Chapter 55
"Ah, did Lady Aria Crisis really spill all that!?"
"Um...... yes."
Llewellyn's ears and the nape of her neck flushed bright red. The emotion etched on her face was pure embarrassment. It was hard to pinpoint exactly what part she found shameful, so I furrowed my brow.
"Ha! Lady Aria is so mean! How could she tell you something like that......"
"......Was that something I shouldn't have known?"
Watching Llewellyn fume with her face beet red, I made a puzzled expression. She'd been so mature all day, and now she suddenly turned into a bristling baby red kitten—it threw me off.
"I did ask, but......! I only asked about light personal details or how she's doing! I absolutely wasn't stalking her and prying into her private life like some creep!"
Llewellyn, flustered beyond measure, rattled off an unprompted excuse. Her vehement denial almost sounded like a confession, but I nodded for now.
"Of course. You're not the type to do that, Lady Llewellyn."
The idea of Llewellyn grinning slyly while digging into my info was unimaginable. She had no reason to, anyway.
At my affirmation, her face somehow turned even redder.
"First, could you answer my question? If it's difficult, you can invoke your right to silence."
I spoke while looking at Llewellyn, phrasing it considerately so she wouldn't feel cornered if she didn't want to answer. We were in separate rooms anyway, so it didn't matter.
After a moment's hesitation, Llewellyn squeezed her eyes shut, her face still flushed.
"B-because I was curious about what kind of person you are!"
"......Me?"
I narrowed my brow slightly. It was a strange, ambiguous answer.
Why me? I almost shot back, but since we'd agreed to one question each, I clamped my mouth shut.
"Phew...... Then it's my turn to ask."
Llewellyn, finally cooling her scarlet face, spoke in a voice still tinged with lingering agitation.
I nodded, signaling her to go ahead.
"You've saved me before, haven't you, Lady Crisis?"
Her second question came like a heavy fastball. I'd half-expected it, so I blinked slowly and leisurely sipped my tea.
"I just did what anyone would."
I always think the same thing: living a "normal" life is exhausting. Passing by injustice without a glance, ignoring the innocent blood flowing right in front of you—it's grueling.
And yet, I couldn't not do those normal things.
I'm a fool, hiding my identity and power while sticking my nose into everything.
Llewellyn, her expression unreadable, stayed silent for a long while. She fiddled aimlessly with her teacup held in both hands, then finally let out a sigh.
"......You're such a foolish person, Lady Crisis."
"Spot on."
There was no room for argument. I nodded in agreement, and Llewellyn let out an incredulous chuckle.
I asked, "How did you figure it out? As a bonus question. My face was masked, and I altered my voice—how did you know?"
Diego was described in the original story as having genius-level observation skills, and we'd met twice as Mir. I figured he might have noticed, but I was curious how Llewellyn had spotted me after just a brief encounter.
Llewellyn haughtily lifted her chin.
"Considering the favor you did me, I'll tell you. It's your hands, Lady."
"......My hands?"
I tilted my head. Llewellyn glanced at my hand gripping the teacup and began explaining.
"I have a habit of reading people's lives through their hands whenever I meet them. It's been with me since childhood, and now it's evolved—I memorize the shapes of their fingerprints and such."
Isn't that just what a genius does?
Remembering someone's fingerprints after one look? It sounded implausible, but coming from Llewellyn, it seemed believable. She probably made grenades out of pinecones at five.
She continued.
"When you saved me, I paid close attention to your hands. They were covered in so many scars, impossible to forget. Especially how your fingerprints were worn away completely—it fascinated me, so I memorized them."
So that's what my hands look like.
I glanced down at my fingertips anew. Years of gripping a sword had worn them down to thick calluses—rough and crude.
I gave a wry smile for a moment, then hardened my expression seriously.
"That was a bonus, so now for the real question. If I ask you to keep it a secret, will you?"
I asked earnestly, almost pleading.
"If that's what you want."
Llewellyn gazed at me steadily, then nodded with a slightly prim expression.
Wanting a firmer commitment, I narrowed my eyes.
"Can you swear it for sure?"
"Ha! Lady Crisis, I know gratitude when I see it. I swear on all my honor and the Decardo red rose. If you want, I can even swear by the sun."
At my follow-up, Llewellyn huffed as if offended.
Decardos had sky-high pride in their house. For one to swear on the Decardo red rose was like saying they'd commit seppuku if they broke it.
Unless she wanted to screw me over—and there was no gain in telling anyway—I decided to trust her.
"My turn. Lady Crisis, are you the mercenary king Mir?"
Ouch.
That one stung. I nodded, shoulders twitching slightly.
Truth be told, from the moment I'd revealed my black aura, it was basically announcing I was Mir. I'd anticipated she might guess, especially since the situation changed once I decided to hide being Mir as Lady Crisis.
"Don't worry. I'll keep this secret on the Decardo rose too. Just confirming."
Llewellyn flinched a bit at my pitiful look and swore on her own.
I smiled faintly and nodded.
I might seem a bit foolish, but for some reason, I trusted Llewellyn. I believed she'd keep her word.
"For my next question, um...... please don't take it the wrong way."
"What is it?"
Hesitating out of embarrassment, Llewellyn urged me on.
Glancing at her expression, I opened my mouth.
"What do you think of Sir Rainer Ainheart......?"
At my question, Llewellyn looked utterly blindsided. Even I thought it was random, so I averted my eyes from her baffled stare, gazing into space.
"A promise is a promise, so I'll answer. Never really thought about it deeply...... Hmm, good-looking face, decent skills?"
Her unfiltered fastball made me burst out laughing. The abrupt question was to double-check if this world had the original story's contrived plot armor, like in those cliché fantasy novels.
I wondered if she'd fall for Rainer even though I saved her...... but nope, doesn't seem like it.
Through Aria and Kal, I'd confirmed that even if the male and female leads met, it wasn't love at first sight—in fact, they became sworn enemies. This was just one more check.
And Llewellyn's face as she spoke of Rainer was utterly indifferent.
"No way, you don't like Sir Ainheart, do you, Lady?"
"Huh?"
"Ahem...... never mind."
When I pressed her muttering, she gave a strange look and an odd nasal huff. Quickly reverting to her usual prim expression, Llewellyn spoke.
"I just have one more question left, but do you have any more?"
"No, I think just one more for me too."
"Good. Then my final question."
I wondered what it would be—even the great Llewellyn hesitated slightly this time. I wasn't too tense; I could always invoke silence if needed. But as her face darkened, I grew a little worried about what she was thinking.
"When I look at you, Lady, I think you're so free. The uniform at the debutante ball, casually mentioning you wield a sword—it amazed me."
Llewellyn spoke softly. Her calm confession carried a hint of bitterness, drawing my full attention.
Long-held prejudices are terrifying. People spread rumors about me just because my clothes and hobbies differed from a typical lady's.
I was more surprised that Llewellyn saw me not as weird, but as free.
"So, I wanted to ask your advice. There's something I really, really want to do. If someone told you to live quietly as a flower, what would you do?"
The weight of that final question was immense. For the first time, Llewellyn's face crumpled in anguish.
I gazed steadily at her as she avoided my eyes, her lashes trembling. Fiery red hair. A gorgeous mint-green dress. Waist cinched tight by a corset. A posture lovely as a single rose.
Undeniably noble and beautiful.
Why does she look so exhausted?
Her emerald eyes sank into melancholy gloom. No spark in them.
Living a life you don't want is exhausting in itself.
Seeing this dark side of the ever-radiant Llewellyn left me a bit dazed. I couldn't grasp what answer to give.
After agonizing over words for a while, I suddenly took a deep breath.
I'm speculating about Llewellyn's situation right now.
In my eagerness to give a good answer, I'd unwittingly judged and presumed her circumstances.
That was deceiving her.
No one can fully understand another's life. All humans are unknown entities to each other, shrouded in misunderstanding.
She asked what I would do.
So, I just needed to share my own story.
"I'm a bit extreme. I can't find a reason to live without guaranteed freedom."
I love my father, Kaiser. I'm deeply grateful for all his love.
But even for such a Kaiser, if he tried to restrict my freedom, I'd point my sword at him.
Because that's untouchable.
"Better to die and become a butterfly than wither as a broken flower."
That was my answer.
Better death than life without freedom.
Llewellyn's eyes shook violently.
"Lady Decardo...... you have truly beautiful hair."
I spoke slowly, looking at her bewildered expression.
Though a compliment, Llewellyn's face instantly hardened, and she sighed with a fed-up look.
"Yeah, the words I've heard until my ears blistered. Like a lush blooming rose?"
"No."
Slowly, I reached out and gathered a lock of her hair in my hand. Then I smiled softly at her.
"Your hair resembles flames that burn everything away."
A flower. A blaze.
I don't know how others see it, but in my eyes, it burned wondrously.
"Flames have the right to burn. I hope Lady Decardo never gives up that right."
Her wandering, trembling pupils betrayed her turmoil. She needed time to think.
I decided to ask my final question quickly and leave.
"Then, my last question."
I beamed at Llewellyn, who couldn't tear her eyes from me.
"Wanna be friends, Llewellyn?"
Her eyes widened. I waited patiently as she looked flustered.
Only after quite some time did Llewellyn burst into teary laughter.
"You're a really amazing person."
Her bold eyes, meeting mine directly, curved into a bright smile. It was the first time I'd seen her grin like that.
"Sure. Consider it an honor, Kashmir."
And just like that, I gained a new friend.