Chapter 22 – Leo Looks Troubled
Knock, knock, knock, knock.
“Leo-san, are you there?”
“Sibel? Ah, yes—I’m here. Come in.”
That evening, after dinner, once all the cleaning was done and my work for the day was finished, I went to Leo-san’s office carrying a small jar of the honeyed lemons I’d made earlier.
“Excuse me,” I said as I entered.
“What brings you here?”
When I opened the door, Leo-san stood up from behind his desk and walked over to greet me personally.
“I’m sorry for interrupting your work.”
“No, it’s all right. I was just about to finish anyway.”
Then he gestured toward the sofa. “Please, have a seat.”
“Oh—thank you, but… actually, I just came to bring you this.”
“Hm?”
Since I didn’t plan to stay long, I held out the small jar right away.
“These are lemons preserved in honey. They help relieve fatigue, so please enjoy them when you have a moment.”
“You made this for me?”
“When you came by earlier, they were already gone, weren’t they?”
Thankfully, all the knights had loved them.
The gentle sweetness and refreshing sourness made them easy to eat—I loved them myself. But I suppose the men must have been very tired from training, too.
“You went out of your way to bring me some… Thank you. I’ll enjoy it later,” he said with a bright smile.
I was glad he looked so happy.
“Well then, I’ll excuse myself.”
“Ah—wait!”
Just as I was about to leave, since Leo-san still had work to do—and because I also wanted to bring some to Mirko-san—he suddenly raised his voice, as if to stop me.
I tilted my head in surprise.
“Sibel, have you finished work for the day?”
“Yes.”
“Then, if you don’t mind, would you join me for a cup of tea? We can even try adding some of this lemon.”
“…Oh my, are you sure?”
“Of course. I was just getting thirsty.”
“Then, just one cup.”
What a lovely invitation.
I started to move toward the pot on the shelf to make the tea, but Leo-san said, “It’s all right, please sit,” and prepared the cups himself.
“…Thank you.”
Even though he was the captain of the knights, he always did small things on his own.
Back in the capital, I could never have imagined someone of his status doing such things for himself.
…Come to think of it, Leo-san is of noble birth too, isn’t he?
I wonder what kind of family he grew up in.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you very much.”
I sat quietly on the sofa as he poured tea from the pot and placed it in front of me.
He then sat down across from me and dropped a slice of the honeyed lemon I’d brought into each of our cups.
“…Mmm, delicious!”
“Yes, it is.”
We each took a sip, smiling at the refreshing taste.
The honeyed lemon went perfectly with the tea.
And the tea he brewed was wonderful—rich and soothing.
“…Sibel.”
“Yes?”
Just as I was enjoying the warmth of the tea, Leo-san suddenly spoke my name in a serious tone and set his cup down on the table.
Sensing that he wanted to discuss something important, I also set down my cup and straightened my posture.
“You always work so hard for us, Sibel. But… you’re not overdoing it, are you?”
“Eh?”
The sudden question caught me off guard.
“No, not at all.”
His face was so serious that I couldn’t help but search my mind—was I overworking somehow?
But… no. I couldn’t think of anything like that.
I was truly happy these days.
Even now, I was sitting here drinking tea that Leo-san had made for me. How could I possibly ask for more?
“I see… that’s good, then.”
“?”
Something still seemed to be on his mind.
He looked like he wanted to say more, so I asked gently, “Is something troubling you, Leo-san? Please, tell me if there’s something you wish to say.”
“…I know why you came here.”
“Yes…”
His expression looked pained, and after hesitating for a moment, he bit his lip and finally met my eyes.
“But still… I can’t understand why someone like you was abandoned by Prince Marx and sent away to such a remote place.”
“Apparently, it was because I bullied my younger sister—the true Saint.”
Of course, Leo-san must already know that reason.
But from the look on his face, I could tell that wasn’t what he really meant.
He didn’t believe those rumors—and that made me feel… happy.
“I can’t believe for a second that you bullied your sister. You were a count’s daughter, the prince’s fiancée, and known as a saint yourself. And yet… you handle housework so naturally.”
As he spoke, his voice grew stronger—filled with emotion—and his clear blue eyes were fixed directly on me.
