The One Who Won't Be Abandoned - Chapter 40

Even as the bells tolled to announce dawn, I remained motionless in bed, as if lifeless.

Today, I planned to sleep in.

Lady Judith was a kind superior. Since she had seen how unwell I looked the day before, she wouldn’t mind if I arrived a little late.

But someone had other plans.

A sudden, violent banging on my door shattered my fragile peace.

I jolted upright, my heart pounding—not just from shock but from the fear that my wooden door might actually break under the assault.

Without even thinking to throw on a robe over my nightgown, I stumbled out of bed and rushed to the door.

“Jun?!”

Standing there, fist still raised mid-knock, was Mr. Jun.

“You weren’t coming down, so I thought something had happened to you,” he said.

“What? Nothing happened! I’m just going in late today. I haven’t even started getting ready yet.”

Jun gave me a once-over, his sharp gaze scanning me from head to toe as if confirming I was truly unharmed.

“There was a man watching this building all night,” he said abruptly.

“…What?”

“Some guy was standing across the street, keeping an eye on this place from night until dawn.”

A chill ran down my spine.

“Who was he?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

“No idea. Never seen him before,” Jun admitted. “At first, I thought he might be after me, but the more I watched, the clearer it became—he was looking up at your place.”

A fresh wave of unease spread through my body.

“How… how did he look?”

“He had a hood pulled up, so I couldn’t see his face. But he was big—bigger than me. And the way he just stood there, without moving for hours? That’s not normal.”

“You… You think he was after me?”

I wracked my brain, trying to think of anyone who might have a reason to stalk me.

No one came to mind.

No one who would stand outside my home for hours.

“Could be,” Jun said. “I made sure to watch until he finally left at dawn. But when you didn’t come downstairs at the usual time, I figured I’d check on you.”

“I—I was fine all night,” I said, though my voice trembled.

Jun gave a satisfied nod. “Yeah, looks like it. Anyway, I’m heading back. Keeping watch all night wore me out.”

For a fleeting moment, I almost grabbed his sleeve and begged him to stay.

But before I could, Jun turned on his heel and strode down the stairs without a second thought.

I stood in my doorway, watching him disappear, then hurriedly slammed the door shut.

My hands shook as I fumbled with the lock, bolting it tight.

“…What the hell… That’s terrifying.”

The exhaustion that had weighed on me moments ago vanished, replaced by icy alertness.

Maybe… maybe it would be safer at D’Hel Castle, where the knights and soldiers were.

* * *

Fleeing to the castle felt like the safest option, but the moment I arrived, I sensed that something was off.

I had expected some disorder in the aftermath of the banquet, but this wasn’t just chaos—there was an eerie tension hanging over the place. The servants I passed wore grim expressions, their shoulders tense, their voices hushed.

Curious, I pulled aside one of the maids I was vaguely acquainted with and asked what was going on.

She glanced around nervously, scanning the empty hallway before finally whispering,

“There was a huge fight between the lord and the young master after the banquet.”

“What? They fought? Why?”

“No one knows. But people heard them shouting from outside the room—it sounded brutal.”

“That’s bad… but is that the only reason the atmosphere is like this?”

The maid hesitated, then leaned in closer, lowering her voice even further.

“There’s more. Even though the lord and the young master were at each other’s throats, we would’ve just gone about our work as usual. But the real problem is the knight that the princess brought with her.”

“What about him?”

“He’s been snooping around. Everywhere.”

I frowned. “Maybe he was just looking for the washroom?”

The maid shot me a look of exasperation.

“Do you think we’re stupid? We can tell the difference between someone looking for the toilet and someone poking around where they shouldn’t be.”

“…So what exactly was he doing?”

She glanced over her shoulder once more before answering.

“He kept asking us questions. Things like—does the lord and the young master fight often? Do any nobles visit the castle frequently? Who are they?”

I stiffened.

“You didn’t actually answer him, did you?”

The maid looked guilty as she scratched the back of her head.

“What else were we supposed to do? He’s a knight of the royal family—he’s a noble. If he asks us something, we have to answer. Besides, when the butler found out, he told us to cooperate and answer any questions the knight asks from now on. He said if we start hiding things, it’ll only make things worse. Now the whole castle is on edge—his presence is making everyone uneasy.”

I clenched my fists.

The princess hadn’t even married into the family yet, and she was already acting like she owned the place. She must have been the one who sent the knight to dig around.

Just the thought of him wandering through the halls, prying into matters that weren’t his business, made my blood boil.

The maid excused herself, saying she had to get back to work. I could tell she was wary of doing anything that might draw unnecessary attention from the royal knight.

Left alone, I exhaled sharply and tried to gather my thoughts before heading to my assigned area. But just as I turned—

“Jeanne.”

I froze. Standing before me, looking deathly pale, was Harmon. For a brief moment, I truly thought I was seeing a ghost. A strangled yelp escaped me as I stumbled backward.

“It’s me. Harmon.”

“Harmon! What—what happened to your face?”

“Ah… does it look that bad?”

Harmon let out a weak, self-deprecating chuckle, running a hand over his gaunt cheeks.

“The young master is looking for you. He wants you to come to his room.”

“Andre is?”

“Yeah… as you can see, I’ve been reassigned as his personal attendant.” Harmon’s smile faltered. “You tried so hard for me, but it was pointless in the end. Still… I won’t forget what you did for me. If you ever need anything, just ask.”

He looked like he could collapse at any moment. His haggard face and bloodshot eyes made it seem as if he had been through some sort of mental torture all night. My chest tightened with concern.

“Did you even sleep last night, Harmon?”

“Well… not really.”

“Go rest. I’ll tell the young master for you.”

“N-no, I can’t!” He waved his hands frantically, looking as if I had suggested something outrageous. “Serving the young master is my honor!”

But I wasn’t having it. Gently, but firmly, I pushed his shoulder. “Go rest, Harmon. Seriously. I’ll handle it.”

“Well… if you say so…” He hesitated, then nodded weakly. “The young master really likes you, so I guess he’ll listen to you.”

“Of course. Don’t worry, just get some sleep. And make sure you eat something when you wake up.”

“Th-thank you, Jeanne. Really.”

Thankfully, he didn’t argue further and trudged toward the servants’ quarters. I watched him go, feeling uneasy, but Andre’s summons lingered in my mind. With a sigh, I turned and made my way to his room.

Standing in front of his door, I hesitated.

The last time we spoke, I had been cold to him.

Just as I was debating whether to knock, his voice drifted through the door.

“Come in.”

His tone, muffled through the wood, sounded eerie.

The atmosphere made my skin prickle with unease, as if I had committed some kind of crime and was now facing judgment. Summoning my courage, I finally pushed the door open.

“Andre?”

The room was dimly lit, the curtains drawn tightly shut. The only sources of light were a few candles and a flickering lantern, casting deep, shifting shadows along the walls.

As my eyes adjusted, I spotted him—sitting deep within the room, sprawled in an armchair.

Clack. Clack.

In the dim light, I noticed something rolling in his palm. It looked like a pair of walnuts, likely for acupressure.

“Come sit, Jeanne.”

“A-ah, okay.”

Awkwardly, I stepped inside and sat on the sofa opposite him.

Clack. Clack. Creak.

The rhythmic noise of the walnuts grinding together sent an eerie chill down my spine.

Andre, however, remained expressionless, simply watching me.

“I heard from my father,” he said flatly. “You left the castle. How’s your new place?”

“It’s nice,” I answered, forcing a light tone. “It’s a three-story building. I get to use two of the floors myself.”

The sharp grinding sound echoed again, and I couldn’t help but wince.

“Can you please stop that? The noise is…”

“Ah, sorry.”

At my request, Andre set the object he had been rolling in his palm onto the small round table beside him. Only then did I realize what it was.

A flint and steel.

His hands were large enough to roll them together absentmindedly, producing that unbearable sound.

“You were holding that in your hands this whole time? Let me see.”

“Hm? Oh… I guess it did sting a little.”

“Ugh, really? Give me your hand.”

Leaning forward, I took his outstretched palm and pulled it into the dim glow of the lantern. Sure enough, faint red marks dotted his skin. It wasn’t serious, but it still made my heart ache.

“Why would you do this?” I scolded. “Flint is meant for starting fires, not for acupressure. Should I get you some walnuts instead? Didn’t Syamos have proper hand therapy tools?”

“You wouldn’t understand.”

“What don’t I understand?”

“I don’t need those things.”

“Well, I do understand that this flint is completely unnecessary.”

At that, Andre chuckled softly.

“You’re wrong. I need it. Holding it… calms me down.”

I gave him a long, incredulous look.

Lately, it felt like everyone around me was behaving strangely. Had the D’Hel air gone rotten?

“Father told me he had a house ready for you, and you left without hesitation,” Andre continued, his tone light but unreadable. “Did it feel liberating?”

“There was nothing to feel free from,” I replied. “I was just grateful and accepted it.”

“Did you think about me at all when you were packing your things?”

“I did,” I said honestly. “Mostly when I had to carry the heavy stuff alone. Everyone was busy, so I had to move everything myself.”

As our conversation stretched on, Andre’s expression grew blanker, his face becoming eerily void of emotion.

Sensing the shift in his mood, I softened my voice.

“I moved out early so I wouldn’t be a burden to you once you returned. I didn’t want to neglect you in the middle of the transition.”

Andre’s jaw tightened.

“If I had been here, I wouldn’t have let you leave,” he said, his voice cold. “I wouldn’t have allowed it.”

A dangerous weight clung to his words, leaving me speechless.

“I’m still furious,” he admitted quietly. “I came home expecting to find my house just as I left it. That’s the thought that got me through everything. But then I arrived… and it wasn’t my home anymore. I came back for nothing.”

I frowned, struggling to understand.

I knew he was upset that I had moved out without warning, but what did he mean by it wasn’t his home anymore?

“…Did the lord tell you that?” I asked cautiously. “Did he say this isn’t your home anymore?”

Andre’s response was unexpected.

“A house without peace isn’t a home.”

“…That’s true,” I agreed hesitantly. “Are the royal knights making you uncomfortable? Should I talk to the lord and have them restricted?”

“No. It’s not that.”