54 — All In The Past
“Please follow me, I’ll show you to your room. Oh, if you’re hungry, I can also prepare a simple meal for you.”
Tom said politely and smiled warmly at Irene. At first, Tom had considered Irene simply to be Noel’s partner, but after watching her for more than two weeks, he had changed his opinion of her. She had more complicated circumstances than he had initially thought, and he respected her bravery. He believed that she would never betray Noel.
Moreover, he had more faith in Noel’s assessment than anyone else. As Tom had chosen Noel to be his master, he also decided to believe in Irene. Also, it was hard to ignore her because she reminded him of Noel from before. As such, Tom tried to be as polite as possible to Irene.
Irene shook her head and smiled at Tom’s solicitude.
“No, I’m not hungry. Thank you for taking care of me, secretary.”
“Please. You can comfortably call me Tom.”
Tom answered fluently as Irene replied by calling his position. Soon, Tom looked back at Noel and said.
“About the Great Kristen…”
“I’ll see him in person. Please take good care of Irene.”
“I understand.”
Noel and Irene appeared to be unaffected, but Tom felt very awkward. Tom didn’t consider Noel as a person who liked to ask for something. Especially when it came to taking care of another person. It was hard for Tom to adapt to this situation. However, he could only comply and accept it. Then, Tom gestured for Irene to follow him and led her inside.
“We have a guest room. For now, you can use that room, and then I’ll order the maids tomorrow morning to prepare a new room for you.”
“I’m sorry for bothering you.”
Tom answered Irene while reassuring her.
“It’s not a big matter to deal with. This is a normal thing to do for the future Grand Duchess.”
Irene immediately blushed at his words. It was just like the other day when Noel called Irene his future wife. Tom had called her Grand Duchess, and she felt a small twinge of happiness. She had expected that situation but hearing it directly like this made her feel embarrassed and ticklish.
Tom, who glanced at Irene’s reaction briefly, turned away and guided her into a large spacious room.
“This is the room. It’s in a separate building but you won’t have any trouble with it. I’ll have the maid come and bring you comfortable clothes soon. If you need anything, please ring the bell.”
“Thank you, Tom.”
Tom left the room after Irene thanked him. Irene, who was left alone after the door was closed, looked around the room. It was simple yet elegant. A four-poster bed with deep blue doonas covering a tall mattress lay in the centre of the room. It looked so warm and inviting. Irene stepped on the soft carpet and to the bed. Then in one sweeping motion, she let her body collapse onto the soft plump covers.
It’s tiring…
Irene was so exhausted and sleepy that she felt she could almost immediately fall asleep if she closed her eyes.
I did the right thing…
With that, Irene soothed herself inside. Irene’s heart had constantly pounded since the morning. It was a rollercoaster of a day. However, she had felt even more anxious, even more so, because this was the first time she had truly left her parents and Riel.
However, at the same time, she felt a sense of freedom. Now, she did not have to be compared to Riel anymore and she could freely paint without hiding from her parents. She was not bound to the shackles of the Chase name.
Noel…
Irene wondered what would happen if she as usual did not go to the ballroom, or if she did not hear Noel’s story that night. What if she had not caught him that time?
I would still be Riel’s sister and my parents’ daughter.
Unchanged, as ever.
Irene closed her eyes. She merely wanted to sleep soundly without thinking about the mess she had left behind. It was all in the past now.
♔♔♔
“No need to be nervous.”
Early in the next morning, Irene, who was standing in front of the Great Kristen’s room with Noel, struggled to suppress her wild heart. It palpitated as if trying to leap out of her chest. Noel, who noticed Irene’s expression, tried to calm her down.
“Yes…”
Even though that was what he’d said, Irene couldn’t help but feel nervous.
Last night, Noel had explained the situation to the Great Kristen and said that Irene would be staying in the mansion for a while. However, the Great Kristen had not said anything and had simply told Noel to bring Irene to his place in the morning.
From the moment Irene had heard that piece of news and until now, she was so nervous that it was difficult for her to keep up. It was different from simply coming to convince the Great Kristen. Now she had come to get permission to stay in the Kristen mansion.
“Then let us go in.”