Chapter 72
The answer he’d been waiting for was cut off by a knock at the door. The air turned heavy, as if doused in cold water. From outside came a voice calling, “Young master, are you asleep?” It was the Nanny.
Hitaon clicked his tongue and rose from the bed. Luirene tried to get up as well, but he stopped her.
“Stay here.”
“But…”
“If you stay still under the covers, she won’t know. I won’t let her come far enough inside.”
Wearing only trousers with a nightgown thrown over his bare torso, he tucked the blanket carefully over her and moved toward the door.
“What is it, Nanny?”
“On my way back after finishing the work in the annex, a maid told me something—so I came to see you.”
“What did she say?”
“I was told you sent someone on a book errand, so I came to ask whether you might also need some tea and refreshments to accompany it.”
Hidden under the covers, Luirene felt a chill run through her. Someone must have overheard the little play she and Hitaon had put on in the rear garden. It felt as though the slightest lapse in caution would get her ankle bitten—truly, this place was no different from a tiger’s den.
“No. It’s fine. I was just about to turn in.”
“I see. Where is the book? I’ll take it with me.”
Hitaon handed over the book from the table decorated with the hydrangea vase. It had been meant to send the Nanny on her way as quickly as possible, but moving in that direction drew her eye instead.
“The flowers in the vase… weren’t there peonies there just yesterday?”
“The hydrangeas in the garden were blooming beautifully, so I cut a few.”
“You changed them yourself, young master? Good heavens. What if you’d cut your hand while trimming them! Please, leave such chores to this old woman.”
“I will, from now on. It’s late—hurry back and get some rest, Nanny.”
“Yes, then.”
Once the door closed, Luirene rustled softly and emerged from under the covers.
“Is she gone?”
“Yes.”
“That startled me… Someone must have been watching from the rear garden earlier.”
“The problem with this mansion is that it’s overflowing with listening mice.”
“She said it was a maid…”
“Don’t worry about it. We laid a smoke screen—she can’t suspect anything.”
Seeing his untroubled attitude, Luirene let the thought go as well. Hitaon’s bedroom had an attached bath, which was a blessing—she could wash up without having to step outside. After cleaning herself with warm water, the tension drained away and her body sagged heavily.
“I’m so sleepy. I should hurry back.”
“Sleep here and go.”
“What? But…”
“I’ll wake you at dawn and take you back.”
“…Is that really necessary?”
“You’ve finally come to me. Am I the only one who wants to be together a little longer?”
No, she shouldn’t…
Her firm resolve wavered little by little. Why would he be the only one? She too had conjured the thought of this embrace night after night. If she’d been held enough to grow sick of it, maybe then she’d have no regrets—but the moments of their secret meetings were far too short to fully savor such sweetness.
Just a little longer, just a little longer—repeating it over and over, in the end the two of them fell asleep together.
When the lengthened summer sun brightened the surroundings like early dawn, Luirene woke. Hitaon was still deep asleep beside her, undisturbed. Instead of waking him, she pressed kisses to his forehead and his cheek, then quietly slipped out of the bedroom.
The season of new green passed by, miraculously sweet.
Hitaon became adept at figuring out which days the main building stood empty, and would call Luirene to his bedroom. Their plausible excuse—books she’d brought along—never once got opened. Spending several nights with him, Luirene learned that Hitaon was unexpectedly the type who slept deeply into the morning.
Just when the dry, musty scent of wooden boards and straw piles had faded from memory, replaced by the soft fragrance of cozy bedding and potpourri made from dried tea leaves, the situation shifted.
Sissley returned to the mansion from his short holiday. While he’d been away, Luirene had taken over the job of going to and from the stables to tend the feed. She’d been checking on Ebony, who’d grown more attached with all the hay she’d scattered for him, and now she headed to the stables with Sissley—who, even a week after his return, was still whining about how much he already missed his break.
“Oh, Luirene. Did you make up with Miya?”
“Make up? Is there anything to make up over? She’s the one who’s decided to hate me one-sidedly.”
“Really?”
“Why the sudden question?”
“No reason—just, Miya’s been asking about you lately, out of nowhere.”
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