Chapter 10. Not as friends, but as lovers (1)
Emilia woke up early in the morning.
Was the memory of yesterday a dream of a sweet night?
Or was it the reality that the long-awaited wish came true?
You should be able to check that later. Anyway, the important fact is that I can start this morning with a very excited mind.
When she poked her head out through the door without changing her clothes, Grita, who was waiting in front of her, greeted her.
“Did you cough, lady?”
“yes. Good morning, Gritta.”
Although she still seems a bit drowsy, Grita bows to the owner who greets her with a bright smile.
As soon as she raised her head, her owner’s red face came into her field of vision.
Even though yesterday was warm weather for winter, I was worried that I might catch a cold because I went outside in fairly thin clothes.
“You didn’t overdo it yesterday, did you? Your face is very red.”
“A face?”
Emilia hurriedly groping her face, rushed into the room and checked the mirror.
As Grita said, the fact that both cheeks were flushed red was enough to feel a difference to anyone watching.
“Huh… … !”
Could it be that the memories of yesterday still linger and this is what happened?
If I had met Ludwig like this, I would have kicked off the blanket tonight.
Meanwhile, Grita, who quietly followed in, tilted her head as she saw the owner sitting on the floor with her face covered.
I wanted to feel strange after going to the festival yesterday, but judging from the reaction I showed this morning, it seems that something happened.
‘no way?’
There was only one person who looked around the harvest festival with his owner.
The opponent was the man she had in mind.
Along with the puzzles that were being put together one by one in her head, Grita’s lips drew a darker arc.
“My lady, do you have something to tell me?”
Startle.
For an instant, Emilia’s body trembled violently as it was bent in place.
Then, she carefully raised her head and met the maid’s eyes.
Their gazes met, and a smile like that of a mischievous child formed on Grita’s lips as he confirmed Emilia’s trembling pupils.
Sometimes, an unconscious reaction can be more concrete evidence than ten words.
Emilia also asked for the tea to come out, avoiding her gaze as if her feet were numb.
However, for Grita, who has been serving her, this is an action that clearly shows his intentions.
She likes tea more than anything, but it was not like her, who always woke up early in the morning drinking bottled water.
“That, Gritta. Can you give me some tea?”
Despite her request, Grita is keeping her place like a mangbuseok with her eyes wide open.
Emilia shook her shoulders again, cleared her throat and collected herself before speaking with a more urging tone this time.
“It’s a big deal. The lady who sternly refused to drink tea as soon as she woke up, saying she couldn’t taste it… … .”
“Oh, sometimes there are days like that. So come on.”
“yes. If you are like that, then I will follow you.”
Grita poked out her mouth and replied so that she could not be seen at all in the way she spoke to her master.
Then he quietly bowed his head and left the room.
Only then did Emilia breathe a sigh of relief when the door closed quietly without even making a small sound.
‘I have to inform Grita as late as possible.’
I was going to tell my parents today at the earliest, but Grita was different.
Because of her personality that likes to make fun of herself, the moment she announces that she has become a lover with Ludwig, she will ask questions.
It is better to be hit first, but this case was different.
‘want see.’
I missed Ludwig’s face very much, probably because he had been tormented by the bad-tempered maid since morning.
Maybe it’s more because we became lovers since yesterday.
‘How should I say hello when we meet? Can I treat you like normal?’
It’s not like there’s been a lot of progress between the two of them.
We didn’t have a deep relationship with each other, and at least we didn’t even kiss each other.
However, the sense of disparity that comes from the difference between the words friend and lover caused Emilia enormous confusion.
“My lady, I’ve made tea.”
While Emilia was holding her head with both hands and pondering over and over again, Grita entered the room with hot water and tea leaves on a trolley.
“thanks. huh? Do you want to drink grita too?”
What is different from usual is that there are two tea cups on the trolley.
There were no guests scheduled to come from early in the morning, so it was naturally said that the owner of the remaining cup belonged to Grita.
“Yes, can I?”
“No way. It was just a little surprising.”
Basically, she is a mischievous lady-in-waiting who likes to make fun of her master, but normally, Grita’s master-servant relationship is pretty strict.
Therefore, even when Emilia suggested that they drink tea together, most of them easily refused.
What kind of wind is blowing today?
In any case, Emilia was satisfied with the fact that she had someone to talk to.
‘Conversation?’
for a moment.
The sound of something snapping echoed in my head.
why am i so relieved? Right now, there is something in front of me that I need to be most wary of?
“… Gritta?”
“Looks like we have a lot to talk about, young lady.”
“… … .”
Grita slowly approaches the table with a bright smile on her face.
Only then did Emilia realize.
That this lady-in-waiting did not bring an extra teacup with a noble mindset to be the owner’s conversation partner.
The fact that his morning will not be so smooth.
* * * * * * *
It was Emilia who was unable to participate in the breakfast table because she woke up later than usual.
In the end, after a lonely meal alone, I set out to find an ungrateful man who had become a lover since yesterday, but who did not even show his nose.
“Ludwig, are you here?”
Even when I went to his room, there was no harvest, so I knocked on the door of the drawing room, but there was no answer.
Where did you go? If he had been in the garden, he should have found it when he went out to the balcony after his meal.
While she was walking down the hallway alone, reasoning over and over again, Yulia slowly approached her from the other side.
‘I wonder if my mother knows.’
Emilia greets her in the morning and immediately asks if she has seen Ludwig.
Yulia’s head moved up and down at that, and her daughter’s face suddenly brightened.
“Ludwig is in the studio. Didn’t you see?”
“Are you talking about the studio?”
In this mansion, there is a separate studio for Yulia’s hobbies.
Since no one visits except for her who is deeply interested in painting, it is practically a private private room.
But why was Ludwig there from this early hour?
“He said he had a picture left to finish and asked me. I asked if I could take a look, so I should ask the owner first?”
“ah… … .”
Now I think I know why Ludwig went there.
I brought the picture I drew at the festival yesterday to the mansion, but it seems that I rented a studio to finish it.
Wasn’t the reason why he went without telling himself on purpose to surprise him later?
“Go, thank you. mother. I’ll go see Ludwig right away.”
“yes. Please do not disturb the child who is concentrating at best.”
Is it possible to not interfere with the work? If I saw him, I’d probably jump right in and hug him.
Emilia, who couldn’t bear to answer her mother’s words, said goodbye and headed to the studio.
His steps were lighter than before.
“Clothes… Are you okay?”
Arriving at the door of the studio, Emilia first took a look at her condition.
I thought that if I confessed my feelings to him, I would be relieved, but instead, I became more conscious than before.
You might have developed an obsessive compulsive feeling that you should only show your pretty side because you are now a lover rather than a friend.
Of course, it’s not that I didn’t have that mindset before.
Sigh. Carefully opening the door and looking inside, I saw his back seated in the center of the studio.
Watching the figure sitting basking in the sunlight coming through the window, Emilia wondered if the scene in front of her eyes might be a painting.
It would be closer to the feeling of being holy rather than cool. Something like an aura that was hard to get into was felt from him.
Even so, she cautiously killed the presence and approached him.
Perhaps because he is so focused, Ludwig doesn’t even notice her coming with his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
She stood aside silently and watched the finished painting with her own eyes.
‘You were painting colors.’
As colors were added to the painting he showed me yesterday, it seemed to come to life even more.
It feels like breathing life into a lifeless statue.
Emilia just watched the finished painting with her mouth open.
“Eh, Emilia? How is it… … ?”
It seems that she came into his field of vision because she pushed her head out even further.
Only then did he discover Emilia, and he blinked in bewilderment.
“My mother told me.”
“I see. Well, since I didn’t tell anyone but Mrs. Julia… … .”
I thought it was a surprise gift and I was going to show it, but it went back to nothing.
It didn’t matter, as I didn’t put the meaning in just surprising her.
However, it’s a flaw that it’s hard to see her face because the memories of yesterday are still vivid.
I wondered if I would be able to continue painting.
Emilia’s nervousness appeared as well, as the agony settled on his face.
Could it be that he came and interrupted the work at best?
It would have been fine if I had ignored it and just looked at the finished picture later.
It may have been the wrong choice to visit him without thinking because I wanted to see him so much.
“Can I get out of the way?”
“Oh, no. would be disturbing However, I was a bit surprised because I didn’t know that Emilia would come. It’s pretty early.”
It was an unexpected moment for Ludwig because he had skipped even the morning practice, which he always did not skip.
Did he find himself because he had something to do? Then what is the duty?
As he tilted his head in curiosity, Emilia’s cheeks turned red.
“That’s true… … .”
“The fact is?”
Uncharacteristically for her, the pause was long.
It’s not like it was a message of parting at the moment I just heard yesterday’s confession.
Ludwig waited for the words to follow while breaking out in a cold sweat from the overwhelming anxiety.
“I want to see… … .”
“… Yes?”
“Bo, I wanted to see you. Can’t we?”
Thought she might have heard it wrong, she replied in a foolish tone, but Emilia kindly confirmed it again and pouted her lips.
As I watched it, a tickling sensation spread gently in my chest.
Ludwig urgently came to his senses and tried to wave his hands, but stopped moving.
It’s different from before. This beautiful girl in front of her is not her friend, but her lover.
If so, shouldn’t I express my apologies appropriately?
Click. Placing the palette on the table to his left, he quietly rose from his seat.
Accordingly, Emilia’s gaze naturally moved upward.
Ludwig smiles as he sees her standing there, not knowing why, and takes a step closer.
Then he opened his arms and carefully wrapped them around her.
“It can’t be. I missed you too.”
Is this really the body of a girl who will later be called the Sword Saint?
I was afraid that if I hugged her even a little tighter like this, it would break like a piece of glass.
That’s why he hugged Emilia as carefully as possible, but tightly so that he could feel her warmth, and patted Emilia on the back.
“How much did you miss me?”
“I do not know. I guess I need to think about it a little more.”
“Well, I guess I’ll have to stay like this until I remember.”
Her hands slowly reached up and wrapped themselves around his back.
A slightly different warmth than when I held him in his arms before.
I won’t be able to leave for a while even to figure out what it is.
Emilia thought so and buried her face in his arms.