Chapter - 12

The soft sounds of birds chirping and leaves rustling in the wind filled the quiet room. Beneath it all, the faint rhythm of two steady breaths lingered in the stillness.

Yet, despite the calm surroundings, their minds were far from peaceful.

The weight of Plumette’s question hung heavily in the air as Jacob carefully considered his answer.

He took a quiet breath, placing his teacup down on the table. Lifting his head, he met her gaze before beginning to speak.

“The first time I stepped onto a battlefield… I was still very young,” he said slowly. “Even so, I chose to go. I didn’t want my sick father or my grieving mother to be troubled, so I took on the responsibility as the lord of the estate.”

His voice remained calm, though there was a quiet heaviness beneath it.

“When the war ended, many praised me — for my achievements, for the enemies I had slain. But for me… it was never something to celebrate.”

Plumette listened silently, her attention fixed entirely on him.

“I suffered alone,” he continued. “There were many nights when I couldn’t sleep. So I would often sneak out of the estate and wander into the village.”

His expression softened slightly as the memory unfolded.

“And one of those nights, I came across you, Lady Plumette… walking through the night market.”

She blinked in surprise.

“Out of curiosity, I followed you,” he admitted. “The last time we had seen each other before that was when we were still children — when Count Fritzki visited my father while he was still in good health.”

He let out a quiet breath.

“For a while… I forgot everything. The burden, the guilt — it all felt lighter. Your voice, your laughter… they brought me a kind of peace I hadn’t felt in a long time.”

Plumette felt a faint ache in her chest as she listened.

“But then, you disappeared,” he said. “I searched for you everywhere that night, but I couldn’t find you.”

His gaze lowered briefly before returning to her.

“And before I realized it, that curiosity had taken root… and slowly grew into something deeper.”

He paused, then added more quietly,

“Every banquet I attended after that, if I knew you would be there… my eyes would find you before I even realized it. I became more aware of your presence… and my feelings continued to change.”

Silence filled the room once again.

Plumette had grown completely still, her face warming as the depth of his words settled within her.

“You…” she began, her voice slightly unsteady. “If you saw me that night… why didn’t you approach me?”

Jacob let out a small, self-conscious chuckle.

“I’m not as brave as I appear when it comes to my emotions, Lady Plumette,” he admitted.

Then, more seriously, he continued,

“But I still want to be honest with you — for the sake of what I feel. The thought of you slipping away from me… it makes me anxious.”

He paused before adding more gently,

“Even so, I don’t want to pressure you.”

Plumette struggled to respond. Her thoughts were tangled, her heart racing faster than she could understand.

Noticing her silence, Jacob slowly stood and extended his hand toward her.

“As I’ve said before, please take your time to think about your answer,” he said calmly. “This concerns both of us, Lady Plumette.”

He offered her a faint, polite smile.

“I’ll take my leave now. Have a pleasant evening.”

He gently took her hand, bringing it closer and placing a soft kiss on its back before turning and walking out of the room.

The moment the door closed, the room felt strangely empty.

Plumette stood frozen in place, staring at the door as if expecting him to return.

After a few seconds, she snapped out of it.

She walked toward her bed and suddenly collapsed onto it, burying her face into her pillow.

“Why didn’t I say anything?!” she cried out, her voice muffled.

“Why?!”

She sat up abruptly, her thoughts spiraling.

What if he thinks I don’t like him?

Her eyes widened.

“But… I just realized it myself,” she muttered. “I do like him… so much that I couldn’t even say a word…”

She grabbed her pillow tightly.

“It’s not my fault—I was just shocked…”

She paused, then groaned.

“But it is my fault! What if he starts thinking I don’t like him?!”

With that, she fell back onto the bed, venting her frustration into the poor pillow once more.

Out in the hallway, the maids could faintly hear her irritated cries and muffled shouting.

They exchanged knowing glances before sighing softly.

“It seems Lady Plumette is upset again,” one of them murmured.

Without questioning it further, they simply returned to their duties.

Meanwhile, Jacob sat inside his carriage on the way back to his estate.

Even now, it still felt somewhat unreal — being able to speak to Plumette so openly. Though she had not given him an answer yet, he found himself hoping she would not reject him when they met again.

As the carriage came to a stop, Otto greeted him at the entrance.

“My lord,” Otto said, bowing slightly. “Henry has returned.”

“He’s back sooner than expected,” Jacob replied, a hint of surprise in his voice. Then again, Henry was highly capable.

As they walked toward the office, Otto continued updating him.

When Jacob opened the door, Henry was already waiting inside.

Otto quietly excused himself, closing the door behind him as Jacob took his seat.

“We investigated the blacksmiths and followed the trail of the weapons,” Henry began. “They are being transported to groups on the outskirts — including the bandits.”

Jacob leaned forward slightly, listening carefully.

“There appears to be someone directing them,” Henry continued. “We managed to capture one of the men and attempted to interrogate him. His combat skills were clearly trained, and even with our efforts, we were only able to extract limited information.”

Jacob’s expression sharpened.

“What happened to the man you captured?” he asked.

Henry’s tone grew more serious. “He escaped shortly after the interrogation… but was later found dead about fifty meters away.”

Jacob paused, considering this.

“Anything unusual about his death?”

“It appeared that someone struck his neck with precision,” Henry replied. “Other than that, nothing out of the ordinary.”

Jacob nodded slowly.

“Continue monitoring the bandits closely,” he instructed. “Gather more information. If possible, capture another one and bring them back.”

Henry nodded before taking his leave.

Left alone, Jacob glanced at the remaining documents on his desk. After a long moment, he let out a tired sigh and set them aside.

For now, he had done enough.

“Young Lord, your bath is ready,” the butler informed him.

Jacob nodded and left for his chambers.

The warmth of the bath eased the tension in his body, washing away the exhaustion of the day.

Yet his thoughts refused to settle.

Plumette’s silence lingered in his mind — the way she hadn’t said a word as he left.

Then, unexpectedly, her flushed expression surfaced in his thoughts.

This time, he allowed himself to linger on it.

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

And then he remembered the painting.

The place they had visited together… carefully recreated on her canvas.

He stared absently at the water.

Does that mean she likes me?

He frowned slightly.

It was a place we shared… so if she chose to paint it…

The thought lingered.

Surely… she must.

Suddenly, the heat of the water felt far too intense.

Startled by his own thoughts, Jacob quickly stood, finishing his bath in haste. After dressing, he went straight to bed, determined not to dwell on it any further.

But even as he lay down, the memory of her expression refused to leave him.