Chapter 21

She picked up the spoon and carefully brought the warm, thick soup to her mouth.

Even earlier in the dining room when she’d been eating properly, she’d barely registered whether she was putting food in her mouth or chewing—it had all just gone down without much thought.

And she hadn’t eaten much of that either, since Sana had burst in and interrupted her.

What a waste of the leftover food. Sehera muttered absently while tearing off pieces of bread, dipping them in the soup, and eating them.

Now that she thought about it, she’d briefly forgotten in the shock of his sudden, dramatic appearance… but the day she’d invited people over was only four days away.

If she wanted Romina to prepare everything properly, she needed to relieve her of this worry quickly.

“Fredil said he’d make time to come, so I can’t postpone it.”

She was a bit concerned about what to do with that man who would probably be sitting up by then, but Sehera had absolutely no intention of postponing the party because of him.

Being worried was one thing, and yes, he was a man she’d once loved… but now he was someone who had nothing to do with her.

He must have left divorce papers behind. He’d basically just left a scrap of paper without even discussing it with her.

He might even remember me negatively. An irresponsible woman, perhaps…

She felt a slight ache in her chest. It was ridiculous that thinking of him still made her feel this way.

She thought she’d forgotten everything while living busily this past year, but with that man’s appearance, too many things had snapped back into place.

Maybe it’s because he appeared in his most vulnerable state… injured.

“Really, how strange. It’s like I’m haunted by a ghost for not being able to nurse his wounds.”

She clicked her tongue and finished all the remaining food. As she gazed with satisfaction at the soup cup and bread basket she’d cleaned so thoroughly that Romina would be very proud, Sehera felt a chill somewhere.

She was hesitating whether to turn around with a slight flinch when it happened.

“Se… hera…”

Sehera felt like her entire body was freezing. From the fingers that had been about to push the tray, from the tips of her toes warm inside her slippers, she felt herself freezing solid, unable to move for a long moment.

She thought he’d fallen back asleep and wouldn’t wake up for a while… maybe she’d let her guard down somewhat. She was shocked first that he’d woken up…and then shocked again that he’d called her name immediately upon seeing only her back.

“…Hera…”

His voice sounded somewhat weak, still not fully returned, fading away. Sehera slowly pushed back her chair, stood up, and slowly turned around.

Ethan lay sprawled on the bed in the same position from before, but his eyes were open just slightly. And his gaze was directed precisely at her.

“Haah…”

She didn’t know how many sighs she’d let out.

Ethan’s eyes widened at the sight of Sehera sighing right in front of him. Even that seemed difficult for him, as he only managed the motion without properly opening them.

He seemed to want to move his body, twitching slightly, so Sehera approached the bedside with quick steps.

“Don’t move. You’ve only just regained consciousness.”

The words came out stiff without her realizing it. She wanted to keep her distance, and besides… she had no memory of ever having a warm conversation with him, so such a stiff tone came out naturally.

He blinked slowly while looking up at her. His gaze didn’t move at all, staring only at her.

It was so absurd.

“Why are you looking at me like that? Are you worried I’ll disappear somewhere again?”

When she’d been at that estate as his person, he hadn’t even glanced at her… so why was he staring so intently now?

He was someone who, whenever he came home with even a minor injury, would radiate discomfort the moment she entered his field of vision.

“Ah, you’re lying there in pain and you’re uncomfortable with me being next to you. What should I do, I’m so sorry. All my employees have their own work and are busy people, so I didn’t want to make them nurse you on top of that.”

She was discovering just how far a person could go when their heart turned crooked. She never thought she’d be able to speak to him like this…

Those times there must have been truly difficult in many ways.

Sehera sat down on the sofa by the bedside, unconcerned by the discomfort filling his gaze.

After pouring and drinking water from the pitcher that Sana always kept filled, she took out the needlework she’d prepared nearby and began embroidering stitch by stitch.

She wanted to appear as composed as possible. She wanted to show him that she was living well without any anxiety or unease after leaving him.

‘Then I definitely need to have that party.’

That party was meant to be a way to repay, even just a little, in this manner, the people who’d helped her over the past year. In other words, it would be an occasion that summarized who she’d been meeting over the past year and what work she’d been doing with them.

That would be the most definite thing she could show Ethan.

She really wanted to show him that even Sehera, who’d lived like luggage under his neglect at the Croft Ducal Estate… was someone who could survive on her own strength like this.

And she planned to nurse him back to health enough that she wouldn’t have to worry about him again, then send him back to the ducal estate.

The meeting between Ethan the knight and Sehera the prospective Count would end with that.

She thought perhaps fate had given her an opportunity to cleanly settle a relationship that still had loose ends.

“Sehera…”

He called her name even while blinking slowly.

Sehera, who’d been lost in her thoughts, confidently thinking about this opportunity to settle things, suddenly felt her heart sink at hearing her own name in his voice.

“Don’t call me like that. Like… you were someone who always called me that way…”

He hadn’t called her name. Had there been times when he did? Even if there were, they might be so far in the distant past that they didn’t remain in her memory.

Calling that name now with such a wonderful voice, with such a pained voice—it was cheating.

She didn’t want to be someone who foolishly expected something from him anymore. She’d repeated that pattern dozens, hundreds of times during the two years she’d spent at the Croft Ducal Estate.

“Se… he… ra.”

The voice calling her name, still not free of pain, seemed to squeeze her heart painfully, so Sehera coldly turned her eyes away from him.

She gripped the embroidery frame tighter and bowed her head completely, filling her vision only with the frame.

She didn’t respond to his calls.

Anyway, right now, in his half-sleep, somewhere between consciousness and unconsciousness… pulling her in that way wouldn’t do.

Sehera cleared her throat and looked at him. Hoping her gaze wouldn’t appear like a wavering, weak woman. Hoping she’d look resolute, like someone who knew how to do everything on her own. She looked at the person calling her while hoping for that.

He was awake now. The voice calling her name had sounded almost like he was speaking in a dream earlier, but gradually his voice seemed to be becoming clearer.

Perhaps because he’d woken once before, he appeared to be gradually coming to his senses.

Soon the pain in that shoulder would *ssault him. Himoph had once said that once consciousness returned, the pain from the shoulder wound would come shortly after, so treatment needed to be administered quickly.

That’s why earlier, when Sana had brought news of his awakening, she’d immediately asked Sana to bring Himoph.

Right now she was alone, so she needed to hurry out and run up to the third floor.

“Se… hera…”

But before that, she needed to shut that mouth first.

“Listen carefully, Duke Ethan Croft.”

She didn’t want to create any reason that might crack this life. And he, who hadn’t looked for her for a year, surely didn’t want to create any particular problems with her either.

“You and I are divorced, and honestly, I hoped we’d never meet again. The doctor will be coming soon, and a maid to care for you will come too, but I’ll ask just one thing.”

She didn’t have complete faith that he’d necessarily keep this. Sana and Romina, and Himoph and Rabo, who were particularly close, each had many occasions to talk and were people living closest to Sehera.

“Don’t acknowledge me.”

When she began speaking to him, Ethan, who’d been watching her with calm eyes, widened his eyes. He stopped squeezing out her name in that desperate voice.

“I don’t want to explain again, and I want to make it so no one can even bring up the idea that they hope things work out between you and me. My words… do you understand what I mean?”

But after a moment of wavering, he said nothing again. She couldn’t tell if he had something he wanted to say or if he had no words to refute her.

“Just quietly receive treatment and go back.”

Sehera found this resolute version of herself unfamiliar, but even if she couldn’t meet his eyes, she clenched her fists so she wouldn’t back down even in that.

He didn’t answer. He only gazed at her with eyes full of longing.

His body, which had been asleep for over two days, seemed to be gradually awakening—she saw the eyes that had been looking at her widen in shock. Perhaps the pain had already begun.

She hadn’t received an answer, but she couldn’t ignore his pain.

“Anyway, I’m asking you. My words… I trust you understand what I mean.”

Sehera tried to speak calmly to the end. When she’d said she wanted to nurse him… it had truly been with the hope that he’d recover cleanly.

At least that hadn’t changed.

“I’ve made myself clear. Don’t tell other people, and hurry up and get better so you can hurry back.”

Leaving only those words, she quickly turned and rushed out the door. Left alone, still sprawled there, he blinked slowly and then drew his eyebrows together.

A room in the Planer County Estate.

Once a bedroom the Count and Countess had shared, but for the past year the only person who’d entered was Sana, briefly for cleaning—in this room… already three people had gathered, not counting herself and him.