Chapter 11
Lavender's blue, dilly dilly, lavender's green,
When I am king, dilly dilly, you shall be queen.
Let the birds sing, dilly, dilly, and the lambs play
We shall be safe, dilly, dilly, out of harm's way
“… Fuha!”
My consciousness, which had sunk into the depths, suddenly resurfaced, and a rush of sweet air entered my nose and mouth. In an instant, I was back in the present.
“Sasha!”
“Sasha, are you all right?! Sasha?!”
I couldn't respond to the voices calling out to me. My throat was filled with coughs, making it impossible to speak.
Oh God, Mother! I struggled to regain my senses and looked up to find Benya holding me tightly in his arms.
The water seemed to be dripping from his entire body. The helpless trembling in his sky-blue eyes was both strange and heart-wrenching.
“Sorry, I… Cough cough!”
“Sasha!”
Lethias, looking as worried as his brother, knelt beside me and held my hand. I shifted my gaze between the two brothers for a moment and managed to murmur awkwardly.
"Did I ruin my makeup?"
“…You're unbelievable! You're trying to crack a joke now?!”
“I apologize, Oppa. You both looked so tense that I thought a little humor might help. I'm okay."
I coughed and managed to sit up. Only then did the Crown Prince approach, standing right behind the two of them. Juan, who stood beside his sister, had an expression that was hard to read.
"What in the... You give me a heart attack every time."
"I'm sorry for causing concern, Your Highness."
"There's someone else who owes you an apology, but I'm relieved you're safe once again. That's it. I can't tell if you're incredibly unlucky or incredibly lucky..."
Assad's purple eyes held genuine concern as he spoke in a tone that seemed to feign lament. Lethias took off his coat and draped it around me as I wrung out the dampness from my hair.
I realized Benya's coat was nowhere to be seen. Sniff. Fortunately, the necklace was still in place.
At that moment, Benya, who had been silently watching me with frozen eyes, suddenly stood up. Everyone seemed to snap out of their daze as if they had an unspoken agreement to do so.
A few paces away, Flor stood as if rooted to the spot. Her gaze was fixed on me, her earlier drunkenness seemingly evaporated. Benya stepped forward to face her. Her blue-green eyes held a hint of fear.
"Oppa, I..."
Before Flor could even speak, there was a resounding thud. A brief scream rang out, and Flor was sent sprawling, landing on the grass.
Naturally, the entire scene froze. The first to react was someone who rushed forward—probably Assad. Lethias, who regained his senses a moment later, also sprang into action.
“Benya! Ducal Prince!"
“Hey, hold on! Calm down!”
Benya disregarded his two superiors(?) and headed straight for Flor, who was crouched on the ground like a worm.
Thwack!
Flor, who got struck in the stomach, tumbled across the lawn. Not even a scream escaped her.
In the next instant, I leaped to my feet and fled. Interestingly, at that moment, I noticed Juan flinch as if attempting to halt me.
Leaving him like this, he will surely kill her. As I clung onto his arms with both hands, Benya finally ceased his motion.
A kind of madness lurked eerily in his eyes, reminiscent of the wintry sky gazing back at me. It sent shivers down my spine, yet I swallowed my dry saliva and calmly spoke up.
"It was because she was intoxicated... that she clearly made a blunder."
“...”
"You saved me. That's all. Can you stop now, please?"
The trembling in his arms under my grasp gradually subsided. I cautiously lifted my hand and gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
Only then did the murderous intent that had hung in the air loosen, and sighs echoed around us.
Assad spoke up. The Crown Prince, having endured a day filled with turmoil, spoke with a unique voice that had the ability to lighten the atmosphere in an odd way.
"Prince, I don't anticipate great gentlemanly behavior from you, but I believe I've had my fill of your family's conflicts today. Could we perhaps relocate for your disagreements next time?"
Benya diverted his gaze from me, glanced in that direction, and responded bluntly.
"I'll consider that."
"Which means you'll continue doing as you please. This is all due to my lack of authority, and you pay me no heed."
Meanwhile, Flor was being carried limply, appearing almost unconscious. Lethias, who had been observing the scene with a contorted expression, turned back to us with a sigh.
"Within half a day, the father and daughter managed to... Both of you are drenched. Perhaps you should change first."
That made sense. Regrettably, I had packed my extra clothes in our wagon. Alfonsina assisted me as I changed into the women's restroom situated on one side of the venue.
"Thank you, Alsie. Truly."
"Don't mention it... Especially after what Sasha did for me..."
"Not only that. You were upset on my behalf earlier."
As I hinted while fastening the knot on the corselet, a style I'd worn since childhood, Alfonsina, placing my wet clothes on the sink, hesitated. Following a brief pause, she tentatively spoke.
"... Sasha is my friend. It's not right for her to speak to you in that manner."
Quite touching, my dear friend. I smiled as I slipped into the voluminous emerald dress. Alfonsina stepped behind me, fastened it, and spoke slowly.
"I'm even more... concerned about Sasha."
"You're worried...?"
"She was so antagonistic towards Sasha, that young lady... It must be because Sasha seems easy to approach. If this repeats in the future..."
"Thank you, but there's no need to worry. I'm accustomed to such hostility. It was just a minor setback from my plan."
"Still... If the Ducal Prince hadn't intervened immediately, Sasha, you might not have survived. So, it would be understandable that he was extremely angry. People might think he's a bit much, but..."
This was somewhat surprising. I had assumed Alfonsina would be quite shaken by what she'd witnessed earlier, but she appeared unexpectedly composed.
Indeed, Alfonsina must have been aware of what transpired at Serpente Hall last year. Thus...
"I'm fine since I made it through. Besides, I regret that my presence disrupts the festive atmosphere each time."
"Nobody thinks like that! And even if they do, it's definitely not Sasha's fault."
After concluding the task of bundling up the wet garments and stowing them in the wagon's trunk, we returned to the venue where the auction was commencing slowly. My hair remained damp, but that was inconsequential.
"I don't want any peculiar carriages like last year's emerging. Love potions or something..."
"I do remember that. You were so intoxicated that you passed out."
"Well, it wasn't that bad. Oh, Sasha. Alfonsina."
Lethias, seated and perusing a catalog detailing the auction items, sipped grape juice instead of wine, and waved enthusiastically.
"Come, have a seat. This spot is the best. I just took care of it."
Really? Our bear? It's a relief that he appears so composed. Is it because of Alfonsina?
I cautiously settled beside Benya. Perhaps due to his short hair, Benya, who now looked much neater than I, snuffed out a cigarette and turned his gaze towards me.
"Are you all right?"
You wouldn't believe how many times I've heard that word from you just today. In fact, it sounds more like a question I should be asking.
"Of course, I'm fine. It's my first time attending an auction like this, so I'm quite excited."
"Great. But if you find something you like, don't hesitate to bid."
"Anything?"
"Anything."
"And what if I end up going broke?"
"I'll take care of you. I'd even be willing to do some manual labor if needed."
I chuckled at his playful grin. Our hands found each other under the table, fingers intertwining tightly.
"...I'm sorry."
"What's all of a sudden?"
"For how I looked earlier. Just a moment ago."
A tinge of remorse, which didn't really suit him, flickered through his sky-blue eyes as he looked down.
Sometimes it's hard to tell whether he's doing this deliberately or genuinely. Oh, this cunning fox! I shook my head and smiled.
"It's all right... How you look doesn't bother me."
I felt a persistent gaze on us. When I glanced around, I spotted Juan glaring at us from the table opposite ours, more precisely at Benya, with a perplexing expression as if searching for something.
As soon as our eyes met, he quickly averted his gaze.
But his sister wasn't behaving the same way.
Adriana... How should I put it, it seemed like she wasn't even aware I was observing her. Her dreamy pink eyes were fixed on Benya, shimmering with a rather peculiar light.
I soon deciphered what those eyes were conveying.
What was your initial reaction? Then came this darn original novel. After that, I realized that the novel wasn't the issue.
My first thought was, "How is this even possible?" Then came this darn original work. After that, I recognized that the original story wasn't problematic.
Did Adriana from the original story harbor such feelings for Benya? It seemed not. If that's the case, why and how? Why could she feel this way now? A little while ago...
Adriana was a noblewoman who had been brought up in the most refined manner, a heroine who maintained her virtues and determination even in dire circumstances.
And Benya was the type of dangerous man who wouldn't typically associate with young ladies like her.
After observing her gaze for a while, I had a sense that she was onto something. It was because those eyes bore a striking resemblance to Juan's.
Adriana's eyes weren't directed at Benya as much as they were focused on observing his interactions with me, with great caution.
Yes, indeed, how can someone like him convey such a look? Maybe, surprisingly, he isn't as wicked as he seems. Rumors could be exaggerated, and perhaps he's being led astray because he's falling for the wrong person.
Miss Heroine, your journey here might become challenging.
Out of nowhere, a wry smile tugged at my lips. Despite the differing interpretations I had of them, the siblings shared a fundamental similarity in their essence.
Knoxus, Juan, Adriana... Even though these three individuals appeared to clash in terms of their personalities, they all shared a common trait: a burning desire to save someone. And the targets of their fantasies were characters woven from their own perceptions, individuals they saw according to their own desires and with unwavering self-assurance that their mental constructs were inherently true and correct.
I’m running towards you in my fantasy... I don't even know where the end is.
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