Chapter 14 - Safe House (2)
Claire quietly sat on an old, slightly creaky wooden chair, she faced Sharon who was arranging flowers into a vase.
Sharon was busy filling the vase with water, arranging the blue wildflowers that she had just picked from the terrace in front of the cottage. Forget-me-nots that Claire had just seen and learned about the flowers for the first time, watching the beautiful flowers being used as mere decoration.
The atmosphere inside the old house felt very quiet, only accompanied by the sound of leaves rustling outside the window, accompanied by the calm breeze from the forest.
Surrounded by dense forest, the cottage was far from people's sight, a safe place for Claire to hide for a while. Sharon was the only friend Claire had at the moment.
She looked at Sharon from the corner of her eye, trapped in her own thoughts. Taking a deep breath, Claire relaxed her tense muscles, massaging her shoulders while watching Sharon tidying the flowers. Her red-ruby eyes seemed gloomy as she stared at Sharon. Claire's restless movements were enough to disturb Sharon.
"Ethan seems to have something to do outside." Sharon said as she cleaned the vase. "What he's doing makes me curious."
She was still deep in thought, turning her head with a tired look.
"Aren't you two close?"
The hazel eyed woman giggled as she put the flowers into the vase. "Maybe you could say so? Well, he did save me from an economic crisis though."
Claire frowned, interested yet also confused. "I really couldn't understand how and why he would save you, Sharon."
'He said he's only a wanderer, isn't he?'
Wearing a slight smile, Sharon shrugged as if it wasn't something important for her to explain.
"Well, you don't need to think about it, Claire. What's important is that I could live happily without ever thinking about money anymore."
Claire nodded, even if her answer can't satisfy her question.
She then looked at the beautiful blue forget-me-nots in the vase, remembering the wild flowers she had seen at the duchy.
"This flower … I never knew it could be used as a decoration. There were a lot of them growing in the garden back at home."
Sharon chuckled, raising her eyebrows as if she had just realized something.
"Ah, I almost forgot that you were a noble." She stopped for a second, deep in thought. "Is it okay for me to speak informally, Lady?"
Claire smiled softly, then reached out and held Sharon's hand warmly.
"As Ethan said before, I am here because there are people chasing me and that I am no longer a noble as none of my family is looking for me. They must've hated me right?"
Sharon was stunned by Claire's words. The painful smile was clearly depicted on Claire's plump lips. She had to follow Ethan's words that Sharon should not consider herself a fugitive.
Then, what if Sharon found out she was a fugitive on the run? Would Claire end up being thrown in the dungeon again?
Although Claire tried to hide her pain, the weak tone behind her voice showed how broken her heart was. Sharon's hand slipped and the flower she was holding fell to the floor.
"Ah, the flower fell …" The blonde haired woman mumbled, quickly gathering all the flowers again.
After cleaning the mess on the floor, Sharon glanced up straight to Claire's ruby eyes, her serious expression a stark contrast to her angelic features.
"I always see nobles like you to live wallowing in wealth." She then looked around the shabby cottage and the flower in her hand, sighing before giving Claire a wry smile.
"This kind of life wouldn't ever cross their mind. But, you haven't complained yet." She said as her cheerful smile appeared again with a chuckle.
Claire smiled bitterly, then turned to look around the cottage. The place she was currently living in for the time being. A small and messy dusty room, several open windows that could not be covered, and no luxurious furniture like in her previous room in the duchy.
"Missing home?" Sharon asked as she put the last flower into the vase. Her expression's soft as she looked at Claire.
Claire fell silent, looking at Sharon for several seconds before answering. "Yeah … This kind of living is rather … a unique experience."
The hazel eyed woman fell silent for a while before chuckling. "Right, a noble wouldn't be used to this kind of living, would they?"
As Sharon finished her words, Claire immediately shook her head, her eyes wandered outside the cottage, looking over the vast forest.
"Actually, I was never comfortable in the duchy. My father is always busy, and my brother often travels. I usually just spend time by myself."
Sharon looked at her with pity and sympathy.
"I always felt alienated in that mansion, Vincent–my brother is the only one that cared for me. But, he's not here anymore." Claire continued.
Sharon pursed her lips, she wanted to say something but held herself back. Perhaps, Sharon understood that there was more to Claire's life story that she had not told, especially considering Claire's weird behavior last night.
"You must've missed them," The soft voice mumbled.
"Yes, but it seems that I'm the only one thinking that way." Smiling weakly.
Sharon nodded, trying to understand Claire's feelings. If the Duke really loved his daughter, he would have looked for Claire everywhere and would have eradicated those who were after her. But on the contrary, the Duchy looked peaceful as if nothing had happened.
After a few moments of silence, Sharon noticed Claire's gaze that was assessing the cottage. She smiled, but the smile was full of disappointment. Maybe in her mind, Claire was still a noble who did not know what it was like to live a hard life. Maybe Claire was just making small talk.
However, Claire looked at Sharon again, as if she could read the sadness behind Sharon's gaze.
"This is the first time I speak to others without minding any manners. Vincent used to be the only one in my life." She said with a wry smile hanging on her face.
Sharon looked at her curiously. "You never attended any tea parties or noble gatherings?"
Claire chuckled, and shook her head. "I can't. My father wouldn't let me join any gathering before my debut." Her anger started seeping out as her tone gets rougher.
"Even the servants never speak their mind to me, they only answered 'Yes, Lady' or 'No, Lady' whenever I asked something. Or answered 'We are not capable of answering your question, Lady.' It's frustrating."
The wry smile turned into a mocking one, mocking herself and her weakness. "In the end, Vincent is the only one there for me. My brother as well as my only friend."
Claire rested her chin on her palm, turning her head towards the window. Outside, the forest looked quiet and cold, fallen leaves blowing in the gentle breeze. A strong sense of longing enveloped her, especially for Vincent—even though Ethan had said that neither the Duke nor Vincent was worthy of her care.
Silence enveloped them again. Again, Claire feels restless and turns to the window several times, her mind filled with bad possibilities. The knights must be looking for her. Was this place really safe?
"Sharon …," Claire called, her voice trembling.
"Yes?" Sharon looked towards Claire again, lifting the vase that had been decorated in her hand. "What's wrong?"
"Are you sure this place is really safe?"