Chapter 34

“Tina!!”

The room door slammed open, and my mother rushed towards me. How worried had she been? Her eyes were already red with tears.

“Ah…! Tina… I’m so glad you’re safe.”

My mother hugged me gently, tears streaming down her face. She didn’t squeeze me too hard, afraid I might be hurt, but her deep affection was more than enough. I wrapped my arms around her waist, buried my face in her shoulder, and swallowed my tears of relief.

‘…Thank goodness.’

She still loves me.

I can still rely on my mother’s love.

She must have been really worried. My mother held me silently for a while, her body trembling slightly. I stayed in her embrace without saying a word. A tender warmth lingered between us.

But perhaps it was too tender.

“Ahem. Ahem.”

Viviana, who had been awkwardly sitting to the side, let out a very artificial cough. My mother finally let go of me, hurriedly straightened her disheveled clothes, and bowed respectfully to Viviana.

“Thank you so much, Princess… How can I ever repay this kindness…?”

“It’s nothing. I helped because I have a personal connection with Lady Tina.”

Viviana shook her head with a bright smile in response to my mother’s gratitude. Her expression was quite different from when she spoke to me, and it left me bewildered.

She always frowned at me, but now she could smile so brightly? Given Viviana’s personality, she wouldn’t normally smile like that. I couldn’t tell who was being fake with whom.

“Still, please let me repay you. You’ve saved my life, Princess.”

“Kindness…”

Viviana placed a finger on her chin and pondered for a moment. She glanced at me once, then smiled beautifully at my mother again.

“In that case, may I ask for a personal favor later?”

“Of course. Our humble home will always welcome you, Princess.”

“Thank you, Baroness.”

My mother responded to Viviana’s smile with an equally beautiful smile of her own. For some reason, I felt an unfamiliar discomfort at their harmonious interaction.

“Then I’ll take my leave now, Lady. I’ve left the duchy unattended for too long.”

“Ah, yes. Just a moment…”

I tried to get up to see Viviana off, but as if to stop me, Viviana pressed my shoulder and laid me back down on the bed.

“Rest. I’ll accept your gratitude in spirit.”

“Ah…”

“We’ll meet again soon anyway. I still have things to say to you, Lady.”

A slight shiver ran through me as I met Viviana’s calm, violet eyes. But without any further action, she bid farewell to my mother and walked out the door.

“Um, Lady Viviana…!”

At my call, Viviana raised an eyebrow and turned her head towards me. I opened my mouth to thank her for saving me.

“Uh, well…”

But for some reason.

No words came out. My mind went blank, as if I’d become a fool. I couldn’t think of anything to say.

‘How… how do you say thank you?’

It wasn’t hard.

I’d said thank you hundreds of times before. Whenever the other young ladies praised me or gave me gifts, I’d always returned their kindness with a harmless smile and a bit of flattery.

That’s how it’s done.

You smile at them, make a harmless gesture with a hint of flattery, and satisfy their mood.

But…

[Stop with the act, Lady.]

At Viviana’s firm words, I couldn’t bring myself to smile. The smile I’d practiced hundreds, thousands of times over the years—I couldn’t make it. I had no idea what expression to make.

I don’t know.

How do you say thank you?

How do you smile without faking it?

How do you… make Viviana believe my gratitude isn’t an act?

I didn’t know what to do without the smile I’d relied on all my life. My eyes wandered aimlessly, and my lips fumbled as if I’d lost the ability to speak.

“…Are you still hurt somewhere?”

Perhaps my expression looked strange, as Viviana placed her hand on my forehead with a slightly softened gaze. Her palm was colder than I expected, and my body flinched.

“No fever.”

“Uh, well…”

I closed my eyes tightly and avoided her gaze. Not knowing what expression to make, I bowed my head to hide my face.

“Th-thank you… really…”

I grabbed the hem of her clothes with trembling hands. Forcing my stiff lips to move, I struggled to get the words out.

“…”

There was no response. What expression was Viviana making? Given her personality, she was probably expressionless. I closed my eyes tightly and spoke to her again.

“Th-thank you… Lady Viviana… I’ll… I’ll repay this kindness…”

“…”

*Crunch-*

A sound like grinding teeth echoed. Startled, I looked up to see Viviana’s violet eyes glaring down at me fiercely.

What had upset her? She chewed her lip for a moment, then turned and left the room.

‘Is she… angry?’

Viviana’s cold gaze couldn’t hide her emotions. There was only one reason she’d be angry. I hung my head low and fidgeted nervously with my fingers.

Again…

She thinks it’s an act.

Well, it can’t be helped.

Even I don’t know what expression or tone I used, so how awkward must it have seemed to her?

But still…

However…

‘It really… wasn’t an act…’

*

The grand mansion of the Merdelia Ducal Family, rivaling the Imperial Palace in grandeur.

The main gate opened, and numerous servants bowed to their master. As Viviana walked in, greeted by their welcome, an elderly man with an old-fashioned air came to meet her.

“You’ve worked hard, Princess. Your coat is quite dirty today.”

As always, when she handed over her coat, Alphonse, the head butler of the Merdelia family, accepted it politely and greeted her.

“I had some business on horseback.”

“I see.”

Alphonse nodded and quietly followed Viviana. Upon reaching her office, Viviana slumped onto the sofa and lit a cigarette. Seeing her visibly uncomfortable expression, Alphonse asked curiously.

“Did you manage to cut ties with the Blanchard family?”

“What?”

Viviana’s sharp glare made Alphonse flinch. He wondered if he’d made a mistake, but since he hadn’t, he continued calmly.

“You did say you were going to cut ties with the Blanchard lady, didn’t you? To make her pay for toying with you.”

“…”

Viviana didn’t respond. The increasingly chilly atmosphere left Alphonse deeply confused.

‘Did I say something wrong?’

But he clearly remembered Viviana saying those words herself. There was no reason for him to be mistaken, so why did she seem so upset?

Leaving the bewildered Alphonse behind, Viviana took a deep drag of her cigarette and nodded quietly to him.

“I need to think alone. Leave me.”

“…Yes.”

Though puzzled, a servant’s duty was absolute. Alphonse bowed to Viviana and left the office. Alone in the room, Viviana slammed her hand on the desk with a twisted expression.

*Bang-!*

Viviana took another deep drag of her cigarette, then swept her hair back and covered her mouth with her hand.

“Ah, seriously… what is this…!”

Her always pale, emotionless face now bore a blush that had never appeared before. A blush that didn’t suit her, yet somehow did—a blush befitting an eighteen-year-old girl.

Ever since leaving the Blanchard estate, one girl’s face had been swirling in her mind.

The shy blush, the pitiful eyes that couldn’t meet hers, the trembling body trying to calm itself, the faint voice barely managing to speak.

“That face… saying thank you… it’s cheating…”