Ilya looked up, her gaze falling on Flora’s face. “What is it?”
The response was ordinary. There was no avoidance and no vigilance.
Because of this, Flora’s grip tightened even more, and she bit her lip slightly. She paused for a moment, as if making a final confirmation of whether her question was appropriate.
Then, she asked anyway.
“Did you… do anything to them at the time?”
As soon as the words left her mouth, she almost immediately regretted it. It wasn’t because she shouldn’t have asked, but because she suddenly realized the question itself exposed her anxiety.
She subconsciously added another sentence, her speaking pace a bit faster than usual. “I mean, during… that time.”
She used a very vague phrasing.
Ilya did not answer immediately. She set down her utensils. The movement was very light, yet it made Flora’s heart leap into her throat once again.
Flora knew very well that from Ilya’s perspective, she had every reason to do anything.
Recovering the demon heart flower and dealing with intruders was perfectly acceptable from the viewpoint of the demon race. In fact, it would be more unusual if Ilya had done nothing at all.
Flora pressed her legs together a little tighter, her toes turning inward until they touched. Even if the answer was bad, she had to accept it. She had already prepared herself for the worst in her heart.
Ilya looked at her, her tone very calm.
“No.”
The answer came too quickly. So quickly that Flora didn’t react for a moment.
“…… What?” she asked subconsciously.
“I didn’t do anything to them,” Ilya repeated, her tone still steady. “The demon heart flower has been taken back to the human territory. I didn’t send anyone to pursue them.”
Flora froze. Her thoughts went blank for a moment. This was not among any of the answers she had envisioned.
“Then…… why?” The question practically blurted out.
The moment it left her mouth, she realized how direct she was being. Ilya glanced at her and instead brought up something else.
“Your sister is doing very well now,” she said first. “The herbs have taken effect, and her condition has stabilized.”
These words were like a heavy blow. Flora’s breath hitched sharply. Her eyes widened slightly, and she felt as if she were pinned to the spot.
“…… Are you sure?” her voice was thin, so quiet it hardly sounded like a question.
“I am sure,” Ilya said.
Flora did not respond immediately. She lowered her head, her gaze falling on the tabletop. In that moment, she didn’t even know how she should react.
It wasn’t that she hadn’t imagined the possibility of her sister getting better. But when the answer was actually spoken, she found herself completely unprepared to receive it.
The tension in her chest suddenly lost its support. Like a string that had been pulled to its limit, it finally went slack.
She slowly exhaled a breath. It was very soft, yet remarkably long.
“…… That’s good,” she whispered.
It was just those three words. But she knew very well how much weight was behind them. Incredulity, shock, and relief.
She suddenly realized that the goal she had been clinging to had already been accomplished. She looked up at Ilya.
“Are you…… still monitoring them?” Flora asked very carefully.
Ilya’s gaze did not waver.
“No,” she said. “I only checked their current status. It won’t affect their lives.”
Flora was stunned for a moment. She suddenly understood. This was definitely because of her.
The thought made Flora’s chest tighten slightly. She didn’t ask any further. She simply picked up her utensils and took another bite.
This time, she could taste the food. It was warm and light, yet very real.
***
The night had grown deep.
The room was very quiet. The lights weren’t all lit, leaving only a lone lamp glowing in solitude. The light blurred through the room, not illuminating everything, but it didn’t feel dark either.
Only after returning to her room did Flora slowly feel her body relax. It wasn’t sudden, but happened bit by bit.
‘Since when… did I start being able to live here normally and at ease?’
She sat on the edge of the bed. She hadn’t taken off her boots yet, but her feet naturally tucked inward, her toes lightly tapping the floor.
After making the movement, she realized what she was doing and paused for a moment.
It didn’t used to be like this. Before, she would sit upright first and think about where her things were and what route she would take if she had to leave right then.
But now, she didn’t. Her mind was empty. She looked down at her hands; her fingers curled unconsciously and then relaxed.
The scene from dinner slowly surfaced in her mind. She remembered pausing for a long time before she spoke. Even though she had already prepared the question, she had hesitated to say it.
‘What was I thinking back then?’
‘Would it be inappropriate to ask?’
‘Should I really not bring it up again?’
‘What if the answer isn’t what I want to hear?’
‘Subconsciously, she had even considered whether it would destroy the current state of things.’
She had even prepared several possible answers for Ilya in her head. But the result was different.
“They have already gone back.”
“Your sister is doing very well now.”
The answer was just that simple. At the time, she had only nodded and said, “That’s good.”
Thinking back now, those words weren’t just a polite formality. It was truly the only thing left to say.
There was no need to keep questioning, and no more worry that needed supplementing. The matter had simply stopped there.
Flora slowly leaned against the headboard, her back against the cushion. She suddenly realized that she was no longer repeatedly thinking about ‘what would have happened if I hadn’t done that.’
The discovery surprised her a little. It wasn’t that she was intentionally avoiding the thought, but that she really… wasn’t heading in that direction anymore.
She took a soft breath in and slowly let it out. So, this was how it ended. It didn’t need a ceremony or anyone to confirm it.
She looked down at the floor, her gaze lingering for a while. It was actually very quiet here. It wasn’t the kind of silence that made one nervous, but rather a lack of sound that she had grown accustomed to.
Over the past few days, she had stopped subconsciously counting her steps while walking here. She had long since stopped noticing every corner. She no longer repeatedly reminded herself that this was only temporary.
The thought made her want to smile, yet it also gave her an indescribable feeling. She wasn’t being “kept” here. She just… wasn’t in a hurry to leave anymore.
‘…… I guess this is okay.’
When the thought popped into her head, it was very light. There was no rebuttal and no emphasis. She simply accepted it.
She thought of Ilya. That figure who had seemed so majestic and terrifying at the very beginning was now so kind and real in her impressions.
When her escape failed and she was poisoned, she wasn’t met with a harsh lecture, but with kind, heartfelt companionship.
Facing the Vampire Queen, her nervousness was met with a relaxing pat on the shoulder and comfort. That figure would respect her, care for her, and comfort her.
‘An Ilya like that is quite gentle, isn’t she?’
She still remembered how Ilya had called her to the office to keep her company in the beginning. Underneath that strict Queen, there were such ordinary little needs… It was truly a mystery.
After thinking these things, she caught herself and was stunned for a moment. Then, she couldn’t help but let out a soft breath and a light chuckle.
She took off her boots, lay down, and pulled the blanket up to her shoulders. The movement was very natural. There was no hesitation.
When she closed her eyes, she wasn’t planning for tomorrow, nor was she dwelling on the past. She just felt that things being like this wasn’t bad. Just like tonight, she could just fall asleep.
She would just keep living like this.
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