âItâs okay. I can run to Miss Rowena! Could it be that Lady Rowena would pretend not to see me?â
That couldnât be true. It was clear that the Rowena they knew, would not only hide Anna but also find a place for her to work.
âBut it must be dangerousâ¦â
Lyria was soon moved to tears of course. Anna clicked her tongue, pulled out a handkerchief, and wiped Lyriaâs tears.
âBecause youâre so weak-minded⦠You need to be tougher! I canât stay with you forever.â
âYeah. Thank you, Annaâ¦â
Lyria hugged Anna, who opened her arms with a big smile. Even if it didnât come out immediately, she kept crying at the thought of separating.
* * *
âWhere did you get this flower?â
It was a shabby composition that did not suit the imperial palace, so it stood out. Even flowers that adorned the gardens of high nobles had different seeds. Even if it was the same rose, the colors were slightly different and so were the shape of the flowers.
Rowena also knew that as a noble. In addition, the gardener only planted flowers of the same breed every year, so she had no choice but to recognize the bouquet from her family.
The maid looked puzzled at Rowenaâs question. The prince told her she didnât have to say it at first, and that she should keep it secret as much as possible. However, if Rowena seemed to notice, he told her to confess without hiding anything.
âItâs a gift from the Lord, the youngest of Adelia.â
âLouis is here?â
When Rowena was seriously injured and lay in the room, she was a sister who had never been seen. So she thought he wouldnât want to know how she was.
Did Father send you that way?
It was surprising that he didnât come to visit her in person and harass her, but she also thought that this was his work.
I hope Iâm not the reason why Louis is having a hard time
âI understand that he did not bring it with him when he came today, but that he brought it with him during his last visit.â
âBut why didnât you tell me?â
âIt was after a long time of treatment and sleepâ¦â
Rowena wondered, recalling that she had taken a nap under the treatment of a healer. Of course, Louis stayed in the palace for quite a long time, so she should have told her later, but the maid did not explain that.
âI have to go. Show me around.â
âI see.â
The maid called the other maids, saying that they would prepare it immediately. Rowena looked at them nervously.
* * *
âRoâ¦â
Louis, who was going to call her name, as usual, paused. He was conscious of the others around.
Rowena, dressed in a gorgeous dress, looked like a lady of the palace. Louis was somehow intimidated because the maids surrounding her were the maids of the castle.
âS-sister.â
She was going to get angry when she saw his face but she was at a loss for words when she met him.
âLouis.â
Rowena, who strode up with a frown, looked at Louisâ complexion. It was because it was doubtful that Louis, who had always been in high spirits, was doing this willingly.
It was only four daysâ¦
Recognizing the faint traces of the wound, Rowena clenched her teeth. This could not be the case if you used a healer with excellent skills. Paul couldnât have hit Louis, so the culprit must be Matthias, and it was clear that Paul called a junior healer to change Rowenaâs mind when she saw the wound.
To protect Louis, he thought Rowena would come back to the Count Estate.
Really amazing.
She didnât know how far Paul had revealed his innermost thoughts, but Louis looked wary of being hurt.
âWhy? Do you have something to say?â
Rowena sighed as she raised her envious voice. Rowena looked back at the maids.
âPlease call a healer.â
âWhat? Why is a healerâ¦?â
Louis, who was acting proudly and pretending to be fine, looked at Rowenaâs expression and kept quiet. Rowena grabbed Louis by the arm and led him to the sofa. As Rowena sat next to him, Louis glanced at her.
âYou have something to tell me. What did Father tell you to tell me?â
Louis looked at the maidservants and servants without answering. Rowena winked at them, noticing that he wanted privacy.
âCall me if you need me.â
The maid and the attendants left, and Louis seemed more comfortable. It would only be a short time until the healer came, but Louisâs face was relieved of his worries.
âItâs obvious what Father is going to say. Heâs asking you to come back home. He promises to forgive everything when you come back.â
âHeâs talking about forgiveness.â
âDid His Royal Highness really do that? Fatherâs hand?â
Rowena frowned at Louis when he asked carefully.
âWhat happened to Fatherâs hand?â
âI donât know the details either. Aside from that, even though the advanced healer went there, he didnât recover. He said it would be better if he showed it to the high priest, but the high priest costs a lot of money.â
There was no law to treat the common people or the poor free of charge, sometimes seen by the public. Most nobles, without exception, were treated with large donations.
âHeâs shaking. I think he canât grab things.â
âBoth hands?â
âOnly his right hand.â
Although he was talking about the fact that his father had a disability in his hand, Louis was easygoing. He knew the wound would heal quickly if he showed it to the high priest.
ââ¦Louis.â
âWhatâs wrong with you?â
Louis seemed to feel better as his sister seemed to be in good condition. He was nervous being surrounded by expensive dresses he had never seen before, but Rowena was Rowena.
âDo you want to live with me in the palace? Out of the house.â
Louis was speechless at Rowenaâs unexpected offer.
* * *