wildflower chapter 9

“No matter the reason, I’ve always hoped things would work out between you two.”

“Yeah, I know you mean well. But be careful what you say around Cairn, Matilda. He might not like it.”

“Yes, I understand. I’m sorry, Miss.” Matilda closed her lips, nodded, and fell silent.

“There’s nothing to be sorry about. Shall we really get going now?”

Just then, a commotion erupted near the bookstore entrance.

“How much can I get for these?”

“I can offer you around 500 silver.”

“What? That’s all? These are deluxe editions, you know. Give me a little more.”

Lilian, as if drawn by an unseen force, approached the arguing bookseller and the man. “Aren’t these books brand-new releases? You’re selling them all back already?”

The man she questioned was a scrap paper dealer. “It’s frustrating. I don’t know what rumors are going around, but Clarice’s new releases aren’t selling. Not at all!”

Piled by the door were stacks of Love Covered in Filth. At that moment, a carriage wheel splashed through a puddle, sending muddy water onto the books.

“Damn it!” The bookseller hastily wiped the books with a handkerchief. “They say a book’s fate follows its title, and these really have become filth. Clarice’s name has lost all its power!” He kicked a book irritably.

Lilian stumbled backward, reeling as if she herself had been struck. “Miss, are you alright?”

Her heart pounded, her hands trembled. She couldn’t answer Matilda’s question. Only one thought filled Lilian’s mind: I… I can’t write under the name Clarice anymore? That can’t happen.

“Clarice is finished. The publisher has dropped her. Anyway, I’ll sell you the lot for 500 silver. Just take them away as soon as possible.”

“Certainly. As long as the price is right, we’ll clear them out by tomorrow.” The bookseller cleared his throat and turned around. At the same moment, “Miss Lilian!”

Lilian collapsed.

“Help! Someone has collapsed!”

***

“I’m… coming to…” Her clouded mind gradually cleared. Blinking a few times, she saw a figure before her. It must be the person who was always by her side when she was ill. “…Cairn?”

Contrary to her expectations, as her vision focused, she saw Matilda. “Miss?”

She’d been so sure it was Cairn because of the familiar scent. “Are you alright?”

“…Yes.”

Matilda carefully brought the glass of water from the nightstand to her lips. Lilian, parched, slowly drank.

“You seemed fine for a while, but I think you’ve become weak again.”

Lilian blinked weakly.

“I picked up the tarts from the dessert shop you wanted to visit the other day. Let me know if you feel like eating.”

“Thank you, Matilda.”

“Oh, and since Old Town is so far from the manor, I brought you to Baltan Palace. Mr. Jeffrey happened to be passing by the bookstore and helped us.”

“…So this is Baltan Palace?” Looking around, she saw that the room was distinctly different from her own. The ceiling was higher, and the glossy beige wallpaper created an elegant atmosphere.

“Yes, I was just about to tell Lord Cairn that you had awakened…”

Before Matilda could finish, the large door swung open.

“Awake?” Even in the dim light of the gas lamp on the nightstand, Cairn’s features were strikingly clear. It was a reunion of two childhood friends who had been avoiding each other for days.

***

Something was different about Lilian de Vermore.

Cairn, having just come of age and begun learning the duties of the dukedom, was an heir who diligently fulfilled his responsibilities with remarkable focus. But today, he couldn’t concentrate on his paperwork.

So, have you… slept with a woman?

He’d never cared who she saw before, yet she’d suddenly asked him about his intimate life.

Then, could you ask Lord Regid for a favor?

She’d never shown the slightest interest in the opposite s*x, yet she’d suddenly brought up the notorious playboy, Victor Regid.

“…Victor Regid?” The name slipped out in disbelief.

“Pardon? You wish to discuss military industries with the Regid family? I understand their primary business is mining…” The business consultant, visiting the Baltan Palace library, asked in surprise.

“No. Don’t mind me.” Cairn sighed. He signed a few contracts and was about to leave the library to clear his head when a polite knock sounded.

“Come in.”

It was the white-haired butler, Mr. Jeffrey.

“I went to Old Town and encountered an unexpected guest who seemed to require assistance. I took the liberty of bringing her to the Palace.”

Cairn was surprised that Jeffrey, a stickler for rules, had brought someone to Baltan Palace without his permission.

“Who is it?” Cairn loosened his tie.

“Miss Lilian de Vermore.”

“Lilian?”

“Yes. I found her collapsed in front of the bookstore, and I couldn’t just leave her…”

Before Jeffrey could finish, Cairn had already left the library.