Chapter 54

Rattle, rattle.

She seemed to be quiet, but the sparse wind shook the open barn door. It would be nice to close the door and hang the lock, but it was impossible to lock the door at will because of his place as a slave.

Besides, Edwin had another reason why he wouldn’t lock the barn door.

Edwin felt slightly excited. He could feel Herietta looking at him from behind. She was lying comfortably on the hay he had piled to one side as if she were in her own room.

Normally, he would have told her to sit down with something underneath, but today he kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to offend her by saying something wrong.

It had been a week since Herietta went to see him like this.

Meanwhile, he was starting to get nervous and was wondering if he had done something to her. Although he was acting as if nothing had happened, he couldn’t be more pleased with her sudden visit. Then, she came forward and asked him, ‘What are you doing?’ It was a pain to hold back his laughter and appear like a fool in front of her.

Herietta was very curious about him. Since she went to Lavant, she had been depressed because a lot has happened to her, but originally she used to snoop around.

She came over to him and closely observed what he was doing. She then rolled up her sleeves and said that she would help with the job.

Edwin turned down her offer. The reason was that it was too dangerous.

The tool he was using was common to many people’s daily lives, but the thought of it being in her hands made him feel uncomfortable. Even though he knew he was being overprotective, he couldn’t help it. Since she wasn’t a very attentive person, she could have turned her eyes elsewhere and she could have been cut.

He reminded her of the promise engraved on the maple tree and said that this was too much for her. He thought her rebuttal would follow, but he was proven wrong as Herietta gave up much more easily than he thought. She pouted at one point, but that was all.

She lingered around him for a moment, and then she climbed onto the hay piled up behind him and settled down.

Rustle, rustle. Behind him came the sound of the hem of her clothes rubbing against the hay. Whoo. The sound of her breathing sounded like a small animal that found a nest after a hard day’s work.

As he listened to the sound, the corners of his mouth curled up even though it wasn’t such a big deal. It was a feeling that was blooming in the corner of his heart, an emotion that could not be expressed in words.

Edwin didn’t look at Herietta for a while. It wasn’t because he was mad or upset at her, he just didn’t want her to see him smiling like a fool. It was all because he didn’t want to show this kind of face to her.

With every step he took, her gaze moved with it. While he was working, he thought it was too cold in the barn, but from the moment she walked in, it became somewhat warm, and felt as if the empty space was filled with her presence.

Edwin turned around. He couldn’t concentrate on the task in front of him.

The silence between the two continued to grow infinitely longer. She seemed to have something to say to him. But at the same time, he felt that he did not want to break this serenity.

He just loved the moment she was around him like this, even though she was lying comfortably not far from him. He loved the present moment when they can focus on each other while forgetting everything, including the past and the future, even for a moment.

“?”

Edwin straightened his body. It was because Herietta’s gaze, which had been looking at him for a while now suddenly ceased to be felt.

Or maybe she fell asleep while lying down. Come to think of it, the clothes she was wearing were not that thick. He was worried about what to do if she fell asleep in that state and later caught a cold.

Edwin looked carefully behind him. He was contemplating whether he should wake him up if she fell asleep, or if he should bring her a blanket.

But upon seeing Herietta, his expression hardened. For some reason, she was burying her face in her hands.

‘Are you crying?’

Edwin was perplexed. He never expected that she would be crying behind him. After all, she had no reason to cry now. She was a little bit too sulky, but she was very lively just a moment ago.

Maybe she got hurt while I wasn’t looking. His heart plummeted.

Edwin threw the tool he was holding onto the floor. It made quite the noise, but he didn’t care. He approached Herietta with quick steps.

“Miss Herietta. Are you okay?”

He asked as he quickly observed her. Fortunately, she did not appear to have been injured, but no answer came back. She just lay still, unmoving, as if she couldn’t hear him.

He felt a wall he had never seen before as she closed her eyes and refused to face him.

“If you are teasing me, please stop. Otherwise, I might get really angry.”

Edwin said with strength in his voice. He wondered if she was doing this on purpose. After all, she seemed upset that she couldn’t help with his work a while ago. He only did it because it was related to her safety, but looking back, maybe it wasn’t the best decision.

Still… Could it be that he was too cold-hearted when he refused her?

Another suspicion arose in his mind. Come to think of it, she must have just wanted to help out with pure intentions.

“Please raise your head. I was too blunt, is that why you’re crying?”

Edwin’s voice softened. No, he thought it wasn’t it, but as time passed, he became more and more withdrawn. Even though he thought he did nothing wrong, little by little he began to be unsure.

“I must have acted too harshly. I’m just worried… I was wrong. I was wrong, so please don’t be upset.”

He could have said it better.

Edwin now regretted his actions and began to blame himself.

It had only been a minute since the moment he confidently said that he didn’t do anything wrong. Even from his own perspective, the speed of his collapse was so fast.

Edwin clenched his teeth. He felt like he wanted to remove the two hands that were covering Herietta’s face. He wanted to check her face hidden behind it and her expression.

Edwin’s hand hovered close to Herietta’s face, but he couldn’t touch her so easily.

She wouldn’t be offended if he had held her hand if it was the woman he knew. She might not have cared so much as if she didn’t even know he had held her.

But nonetheless, he was cautious with everything. It was because he was worried, but he didn’t know if she would look at him like that. Still, maybe she was crying because of his actions.

What if she forcefully accepts my actions?

What if the situation gets worse than it is now?

What if… she hates me even more?

If so, what should I do?

“Miss Herietta. Please…”

“…”

“Please show me your face.”

Edwin began to plead with Herietta. He appeared so desperate that it seemed like it didn’t matter if he looked foolish or not.

His mouth was dry and his stomach was burning. Although the time he was waiting for her response was very short, it felt as long as eternity.

Edwin couldn’t stand it any longer and was about to grab Herietta’s hand. Herietta slowly lowered her hand that was covering her face.

Her hidden face and the clear brown eyes set on it turned towards him.

Herietta was not crying. There were no tears in her eyes and her face was dry.

But why? He thought she was crying. He thought she was sad and mourning. This strange feeling that could not be easily explained made Edwin bewildered once again.

‘What is it that makes you so sad?’

Edwin was about to ask, but the corners of Herietta’s lips rose as if she was enjoying his reaction. Although she was smiling, it seemed as if she was feeling numb, or even sad, underneath it.

“It’s a joke. Have I fooled you again?”

She asked teasingly.

“If you don’t want me to do it again, then don’t keep ignoring me.”

She added with a grin.

The face that gave him the impression that she looked sad was no longer there.

As if nothing had happened from the beginning, and only a bright smile remained.