Chapter 16

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Translated by: Miss Lassie

Ethan had many chances to talk to her during their three meetings today, but he just started a conversation now. Was it merely a matter of consideration? Nevertheless, he was a free-spirited gentleman with questionable outfit choices.

He beckoned for a servant who moved quickly from a distance.

A few minutes later, they placed another lounge bed next to his, and a deep blue parasol spread between them.

Judith sat on the lounge bed awkwardly. She couldn’t lie down since she was wearing a summer dress that reached her mid-calf.

“Cocktail?”

Ethan asked kindly.

“Whiskey or vodka base? Take your pick.”

“…Non-alcoholic, please.”

For a moment, Ethan looked at her with a curious glance. Or maybe that was just her imagination? Judith replied embarrassingly.

“I can’t drink… yet.”

“Alright then, orange juice would be fine.”

“I’ll be able to drink someday and have time to adjust…”

“Of course, there’s no need to rush. How old did you say you were?”

“…I turned twenty-one a month ago.”

“You’re still young.”

Judith scrunched her eyebrows. Young? Being treated like a child was one thing she disliked the most. Even when she was looking for a part-time job in Kinsley, they called her a young, weak girl and refused to hire her after all the interviews she went through. Ethan’s comment upset her so that she couldn’t help but hit back at him.

“I’m not young. I’ll be graduating in two years.”

“So you’re still in your second year. That’s still young.”

“…Mr. Ewart must be around fifty.”

“Oh no, I’m the same age as Roger.”

“I’m sorry. You talk like our director.”

Ethan looked at Judith’s troubled expression. With his glasses on, she had no idea what kind of expression he was making but judging from his curled-up lips; he seemed to be enjoying teasing her.

He let out a small chuckle and apologized to her.

“I shouldn’t have said that. I apologize, Ms. Judy. I guess it’s because I’ve seen you grow up that it feels like you’re still young to me.”

“…You’ve seen me?”

“I’ve heard about you from Roger many times. You talk about your life in the countryside through the letters you send every month.”

Ethan shrugged his shoulders lightly.

“If my sister were still alive, she would’ve been the same age as you.”

“Oh… I’m sorry.”

Ethan’s words turned the atmosphere somber. Judith felt embarrassed for talking gibberish earlier.

“If my sister were still alive, she would be as old as Mr. Ewart… No, she would’ve been a little younger. Anyway, I don’t mind if you see me like a younger sister… No, that’s not what I meant.”

Judith didn’t know what she was saying. Her words startled her as soon as they left her mouth. It was the first time she had spoken about Lieselotte in public, and her words were so uncharacteristic. Ethan groaned with a distressed yet calm look on his face.

“I don’t mean to change the topic, but let’s call it a day. I don’t think discussing this any further would be pleasant.”

Perhaps it was an unpleasant topic for Ethan since his smiling lips were now firmly closed.

Judith nodded and was glad he didn’t take off his sunglasses so they couldn’t make eye contact directly with each other. It was also much easier not to see what kind of expression he was making, but it didn’t mean he couldn’t see hers.

Ethan turned his attention back to the magazine he was reading.

“It seems like you came to see Rogeric, but he’s not here yet. I’m sorry, the timing was off.”

“Yes, I heard from his secretary that it’s going to take a while before he returns, but it’s fine with me since I’m here on vacation anyway…”

“How long will you be staying here?”

“I’m returning to Kinsley after meeting Mr. Curtis and thanking him. I don’t want to keep bothering such a busy man.”

Judith responded to Ethan slowly while reading the title of the gossip pages, which he turned over one by one. Ethan looked out of place with his outfit, gossip magazine in hand, and aristocratic looks.

Judith concluded that he was an odd mix of interesting things with how he seemed to deviate from societal norms.

“Summer in St. Hawk is beautiful.”

Ethan murmured without taking his eyes off the gossip magazine.

Judith looked at the beautiful scenery with poplar trees lining the landscape in front of the mansion’s main gate and the clear blue sea beyond. Although the East Coast and St. Hawk were parts of Waltz, their atmosphere was completely different from downtown.

“It’s perfect for sunbathing, and it’s the only place I like in Waltz.”

“I guess you don’t like Waltz that much.”

“It’s just not my cup of tea. Looking up at a seventy-story-high skyscraper gives me motion sickness.”

“Oh, same here. It feels so dizzying that it’s hard to stand up straight…”

Many high-rise buildings, skyscrapers, numerous shops, restaurants, hotels, and offices with colorful signboards lined up the area of the city center. While expensive sports cars blared their horns and ignored road signs creating traffic jams on the streets just a few feet away.

Gangsters lurked in every alley, and Judith didn’t want to recall her bad encounter with them. Ethan looked at her curiously with her slightly troubled expression.

“Ms. Judy, you can be a little more excited. Young people in Baja are usually amazed by Waltz.”

“Would you believe me if I told you I’m not like one of those youths awestruck by Waltz?”

Judith replied with a hint of playfulness in her voice. Just then, a servant came over and handed her an orange juice. Unlike Ethan’s, various berries topped the ice-filled glass, and the drink looked refreshing enough to make her thirsty just by looking at it.

Their conversation halted for a moment, then naturally resumed after Judith took a sip of the juice.

“Hmm, I wonder why?”

Ethan scratched his head lightly.

“Is it because Ms. Judy is from Kilgeny?”

Judith’s moment of peace was short-lived. As soon as she heard what Ethan said, it felt like a thousand things had exploded in her head and drifted like dust in the summer air.

Her face went pale.

Clink!

The cocktail glass slipped from her hand and crashed onto the tiled floor, shattering it—the strong scent of oranges spread throughout the warm summer air, numbing her sense of smell.

“Just now…”

Ethan slowly turned his head to look at her, then scanned the shards of glass and ice scattered across the floor. Judith had noticed for some time that he hadn’t even turned a single page of the gossip magazine he was reading anymore. Her voice trembled.

“Just how much did Mr. Curtis tell you about me?”

Ethan warned her in a low voice.

“Put your feet on the lounge bed, Ms. Judy. Don’t take a step.”

“Mr. Ewart, that’s not what I asked you.”

Judith felt like a fool at that moment. She was chatting with her walls down with Ethan just a while ago. No one from Kilgeny has ever seen her since she fled to the Federal State of Baja. Judith quickly grasped her neck on alert.

She felt a little relieved when her fingers touched the thin chain of the pendant hanging around her neck.

“You’re still young.”

Ethan sighed and threw the gossip magazine onto the table. He grabbed a finely folded towel and leaned into Judith’s lounge bed.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Sticky orange juice drenched Judith’s feet and calves, so Ethan wrapped a towel around them and carefully shook off a piece of shattered glass. She could feel his big hand over the soft fabric of the cloth.

Ethan clicked his tongue when Judith didn’t budge.

“Don’t be so sensitive, Ms. Judy. Are you going to react this way whenever someone finds out where you’re from?”

“…How did you know?”

“If you’ve spent some time overseas, it’s not hard to figure out.”

Judith still refused to move, and Ethan clicked his tongue once more. He lifted her feet onto the lounge bed without difficulty and spoke in a stern, teacher-like tone.

“It’s your accent that gives it away. It stands out a lot.”

“No one pointed out my accent where I lived.”

“People in the countryside who have never been overseas may not know. There’s just a subtle difference with your accent. If there were a problem, I would’ve corrected it.”

Ethan beckoned toward the front of the mansion, and a servant dashed to them.

“Are you alright, Ms. Judith? Where did you get hurt?”

“Clean up the shattered glass and hand me a robe. I’ll take Ms. Judy myself.”

Before Judith knew it, Ethan stood up, went out of the parasol, took the robe from the servant, and put it on. He tightened the waistband, covered his upper body, and bent toward her.

“This is something I wouldn’t usually do to a lady out of the blue.”

“…I’ll walk.”

“I wouldn’t be so reckless. Small pieces of glass shards can cut deeply.”

Judith glanced at her unbrushed foot, which still had some light glass shavings, and reluctantly took his outstretched hand.

Ethan gently lifted her, took her arms, and wrapped them around his neck.

Judith could hear the sound of Ethan’s calm, steady heartbeat as he kept her close to his body. It was a stark contrast to her heartbeat, fluttering with anxiety and embarrassment.

“Thank you…”

The words barely came out of her mouth as the clean smell of his robe, and his unfamiliar musky scent caught her breath. His beautifully sunkissed body felt warm against her skin, even with the fabric between them.

Judith’s mixed emotions confused her, so she closed her eyes tightly to avoid seeing his throat move up and down.

It had only been five years since she started learning Baja’s official language properly, so she was still conscious of her pronunciation sounding like a foreigner’s.

Judith couldn’t calm down at all while Sarah rushed to get the doctor to treat a light scratch on her foot, saying it might have a piece of glass stuck there.

After showering and getting her cut treated, Judith left her room. She already knew where Ethan would be staying.

“How’s your foot?”

Judith opened the door, and Ethan asked her a question right away as if he had been waiting for her since he didn’t seem surprised to see her.

Dressed in a clean shirt and trousers this time, Ethan Ewart sat in front of his desk, looking into documents calmly while Judith’s insides turned upside down.

“Is there something wrong with my accent?”

Judith asked directly. Ethan glanced at her and answered plainly.

“Not at all. Very neat and pretty, Ms. Judy.”

“…Mr. Ewart!”

Judith, who didn’t understand the meaning behind his words for a moment, gritted her teeth in frustration.

“My accent. Please tell me how you learned I’m from Kilgeny through my accent. It’s a very important issue for me.”

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Miss Lassie’s Corner

Hi, Merry Christmas! I finally decided on the schedule for this novel and it’s going to be every Sunday. Please don’t forget to leave reviews on Novel Updates.