Chapter 8
Finally, the guy who had reached the window grabbed the window frame with both hands, lifted his leg, and pulled himself out of the window, causing me to half-scream in fear.
"And then you fall!"
"I won't fall! Just hurry and come up!"
"Are you crazy?! Come back quickly!"
"Nope, I don't want to. I won't go down until you come up."
Did he really want to die? The more frightened and worried I felt, the more his determination seemed to rise, and he would do more dangerous things.
Damn it, if the kind-hearted Duchess were still alive, she would have slapped some sense into that immature boy!
"Benya, please come down! You're going to get hurt!"
"Why would I get hurt? Just come up here."
That mischievous sprout! Should I just let him fall and suffer the consequences? For the sake of the future well-being and peace of this world, should I change his fate like this?
As I snapped out of my thoughts, I found myself climbing the ladder reluctantly, caught in an existential dilemma. Ugh, what karma from my past life brought me to this?
Suppressing my escalating anger, I managed to reach out through the window, only to find that the guy who had been sitting there a moment ago had disappeared.
I was momentarily terrified. There's no way...?!
"Come on."
Augh! My heart nearly leaped out of my chest. I almost fell back into the room as a hand suddenly reached up from below the window. Where the hell was he standing?
"What the...?"
"The view from here is amazing."
I looked down with my body hanging halfway out of the window.
Benya was standing beneath the window, balancing on the shoulder of a gargoyle statue perched on the roof, obscuring the view of the ground below.
Needless to say, it looked incredibly dangerous.
The distance between the window and the stone statue wasn't too far, but given the height of this place, falling onto the roof and slipping would spell disaster.
"How am I supposed to get down?!"
"Just grab my hand and jump!"
"But if I fall...!"
"You won't fall. Don't worry, I'll never let you fall."
That's a reassuring statement. I hesitated, feeling a mixture of fear and frustration. Gripping the window sill above my head with both hands, I slowly pulled my legs out.
It was a shame I was wearing a chemise, as a casual dress would have been less cumbersome.
Regardless, I planned to leave this place today, but what kind of crazy commotion was this from the morning!
"It'll be fine. Take my hand and land here on the wing."
Benya spoke in a surprisingly friendly tone. With my body completely out of the window, I trembled at the sight of the sky so close.
If I were to die like this, I would definitely become a vengeful ghost haunting him! Alright, one, two...!
"Kyaaak...!"
"Oh, you're quite nimble."
Feeling the solid stone beneath my feet, I cautiously opened my tightly closed eyes.
To my surprise, I was standing on one side of the outstretched wings of Mr. Gargoyle, who had become a child's makeshift horse. Fortunately, Mr. Gargoyle was quite large.
There was a moment of silence. I stared at the instigator of this whole ordeal, and he stared back at me. Finally, we both burst into laughter simultaneously.
"What do you think? Was it worth it?"
"But I won't do it again!"
Absolutely! If I die, who will take care of poor Estelle? Shaking my head, I wrapped my arms around my legs and sat on Mr. Gargoyle's back. Benya joined me, sitting down next to me.
A refreshing morning breeze tousled our hair. Soon, the sun began to rise. Side by side, we sat in silence for a while, gazing at the dawning sky.
"So, this is what you wanted to show me...?"
I whispered, and the boy coughed shyly in response.
"Last night's view was even more beautiful. When the sun was just setting."
Yes, I didn't know how magnificent it was, but the current view was also breathtaking.
The previously dark and bluish sky gradually brightened, casting an orange hue in all directions and cumulus clouds. It felt different from seeing it from the ground below.
"Were you here all day yesterday?"
"Not the entire day... I was looking through the books and suddenly became curious about the outside. So I sat here and thought about it."
"What were you thinking about?"
"Just thoughts... Like what our parents would think."
Droplets of water hung in strands from his silver-gray hair, glimmering in the sunlight. Coat the same color as the late Duchess... Suddenly, I felt a pang of sympathy for him.
Hesitantly, I raised my hand and gently placed it on his shoulder, but his sky-blue eyes met mine with an expression I couldn't decipher, one that seemed both desolate and complicated.
"I'm glad you're safe too."
"W-what?"
For a moment, I thought I had misheard, so I asked in a dazed manner. Could there be something wrong with my ears?
"You know how much Estelle needs you. And honestly, without you, I wouldn't have endured being here so well."
Was this really happening?
Well, if I thought about it, it was evident what would have happened if it had just been the three of them staying here.
When we were young, we used to hang out and play together, but to be honest, I couldn't say that these siblings were very affectionate towards each other.
Lethias and Estelle were relatively close, but Benya tended to keep his distance. It was only natural that he didn't know how to be sweet or amiable like his older brother.
To borrow the sentiments of our late duke, Lethias was too affectionate, and Benya was too much the opposite of Lethias.
It was perhaps this contrast that surprised me with what I had just heard. This guy is always doing something unexpected! I don't even know what to do with him!
"Sasha."
"...what?"
"I think you're drooling."
...There it is. I wondered why this brat suddenly became so friendly. I quickly closed my wide-open mouth and glared at him, but he only smiled in response. What now?
"I heard that it's fashionable for girls in Fzeia to wear their hair in buns. It might be worth seeing you in that style."
"Ha! Young master, how could a lowly nanny like me, who doesn't even like girly things, pull off a style like that? I doubt even Estelle would want to try it."
"Is that so? Well, it's a shame not to try it with your beautiful hair. I'd like to see Estelle try it too."
Estelle would look adorable with her hair in a bun, like a little cinnamon roll. Do I have to learn how to style her hair like that?
Regardless, whether in a bun or not, I'm content with my hair now. It's a reminder of my mother.
My curly reddish-blonde hair, resembling hers, brought me some comfort, even with my blood-red eyes.
The sky, seeming within arm's reach, was now bathed in full sunlight. We sat side by side, crouched on Mr. Gargoyle's back, and watched the morning light for a long time.
It was a refreshing and hopeful sight. The uneasiness and doubts I had felt upon seeing the tray cart earlier seemed to fade away.
Even if someone tried to imprison us, it would be impossible. Seriously, how would they explain it to others?
Even if they used the excuse that we died from the plague, they would have to inspect our bodies.
Even if we were sent to a villa or a foreign country, it wouldn't take long for people to find out whether the Serpente siblings were really there or not.
So, instead of wasting energy on futile suspicions, it was better to worry about how we would fare in Fzeia.
I had to do everything in my power to prevent my dear milk sister from dying.
* * *
Getting out was difficult, but the process of going back inside was even more challenging.
Unlike Benya, who had the agility to hold onto the window frame and leap back in like a circus performer, I struggled my way back up as he held out his extended arm and whined.
Clutching the cramped window tightly, I glanced up while Benya descended the ladder first. Where was the bell-ringing place?
Leaving behind our last adventure in this place, as soon as we left the library, Lethias greeted us. He scratched his head, yawned, and looked at us with surprise.
"What? Why are you two coming out from there?"
"There might be important information for our family inside, so I wanted to check it one last time. Unlike my brother, who is the designated successor."
Benya's morning greeting was full of sarcastic vigor, and Lethias immediately responded with a sheepish look, claiming to be embarrassed.
"It's not like I haven't thought about it."
"I'm sure you have. Why don't you just pass on the title of successor?"
"Am I that crazy? Do you want me to hand it over to you and end the entire family line?"
"Who said I want you to pass it on to me? You can hand it over to Sasha."
"Then she'll kick us out naked."
"Well, that's true."
Why did we end up at that conclusion again? It's nice that they're getting along now, but I seriously question how these guys normally see me.
Shaking my head, I went upstairs to wake Estelle. We were finally going to leave this place, so we should start preparing early. No one was going to touch that damn meal.
But that day, we ended up touching the damn meal. No one came until the noon bell and the prayer bell rang.
The same thing happened the next day and the day after that.
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