Chapter 30: Changed
After days of locking herself in her room, the doors to Lady Aria Valen’s chambers finally opened.
And the entire estate imdiately felt it.
The servants standing nearby nearly startled when the large ivory doors slowly parted open that morning after remaining shut for what had felt like an eternity.
Everyone inside House Valen had long grown accustod to the strange silence surrounding the young lady’s room.
als being brought in.
Books being delivered endlessly.
Occasional muffled explosions that forced servants to sprint down hallways carrying buckets of water.
But Lady Aria herself?
She had not properly stepped outside her chambers in days.
Which was precisely why every nearby servant unconsciously paused the mont she finally erged.
And what greeted them was not the disheveled, sleep-deprived young woman they had secretly expected.
No.
Lady Aria Valen stood before them looking every bit the noble daughter she was born to be.
Elegant.
Composed.
Perfectly dressed.
Her silver-blue gown flowed gracefully around her figure while delicate embroidery shimred softly beneath the morning light pouring through the tall estate windows. Her hair had been carefully arranged, though not overly extravagant, allowing several soft strands to fra her face naturally.
At first glance, nothing seed wrong.
In fact...
She looked more refined than ever before.
And yet, sothing felt different.
The servants exchanged subtle glances almost imdiately.
Because although Lady Aria stood there smiling softly as always...
Sothing about her presence felt distant.
Like a person standing very far away while pretending to remain close.
The usual lively unpredictability surrounding her had vanished.
Gone was the carefree young woman who complained dramatically during breakfast, spoke strange incomprehensible phrases, and wandered through the estate with the energy of soone barely restrained by noble society itself.
Now she carried herself with calm restraint.
Like a proper aristocratic lady.
And sohow...that frightened everyone more.
A maid near the hallway instinctively lowered her head deeper than usual.
Another servant visibly hesitated before greeting her.
Because this version of Lady Aria felt unfamiliar.
anwhile, Aria herself descended the staircase quietly with one hand lightly resting against the polished railing.
Her movents looked graceful.
Elegant enough to satisfy every noble etiquette instructor in the kingdom.
But the estate servants who had watched her grow up felt strangely unsettled witnessing it.
Before anyone could gather the courage to speak first, hurried footsteps suddenly echoed across the corridor.
Ren appeared monts later.
The young man looked slightly breathless, likely having rushed over the mont servants inford him Lady Aria had finally left her room.
The instant his eyes landed on her, visible relief crossed his expression so quickly it almost looked painful.
"My lady," he called imdiately while approaching her side.
Aria turned toward him calmly.
And for the first ti since eting her, Ren montarily forgot what he intended to say.
Because sothing about her smile felt wrong.
"How was your sleep, my lady?" he asked carefully. "How have you been?"
For a brief second, silence lingered between them.
Then Aria smiled softly and lifted one hand toward him naturally.
Ren blinked in surprise when her fingers gently rested against the top of his head.
"You have grown taller than ," she said softly. "I suppose those tonics were effective after all."
Ren froze..
The touch itself was gentle, familiar even.
And yet the mont she spoke, sothing inside his chest tightened painfully.
Because suddenly, for reasons he could not explain, it felt as though she had beco soone standing impossibly far away from him.
The tone of her voice had changed.
Before locking herself inside her room, Lady Aria spoke freely without restraint.
She laughed loudly.
Complained dramatically.
Teased people shalessly.
Half her sentences sounded completely inappropriate for noble society while the other half sounded like thoughts that escaped before she could stop them.
She felt alive.
Warm.
Chaotic.
Now her words sounded asured.
Elegant.
Proper.
Like the noble ladies Ren used to observe from a distance growing up.
The difference was subtle enough that most people might not imdiately notice it.
But Ren noticed.
And sohow...
It terrified him.
Because the carefree brightness she carried before had dimd quietly during those days of isolation.
"My lady..." Ren spoke carefully after several seconds.
Aria lowered her hand from his head slowly.
"Yes?"
"...Are you not feeling well?"
The hallway fell silent again.
Several servants nearby unconsciously looked toward her nervously.
Aria rely smiled.
"I am perfectly fine."
The answer ca smoothly.
Ren stared at her quietly.
"No," he said softly before he could stop himself.
Aria blinked slightly.
Ren lowered his gaze imdiately afterward as if realizing he had spoken too boldly.
"My apologies," he corrected quickly. "I rely ant... you seem different."
For the briefest mont, sothing flickered across Aria’s expression.
Then she smiled again.
"A person changes after learning many things," she answered gently.
The words should have sounded ordinary.
Yet hearing them sohow made the atmosphere heavier.
Because despite standing right there before them...
Lady Aria suddenly felt difficult to reach.
Ren clenched his hands quietly behind his back.
He did not understand why.
But ever since she locked herself inside that room, an unbearable feeling had settled inside him.
Like he was slowly watching soone disappear little by little while being powerless to stop it.
And the worst part?
Lady Aria herself seed completely unaware of it.
Or perhaps...
She simply no longer cared.
Aria turned away afterward and continued walking calmly through the corridor.
Servants imdiately stepped aside respectfully as she passed.
But many continued glancing toward her afterward with visible unease lingering in their expressions.
Because although Lady Aria looked more noble than ever before...
The estate suddenly missed the strange young woman who once scread at floating books and argued with powerful n in public.
And sohow, without anyone saying it aloud
...
Everyone in House Valen realized the sa thing.
And yet...
"Ah, Ren," Celia suddenly spoke, her voice softer now as she turned toward him again. "Will you accompany to the nearest bakery? I have been craving this... bread, but I do not know what it is called."
The abruptness of the request caught everyone off guard, including Ren.
He blinked in visible surprise.
Then slowly, almost carefully, his expression brightened.
"I would love to, my lady," he replied imdiately.
The answer ca out faster than expected, almost as though he feared she might change her mind if he hesitated.
Celia smiled at that.
One maid even sighed discreetly in relief.
Ah.
Perhaps things truly were not as terrible as they feared.
Ren himself visibly relaxed beside her.
Perhaps he truly had been worrying for nothing.
After all, Lady Aria was still speaking to him normally.
He unconsciously straightened slightly beside her while ntally preparing himself for whatever strange events awaited him today.
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