Chapter 19: Very Unladylike
—REN—
Morning sunlight filtered softly through the towering windows of Lady Aria’s chambers, bathing the room in warm gold.
The curtains swayed gently with the breeze, carrying the faint scent of fresh flowers from the gardens below.
Even after yesterday, I still found myself struggling to believe that I was truly inside the Valen estate.
Everything here felt distant from the world I knew.
The polished floors. The expensive furnishings. The silence untouched by shouting or hunger or fear.
And above all else...
...Lady Aria herself.
I stood outside her chambers carefully balancing the breakfast tray in my hands while recalling the instructions the senior servants had given earlier that morning.
"Knock first."
"Do not raise your voice."
"Address her properly."
"And for heaven’s sake, do not stare at the young miss too long."
That final warning lingered strangely in my mind.
Yesterday alone had already proven that Lady Aria was unlike any noble I had ever encountered.
She was proud, certainly. Dramatic as well.
But there was sothing strangely open about her despite her status, as though she did not carry the invisible wall most nobles placed between themselves and others.
She had spoken to naturally.
Looked directly at .
Even laughed with .
No one of noble birth had ever done that before.
I exhaled quietly before knocking on the doors, but no response ca.
I waited another mont, but still nothing.
One of the passing maids noticed my hesitation and sighed knowingly. "You may enter quietly. The young miss dislikes being awakened too early."
I nodded politely before pushing the doors open with care.
The room beyond was larger than so hos I had seen in the poorer districts. Morning light stretched across elegant carpets and expensive furniture arranged neatly around the chambers.
And in the middle of all that refinent...
...was complete disaster!
I stopped walking imdiately.
My eyes widened slightly as I stared toward the enormous bed.
Lady Aria Valen, daughter of Duke Valen and one of the highest-ranking young ladies in the kingdom, was sleeping in a manner so unrestrained that I genuinely forgot how to think for several seconds.
Her blanket had sohow twisted entirely around one leg while the other remained uncovered. One arm was sprawled across the mattress while the other tightly hugged a pillow against her chest as though she feared soone might steal it from her.
Her hair...
I nearly looked away at once.
It was utterly ruined.
Soft dark strands spread wildly around her without the slightest care for elegance or dignity. One section even covered half her face while another stood upward rebelliously against all reason.
And then...
Her mouth was slightly open.
There was even the faintest trace of drool near the corner of her lips.
I lowered my gaze imdiately, excited by my own discovery.
This...
This was a duke’s daughter.
The sa young lady who walked through the estate proudly while servants bowed their heads the mont she passed.
And yet here she was, sleeping so freely that she looked less like a noblewoman and more like soone entirely unconcerned with appearances.
Strangely enough... I found it adorable.
The realization startled almost as much as the sight itself.
Because there was no elegance in this scene whatsoever.
No careful posture, no graceful refinent.
I had never seen a noble live so carelessly before.
Most guarded themselves constantly, even in private. Their posture, speech, and movents were asured at all tis, as though they feared becoming human for even a mont.
But Lady Aria...
It was as though she simply did not care.
A quiet chuckle escaped before I could stop it.
Then another followed imdiately afterward.
I quickly lowered my head, attempting to regain composure before she awakened.
Unfortunately, fate appeared determined to ruin .
Lady Aria stirred slightly beneath the blankets.
"...Mmn..."
I froze instantly.
Her brows furrowed before she slowly opened her eyes with all the grace of soone unwillingly returning from the dead. For several long monts, she simply stared blankly upward at the ceiling.
Then lazily, she turned her head toward .
The mont our eyes t, silence filled the room.
I watched confusion slowly leave her expression.
Then awareness arrived.
And finally, absolute horror.
She shot upright so quickly that the pillow she had been clutching flew dramatically onto the floor.
"...Ren?" she croaked weakly.
I straightened imdiately. "Good morning, my lady."
She narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
"...How long have you been standing there?"
"...Not very long, my lady."
"...Did you happen to see anything...wrong?"
I paused and thought what to say.
"...No...my lady."
She stared at .
"...You hesitated."
"I did not."
"You absolutely did."
Her voice still sounded rough with sleep, which weakened the intimidation significantly.
I carefully kept my expression composed despite the growing difficulty of doing so.
Lady Aria dragged both hands over her face before collapsing backward onto the bed again.
"This is humiliating," she groaned into the blankets.
I turned my gaze away politely, though another smile threatened to appear regardless.
"I apologize for entering without permission."
"No, this is entirely my fault," she muttered. "I forgot wealthy households have servants who just appear inside rooms."
I blinked slightly.
"...Wealthy...households?"
She froze and lowered her hands from her face, then stared at .
"...Pretend you did not hear that."
"Yes, my lady."
Another silence passed before she finally noticed the tray still in my hands.
Her expression brightened instantly.
"Oh," she said softly. "You brought breakfast."
"I did."
To my surprise, she looked genuinely delighted.
"Ren," she declared seriously, "you may officially beco my favorite person in this estate."
I could not help but blink. "...Because I brought breakfast?"
"Especially because you brought breakfast."
She pointed firmly toward the tray.
"You do not understand. Morning hunger transforms into a deeply unreasonable person."
A laugh escaped before I could stop it.
Lady Aria imdiately pointed at accusingly.
"You are laughing at again."
"My apologies, my lady."
"You are not sorry at all."
"...Perhaps only slightly."
"Hmph."
Despite the sound, she did not appear upset. Instead, she swung her legs off the bed carelessly before pausing halfway through standing.
Her eyes slowly narrowed toward once more.
"You truly saw nothing earlier?"
I hesitated, but that hesitation alone betrayed completely.
"Ren."
"I rely observed that you seed... comfortable."
Her face imdiately flushed with embarrassnt.
"I did not look comfortable."
"With respect, my lady," I replied carefully, "you appeared very peaceful."
She stared at for several seconds before covering her face again.
"This is terrible. My dignity is gone."
I found myself smiling despite trying not to.
Because sohow, watching Lady Aria panic over sothing so ordinary felt strangely precious.
And as sunlight continued filling the room around her laughter and complaints, I realized quietly that this estate no longer felt cold to either.
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