Just Leave Me Be

Chapter 9

“What are you doing here?” Adele asked.

It was Bella. “I was waiting for you, my lady. You told me not to enter...”

Bella hung her head, but Adele didn’t feel sorry for her. On the contrary, she found Bella somewhat despicable.

“Are you blaming me?”

“No...” Bella said. “That’s not what I meant.”

“I’m going to tell you what I’m wearing to the tournament, so take notes and prepare my outfit for me,” Adele said coldly.

Bella’s face turned white. “My lady, I must have done something terribly wrong,” she said. “I... I don’t understand why you’re so angry with me.”

“I believe I’ve explained it to you already,” Adele said quietly as she started up the stairs.

Bella’s eyes grew wide and innocent. She was clearly taken aback.

“I don’t...” she stammered.

“You are supposed to serve me, but you follow everyone else’s orders before my own,” Adele said. “When I was sick, you never once asked how I felt. And if I ever helped out, you never thanked me.”

Adele listed off all the other things that Bella had and hadn’t done. Having spent the most time with Bella over the years, Adele had quite a few memories with her.

They were memories she wasn’t particularly fond of.

“Do you want to hear more?” Adele asked.

“I didn’t...” Bella trailed off.

“Do you even know my favorite food?”

“Oh, I thought it was sa... salad...” Bella stammered.

Ten years. That’s how long Bella had been her maid. They’d been through thick and thin together, and whether out of hate or love, Adele couldn’t deny the feelings she’d grown to have for Bella.

She swung open her wardrobe doors and scanned all the neatly hanging dresses.

“I’m going to wear this dress, the one without so much lace. This will be my hair accessory. This necklace. These earrings. And as for my bracelet, I think this one should do nicely.”

Adele pointed one by one to everything she had decided to wear, including the accessories in her jewelry box.

“This...” Bella started.

“This is the dress I like,” Adele cut her off. “It’s my favorite color, and these are my favorite accessories.”

“But you’ve never...”

“Because it wasn’t Karena Viphta’s style,” Adele whispered.

Bella’s eyes quivered.

Her style never suited me in the first place.

Adele was told that Karena Viphta liked clothes and accessories that were extravagant and decorated with lots of lace. But she wasn’t going to act like Karena Viphta anymore.

For the first time, Adele had chosen her outfit according to her own taste. It was liberating.

“Bella,” she said.

“Yes, my lady,” Bella answered.

“I really like you, Bella,” Adele said brightly, beaming like she used to when she acted as Karena Viphta.

Bella’s eyes darted to and fro, betraying her confusion.

“That’s what I used to say to you all the time,” Adele continued, “since the very first day I arrived here. Do you remember?”

“Yes, of course,” Bella said, and her face lit up as she nodded.

“Though you never said anything in return, not even once,” Adele said curtly, her expression turning cold.

Bella’s smile froze in place.

“My lady, that was...” Bella licked her lips reluctantly.

Yes, of course, she would have had her reasons. But Adele didn’t think she’d take kindly to whatever excuse Bella was trying to come up with. So before the maid could say anything further, Adele decided to speak first.

“Bella, did you know?”

“Know what, my lady...?” Bella ventured.

“I absolutely detest salad.”

The only reason she had eaten nothing but salad was because she’d been unable to digest anything else. Unless she was in a setting where she could eat comfortably, Adele had only reached for salad. She supposed this must have given off the incorrect impression that she liked it.

She was sick of salad and hated it more than anything, and if anyone had bothered asking her, she might have responded honestly. Throughout Adele’s whole life, nobody was ever interested in what she liked.

“That’s all,” Adele said. “You may go. And just so you know, I am not angry at you.”

She just didn’t have the will to do anything. Now that she had no expectations from anyone, her heartache was gone, too.

“Why aren’t you leaving?”

“No, I...” Bella hesitated. “Please call me if you need anything.”

She bowed and left. Adele turned away indifferently. Lately, she’d been hearing the servants whispering among themselves that Lady Karena had changed. Some even approached her out of concern and asked what was wrong, but Adele kept quiet each time.

“The hunting tournament should be starting soon,” she said to herself.

“I should give these to Father and Fellis.”

She recalled the excited voice of her younger self. That was from the first hunting tournament Adele had ever attended.

Ladies had to be at least fourteen years old to attend hunting tournaments. The duke had given his permission, and Adele had been thrilled about her first time attending.

She had woken up early to buy the highest quality tassels in the most popular colors. She had spent all night working hard on them with her clumsy little hands. Yet, her tassels never made it to anyone else.

She had held one out excitedly, but the duke had taken only a quick look at it and ignored her. Fellis Viphta had turned away altogether, telling her not to bother him.

Adele kept the tassels for months after the tournament ended until she eventually threw them away in tears. She could still remember that day as clearly as ever.

* * *

It was the morning of the hunting tournament.

Adele took a quick bath and waited for Bella to come and dress her. Once she was finished she clipped the tassel to her hair. Her outfit wasn’t extravagant, but it wasn’t overly plain either. In the past, she had always gone out of her way to dress herself to look beautiful, thinking it was her duty as Karena Viphta not to inconvenience the duke’s family.

“You’re all ready, my lady.”

Maybe I really should join an adventurer group and become an archeologist, Adele thought. Translating ancient languages and traveling the world would give her a good reason to leave the duke’s household. She might even be able to leave the country altogether for the rest of her life.

“My lady?” Bella repeated, when Adele didn’t answer.

Adele slowly raised her head. Her eyes were clear, pure gold, and her bright green hair was neatly combed back. Her dress, which was in a shade that complemented her eyes and hair, enhanced her beauty even further.

“What?” she said.

“It’s time to board the carriage now, my lady,” Bella repeated.

“Oh... yes,” Adele sighed.

This is going to be suffocating.

Normally the entire family boarded the carriage together. At that uncomfortable thought, Adele felt her stomach starting to act up.

She grasped the railing and slowly made her way down the stairs. Her high-heeled shoes still felt uncomfortable—like clothes that didn’t fit. When she reached the bottom of the stairs, the butler bowed to her.

“My lady, the carriage door is open. All you need to do is climb aboard.”

“All right,” Adele answered. She walked forward, listening to the sound of her own clacking heels.

The other family members were already waiting inside the carriage. It appeared Adele was the last to arrive.

“Here, step on this, my lady,” Bella rushed forward and placed a stool at her feet. She stretched out her hand to help, but Adele ignored it and climbed into the carriage on her own.

She didn’t need anyone’s help. She simply had to hold on tight to the door and pull herself up.

Once inside the carriage, she took her seat next to Fellis.

“Your Graces, Fellis,” she greeted them. Adele couldn’t stand inside the carriage, so she bent at her waist in a brief bow instead.

Since there was no one else in the carriage, she could address them comfortably. Three pairs of eyes turned to her. Pretending not to notice, Adele stared out the open window.

Thump, thump, thump.

Thump, thump, thump.

At the sound of her racing heart, Adele tilted her head and looked up at the skies.

Why is my heart beating so fast?