Weren’t You the One Who Was Dying? Chapter 55

“Ehit?”

At that moment, the owner of the candy appeared.

Dapflen, holding a basket of candy that was almost empty, looked back and forth between the candy in Ehit’s hand and Randy, whose face had gone pale.

“Did you steal it from him?”

Miss Dapflen casually said the words that Randy wouldn’t have dared to even think aloud.

Randy felt like his blood was about to turn the same color as the candy. This was the second crisis of his life at the Cloyden estate.

“If you wanted some, you should’ve just said so.”

“Everyone else gave theirs without me saying anything.”

This looks like a situation I should get out of first.

Randy bowed his head quickly, then slowly backed away from between the two of them. Keeping his footsteps as quiet as possible, he carefully—but quickly—walked toward the corner of the hallway.

“I thought you said you didn’t like sweet things.”

“…….”

Behind him, he could still hear the young master and Miss Dapflen talking.

“Here, I still have some left. I’ll give you one.”

And then came the next sound.

A light smack, as a hand knocked something away—followed by the sound of candy hitting the floor.

Not a loud crash, but a crunch, the sharp sound of candy breaking, sounding even louder than it should have.

‘……!’

Randy barely managed to suppress a gasp. The moment he turned the corner, he ran down the stairs without looking back.

Dapflen’s eyes wavered.

So did Ehit’s. This wasn’t what he had intended.

Dapflen stared blankly at the broken candy, then slowly lifted her head.

“…….”

They were eyes that made one uncomfortable. If she had reacted the way she usually did—loudly asking what was wrong, or getting angry and demanding an explanation—it wouldn’t have felt like this.

But right now, Dapflen’s eyes were neither of those.

They were calm, but lonely. A gaze that gave an impression close to resignation.

That made it even harder for Ehit to bear.

“Randy!”

Randy, who had disappeared down the hallway, hurriedly reappeared.

Ehit shouted at him, not bothering to hide the irritation in his voice.

“The floor isn’t properly cleaned.”

“Yes? Elne cleaned it just a few minutes before you came—”

Only after meeting the sharp look in his master’s eyes did Randy realize the true meaning.

“……I see. I’ll take care of it.”

He took out a handkerchief and picked up the candy broken into four pieces. The remaining crumbs he wiped away with another cloth.

All the while, Dapflen watched the scene quietly.

When Randy stood up, Ehit gestured for him to follow. Dapflen remained standing there until the two of them disappeared down the hallway.

The moment Dapflen was out of sight, Ehit held out his hand to Randy.

“Give it to me, Randy.”

“Ah…… here it is.”

Ehit tucked the handkerchief-wrapped candy into his coat, let out a long breath, and ran a hand through his hair.

“I’m sorry. You can go.”

After sending Randy away, Ehit returned to his room. As soon as he entered, he sank deeply into the sofa.

Just as there are things you understand with your head but not your heart, sometimes there are things your heart knows but your head refuses to accept.

His heart already knew who should be receiving an apology. But he deliberately tried not to acknowledge it.

As Ehit placed the candy—still wrapped in the handkerchief—on the desk, his gaze fell on a telegram lying off to the side. It seemed to have arrived from his grandmother while he was out.

“…….”

After reading it, Ehit let out an even deeper sigh and turned his head away.

“Come to the capital with your fiancée. The engagement ceremony will be held in three days.”

Of all times.

How could it be this one-sided?

There were words saying it had already been sent to the Aileta family, and details about the location, but none of that really registered.

Only one thing mattered.

That the person who had to tell Dapflen this was him.

Meaning, the same Dapflen he had just snapped at moments ago.

That realization made Ehit’s head ache.

 

 

****

 

 

 

Bellachen Post Office, Returned Mail Section.

“Teddy, did you put those over there properly too?”

“Yes!”

Amid the busily moving staff, one piece of mail slipped from the returned-mail box and dropped lightly onto the floor.

Teddy picked it up. Because the envelope hadn’t been sealed properly, the end of the letter was sticking out slightly.

“This is bad, Delphi. Contact me as soon as you see this.”

The letter, ending like that, disappeared back into the envelope under busy hands.

‘It’s been three days and no one’s picked it up.’

Sender unknown. Recipient: Dapflen Aileta, Bellachen Medical Institute Residence.

It had been returned because the residence was under restoration. Since the sender was unknown, the post office was holding onto it.

The medical institute knew about the returned mail, so they would tell the recipient if she came by the office. She must be busy.

Without thinking much of it, Teddy put the letter back into the return box and left the mailroom.

 

 

****

 

 

 

“Something on your mind?”

“Huh? No, ma’am—nothing.”

After finishing the examination, Madam Bella withdrew her arm. She put her red cape back on and looked at me.

“Just let things flow as they will. Even if it’s hard now, it’ll end up creating the best result.”

“Pardon?”

“All trials become nourishment in the end.”

Madam Bella sometimes gave me advice like this—philosophical, almost. At the time, I’d think, ‘I guess so……’ and let it pass, but later those words would come back to mind and turn out to be useful.

“But it’s been a while since you last came.”

“We’ll be seeing each other again soon enough.”

With a sharp smile, Madam Bella stood up.

After work, I returned to the estate and washed up first. Warm steam filled the bathroom.

I sank into the bath until the water reached my neck.

‘All trials become nourishment.’

Along with those words, I remembered what happened last night.

The crunch of the candy breaking.

‘Said he hated sweets, then knocked it away when I gave him one.’

Ehit had felt just as prickly as when we first met.

Back then, he didn’t even try to hide his disapproval, putting up a wall like he’d snap at anything.

‘So this is nourishment too, huh…….’

It really didn’t feel like it. It just felt like Ehit had gotten even pricklier.

When he knocked the candy away and then made a fuss about cleaning the floor, I honestly felt like flicking him on the forehead.

But somehow, I held back better than usual. Maybe it was because I’d spent several days at the estate, watching Ehit constantly exhausted, never seeming to recover.

“Ugh, seriously.”

Even when I got angry or annoyed, thinking of him as someone with limited time, making his final complaints to the world, softened my heart.

That was why I didn’t make a big deal out of it last night.

‘Ehit probably doesn’t even know I think this way.’

I returned to my room.

But Ehit was standing in front of the door.

I flinched. Ehit noticed me and waited for me to approach. I briefly considered turning around, but in the end, I walked toward my room.

Why was he here? Whenever he came to find me, he always had something to say.

As always, Ehit went straight to the point.

“You’ll need to take a few days off from the medical institute.”

“What? Why?”

The moment I asked why, a strange feeling hit me.

No way—don’t tell me—

“We’ll send an official notice with the church’s seal, so it shouldn’t be difficult. And the reason for leave is……”

“The engagement ceremony, right?”

“Yes.”

……So it’s finally happening!

“Attendees will be both families’ parents and siblings. With a priest present, it’ll be held simply at the Cloyden residence in the capital. I was told documents have already been sent to Aileta.”

“To my brothers too?”

“Yes. Documents were sent to each of their residences. They said delivery was completed.”

“Completed?”

“Yes. Is that strange?”

“Oh—no…….”

So they don’t answer my messages, but they respond right away to Cloyden’s?

What useless older brothers I have.

‘Wait, doesn’t that mean I’ll get to see all of them at once?’

Elzers aside, Enric—who never stayed in one place—and Adlen, who’d been ambitious since childhood, always made me uneasy.

‘Fine. This works out.’

This time, I’ll really shut down any suspicious plans they might have!

Enric aside, Adlen might listen if I talk to him properly. As for Enric…… I might need methods beyond words.

“Dapflen.”

“Yes. Then when is the ceremony?”

“In two days.”

“……?”

Two days? Shouldn’t you at least give me some time to prepare mentally?

“Then are we leaving tomorrow? Or on the day of the ceremony?”

“We’ll leave tomorrow. There are things to prepare. And……”

Ehit started to say something, then bit it back.

“Get a good night’s sleep.”

With a bed this nice, I was perfectly ready to sleep well. The one I was worried about was Ehit.

“You too, Ehit. Try to rest with a calm mind.”

“…….”

“Why aren’t you answering? Huh?”

“……Yes. I will.”

Ehit tried to turn away without answering, but I only let him go after getting a response.

“See you tomorrow.”

I was about to go into my room, but Ehit still stood there, as if he had something left to say.

Maybe—just maybe.

Was it because of what happened yesterday?

“Is this about the candy from yesterday?”

His eyes trembled slightly.

But still, he said nothing.

I waited a bit, but Ehit kept his mouth firmly shut. Thinking we might stand there until morning, I spoke first.

“It’s really okay, so don’t worry about it too much.”

I waved lightly and opened the door, slipping halfway inside.

“Good night, Ehit.”

Until the door closed, Ehit didn’t say a word.

‘What is with him?’

Leaning my back against the door, I stood for a moment in the dim room, lit only by a night lamp.

Then, just as I pushed myself off the door—

A low voice came from the other side.

“Sleep well.”

It was Ehit’s voice.

“And I’m sorry about that.”