One Day My Sister Died - Chapter 24

In a way, it was natural that such misunderstandings arose.

The reason Yuan deliberately made close contact with him was because implying that sharing “intimate warmth” was not child’s play but intercourse was beneficial to her in many ways.

If his last memory was merely wiping moisture from his lips, how long would the sensitive Clard believe?

“It seems Lord Viscount and Lord Lancelot have arrived! They used to come often, but lately they’ve been coming even more frequently.”

Her thoughts were interrupted when the carriage stopped right in front of the mansion.

Seeing two black horses that Lancelot usually rode at the entrance, Yuan entered the mansion with slight tension.

As her eyes met the Lev brothers, who were in conversation with butler Gustav, Yuan awkwardly bent and straightened her knees to show respect.

“Ah, madam.”

Brushing back his caramel-like brown hair, Lancelot greeted Yuan warmly.

They usually only exchanged brief greetings, but this was the first time they had talked so closely since she decided to stay in this house.

Unlike Lancelot’s warm welcome, the future Viscount Lev, Eddie Lev, with his long hair tied low, barely nodded his head in greeting as he passed by her.

Yuan looked at Lancelot, who seemed at a loss in response to Eddie’s cold reaction.

Lancelot was a bright-looking man with slightly drooping eye corners like Yuan and a slender face.

Always dressed impeccably, he occasionally gave her mischievous smiles, but to Yuan’s eyes, he wasn’t a man to be taken lightly.

Perhaps it was natural for the son of the prestigious Lev family to appear that way.

“Well, our family will send the details in a separate document. As for the madam…”

Lancelot gave familiar instructions to Gustav, then approached Yuan with a slightly troubled face, scratching the back of his head before making way.

“It would be good for you to go up to Clard once.”

“Is something the matter?”

Lancelot made a face as if debating whether to explain, then soon smiled brightly.

“It’s just that the master of this house seemed to be looking for you earlier.”

Lancelot, maintaining just the right amount of courtesy, hurriedly left the mansion.

“Um, madam.”

Butler Gustav, who had become noticeably more polite after handing over the ledger, gave something to Yuan.

It was a letter.

As soon as Gustav went out to supervise the servants who began unloading the goods he had brought, Yuan opened the envelope with stiff hands.

[To my ungrateful niece, Yuan Peliesse.

Did you think we’d never meet again? You foolish, stupid…(omitted)

Self-centered…(omitted) Even if you’re in that mansion, there are plenty of ways to extract you…(continued)]

Yuan threw the letter filled with her uncle’s scrawled handwriting into the fireplace that was warming the first floor.

Only after confirming the ashes burning to the very end did Yuan hurriedly go up to the second floor.

As she knocked on the slightly open bedroom door, a sensitively locked voice shot out.

“Who is it.”

“It’s, it’s me−.”

It was a trivial answer, but for a moment, an anxious feeling arose about whether it was okay to answer so familiarly without even stating her name.

There was no response from inside the door for a while.

Yuan hesitated whether to enter or not, then carefully stepped in.

Contrary to her expectation that he would be lying on the bed or sprawled in the rocking chair, Clard was standing leaning against the window with his arms crossed, seemingly having been looking outside.

“Where have you been?”

It was a somewhat irritated voice.

Yuan’s eyes naturally went to the gold-embossed envelope with purple wax seal placed on the table, but she answered first.

“There’s a small chapel just in front, they say.”

“Why?”

At the sharp response that came even before her answer was finished, Yuan blinked her large eyes for a moment before replying.

“…To pray.”

She couldn’t bring herself to say she had gone to see Louise.

It was a matter the entire household was silent about, and Yuan herself had a desire to quickly become friends with Clard and ask about Louise, so she couldn’t help but feel guilty.

Fortunately, Clard was fixated on a strange reason rather than why she went to the chapel.

The ends of his handsome eyebrows rose sharply.

“Who gave you permission?”

“…”

Numerous excuses ran through her mind, but she decided not to make any in the end.

In this house, Clard Yufris was the law.

There was no need to feel hurt.

Clard is a patient.

Someone who hasn’t tasted his pain might fight against such sensitivity, but seeing the pain that had eaten away half of him, she didn’t want to do that.

After hearing that she could live in this mansion, Yuan had just resolved to live with outward gratitude towards Clard.

Maintaining an appropriate distance with a grateful heart. And if her sister’s death was because of that man, she would share his pain without regret.

“Don’t go wandering around anywhere without permission.”

Although he didn’t seem particularly interested, Yuan nodded obediently, not understanding why he was acting this way.

Even if she asked for permission to go out from now on, she had a feeling Clard wouldn’t stop her unless he was particularly looking for fault.

Strangely, she had such a premonition.

Even though he was a man she didn’t know well yet.

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“Please don’t feel too disappointed, madam.”

As soon as she came out of Clard’s bedroom and her tension eased a bit, butler Gustav quietly approached.

Seeing Yuan’s somewhat dejected face, his expression showed extreme caution tinged with worry.

“Is something the matter?”

“We’re expecting guests from the imperial family soon.”

“What?”

Yuan’s eyes widened at the unexpected answer.

Come to think of it, the servants who had been carrying water had all disappeared somewhere and the first floor was empty.

The few servants must have all gone to clean the annex hall to welcome guests.

“His Majesty the Emperor will be coming in three days.”

This time, she had to cover her mouth tightly with both hands in shock.

The Emperor refers to ‘that’ Igor Yufris.

A cruel tyrant who values human life as flies and is more interested in hunting than state affairs.

And according to rumors, the very person who made Clard like this, and who usurped the throne by taking Clard’s place after the death of the previous emperor and empress…

“Even if His Highness is in a low mood and more sensitive than usual, I ask for your understanding.”

So that gold-embossed envelope was indeed from the imperial family.

He had become more sensitive after hearing that news.

It wasn’t simply because he was sick and tired that he was so sharp.

For Yuan, who had just shoved her uncle’s letter into the fireplace, she could fully understand him.

“I understand.”

Gustav seemed a bit relieved and stretched his lips long before going out to the busy outside.

Yuan also quickened her steps, thinking she should look around to see if there was anything she needed to do as the lady of the house.

[This is the timeline separator]

That night.

Yuan, now accustomed to Henna and the maids dressing her up extravagantly, headed to Clard’s bedroom in light attire.

She knocked and entered when there was no answer, finding Clard sprawled in the creaking rocking chair.

Whether Clard himself noticed or not, compared to before when the pain would start and his body would change from when it began to get dark, now the process was gradually slowing down.

Yuan quietly approached Clard, who was still maintaining his sanity.

Although he must have sensed her presence, only the sound of the creaking rocking chair filled the bedroom.

Yuan glanced at the letter envelope that had neither been cleaned up nor thrown away, and quietly stood by his side.

She wanted to offer some words of comfort to him, who seemed particularly low today.

Not all uncles in the world would be like that.

His dislike for the Emperor is probably something Yuan understands best in this entire country.

Just as Yuan, who shares his pain, is the person who best understands his pain.

If they’re going to keep living together like this anyway, couldn’t they be a comfort to each other to some extent?

Just as Louise and Yuan, who were awkward at first meeting after 10 years, grew closer comforting each other with their uncle and cousins as common enemies.

“There are many people in the world who aren’t like family.”

Creak−. Creak−.

“Whatever I say, it probably won’t be much comfort to Your Highness, but…”

Creak−. Creak−.

“Your Highness is no longer in the palace. You’ve started a new family, a family of your own…”

Yuan hesitated a bit as she mentioned the new family, but soon gathered courage.

“It might be good to try to forget a little.”

Along with the still creaking rocking chair, transparent glass bead-like eyes appeared in the darkness.

But his expression was still not good.

Yuan hurriedly added.

“Would it be easier if you think of him and Your Highness as… no longer family?”

“What do you know.”

A silence fell where not even the creaking sound could be heard.

“What do you know, I said. Don’t pretend to know when you know nothing and just do your job.”

“…”

“And don’t go wandering around alone anywhere.”

Understanding and communication are different, huh.

Yuan stood stiff for a moment like someone who had been hit head-on by a big wave.

‘This is nothing.’

Just do your job.

Although she felt miserable having her attempt to get closer so brusquely pushed away.

Yuan made him herbal tea while repeating the mantra she always recited to herself.

Clard stared at the ceiling for a long time before downing the tea in one gulp when it was no longer steaming.

Judging by his twitching eyebrows, the pain had clearly arrived.

Yuan reached out her slender hand and wiped away the tea droplet rolling down his neck with her index finger.

Whether due to pain or something else, Clard flinched and lowered his gaze from the ceiling to stare at her pale hand.

Just as she thought how pretty the moonlight caught on his long eyelashes was.

Yuan slowly lowered her head and kissed not his cheek, but the corner of his mouth.

The moist tea droplet and bark-like skin pressed deeply against Yuan’s soft lips.

Clard’s eyelashes, which seemed to tremble slightly, stopped moving.

The sensation against Yuan’s lips had changed to soft and smooth.

Yuan opened her closed eyes and gazed down at the beautiful face shimmering in the moonlight for a long time.

It was a silence where only their breaths mingled without the creaking sound, but it was much less tense than before.

The perfect face of Clard Yufris fallen asleep looked like an angel dropped straight from heaven.

“Your face is pretty, but why do you keep saying mean things?”

The pain demanding to be let out began kicking in Yuan’s heart.

Watching the moonlight caress his long eyelashes and prominent nose bridge, Yuan endured the heartbeat that seemed to pound in her ears.

She felt a bit nauseous.

It was a strange feeling.

“Is it so unpleasant that I’m trying to get along well?”

Yuan pressed firmly on his brow that furrowed occasionally due to the remaining pain in his body.

As his subtly wrinkled brow smoothed out, Yuan’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Not even knowing who you’re sleeping well thanks to. You’re the one who knows nothing.”