The groaning sounds gradually diminished. As the fever broke, breathing became much easier.
Ariella, who had fallen into a deep sleep, could only awaken after a long while of suffering.
“Miss! You’re awake?”
As soon as she opened her eyes, she saw Amira’s haggard face. With her dim vision, she confirmed that Amira’s eyes were very dark and her cheeks were hollow, indicating that she was not in good condition.
“Where is this…?”
“Don’t get up! You mustn’t overexert yourself yet.”
Only after feeling a burning sensation in her legs did Ariella grasp the situation. As memories filled with pain rushed back, she instinctively clenched her hands.
“You need to be careful there too. Your skin is all scraped…”
Amira hurriedly stopped her. Looking down, Ariella saw that, just as Amira said, her palms were all torn up. It seemed she had been desperately digging at them with her nails to endure the pain during the punishment.
Taking a deep breath, Ariella turned her head to look towards the balcony. The sun was still shining brightly outside the window.
‘It was around noon when I arrived at my father’s study.’
It couldn’t have been only that much time that had passed. That much was clear.
“You’ve been ill for a whole day. Your fever rose quite high… It was really close to a serious situation.”
When she turned her head again, she saw Amira with a somber expression. Perhaps having heard Amira’s voice, Adam was also standing nearby.
A whole day of sleep. Ariella muttered in a daze.
As she slowly surveyed her surroundings, she noticed bowls of water, towels, various medicine bottles, and ointments scattered around her bed. The evidence of her suffering from the previous night was laid bare.
The servants and physicians, busy keeping an eye on the duke, would not have helped with her care. Just looking at the dark circles under Amira’s eyes made it clear. She had taken care of her all night.
“Thank you, Amira. You’ve gone through so much because of me.”
“Thank you? How can you say such a thing?”
“Amira?”
Ariella was taken aback and widened her eyes. Suddenly, Amira had knelt beside the bed.
Thud. Thick tears rolled down her rough skin and fell to the floor. Seeing this, Ariella was even more shocked.
“Why, why are you crying, Amira? Is it too hard for you? If that’s the case, you can go rest right away.”
Hastily reaching out to Amira, she shook her head and carefully took Ariella’s hand.
Then she placed her hand on top of Ariella’s. The calloused palm gently caressed Ariella’s hand.
Upon closer inspection, Amira’s face looked far more serious than it had at first glance. Her eyes were swollen, and the skin around them was red. She looked as if she had cried a lot.
“If it’s because of my worries, I’m really okay—”
“I didn’t know, Miss.”
Amira interrupted Ariella with a voice full of tears.
“I don’t understand why you act in ways that are incomprehensible…”
Amira, with her head bowed low, trembled slightly.
Until this moment, Ariella had not grasped what Amira was trying to say at all; she merely looked at her with a worried expression.
“Why, being so smart, haven’t you devised a plan to completely drive Lizzy out of this mansion, and instead are taking a different approach? Until now, I truly didn’t know.”
However, Amira’s voice, which seemed to have realized something, gave Ariella a hint.
‘Amira has figured out my purpose.’
After taking revenge on those she despised, she had been found out for her intention to hand over her position and leave this place.
Ariella’s body stiffened, and Amira slowly lifted her head.
The glistening blue eyes, wet with tears, instantly captured her gaze.
“This was hell.”
Thud. The sound of her heart pounding echoed through her body.
Amira, shedding streams of tears, once again pierced into her heart.
“You’ve been living in hell all this time.”
So that was why. Ariella could only freeze in shock, her face blank, as Amira murmured.
It was the first time.
The first and only person who recognized her state, who empathized with her feelings of considering this Bedford as hell. It was Amira.
Neither Lizzy, who had stayed by her side for so long, nor Rose, the head maid who pitied her, understood. To others, Bedford was merely a name of nobility and distinction.
The reason Ariella did not speak of her sorrows in front of others was the same. It was obvious that anyone would think she was merely throwing a fit out of gluttony.
But Amira was different. She was looking at her without the halo of Bedford.
Not Ariella Bedford… but solely, Ariella.
“Ah.”
A faint groan escaped her lips without her realizing it.
