Chapter 14: A Strange Request

It was a mistake to hope that Valerio would come the next day, the day after that, or even the day after that one. Leonor learned a hard lesson of getting her hopes up.

In the meantime, Francia was still her only source of company while she healed.

The only silver lining was when she was able to use crutches but her father wanted her to stay in her room.

Considering she lived a privileged life from the outside, her room was still spacious enough and it had French doors that opened and went onto a small balcony. If the weather was surprisingly mild and sunny, she would hobble her way outside and sit in the singular chair that stayed outside.

Even though Leonor despised the way her sister delivered the study materials, the young lady was grateful to engage her mind. As the heiress of Burien, she needed to stay ahead of her studies. When her mother was around, she reminded her often that she needed to keep herself sharp because even someone small but wise could defeat someone large and mindless. Not everything was about strength.

Leonor had finished reading and taking notes, but she remained outdoors with a caftan around her body and one crutch next to her so she wouldn't have to hop to go inside. She heard a disturbance at her front door and didn't think much of it.

Soon Francia appeared with a concerned expression on her older features.

"My dear, aren't you freezing?" she asked. "You don't want to deal with a cold on top of everything else."

Leonor smiled faintly at her maid but her eyes drifted back to the clouds.

"It was sunny earlier," she explained. "It's only just gotten colder."

The clouds in the upper levels of the atmosphere were fluffy and moving quickly. Peaking through was a blue sky matching Leonor's eyes but the pattern of the clouds changed frequently.

She didn't want to admit that the literature she was having to read for her studies was a love story. It was making her feel particularly lonely and she daydreamed for long enough that the weather changed.

"Let's get you inside," Francia insisted. "I brought you something to eat."

"If you insist," Leonor said, lightly sarcastic with a small smile on her face.

The maid helped Leonor stand and retrieve her crutch. Once the lady was inside, the maid picked up her studying supplies and brought them back to the desk in her room.

"It's wonderful you're moving around so well despite having to use a crutch," Francia said, going to the tray she had left in the hallway and bringing it into the room. "Does it still hurt? It's only been a week."

Leonor sat down at a chair in the corner of her room where she had been taking most of her meals and Francia put the tray on a table next to her.

"Not very badly," Leonor lied, knowing Francia would bother her more if she admitted that it hurt but she was handling it so she could have more freedom.

With the food in front of her, Leonor was pleased to see steam rising from a creamy soup with lumps of vegetables, fish, and herbs throughout. There was a fluffy roll on a plate next to it as well. It smelled delicious and she realized only then how hungry she was. Even if her father was horrible, the chefs of von Burien were some of the best.

"Eat well, my lady," Francia said. "I'll be back shortly."

"Ah, wait," Leonor stopped her maid. "I need to ask for a favor."

"Yes, my lady?"

For days, she had been gaining the courage to ask something so strange of Francia.

"I need a brown cloak with a hood," Leonor explained, words coming out quickly. "Large enough to fit a man. Thick enough to be waterproof and hold up well."

In an ideal world, Francia wouldn't ask more and simply do what she was asked. Unfortunately, her relationship with Leonor got in the way and a grin appeared on her face.

"For whom?" Francia asked.

Leonor didn't know how to hide her embarrassment and she quickly tucked hair behind her ear and averted her gaze to the bowl of soup in front of her. She knew her face was red and she wasn't going to address it.

"The stablehand who saved me," Leonor admitted hesitantly. "He tore his cloak to wrap my leg. I would like to pay him back."

"Ah– oh!" Francia couldn't hide her amazement as she responded.

Many rumors were circulating about who had rescued Leonor. It was a stablehand who had already caught much attention around the manor. Even though he wore a hat and shabby clothing, he had a beautiful face that left an impression on many. Certainly a diamond in the rough.

"I'll do it, my lady," Francia responded. "Please don't worry."

She wanted so badly to pry because of how Leonor was behaving, but she wasn't going to push further. The child deserved happiness after all she had been through since her mother's passing.

The maid departed, leaving Leonor to eat.

It only took her a day to find what Leonor requested. Since something custom-made would be pricey enough to cause the Count to notice unusual spending, Francia decided on something in one of the windows in the township. She had it boxed up and brought to the lady that evening.

As she handed off the box, Francia took note of Leonor's expression again. The normally unaffected lady was nervous. The maid was certain that paying back the stablehand was due to a fondness towards him over anything else.

After seeing Jara, Leonor's late mother, suffer a lot towards the end of her life, Francia decided she would keep this secret to herself. Leonor deserved happiness without interference, unlike the way Jara passed away in physical and emotional shambles.

For two days, Leonor had the cloak sitting in the very wardrobe Valerio hid in when her sister interrupted them. The longer it was there, the more she began to doubt her motive for paying him back in the first place.

She worried that he would be underwhelmed. Perhaps he would think she was strange for giving him something in the first place. Had she taken it too far?

Before she could settle on getting rid of the cloak, Valerio himself appeared at her door one evening. At the mere sight of him, Leonor's heart raced.

After he knocked on her door, Leonor opened the door and was immediately engulfed by the smell of the crisp, cool outdoors. As he warmed up, his masculine scent peeked through, reminding her of the day he rescued her.

Valerio put a finger over his lips and slipped past her so he could shut the door.

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