Free Web NovelAt this very moment,
Pavela made a decision.
A very important decision.
A landmark decision in her short but brilliant life.
She was going to bury herself.
Bury herself forever.
Never come out again.
With the last ounce of strength in her body, she buried her face deep into the pillow, then pulled the blanket over herself, wrapping herself into a cocoon.
A snow-white, trembling cocoon that refused to communicate with the outside world.
"Little Pa?"
Victoria's voice came from outside the blanket, tinged with a hint of caution.
"Are you okay?"
Pavela did not answer.
She just buried her face even deeper.
The pillow felt soft and warm, carrying a faint scent of disinfectant.
This was her only safe haven now.
She decided to live here.
Live here forever.
Until the end of the world.
"Little Pa, don't be like this..."
Victoria's voice held a trace of anxiety.
"You'll suffocate with your head buried in the pillow..."
Pavela still did not answer.
Suffocating would be just fine.
Suffocating was much better than this current situation.
She heard rustling sounds from beside the bed, then felt the mattress dip slightly. Victoria must have sat down on the edge of her bed.
"Um... Little Pa..."
Victoria's voice became hesitant.
"I know you're probably very embarrassed right now... but..."
She paused, as if weighing her words.
"But you don't need to worry too much about it!"
Pavela's body stiffened.
Don't need to worry?
Don't need to worry about *this* situation?
"I mean..."
Victoria's voice carried a sincere effort to comfort.
"This kind of relationship... isn't completely unacceptable in the Empire's noble circles..."
Pavela's brain short-circuited.
What?
What relationship?
What isn't unacceptable?
"Even though you're sisters... you're not blood-related, {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} after all..."
Victoria continued, her voice growing softer.
"And Senior Eleanor is so good to you... it's understandable if you have some... special feelings for each other..."
Pavela felt her face burn beneath the blanket.
No.
No, no.
That's completely wrong!
The direction of this understanding is completely wrong!!
"I've heard that in some noble families up north, this sort of thing is actually quite common..."
Victoria's voice became even more cautious.
"As long as it's not made public, everyone turns a blind eye..."
Pavela couldn't take it anymore.
She abruptly poked her head out from under the blanket, her silver short hair sticking up messily, her face flushed as if about to bleed.
"That's not it!!"
Her voice was strained.
"You've misunderstood!!"
"Misunderstood?"
Victoria blinked, looking innocent.
"But I clearly saw Senior Eleanor helping you unbutton your clothes just now..." freewebnøvel.com
"That was to help me clean up!!" freēwēbnovel.com
"Clean up?"
Victoria's expression became even more subtle.
"Why would she need to unbutton your clothes to clean you up?"
"Because... because..."
Pavela's brain raced frantically, trying to find a reasonable explanation.
"Because I'm injured! Covered in wounds! I need my wounds cleaned!"
"Oh—"
Victoria nodded as if suddenly understanding.
"So that's what it was."
Pavela breathed a sigh of relief.
Great, finally cleared it up—
"But why did Senior Eleanor have to be the one to clean you up personally?"
Victoria tilted her head, wearing a naive smile.
"Aren't there doctors in the infirmary?"
Pavela's breath hitched again.
"Th-that's because..."
"And the expression I saw on Senior Eleanor's face just now..."
Victoria's voice held a hint of gossipy excitement.
"How should I put it... it didn't seem like she was simply helping someone clean up..."
"You saw wrong!!"
"My eyesight is very good, you know."
Victoria blinked her large, emerald-green eyes.
"I saw it very clearly. Senior Eleanor's expression at that time was—"
"Enough already!!"
Pavela practically shouted those words with all her might.
She immediately regretted it, as the movement tugged at her ribs, making her gasp in pain.
"Little Pa!"
Victoria was startled and quickly reached out to steady her.
"Are you okay?"
"I-I'm fine..."
Pavela gritted her teeth, trying to steady her breathing.
"It's just... my wounds hurt a bit..."
She took a deep breath, then looked at Eleanor, who was standing to the side, with a pleading gaze.
"Eleanor, please explain it to them..."
Eleanor was standing by the window, wiping her hands with a clean towel as calmly as ever.
Her movements were elegant and composed, as if nothing had just happened.
"Explain what?"
She asked without looking up.
"Explain... explain what just happened!"
Pavela's voice held a trace of despair.
"Tell them you were just helping me clean up!"
"I was indeed helping you clean up."
Eleanor's voice was as calm as stagnant water.
"What is there to explain?"
Pavela was stunned.
Technically speaking, Eleanor was indeed correct.
She *was* helping her clean up.
But the problem was—
"But they've misunderstood!"
Pavela's voice was on the verge of tears.
"They think there's something... something between us..."
She couldn't continue.
Those two words were too shameful; she simply couldn't say them out loud.
"Something?"
Eleanor finally looked up at Pavela.
A faint, almost imperceptible smile flickered in those ice-blue eyes.
"I don't quite understand. Be clearer. What do they think is between us?"
Pavela's face flushed even redder.
This woman was doing it on purpose.
She was absolutely doing it on purpose.
She was enjoying her embarrassment.
"Eleanor!!"
Pavela practically hissed the name.
"You know perfectly well what I'm talking about!!"
"I don't know."
Eleanor looked innocent.
"If you don't say it clearly, how am I supposed to know what to explain?"
Pavela wanted to retort, but she found she couldn't possibly utter those words.
Too shameful.
It was just too shameful.
She'd rather be blown up again than say those things in this situation.
