Chapter 28 - Hardwin's White Shoes
28. Hardwin’s White Shoes
Hannah said in an apologetic tone.
“I knew you’d be confused, but I only told you about our situation because it was so urgent, and I’m sorry.”
I shook my head, signifying that it was okay.
“If you don’t want to do my favor… you’re free to leave.”
Hannah said the words, “free to leave,” with a look on her face that said she didn’t want me to leave at all.
A lie.
I thought she was lying.
“But I hope your decision is a favorable one. You need a place to escape, and if you pretend to be me here, no one will know that you are Ellie”
“… … .”
“That will be a secret only me and my brother know.”
Hannah, who had said that much, smiled crookedly. That smile was full of temptation.
You were hurt there.
You had to run away from your father.
I can solve all the difficult problems you found yourself in.
So, you won’t hold my hand?
It seemed like that was the meaning behind her smile.
“Anyway, welcome to Phever Mansion, Ellie.”
Hannah extended her hand to me. It was a pretty hand, white and thin.
I stared at her hand for a moment and then held out my hand as well.
As soon as our palms touched, Hannah held my hand tightly.
She shook our joined hands up and down like we were shaking hands.
Her hands were hot where our skin touched.
The short handshake ended quickly and I felt a pang of disappointment.
“You’ve had a hard day, so you should rest here tonight. Let’s talk again tomorrow.”
Hannah said brightly.
The relaxed smile that accompanied those words was befitting of her countess status.
There was no shadow of death on her face.
* * *
The Phever siblings left, and some time passed.
The night had deepened irrevocably, but I did not feel the slightest hint of sleepiness.
I lay awake in an unfamiliar bed that was not mine, lost in thought.
It seemed like a lot had happened in a short period of time.
I discovered my father’s terrible plan, ran away just in time, and spoke up.
I met a strange woman who looked like me, but she was about to die and she wanted me to be her replacement.
For probably about a year, until Hardwin Phever’s eighteenth birthday.
What should I do?
I belatedly felt around the inside my sleeve.
Sadly, the envelope of Lennon’s money I’d tucked in there had disappeared.
I probably dropped it somewhere while running down the sidewalk.
In other words, I was a penniless Ellie.
I didn’t know what would happen if I left this place penniless.
At worst, my father could catch me again.
‘Count Phever’
It was a family name I had never heard of from my father, who worked for a baron.
Could it be that this Count’s territory was located somewhat far away from where I used to live?
I felt like I would have to ask Hannah tomorrow for more details about this location and being her replacement.
Even though I organized my thoughts, I still couldn’t sleep.
When I closed my eyes, I could still see my father’s face in front of me, chasing me angrily.
My father’s face wasn’t the only thing that came to mind.
The sound of my father’s angry footsteps, his voice, full of anger, calling my name “Ellie!” also resonated in my ears.
It made the hairs on my whole body stand up.
I even had the eerie feeling that my father was right outside the door, right now.
I wondered what would happen to me if I ever saw him again.
It was a scary thing to even imagine.
“… … .”
I let out a long sigh and finally got up from the bed that I was lying down on.
Then, I belatedly glanced around the room.
There was very little furniture in the room, which made the room seem quite large for one person
The room had a desolate feel to it.
It was then that I heard a knock on the door.
Knock.
I wondered who was visiting at this time of night.
Could it be Hannah?
A low voice rang from behind the door.
“… It’s Hardwin Phever. May I come in for a moment?”
The visitor turned out to be Hannah’s younger brother, the guy who was one year shy of inheriting the title.
I thought it was an unexpected visit.
I got off the bed completely and walked to the door.
I wasn’t sure why.
I didn’t really want to refuse Hardwin’s visit.
I opened the closed door.
Then, my eyes immediately met with Hardwin, who was standing upright in front of the door.
His mysterious emerald eyes radiated an unmistakable light even in the darkness.
They were mesmerizingly beautiful.
“May I come in?”
He, dressed in casual attire, asked for my consent again.
He looked down at me indifferently.
I nodded.
“… … .”
Hardwin fully entered the room.
I looked at Hardwin’s broad back as he entered the room.
It was at that moment that I noticed something in his hand.
He was holding something completely out of character for his seemingly nonchalant demeanor.
I tilted my head.
Why did he bring that?
Hardwin stopped in front of the bed where I had been lying a moment ago.
“What are you doing? Come over here.”
His tone was rough, but there wasn’t any hint of coercion.
There was just an air of wariness.
I walked to the bedside.
“Sit down and have a look.”
I was beginning to understand a little bit of what Lebrado felt.
A well-mannered dog who obeyed his master’s every command.
As I sat down on the bed, as Hardwin had ordered, I keenly felt Lebrado’s emotions.
Hardwin glanced down at me again, then abruptly lowered his stance.
“… … !”
Hardwin’s face was a sight to behold.
He seemed like an arrogant man who would never bow down to anyone.
But he got down on one knee so easily for someone that he saw for the first time today.
It was an action whose meaning I could not fathom.
Hardwin was unperturbed by my surprise.
He was merely acting as he had planned.
I stared at the object in Hardwin’s hand again.
It was a pair of low-heeled white shoes.
“I’m not sure if it’s the right size, because I brought it based on what I thought your size looked like. For now, at least wear these.”
He placed the white shoes neatly at my feet.
Ah…
Only then did I realize that I had been barefoot the whole time.
When I was running away to avoid my father, I lost one of the shoes I was wearing.
I wasn’t sure where the other pair had gone.
When did Hardwin become aware of a fact that I was not even aware of?
Was this man, who seemed indifferent to the world, actually a very attentive man?
“What are you doing? It’s new, don’t worry.”
Hardwin touched the top of the shoe with his fingertip.
It seemed to be an implicit way of saying, “why don’t you try them on?”
I couldn’t help but stare at his fingers on the shoe.
They were white and long, but looked quite strong.
Hardwin’s hand looked similar to Hannah’s.
What kind of woman’s hand would he hold? It was a very wasteful thought that suddenly occurred to me.
I carefully slipped my feet into my shoes before Hardwin urged me again.
His words about guessing the size of my shoes were pointless.
They fit my feet perfectly.
Hardwin couldn’t take his eyes off the shoes on my feet for a while.
“… I’m sorry that my sister behaved so insensitively.”
“… … .”
“Anyway, our situation is urgent, and you have absolutely nothing to do with us.”
He looked up at me, still on one knee.
His head tilted slightly to the right, causing his silver hair to bob gently.
“I think it’s really difficult to ask people to understand our situation right away. Especially since this is our first time meeting.”
His thoughtful words left me with no response.
I just felt sorry for him.
“What on earth happened that made you unable to speak and looking such a mess? My sister said you’re not completely mute.”
“… … .”
“… Well. What answer did I expect to get? Go back to sleep. I’m sorry if I woke you up…”
Hardwin trailed off.
As if he didn’t like the idea of saying sorry.
His slightly frowning face looked very handsome.
Just as there were people who were pretty when they smiled, there were also people who gave off a mysterious aura when they frowned.
Hardwin was closer to the latter.
Of course, that didn’t mean his smile was terrible.
I had never seen his smiling face, but I was sure it would be nice.
I had a good hunch.
Hardwin was silent for a long time.
He didn’t say anything more.
Perhaps he was bored with talking to himself.
But I was wrong. Hardwin spoke his final words of farewell.
“The shoes. Wear them when we meet tomorrow.”
Only then did he straighten his knees and raise himself up.
As he turned away, he flashed a faint smile.
It was the first smile I’d ever seen on his face.
I must have been a good judge of character after all.
Because his faint smile was truly wonderful.
I realized that I wanted to see it again.
If I became ‘Hannah Phever’, would I ever get tired of seeing his smile?