Sunlight passed through the crack of the old dusty windows inside the cottage. Claire slowly opened her eyes, the morning light seeped through her heavy eyelids. The scent of wet grass wafted in from the forest outside the window.
The heavy rain that poured through the whole night seemed to have stopped, leaving the morning air fresher than usual. The sunlight gently seeped through the gaps in the wooden walls of the old cottage, illuminating the small room that was filled with the scent of wet soil and fallen leaves.
The old cottage looked simple, but for Claire who used to live in luxury, it was similar to a warehouse in the duchy.
The wooden walls looked weathered, eaten by time, while the thatched roof was full of moss. The faint sound of birds chirping could be heard, accompanying the peaceful atmosphere that was very conflicting with Claire's mind that is still haunted by the nightmare of that execution.
The warm sunlight finally touched her face, making her frown before her eyes slowly opened.
'I really hope that this is just a dream,' Yawning as she rubs her eyes.
She stretched her body, taking a deep breath, trying to accept that what she was facing was actually reality. Lazily, Claire sat up from the shabby mattress she had slept on the night before, her body still a bit heavy from exhaustion.
After getting up from the bed, Claire was about to get off the mattress. Her eyes wandered to the wooden floor, a pair of sandals had apparently been placed there.
'Did Sharon prepare this for me?' She's suddenly reminded of the warmth Sharon had shown her the day before.
She put on her slippers and walked out of the small room. Along her steps, the fragile wooden floor creaked softly, adding to the antique feel of the cottage that seemed to have been unoccupied for a long time.
Upon arriving in the main room, Claire saw a brown-haired man standing near the open window. The morning sun shone through the window, the light fell on his face, creating a contrast from his dark brown hair.
Ethan, the figure who had previously saved Claire in the forest. Ethan looked calm, standing in front of the window while looking at the scenery outside with a cup of tea in his hand. The thin steam from the cup rose slowly, blending with the cold morning air.
"What are you doing?" Claire braced herself before asking, her voice still sounded hoarse as she had just woke up.
Ethan turned towards Claire, observing her messy appearance, a slight grin curled on his face.
Claire's clothes were wrinkled, her white hair was messy, and her ruby eyes were still slightly swollen. With a glance, Ethan could tell that Claire was used to being pampered and cared for by the servants in her residence. But now, her appearance was completely different, almost like an ordinary person.
Ethan looked away, slightly bothered by Claire's untidiness. He took a slow sip of his tea before replying,
"Take a look at those flowers, pretty aren't they?"
Claire walked to the window, her steps awkward from the slight pain from her wound and grogginess from having just stood up from the bed. Behind the dusty glass, she could see some small, soft blue flowers growing in the mini garden.
"They are …," she answered, the sweet scent of flowers and wet air filled her lungs. "What's with the flower?"
Ethan set his teacup down on the table beside him, giving Claire a slight grin before looking at the garden again.
"Forget-me-not," he said. "People have always thought of those flowers as a symbol of unforgettable memories. Though they are small and fragile, they hold a deep meaning."
Claire blankly stared at the flowers, she didn't really care about flowers before and never knew any meaning of them.
"These flowers make a really pretty decoration or souvenir," He continued. "If you put them in a beautiful vase, it would even be prettier."
Claire tilted her head, her eyes still showing confusion.
"How do you take care of such a small and delicate flower?" She asked while rubbing her eyes, stretching her arms as she gaze outside.
Before Claire could continue her question, Sharon's voice resounded from behind them. The woman emerged, moving the curtain that separate the living room and the kitchen with a gentle smile on her face.
"If that's the case, isn't it better for us to take care of it?" Sharon said as she put her hand on Claire's shoulder. "I can pluck some of those flowers and put them in a vase later."
Ethan nodded in agreement, replying with the same gentle tone "Thank you, Sharon."
His brief nod made Sharon even more excited. She also returned the nod and immediately went out to pick the little flowers.
After a while, Claire looked away from Ethan again. The sky outside has already painted with goldish blue color, giving a fresh impression to the surroundings of the old house. Claire took a deep breath, feeling a little calmer than the previous days.
"It's already brighter," She slowly said, enjoying the freshness in the air, looking at how Sharon carefully plucked some flowers from the window.
"Thank you for taking care of me and … taking me out from that incident."
Ethan faintly smiled , looking at her with an ambiguous look that was hard to interpret.
"I know you were accused of leading the coup."
Claire was shocked, her eyes widened as Ethan finished his sentence. "You ... knew?" she asked in a trembling voice.
Ethan just smiled widely, yet behind his smile was not an entirely friendly expression. There was a hint of mystery behind his facial expression.
"Yeah, you were sentenced to be executed by 'him'."
'Him?' Claire thought, referring to the Crown Prince who had been holding the whole kingdom in his palm, second only to the King. 'Ethan calling the Crown Prince 'him', isn't that too rude? His tongue could be cut off if it was heard by the prince's loyal followers.'
"But, why did you say I was only dreaming?" She paused before continuing. "I was sure I had gone crazy from convincing both of you!"
Ethan shrugged casually. His smile was even wider this time.
"I didn't want to discourage Sharon from helping you."
Claire was even more confused by Ethan's attitude. 'Then why did Ethan help me if he knew Sharon herself would be reluctant to help me?' she thought.
But, before she could finish her sentence, Ethan turned to face Claire, his gaze's calm and calculated.
"I saw you run away from that execution. The Crown Prince is not your typical guy. If you really are the one he deemed to be guilty, he must've used every power in his hand to find you here. Yet, there is no sign of his power anywhere. Isn't that great?"
Claire frowned as she listened to Ethan's logical reasoning. "What's great?"
"Yeah … you must be pretty special in his eyes, that's why he continued this weird drama," He continued with a chuckle.
Claire was silent for a moment, thinking hard about everything that Ethan had said. Before she could ask further, something dawned on her.
"Wait … doesn't that mean you were there when the disaster struck? The red sky? the rain of arrows? And the red full moon?"
Ethan shook his head casually. "No. I know nothing about that, but one thing is for sure, the people you mentioned are still alive. Duke Waltz and his son, Vincent, are still alive."
Claire felt like she had been slapped by the reality she had just heard. "They … are still alive?" she muttered in disbelief.
Ethan looked at Claire with calm eyes. "Yes, they're alive. But you know what's more important than that?"
Claire averted her gaze, trying to process what she had just heard.
"Why are you still speaking so casually to me? You know I am the Duke's daughter, right?" Claire pressed.
Ethan's calm gaze and soft smile looked straight piercing Claire's defenses, without a hint of fear, he said. "Does it still matter, Lady Claire?"
His smile widened, slapping Claire in the face of the fact that her status as a noble was no longer relevant in this situation or any if that matter. Claire fell silent, realizing the truth behind his words.
'He's right, I'm only a fugitive on the run now. The title of a noble is useless for a criminal huh.'
Even so, relief flooded her heart. "But … thank God … father and Vincent are still alive," Claire said in a soft tone.
The man in front of her didn't seem to be affected by Claire's relief. At first glance you can feel his cold gaze, but it softens again as he raises his voice.
"They are not worthy of your relief anyway, they have abandoned you haven't they?" His words reminded her of the cruel reality, yet she is still glad to know that her family is still somewhere out there.
"But–" Claire tried to argue, but Ethan didn't give her a chance.
"Forget about them. They didn't care about you. How can you expect protection from a family like that?" Ethan shook his head. "Even Vincent, your beloved brother, isn't worthy of your trust."
Ethan deliberately used the word 'beloved brother' to make Claire realize her current position. However, Claire was indeed born as a very innocent and pampered girl, she denied it.
"What do you mean …?" Claire asked, surprised to hear Ethan's strange way of directing the conversation.
"Oh?" Ethan just smiled faintly while doing an oh, raising his eyebrows, as if surprised.
Before Ethan could continue, Sharon came back into the house with a bright face. Carrying several stalks of forget-me-not flowers in her hands.
"These flowers must've been really pretty inside a vase!" She said with a soft innocent smile, lifting the flowers so Ethan and Claire could clearly see them.
Ethan turned and walked away to the door, opposite of Claire's position. "I think we've talked enough for today. Don't think too much about difficult things now."
Claire just stared at Ethan in confusion, she could see Ethan walking towards Sharon and patting her head with a friendly smile—just like how he treated her.
"Good job, Sharon," Ethan responded kindly.
Claire's blank stare was clearly directed at Sharon, not because she didn't like it, but because her mind was still in turmoil with her conversation with Ethan earlier.
"How's your injuries?" He suddenly asked.
"Eh? My injuries?" She looked down towards her clean and spotless body, every wound and injuries that she had experienced in the prison had disappeared without a trace. Her skin was smooth again, as if it had never been injured before.
Sharon approached them.
"What are you guys talking about?" she asked curiously.
Claire frowned. 'Where did my injuries go?' she thought in confusion.
Ethan, still smiling brightly, just chuckled and slowly closed the door. "Then I should go first."
"Wait—" Claire called out to him, but Ethan only waved his hand as he walked out of the house.
Looking towards Sharon's confused expression, Ethan waved at her before whispering "Stay here, Claire. The knights must be looking for you around the capital," Ethan said before disappearing behind the door. "This place is not on their search list, you should be fine here. You are now looking for a fugitive, Lady Claire Waltz."
For some reason, it seemed like a dig at her. Ethan's smile that seems to know everything was the last thing Claire saw before he truly left, leaving her confused.
–ooOoo–