Baby Prisoner of the Winter Castle Chapter 81

“Okay.”

 

He entered Clarisse’s room as if nothing had happened, reminiscing about his childhood.

 

Back then, he even slept in the same bed.

 

‘…Bed.’

 

He looked at the white sheets again, which still had traces of her using them.

 

When he thinks of Clarisse lying curled up in there, he feels…

 

It was kind of cute.

 

When he saw Valentine curled up in bed a little while ago, he was even displeased, saying he had seen something he shouldn’t have seen since morning.

 

‘Friendship makes people very narrow-minded.’

 

How can he feel such different emotions at the same sight?

 

“Ugh, don’t look at me like that. I was trying to sort it out.”

 

Clarisse quickly ran in front of him, quickly spread out the thick blanket, and tidied it up.

 

“I usually tidy up as soon as I wake up. I woke up too early today…”

 

Even though there was no specific accusation, Clarisse continued to make excuses.

 

Perhaps she was conscious of the fact that Noah habitually organized his surroundings. 

 

He smoothed out the small wrinkles on one side of the bed without her knowing, and while leaning against one wall, he watched her get ready.

 

Noah glanced at the small box organized next to the mirror. There were white ribbons, as well as other ribbons and hairpins of various lengths and colors.

 

Since the Duchess is very interested in Clarisse’s accessories, it was natural that she would have a variety of them…As he was looking at it like this, he felt somewhat sad. 

 

Clarisse probably had some kind of memory engraved in each and every piece of her jewelry.

 

Unlike Noah, who cherished his one and only ribbon as his ‘only friendship’. 

 

“Do you want to do that?”

 

Noah was startled by Clarice’s sudden question as she tied up her hair, and he quickly nodded. He doesn’t even know what it is.

 

“Mhm, come here.”

 

Clarisse brought a chair in front of the mirror and told Noah to sit down.

 

He sat down and looked in the mirror while Clarisse, who had a comb in her hand, combed his hair.

 

He probably nodded when she said she would tie his hair.

 

Slender fingers dug deep into his hair. She pulled his hair up several times, as if tickling.

 

That simple act was something Clarisse had done to him many times since he was a child.

 

Every time she tied it in various shapes and divided it into two or three sections, Clarisse would breathe softly into his hair and concentrate very hard. 

 

So it must be very common and ordinary to give her his head.

 

‘But why…’

 

He felt as if someone was tickling him with a feather. 

 

In reality, he cannot even feel tickling by doing so.

 

His gaze automatically dropped due to a strange sensation.

 

“It’s just like when we were young. Right?” 

 

No, now that he thinks about it again, it seems different. 

 

When Clarisse was young, she was a rascal who pulled his scalp with the intention of pulling out his hair, not an expert with such gentle touches.

 

“That’s… right.” 

 

But Noah couldn’t express his honest feelings.

 

“What do you like about ribbons?”

 

In response to the question asked while holding his hair, Noah raised his right hand to the side.

 

Underneath his flowing robe, a white ribbon wrapped around his arm was revealed.

 

“Well, Noah also has to tie his hair, so I guess you’ll always have it with you.” 

 

Clarisse took the ribbon off his wrist and talked to him casually.

 

“I’m not carrying it around to tie it up.”

 

“Then?” 

 

“…Just because.” 

 

Noah hesitated as he touched his now-empty wrist. 

 

Now that he thought about it, he himself couldn’t figure out why he carried it with him every day.

 

White ribbons on his arms or not don’t change the fact that Clarisse is Noah’s only friend.

 

“I feel empty without it…”

 

“Oh, I know how it feels.”

 

Clarisse pulled the ribbon tightly several times.

 

“When I came here, the first thing I took was a white ribbon.”

 

The impact of that word was great.

 

“…Really?” 

 

For some reason, Noah felt as if all the strange discomfort that had been stuck in his heart until now was melting away.

 

Almost for the first time, he appreciated the mask’s existence.

 

If it weren’t for this, she would have caught all of his smiling expressions.

 

“Mhm, I feel like it would be empty without it. Uhm…” 

 

Clarisse stopped talking, came around to face him, and began to look at him quietly.

 

It seemed like she was checking to see if the hair was tied up well.

 

‘The face is too close.’

 

Moreover, when he met her staring gaze, he felt a tingling sensation near his heart. 

 

“It’s pretty.”

 

He felt his heart start to thump and beat quickly as Clarisse laughed with satisfaction.

 

‘What’s wrong with me?’

 

Noah suddenly completely hardened his fast heart without being able to do anything about it.

 

It was not long before he was breathless. Noah wanted anyone to help his heart calm down.

 

If things continued like this, he felt like his heart would burst and break.

 

“What are you doing?”

 

And then someone appeared to help. It was Valentine.

 

When the amber eyes that had been fixed on Noah all along finally turned to the doorway, a strange sense of stability came over him. 

 

‘I survived…’

 

What a strange thing.

 

There’s no evil magic in Clarisse’s gaze, but his body becomes strange like this.

 

‘Is there something wrong with my autonomic nervous system?’ 

 

With that in mind, he looked back at Valentine. To be more precise, he ended up glaring at points, and this also seemed to be a problem with his autonomic nervous system.

 

“Ha, who should I be targeting now? What did you do in my room this morning?”

 

Noah responded, getting up and putting his chair back in its place.

 

“I just woke you up so you wouldn’t be late to clean the chapel.”

 

“That woke me up?” 

 

Noah stepped in front of Valentine and nodded when he asked in shock.

 

“You don’t have to say thank you.”

 

“I’m not going to do it? Hey, did you hear what he did to me this morning?”

 

“Of course! I heard Noah woke you up so you wouldn’t be late?” 

 

Clarisse held their hands between them and shook them as if they were shaking hands.

 

“That’s why I always say it. I think you two will get along very well.”

 

After holding their hand and forcing them to shake it, Clarisse checked the time again.

 

Now it was really time to go.

 

“We’re going to be late for cleaning time.”

 

After she closed the door, Clarisse led the way, and Valentine often followed her with his hands in his pockets.

 

Noah checked again to see if Clarisse’s door was properly locked and then followed them at an appropriate distance.

 

* * *

 

No matter how much it was for punishment, the priests did not entrust the four test takers with cleaning the large chapel. 

 

Above all, perhaps out of consideration of not taking away their study time and stamina, they were only responsible for two things.

 

Dust off the decorations and picture frames on the walls.

 

Wiping the chair for worshipers.

 

It was said that other work, such as sweeping and mopping the floor and arranging the altar and candlesticks, would be done by trainee priests later.

 

As the four of them were excited and thought that they could do as much as they wanted at this level, an additional and unexpected person appeared. 

 

“I will help too.”

 

It was Eugenie McLeod.

 

Since she didn’t participate in the bet, she had no reason to join in on this troublesome task.

 

“I’m grateful, but…” 

 

When Clarisse felt sorry and couldn’t bear to continue her sentence, Eugenie picked up her duster and responded.

 

“That’s it. I’m not the type of person to rack up debt.”

 

Clarisse followed her quickly and took the ladders and dusters.

 

“That’s… Do you mean that you felt grateful for me at least a little bit?”

 

“It seemed like you were aiming for that, didn’t you?” 

 

“Uhm.” 

 

Clarisse could not say that Eugenie was very selfless in solving her situation together.

 

That’s right, Eugenie had an attractive beauty that made them feel good just by looking at her.

 

Moreover, she has a fair and polite personality. Wouldn’t anyone want to be close to her? 

 

“Honestly, that’s right.  When I thought I had to help Miss McLeod… I felt self-interested without even realizing it.”

 

Clarisse mustered up her courage and tried to show a little honesty.

 

“Can you accept… my favor?”

 

Eugenie’s eyebrows twitched.

 

“…I refuse.”

 

“Ugh.” 

 

As expected, she was disappointed, but then Eugenie was shocked and shouted again.

 

“E, even if you cry like that, I will still refuse! Since ancient times, people who suddenly approach you saying they want to be close to you are either businessmen or fraudsters! Even if it isn’t, it usually has some purpose!”

 

“I just want to keep looking at Eugenie because I like your face! It’s beautiful!”

 

He doesn’t know why, but when Clarisse said this, Noah, who was holding a mop from far away, looked at her with a very surprised face.

 

Eugenie shouted again.

 

“If you like a beautiful face, just look in the mirror!”

 

“Yes? Then all I can see is my face.”

 

“That’s why…” 

 

Eugenie, who was trying to explain something, sighed and stopped talking.

 

“Ha, that’s enough. I’d better hurry up and clean up.”

 

She took Abington by the back of his drooping, yawning shoulders and led him to one side of the chapel.

 

“Did I put too much pressure on her?”

 

Clarisse looked at Eugenie’s back regretfully and sighed softly.

 

She is now fifteen years old.

 

She was getting impatient when she thought about how she wouldn’t even be able to make a same-sex friend in the next few years, as her desire for one grew.

 

“…Favoring a face doesn’t usually mean a good thing, girl.” 

 

As Noah gave advice, Clarisse set down the ladder next to her and gently dusted off the large picture frame on the wall.

 

“Mhm, I know. It was something that came out without me knowing. Like when I look at Noah’s face. I guess I…I guess I have a weakness for beauty.” 

 

No, that was definitely not the case. At least it was clearly different in the public eye.

 

It was obvious to see that someone liked Noah’s face, which was nauseating.

 

“When a girl feels friendship or affection, you only try to see the other person in a good light.” 

 

“Is that so?”

 

“Something like that.”

 

“But even when I had no feelings for Eugenie, I thought she was very beautiful. Wasn’t Noah like that?”

 

“If you want to talk about objective beauty, I think Girl more than anyone else…” 

 

“What am I?”

 

Clarisse, who was dusting herself off, turned to Noah.

 

She looked straight ahead at him, maybe because she was on top of a ladder at the time. 

 

‘….’

 

For a moment, Noah’s thoughts stopped.

 

Additionally, the autonomic nervous system abnormality that he felt in Clarisse’s room began again.

 

It seemed that his health was very bad.

 

“Noah, are you okay?”

 

“…It’s nothing. It would be better to hurry up with the cleaning.”

 

“Mhm.” 

 

Noah thought that he would soon have to buy some herbs and eat them.