Vinter went back hurriedly as if he had been kicked out with the shoes I handed him. I thought it was the end of all contacts with him.
However, the moment I took off my clothes for washing, I felt the texture of the cold metal on the collarbone.
"Damn."
With my head down, I frowned and spat out a short curse. Vinter's necklace remains to be given to the hostess.
'Oh, I should have given you the same shoes'
With this feeling, I wanted to do everything in writing with Vinter.
However, since ancient artifacts cannot be recklessly passed away, it means that we must meet again at least once.
I sighed irritably, taking off my necklace and putting it in my desk drawer.
I took out a piece of broken mirror that I had put in a small pocket inside my dress and put it down beside me.
As I casually looked down at the drawer, there were quite a lot of things I got for a new game reward. I felt strange because it seemed like only junk that didn't even use anything was getting bigger.
Looking down at it with a strange look, I soon closed the drawer with a 'tak-' sound.
****
The next day.
The butler, who had been looking for me in an urgent message, visited my room early in the morning. "Lady."
After a short silence, the butler spat out with a slightly stiff face. "I have something to tell you."
"What's going on?"
"Eclise, who went to Sir Spencer to learn swordsmanship, has never returned." "What?"
Sitting on the dressing table, I hesitated and looked back at the butler. "What are you talking about? Didn't you come back?"
"After training, I returned to the mansion after the usual evening rush, but last night, only the wagon he used to move was returned."
"…………"
"I was going to tell the lady in a hurry last night, but this old man fell asleep when he was senile. I'm so sorry, miss."
After finishing his words, the butler bowed deeply before me and apologized.
Whether Vinter's magic was really successful, he had no recollection of me sneaking out. But I was rather caught off guard.
It was because I thought this idea that was urgently looking for me through Emily was a serious matter. I frowned and hurriedly asked.
"What about the horseman? You know something because you went with him."
"I asked the horseman and he didn't come even after the time to go back. Sir Spencer also said he finished training as usual."
"Then"
The worst assumption passed through my head. 'Run away.'
Eclise was very good with his eyes, his gut, his brain.
He also knew that it was impossible to formally learn a sword within the duke. Hnowingly, he asked me to save the Master.
'No way, you're not gonna do this from the start'
Although he hasn't been properly confirmed yet, his favoritism would have exceeded 90% by now. But if he used me to escape.
'I die.'
The hand on the dressing table clenched his fist.
'How did I survive this far? Should I die with only 10% left?' The molars spontaneously disappeared.
It was time to sink into the endless darkness, assuming the worst in an instant. Suddenly, the butler made eye contact with me.
"Lady, I'm sorry to say that."
Whether he was thinking the same thing as me, he spoke carefully.
"All the restraints worn by slaves are necessarily carved with trace magic." "Track Location?"
"Yes. So, why don't you call the family wizard"
The butler glanced at my left hand on the dressing table, blurring the end of his words. His eyes turned.
I could see a large ruby ring still stuck in my left index finger.
The Red Ruby egg on my fist were trembling, not knowing it was too powerful. 'It's too early to jump to conclusions.'
I slowly flexed my fist.
I said I'd release the choker several times, but it was Eclise who refused to do so himself. He wasn't stupid enough to run away with a leash.
Gradually, reason came back.
The fear of death and the sense of betrayal came into my eyes. "Just wait a little longer."
The butler opened his eyes wide at my instructions, and soon asked back as if hesitating.
"The capital city is not very safe, miss. Just in case you're in trouble, how about releasing people
around town?" "No thanks."
I answered firmly.
There is nothing more ridiculous than the assumption that ML might have been humiliated. "Just wait for him to come back on his own feet."
"Yes. Alright, miss."
The butler didn't seem to understand my reaction, but he quietly accepted it. But that didn't mean that the essential problem would disappear.
"But, how can I tell The Young Duke"
If Derek knew, it wouldn't be a problem for Eclis to be kicked out. "Please keep my first brother pen a secret."
"Lady."
"I beg you, butler. I don't want to make things big for nothing. He'll be back soon." My butler nodded his head with a prickly look.
"Thank you. You may go out."
After a while, I heard the butler close the door and leave.
I pressed down on the tingling temples and tried hard to dispel the growing anxiety. 'What's the matter?'
Even if it wasn't, I had no choice but to believe it right now. The favorability of Eclise was my life.
There was a great risk that reckless doubts could have a bad effect on favorability. 'Now it's only 10%.'
From then on I began to fight endless doubts.
****
I couldn't tell how the day had passed.
The dinner that Emily brought to me was bitten, and the night was deep after I repeating the book had read and covering it several times.
It's almost midnight. But until then, I hadn't heard the news that Eclise had returned. The nervousness reached its peak.
After touching Ruby's egg, I finally couldn't stand it and opened my mouth. "Emily, go get the butler."
"Yes, miss."
Emily, who had been looking at me all day, left the room cheaply. "Did you call, Miss?"
After a while the butler arrived.
I gave the order straight away, needless to say.
Even if Derek found out, there was only one way in this room now. "Let people and dogs go to the village where Sir Spencer lives."
"Yes? Oh, I got it."
"And bring in all the wizards of the family." It was then.
"Oh, miss! Butler!"
Emily, who had been avoiding her seat to talk, burst in through an open door. "The lady's escort is back!"
The butler and I met my eyes at the same time. "Take him to my room right now."
After a while, the butler brought Eclise to my room.
In a wild nagging mood, the Butler left the room, leaving only Eclise. There was a frosty silence in the room left by the two.
"Master."
First, breaking the heavy silence, Eclise walked slowly.
Coming near the table where I was sitting, he naturally knelt at my feet. He lifted his expressionless face and looked up at me.
What happened during the day?
His face is as pale and as white as a sick man.
When asked if I was hurt, my patience had reached its limit. "Where have you been?"
His voice was so shrill that he could not help it.
I was always the one who forced a smile before him, and evoked a soft voice. The brown-gray pupil shook at first, when I saw it for the first time. "Master."
"Answer me."
I pressed him without a break.
"Why did you disappear without a word?" "Did you worry?"
"Worry?"
A cold laugh popped out.
It was only three weeks before the 'real princess' came back.
With three weeks left until the escape, the fear, nervousness, and suffocatingness that the ML might have splash out.
Can I draw them together as a 'worry'? "Am I funny?"
At that moment, I couldn't even see the dark red that was shining on his head.
"Do I look like a god of disease who would be swayed if I sat at the top of my head, because I bought it for you without telling you?"
"………"
"For one of you, I have for a while."
I risked my life and moved. Over and over again I bowed my head to the Duke.
Nevertheless, I didn't know when my favorability would fall, and I trembled, and I didn't even say a word in front of him.
I chewed the words up to the end of my neck and swallowed them, and I took a deep breath. "I don't know how far I have to endure your selfless attitude."
"I'm sorry, Master."
Eclise shook his head down, avoiding my eyes. It looked like a abandoned puppy.
"Wait a minutethere was an accident."
With his eyes down, he replied obediently. I asked coolly. "What accident."
"I met my fellow countrymen."
He raised his head again and looked at me.
And, my unrefined anger was lost in the painful eyes I encountered. "Those who were sold as slaves like me."
