Chapter 85


    “Who?” Irene frowned. Neither she nor any of the employees had seen him recently.


    “He was there.”


    “What? Madam, are you feeling sick? I heard that people recover their energy for a while before they


    die. No! No way!” Laritte had to calm her down again.


    “No, no. I’m fine. Hmm, I’ll go for a walk. I’m bored, so I want to breathe fresh air.”


    “It’s snowing outside. It’s going to be very cold!”


    “I’ve been upstairs all the time and the firece smells bad,” with that, she walked out. Thendscape


    was covered in pure white snow. “It’s really cold.” Irene had hurriedly wrapped a shawl around her


    shoulders, but she was cold to the bone.


    She took ten steps from the annex and looked around. There was nothing but clear footprints of her


    passing.


    “Ian?”


    Her breath turned into smoke as she spoke. Thend was so quiet that it felt empty. It was winter, and


    due to the gue, no one was seen on the trails and in the training grounds. Leaving the annex behind,


    she hovered near the mansion.


    Employees who were not affected were gathering under the torches to warm themselves. In fact, they


    weren’t very good either. Their family members or even those who were like family to them were being


    treated in the annex, so they took turns in nursing and guarding the ce.


    “We’re running out of food and herbs. We’ll have to go to a distant city and load up a wagon. Anyone


    volunteer?” It was time for the knights with the remaining energy to volunteer. One of them, who was


    helplessly eating bread, found Laritte through the window.


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    “Madam! You’re all right!” The knight opened the window with both hands. Holding back her cough and


    covering her mouth, Laritte stepped back.


    “It seems I am fine now, but don’te near me. I don’t even know if I ampletely healed. But do


    you know where Ian is?”


    “Captain? Has he returned from the Capital? If he were here, we wouldn’t have missed him……”


    Laritte sighed. No one had seen Ian. Where the hell was he?


    After that, Laritte paced around the mansion. She saw the wall Ian and Laritte had climbed the first day


    they came to the Duchy. She also saw the small stream running through the Duke’snd. There was no


    one, but she continued her search. In her arms, she held the dagger Seta had given her. She had a lot


    of things to share with Ian.


    “Ian,” she walked down the deserted promenade. “Answer me. How many times do I have to call you


    by your name? If that’s the case, you should have a nice name. Actually, Ian is a very boring name.”


    She shrugged her shoulders, but then changed her mind. “Oh, I’m sorry. It’s the name given by your


    parents, but I said it wrongly. I forgot. If I had to excuse myself, I always treated my name carelessly.


    You know, it doesn’t mean much.” She was speaking softly, but it was an ordeal enough for her.


    “Cough, cough!”


    The more she walked around the mansion, the more her cheeks froze in the cold air and became red.


    Her cough also got worse.


    “Iaaaaaaaaaan!”


    She firmly pulled her shawl around her. She was bing numb, it was difficult for her to walk any


    further. Her feet staggered and eventually, she tripped over her other leg.


    Thud!


    She copsed on the snow, but was not seriously injured. She lifted her face buried in the snow. “Oh,


    cold,” the snow on her eyes and nose fell to the ground as she raised her head. But there was a pair of


    shoes in front of her. Luxurious winter boots.


    She looked further up, confirming the person in front of her, “…….You’re really hard to find, aren’t you,


    Ian.”


    Ian was very angry. He helped Laritte to her feet. He was hiding the whole time and observing Laritte,


    but he had no intention of appearing in front of her. When she was somewhat better, he thought of


    leaving again. But all of a sudden, she walked out of the annex.


    ‘Do you have any idea! You’ve barely recovered, but you’re wandering around for so long!’ However, he


    couldn’t voice out his anger. ‘Maybe she fell because I came back to her?’


    Even though it was a simple coincidence, he mistakenly thought it was his fault. He silently brushed off


    the snow from Laritte’s hair and clothes as she stood there nkly.


    She was calm when she asked, “Ian, since when have you been here?”


    “…..”


    “Are you the one who nursed mest night?”


    “…..”


    It looked like he didn’t want to talk until the end. Laritte rolled her eyes.


    “Stupid.”


    “…..”


    “Idiot,” she continued to tease Ian in a monotonous voice. “Have you found a new mistress in the


    Capital?”


    “…..”


    “Or did you really have an eye on His Majesty? I heard from the youngdies. There were rumors like


    that.”


    ‘After all, I’ll have to capture all those people who started those rumors,’ thought Ian as he covered


    Laritte with his coat. Laritte stared into his eyes, which did not even meet her gaze once. She had a lot


    to say. She had been missing a lot since then. She had feelings for him.


    It was her first time feeling this way. Was it an emotion other people often felt? Why did he leave


    without a word? He could exin it to her at least. Had he regretted bringing me here? Had he heard


    her confess her feelingsst night? Standing in front of Ian, she tried again, “Ian.”


    Finally, Ian opened his mouth, “yeah, I was worried about you! So what of it?”


    Oh, he was angry, alright.


    Laritte only blinked at his reaction, “If a person gets better after nursing them all night, don’t they have


    to be careful the next day, at least? Walking in the snow all day! Falling, talking in the cold! Do you


    have the energy to do that? You even skipped breakfast!”


    Oh, he was very angry, yes…….


    Annoyed, Ian shook his head. It was always because of Laritte that he got emotional. This darn


    emotion of love brought a fool out of him. Then again, he was missing it. Was he in a position to get


    angry? As Laritte said, he was really stupid.


    Laritte pondered whether or not she should apologize. Well, anyway.


    “I finally see you talking.” This was the first conversation they had in months. She waited for his answer,


    but he didn’t say anything. Instead, she grabbed his cor and pulled him closer. Instead of the


    countless words she wanted to say, it appeared she could only show it with her actions.


    “Laritte?”


    Tilting her head slightly, she ced her lips on Ian’s. It was soft. In fact, she had never kissed someone


    in her life. She seldom had anyone kissing her cheek. All she had to do was literally touch the lips with


    her own. Was it the correct way to do it?


    She released him after a while. Her expression was extremely calm, though Ian’s wasn’t. From the top


    of his head to the bottom of his toes, he felt everything in him thumping with the rush of blood.


    “…..Laritte?”


    “I hope I didn’t get you sick,” Laritte shrugged. Even Ian had to consider that, because he had kissed


    herst night.


    “Now let’s talk. Don’t go anywhere without a word with me.”


    She wiped her eyes on her shawl, as if she was sleepy and stretched out her arms like nothing


    happened.


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