Underneath the Silhouette-Chapter 83: Noble Intervention

One of the people in the carriage disembarked, but the bright light from the lamp held by the coachman hindered Eirin’s eyesight. The man approached Eirin, his frock coat, tailored from the finest black charcoal wool, falling just above his knees. His dark, subtly striped trousers fell clean lines to meet highly polished black leather boots.

The man’s silver blonde hair was parted sideways gave Eirin an immediate hint of what standing the man holds. A noble. In this world where the hierarchy still existed, this man must hold a very high rank to appear so elegantly dressed and carry himself with such an air of authority.

"Are you alright, Miss?" the man said, his voice surprisingly gentle. Eirin’s eyes then landed on the woman behind him. Her ebony black hair tied in a romantic tuck. She wore a traveling gown made of broadcloth in the color of rich sapphire blue—standing out vividly against the muted mountain landscape. The graceful woman held an umbrella, shielding her companion from the sudden downpour.

"Oh dear," the woman murmured, covering her mouth with a gloved hand. "She’s a student of Senerra Academy." Her voice was soft, laced with genuine worry. "Are you alright, my dear?"

Seeing how both the man and woman showed her such concern made Eirin deeply wary. She could not trust people she had just met, not after everything she’d experienced.

"Dear, she must be freezing in this weather," the woman said. "Come now, let us go to our manor."

Eirin gulped. ’Manor?’ she thought, her suspicion deepening at the couple’s seemingly benevolent actions.

The man reached out to touch Eirin, but she flinched back, instinctively recoiling. "I apologize for that young miss. I almost forgot to introduce myself," he said, chuckling, his hand dropping. "I am Killan Laxford, and this is Beatrice, my wife. We are familiar with Senerra Academy because our son goes there."

Eirin’s brows furrowed, still doubting the couple, while the couple were confused after the teenage girl could not recognize them.

"We are here to help you, dear. Come now, you and you’re your little brother will get sick in this rain," the woman, Beatrice Laxford, urged, her voice soothing.

The sheer exhaustion weighing on Eirin prevented her from fighting back as the man, Killan Laxford, gently helped her into the carriage with Shade still cradled in her arms. "If I may ask, where are we going?" Eirin managed, her eyelids dropping, fighting a losing battle against sleep.

"To the City of Egrane, where our dukedom is," the woman, now revealed as Duchess Laxford answered softly.

It didn’t take long until Eirin drifted into a deep sleep, overcome by tiredness, still hugging Shade tightly in her arms.

"Dear? We arrived."

Eirin felt someone gently nudging her arm. When she opened her eyes, panic shot through her veins, and she bolted upright. ’How could I let my guard down like that?’ she chastised herself.

The Duchess smiled, a warm, reassuring expression. "Come, we should enter the manor to keep you and your companion warm from the rain."

Looking down at Shade’s disheveled, feverish appearance, Eirin could not retort. She followed the Duke and Duchess into the manor. They were greeted by a multitude of servants as they entered through the humongous, luxury-silver door.

"Lead our guests to the guest room," the Duke ordered, his voice carrying authority. "The child is running a fever, so call the physician immediately."

One of the maids and the head butler accompanied Eirin towards the designated guestroom. The maid’s eyes widened, slightly, taking in the sight of the shabby teenage girl cradling the small boy in her arms.

"Miss, may I carry your brother for you?" the young maid asked worriedly, her head bowed slightly, trying not to offend Eirin.

Eirin offered a faint smile. "Thank you for the offer, but this boy is not my brother, and he doesn’t like other people touching him," she explained quickly, anxious not to cause any misunderstanding.

The butler stood in front of a huge, ornate door and turned to Eirin. "Here is your room, Miss." He opened the door, gesturing for Eirin to enter first, followed by the maid. "Do you want a separate room for the child?"

Eirin shook her head.

"Very well. This is Masie; she will help you with all your needs. I shall call the physician for the young lad while Masie shall help the Miss bathe."

The butler showed a polite smile before leaving the room. "Shall I bathe the young boy first, Miss?" Masie asked. Eirin and Shade were both drenched from the rain. It was a choice Eirin had to make; but she couldn’t possibly bathe the young man herself – he would surely lash out after learning of it. ’But do I have a choice?’ she thought.

"We’ll be bathing together," Eirin said, her voice firm, too afraid to let the young man out of her sight. "Uhm, I just need a new change of clothes for the both of us."

Masie readily complied with Eirin’s request, placing fresh clothes on the bed for Eirin. As soon as Masie was out of sight, Eirin’s legs gave out, and she fell to her knees, exhausted from their ordeal.

The rain still poured outside, a relentless drumming, and she found herself idly thinking it was the perfect weather for a cup of coffee while watching something nice on television.

"I miss my room at home," Eirin muttered, slowly picking herself up. She walked into the opulent bathroom, preparing to take a warm bath with Shade Cromwell. She was so focused on their predicament, she completely forgot the young man, despite his dazed state, was far from unconscious.

Eirin was under the impression that Shade was barely conscious as she began to remove her own clothes, then his. However, the young man, despite his feverish state, could see everything clearly. He simply chose to keep his eyes tightly closed the entire time.

"Gosh, you’re heating up even more," Eirin commented, touching Shade’s arm, completely oblivious that his sudden rise in temperature was due to embarrassment.

The teenage girl tried to not think of the young boy in front of her as Shade Cromwell, because once she does, she could not hold the same composure anymore.

"Feya," she called her pixie as soon as they got out of the bath.

"Yes, Master?" Feya appeared, looking distraught, which immediately caught Eirin’s attention. "I must apologize, Master. I haven’t found any answer for your troubles." The quick confession from the pixie left Eirin uneasy. There was no way she could finish the mission on her own.

Eirin began biting her fingernails, a habit she resorted to when distressed. "What do I do? Do I send a message to the Queen about what happened to Shade? No, he’ll surely hate me for that. He’s the type of person to complete his mission successfully even while being on the brink of death!" She panicked and started walking back and forth.

"What do I do?" Eirin looked around the luxurious room. Everything inside was something she had seen in a TV drama. All of it looked expensive and golden that her mind started drifting away. "Wait! Focus!" she screamed at herself after her gaze landed on Shade, lying on the bed, not speaking a single word.

The pixie watched her master anxiously. She wished to be of help, but she could not do anything in her power to change the young man’s fate. ’If he only didn’t provoked Hebe like that,’ Feya sighed, having watched what happened before Shade turned into the little boy that he is now.

Eirin rubbed her cheeks, staring at the nonstop rain outside while wondering what she should do in her situation.

"Do you think you could help me find something else—anything that could help me in this situation?"

"I shall try my best, Master."

With that, the pixie disappeared again. Exactly at that moment, a knock sounded on the door, and Eirin opened it. It was Masie, who led the physician inside to check Shade’s condition.

"He is indeed running a fever. That must be because of the inconsistent weather," the physician said, his gaze professional. "Have you two stayed in the rain too long?"

Eirin could not retort, and she could only nod as her answer. How could they not when they couldn’t find a shelter in the middle of the mountain.

"I have brought medications, but he shall be needing plenty of rest to fully recover," the physician said. "Also, why is a young boy like this traveling outside in this kind of weather?"

Eirin did not have any answers for that either. ’It’s because he’s not a young boy!’ she thought to herself as she could only apologize and have herself to blame for something she didn’t even do.

Eirin thanked the physician, letting out a heavy sigh of relief mixed with lingering worry.

"Oh, before I forget. The Duke and Duchess have invited the guests for dinner," the physician added before taking his leave.

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