Chapter 13: Misunderstood
—REN—
I thought we were going sowhere modest.
That was what made sense.
Soone who walked through the market dressed simply, who spoke without formality, who bought food without hesitation and laughed like it was natural, did not belong to places beyond iron gates and stone walls.
So when the carriage slowed and stopped in front of a place that looked like it belonged to to soone powerful and influential, I assud we had taken a wrong turn.
I stepped down first, then turned to help her, still holding the bundle of clothes she had bought for . My eyes lifted slowly, taking in the towering gates, the wide stretch of land beyond them, and the manor that stood at the center like it had never known hardship.
It was too large.
I hesitated.
"...Aria," I said carefully, "this is not where common people go."
She stepped down from the carriage as if nothing about the place was unusual.
"Yes," she said simply. "It is not."
That did not answer anything.
I stayed where I was, uncertain whether I should even take another step forward.
Before I could ask anything else, the gates opened imdiately.
As if our arrival had been expected.
Several figures approached at once, their movents precise, their posture straight. Their clothing alone told everything I needed to know. Clean lines. Dark fabrics. Not a single detail out of place.
Servants.
Many of them.
They did not look at .
Their attention was fixed entirely on her.
"My lady, you have returned."
The words landed heavier than anything I had heard all day.
I turned to her sharply.
She did not react.
She simply nodded, like this was normal.
"I have," she replied.
Another servant stepped forward, bowing slightly. "The Duke has been inford of your return. He was looking for you."
The Duke.
My grip tightened around the clothes in my arms.
I looked at her again, really looked this ti, trying to reconcile what I was hearing with what I had seen all day.
"You..." I started, but the words did not co easily. "You are not a commoner."
She glanced at , then smiled humbly.
"I did tell you," she said. "You simply chose not to believe ."
I shook my head slowly.
"No," I said. "You said you were... Ah. You’re a noble.
"I am."
"That is not the sa," I replied.
The servants stepped aside, creating a clear path forward.
She began walking without hesitation.
After a mont, I followed, still trying to steady my thoughts, but I had barely taken a few steps when one of the guards moved and blocked my path.
"Excuse ," he said, his tone firm but not rude. "Who might you be?"
My mind went blank.
Completely blank.
I opened my mouth, but no answer ca. There was nothing I could say that would make sense in a place like this. Not the truth. Not anything close to it.
Before the silence stretched too far, she spoke.
"He is my servant. His na is Ren," Aria said, her voice calm but carrying an authority that made the guard straighten imdiately. "Let him in. From now on, he will serve and stand beside . He is under the protection of the Valen household."
The words settled heavily in the air as if it had already been decided.
As if no one would question it.
I felt the heat rise to my face before I could stop it. My grip tightened slightly around the bundle in my arms, unsure whether to look at her or the ground.
She sounded... certain.
Confident in a way that made everything feel real.
The guard stepped aside at once. "Understood, my lady."
And just like that, the path was open.
She turned to , her expression softened and turned warr, almost amused, as if none of this was difficult for her at all.
"Co with , Ren," she said, holding out her hand.
I froze.
The gesture felt simple.
But it was not. Not here and certainly not in front of them.
My gaze shifted instinctively, and that was when I noticed the older man standing slightly behind the others. His posture was composed, his expression unreadable, but his eyes were sharp.
He was clearly observing .
He must have been the butler.
And for a brief mont, it felt like he understood everything at a glance.
Where I ca from.
What I was.
What I was not.
I swallowed and straightened slightly.
"Lady Aria," I said carefully, forcing my voice to remain steady, "I shall follow behind you. There is no need to hold my hand."
It was the proper thing to say.
The only thing I could say.
She blinked at .
"Whatever are you talking about?" she asked, her tone light and almost playful.
I looked away as a faint frustration rose despite myself.
Ah.
She must still see as a child.
That would explain it.
The food. The clothes. The way she spoke to without distance.
I exhaled quietly, then lifted my chin just enough to correct it.
"My lady," I said, more firmly this ti, "I am no longer a child. I am a young man of marriageable age."
The words sounded strange the mont they left my mouth.
But they were true.
She stared at for a second, and it made nervous in a way I could not explain.
Had I said sothing wrong?
Would she change her mind now that she realized I was not a child she could casually take in and dismiss later?
Would she send away?
"...What?" she said.
My throat felt dry.
"Yes," I answered, though I was not even sure what I was confirming anymore.
She stepped forward closing the distance I had just tried to create.
I froze.
For a brief, ridiculous mont, I thought I had offended her enough to earn punishnt. My body reacted before my mind could correct it, shoulders tensing, breath catching slightly as I braced for sothing sharp.
Instead...
"Tasha!" she called out suddenly, her voice clear and commanding enough to echo through the hall.
I flinched.
"Get this young man bathed and clothed properly! Feed him well, and make him drink tonics to support his growth. Take good care of him and make sure he returns to in good condition!"
Everything happened at once.
Servants who had been standing quietly along the sides imdiately moved, the calm order of the manor shifting into motion with efficiency.
"Yes, my lady."
At the center of it, an older woman stepped forward without hesitation. Her posture was straight, her expression composed, but there was warmth in her eyes that softened the authority she carried.
She reached for my hand.
"Co here, Ren," she said, already guiding forward as if there was no room for refusal.
I stumbled a step, caught off guard by how quickly everything had escalated.
"W-wait," I started, glancing back instinctively.
Aria stood where I had left her, entirely at ease, as if assigning my care to others was the most natural thing in the world. She gave a small, satisfied nod, as though everything had been settled exactly as she intended.
"There is no need to wait," the woman said, gently but firmly pulling along. "You heard my lady."
I hesitated, my feet moving before I could fully decide to follow.
This was happening too quickly.
Monts ago, I had been standing outside the gates, uncertain whether I should even enter.
Now, I was being led deeper inside.
Claid.
Handled.
Cared for.
I tightened my grip on the bundle of clothes in my arms, though it felt unnecessary now. Everything I had been holding onto, everything I thought I needed to manage on my own, was being taken out of my hands one decision at a ti.
"...She is kind," I murmured under my breath.
The woman beside glanced down briefly, a small smile forming.
"Our lady always is," she replied. "She just felt unreachable ever since she lost her mother. So be patient with her."
I smiled to myself.
"I see..."
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