While You’re In Love - Chapter 9

My laughter flowed out like a fool. It was so much exciting to think about that the worries I had been struggling with to the point of being seriously ill disappeared for a while.

Yeah, let’s forget about it for today. No Rosalyn, no original , let’s not worry about anything today.

“Because today is a good day.”

Mumbling softly, I quickly finished grooming and went down.

I consciously forgot that I used to move carefully in order to silence the sound of footsteps, and busily headed towards my destination, my impatience was evident with every step I took.

My feet stopped in front of a sleek and luxurious door.

“Ha.”

I was out of breath.

I didn’t know if it was just because I was walking fast, or if it was because I thought of Aslan who would make me smile.

…No, I actually knew the truth. Knowing the reason, I tried to pretend not to know and raised my hand.

knock, knock.

I knocked on the door where Aslan spends most of his time.

At this time Aslan must be in his office. You need to wait a minute and he’ll open the door for you to come in.

But even after waiting for a long time, no words came from inside.

knock, knock.

“What’s this?”

It was the same when I knocked again.

“Isn’t he inside?”

“Madam”

There was Dalton, the butler behind me.

Dalton, dressed as usual today, said with a blunt expression and voice.

“The Lord is not in.”

“Ah.”

To stand around in a place for a long time where there is no one else and talk to yourself.

There was no emotion in Dalton’s eyes as he looked at me, but my cheeks were already red.

I asked, hiding my shame.

“Then where is he?”

“The owner went out for a while.”

Dalton said so and bowed his head.

“Okay.”

Where did you go? Suddenly I was curious, but I didn’t ask.

Dalton reports everything that happens in the house to Aslan. I didn’t want to be seen as a troublesome woman asking for his whereabouts.

‘I don’t even need to ask. He must have gone to work.’

He’s always overworked, and the only time he’s out of the office is when he goes out to do things he can’t do here.

I glanced at the tightly closed door and said.

“When Aslan comes back, tell him that I want to see him for a while, I have something to say.”

“All right.”

A simple answer that is neither more nor less.

Someone might have complained of him being insincere, but I turned around and went back to the bedroom with peace of mind.

Even if it’s not anyone else, Dalton will not forget my request and pass it on to Aslan.

He’s one of the few servants with Jenna who hasn’t ignored me since I came to this mansion three years ago.

As a butler who was loyal to Aslan, Dalton had a strong character and was a person who was reliable as a human being.

He does not speak ill of others behind their backs, does not ignore them in their presence, does not laugh at them.

He said yes, so I can trust him and wait.

‘When will Aslan come? … .’

I sat by the window and looked out the window..

I saw people running around busy. There were a lot of people working and coming and going in the huge Tordell Duke’s mansion.

Still, the three years I spent here were not in vain, so there were more familiar faces than unknown ones.

‘Mary in the kitchen, James in the stable, and the……’

Time flew by so quickly as I watched.

On the way, Jenna offered to prepare a meal, but I told her not to.

I didn’t feel hungry at all, and most of all.

‘We’ll have dinner together when he gets back.’

I don’t know what he’s out for, but he’ll be here before it’s time for dinner.

There was a basis for this idea.

During my three years at the Tordell mansion, Aslan was always with me for dinner, if nothing else.

Even if he went out, he returned to the mansion in time for dinner.

If something inevitable happened and he couldn’t come back, he contacted me in advance.

When we haven’t talked since the morning, like today, he always come to the restaurant on time and ate with me face to face.

So it’s not my stupid obsession that I’m waiting for him.

Still facing the bright daylight, I thought of it as an excuse.

The sun rises in the middle of the sky, then gradually tilts west, and the red sunset stretches out to color the room, until the light disappears from the sky and becomes a dark night.

I waited, waited, and waited.

“……He must be very busy. To not be able to see him when it’s this late.”

The voice coming out of my mouth was troublesome, perhaps because of the long silence.

I coughed heavily and cleared my throat.

When Aslan returns, I want to speak to him in a soft voice.

As if the heavens recognized my wishes , the sound of the horse’s hooves became loud.

I saw a large wagon coming through the open gate.

The carriage led by the shiny black horse was obviously the carriage that Aslan rode.

The carriage stopped shortly thereafter, and Aslan came out through the open door.

His golden hair, which would shine in the dark, caught my attention.

‘You’re here at last.’

I jumped up and prepared to go down immediately.

But then the sight I saw in my eyes stopped me.

Aslan got off the wagon and didn’t close the door right away. Instead, he reached out his hand towards the open door.

A slender white arm emerged from the carriage, and a small hand grabbed Aslan’s hand.

Subsequently, the hem of the rich dress wavered like waves and beautiful red hair fluttered.

… It was Rosalyn.

‘Why is she riding a wagon with Aslan? … .’

I looked out the window, forgetting how to breathe.

Rosalyn, who had a faint smile, got out of the carriage and stood in front of Aslan.

The two did not enter the mansion immediately.

They stood still and talked about something.

What are they talking about?

A curiosity popped up, and other questions followed.

Was he with her all this time? Where have they been? What did they do?

I was staring at them blankly while my mind was filled with complicated thoughts…….

All right!

As soon as Aslan turned towards the mansion, I closed the curtains in surprise.

A little late could have made eye contact with Aslan.

“Did they see me?”

My heart was pounding.

The beating of a fast-paced heart was producing a melody of fear, not excitement.

I remembered Aslan, whom I had seen before, and Aslan, who raised his head to where I was.

I couldn’t even see his face because he was far away…

Aslan’s expression I had never seen before, I imagined the thoughts that might have surfaced on his face.

He might have been offended to find out that I was secretly spying on the two of them. What if he thinks I’m disgraceful?

Biting my lips and clenching the curtain as if squeezing it, I hesitated for a while and then managed to leave the room.

The destination was the same as in the morning. Aslan’s office.

But it’s weird.

‘Why does it seem so far away?’

It didn’t take long in the morning, but now it just felt so far and difficult.

Maybe that’s why, when I arrived in front of Aslan’s office, my clenched fists were full of sweat.

“Whoa.”

Taking a deep breath, I brought back the courage I had gathered when I left the bedroom.

I raised my trembling hands and knocked on the office door.

knock, knock.

“Aslan.”

momentary silence.

click.

Unlike the day, this time the door was open.

“Madam,”

It was Dalton, the butler, not Aslan, who came out.

Why did Dalton come out, not Aslan.

“What about Aslan?”

“That’s-.”

I said, staring at the butler, who was uncharacteristically hesitant to answer.

“Get out of the way.”

The butler looked perplexed at my stubborn orders.

But he never opened the door.

“I’m sorry, ma’am. My master has ordered to not let anyone in.”

There was a lot I could figure out in a short sentence.

One is that Aslan is in the office.

The other is, nevertheless, not letting me in.

And the other thing is, I’m also included in that ‘Nobody’.

I mean, I can’t be a special exception to him.

I was heartbroken at the truth that felt cold .

I asked with my trembling lips.

“……Did you say what I told you to say earlier?”

“Yes.”

I looked at Dalton who had a troubled look on his face. There was nothing false on his face.

My heart sank for a moment.

So he, Aslan…….

He didn’t call me, even though I told him I wanted to meet him.

I waited and waited, and he didn’t even show his face to me, who came down because I wanted to meet him

He …

I closed my eyes tightly. It was hard to bear the truth that I wanted to deny for such a long time.

But I had to admit it.

That he, Aslan, rejected me.