Chapter 41
Chapter 41
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[“In fact, I’ve been hesitating all this time, wondering if it was a good idea to let her meet the Lady….”]
[“Of course, she had always missed you and had been worried about you. She’s been crying about how she wants to meet the Lady again, even if it means that she would be discovered and punished had she infiltrated the Duke’s residence.”]
Siella paced around the room and continued to look out the window with anxious eyes. Nina tried to calm her down, urging her to sit down and wait, but to no avail.
“If that person wanted to meet you so much, why didn’t she try to find you sooner?” Nina asked, swallowing a small sigh, and Siella looked up at her with a pale face.
Nina stared at Siella’s wavering green eyes, feeling a pang of sympathy. She knew that before she met her and Lena, Siella had been alone with no one by her side.
Nina added in a softer voice, “What I mean is, you should have asked me or Lena. We would have found her earlier.”
“I thought she was dead… I thought she was….”
Siella barely squeezed out an answer with a trembling voice and lowered head. She felt like she was about to burst into tears at any moment, so she bit her lip and held it back. Nina became more flustered when she saw Siella looking like that, so she took a deep breath, waving her hands and stammering an excuse.
“Look, no, I didn’t mean to say anything like that my Lady… I just….”
“I know.”
Siella smiled and raised her head. The door burst open at that moment.
“My Lady!”
No one bothered to point out the rudeness of the person who ran inside the house screaming. Nina, and Lancellot who followed her into the house, simply watched.
“Hellen….”
Siella said, her voice trembling as if she was about to burst into tears, as she wrapped her arms around Hellen, who snuggled into her arms.
“Hellen, it’s really you. You are alive….”
“My Lady… heuk, Lady Siella…!”
Siella looked at Hellen with her eyes filled with complete disbelief. She squeezed her eyes shut and opened them several times in disbelief.
“I missed you, my Lady. I really… I really missed you so much….”
Hellen’s sobbing voice rang clearly in Siella’s ears. She could clearly feel the warmth of Hellen’s arms around her. Siella bit her lip, overwhelmed with emotions. She still couldn’t believe it, but it was really Hellen – she was alive.
“Hellen… it’s you. It’s really… it’s really you.”
Hugging Siella tightly, Hellen lifted her tear-stained face to look at Siella. As the realization of being reunited again with Hellen began to sink in, Siella felt like she might just burst into tears, but she managed to hold it back.
“I’m… I was late, but still… I am really happy to get to meet you again like this, My Lady.”
“Me too. I’m so happy I wonder if this was just a dream.”
Siella wiped Hellen’s wet cheeks with her hand and smiled. Hellen was the daughter of Siella’s nanny and her playmate, with whom she stayed with at the Count’s residence until Siella’s mother died.
“Yes, my Lady, it is truly a dream come true. Ever since I’ve heard about you from my brother, I dream of the day we meet again.”
Siella knew better than anyone else that her nanny and Hellan had no other family, but….
“Your brother?”
Siella asked in confusion, and Hellen pulled away from Siella’s embrace and said, “He, Lancellot Divure, is my brother.”
She turned to the direction Hellen was pointing with her finger, and there stood Lancellot, smiling awkwardly.
“My mother remarried, to the late Baron Divure.”
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It was Isolde who introduced Priscilla, Hellen’s mother and Siella’s nanny, to Baron Divure. Isolde was the Imperial Princess who died three years ago from an incurable illness.
“Mother passed away last year. I guess all that time of running away took a toll on her body.”
Despite having the Baron’s favor, all sorts of medicines said to be good and loyal attendants, Priscilla eventually died.
“She was worried about you until her final days….”
“I see.”
Siella felt a surge of anger towards her stepmother, Bianca, whom she tried so hard to forget. It wasn’t enough that she kicked Priscilla and Hellen out of the County without Siella’s knowledge, she even hired men to kill them. It was Isolde who rescued them from Bianca’s clutches and even helped ensure that Bianca could no longer lay a hand on them.
‘Why did the Imperial Princess help Nanny and Hellen?’
She had some doubts, but it was only for a moment. Siella wished that she could somehow thank Isolde for taking care of the both of them, however unfortunately for her, Isolde was no longer in this world.
Siella tried to think what kind of person Isolde was, but she couldn’t remember anything about her other than the fact that she was about her own age. It was unfortunate and disappointing.
‘She must have been a good person.’
Had I known this, I would have given Isolde all the vast wealth I had received from Eschert.
“Anyway, my brother didn’t kick me out even after he got married and took over the family.”
Siella quickly nodded her head in agreement at Hellen’s words. She already had a lot to be thankful for to Lancellot, but hearing Hellen’s story made her even more grateful to him.
“My brother is truly… the epitome of a gentleman. He was different from everyone else in the Nocturm family.”
For once, however, Siella couldn’t help but also nod in agreement in response to Hellen’s words. She knew all too well who Hellen was comparing Lancellot to. Siella responded to Hellen’s comment by smiling awkwardly.
(T/N: Lancellot is waaay too much better than that certain someone, and I agree with you, Hellen.)
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“Hellen, don’t do this.”
As soon as the morning dawned, Siella saw Hellen fetching water for her to wash her face and became pale.
“What do you mean? That sounds oddly strange.”
“No… I’m not kidding. Hellen, please don’t do this.”
Siella’s expression hardened, and only then did Hellen stop being playful. Siella watched Hellen with crossed arms, but then she walked out of her room passing by Hellen.
Hellen stood frozen for a moment before hurrying after her. Siella stood still in the hallway, deep in thought. As Hellen cautiously approached her, Siella opened her mouth.
“Hellen, you’re now a Young Lady of a Barony.”
“But I am your Lady’s maid before that.”
“You’re no longer my maid. You almost died because of me….”
Speaking up to that, Siella bit down on her lower lip with a mournful expression. Hellen pretended not to hear anything and smiled nonchalantly.
“Then let’s say I am your Lady’s friend for a very long time.”
“…”
“Since I am an old friend, it would be alright for me to stay by your side, right?”
Siella swallowed a small sigh. As good as it was to reunite with Hellen, she had no intention of keeping her here. Just as she said, Hellen is now a Lady of the Barony. She was no longer her maid, had a home to return to, and that home wasn’t here. She had to go back with Lancellot, but she insisted on living here with Siella.
Yesterday, Lancellot told Siella that she had already rented a lodging on the main street of Jenard and unpacked her luggage there. And Siella couldn’t bear to coldly tell Lancellot and Hellen to go back immediately.
“Hmm, Lady? Aren’t that what friends are for, to be with you in good times and in bad?”
Even now, faced with Hellen, who was once again showing her determination to remain by her side.
“… Just for a while.”
In the end, even today, Siella was unable to push Hellen away, only to say the same words as yesterday in a weak voice.
(T/N: It’s good to know that there is someone who is willing to stay by Siella’s side, a friend at that.)