Chapter 35

35

The painting was certainly not a dangerous object. I had a wizard re-examine it, but there was no disagreement.

The wizard, Derrick, seemed unhappy about being asked to check it twice. ...Well, it could be interpreted as not trusting his abilities, so he must have felt bad.

"I'm sorry for making you check it twice. Thank you for your hard work."

"......No, ...My lady. It's my duty, so it's fine."

His demeanor was quite different from his usual lack of social skills; he was quite formal in his politeness. He bowed his head and left as if fleeing.

In any case, with no significant findings, I was about to put the painting back in the warehouse when Theodore happened to enter the living room.

He smiled at me, then frowned when he saw the painting and said,

"You were looking at this monstrosity. I don't care, so please deal with it as you see fit."

The word "monstrosity" made me pause, and I looked at the painting again. It was a simple watercolor of a blue sea. After a moment's thought, I casually asked Theodore,

"Can you tell me what this painting looks like to you? ...I need to confirm something."

Theodore tilted his head in confusion, then frowned slightly and replied,

"...It looks like a disgusting red sea. It looks as if it's stained with blood."

"......"

I looked at the painting again. It was undoubtedly a blue sea.

I then asked others what they saw in the painting. They all said it was a blue sea.

It only appeared red to Theodore.

"......Have you ever told Owen or anyone else that this painting looks red to you?"

"No, I haven't."

That was a relief. If so, Owen wouldn't have heard anything yet.

I firmly instructed Theodore,

"It's best to keep it a secret that this painting looks red to you. It would also be good to find out who painted it... Owen might notice something, so we need to investigate discreetly."

Theodore, for some reason, stared at me blankly, then nodded and agreed to do so.

The painting in question was then put back in the warehouse, wrapped in black cloth so no one could see it.

So, the conclusion was that while the painting wasn't enchanted with any dangerous magic, it was suspicious for another reason.

A painting that everyone else saw as a blue sea appeared red only to Theodore... The only plausible explanation that came to mind was that Theodore had recently lost his memory.

Perhaps the painting appeared red to someone who had forgotten something.

The intention behind Owen giving such a painting to Theodore was...

"......To confirm whether Theodore had lost his memory? If so, then Owen... "

Either suspected that Theodore had lost his memory or already knew about it.

If the latter were true... Owen was likely the mastermind behind Theodore losing his memory.

"The sudden appearance of a rift in Ashridge Forest was also suspicious. It seemed as if someone had done it on purpose..."

I thought the possibility was very slim, but could the strange wizard who accompanied Owen that day have artificially caused the rift...

But I had never heard of such a thing being possible. So, it was just a suspicion without any evidence or certainty...

"......What if Owen found a way? Or, what if he had known the method for a long time...?"

My heart pounded uneasily. The unexplained deaths of the previous Duke and Duchess of Valentine and Camille Valentine, the appearance of rifts that began to increase after Theodore became Duke.

If the mastermind behind all these tragedies was Father and Owen...

"......"

"......My lady?"

I stopped walking without realizing it. I could see the Valentine Castle in the distance. A place I had grown accustomed to, but a place I should never have become accustomed to...

I would never call that castle "home."

"......"

A bitter smile slipped through my slightly parted lips. How ridiculous. Why do I always feel guilty, even though it's not my fault?

I sighed and shook my head. Is this just part of my nature? But I'm not particularly a good person. Then why... Is it because Theodore Valentine is the protagonist of all these tragedies...

"......I, that person..."

I abruptly cut off my thoughts as if slicing them with a knife. I covered my head with both hands and squeezed my eyes shut. I repeated to myself, as if engraving it on my soul, that it was over, that I had no more expectations.

At that moment, the voice I least wanted to hear rang out.

"Lily!"

A groan escaped my lips. I staggered slightly and looked up to see him running towards me from a distance.

A beam of light pierced through the dark clouds, illuminating him. When he smiled, he looked much younger than his actual age. His ascetic and stern appearance softened, and he exuded a naive and cheerful aura like a young boy.

And, frustratingly, my heart never did what I wanted it to. I felt a deep sense of helplessness from the involuntary tremor that came from him.

I desperately wanted to run away from this feeling, from him. I knew all too well that once the dam broke, the flood of emotions would be uncontrollable. I didn't want to flounder in that torrent again.

Before I knew it, Theodore was close. He was less than ten steps away.

The moment our eyes met, I instinctively took a step back. My next action was clearly a defensive reflex.

"......Lily?"

I started running. I could hear Charlotte and Theodore's worried calls from behind, but I didn't stop.

I didn't want to see him right now. At least not until this feeling subsided.

Tears welled up in my eyes at some point. Really, why am I like this...

"Lily...!"

I ran with all my might, but I was quickly caught. I knew I couldn't match his athletic ability, so it was expected. But... couldn't he just leave me alone? Why does he keep chasing after me? When I desperately wanted him to, he didn't hold my hand.

"......Let me go."

"I won't."

"Just pretend you don't know me, please."

"It's going to rain, Lily."

Theodore pulled me into his embrace. The warmth from his body seeped through. I tried to push him away, but for some reason, I couldn't move.

My body trembled slightly. I could feel more strength in the arms that gently held me. His soothing voice called out to me.

"Lily..."

"......"

"......I just came to get you because it looks like it's going to rain. ...Don't be afraid."

Does he know what I'm afraid of? ...No, he wouldn't understand. The wounds and feelings I have are mine alone.

"The doctor said you have a weak constitution... It's not good for you to get wet in the rain. Let's go back before it starts pouring."

"......"

His tender and affectionate voice. His careful and gentle touch, as if cradling something precious.

Everything I used to wish for from him.

Even though I'm receiving it now, why does it feel like a fleeting daydream that will soon dissipate?

I suddenly wanted to ask him. If he really cared for me. If he could have treated me this well before he lost his memory. Why he misunderstood me...

Amidst the questions racing through my mind, I lifted my head to see his worried blue eyes.

When was it? A distant memory from the past surfaced in my consciousness.

"What color do you like the most, Lily?"

"......Blue."

"Mom likes it too. The sky is always blue during the day. That's why Mom likes blue."

A very old memory I didn't even know I had. I must have been around seven or eight years old.

In the conversation that followed, my mother promised to buy me a blue dress for my ninth birthday.

But that promise was never kept. The Duke of Everett adopted me, and my mother took the money and left.

And I buried the memory of blue and my mother deep within me. I tried not to think of my mother whenever I saw the color blue.

...Why did this memory resurface now, of all times? Why are Theodore Valentine's eyes such a vivid blue?

Drip—

A raindrop fell on my nose. I knew I should seek shelter from the impending downpour, but my body wouldn't move. My mouth moved involuntarily, as if it had a mind of its own, about to break down.

"......Do you really care for me?"

"......"

Theodore stared at me blankly, slowly blinking. A droplet fell on his eyelids, clung to the tips of his eyelashes, and then dropped.

The air was filled with the scent of rain, wet earth, grass, and wildflowers. The sky was covered in dark gray clouds, and the world, devoid of sunlight, was shrouded in a colorless shadow.

The sound of raindrops hitting the leaves grew louder. His voice mixed in with the faint noise, like a dissonant note.

"......Since the moment I woke up after hitting my head and saw you for the first time... I have always cared for you."

He took my hand and placed it on his left chest. Through the thin fabric of his shirt, I could feel his warm body. ...And the strong, clear heartbeat.