Chapter 7 - I've Been Waiting For You
El brought Leticia to the Achilles mansion, of all places. Leticia was so surprised that she let go of her hand and stood still.
“Why are we here…?”
“Why? I told you that you can co and play anyti.”
El walked into the mansion as if it was a matter of fact.
Leticia hesitated in front of the gate.
‘Can I really co in?’
Then Ian beckoned.
“Co on in.”
After a mont of hesitation, Leticia entered and mumbled to herself.
‘It’s very………………’
It was lonely. No, empty was the right word to describe it.
It was a huge mansion but sohow it was strangely quiet and empty. It was as if she had walked into a big empty shell.
Was it because she didn’t see people around?
Co to think of it, she didn’t see a single servant passing by.
Leticia thought it was strange, but El took her into the kitchen. Then she put a chair beside her and naturally made Leticia sit there.
“Now, sit here and watch make it.”
“Are you sure you want to make it yourself?”
“I said I would make it for you.”
After telling Leticia to trust her, El began to prepare the ingredients. But Ian’s expression was sohow uneasy.
“I want to make tart too.”
“Don’t interrupt .”
El pushed Ian toward Leticia as she was annoyed with Ian hovering around and bothering her.
Finally, Ian sighed and stood beside Leticia. Leticia smiled and said,
“El really wants to make tarts.”
“I know. She’s so stubborn when she’s hooked on sothing.” Ian said.
Sotis Leticia was confused by the way Ian talked. She couldn’t make out if he was an older brother or a younger one.
Ian, who answered casually, glanced at Leticia. Leticia, who didn’t notice his gaze, smiled as she watched El prepare to make the tart.
“If you find her uncomfortable, I can talk to El for you.” Ian spoke.
“What?” Leticia said.
“My sister is a bit rough, but she likes people.”
Ian seed to be worried that Leticia was uncomfortable because El had forced her to co. At once, Leticia looked at the two alternately.
Unlike the prideful and dour impression, El seed to be very sociable and friendly. Maybe that’s why Leticia didn’t dislike El.
‘I actually thought it was burdenso to co here, but not uncomfortable.’
No, rather she felt happy.
“No, I’m fine. Thank you very much.”
They’ve only known each other for a short ti. How could they be so nice to her?
How could she hate it when they showed her great hospitality?
Co to think of it, it had been a long ti since soone did sothing like this for her.
After a mont of searching her mory, Leticia heard a sigh beside her. As soon as she turned her head, Ian was smiling softly with a look of relief.
“I’m glad to hear that. I was worried when you didn’t look happy.”
“Oh, that’s….”
“….?”
“It’s nothing, I’m fine.”
Leticia gave a slight wave, but for so reason Ian just looked at her with an odd expression. It wasn’t nothing, he thought.
“Ian, co here for a minute.”
At El’s call, Ian couldn’t help but frown and approached El.
“What is it?”
“Just a plain tart is too boring.”
“I figured as much, so I got so apples. Let’s make an apple tart.”
“That’s my brother!”
“Excuse …”
When El was patting Ian on the head, Leticia approached and said,
“If you don’t mind, I’d like to join you. It’s boring just sitting there……….”
“Oh, but I can’t ask you, you’re a guest.”
El tried to get Leticia to sit back in the chair. But Leticia shook her head and took an apple from the basket.
“Actually, I know how to make tarts.”
“Oh…… Shall we make them together?”
“Okay.”
Eventually, they began to make the apple tart together.
While El kneaded the flour, Leticia washed and shaved the apples, then cut them into appropriate sizes and put them in a pan. She poured in enough water to subrge the apples, added a glass of wine, and then simred until it thickened, and before she knew it, the apple compote was ready.
“You’re a skilled baker, aren’t you?”
“I used to make it for my siblings.”
“I am jealous of your brothers and sisters. They can eat delicious desserts anyti.”
“…”
Leticia fell silent at El’s words.
But she smiled again and began to peel the apples again.
“They liked it.”
Not now, though.
Bitterly, Leticia concentrated on making the apple tart again. She placed the dough into a mold and poured in the cooled pot of apple compote. Finally, she put so sliced apples on top and baked them in the oven. And the final product was a delicious golden apple tart baked to perfection.
As soon as he saw it, Ian said out loud.
“Sister Leroy, you made this?”
“El made the dough.”
“I only made the crust, and sister Leroy made the rest of it.”
It was then.
“What are you doing here?”
A low voice made all three of them turn around at the sa ti, only to find Enoch standing there with his eyes wide open.
The mont their gazes t, Leticia greeted him with a faint smile.
“Hello.”
“Did you co to visit today? I’ve been waiting for you to co.”
Enoch did not hide his happiness and smiled gently.
“I wanted to see you again.”
“What?”
Leticia’s voice rose at the unexpected words.
But Enoch said all the while with an unconcerned expression.
“I’m glad you ca. I have sothing to return to you. Please wait here for a mont.”
“Oh, yes…..”
‘What kind of thing does he have to return?’
Leticia was about to ask, but Enoch was already gone.
She stood there with an embarrassed look on my face, but Enoch’s voice kept echoing in her ears.
She couldn’t believe Enoch had been waiting for her and wanted to see her again.
His words might have been aningless, but strangely they lingered in her heart, tickling her sohow.
Just then, she heard a jostling voice behind her.
“It was the first one I made, and it turned out very tasty!” El said.
“It’s because Sister Leroy helped you.” Ian said.
Leticia smiled at the sight of the two fighting with each other again and cut the apple tart into quarters.
‘Should I give it to him to try?’
She ca out of the kitchen quickly, leaving behind El and Ian who were still bickering about how great Leticia was. Enoch’s room was not far away.
”Excuse …”
Leticia tapped lightly on the door.
“It’s Leticia………. May I co in?”
“Please co in.”
Leticia opened the door quietly at the sound of the low voice and stepped inside. Enoch was unbuttoning his sleeves.
“I’m sorry. I’ll co back later.”
“No, it’s alright.”
Leticia held out a plate of apple tart in her hand to the staring eyes that wondered why she had co.
“It’s the apple tart I made with Young Lady Achilles and the Young Master.”
Just as she was about to ask Enoch to try it, an annoying voice echoed in her head.
[I don’t even like tarts. I don’t like figs either.]
For a mont, Leticia hesitated, thinking that Enoch might not like the tart just like Irene. However, unexpectedly, Enoch smiled and said,
“Thank you. Can I eat it now?”
“Yes, of course.”
‘Please like it, it’s delicious, it’s delicious.’
On her face, Leticia appeared to be smiling serenely, but she was anxious inside. She cautiously stole a glance at Enoch.
Enoch looked at the apple tart with a nonchalant expression and quickly took a bite. Leticia was sohow even more nervous and felt suffocated.
“How is it?”
Leticia asked cautiously, hoping it wouldn’t taste too bad.
“It’s delicious!”
As soon as Enoch answered, he took another bite of the apple tart. The mont she saw him, Leticia felt emotional.
A tart that Irene refused to eat. A tart that Xavier didn’t even touch. A tart that went to the servants’ mouths. And a tart that was thrown away at the end and was eaten by birds.
“It’s delicious, please join ……Lady Leroy?”
Enoch called out to Leticia with a worried expression, as she looked sowhat unusual. But instead of replying, Leticia shed tears.
“I’m sorry. I’m trying not to cry.”
Leticia couldn’t help but cry. She tried to wipe it with the back of her hand to control it, however, she could not stop crying.
“I’ve never had such a delicious tart before. Let’s go eat together.”
Enoch tried to soothe Leticia by repeating the word “delicious.
But if anything, his words made Leticia cry even more.
It was then.
“Brother, are you here? Can I co in?”
“Hey, wait a minute………!”
Before Enoch had ti to stop the inconvenient visitors, who were about to co in, the door swung open. El and Ian ca in with cheerful expressions on their faces, but when they saw Leticia crying, their complexions imdiately hardened.
They looked at each other and then at Enoch.
“Did brother make sister Leroy cry?”
“It’s not like that.”
Enoch tried to explain the situation, but El already only stared at him as if to say, “Are you human?”
At that mont, Leticia spoke.
“I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to cry.”
Letisha said in a choked-up voice as she finally cald down. However, El was still glaring at Enoch.
“What did brother say to make sister Leroy cry?”
“I just said it was delicious, that’s all.”
Enoch looked at El with pleading eyes. As soon as she saw his look, El turned to Leticia as if asking if it was true.
“Master Achilles didn’t do anything wrong. I just cried by myself…”
“Why? What’s going on?”
“…”
“Can you tell us?”
Leticia hesitated as she squeezed her hands together tightly.
She didn’t know them that well, she wondered if it was okay to tell them about her situation.
But the mont the three of them looked at her warmly as if to say it was okay, her worries quickly disappeared.
“My family….doesn’t like .”
Leticia imdiately lowered her head. She was suddenly worried that she had caused even more trouble with her unnecessary words.
“…”
The heavy silence filled the room. At that mont, Leticia cautiously raised her head, but to her surprise, Enoch, standing in front of her, was bending slightly and looking at her.
“Please co and visit us again. I’ll make you sothing delicious to eat.”
As soon as their gazes intertwined, her gray eyes softened.
At that mont, Leticia wanted to cry again.
****
“She’s a nice person.”
El said as she looked out at the mansion window. Outside the window, Leticia was getting in her carriage, returning ho.
“I think so too.”
Enoch nodded in agreent. In his eyes, Leticia seed so helpless and pitiful. She was soone who needed to be protected and cared for.
The mory of that day they t was still vivid.
The gorgeous pink hair swaying in the wind, and the clear, shining light blue eyes. And the small, white hand that held out a handkerchief.
At that mont he thought he would like to see her again if he had the chance.
And yet, he couldn’t believe he t her in his own ho.
“Oh, by the way, didn’t brother say you had sothing to return to her?” El asked.
“Yes.”
At El’s words, Enoch looked out the window again. But Leticia was already gone.
“I can give it to her next ti.”
Sohow he had a feeling that they would et again.
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