Just Leave Me Be

Chapter 8

It was a threat that even a fool could understand.

“But...” Adele started.

“You’ll be comfortable here,” the butler cut her off. “However, you are not allowed to leave the mansion until you are fully accustomed to the aristocratic ways.”

It would be so very easy for them to make it so that she’d have nowhere else to go. That being said, Adele’s treatment turned out to be not bad at all. She really was addressed and treated as Karena Viphta. Nobody treated her like the orphan Adele who stole bread on the streets.

Admittedly, some of it went to her head at first.

It was just that she had been suddenly thrown into such a warm and comfortable new environment. That said, on the other hand, she was not allowed to pick up food with her hands or eat as much as she wanted, and she was constantly lectured throughout her meals. Adele’s daily lessons were murderously rigorous, but she still felt it was better than the streets.

She was not allowed to take a single step outside of the mansion. All she could do in her free time was stare out the window and admire the garden. However, she was fed, her bedsheets were nice and fluffy, and she had her own bedroom; she no longer had to shiver in the cold.

To Adele, the fact that she didn’t have to avoid the rain by crouching under a leaky straw roof anymore made her new life heaven. She might have had her misgivings about Duke Viphta at the start, but now he seemed like an angel. Once she even wondered whether God really existed, though she’d never practiced religion before.

After about three years of non-stop lessons, Adele slowly became used to her new life. Thanks to years of education, she no longer shrank at the sight of a noble but rather walked with her shoulders squared and her head held high.

That being said, the number of people she’d ever shared a conversation with could be counted on one hand. And none of those conversations could be considered personal. Whenever she’d attempted one, the other person had never reciprocated.

And throughout those three years, the duke never once showed his face.

Truth be told, the past 10 years had been so hard on Adele that in hindsight, the first three years of lessons and confinement had been nothing more than minor inconveniences, easily managed.

It was around that time that Adele first met the duke’s two sons and the duchess. Up until then, Adele had lived in an isolated space, separated from the mansion. Only after her education had been completed was she allowed to step foot in the mansion where the rest of the family lived.

When she was invited to her first family meal, Adele swelled with anticipation. She didn’t know why, but she felt excited. She entered the dining hall and bowed her head as she’d been instructed.

“It’s been a long—”

Before she could finish her greeting, she was interrupted by a voice that reminded her of the kids back in the slums.

“Whoa, Father! That’s our fake sister? This is crazy. And she’s super ugly too. Hey, I heard you’re an orphan.”

“I...” Adele stammered.

“How am I supposed to treat her like my sister? Father, you’re being ridiculous.”

Adele lifted her head in bewilderment. She saw red hair and glistening golden eyes. Behind those mischievous eyes, she could feel deep loathing.

“Quaren, come over here,” Duke Viphta said. “From now on, you’ll do as I explained to you before. Got it?”

“Ugh, fine. How many times has it been already?” Quaren grumbled.

The duke stroked Quaren’s hair, smiling warmly.

What’s that? I didn’t know he could smile like that.

Adele had always assumed the duke’s face was stuck in a stony expression, but it appeared that wasn’t the case.

Her eyes widened.

“Sit,” the duke said to her indifferently once he noticed Adele staring at him. The warmth with which he looked at Quaren had disappeared without a trace.

Adele finally realized that the duke was not fond of her at all. Only then did she understand her place.

“One warning, though. Don’t expect a single thing from us.”

She’d finally understood the meaning behind those words on the first day. But once she realized it, Adele felt an inexplicable thirst and craving. She had never seen anyone look at someone else with such warmth. The tenderness she’d just witnessed was something she had never experienced before.

“What a good girl.”

She couldn’t get that sentence out of her head. It was a feeling that she’d never had a taste of in the slums—a taste that perhaps she wasn’t meant to know.

She had been overcome with an emotion so toxic that it would wipe out any remnants of the faint resentment she still harbored, leaving nothing but desperate longing.

* * *

“How long has it been since I visited the capital?”

It was a rare occasion for Adele to leave the house unless it was to attend a tea party or ball.

“I should get something to eat first.”

Adele headed to a restaurant she’d eyed longingly each time her carriage had passed by. The delectable aromas had always managed to float in through the carriage window.

“Wow, the line is pretty long even at this hour,” she remarked.

It must have been a famous restaurant. Adele stood at the back of the line. It was a balmy spring day, and even the wind felt pleasant on her skin. She felt herself smiling as the breeze tickled her. There was even a faint floral fragrance in the air. She had never allowed herself to stop and enjoy the breeze like this.

Up until now, Adele had always kept her head hanging low. The little girl who used to clench her teeth and fight for even a single scrap of food completely died once she became Karena Viphta. Adele had killed that girl inside and spent years suppressing herself in order to become kind-hearted Karena Viphta.

But she had paid for that comfort with her freedom. And somewhere along the way she had forgotten that the skies could be so blue. She didn’t even know how thrilling it could be to wait in line in front of a famous restaurant.

“Next customer!” a voice called out. The line had gotten considerably shorter while she was admiring the sky, and Adele hurriedly stepped forward.

“How many?” the waitress asked.

“Just one,” Adele replied. She cautiously followed the waitress into the restaurant. Inside was a spacious room packed with tables. Adele took her seat and looked at the menu.

“What would you like to order?” asked the waitress.

“Hmm. I’ll take your most popular item and some fruit juice, please.”

“You got it.”

Adele watched the waitress walk away as she placed her wooden clipboard on the table.

“I should have ventured out by myself much sooner,” she mumbled. She regretted not doing this earlier. Adele had always made sure to sit up straight at the dining table, but today she slouched forward with her hand below her chin, smiling lazily.

It feels so good to let go.

She had been chasing after the Viphta family so desperately all this time. And for what?

“Here’s your food!” the waitress said as she approached the table.

“Oh, thank you,” Adele said, pulling her arms into her lap.

Various foods were carefully arranged on an enormous plate. At the center was a moist, perfectly cooked steak, and to its right was a mound of fresh leafy vegetables. The buttery fragrance was coming from the lobster beside it. It was boiled red and expertly sliced in half with a knob of butter melting on top, dripping into the flesh. On the left was a soft butter roll, light brown and steaming, still fresh from the oven.

The mere sight of it all made Adele’s mouth water. She couldn’t remember when she’d last had a meal that excited all her senses like this. Even the starter soup was rich and savory. Small pieces of crispy garlic croutons were placed on top, smelling especially enticing.

Adele picked up her fork and knife to slice the bread as usual, but then she looked around at the other tables and noticed everyone was tearing the bread with their hands. She put down her fork and, following suit, broke her bread in half before dunking it in her soup.

“It’s wonderful,” Adele said, eyes widening as she took a bite.

That’s right, food is supposed to be this good.

Normally she was too preoccupied with dining etiquette, or too conscious of the duke and duchess to focus on the taste of her food.

Once Adele cleared her plate, she smiled. She placed a hefty tip on the table and left the restaurant. Then she headed straight to the store she’d researched in advance to buy supplies for her tassel.

Judging from the sparse number of tassels in the display window, Adele could tell most of the ladies had bought theirs already. She walked into the store.

“Welcome,” the elegantly dressed shopkeeper greeted her.

“I’ve come for tassel supplies.”

“Oh dear... I’m sorry,” the shopkeeper said. “Most of our supplies are sold out, and none of the pretty colors are left.” She brought a hand to her face, looking troubled.

“Please just show me whatever is left,” Adele replied.

Her tassel wouldn’t hold any significant meaning, so the color didn’t matter so much to her.

“Hmm...” the shopkeeper said. “All we have are dark colors like black, gray, and maroon.”

Adele stared at the tassels on display.

He was in black armor...

She decided black would be good enough. Having made her choice, Adele said, “I’ll take black, then.”

“Black?” the shopkeeper asked. “Black isn’t suitable for tassels, wouldn’t you agree?”

“It’s fine. I’m giving it to someone who likes black,” Adele assured her. It didn’t hold much meaning, so Adele didn’t have to dwell too much on the design. Flashy colors like pink or yellow would look out of place on black armor anyway.

“Two black tassels, please,” she ordered.

“As you wish.”

Once it was clear Adele had made up her mind, the shopkeeper stopped trying to persuade her otherwise.

“What would you like at the top of your tassel? Glass or pearls?”

“Glass beads, please.”

“Of course. I’ll have it ready for you shortly,” the shopkeeper said kindly.

Not knowing where to look, Adele turned her head back to the display window. Soon after, the shopkeeper handed her a paper bag with her supplies. Adele took the bag and made her payment, then left the shop.

* * *

As the hunting tournament drew closer, Adele didn’t lift a finger.

She didn’t allow Bella near her, nor did she attend the family meals. As she had previously announced, Adele spent most of her time in the library. She spent her days in leisure as she organized her jumbled thoughts and started making plans one by one.

How long has it been since I did nothing like this?

As Karena Viphta’s stand-in, Adele had always been busy, despite having nowhere to go. Even when she stayed inside the mansion, she had tried to make herself useful or spend her time learning something new. And she’d accepted every single tea party invitation sent her way.

It had gotten to the point where she was called a pushover behind her back.

Adele had wanted to be a good person—a very good person. She had wanted to feel accepted, but the world was only interested in using her. She was considered a “nice” girl, but in high society that was essentially an insult.

“Ahhhhhh.”

Adele yawned loudly and stretched before returning her books to the shelf. Today she would be unable to avoid meeting with the maids, for it was time to inform them of her decision about her outfit and accessories.

The hunting tournament is only two days away, so I can’t put this off any longer.

Over the past few days, she had worked on the tassels before bed. She attached one to her hair accessory and kept the other one in a small silk pouch.

Once she stepped out of the room with the stairs leading to the library, she noticed someone pacing outside the door.

Adele frowned.