When The Moon Tilts West - Chapter 8 - [Part 1]

Chapter 8 – [Part 1]

Translator and Editor: Effe and Tea

────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────Chapter 8 – Part 1

It had been five days since Henrietta had arrived, but Olivia was surprisingly comfortable. It was because she didn’t ask for unreasonable teatime anymore. Olivia’s range of action was not wide, and when she and Henrietta met one day Henrietta ignored her and walked away.

She thought Henrietta might come to her room and argue with her, but while Leon had given Henrietta access everywhere, he forbade entry into the Duchy’s study and Olivia’s room. Hearing that, she was relieved.

Therefore, Olivia, who only went in and out of her room and the study, was living well without any trouble.

“Are there any inconveniences?”

“Yes.”

Leon called Olivia every evening and asked: despite her assurances that it was okay, he kept coming to her. With Henrietta’s presence, Olivia tried to maintain distance from him, but as he continued seeking her, he didn’t seem to distance himself, frustrating her.

Do his actions make it seem as if he felt the same? As Olivia seemed to cut off the conversations that had nothing to do with her, she often felt that Leon appeared frustrated with her. He looked at Olivia and raised his eyebrows slightly, as if something was wrong with her, nevertheless Olivia thought that was very sweet.

On the other hand, Leon was courteous to Henrietta, but not friendly. Of course that was her own perception. Was she so jealous of Henrietta that she was delusional now? While she was chiding herself, Olivia looked at Leon asking if she felt uncomfortable today. Of course, she had already replied that there was nothing inconvenient. With the conversation cut off again, Leon sighed slightly and observed.

“Not much time left.”

“Yes…….”

What does he mean there is not much left? As she wondered, Olivia realized that he was speaking about Henrietta. Olivia nodded her head, and Leon placed a hand on her shoulder. As she flinched, he lifted his hand again.

“Miss Claudel.”

“Yes.”

“I apologize.”

“What?”

“It’s my fault to you.”

“Is it wrong?”

Leon didn’t say anything and looked at Olivia. Then Leon smiled. That smile was bittersweet. Olivia’s heart ached at the expression on his face.

Now that she looked that closely, Leon appeared a little tired. Forgetting to stay distant, she reached out and grabbed his hand. Leon’s eyes widened slightly.

“Your Excellency, even if you do something wrong, I won’t feel hurt.”

“…….”

“Your Excellency has always been kind to me. Maybe I’ll be fine.”

Henrietta and Leon will soon marry. Leon will put Henrietta first, and he may not pay attention to her. She didn’t even know if he would keep her. Leon thought it was ‘wrong’.

Her relationship with Leon was very difficult, but since it was a relationship that she started, there was no need for his apologies, no matter what happened in the future. Olivia didn’t want this weary man to care about her.

“…… well.”

Leon sighed and looked down at Olivia’s hand. Her hand was still clasping Leon’s. Olivia lifted her hand. Holding his hand, crazy! She pretended to be okay and tried to change the subject.

“When is the wedding?”

“The wedding, you say? No way…… Did you know?”

Leon asked with a rare surprised expression.

“Yes, that’s why the Princess is here, isn’t it?”

Then Leon sighed in frustration. Why does he have such an attitude? A wedding, are there any other weddings besides his with Henrietta?

“It has not been decided yet.”

“You have no plans? But, the Princess is here right now…… What’s worse, I’m still here…….”

Leon asked with a puzzled expression.

“Do you want me to marry the Princess?”

“Is it because of me that you’re reluctant? Your Excellency, why are you doing this?”

She was taken aback by this conversation. The conversation itself was polite, but Leon seemed to be complaining.

“Didn’t you say it’s okay to do something wrong? I don’t know why you’re accusing me like this.”

“Because this is more wrong toward the Princess, not me.”

As she said that, she sneered to herself. She blames Leon for wronging Henrietta, but she should blame herself for Henrietta too. Who should blame whom?

She hadn’t known he was engaged, but she somehow slept with someone about to marry, and she even liked him. The reason he slept with her was to protect his older brother, Kevin. Olivia accepted that she was the cause all over again. She remembered Jane’s suggestion.

“Your Excellency.”

“…….”

“I, I mean, I’ll be leaving, in a short while.”

“What do you mean?”

Leon’s face was dyed with wonder. He looked a little offended. But Olivia didn’t notice.

“Give me a little, a little bit of time. I mean…… ”

As he was about to say more, he was interrupted by a knock on the door. He tried to continue, but another knock was heard. Eventually, he frowned and said,

“Come in.”

Then the door opened, and a man entered. She recognized him as Leon’s servant whom she had seen riding a horse earlier. The servant carefully closed the door, looked at Olivia and nodded.

“Your Highness, today…….”

“Looks like there is ‘overtime’.”

Olivia heard the annoyance in his voice. The servant looked at him and said,

“Yes, maybe…… I think you will have to give it a few days.”

‘What’s going on in the Imperial Palace? What does he mean by overtime?’ Looking at Olivia, Leon said.

“It looks like I will be absent for a few days.”

“Yes…….”

The thought of Leon’s departure made her heart flutter. It began to beat nervously. Whether he heard her heart or not, Leon said in a stern tone.

“If you need anything, you can buy it. If there is something you want to do, you can do anything. If you are bored, call Marchioness Philistines.”

“…….”

“Don’t talk to Princess Grande anymore. This is my Order to Miss Claudel.”

“Order?”

“Yes, Order. I will also inform Princess Grande.”

Olivia nodded. She understood that Leon had given her such an order because he was worried about her. It was to prevent a quarrel with Henrietta, which might arise in his absence.

“I’m going.”

At that farewell, Olivia opened her mouth and closed it again. Because she almost asked him not to go.

Instead, she tried to say goodbye. But for some reason, she couldn’t form the well-wishing words.

It was like this the day Leon went to the battlefield. She just wanted to tell him to have a safe trip. However, she was so terrified that she ended up crying at the thought she might never see him again. Leon turned his back and walked to the door. Feeling nervous, she finally shouted.

“Du, Duke! Have a safe trip!”

At that, Leon turned his back again and looked at Olivia. He stared at her face, and smiled.

Then he walked back to Olivia and carefully raised her hand and kissed it.

“If you want it, I will do it.”

What just happened to her? When Olivia came to her senses, Leon was already gone. She stared at the back of her hand, where Leon’s lips had remained for a while. The warmth seemed to reassure her, but her heart was pounding.

***

That night, he didn’t return.

The next day, perhaps because of Leon’s absence, there was a cool atmosphere in the mansion. Olivia locked herself in her room and frantically read a book, trying to calm her anxious mind.

She hardly left the room, lest she ever run into Henrietta. She thought she heard Henrietta had called a seamstress to fit her dress, Olivia avoided seeing it.

As the sun went down and she stretched, Olivia felt an ominous foreboding. Leon had been away for so long, she didn’t think she would come to hate his absence.

Then Olivia realized that she depended on Leon more than she thought. She had claimed that she shouldn’t be indebted to him, shouldn’t be a nuisance, but was she failing to heed her own words?

Leon would now marry another woman, and Olivia and he would separate. The heartbreak couldn’t possibly disappear.

***

As she slept, Olivia felt a strange sensation, and she woke up. It felt like a worm crawling around her body. She twisted her body, trying to get rid of the worm-like thing. She felt uncomfortable in her body for some reason. When she realized that the worm was a human hand, she opened her eyes. She saw a familiar face.

It was Kevin.

“Kyaak!”

Olivia screamed. Still, she reassured herself it had to be a nightmare. But with Kevin’s wretched hand covering her mouth, she knew this was a reality.

Kevin is back.

He had returned from all his work.

Kevin was looking down at her with a smirk. She quickly turned around and got off her bed. Fortunately, the door was open. As she tried to step out towards the door, she realized that her arms were bent back and her body was immobile.

She grasped what had happened to her body. Her hands were tied behind her back. A knotted string was clasped in his hand. She tried to escape the grip, but he pulled her onto the bed by simply tugging the rope. She shouted while being dragged like a dog on a leash.

“No, I don’t want to!”

But Kevin pulled the string tight and hugged Olivia roughly. She struggled with the insidious hand rubbing her chest. Unable to resist Olivia’s rebellion, Kevin forced her into the bed. He sighed and pressed his heavy body against Olivia.

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