After the lesson ended, Ria remained alone to tidy up the teaching materials and tools.
Under normal circumstances, this would have been Marian’s job. However, because the lesson had finished earlier than expected today, she still had a little while to wait before Marian arrived.
Since the subject of the lesson that Countess Tasia had mentioned for next week was fans, Ria naturally approached the table at the back of the classroom where the fans were kept.
Just then, Ria’s eyes caught sight of a velvet box sitting in an odd spot on the shelf behind the table.
When she carefully opened the box, a small pocket watch lay inside.
It was a worn-looking watch that appeared quite old.
It was an object that did not fit in this minimalist room.
Out of curiosity, Ria began to examine the watch.
The glass was cracked and the surface was rough, but the craftsmanship on the back was intricate and beautiful.
As she traced the watch with her fingertips, Ria noticed that the hands were not moving.
"Young Lady, have you been waiting long? Oh my. I said I would tidy up the teaching tools, but you’ve already done it all? I’m so sorry. I’m late."
Marian’s urgent voice pulled Ria back to the real world.
"It’s alright, Marian. There wasn’t much to tidy up anyway."
Like a child caught doing something wrong, Ria hurriedly put the watch back into the box and headed toward Marian with a light laugh.
However, even as she left the room, the watch she had seen earlier kept lingering in her mind for some reason.
That day, after dinner.
Ria secretly headed to the room where she had taken her lesson.
Even though she shook her head to clear it, the broken watch kept appearing in her thoughts.
*Creeeak—*
As she carefully opened the door and headed toward the table at the back, the pocket watch was still sitting there just as it had been.
Ria slowly picked up the watch and looked at it, then, as if making a decision, took a handkerchief out of her pocket.
After rubbing the watch back and forth for a while, the old surface seemed to regain a bit of its luster.
Ria paused for a moment, about to put the watch down, when she stared at the faint light emerging between her palms.
Perhaps…
Ria took a long breath in and slowly let it out.
The light emanating from her hands filled the room for a fleeting moment.
A faint, rhythmic ticking sound began to reach Ria’s ears.
Ria watched the watch that had begun to move again for a long time, then wrote a short note and hid it inside the watch.
There was no grand reason for fixing the watch. However, the note she left behind was sincere.
The owner of this watch must be someone from the Duke’s estate as well.
Ria did not know who the owner was, but she hoped it would make them happy.
++
While Ria was looking down at the now-fixed watch, there were two people watching her through the slightly opened door.
Leonic and Daniel exchanged silent glances.
The two, who had been heading back to their rooms after dinner, had spotted Ria walking down the hallway looking around, and without a word, they had followed her cautiously.
"Isn't that… Grandfather’s watch?"
Daniel said quietly.
His voice was calm, but there was an underlying sense of unease.
"She shouldn't be touching that as she pleases."
"Leave her be. Who cares?"
Leonic said roughly, the corners of his mouth curling up as if he found it amusing.
"We might get to see something interesting."
Leonic spoke with a sneer and then withdrew his gaze from the gap in the door.
"Brothers, what are you doing here?"
Daniel flinched at the bright voice that came from behind them.
"Ah, it’s nothing."
"Hm? This is the old social etiquette classroom."
It was Anella.
Anella squeezed between the two and managed to spot Ria through the gap in the door.
"Ria! What are you doing?"
Seeing Anella open the door wide and approach Ria without hesitation, Daniel shook his head.
"Ah, I was just…"
Ria’s eyes went wide, as if startled by the sudden appearance of the three.
"Oh? What’s that in your hand?"
At Anella’s words, Ria carefully lowered the hands she had been holding against her chest to show the object inside.
"This is… Grandfather’s watch, isn't it? Where did you find it?"
"I had a lesson here earlier. I found it by chance."
"But… the watch is moving?"
Anella clapped her hands together with a *pop*.
"Ria, did you fix it? That’s amazing!"
"Anella, come here."
Leonic gently grabbed Anella’s wrist and hid her behind him.
"To lay a hand on Grandfather’s belongings. Truly amazing."
Leonic, who spoke with a sarcastic tone, sighed and glared at Ria.
"You’d better prepare yourself to be scolded. That watch is something Grandfather treasures immensely."
"Brother, stop it."
Daniel said shortly, restraining him.
"Ria couldn't have known."
Daniel looked a bit tense. However, he also seemed worried that Ria had touched the Duke’s property without permission.
"Ria. You may have only meant well by fixing a broken item, but Grandfather might be angry that you touched his belongings."
Daniel said with a serious expression.
"I didn't know, truly."
She hadn't known that an act intended to help someone would lead to this result. If she had known it was an item the Duke treasured, she probably wouldn't have touched it on a whim.
"It’s okay, Ria. Grandfather might even be happy about it."
Anella said to Ria with a gentle look.
Ria nodded.
"Whether he’s happy or angry, we’ll know soon enough."
Leonic looked at Ria with one corner of his mouth curled up, then turned on his heel and left the room.
"Let’s go back to our rooms now."
The hand Anella offered was kind and warm.
Only after Ria had returned to her room, holding that hand, and finished preparing for bed did she remember the note she had presumptuously tucked inside the watch.
Ria agonized over whether she should go back and retrieve the note she had hidden inside the watch.
Would Grandfather be offended and think she was being insolent if he saw the note? No, would he be angry in the first place because she touched the watch without permission?
Even though she lay in the cozy bed she had now grown accustomed to, sleep would not come. After tossing and turning several times, Ria eventually snuck out of bed.
Ria walked cautiously through the darkened hallway.
If it was now, while the family was all asleep, she thought she might be able to sneak back and retrieve the note.
Hearing the floorboards of the hallway creak, memories of her last night at the Marquess's estate surfaced, and Ria’s heart began to pound with anxiety.
When Ria finally arrived in front of the door, someone else was already there.
Ria froze.
In the dark room, a thin candle flickered. The thin flame wavered as if dancing, and the shadow of the person standing with their back to the light was cast long against the wall. The shadow rippled, growing large enough to swallow the room.
It was Duke Ignis.
From the Duke’s back alone, she could not see clearly what he was doing in the room. But the spot where he stood was clearly where she had left the watch.
Ria slowly backed away.
For a moment, her mind went blank. All thoughts stopped, and she did not know what to do or how to act.
Should she go in now and tell him honestly what she had done?
It might not be a big deal. He might even be happy that she fixed something that was broken.
But she could not find the courage.
Ria turned around as quietly as possible and slipped out of the hallway.
Her fingertips were trembling slightly.
++
The next day.
Ria repeated small mistakes.
She pricked her finger with a needle while embroidering, accidentally dropped a teacup and broke it, and stained her dress.
Even while writing, she would stare blankly into space, causing the ink to smudge and ruin the paper, and she tangled her ribbons while unconsciously fiddling with her hair ornaments.
"Young Lady, are you alright?"
Marian, who was quick to notice, asked with concern, but Ria only smiled and shook her head, unable to give any answer.
After spending a restless and precarious day, evening finally arrived.
As the family gathered, Ria’s shoulders stiffened without her realizing it.
When she carefully raised her head to look at the Duke, his expression was frozen like ice.
Candlelight glowed softly over the long dining table.
Duke Ignis was having a conversation with Cassius with a stern face. Cassius also appeared to be in a serious mood, nodding a few times or giving some response.
Suddenly feeling a gaze, she turned her head to see Leonic whispering to Daniel and laughing as he looked at Ria.
Ria felt a bit uncomfortable.
She had hoped that once she returned from the Temple and was recognized as a Tenebris, everything would be resolved, but she still felt as though she hadn't fully integrated into the family.
"Ria, what’s wrong? You’re hardly eating today."
Anella, who was sitting next to her, asked in a gentle voice.
It was true; Ria’s plate was barely touched.
"I think I ate too many snacks."
She made a vague excuse and poked at the peas on her plate with her fork. Even so, her gaze kept drifting toward where the Duke was sitting.
Just then, Duke Ignis suddenly opened his mouth in a low voice.
"Everyone, stop for a moment and listen to me."
Ria was startled and put down the fork she was holding.
Not only Ria, but everyone gathered in the dining room stopped moving and looked at Duke Ignis.
He seemed to lean forward slowly, then placed the old pocket watch on the table.
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