Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: The Midnight Intruder
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Unlike Marsha, Breina's connection to Theodor wasn't all that long.
As the finest physician from the owl beastkin and the Diarc Family's chief physician, she had only met Young Master Theodor directly a few months ago. It was a far cry from Marsha, who had personally attended to Theodor's mother by her side.
Even so, Breina could instinctively sense just how grave the current situation was.
At the very least, she needed to step down from her position—or if not that... In any case, Breina knew she had to say something right now.
"I'm sorry, Master Theodor. This child's matter is my responsibility. I'll gladly accept any punishment."
In the end, Breina opened her mouth, prepared to accept everything.
Rin, who had been slumped powerlessly on the floor by Lara's bedside, seemed to finally grasp the situation. The moment Breina finished speaking, Rin burst into tears and cried out.
"I'm sorry! I'm so sorry, Lady Breina! I-I didn't mean for this to happen... Please, just hear me out once!"
Rin appeared to be blindly begging Breina for forgiveness, not even sure who she should be apologizing to.
The unfamiliar voice only heightened Theodor's irritation, making it harder for him to hold back. He fixed her with a deeply sunken gaze.
Marsha, noticing Theodor's look, quickly spoke up.
"Rin, shut your mouth. And you... what's that in your hand?"
What Rin was clutching tightly was Lara's red hair pin.
It was one of the accessories Theodor had gifted Lara while strolling through Aren's streets—a particular favorite of hers because Theodor himself had called it pretty.
Rin looked down at the hair pin with a bewildered expression and stammered.
"Th-this is... um...!"
"Rin! Did you steal it too?!"
Breina could no longer hold back her anger and raised her voice. The niece she had trusted to be diligent had caused a major incident just one day after arriving at the estate.
Even in Breina's eyes, this was crossing a line—her vision went dark.
It was utterly unforgivable.
Lara's frightened eyes and terrified expression only made it worse.
Master Theodor would never forgive Rin—or her.
"Do you even know what you've done? I'm ashamed for ever trusting you!"
"That's not it, Lady Breina!"
Now Rin's face was a mess of tears as she cried out desperately. In that moment, as Lara watched the scene in a daze, a certain face flashed in her mind.
'I didn't steal it.'
'Don't lie, you beggar! You stole my necklace!'
'Helen, I didn't steal your things.'
Lara, eyes closed, trembled faintly. In her head, Helen's voice and the Laden Director's echoed. It was an extension of the nightmare that had tormented her until moments ago.
Theodor noticed Lara trembling and hardened his expression.
"Everyone, shut up."
At Theodor's command, both Breina and Rin, who had been sniffling by the bedside, fell instantly silent like mice.
Theodor took Lara's hand.
"......"
Lara looked at the gloved hand grasping hers, then slowly raised her head. Theodor's red eyes held her gaze captive.
Even without words, she could tell he had reached out to hold her hand himself—for her sake. The noisy voices in her mind began to fade away.
"Nothing's bothering you anymore, Lara. It was all just a dream."
Theo's voice was as firm as his gaze.
'Don't mistake it anymore. That was a dream, and I'm here in reality. With Lord Theo.'
Lara nodded slowly. Now, she was truly okay.
"Yes."
Lara quietly lowered her eyes. Shoulder-length brown hair, brown eyes. And on her cheeks, freckles dotted beneath tear stains...
'A girl.'
Lara calmly recalled the situation from moments before. When she had vaguely opened her eyes to some sound, she noticed someone pacing by her bedside.
Still lost in her nightmare, Lara had momentarily mistaken the figure for the Laden Director. She thought the director had come all this way to drag her back to the orphanage.
But it had all been Lara's mistake. She was in Aren, not with Laden, and the intruder wasn't the director—just an unfamiliar girl.
"Um, my lord! And miss!"
The girl noticed Lara looking at her and alternated glances between Theodor and Lara before dropping to her knees.
On the floor were Lara's hair pin and various other accessories scattered about.
"I'll explain everything that happened! Please, my lord, I really have no idea what's going on..."
"I told you to shut your mouth."
Theodor cut off the girl's words.
"Didn't you hear me?"
"Hic...!"
At Theodor's icy voice, the girl clamped her mouth shut and began hiccupping.
Lara realized Theodor was extremely angry right now.
There was no need for this much commotion. Had the girl really broken into her room to steal something?
But Lara saw echoes of herself in the girl from not long ago—days when no one helped her, no one took her side. If not for Theodor, she might still be begging on the orphanage's cold floor. Please forgive me. Please believe me.
Being left alone was terribly lonely, and the girl must feel the same now.
"Lord Theo."
So Lara had no choice but to call out to him.
"I'm sorry for causing a scene."
It hadn't been intentional on Lara's part, but perhaps her nightmare-induced confusion had sparked it.
"If it's okay with you, Lord Theo, I'd like to hear what she has to say."
Theodor stared at Lara as if he couldn't comprehend her words. In a stiff voice, he said.
"She's the one who broke in to steal your things. While you were asleep. What excuse do I need to hear here?"
Lara faltered at his resolute attitude.
Was it too presumptuous a request after all?
The girl, who seemed about Lara's age, sniffled even louder at Theodor's words.
Lara took a deep breath, mustered her courage, and spoke again.
"Judging if it's an excuse or not... well, it's not too late after hearing her out."
Lara hesitated, then added one more line.
"...Just like you heard me out, Lord Theo."
Her voice was so soft only Theodor could barely hear it.
Theodor looked at Lara with a renewed sense of surprise. She had always followed his words without question or doubt.
Yet this was the first time since arriving here that Lara was asserting her own opinion to him.
"......"
Theodor glanced down at the beastkin girl trembling on the floor by the bed.
In life at the estate, maids occasionally stole things, and normally, Theodor wouldn't get involved—it was handled by the head maid.
But not this time. Lara was involved. And because of this girl, Lara had been terrified.
How could he let it slide when he could still see Lara shaking?
In truth, Theodor was barely suppressing his rage.
"What's your name?"
Finally sighing, Theodor pressed a hand to his throbbing forehead and asked the brown-haired girl.
Rin blew her nose loudly, shot to her feet, and answered while shaking.
"R-Rin, sir!"
"Why did you enter Lara's room? If not to steal, then explain your reason for being here."
"I-It was, um, well...!"
Rin, who had stood up boldly, surprisingly struggled with her words. Theodor's expression grew colder at her failure to respond even when given a chance.
"If not to steal, then to harm Lara?"
"No! Absolutely not, never!"
Startled, Rin shook her head vigorously and began to tear up again. As Theodor glared at her with chilling eyes, clearly annoyed by the sound, the frightened Rin finally choked back her sobs and spoke.
"I swear, I wasn't trying to steal the miss's things or hurt her—please believe me!"
"Believe you? You can't even properly explain your actions—what am I supposed to believe?"
"W-Well, it's...!"
Rin's behavior was odd.
Lara pondered why this girl named Rin couldn't just speak honestly.
Blackmailed by someone? Unlikely—the Laden Director didn't have money to kill for... probably. Then was she really trying to steal? But Rin didn't seem like a liar to Lara.
Maybe... she was just too scared of Theodor?
Lara slowly climbed down from the bed.
"Miss, you shouldn't move yet! You need to rest..."
"I'm fine."
Breina, watching as her chief physician, protested instinctively, but aside from her legs wobbling a bit, Lara really was okay. She approached Rin.
"Um... Rin? Lord Theo is a good person. He won't get mad—just tell the truth."
Rin stared wide-eyed at the miss drawing near, dumbfounded.
She hadn't gotten a good look at her face amid the chaos earlier, but up close like this, the miss was...
'So incredibly pretty...'
The thought came naturally. The miss she was supposed to serve was stunningly beautiful—silver hair and heterochromatic eyes that were almost mystical.
After staring blankly at Lara for a moment, Rin snapped out of it.
"M-Miss. I didn't steal anything. Really."
"Okay, I believe you."
As Lara responded calmly, Rin seemed to relax a little. Feeling like she had an ally, Rin held back her tears and began her story.
"I-I... actually... I don't remember coming here. I was definitely sleeping in the room the butler showed me to. After writing a letter to send to my mom! I wrote in my diary too. Then I lay down in bed... and I don't remember anything after that. Really. So I didn't know what to say..."