Escape (6)
Escape (6)
Every morning, I stopped by the village with Rineta.
Eating lunch at her house before heading back had quietly become routine.
The two of us spent more and more time walking alone through the forest.
"A servant who spends more time at home than out working — you're probably the only one."
I said it while sitting on the streambank, feet dangling in the water.
Beside me, Rineta kicked her feet the same way and shot back.
"I'm keeping a poor young master with zero friends company.
If anything, I should be getting hazard pay."
She started to add something, then seemed to think better of it and just laughed.
She rose from the stream and planted herself in front of me, playful.
Water dripped from her fingers as she pointed at the bandages wrapped around her own neck.
"Speaking of which — you wrapped these way too loose, didn't you, Young Master?"
Rineta gave the bandages I'd wound around her throat a gentle tug.
Beneath the white gauze, the fine line of her collarbone showed through.
She grinned.
Every morning, we changed each other's bandages.
At first, it was because Rineta couldn't manage hers alone — she'd struggle and fuss, so I stepped in.
Somewhere along the way, it became simply what we did.
Now she sat with the loose end of the bandage looped around her index finger, looking up at me with teasing eyes.
Instead of answering, I flicked her forehead.
"Ow! What was that for!"
"You're noisy."
"Tch. Anyway — the fish we caught earlier was good, right?"
"It was good."
"Of course it was! I caught it myself! While the Young Master was busy throwing rocks off to the side."
"I built the fire."
"With the kindling my mother brought you — and you barely got it lit!"
I shrugged.
Rineta let out a short laugh and lifted her face to the sky.
"The weather's especially nice today."
She said it while watching the clouds — or rather, the absence of them.
Not a single cloud in sight.
That was on the walk back to the annex.
The forest path ended at the familiar rusted iron gate.
Two carriages stood in front of it.
One was the black carriage bearing the Edelgard family crest.
The other was white, marked with the Belluz family crest.
Right. Today was the day.
The day Levina had mentioned — when Serepina and Count Belluz would arrive to annul the engagement between Serepina and me.
For an instant, my breath stopped.
Rineta didn't fuss. Didn't make a scene or hover over me with worry.
She just saw the carriages, saw me freeze — and took my hand.
Near the carriages, Serepina stood in a white dress, staring blankly in our direction.
Our eyes met, and her pupils shook like she'd been struck.
We walked toward them barefoot and covered in dirt.
"I told you it was next week. Can you not count?"
Levina was waiting beside the carriage. She exhaled the moment she saw us.
Behind me, Rineta trembled hard and rolled her eyes.
She half-hid herself behind my back.
Levina looked at her as if to say something, then let it go.
She spoke only what was necessary, and then she left.
"Change your clothes and come to the drawing room. I'll wait."
With that, Levina stepped into the annex first.
A heavyset middle-aged man followed her. Count Belluz.
Serepina looked at me like she wanted to speak, but her father called her name first.
"Serepina, what are you doing? Come along."
She gave a short reply and followed him toward the drawing room.
Her eyes stayed on me until the last possible moment.
Back in my room, the head butler and Rineta closed in on me at once, dressing me in my formal uniform.
While buttoning my shirt, Rineta whispered under her breath.
"Are you all right?"
I nodded without answering.
I'd worn casual clothes for only a few days, but the face in the mirror already looked strange to me.
At times like this, I can't help wondering what it would've been like to be born in some quiet country village.
The moment I entered the drawing room, the air pressed down on me.
Levina and Count Belluz were seated on the sofa. Beside Count Belluz sat Serepina, her expression heavy.
She kept her eyes fixed on the teacup in front of her.
Count Belluz's gaze flicked to me briefly, then returned to Levina.
The annulment discussion proceeded more quickly than I'd expected.
Using the documents Levina had prepared, the two of them reached an agreement without any real dispute.
After Levina and Count Belluz finished signing, the paper came to me.
I picked up the pen.
Before I signed, my eyes met Serepina's.
She looked at me blankly and shook her head — the tiniest motion.
Her lips were trembling.
And I remembered Serepina from before — the Serepina who, right up until the very end, could never quite bring herself to fully believe in me.
If only she'd believed me after hesitating.
If only she'd listened to what I said instead of what everyone else said.
I wrote my name without hesitation.
And handed the paper to Levina.
The documents moved toward Serepina.
Only her signature remained.
Everyone's attention turned to her.
Serepina set the pen down.
"I don't want to do this."
Her voice was quiet, but it reached every person in the room with perfect clarity.
"Serepina."
Levina spoke her name.
The word carried a warning.
When Serepina offered no response, Levina turned to Count Belluz. Her face was expressionless, her voice even.
"This matter has already been settled."
Count Belluz's face flushed red.
Flustered, he spoke to Levina as though making excuses.
"Ah, well... the child has known the Young Master for a very long time, you see.
Her heart is tender, and the distress has been considerable — it's merely a momentary confusion."
He gave an awkward laugh and placed a hand on Serepina's shoulder.
"Serepina. This is what you said, and what you wanted.
So to come all this way and behave this rudely — sign the papers."
"No. This is what you wanted, Father.
A decent deal. The boy in front of me isn't even an Edelgard anymore."
Serepina looked at me, then turned her head toward her father.
Her voice was unsettlingly calm.
"...Are you aware of what you are saying right now?"
"You decided the engagement, Father.
You made me spend time with Ravin since we were children. So deciding whether we part — shouldn't I have some say in that?"
Count Belluz tried to force the pen into Serepina's hand.
But Serepina met my eyes — and hurled the pen away.
It hit the floor and left a stain of ink.
"I told you. I don't want to."
"Doing this now won't change anything, Serepina."
Levina rested her chin on her hand and watched Serepina, as if observing a spectacle.
"I've spent my whole life following your instructions.
I've moved according to your will every single time.
You engaged me to Ravin on a whim, and now you're telling me to stop?"
Serepina's voice remained steady.
Her eyes no longer wavered.
"When I said it was time to break the engagement, you yourself answered that it wasn't a bad idea."
"Because the atmosphere demanded that answer."
Count Belluz pressed his palm against his temple, hard, as if his head were throbbing. Then he gave up and let out a sigh.
In this room, Serepina and Ravin's presence amounted to nothing more than a formality.
Every decision had already been settled between the Heir Apparent of Edelgard and Count Belluz.
He took the paper from in front of Serepina, accepted the pen the head butler had retrieved from the floor, signed in her place where her signature was required, and handed the documents to Levina.
As soon as Serepina saw it, she shoved herself up from her seat and walked out of the drawing room.
The hem of her white dress vanished through the door.
A heavy silence settled over the room again.
Count Belluz cleared his throat awkwardly.
Watching for Levina's reaction, he launched into his excuses.
"I apologize for the unsightly behavior.
Serepina has been extremely unstable emotionally as of late...
I will return home and give her a firm reprimand."
"Understood."
Levina cut him off.
She handed the documents to the head butler.
"Send these to my study."
The head butler took the papers and quietly left the room.
Levina addressed Count Belluz.
"Make yourself comfortable and see yourself home when you're ready.
I have matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."
Levina walked over to me, brushed off my shoulders with a few brisk pats, and left the annex without another word.
The sound of her carriage fading drifted through the walls.
Only Count Belluz and I remained in the drawing room — he clutching his head, showing no sign of leaving.
I rose to return to my own room.
Walking down the corridor, I found Serepina slumped against the doorframe of my room, back pressed to the wood.
Her white dress was soiled with dust from the floor.
Her eyes slid to Rineta, who was trailing behind me.
"The maid you keep with you... cute... never mind."
Serepina bit her lip mid-sentence.
Then she looked at me and spoke, barely above a whisper.
"I don't want to break up with you."
Her voice echoed low through the hallway.
"If this keeps going, I feel like you'll just... disappear."
I walked up to her without a word and held out my hand.
Serepina stared at it for a moment, hesitating. Then she took it and pulled herself up.
Her hand was cold.
We were right outside my room, and I considered going in to talk. But I'd never managed to create any good memories talking one-on-one with her inside that room.
Not once.
"Shall we go outside and talk?"
I asked.
Serepina nodded.
I told Rineta to rest in the room and walked out first.
I didn't go out of my way to check if Serepina was following.
Rineta started after me, reluctant, then from behind my back said quietly.
"...I'll have warm tea ready in the room."
Her voice had gone a little flat.