, Jade paused for a moment and shut his mouth firmly.
And after a moment, a long sigh flowed through his teeth.
“Deborah, don’t ever do that again.”
“…….”
“Yesterday—consider that yesterday passed without incident truly by a stroke of luck, and from now on, you must never go to such a place alone.”
Do you understand? Even though the stern tone as if to get a promise could have honestly felt unpleasant, she felt a very strange sensation instead.
She couldn’t exactly explain that feeling, but if she had to, it was like…… wondering if this is how it would feel if she also had a brother.
In the end, she just laughed bitterly, telling herself it was a useless thought.
After a moment, seeing her nod, Jade finally let out a faint sigh.
It was a very strange thing.
He thought they would surely be in an awkward relationship when they met again, but seeing how it felt like nothing was wrong.
Of course, it was a clear fact that the name Cheister was still an uncomfortable subject for both of them.
However, Deborah merely thought that perhaps this moment existed because of the person who had shown infinite consideration and effort so that she wouldn’t feel that way.
Dong— Dong—
At that moment, at the sound of the wall clock announcing the time, Deborah’s body flinched.
7:00 PM.
Deborah, realizing late that more time had passed than expected while sharing various conversations, picked up the bag placed beside her.
Then she smiled at Jade, who was sitting in front of her.
“Jade, thank you so much for today.”
As if sensing that was a precursor to a farewell, Jade’s brow furrowed slightly.
That was quite strange, but she had no leisure to worry about such things now.
The outside of the window she glanced back at had become even darker than when she entered the bookstore.
It was still a very late hour, but even so, if she wanted to find a place to sleep today, she had to hurry even now.
Deborah pushed back her chair and stood up from her seat.
“I’ll be going now, then.”
At the moment Deborah, who had pushed the chair back inside the table, was about to take a step—
“Where to?”
As if flustered by Jade’s action of grabbing her arm, Deborah opened her mouth falteringly with a dazed expression.
“Pardon? Naturally, to look for a place to stay tonight…….”
The following words trailed off as she saw Jade’s immediately frowning expression.
……Why on earth is he like that? Just as she was wondering, Jade snatched the bag held in one of Deborah’s hands.
Looking at Deborah, who let out an “Oh,” he spoke with a determined expression.
“Come to my house.”
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