CHAPTER 079
We returned to the mansion shortly after.
"Now go inside and rest. You're soaking wet!"
Entering the house was more chaotic than leaving. I didn't bother to keep quiet this time.
A maid, who was perhaps out for a drink of water, saw us.
"Marquis? Miss!"
The maid, shocked at the sight of a drenched Lewis and me standing beside him, called for the other servants.
Suddenly, the dark and silent first floor of the mansion was lit up in a hurry.
"Can you bring some towels?"
I asked a nearby maid.
The maid quickly fetched dry towels, and I hurriedly wrapped one around Lewis.
"You can leave now."
Lewis spoke in a tired voice.
He seemed more himself now. When he hugged me earlier, he didn't seem quite like his usual self.
Well, he must not have been in his right mind to be standing outside in the rain for so long.
"Just a moment."
I ignored Lewis's words to leave and took him to the room he stayed in.
I couldn't just leave him with that pale face.
His hair and sleeves were still dripping wet, and he wanted me to just go?
"If you stay like this, you'll catch a cold for sure. I'll tell the maid to prepare warm water for you."
A soak in warm water should help.
While Lewis was in the bath, I waited in his room.
I had already spoken to the servants.
"I'll tell the Duke about this tomorrow."
They were probably all asleep now, and it wouldn't be right to wake them in the middle of the night.
Lewis came out of the bathroom a little later.
Dressed in the prepared pajamas, he paused when he saw me sitting on the bed.
"You're still here?"
"Yes."
There was a brief silence. Did my one-word answer make me lose my words?
Lewis didn't seem particularly eager to send me away.
There was something I wanted to ask him now that he seemed calmer. Was it okay to ask now?
I carefully inquired.
"What happened?"
I couldn't help but wonder. We were having a pleasant conversation in the drawing room, weren't we?
Why did Lewis look so unhappy now?
Why were you outside in the rain in the first place?
It couldn't just be because of the noise; the look on his face earlier bothered me too much.
There must be something else I didn't know about.
"Did you have a nightmare or something?"
I didn't think Lewis would do something so drastic just because of a nightmare, but it was the only thing I could think of.
Silence followed.
Even if he didn't answer, I couldn't help it. If it was something he really didn't want to talk about.
I wasn't expecting much when I asked, so I was about to leave when Lewis unexpectedly spoke.
"I dreamt of when I was a child."
"A dream?"
Was it really a nightmare?
"A dream of when my parents died."
"Oh..."
I was a bit taken aback by that.
That really was a nightmare! I had only thought of something as trivial as being chased by monsters.
Unlike my startled reaction, Lewis's expression didn't change much.
His face was as devoid of emotion as if all his feelings were dried up.
Maybe he was so exhausted that he had no emotions left to expend.
"I told you before, right? That my childhood memories aren't all happy."
"Yes..."
Lewis sat down next to me.
We continued talking while sitting side by side on the bed.
"I wasn't well-off, but I was happy, at least while my father was alive. After he passed away, things got really tough."
It must have been tough. Especially if he loved his father.
Even though I never had a loving father, I could imagine that pain.
"I remember my last moment with my father."
"Oh..."
"I never saw him off to work in the morning since he left early, but that day, I woke up early. So, I greeted him."
Was that the last moment?
I had a grim premonition.
"My father was happy that I greeted him on his way to work. He gave me a morning kiss on my cheek, and I rubbed my cheek because I didn't like it."
Even during happy times, Lewis was a child who disliked displays of affection.
How much must he have disliked it? I could imagine his expression.
"But that was the last time I saw my father."
"...!"
"He encountered a ruffian on his way back home. They never caught the guy."
He started his story by saying it was the last moment, so I had some inkling, but it was still a shock.
How sad must it be to lose what you took for granted in everyday life?
"My mother was devastated. But she had to stay strong for her child. However, those around us didn't leave us alone."
"Those around you?"
"The lord kept harassing my mother."
After his father's death, their difficult life began with the local lord.
"He proposed to make my mother his mistress, but when she refused, he cut off her job."
"How could he-!"
"I knew even as a child how filthy his gaze was towards my mother."
Lewis frowned as if recalling that time.
"When my mother lost her job, she searched for new work. But that persistent man kept interfering."
What a despicable person!
My face flushed with anger as I listened to Lewis's story.
"What kind of person does that? What about the Duke? Didn't he know about this?"
But she had the Duke's family to turn to.
Wouldn't it have been better if she sought their help?
"My mother didn't want to ask the family for help. Even when we were out of food, somehow, money would appear."
Lewis said it was probably from meeting his aunt, the current Duchess.
"She seemed to have quietly helped us. Back then, my grandfather was the Duke, so she couldn't openly intervene. And I returned to the Duke's estate after..."
I had a sense of what Lewis would say next.
"After my mother fell ill and passed away. She never reached out for help again after receiving it once."
"That's..."
Lewis appeared deep in thought.
"So, thinking about my childhood brings mixed feelings."
His face looked empty.
"Because it was a time of both happiness and hardship."
Mikael's words came back to me.
When Lewis first befriended the Croft family, he warned them not to change their minds about him.
Perhaps those words reflected the desperation of a boy who had experienced loss. It must have been too much for a child to bear.
Thinking about it like that, I could understand.
Why Lewis was always so cynical, and what had happened to him.
Until now, I had only heard that he had a difficult childhood, never in detail.
Even a child with a bright disposition would turn somber after such experiences.
Not that he seemed particularly cheerful, to begin with.
"Don't feel too sad for me. I'm not alone now, unlike back then. You’re here, too, right?"
"Yes, you're not alone, Marquis."
"You'll stay by my side, won't you?"
"I'm here with you now, aren't I? Don't worry."
It was time for me to show a more dependable side, always being the one protected.
I patted my shoulder.
"Lean on me."
"Lean on you?"
Lewis hesitated.
I was serious.
"When you're struggling, you can lean on me. I'll keep you company until you feel better. Oh, do you want me to leave if you want to sleep?"
It was still the middle of the night, and he must be tired.
If he wanted to sleep, it would be best if I went to my room.
"It's not that... my body is still cold from earlier."
Oh, he wasn't hesitating because he wanted to sleep but because of his body temperature?
"If that's the case, it's okay. My body is warm right now."
"Because you're warm, it's okay?"
Lewis chuckled.
Why? In times like this, you should warm up with someone else's body heat!
I spoke as reassuringly as I could.
"It's okay. If you're not going to sleep, lean on me. I'll stay up with you through the night!"
Then I grabbed Lewis's hand.
We'd held hands and walked around before, and this level of physical contact was common when I tried to soothe him, so it shouldn't be awkward, right?
Apparently, it was for Lewis.
His eyes widened a little when I took his hand.
Uh... did he dislike it?
"Should I go?"
Feeling awkward, I tried to pull my hand away, but Lewis held on.
"No. Stay here."
He re-gripped my hand, even intertwining our fingers.
I hadn't expected this.
Surprised by his unexpected action, I pressed my lips together.
Lewis remained silent too, and a quiet pause settled between us.
"You're not that cold."
I was the first to break the silence.
Lewis responded.
"Really? I should be."
"This much is fine."
I gently stroked Lewis's hair.
"Why are you touching my hair?"
Oops. My hand moved on its own. I had resolved not to do it again after the last time, but it happened again.
"Stroking your hair like this is supposed to help relax your nerves."
I tried to sound natural.
"Really?"
"Yes. Don't you feel relaxed? I do."
"When?"
"Um... when you gave me that hairpin. You gently touched my hair then, remember?"
I felt so relaxed.
So I thought Lewis might feel the same way.
Luckily, my intention seemed to get through to Lewis.
He responded with a faint smile.
So, it means he doesn't mind, right? I resumed gently stroking his hair.
Being close, I could smell his scent directly. It was coming from his hair.
Such a nice scent... I thought absentmindedly.
The clock already pointed to 3 AM. It was my first time spending this late hour with someone.
Watching the rain pouring outside, I looked back at Lewis, and he had already closed his eyes.
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