What Remains in the Damaged Place - Chapter 25

“Why?” Lirette asked.

“Do I need a reason?”

Valderion tilted his head slightly, running his now-dry black hair through his fingers with casual ease.

“If you really need one, it’s because I want it that way.”

His tone was as indifferent as his touch.

But that indifference didn’t affect Lirette in the same way.

Because he wanted it that way?

Did he really think everything would go according to his wishes just because he desired it? He truly was a man with a sense of self-importance like no other.

Words welled up in Lirette’s throat, but they soon faded. Her energy was too drained to argue further. She turned to leave, feeling the urge to get out now that their business was done for the day.

“Wait…”

Something caught her eye, and her feet came to a halt.

Valderion, who was lighting a cigar taken from a drawer, noticed her reaction.

Following her gaze, he saw what she was looking at: the small meal left on the table by the head maid.

It was a simple snack—grilled baguette slices with butter, filled with charcuterie, sautéed mushrooms, vegetables, and cheese. The same glass of sangria he had taken a sip from earlier sat nearby, completing the appetizing display.

But what piqued Valderion’s interest was Lirette.

She had never shown any particular appetite since arriving at the Duke’s estate. Whenever they ate together, her constant nibbling left those around her with no appetite themselves.

Even when eating alone, she barely finished her food, treating meals as little more than a necessary task rather than something to enjoy.

Yet now, she was staring at the sandwich as if she were entranced by it.

“If you’re hungry, go ahead and eat,” he said indifferently.

He expected her to dismiss the offer like she usually did.

But instead…

“…Is that really alright?”

Lirette’s voice was soft, but there was a note of genuine curiosity in it.

She still hadn’t looked at him. Her attention remained entirely on the food, exactly as he’d thought.

But this time, it was different. She wasn’t able to help herself.

The truth was, she was starving.

After a full day of physical labor and missing her meals, combined with the exhaustion from their earlier session, her body had begun to prioritize hunger above all else.

Right now, Lirette felt her hunger was no different from that of the beggars wandering the filthy streets behind the capital.

If she left without eating now, she knew she would go another night without food, then wake up at dawn, wash, prepare herself, and spend the day cleaning the expansive mansion as if it were her own.

The future she envisioned was clear, and the thought made her stomach feel like it was sticking to her spine.

“…?”

When no response came, she glanced at him in confusion. Valderion was standing a short distance away with a strange look on his face.

But then, as if wiping his expression clean, he nodded lightly.

With his permission, Lirette sat down and picked up the sandwich, cautiously taking a bite. It was still warm, the bread crispy, and the ingredients fresh.

She ate quietly, but without pause.

Then, the chair across from her scraped the floor as it was pulled out.

Lirette’s eyes widened slightly as she watched Valderion sit down across from her.

His long, elegant fingers grabbed the wine bottle, and he poured sangria into his glass, its rich red hue swirling inside the crystal. Then, without a word, he filled another glass and slid it toward her.

There were now two glasses of wine.

Lirette looked at the glass in front of her and then at the one in his hand, chewing her food more slowly.

He wasn’t leaving. In fact, he seemed quite settled, sipping his sangria and watching her as if he were planning to stay for a while.

The presence of his gaze made her uncomfortable, and the enjoyment she had been getting from the sandwich started to fade. For a moment, she considered grabbing the sandwich and leaving. But then she remembered that the food technically belonged to him.

She hesitated, afraid that if she tried to take it with her, he might suddenly retract his kindness and take the food away.

Now that she’d tasted it, she didn’t want to lose it.

‘I should just finish quickly and leave.’

Deciding on her plan, Lirette began to eat more aggressively, her cheeks moving with purpose. But in her haste, a piece of food got stuck in her throat, causing her to choke and cough violently.

Valderion, looking somewhat exasperated, slid the glass of sangria over to her.

She gratefully took it and drank, soothing her throat and finally calming her cough.

“Is it really that good?” Valderion asked, his tone suggesting he found her ravenous behavior amusing.

“Yes.”

Though that wasn’t the whole truth, Lirette saw no reason to explain further. She gave a simple answer and continued eating.

Valderion leaned his chin on his hand, watching her intently.

The lamp’s flickering light cast waves of shadows across his face, highlighting the aristocratic sharpness of his features. His other hand lazily stroked the rim of the crystal glass, his attitude one of relaxed elegance.

Even his arrogance couldn’t fully strip away his inherent grace.

“Still as determined as ever?”

His sudden question caught Lirette off guard, cutting into her thoughts.

“Determined?”

“Your thoughts—or perhaps I should call it your stubbornness.”

There was no need to think too deeply about what he meant.

There was only one matter that could prompt Valderion to ask such a question: the nature of the clothes she was wearing.

“Yes, I’m certain,” Lirette responded.

“Really?”

His gaze narrowed, a knowing look crossing his features. He seemed to already suspect something.

Lirette continued chewing on the sandwich she had just bitten into, eager to finish before answering. But Valderion spoke first.

“If you need my help, just ask.”

Her hand paused, sandwich halfway to her mouth, as she stared at him.

She repeated the words in her mind.

His tone was casual, even kind on the surface, but Lirette knew better. Beneath the smooth words was something dark and calculating.

The way he spoke made her think he might already know something.

Perhaps even leaving the sandwich there was part of his plan.

Still, Lirette had no intention of bringing anything up first. Doing so would give Valderion an advantage. He would likely blow up the harassment she was enduring, using it as an excuse to pull her out of the estate like a weed, uprooting her from her position entirely.

And he would likely lock her up in the annex again, just as he had done before.

That seemed like the kind of calculated move the Duke would make.

“Ask for my help,” he said again.

Tap, tap.

His fingers drummed lightly on the table between them.

“If you need it.”

“…”

“Understood?”

His lips curled into a faint, knowing smile, just visible in the dim light.

It was a smile full of meaning.

Why was he repeating himself?

Was it emphasis?

Or… a warning?

He was speaking as if he believed she would inevitably need his help.

“It’s not possible,” she finally replied, her voice quiet but firm.

Her pink eyes, now tinged with the heat of simmering frustration, rolled over his figure.

“I have nothing to offer you, my lord.”

Valderion’s smile faded slightly. His eyes silently questioned what she meant.

Lirette glanced down at the sandwich in her hands, a small sigh escaping her lips, more of a silent laugh at her situation.

“Even if you were to offer me help, I have nothing to give in return. I told you before—I’m in this position because I have nothing left to lose.”

Nothing left to lose.

In other words, she had nothing to offer.

Lirette wasn’t a fool.

This wasn’t a relationship built on camaraderie or trust.

The House of Eustitia was cold and methodical, their walls protecting their interests. They made sure never to lose anything without gaining something in return.

The Duke in front of her would not stray from the principles of his house. If anything, as the head of the house, he embodied those principles even more fiercely.

That’s why she couldn’t simply accept his offer.

She had nothing to offer in return for his help, nothing to trade for the sandwich in her hand or for the assistance he dangled in front of her.

“Are you sure you have nothing to offer?”

His cryptic question lingered in the air.

Lirette looked at him, puzzled.

“When I look at you, it seems otherwise.”

“…”

“You have more than you think.”

His words baffled her.

Lirette had been stripped of everything. Even her basic freedoms had been taken, manipulated for years by others.

And now, he was telling her she had more than she realized?

Naturally, she was confused.

“So, use your head wisely,” he added.

“…”

“If you have a card to play, use it.”

With that, Valderion’s advice ended, leaving their conversation in a fog of uncertainty.

The discussion, like everything else between them, remained unresolved.