You Said You Wanted Us to Break Up - Chapter 70

Two years ago, Apple Leta had come out of the castle and stayed in this village due to an incident.

Since most of her necessities and items were provided and managed by the castle, her life was more akin to a luxurious exile than a simple relocation.

As a result, it seemed she had little interaction with the village, and some people didn’t even know her name properly. However, everyone in the village recognized her appearance. Those who came from the castle were considered special cases and stood out.

Nathan had never exchanged a word with Apple, but he was certainly aware of her existence.

Not long ago, Luke learned from Nathan, who had come to the castle, that Apple had come down to the village.

Nathan, who was born with a weak constitution, came to the castle once a week to get his medicine. This was managed at Luke’s discretion.

“I saw the red-haired sister on the street today.”

That day was when Apple Leta had received her outing permit in the morning.

As Luke handed Nathan his medicine for the week, he asked, “If you see that sister in the village again, let me know.”

Apple Leta was the only person that the reclusive Duchess kept close by her side.

Observing her actions would reveal the intentions of her mistress.

And today, not even a week later, Nathan said he had seen Apple. Since he hadn’t confirmed her outing permit before she left the castle, it seemed she had gone out after I had come out.

Was it intentional? Luke raised one corner of his mouth, contemplating for a moment.

He helped Nathan down the last step on the first floor. When Nathan stood on his own and faced Luke, he was greeted with a gentle smile.

As Luke placed a candy in the child’s hand, he asked, “Where did you see her last?”

“She was going into the bar run by Uncle Melvin.”

A bar, huh? As Luke briefly recalled Apple Leta’s background in his mind, he patted Nathan’s head once and straightened his back. Nathan peeked his head out from behind Luke as he started to climb the stairs again.

“Where are you going?”

“I’ll be back after checking on your grandmother. Just play on the first floor.”

* * *

“Have you been well?”

At Luke’s greeting as he entered the room, Alrin, Nathan’s grandmother and Merida’s mother, smiled.

“For an old woman like me, every day is the same. Let me see….”

Alrin squinted her wrinkled brow and examined Luke’s face.

Finally, she spoke.

“You look like you have something on your mind.”

Luke smiled without answering as Alrin loosened the splint on her injured arm.

Everyone inside the castle was in the same situation.

Among them, his direct superior, Lord Laslet, must be carrying the heaviest burden.

While Luke kneaded the old woman’s frail arm to assess the severity of her injury, Alrin asked again.

“Is there a girl you like?”

There wasn’t a girl like that, but there was someone on his mind.

Luke recalled an incident that had happened recently in the castle’s hallway.

That day, while returning from a report from a page sent to the lord’s territory, Luke had unexpectedly run into Apple.

“Apple Leta.”

When he called her name, the woman turned around. There was a hint of annoyance mixed in her cold brown eyes.

Luke approached her with a bright smile.

“It’s a unique name that suits the surname well. May I call you Miss Leta? Of course, I would appreciate it if you could call me comfortably as well.”

Apple did not even respond and turned her back again.

Luke understood the reason for her behavior.

Apple Leta had bought her status. Therefore, it was only natural that her name and surname did not match.

His superior was the first to notice this fact, but perhaps he thought it was a flaw of his wife and did not speak it aloud.

Thus, Luke only gained certainty about his suspicions after Apple was sent out of the castle. It was clear that Apple Leta was either a commoner or, at the very least, not a member of the Leta family.

Buying and selling status is officially illegal.

It wasn’t that the nobles under Rowen had no daughters to send as maids, yet Apple Leta had come to the North, even committing a crime.

What circumstances led her to this decision had not yet been revealed.

Reintroducing someone like her into the castle could be detrimental not only to Raslet but also to the Duchess, who was the mistress of the maid.

However, his superior had already made a decision.

“Leave her be. I’ve already confirmed that she poses no harm to Iella.”

Unconditional obedience followed his superior’s decision. Since that day, Luke had stopped suggesting anything about Apple to his superior.

However, he did not stop harboring personal curiosity. After that, Luke asked Apple a few light questions, and the response was always the same.

Ignoring him.

Forcing the image of the woman who consistently looked down on him out of his mind, Luke replied.

“Unfortunately, no.”

The questions Luke asked Apple were not out of personal affection but rather from a management perspective.

During her two years living in the village outside the castle, Apple Leta had displayed several noticeable behaviors.

His superior, who had not given up on the desire for a warm marriage, overlooked these actions, but Luke began to keep a close eye on her from that point on.

Alrin believed his words without suspicion.

After finishing the examination, Luke handed Alrin some medicinal herbs he had brought from the castle. Fortunately, Alrin’s injury was just a fracture in her wrist, a common ailment in old age when bones weaken.

He scribbled a prescription that included the dosage intervals and methods.

“Don’t overexert yourself, and be careful not to put any strain on the injured area. Make sure to eat well and take your medicine. I’ll come back to check on you in a week.”

As Luke finished leaving the prescription and was packing his bag, Alrin smiled brightly and said,

“Thank you.”

Luke responded with the friendly smile he usually wore in such moments.

“If you’re thankful, then live a long life.”

Leaving behind Alrin, who chuckled at his teasing reply, Luke descended the stairs and headed straight for the entrance. “Merida, I’ll be going now!” he shouted, and Nathan quickly ran up behind him.

“Brother, are you leaving now?”

“I have something to check.”

Just before he opened the door, Luke turned around and lifted Nathan into his arms. Nathan pretended to groan.

“Oh dear, I won’t be able to hold you next time I come!”

“Tch, it’s not like that yet.”

Patting the back of the pouting child, Luke said,

“Make sure to take your medicine. I’ll bring you some candy next week.”

Soon, Merida appeared behind her son.

“Are you leaving already? Make sure to have dinner first.”

“I need to return to the castle before sunset.”

“Be careful on your way.”

“Yes.” Bowing slightly, Luke handed Nathan over to Merida and turned away. Nathan and Merida’s farewells were heard until the door closed.

Once he was completely separated from the warm home by a single door, Luke immediately set off to the place Nathan had mentioned. The smile he had been wearing the whole time had completely faded.

He didn’t smile much when he was alone.

* * *

Apple is late.

I anxiously paced the room. It seemed like the sunset was approaching as I peeked through the curtains at the window. In a couple of hours, the sun would completely set.

No matter how close spring was, the days in Raslet were shorter compared to Rowen.

Today at noon, after confirming that I had finished my late breakfast and lunch, Apple went outside the castle. It was her first outing after deciding to head to Emerta.

She had promised me before leaving the castle.

“I’ll be back before sunset.”

When the sun sets, the castle gates close.

After that, unless there is a special circumstance, they do not reopen.

Of course, since Apple is my maid, there would be no issue with the gates remaining closed if she returned at night.

However, Apple was the type to keep her word without fail.

It wasn’t just simple tardiness; a sense of unease crept in, worrying that something might have happened to her.

To calm my mind, I paced the room and recalled the conversation I had with Apple a few days ago.

* * *

After deciding to escape to Emerta together, Apple meticulously planned, considering even aspects I hadn’t thought of.

I listened, entranced, as she explained everything step by step.

The boat we would take would likely be one heading south for spring, and although there wouldn’t be many people, the stories of Emerta’s hidden resorts, which were as beautiful as famous places, never got old no matter how many times I heard them.

The plan also included practical aspects like security.

It wasn’t just empty words; she had been thinking about going to Emerta for a while. Apple even found a book somewhere that explained how to calculate living expenses in Emerta and referenced it to create the plan.

How many days did those dream-filled days last? One day, Apple approached me with a very apologetic expression and said,

“First, we need to sell off some of the jewelry you have.”

Jewelry could be sold without reason if it was necessary, but she explained the reason to me.

“I have some cash saved up, and I can gather a bit more the day before we leave, so we won’t run short on living expenses in Emerta, but I need a larger amount than I currently have to secure a boat.”

I understood immediately why Apple was saying this.

The property she managed for me included luxury items like jewelry.

Cash was being managed by another accountant who found suitable investment opportunities or lent out money to generate profit.

Of course, I could withdraw as much as I wanted with just a word, but using cash now would draw too much attention.

Thinking about it, I wondered what excuse I could give to bring out cash when it was time to leave.

Since I hadn’t needed to spend money for a while, I had no idea what excuse to make. As I pondered this, Apple bowed her head to me.

“I’m sorry, miss. Once we reach Emerta, I’ll make sure this doesn’t happen again.”

“No, it’s fine! You can sell as much jewelry as you need!”

It wasn’t just empty words; those luxury items were nothing compared to the cost of the boat to Emerta.

I shook my head in denial, but Apple’s expression was somber. She murmured softly,

“But they suit you so well…”

“What does it matter? There’s nowhere to wear them.”

Without friends, I had no chance of being invited to social gatherings, and since I didn’t go out separately, there was no need for them.

After that, we selected the jewelry that could be disposed of.

The precious metals I owned could be broadly classified into three categories: those inherited as wedding gifts, those received as presents for anniversaries like birthdays, which were lighter than the first category and I wore more often, and… the ones Sioden had gifted me.