Chapter 15

Chapter 15

“If I had refused, my sick sister would have had to get engaged to you.”

“I would have called off the engagement.”

“No, there’s more…” Karina pursed her lips and fell silent.

“It’s your sister’s first tea party and it’s hard for your sick sister to plan everything. Help her out. It’s her first time and she’s not used to it.”

“Karina, it’s Feldon and Abelia’s first debutante ball, so you should stand next to them. Do you understand?”

Karina thought it was natural for parents to ask children to do such things. Many siblings help out their brothers and sisters to make their social debut. She couldn’t refuse when her siblings counted on her and her parents expected her to do the right thing.

“Why did you stop speaking?” Milian asked.

“Um, it’s nothing. I forgot what I was going to say.” She didn’t want him to think she was petty because of her thoughts and ruin the unexpected ally she had found in him.

“You’re silly,” he said with a smile. Then he promptly changed the subject, “What foods do you dislike?”

Taken aback, Karina didn’t know what to say. She licked her lips, feeling confused. Not hearing a reply by the time they reached the dining hall, Milian looked back.

“You can’t think of anything?”

“I have a hard time keeping down greasy food,” she said finally.

“You like food that looks soft, just like you.” He chuckled, which surprised her. She didn’t know where to look. As she continued to awkwardly try to compose herself, Milian laughed and sat at the round table on the terrace. “Have a seat. The meal will be prepared soon.”

Mealtime back at the count’s estate always made Karina feel left out, but she was now properly invited to the table. She tried to keep a straight face and sat in front of the duke.

* * *

Like Milian had said, a feast was quickly assembled before them. The terrace had a glass dome that was blocking the cold wind but allowed a view of the estate.

“My lord, what is this called?” Karina, with curiosity showing on her face, pointed at the dome. The upper part of the structure was made of stained glass, letting colorful light fall on them.

“It’s a glass dome. When it snows during winter, the scenery is very beautiful but it’s too cold to dine outside. My engineers came up with this idea after some thought. Although it needs a lot of tending.”

He sounded confident, so she nodded. At her father’s estate, skies stayed clear throughout the four seasons, and the winter wasn’t that cold—it was chilly but not cold enough for snow.

“When will it start to snow?”

“At the earliest, at the beginning of next month. At the latest, by the end of it. Considering that it’s colder earlier this year, I’m guessing it will be early next month.”

He gave her a smile. He liked her curious eyes. This was much better than when she was acting like a spineless jellyfish.

“Your food is getting cold. Do start eating.”

Karina looked down at the table. It was covered with a variety of dishes, from stir-fried foods to steamed dishes. No heavy or greasy dishes had been put in front of her—Milian had ordered the servant to give his choice of dishes to her. His consideration made her smile even before taking a bite.

“Are you too weak to hold your silverware?”

She shook her head and grabbed her fork. “I’m not that weak.”

She pointed her fork at the salad out of habit but stopped midair. She had thought he hated her but he was a lot kinder and more considerate to her than she expected. I judged him when I didn’t even really know him. Karina bowed her head, her face darkening. She had to admit that she had been short-sighted. If she caused trouble or ended up dying at the duke’s estate, all the consequences would become his responsibility.

“Is the food not to your liking?” asked Milian, seeing that Karina had not taken a single bite.

She shook her head and sighed heavily. Then she finally looked into his eyes. “My lord.”

“Are you my underling? You can just call me Milian. Or just Lian.”

“Ah. Okay.” She looked away again. He doesn’t hesitate to express what he wants. She was starting to find him fascinating and was gaining more and more respect for him. It was something she had never experienced before in her life.

“So why did you suddenly call me?” As his eyes folded into a crescent, his expression changed from that of a stern knight to a softer, more playful lounger.

Karina blinked stupidly a few times. She then quickly shook her head. “That is... because I am sorry.”

“Sorry?”

“Regardless of my reasons, I came here without any notice or explanation. I’m sorry for not asking for your permission beforehand. I did so because I thought you would reject the idea immediately.”

“Of course, I would have rejected it,” he answered swiftly. She made a tight fist under the table. “It’s not because I hate you or find you annoying. It is simply because your travel conditions were too dangerous. So don’t mind what I said when you first arrived here. Also, you’ve already apologized once.”

“Okay. And...” She tried to speak, wondering if she should tell him about her art disease. She thought for a while. But she had no guarantee that things would get better even if she disclosed the information. The worst scenario was for him to contact Count Leopold. Karina shook her head.

“And?” he asked.

She spoke the first words that came to her mind. “And that I’ll enjoy the meal in front of me.”

“You really are too silly.” He shrugged but continued his meal without further questioning. “I told the kitchen to prepare food that would be easy for you to eat, so why don’t you start eating? You’ll make the chef cry.”

“What? Ah, yes.” She hastily picked at some food that had just come out from the steamer. At the first bite, her eyes widened.

“Is it good?”

“Yes, it is very delicious.”

“I’ll tell Leuver that you said so,” Milian answered with a smile.

Her hands stayed busy throughout the meal—this was the first time in a while that she was able to eat something other than salad. It had been a long time since she’d felt full. She smiled lightly, looking and feeling satisfied.

Milian continued talking throughout dinner, and while Karina was startled each time he turned to her, she answered his questions diligently. It was a short lunch with mundane conversation—perhaps something she’d been dreaming of having all along.

* * *

“Do you ever use your brain at all?!”

Karina covered her ears to block the sound of Milian raging. She couldn’t say that he was nagging this time because it was technically her fault. She was wrapped in her comforter, looking like a bread roll. It was only her head and hands that were sticking out of the form he had rolled her into.

“I’m sorry,” she said.

“Just tell me if you want to become an ice sculpture! I’ll fill the bathtub with ice for you.”

Hearing how angry he sounded, she tried to defend herself. “I really just lost track of time. I didn’t mean to stay up there that long.”

Despite his anger, she couldn’t help but laugh. Nobody had ever scolded her because they cared about her; it was a novel experience for her that made her feel butterflies in her stomach.

Hearing her laughter, Milian’s brows rose. “You’re laughing now?” His cold words made her attempt to straighten her face. She was trying to act innocent, but he just scoffed at her. He put his hand on her forehead. “You’re burning hot, we should use you for a heater. That will save some fuel money.”

“Are you cold, my lord?”

“Are you asking me if I’m cold?”

She shook her head, trying to keep her face straight. It was a funny sight. Karina’s head was the only thing popping out from the comforter. It had been ten days since she had first come to the residence of Duke Milian.

She had been sick for a week, so it had actually only been three days since she had managed to take a look around the place. The first day after her recovery, the duke had her stay in her room. She only left it for meals, so it had been only a day since she had gotten to explore the mansion.

Karina, wearing only a robe, had climbed up to the roof to see the sunrise. She had promised Milian to abide by his requirements before going. First, she must let Milian or the butler, Fang, know when she is heading there. Second, she must dress very warmly. Lastly, she must come down from the roof to warm up after an hour.

When she had woken up, everyone was still asleep, so she couldn’t let them know about her plans. She hadn’t brought many clothes with her, so she wasn’t able to dress warmly even if she wanted to. When she started drawing, she lost track of time. She curled up on the roof, focusing on her art for four hours, as the mansion slowly came to life under her.

It was Milian who found her. He had gone to her room to ask her to come to breakfast and instead had found her on the roof, drawing. He was furious. He caught her by the scruff, pulled her down from the roof, and put her in bed.

Karina couldn’t escape her new bread roll existence because Milian stared her down whenever she tried to get the comforter back on the bed.