What Juliet took was a small amount of gold coins.
Although it was a scant amount for buying precious metals, Juliet looked very happy when she came back with a purse jingling with silver coins after going out.
[She went to a general store, an antique shop and a dressmaker, but she didn’t get fitted for a dress.]
[So what did she buy?]
[Nothing much. Some kind of linen? It seems to be used for making handkerchiefs… and a silk ribbon, and she also bought a drawer.]
Was she planning to open a general store?
He was very curious about what Juliet was up to.
Certainly, these days Juliet seemed to be distracted by something other than him.
Thanks to that, even when he took time out of his busy schedule to visit Juliet in the annex, he was always left in vain.
Lennox stopped in front of a small room at the end of the hallway.
[Is it this room?]
[Yes, according to the maids, she spends time alone in this room nowadays.]
He tried turning the door handle but it was locked.
[Has it always been locked?]
[It seems the young lady has locked it.]
Lennox didn’t take it seriously. Despite being a locked room, it was just a very small room in terms of the mansion’s layout.
[What is she doing here?]
[I’m not sure about that.]
Lennox frowned.
He felt like he was missing something, but couldn’t find anything in particular.
[And this is really nothing but…]
Elliot quickly reported one more thing to him as he was leaving the annex.
[The young lady seems to be studying something with that doctor.]
[…]
[So… medical studies?]
Is she thinking of becoming a doctor? Lennox had completely forgotten about the closed room and the talk about the general store he was curious about just a while ago.
Instead, he was coming up with two or three meticulous plans to get rid of this unknown guy without leaving a trace, when suddenly he felt pathetic.
This is crazy.
He couldn’t bear the thought of how childish it was, even to himself.
Of course, he could drive him away right now if he wanted to.
But not wanting to reveal his childish thoughts to Juliet, he decided to exercise a bit more patience.
Lennox found Juliet that afternoon.
[Surprise.]
Sitting on the couch and engrossed in sewing, Juliet was startled when he sat down in the armchair right next to her, sweeping her hand across her chest.
Lennox glanced over the table, filled with bits of ribbon, lace, and cut fabric, with a disapproving eye.
[What’s all this?]
[Pretty, isn’t it? It’s a doll dress made by Loren.]
Juliet grinned, showing him a very small, delicate dress-like item.
Loren seemed to be the name of a maid who was good at sewing.
[With this dress pattern, all you have to do is trace and sew, and you can make doll clothes, baby clothes… and animal dolls too.]
Juliet, not knowing his feelings, bragged to him with a smile.
With no particular thought, Lennox picked up an animal doll that Juliet was sewing earnestly.
[A rat?]
[It’s a rabbit.]
Juliet glared at him, her face turning red.
No matter how he looked at it, she didn’t seem to have a knack for sewing.
He chuckled lightly.
[Why suddenly the sewing?]
[You never know. Learning it might help to earn a living by sewing someday…]
[What situation would require you to live by sewing?]
[Well… right.]
For some reason, Juliet hesitated and avoided his gaze, and Lennox didn’t like her answer for some reason.
[Ah.]
He had a bad feeling, and sure enough, the clumsily sewing Juliet pricked her finger.
As a small blood droplet formed on her white fingertip, he unconsciously pulled her fingertip to his mouth.
[…]
He had only licked the fingertip, but as their eyes met, he came to his senses and found himself leaning over the table, their lips fervently engaged on the couch.
[No-]
The first one to come to her senses was Juliet. Instead of pushing him away, she chose a slightly aggressive method.
[…]
She bit his lips.
Tasting the bitter taste of blood, Lennox frowned and let her go.
Then Juliet didn’t know what to do.
[I’m, I’m sorry.]
She looked more surprised by herself even after biting him.
[Does it hurt a lot? What to do?]
[It’s okay.]
Juliet was overly flustered and mindful of his reactions.
[But I don’t like it right now. For a while …]
For a while?
He suddenly noticed a strange atmosphere.
Juliet, who hastily left her seat with a tearful face, appeared again that night. Knocking on the office door, Juliet was still watching his reactions.
[I was wondering if your wound is okay.]
[…]
[Here.]
What Juliet handed over was a cute-sized round jar.
[It’s a good ointment for wounds.]
Lennox, who was looking down at the ointment, asked without realizing.
[Did that doctor give it?]
[No, I bought it from the pharmacist. Why?]
[…Then it’s fine.]
Lennox accepted the ointment from Juliet and casually put it down at a corner of the table.
[Go now.]
[…]
But Juliet didn’t leave and was looking at him with a sullen face.
After pushing him away first, she didn’t understand why she looked more hurt.
[Juliet.]
Lennox sighed lightly and pulled her into a hug. Juliet, who came obediently, didn’t even refuse.
[You’ve been strange lately. You know?]
Lennox said with discontent.
[I’m not strange.]
Juliet stubbornly mumbled in his arms.
[It’s natural.]
[Who?]
[They said it’s not strange.]
[So who said that?]
[From a book…]
What book?
But Juliet didn’t answer anymore.
She stubbornly shut her mouth. The silence lengthened, and only the rhythmic sound of breathing could be heard. She seemed to have fallen asleep.
From a certain point, Juliet’s emotional ups and downs had intensified.
‘How many weeks has it been?’
Lennox was counting the days.
She’d tear up at the slightest things, rage at slight irritations, and pushed him away whenever they slightly got close.
[…I’m sorry for acting strange.]
He thought she was asleep. But Juliet apologized with a soft voice.
He couldn’t help but smile.
[It’s okay. I just wish you remembered sometimes.]
[Remember what?]
[…That I’m not very patient.]
He held himself back dozens of times a day from scolding Juliet.
‘To you, it didn’t matter who it was, as long as someone pulled you out of that hell.’
He smiled self-mockingly, and felt relieved that Juliet couldn’t see his expression.
* * *
It was a long-awaited long holiday.
He planned to take Juliet out somewhere far after a long time. It would also be a chance to get rid of that eyesore doctor Randel from his sight.
But when he arrived at the annex, Juliet was out for a moment.
[She’ll be back soon.]
The maid who was tidying up the room quickly answered, noticing his mood.
She quickly cleared the bowl that was in the room. It was a fragrance bowl containing lavender flowers.
[What are you doing?]
[Ah… Miss hasn’t been eating well lately.]
[I know that.]
He had finally fattened her up and made her look human, but she had lost weight again, which was a little annoying.
[It seems like the scent bothers her, the young doctor advised to remove all scented things.]
Is that so?
He sat leisurely by the empty bedroom window and looked out.
Upon reflection, it seemed that Juliet had been acting strange for several weeks already.
She wouldn’t let anyone get close, easily got tired, slept more, and on top of that, refused medical treatment.
‘I guess it’s better to call the family doctor.’
If Juliet was really sick, it was clearly a strange disease.
[…]
His hand, which was lightly tapping on the window frame, stopped.
Unable to eat even her favorite food, all she had was warm tea and a little fruit.
He suddenly realized.
There was such a disease.
There was such a strange disease in the world.
It’s a rare one.
[But if the child resembles you, it would be very cute.]
[Master?]
Before making any rational inference, he had already left the bedroom and was striding down the corridor.
He stopped in front of a small room at the end of the corridor that he had passed by a few days ago.
Clank.
The room at the end of the hallway was still firmly locked.
[Open it immediately.]
[Yes?]
[I need to see inside.]
[But, but Miss will be back soon.]
[Do I have to say it twice?]
With his sharp demeanor, the knights moved quickly.
Creack.
With a few blows of an axe, the firmly locked door was easily broken.
The lower floor got noisy, and the sound of carriages returning was heard, but Lennox didn’t care and entered the room.
It was a cozy room with plenty of sunlight.
There wasn’t much furniture in the small room, but there was evidence of someone’s tender touch here and there.
The wallpaper in pastel tones chosen with care, and the elegant chest of drawers and wardrobe.
And right in the center of the room, there was a small bed whose purpose was unclear.
[…]
[Ma-Master.]
Following servants mostly held their breath in confusion, not knowing what was going on.
Lennox looked down at the object that looked too small to be a bed with cold eyes.
He had never seen such a thing in the ducal mansion before.
What was this for?
His hand slowly caressed the edge of the cradle.
[…Your Highness?]
At the soft voice, he turned around.
[Why, here…]
Juliet, who seemed to have just returned from an outing, was standing at the door.
She turned pale seeing the room she had locked and kept with her life, now open. As if someone had discovered a long-hidden secret.
Seeing her became pale, and her trembling blue eyes, he was already convinced.
[Tell me, Juliet.]
Lennox’s impassive eyes turned towards the antique chest of drawers.
[What’s inside there?]
He needed to verify what was inside. That was all he thought.
Why hadn’t he noticed sooner?
[Lennox, please.]
Terrified Juliet came running in pleadingly.
Startled maids and servants peeked into the room from outside the door.
[I, I can explain everything-]
He wondered what kind of expression he was wearing.
Juliet, who almost threw herself into the room hurriedly, looked terrified as if she had seen a ghost.
Holding both of Juliet’s shoulders firmly, he gave a cold, expressionless command.
[Take everything out.]
Following the command, the servants began to turn the room upside down.