Chapter 10

When Dear opened her heavy eyelids, her father’s face was right in front of her. His cold-looking eyes were wide open.

(…Father?)

She tried to speak, but her throat was dry, and she choked. Her father turned his head and shouted, "Water!" Her brother, Byle, brought the water. Her father put his hand around her back, and her brother helped her drink from the cup. Her father stared at her with a stern expression.

— I’m glad you’re awake, Dear. You were delirious with a high fever for three days… I was worried… I was afraid I might lose someone important again, like Claire…

Her father turned away. Her brother glared at her.

— I shouldn’t have let you attend the party. Dear must be weak like Mother. I have to protect her. I don’t want to lose anything important anymore!

Warm voices echoed in Dear’s head, and tears welled up in her eyes. Her father and brother panicked when they noticed.

"Father, Brother… I’m sorry."

The loss of her mother wasn’t just painful for Dear. The desire to see her mother smile and hear her say "I love you" again wasn’t just Dear’s. Her father and brother must have been suffering too, yet in the past, Dear had isolated herself in her room with her books, never reaching out to them. How much worry must she have caused her father and brother all this time?

"I’m sorry… I love you."

Her father took Dear’s hand.

"There’s nothing to apologize for. I love you too, Dear."

Her brother nodded vigorously. Dear smiled and fell into a peaceful, comfortable sleep, unlike before. This time, she didn’t have the nightmare about Arnold.

When she opened her eyes again, Ada was there. Ada immediately noticed and brought water. Dear sat up in bed.

"Miss, are you alright!?"

"Yes, thank you."

She felt good, and her body felt light. Light streamed into the room through the gaps in the curtains.

"Ada, is it morning?"

"Yes, it’s the morning of the fourth day since you were bedridden! I’ll bring you some warm soup right away!"

After watching Ada leave the room, Dear checked the bruise on her ankle. The clear hand-shaped bruise was, for some reason, completely gone.