My Secret Flower - Episode 11

As if he had been waiting, he brings his face close, and my whole-body tingles at his breath as his soft lips meet mine. His plump lips part slightly, and the tip of his soft tongue lightly licks my lower lip before slipping into my mouth.

Like snow melting in the warm spring sun, my heart softens with the tender kiss. I become so engrossed that I forget my pain. The sensation of his tongue invading mine and intertwining is subtly erotic.

“My lady?”

If it weren’t for the nanny’s voice again, we could have continued.

As our lips part, we both sigh deeply and then laugh together. It seems Ash was also a little annoyed with the nanny, just like me. Seriously, isn’t he kind of cute?

“Then I’ll see you later, Ash.”

“I’ll be waiting.”

After confirming that he had disappeared through the door connecting to the adjacent lounge with his clothes, which had fallen to the floor like a discarded shell, I got up. I only took a few steps before my back throbbed, and I stumbled several times.

“Come in, Nanny.”

The door opened, and the nanny and a maid who helped with my bath came in together. The nanny bowed to me and glanced around the room. She must be looking for Ash, who was with me.

“Looking for something?”

“I just heard from the knight that he arrived late last night. But no one seems to know where he went.”

“Ash is in the lounge next door. Bring him some new clothes that he can wear. Show Ash to his room and bring a servant to help him prepare for a bath.”

“I see. So he was here. I will proceed as you command, my lady.”

After the maid left, I endured the pain and went into the bathroom. The nanny followed me in, and after seeming to read my expression, she cleared her throat and asked carefully.

“You seem to be having trouble moving. Are you in pain?”

“…I must have slept wrong. My muscles are a bit sore. Make the bathwater a little hotter today.”

I made up an excuse for the prying question and lightly wet my parched lips with my tongue. The nanny stared at me intently, then smiled and pulled the cord on the bathroom wall.

“Our lady has a cute habit, do you know what it is? Sometimes, when she tells a lie, she consciously licks her lips. It’s nostalgic to see it again after so many years.”

I was bewildered to hear about a habit I had never heard of. I touched my lips with my finger and realized that I had just licked my lips with my tongue, and my face flushed. I had been caught lying, and I was speechless.

In the meantime, the servants carrying hot water filled the tub, and I was still awkwardly scratching my neck, at a loss for words. Fortunately, the nanny didn’t say anything else.

Soaking in the warm water, my stiff muscles seemed to relax a little. It would take a few more days of massage to fully recover, but it was easier to breathe than when I first woke up.

“Is Father awake?”

“As a matter of fact, he has ordered preparations to be made to depart for the capital today.”

“…The capital? Why suddenly?”

“I don’t know exactly, but I only heard that the King sent word to summon all the nobles urgently.”

What’s going on again? It’s been almost a year since the epidemic spread in the capital last August. In about two weeks, it will be exactly one year. It’s also the first anniversary of my mother’s death.

Even now, when I think about what happened then, my heart feels heavy. There were so many people who lost their loved ones and were plunged into grief, just like me. August will probably be the saddest month in the kingdom.

I received a lot of comfort from Ash because of that pain and sadness. My second sister said that. Leave the sad things as sad things, but don’t get too caught up in the sadness. It’s a way to hurt yourself, and she was worried about me being left alone in the Count’s residence.

It’s not like I’m that weak-hearted. In my second sister’s eyes, I still seem like a child. She’s five years older than me, so I guess that’s possible.

“I need to go see Father, so hurry up and get me ready.”

“Are you going to talk about the marriage?”

I was speechless again at the nanny’s sudden question. It was an unexpected question.

“It’s not that urgent…”

“You never know. If you two suddenly cause an accident, the master might get very angry.”

She means either don’t make a baby before marriage, or get married quickly and have a stable married life. The nanny seems to have already noticed that I spent the night with Ash, so there’s no point in delaying it any longer.

“That’s true. I should mention it to him.”

“I first met you when you were five years old. It’s nostalgic to see you grow up and get married like this. If the Countess were still alive, she would have been so happy. She always wanted you to be happy from a young age.”

My nose tingled a little at the nanny’s lamenting words. Neither the nanny nor I ever dreamed that seeing my mother off to the capital would be the last time.

“She’ll be watching from heaven. She’ll probably be happy. I think meeting Ash that day was definitely my mother’s will.”

The nanny didn’t deny it either. She is one of those who believe that the fateful encounter was definitely intervened by God.

After finishing my bath and getting dressed, I left the room to see my father.

“Lishua.”

Ash, who was waiting for me in front of the door, approached me with a happy smile. He looked quite aristocratic after taking a bath and changing into neat new clothes.

His eyes were fixed on me as he smiled warmly. I desperately suppressed the urge to cling to him and kiss him as he naturally took my hand and kissed the back of it.

“Did you wait long?”

“A little. But are you okay to walk?”

“Hmm, well… it’s hard, but it doesn’t hurt as much as dying. More than that, it’s good timing. Let’s go see Father together.”

“I was just about to go and greet the Count as well.”

The nanny’s face was brighter than usual as she watched Ash and me affectionately. Surprisingly, Ash’s presence blended into our Count’s family so naturally. They are not basically friendly to outsiders. Neither am I.

Even this situation of walking down the hallway holding his hand didn’t feel unfamiliar. It felt like he had been with me for a long time. Is it because he has already taken his place in my heart as family?

“Father, are you leaving now?”

I came down to the central hall on the lower floor because it seemed busy, and I found my father already wearing his coat and about to leave. My father, who had a very serious expression, saw me and Ash standing next to me, and his wrinkled brow relaxed slightly. Surprisingly, a smile flickered across his stern face.

“I heard you came back. You said you would survive, and you really came back alive.”

“You said you wouldn’t let it go if anyone drove a stake through your beloved daughter’s heart. I survived with all my might, so at least give me a compliment for being admirable.”

“Yes. Welcome back.”

I was a little surprised that the two of them had exchanged such words without my knowledge. My father was not the type to show affection to his children so openly. So, my heart fluttered a little. My father was worried about me too.

“I don’t have time to delay, so I’ll be back. I’ll listen to the other stories when I get back.”

“Yes, Father. Have a safe trip.”

“I’ll say one thing out of concern, but don’t trust any man other than your father. Especially if he’s a young pup, he’s even more dangerous, so always remember to keep your distance.”

I hoped my face didn’t turn red at my father’s words. It was an unexpected request, and I already caused an accident, so I felt a little guilty.

“I, I will keep that in mind.”

Then, he glared at Ash with fierce eyes, as if to say he wouldn’t let anyone touch his daughter. Just when the awkward atmosphere was too uncomfortable, my father patted me on the shoulder and turned to get into the carriage.

After seeing my father off, I couldn’t help but laugh out of some kind of embarrassment. Even though I had committed a bad deed, I didn’t feel even a shred of guilt. I was confident that I would never regret my passionate first night with him.

As I placed my hand on my pounding chest and caught my breath, the butler politely handed me a piece of paper.

“My lady. It’s a letter from Lady Evelyn of the Brayton County.”

“It’s a letter from Evelyn. Thank you.”

My only friend who I had been close to since I was a child. Letters with Evelyn had been a pleasure for over ten years. Evelyn often sent them even when there was nothing special going on, but it had been a while since I received one, so I was quite happy.

‘It’s been over a year since I saw Evelyn.’

We haven’t been able to meet since the epidemic started, as a way to be careful of each other. When I went to the capital to attend the last tea party, Evelyn was not in the capital.

Was it when I was eight years old? The Brayton Countess was said to be an old friend of my mother, so we visited the Brayton County together. That’s when I first met Evelyn.

The funny thing is that the Brayton Countess and my mother had the same year of pregnancy and childbirth. The Brayton Countess had one son and two daughters, and the eldest son was born in the same year as our eldest sister. And the second and third were born in the same year, so we naturally had peer friends.

[Lishua. This is Evelyn. She’s a friend your age. I hope you get along well.]

Evelyn had a similar personality to my second sister. Unlike me, she was very active and known as a tomboy. If my second sister thought of me as a cherished doll and treated me gently, Evelyn seemed to think of me as a puppy to play with.

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