Chapter 7: The Unusual Person

It was Elin’s thought while being carried on the back of the tutor.

Luke made a strong first impression.

White hair, as if the color had evaporated.

Dark circles under his eyes that reached his cheeks.

In the midst of it all, gently glowing golden eyes.

If it had been someone else, they would have looked like a tired graduate student.

But Luke was different.

Decadent.

His impression seemed to embody that word.

At first, she was nervous.

She thought he would conduct the lessons sternly.

“Lady, would you like some tea?”

But then, he suddenly offered her tea.

“This is the last one. This is truly the last.”

He changed the menu without permission and tested her stomach’s limits.

“Is there any other place you feel pain?”

He applied medicine to the wounds she had left untreated.

Despite being a tutor, Luke acted more like a nanny, showing kindness.

…Like the nanny from once upon a time.

Thud-

Elin buried her face in Luke’s back.

It felt strange.

Someone was treating her kindly.

It made her uneasy.

She was afraid he would leave again soon, like everyone else.

She feared he would be dragged into her misfortune.

“Lady? If you’re tired, you may sleep, but how about looking around? It’s part of the lesson, after all.”

She wasn’t leaning on him because she was sleepy.

Not feeling the need to clarify the small misunderstanding, Elin looked around.

“The scenery is quite nice, don’t you think?”

“…It is.”

It wasn’t just nice—it was very nice.

A street bathed in warm sunlight.

People walking by with smiles.

A bard playing the lute in front of a fountain.

It felt like a scene from a fairytale.

In truth, it was a view that could be seen just ten minutes away from the mansion.

But Elin, who had spent most of her time in a cold, dark room, had no way of knowing.

Luke entered a store.

Ding-

The first place they arrived was a herb shop.

“Welcome. We sell almost everything, except for the things we don’t have.”

A burly man with muscles ran the herb shop.

“Do you sell ointments?”

“Have you ever seen a herb shop that doesn’t? We have all kinds, feel free to browse.”

His tone was nonchalant, but surprisingly friendly.

Elin wondered if Luke was okay with being treated this way. In contrast, her brother or sister would have caused a scene if spoken to like this.

Luke, however, seemed unaffected, calmly browsing the shelves.

Then, he pointed at the shelves with his finger.

“Please give me everything from here to there.”

“…Sir?”

Elin grabbed Luke’s sleeve in surprise.

“Why are you buying everything?”

“Because I need all of it.”

Luke lowered his voice, speaking only so Elin could hear.

“You need more than ointments. You have many other injuries besides your feet.”

“…How did you know?”

She hadn’t shown him any of her wounds.

“There are ways to know.”

For Luke, it wasn’t difficult to guess.

The Duke probably hadn’t only hit her feet, so there must be injuries elsewhere as well.

“You’re buying all of this…? I don’t think I can afford it.”

The owner of the shop trailed off, his eyes wide in disbelief.

“Is this enough?” Luke asked, handing over a hefty amount of money.

The shopkeeper was instantly apologetic, almost bowing before them.

“I’m sorry for not recognizing you sooner.”

“It’s alright. But… excuse me for a moment, Lady,” Luke said, setting Elin down on a chair.

As the burly man hastily packed the herbs, Luke lightly tapped Elin’s back.

“Apply this ointment to your hands first.”

“Your feet should be treated first, Lady.”

“If you don’t apply it first, you’ll be running around again.”

He deliberately said something that might have made her angry.

Had he said this to his family, they would have ignored him or punished him more severely.

But Luke didn’t seem to mind at all.

“Understood,” he said quietly.

The guilt in her chest tightened.

She shouldn’t let him care for her this much.

This wasn’t good for either of them.

The shopkeeper returned with the herbs, and Elin picked up a random ointment.

She needed to repay him.

She didn’t want to owe him anything, as it made her uncomfortable to be on the receiving end of kindness.

“I’m not your nanny, Lady,” Luke said as he reached for the ointment with a smile.

“…I knew this would happen.”

Elin thought to herself, her hand trembling slightly from his touch.

“Are you crying?” Luke asked.

“No…”

Elin hastily wiped away the tear forming in the corner of her eye.

Luke smiled, noticing.

“You will grow up well, Lady.”

Luke knelt down to meet her eyes.

“Just eat your meals properly, and you will grow strong. You don’t have to do anything extraordinary. You will become an amazing person, and I will make sure of that.”

“All I want is for you to grow up healthy and not suffer.”

Elin’s heart trembled at the unexpected words.

She had never dared to dream of such kindness.