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Chapter 7 : Understanding (7)
*****
The lock on the box was firmly locked. He didn't have the key, but that didn't matter too much.
The straight finger, which was tapping the lock, trying to pull on the lock. Of course, it's blocked because he doesn't have the key, but...
Click
He opened it so easily with magic. Perhaps she didn't expect this either.
Inside the opened box was a heavy-looking pouch and a transparent glass bottle. The glass bottle contained what looked like tea, but of course he knew what it was.
The medicine Regina is making these days.
No matter how hard she tried to hide it, there was no way he wouldn't know what was going on inside the mansion.
Arsene, who took out the medicine bottle, rolled it around in his hand and looked at the shiny brown liquid. It looked like an ordinary tea because it was brewed with herbs, but he knew it wasn't just herbs in it.
"What shall we do?"
Asked Even, who was watching from the side, as he put the bottle back in the box. It was a question of whether to let the potion be sold like this.
Arsene, who seemed to think for a moment, closed the box.
"Leave it alone."
Don't collect her potion, don't stop her from selling them, just so she can raise the money for her running.
"She can't get away from me anyway."
No matter how hard she struggles. The place where she will finally stay will be in his hands.
Arsene locked the box again and got up from his seat.
"I'll put this back. You can go."
At his words, Evan was about to go, but Arsene stopped him as if he had suddenly remembered.
"Oh, seeing this makes me want one too."
He smiled as he pulled the corner of his mouth while stroking his chin for a while. He can have it if he wants it.
"Tell Ella and get it. Pay the price properly."
"Yes, I understand."
Arsene left the office with the box and headed for Regina's room.
Regina didn't know it, but the pharmacist Ella she knew was actually Arsene's henchman. In fact, In fact, she was well versed in herbs and medicine, but she never worked as a pharmacist.
This was all a set up for her.
A long shadow of the moon stretched across the quiet corridor. Footsteps reached the door they were aiming for without a sound.
When he opened the door and went in, he saw a woman, who was soundly asleep, unaware that someone had entered. Only the sound of small breathing filled the room.
Moving closer to the bed, he put the box back under it, then stood up and looked at her.
The black hair disheveled on the pillow and white skin buried in the shadows. Regina, sleeping with a very pure face, filled his purple eyes.
He wondered how far she could escape by saving this money.
A faint smile appeared on his lips and then disappeared. He took a handful of her dark hair and kissed it.
'Sleep well.'
*****
The sun has risen. Regina sat blankly on the bed and looked out into the bright light for a moment. Of course, it wasn't morning.
It was rather rare that she had woken up early the last few times, so it was not surprising.
She, who had just gotten up and had been sitting with her confused mind, suddenly jumped up from her bed.
She rolled under the bed and checked the box she had tucked under it. Fortunately, it was completely inside it.
But feeling uneasy about something, she pulled out the box. She took out the key hidden under her clothes and opened the box, but nothing happened. It was probably because she was so nervous that she was vaguely anxious.
"Phew...."
She felt like she had to find another space to hide this quickly.
She got up off the floor where she was kneeling and pulled the rope, and Sally, who was called, came in. After Sally and the other maids washed and dressed up her appropriately, it was already lunchtime.
As she went down to the dining room, as always, Arsene was there first.
He met her eyes and greeted her with a bright smile.
"Did you sleep well?"
"Yes, I did. What about Arsene?"
"Me too."
His smile and softly curved purple eyes made her feel good every time she saw him. Having just woke up and settled down a little, she woke up perfectly as if she had taken a stimulant on her face.
When she went to her seat, the food came out as if she had waited.
As she filled her still empty stomach with warm soup, Arsene gave her the schedule for the next few days.
“There will be a hunting competition hosted by the Duke Haynes soon. We will both participate in it.”
Regina swallowed what was in her mouth and tilted her head slightly.
"What am I supposed to do?"
She've been never to a hunting contest, so she had no idea what she was supposed to do there.
Besides, she couldn't figure out what they were hunting. It was because there were ordinary animals here, but there were also monsters.
She searched her body's memories, but the previous Regina hadn't attended the hunting competition either, as if she wasn't very interested.
When he noticed that she didn't know what she was doing, she blinked her eyes and Arsene kindly explained to her.
"I'm participating in the hunting competition because I have something to do with Duke Haynes, so you can do what you want. You can go hunting with me, or you can attend an outdoor tea party. Do whatever you want."
Regina imagined following Arsene on the hunt.
"....... I thought it would be better to join the tea party."
She didn't know what to talk about with the Duke Haynes, but it wasn't going to be a normal day-to-day exchange. Being there didn't seem like a good idea.
Seeing the expression on her face and hearing the answer, Arsene gave a glimpse of a smile.
"Then attend the tea time and report to me afterwards what was going on."
"All right."
Regina sat down in front of a table on one side of the room after finishing her meal. She was thinking of making a special potion.
The water containing healing power does not rot. Therefore, if she made it little by little in advance, she won't have to rush the work all at once.
She pondered as she brewed herbs with the water Sally had brought.
'How should I pretend to be in love?'
She always acts like she fell in love with his face, even if she didn't mean to. But besides simply responding to that beauty, wouldn't she do something if she loved it?
While she was agonizing over it, something popped up in her mind.
'Come to think of it, didn't they say that handkerchiefs were given as gifts when going to war or something like that in the past?'
Regina tilted her head at what she read in an old legend or a children's book, but she chose to ask Sally next to her.
"Sally. Usually, during hunting competitions, do people give handkerchiefs to their partners who are going out hunting?"
Although it wasn't something grandiose like a war, she didn't know it anyway. To the question she asked, Sally seemed to think for a moment, then she answered right away.
"Um– The ladies would put embroidery on the handkerchief and give it to her partner."
Although she is a non-noble maid, Regina asked because she thought she might share this information with other maids, and it was as expected.
'Embroidery. That's nice!'
She didn't know what her embroidery skills are like, but judging from the vaguely embroidering scene left in her body's memory, she must have tried it a few times.
Besides, what does her skill matter? If she embroidered it with her heart, it would show the fresh appearance of her love.
So she decided to go with the embroidery.
"I want to make a handkerchief for Arsene. Do you know anyone who is good at embroidery?"
Originally, it was common for ladies to gather and embroider. But now she didn't have time to find a noblewoman, sit her down, chat and drink tea together.
Emma, a maid who was suddenly called, seemed embarrassed for a moment, but when she found out that Regina was making it for Arsene, she smiled happily and helped her step by step.
"I'm sure the Duke will be happy too."
It wasn't as romantic as she thought, but as it turned out, it was right to look that way, so she nodded silently.
After spending several days devoted to embroidering, the finished version finally came out.
"Um. How is it?"
She unfolded her handkerchief and showed it to Sally, and she praised it with admiration.
"It's so pretty, miss. I haven't seen you embroider much, but you're good at it."
Regina felt embarrassed when she raised her up a little too much.
Regina brushed her hair behind her ear for no reason, avoiding her gaze.
"I wasn't that good.... Thank you."
The handkerchief was engraved with the pattern of the Duke of Greroy, Arsene's initials –of course it would be longer if she were to mention his full name– A.G., and her initials R.B. Originally, she was going to put only the pattern of the duchy, but it was the result of thinking that she should put in everything she does.
She was worried because it was her first time doing embroidery, but it was not as difficult as she thought if her body remembered anything. It wasn't that perfect, but she was satisfied with this.
Thanks to Sally and Emma who compliments her, she gained some confidence. She wonders if Arsene will accept this.
And the very next day, the hunting competition came.
*****
Arsene and Regina moved together to the outskirts where a hunting competition was held.
Glancing at him sitting across from her, she closed her eyes and then opened them because of his beauty that suddenly struck her.
'Yes, as expected. You're handsome today, too.'
He was wearing riding clothes for the hunt, and his pants and long boots that clung to his thighs made him look sleeker than usual.
He made her heart pound again and again, and eventually cast her eyes outward as if avoiding him.
Arsene was paying attention to even the click of her finger. There was no way he didn't know that she was looking at him and acting like she was fidgeting.
But he calmly followed her and looked out the window.
Upon arriving at the destination and getting off the carriage, she found it busier than expected.
On one side, people who had already prepared for hunting were gathering and chatting, and on the other side, a tent was set up. Under the tent, tea sets were prepared for several people. Apparently, the Duke Haynes had prepared hard.
Naturally, those attending tea party were already chatting down there.
Regina looked up at Arsene before moving her steps to get there.
"What's wrong?"
Looking into his eyes shining clearly in the sun, he tilted his head. As he waited at the same gaze where she wanted to say something, a handkerchief suddenly appeared in front of him.
"I embroidered this myself. I wanted to give it to Arsene.... So I prepared it."
Regina, felt a little embarrassed to looked at his gaze, the tip of her ears red.
Even though she was already engaged, she looked like someone who shyly handed gifts to her crush, just by looking at her.
Arsene took the handkerchief she handed over. The family crest and the initials of the two of them.
After rubbing it with his thumb for a moment, he took a step closer to her.
People around him had been looking at them for a while, but he reached out his other hand and gently wrapped it around her waist as if he didn't care at all.
At the pulling hand, the distance between the two of them suddenly became less than a span. Regina looked up at him with her round eyes, startled by the sudden touch.
All the surrounding sounds were drowned out by his face. Nothing else caught her eye.
"Thank you."
His voice tickled her ears softly, and his bright purple eyes narrowed under the daytime sky.
It was at this moment that she opened her mouth, thinking that she had to answer something.
Like a butterfly landing on her, his soft lips touched her.
====================
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