Chapter 20
Belatedly realizing that he had unconsciously tried to defend Judith, Axel’s eyes trembled faintly. Ms. Cicelot’s gaze turned toward the children in the distance.
“There are so many pitiful children. Some have been returned after multiple adoptions, and others have come from other orphanages where they were abused. It’s really rare to find someone who treats the children with such genuine sincerity…”
Axel’s gaze was already fixed on Judith. She was smiling brightly at a child, leaning down to listen attentively at their eye level.
Ms. Cicelot watched them with a smile full of joy.
“I guess rumors really can’t be trusted.”
The moment Judith disappeared from Axel’s view, he abruptly stood up. Ms. Cicelot, who had been watching him, let out an “Oh,” then gave him a pleased look and tossed out a hint.
“The young lady was heading to the supply room… It must be heavy for her to carry alone…”
At Ms. Cicelot’s words, he responded as if he’d been waiting for them.
“I’ll go.”
As Axel followed after Judith, he saw her in the distance conversing with a boy. The boy raised his voice, creating an unusually tense atmosphere.
And in that instant.
The boy shoved Judith’s hand away, and she staggered, falling to the ground.
When he saw blood flowing from Judith’s hand afterward, for some unknown reason, Axel felt his heart sink heavily to the pit of his stomach.
Before Axel could even get close to Judith, she silently stood up and poured out her true feelings to the boy.
Judith’s eyes shone with intelligence, and there was no hesitation in her words. Her speech had a compelling power that made one want to believe her.
Axel had always harbored suspicions about Judith’s changed behavior.
He was certain she was acting as part of some scheme. He calmly waited, believing that eventually she wouldn’t be able to hide her true nature and her misdeeds would expose the facade. He thought that when the time came, he could handle it easily.
But could that appearance really be called an act?
Axel asked himself, but he couldn’t answer.
A strength that contrasted with Judith’s small, slender frame emanated from her.
Axel finally reached a brief conclusion.
For whatever reason, Judith had changed.
When she returned, Axel pretended not to know and asked.
“What’s with that hand? Where did you get hurt?”
“Oh… I tripped earlier because I wasn’t watching where I was going. You know how clumsy I am, Your Highness.”
Judith scratched her cheek sheepishly and lied with a bright smile. The fact that she was lying to him didn’t sit well at all.
Axel suppressed the dark, swirling emotions within him.
“Uh, Your Highness. I can do it myself…!”
“You’re going to treat it with an injured hand? Stay still.”
Judith, who was always so eager to cling to him, now waved her hands in alarm at his offer to treat her. Only after Axel gave her a stern word did she clamp her mouth shut and extend her hand to him.
And so, after wrapping everything up, in the carriage on the way back.
Judith, sitting across from him, nodded off from accumulated fatigue. Axel, displeased by her bobbing like a sick chicken, did something he wouldn’t normally do.
He moved to sit beside Judith and steadied her swaying head against his shoulder.
As Axel stared intently at Judith, who had fallen asleep leaning her face against him, he felt an inexplicable sense of calm.
The more he met with Judith, the more his emotions swung wildly in strange ways.
When he saw her smiling face, his chest tickled oddly, and when she was out of sight, an anxious feeling arose as if something inside him was broken.
Axel thought as he looked at Judith.
It seemed he needed to keep her by his side and observe her more closely.
Before falling asleep that evening, as Mary brushed my hair, she suddenly asked me.
“Oh, my lady. I heard they’re holding a festival at Nelvia Square this week for the first time in four years—have you heard?”
Nelvia Square was the closest to the imperial palace and the largest square in the capital. My ears perked up at the word “festival.”
“A festival?”
“Yes! I heard it’s going to be very grand since it’s the first in four years! If it’s alright, how about going with His Grace the Grand Duke!”
Mary’s suggestion was great, but unfortunately, I’d already visited the orphanage with Axel this week, and our next meeting was already scheduled.
Axel’s schedule was always packed without gaps, so pulling next week’s appointment forward to this week was impossible.
And every time I went to see Axel, he seemed incredibly busy. It felt like a miracle that he made time for me once a week.
Even without asking, it was obvious the answer would be no.
A festival… I want to go with Axel, but it can’t be helped. I’ll just have to go alone.
Having finished my thoughts, I smiled and said to Mary.
“Hmm, I do want to go, but His Highness is busy this week, so it probably won’t happen.”
“I see, His Highness is busy… That’s too bad.”
“Yeah, I’m disappointed too.”
The next morning arrived, and as usual, I headed to the grand duke’s office for work. The moment Lord Shuian saw me, he spoke stiffly, like a computer outputting pre-programmed values.
“His Highness will return shortly.”
Now he’d reached the point of telling me when Axel would arrive without me even asking. He was like an alarm bot. I smiled and said to him.
“I haven’t said anything yet.”
“You’re going to ask where His Highness is, aren’t you?”
“That’s true.”
Lord Shuian glanced at me with a face that said I was stating the obvious. At his sulky expression, I burst into laughter and approached him.
A neatly placed document on Lord Shuian’s desk caught my eye.
[Nelvia Square. Festival Traffic Restriction Zones and Crowd Control.]
Seeing it, I pretended to know.
“Oh, this is that festival happening for the first time in four years! Is His Grace the Grand Duke in charge of it?”
“This one?”
“Yes.”
“No, we’re not directly handling the festival; we’ve been assigned to manage the traffic.”
“Ah, I see.”
As I nodded, a sudden curiosity struck me, and I asked him.
“Then, will His Highness go in person on the festival day?”
“Hmm. He probably won’t get directly involved, but he’ll likely go to check on the situation.”
His answer deflated me. I’d been thinking of asking the grand duke to go together, but I folded that idea away in an instant.
It wasn’t going to happen anyway. I almost asked and got rejected for nothing. Still, I’d held a tiny hope in my heart, but saying it would only lead to hurt.
As Lord Shuian organized the documents, he asked me.
“And you, my lady? Do you plan to attend the festival?”
…Well, barring any major changes, I’ll go alone. After a brief moment of thought, I replied immediately.
“Yes, I plan to.”
