The Beast of the Albard Mansion - Chapter 35
“Desi! The academy is for studying, not for meeting boys.”
“But your sister met a boy there.”
“She probably met him while studying. Anyway, the main purpose is to study. Meeting boys is just a secondary issue.”
“Secondary or not, it’s unacceptable.”
Desi growled lowly. Knowing it was pointless to argue about something already decided, I gave up and stayed quiet.
I leaned my head against Desi’s chest and muttered.
“Desi, you’re kind of dumb.”
“Be quiet.”
Despite his gruff tone, Desi adjusted his position to let me rest comfortably against him. I liked how he gently soothed and comforted me with his rough hands.
Seeing me sulk for a while, Desi tried to cheer me up by speaking.
“Let’s go for a walk tonight.”
“Will you carry me?”
“I always do. You’re too lazy to walk on your own two feet.”
“You complain that I walk too slowly. Why don’t you match my pace instead?”
“I’d rather carry you. Even snails are faster than you.”
“No they’re not.”
As the night fell and stars filled the sky, Desi and I went outside. The night air was cool, and the moon was bright.
There were quite a few guards patrolling, but avoiding their eyes was no challenge for Desi.
He effortlessly leaped over the high wall, even with me on his back.
When I was younger, I could count on one hand the times I left the estate. My parents considered the village outside dirty and forbade me from visiting, warning me about catching diseases from the commoners.
The only times I could leave were during grand events.
Once Desi regained his freedom, I could leave the estate with him. Since we didn’t use the main gate, we never encountered guards who might stop us.
It was a thrillingly liberating experience. My field of vision expanded, and my chest felt open. My world changed in an instant.
My world, previously confined within the estate, grew hundreds of times larger.
We could go anywhere. The world outside the estate was vast, with no walls to confine me. It was fantastic.
“Desi, I want to go to the stream today.”
“The stream?”
“Yes. The place with thick bushes and deep water. I want to play in the water.”
These were scenes I had only read about in novels and imagined in my head.
But now, I could see and feel them with my own eyes and skin. Desi would take me wherever I wanted to go.
“It’s still cold, so just dip your feet in.”
“Okay.”
We passed along a narrow path and climbed a winding forest trail.
Desi ran swiftly through the rough terrain. The speed was so fast it was hard to keep my eyes open. I buried my face in Desi’s shoulder and braced against the sharp wind.
Desi stopped in a place where tall trees grew thick, and the full moon hung in the dark blue sky. The sounds of the wind, insects, and flowing water surrounded us.
The air was filled with the fresh scent of plants and the refreshing smell of water. The water was so clear that the full moon was reflected on its surface.
When I dipped my feet in, the coldness reached my bones, making me shiver. I quickly pulled my feet out.
“Ah, it’s cold.”
“I told you so.”
“Desi, you go in first.”
“You always make me do the things you don’t like.”
Despite his grumbling, Desi stepped into the stream. The water splashed around his feet.
“Isn’t it cold?”
“Not really.”
“Desi, sit on that rock.”
I climbed onto Desi’s lap and placed my feet on his. When Desi lowered his legs, my feet were submerged in the water. Being close to Desi, with his high body temperature, made the cold water bearable.
The gently flowing stream tickled my feet.
“Isn’t this fun?”
“This?”
I was having fun, but Desi seemed indifferent.
Everything was fun and fascinating when I went out for walks with Desi. There wasn’t a single thing that wasn’t enjoyable.
In contrast, Desi found me amusing. He often wondered what I had done in my life to know so little. He said he would teach me everything and encouraged me to go out more often.
I was somewhat afraid of leaving the estate. I also feared getting into big trouble if we went out at night. But Desi’s persuasion often led to enjoyable nighttime walks.
“Desi, who do you think Sister will marry?”
“She’ll probably enter a marriage of convenience. Most noblewomen do.”
“Really? Do all noblewomen do that?”
“Nine out of ten do. The remaining one might elope with some random guy.”
Desi knew surprisingly much. He had been captured by slavers and sold here and there. He had unwillingly traveled around and seen the dark sides of the world.
Listening to Desi made me realize I was just a book-smart fool. While I had only experienced the world through books, Desi knew things that weren’t in books from direct experience.
“One out of ten elope?”
The books from my etiquette teacher didn’t mention that.
They stated that noblewomen must marry for political reasons. It was the law, justice, the dignity of the nobility, and the way things should be. Defying the family’s wishes was seen as greed, depravity, betrayal, and a stain that couldn’t be washed away.
“There are stories of noblewomen eloping with knights every year. It was quite common in the capital.”
“That’s really impressive.”
But whether or not Sister would elope with a lover or would enter a marriage of convenience, this meant another thing.
That I would also have to marry soon.
