I quietly opened my mouth to him.
“……I wasn’t the one who put Idette in danger.”
Even if I were to collapse here, I had to make this clear. I couldn’t just let this slide—I was feeling extremely wronged too.
I glanced at Hestia.
"You should manage your ship better, Princess. Unless you'd like to have a boat ride and a funeral at the same time."
At that moment, Leon grabbed my wrist. His expression said we should get treatment first.
"Oh my, Lady Bianca must really see me as that kind of person? I'm sure everything was checked before we set off."
"We'll find out once we investigate."
I clenched my fists tightly.
"I won't let this incident pass quietly."
At my words, Hestia flinched.
Seriously. This time, I absolutely won’t let it go.
A cold wind blew at that moment. Leon, noticing my hands trembling, lifted me into his arms.
"Bianca, I understand how you feel, but let's go somewhere warm first."
Well, I wasn’t planning to stand here any longer either.
I leaned my head against Leon’s chest. Then, without meaning to, I turned my gaze toward Ricardo, who stood rooted to the spot.
He was completely frozen.
With a stiffer face than even mine, which had turned pale.
In fact, there was one thing I had been wanting to ask Ricardo for a while.
……Bianca was the one abandoned by you, so why do you look like you're the one who wants to cry?
* * *
"Cedric, it's been quite a while since you asked to speak with me alone like this."
The head of the House of Marquis Roygin.
Blua Roygin.
Once, he had been a sword that commanded the empire.
Cedric tilted his teacup instead of replying.
Watching his grandson, Blua let out a quiet laugh. The only time his adorable grandson ever asked for a private conversation was when it involved his younger sister.
They seemed like distant siblings on the surface, but they cared more about each other than people thought.
Though the two of them themselves seemed to deny that fact.
Blua set down his teacup and began to speak.
"So, what is it you wanted to say? You’re not usually so serious."
"……I wish to annul the engagement between House Roygin and House Hessen."
The words that finally came out of his grandson’s mouth were quite shocking. He knew Cedric didn’t think highly of Ricardo, but still.
Blua decided to ask for the reason first.
"Cedric, I recall you once saying that someone like Ricardo would be a good match for our Bianca."
"If we maintain good relations with the House of Duke Hessen, that would bring more benefit to the Roygin family in the future."
……So you were worried about after you die.
Blua gave a bitter smile. Cedric fidgeted with the teacup handle before speaking again.
"Did you proceed with Bianca’s engagement because of your promise with the former Duke?"
Blua fell into thought.
Officially, that was the rumor. His adorable granddaughter likely believed it too.
But that wasn’t the only reason Blua had pushed for the engagement.
He remembered Cedric and Bianca when they were young. The eyes of the children who had lost their parents, afraid even of being abandoned by him.
Blua saw how they relied on each other and made a resolution.
He wouldn't let them grow up not knowing love. It might not compare to a parent’s love, but he would raise them with as much love as he could give.
They were children who used to speak harshly. Afraid of being abandoned again, they would push him away, but gradually, they changed.
And that became Blua’s only happiness.
Then one day, his lovely granddaughter—someone he thought would never know love—fell for someone. The expression on her face then was the most radiant he had ever seen.
He wanted to protect that love. If he could do that, he felt he could close his eyes in peace.
If she could be with the one she loved, married life wouldn't be unbearable.
The arranged marriages of nobles.
They were far from romantic. But if it was a marriage built with some romantic feelings now, he had no doubt it would be better.
His lovely granddaughter, who would become the second most noble woman after the imperial family.
She likes shiny things, so she would surely be pleased.
Blua opened his mouth slowly.
"……I thought it was the engagement Bianca wanted."
"Did you ask her?"
"You know Bianca's personality well, don’t you?"
At Blua’s words, Cedric spoke with difficulty.
"If you truly wish for her happiness, then annulling the engagement is the only answer."
"……Ricardo may not be the warmest person, but he's not someone who would neglect even the basic courtesies toward his fiancée."
"Courtesy, you say?"
Cedric frowned. It seemed Blua hadn’t heard the news about the Duke being smitten with a woman from the countryside.
……Now I understood why Bianca had been hesitating.
As Cedric tried to find the right words, a frantic voice rang out from outside.
"Marquis! The young lady has returned—you should come out right away!"
At the mention of Bianca, Blua broke into a broad smile, but upon sensing the urgency in the servant’s voice, his face stiffened.
Cedric also rose from his seat.
"Hey! Why are you coming down so late!"
Cedric, forgetting to curse out Leon who was shouting in front of his mansion, couldn’t take his eyes off the deathly pale Bianca.
"Dear!"
Blua hurriedly ran to Bianca.
"Dear, please open your eyes. Your grandfather is right here, hmm?"
But Bianca couldn’t open her eyes.
"Call the physician immediately! Hurry!"
"……Explain what happened."
Leon faced Cedric who had approached him.
It had been a long time since Cedric had looked this angry.
Feeling a chill run down his spine, Leon held Bianca more securely.
* * *
Of course, I came down with a fever.
The bruises from falling off the second-floor terrace seemed to have turned into full-blown muscle aches.
Whenever I struggled to breathe through the fever, my grandfather was at my side.
He would mumble something while tightly holding my hand, but I couldn’t hear his voice clearly—maybe because water was still stuck in my ears.
Ah, this really wasn’t something to worry about this much.
It was embarrassing. This was just a cold, after all.
I wanted to say I was fine, but only a wheezy rasp came from my cracked throat.
Sometimes Cedric would also sit beside me, his expression quite serious—it seemed he was genuinely worried. When I barely opened my eyes, he would cover them with his large hand.
"……Sleep."
His tone was blunt, but the warmth at the corners of my eyes lingered for quite a while.
* * *
"Young lady, how are you feeling?"
Emily asked carefully as she changed the wet towel on my forehead.
"……I'm okay."
"Shall I bring you something to eat? The head chef is baking the tart you like! He also said he has a new chocolate cake recipe to try."
Emily squeezed my hand tightly.
They baked a tart because of me—now I couldn’t not try it…….
When I reluctantly nodded, Emily’s face immediately lit up.
"Young lady, please wait just a moment! I’ll be back quickly."
Emily clenched her fist, saying she’d also bring some warm tea. I let out a small laugh at the sight and lay back down carefully.
It felt like I could fall asleep at any moment, but sleep didn’t come easily.
My head was too full.
‘Seriously annoying…….’
I buried my face into the pillow.
There were clearly two people who fell into the lake, but the only one Ricardo saved was Idette.
Right, I already knew that guy would save Idette. And it would’ve been difficult to save both of us.
But still……
‘At the very least, he could’ve made an effort.’
To Ricardo, I didn’t even have that much worth.
What if I had died there?
Would he have attended my funeral?
It was a pointless thought. I already knew he would, since he was someone who valued propriety.
……That’s just the kind of relationship we had.
Even though I already knew that, my mouth still felt bitter.
Just then, I heard the door open.
Thinking it was Emily, I slowly opened my eyes—only to freeze at the sight of my grandfather entering the room.
I didn’t want to see him right now. I felt like I might lash out and blame him unfairly.
I closed my eyes again. My grandfather came to me, gently caressed my cheek with the back of his hand, and changed the towel for me.
His hands were cold—perhaps he wasn’t feeling well either.
……Should I just say that I’m okay now.
I didn’t want to make him worry anymore.
"Dear."
Grandfather gripped my hand tightly. Strangely, just hearing his voice made me feel like crying.
"I……"
But he didn’t finish his sentence.
Growing anxious, I opened my eyes. My grandfather had a pained expression on his face.