Chapter 37
“The Secret That Encourages Love”
“So, what’s your relationship with the owner of that bracelet?”
Lily finally asked the question she had been holding back. She kept her gaze on her dangling toes. Unlike before, the pain had dulled slightly, as if the rebound from her ankle injury was less sharp.
“Bracelet?”
“Don’t try to dodge the question. The day we returned from Avery, that bracelet was in your coat pocket, and it got caught on my belt.”
“I don’t carry anything in my pockets. That….”
Reaching into an outer pocket was considered vulgar—a gesture a proper noble wouldn’t make. But Christopher paused briefly, choosing his words carefully instead.
“That would be improper etiquette.”
“I can go back right now and show it to you.”
In the quiet forest where all the noise of the world had disappeared, it felt strange to focus so intently on his handsome face and the words that might come out of his mouth.
Unconsciously, Lily clenched her hands as if she could grasp the bracelet that wasn’t even there.
“Hmm… I don’t know what to say, but if I were a rogue trying to ‘flirt’ with women and carelessly left my bracelet lying around, I suppose I should reflect on that.”
Jealousy and suspicion were feelings one shouldn’t indulge in over someone with whom one had no relationship.
Despite her will, her pounding heart betrayed her.
“So… should I trust you, or not?”
Lily pushed herself slightly away, fearing her heartbeat might be audible. But he seemed to think her movement was due to pain and lifted her gently.
“The ball is in your court. Whether you trust me or not—it’s all in your hands.”
His words carried the weight of an arrogant authority, yet they held a force that left her immobile.
“I don’t know what that bracelet is, but I can tell you’re eager to show it. Just hold on. It’s hard enough to walk right now.”
Lily realized she had become the jealous woman she never intended to be. And it seemed he had read her thoughts.
Finally, the dark black forest that had blocked out the sun ended, and sunlight poured down on them.
The mud stuck to his shoes had dried and was crumbling away.
Christopher inhaled deeply the scent carried by Lily’s soft hair brushing against his neck and strode forward.
“Ugh, this is unbearable.”
Once outside the forest, the pain she had tried to ignore overwhelmed her again. Lily groaned as if her ankle had been cut off entirely. The path had leveled somewhat, and he had been urging her to keep pace, but every time her legs wobbled, her groans grew louder, and he finally stopped running.
“Talk about something. Anything.”
Lily tried to catch her breath, but the pain had become almost unbearable.
“What should I say?”
“Anything. Complain about me, tell me what you like or dislike, what you want to do—anything to distract yourself from this situation.”
She closed her eyes slightly at his words.
“A moment ago… I thought it would be better to die. I wondered if I should give up… But then I heard footsteps, and I realized there were still many things I hadn’t tried.”
Sweat ran down her face as she muttered.
“This forest isn’t as deep as you think. You might collapse from exhaustion, but it’s too visible a place to die. Why did you even want to die?”
“Having hope consumes a lot of energy.”
“Are you still looking for your parents?”
“I found a letter my mother sent. At least I wasn’t a bastard, so I must have been baptized.”
“Still, that’s progress.”
Christopher didn’t seem fully convinced, but he nodded as if to humor her. For a moment, Lily’s face brightened.
“What did the letter say?”
“That’s it. Actually… there wasn’t much content…”
Her injury had swollen significantly, making it harder for him to distract her with words.
“Why not do handwriting analysis? Usually it’s used for contracts or inheritance. I know a famous expert in Londinium.”
Even so, he continued to speak in detail, trying to keep her mind off her pain.
It was the first time Lily had heard him speak at such length. He usually spoke little, cutting off sentences arrogantly, but today was different.
Nestled in his broad arms, she focused on his story and momentarily forgot her pain.
It was like magic.
A profession that could identify the texture of paper, the ink, and even the typewriter used, using thousands of handwriting samples… How did he know such things? Lily unconsciously rested her head against his chest.
Although he had stitched her wound, it wasn’t as deep as expected, and the doctor didn’t seem too concerned.
“The trap was very rusty. There’s a risk of tetanus, so let’s examine it closely.”
Only Christopher inspected the injury seriously. The doctor administered the injection at his insistence.
“You’ll be able to walk without strain in a week. Just monitor for fever or pus.”
The doctor spoke as if overprotecting a mere maid.
“Hear that? Don’t overexert yourself.”
“I said it won’t be a problem, not that I shouldn’t exert myself.”
Lily glanced at the doctor, correcting Christopher, but he ignored her.
“How much is the treatment?”
The doctor casually disinfected tweezers over an alcohol lamp.
“Fifty florins, including the injection.”
Lily thought it was outrageous, yet he nodded calmly.
“Why are you staring?”
“The doctors who come to hotels haven’t charged that much…”
“You’re not going to claim you were scammed by a royal physician, are you?”
He answered quietly. The doctor had already withdrawn thoughtfully.
“There are other places. This one’s… too…”
Lily swallowed the words “too noble.”
After treatment, he casually helped her into shoes, making her tiny, worn shoes look like toys in his large hands.
She suddenly thought his hands were beautiful. Mud didn’t seem to bother him. Looking at him, she asked:
“Why are you doing all this for me?”
The question she had tried to avoid slipped out.
“Because I want to.”
“That’s not a proper answer.”
His gaze pierced her like sunlight. She felt herself melting before him.
“Lies.”
The words she had wanted to say all along.
Her eyes trembled slightly, clear as ice.
“You don’t even expect a thank you. Just be a little kind to me.”
This man made her feel as if she had some remarkable power, though in reality, she held no value.
“Do you treat other women like this?”
Lily asked, holding her breath. What if he did? Like the ladies at the convent who showed affection for only a day.
“Other women? What do you mean?”
“I mean, do you act like this for them too? Caring, worrying, being kind?”
To Christopher Archibald, Elizabeth Gardner was a woman he wanted, not needed. Lily didn’t know that.
“No.”
“So what do you want from me? I’m a maid and poor. I can cover medical costs, but that’s all.”
He smiled, his smile calm yet strangely dramatic. Lily gazed at his neatly aligned teeth.
“You always say, ‘I’ll pay you back if I find a gold mine, if I recover a treasure ship.’ Every time it sounds the same.”
It frustrated her. “I did it because I liked you,” she thought. Yet his words sounded like mockery.
“Do you think I take money from you?”
He supported her as she walked, and she cautiously tested her injured foot.
She stopped walking; he stopped too.
“The interest is high, but there’s a bank… and maybe I’ll win money at the races today…”
Her rambling made him laugh. She was like a young lady tossing coins into a fountain.
To seriously weigh usury versus gambling… it was absurd.
“Neither seems likely.”
Lily hung her head. If she’d gone to another clinic, she wouldn’t be worrying like this.
“Do you know how dangerous tetanus is?”
As if reading her thoughts, he said softly:
“Of course, I know the moneylender you wanted to visit is scary too.”
“…”
“I’m curious about you. I want to know. I like it when you talk nonsense.”
Lily stared suspiciously. He said it as if it were nothing.
“And I only act like this toward you.”
Her heart pounded. She couldn’t put weight on her injured foot, yet the pain oddly disappeared. His words sank deep into her chest.
“Is that the answer you wanted?”
Lily realized that every time she met him, she expected something, even in ways she hadn’t imagined with Timothy.
When Lily stopped, he stopped too, almost unconsciously.
“…Why?”
She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her lips to his cheek, just like he had kissed her plastered forehead before.
His cheek was cold as marble.
He froze briefly like a statue, then cupped her face in his hands.
Lily raised her head obediently. His bold action was tempered by the gentle care in his hands.
“I’m going to kiss you.”
Startled, she stared at him, but he didn’t stop. Shivering like a bird fallen from its nest, she submitted, and a fire ignited within Christopher.
“When you kiss, it’s polite to close your eyes.”
