Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 137

To Teacher, From Vanessa 137

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

Lina and Chebati ascended the stairs. Despite it being their first visit, their steps were confident, and the woman guiding them offered a gentle smile, her dark eyes curving softly.

“She will surely be happy that her friends have come.”

Happy? How could she know that? The girl was lying there, with no promise of waking.

Lina swallowed her bitter thoughts, clutching the bouquet in her hand tightly. The beautifully colored paper wrapping it was mercilessly crumpled. Chebati lowered her gloomy gaze.

The two of them had only been invited two weeks after hearing the news that Vanessa was lying in Valder Castle.

The rumor that the Duke, who refused to leave the castle, was being extremely sensitive was well-known. He refused all schedules and guarded Valder Castle as if he were a fierce dragon protecting the most precious treasure in the world from a fairy tale.

The only day he directly attended a meeting was to voice his opinion on the punishment of those involved in the incident.

Valder’s position was extremely firm and unyielding. No one knew what he had been doing while refusing to leave the castle, but the members of the joint council quickly agreed with his opinion. Perhaps it was thanks to the look in his eyes, which seemed half-crazed.

In the end, the downfall of those involved, including the temple, was inevitable.

The trial proceeded swiftly. Those who had ruined Friva and tried to replace the king to satisfy their own desires were stripped of everything, clinging only to their lives.

The doors of the last temple in Friva were completely closed. This was not because the king had forced it, but because the truth had spread widely, and many people were blaming the god. Those whose families had died in the earthquake vented their anger, rushing to the temple and throwing stones.

However, the story of the king’s brother was never revealed anywhere.

Those who did not know were simply happy about the regained peace, and those who did know kept their mouths shut. They would never know what someone had paid as a price for him.

With the matter somewhat settled, the Duke once again holed himself up in the castle and refused to come out.

The king himself sent a handwritten letter, but it expressed no apology or gratitude, only more coldness.

The joint council and the cabinet all held their breath at the fierce tension between the always-close king and the Duke. Eventually, the story that even the king had given up and abandoned him spread throughout the country.

Those who knew him could not hide their surprise. The Duke of Valder was taking a break from work?

According to rumors, the room of ‘that magician’ that Valder was protecting had been inscribed with magic circles by the most famous and wise magicians to protect the space, and no one unauthorized dared to set foot inside….

“This is it.”

The woman stopped in front of a door. Fine wrinkles formed around her eyes as she saw Lina and Chebati’s lips moving nervously and twitching.

The door opened, and a warm energy flowed out.

It was a sunny room. The curtains of the bed were half-drawn, so you could clearly feel the warmth of the sunlight. No matter how unconscious you were.

Beside the lying woman, a man with a handsome face was sitting and talking about something.

The man, dressed simply without formality, looked sharper and more sensitive than usual, as if he had lost weight, as the rumors said. However, beside the brown-haired woman, he was just as warm as the sunlight. His gentle voice whispered constantly.

The two people’s hands were intertwined like different trees intertwined from the roots, so tightly that they seemed inseparable.

So it was difficult to approach as if there was some kind of barrier nearby. It felt like disturbing their cozy and peaceful atmosphere.

Seeing that the invited guests had entered, Gideon carefully released his intertwined hands and placed them inside the cloud-like blanket. Vanessa’s fingers, which had calluses where they touched the pen, had slightly faded traces of them.

Feeling regretful about it, he opened his mouth.

“Miss Lina Delina, Miss Chebati Milo Doti. Thank you for coming so willingly.”

“She’s my friend.”

Lina replied in a somewhat chilly voice. As soon as she learned that Vanessa was in the castle, she had sent letters several times stating that she would visit, but they were all ignored.

Only one reply finally came at the end, stating that visits would not be allowed until the magic circle was completed for her safety.

Gideon smiled faintly at the hostile gaze.

“I will leave you alone. I would appreciate it if you could have a comfortable conversation, as it is said to help her wake up from her dream.”

“I’ll take care of that myself-”

“Yes, I understand! Thank you.”

Chebati quickly stepped on Lina’s foot and smiled brightly. Lina snorted, suppressing the pain.

However, unlike his words that he would leave, Gideon kept hesitating near the bed and couldn’t take his feet off. The man looked very anxious.

Just as Lina was about to say something, he arranged Vanessa’s hair and pulled the blanket up a little higher so that her body would not get cold. Then he bent down and whispered something in her ear.

Just watching that made her feel ticklish and nauseous inside. Did that man know the emotions that were leaking out of his eyes?

Finally, as if he had finished his work, the man gave Lina and Chebati a light nod and left the room.

As soon as the door closed, Lina spoke in a deliberately blunt tone.

“Oh, come on. It’s not like he’s going far away. He’s just going to be wandering around in front of the hallway.”

“Lina, that person is the Duke of Friva. Be careful!”

“My backing is stronger. Just by looking at him, I can tell that Vanessa wouldn’t say anything to me. Right, Vanessa? You’ll take my side, right?”

Lina grinned and pulled a chair over, plopping down next to Vanessa. Vanessa, who would normally have scolded her with a dumbfounded look, was still quiet.

“See, I told you to get some sleep when we were at the academy, right? You didn’t sleep enough back then, so you’re sleeping for a long time now.”

“That’s right, Vanessa slept too little. I’ve never seen anyone sleep less than me.”

“It’s hard to even compare to me. Sometimes I barely got three or four hours of sleep! You must be catching up on it now.”

Lina chuckled. Chebati also smiled slightly.

“When you’re too tired, there’s nothing as sweet as sleep. It’s not bad.”

“Evan and Daloyz were also making a fuss about wanting to come, but your amazing boyfriend refused. He said he only wanted the two of us to come for now!”

“I actually feel recognized, so I like it. He knows that the two of us are closest to Vanessa.”

Chebati cleared her throat cutely. Lina crossed her arms and nodded seriously.

“Actually, if you think about it that way, only I should have come. Chebati is second.”

“That’s ridiculous. What’s so important about sharing a dorm room? Vanessa came to my house more often. She had dinner with my parents three times.”

Lina pouted at the accurate statement of facts. She felt like she could feel Vanessa’s gaze looking at them both with pity.

Lina and Chebati told her everything about their recent activities. Lina said that she had successfully established her business in the east, and Chebati said that she had applied for a patent for one of her technologies. The results had not yet been released, but she had received good reviews.

“You know what’s the funniest thing? Despite all this great success, our most famous achievement is being your friend.”

Lina said primly, and Chebati nodded seriously.

“I was so surprised when all sorts of people came and asked if I knew Vanessa Rose. After hearing what Vanessa had done….”

Chebati smiled slightly bitterly. The small face that had seemed so young under her round glasses had become a little more mature.

“I thought that’s exactly what you would do. I didn’t know when you were studying because you acted the most conservative in the world, but you’re always fearless in strange ways.”

Lina sighed and patted the back of Vanessa’s hand.

“I’ve told you several times. Just pretend you don’t know…. Why did you run first?”

Vanessa was still asleep without a single movement.

But she didn’t look tired or in pain. Rather, her complexion was good thanks to the excellent care. The sound of small birds chirping could be heard through the open window.

“You did well anyway. Thank you, Vanessa. For protecting us. So rest a little more and wake up before the summer is completely over. You remember we decided to play on the beach together in the summer, right?”

“Yes, that’s the right timing. Waking up around that time is the best way to show off. So you have to get an outrageous price.”

Lina whispered with a cunning expression. Chebati laughed at those words.

“That’s right! We’re going to count the numbers now. You have to wake up before then. Got it? It would be even better if you woke up sooner.”

After talking happily for a long time, Lina and Chebati put the bouquets they had brought at the head of the bed and got up. They said goodbye, saying they would come again next time, but their feet did not fall easily.

The two kept glancing at the bed and opened the door. Unfortunately, nothing happened.

As Lina expected, as soon as they opened the door, they were faced with a large man with a calm face. He had been waiting in the hallway for the long-awaited meeting to end.

They had been talking for hours, and it was surprising and absurd that he had been guarding this place.