Chapter 37 - Whispers of Angels
Chapter 37 – Whispers of Angels
Chapter 37: Whispers of Angels
That day, as always, I was deeply immersed in writing my novel.
Perhaps because the mid-term completion was just around the corner, there were many days when I even forgot about the time. If I sat down at my desk thinking I might write something down before going to sleep, the dawn would pass without me realizing it.
“Ugh…”
After putting down the pen, I stretched out my stiff arms. There’s really not much left to write. The end was just around the corner. However, it was unlikely that a good idea would come to mind anymore.
So I thought I could sleep at this point, but the time was already closer to morning than night.
Early in the morning, when even Mrs. Kerney, who starts the day first in my house, did not wake up. The whole house was engulfed in a distant silence. It was like magical silence.
The strange thing was that I couldn’t sleep even though I didn’t sleep a wink. It wouldn’t be strange if I collapsed on the bed as if I was fainting right away.
To be a little honest, I think I know why.
……No, I knew it clearly.
I crept down the stairs, tiptoed like a cat in the night. The old wooden stairs creaked, but the heavy stillness quickly swallowed it without a trace.
The place where I stopped as if possessed was in front of a shelf in the living room. Exactly where the perfume was placed. Waves of twilight light pouring in from the curtained window were like dewdrops on the small glass bottle.
“…….”
Silence sometimes weighs on the eardrums heavier than any other roar. I reached out my hand silently. Perhaps it was because I had been awake for too long, but my fingertips trembled strangely.
It was difficult for me to even understand why I was acting so secretly now. The reason why I don’t want to be caught by Collins’ ladies is…….
And finally, when the sharp coolness of the beautiful craftwork reached my fingertips soaked in light sweat—
“Lady.”
I almost shattered the perfume bottle. I can’t believe I was so focused that I didn’t even notice the presence of someone right next to me.
“Are you up already?”
Julia asked, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“……Yes, did you just wake up?”
“I had a dream of traveling to a very hot place.….I woke up because I was so thirsty.”
The child-like answer made me smile. However, at the subsequent question, my whole body stiffened.
“Are you going to smell it?”
“Oh, that… as you can see…… Because I was curious.”
“Yawn, I see.”
I acted awkward for no reason when I could say it casually. As she stretched, Julia tried to bite her mouth closed to fight her slow yawn.
With a grin, I tried to put the perfume bottle in my hand back on the shelf, but Julia suddenly asked me.
“By the way, do you know what Alan smells like? Since you danced with him.”
“Oh, that’s… I don’t know either.”
“You don’t know?”
Julia asked back as if she was puzzled. The dim light of a dawning morning shone on her young face.
“Yes. It may sound funny, but I was so nervous that day…….”
“…….”
“So I didn’t smell anything.”
“Aha.”
As if a little disappointed, Julia’s chubby cheeks slightly swollen. Julia’s light colored eyebrows frowned and she pouted in a pointed tone.
“I was wondering if Sir Alan really smelled like this. I don’t know if the perfume shopkeeper was lying.”
“Oh…”
“Isn’t that right, miss? There is no way to check.”
Julia with her arms crossed made a serious face. She added in a sleepy voice.
“But if this is really his scent..….”
“…….”
“I think it’ll look great on him. I’ve never met him in person, but if it’s this scent……Yawn.”
Julia, who was murmuring in a daze, yawned drowsily once again.
“I’m going in, lady. I’ll have to sleep more until Mrs. Kerney comes to wake me up.”
“…….”
As I nodded, she scratched her bushy golden hair and turned around. I glanced at the round back walking. When she disappeared out of light, the silence fell again.
I snatched the perfume bottle as if I had been waiting.
“…….”
In the transparent jewel-like glass bottle, the glimmering color looked like off-white and a very pale green. I was holding my breath, not knowing the passage of time because I was endlessly looking at the dazzling shimmer. holding my breath.
At that time, a faint sound of birds came from afar. I could see the whitish sun shining on the old hardwood floors. Sooner or later, Mrs. Kerney will come to wake everyone up.
“…….”
I carefully grabbed the small glass stopper. The sound of it being lifted up was very small and bright. It’s like listening to the whispers of angels.
I closed my eyes silently. Then, trembling to the point of fear and earnestly holding my heart, I inhaled the scent deep into my lungs. Shortly thereafter, a low exclamation erupted.
“Wow…”
Clearly, I was listening to the chirping birdsong on the way to dawn, but when I smelled the scent, night came again. On a very deep, cold night, I thought of someone standing alone in a foggy rose garden.
If Julia was still around, I would have said this,
I think what the perfume store said is true, Julia.
I couldn’t even open my eyes as I inhaled this calm and sweet scent. It was cozy enough to want to make you stay still forever.
It was shortly after that a hazy question rose secretly like smoke.
……this scent, strangely familiar.
Why? There’s no one around me who wears this expensive perfume. Is it the scent that I always smell at Antris Coffee Shop?
“Oh, this is….”
Horrible, as I recalled the memories of a few days ago, I was almost certain. This fragrance came from the arms of a man wearing a mask… So, the stalker’s…
“…….”
I opened my eyes and hurriedly put the lid on and put it back on the shelf. Then I pondered for a moment, squinting my eyebrows deeply.
The first thing I thought of was right, too. Antris always smelled like this.
It’s not a common scent, so my feelings won’t be wrong. I’m sure this scent is also part of the Antris. The flower decoration on the wall…….
……Wait. Didn’t Antris change all the flower decorations into tapestries as winter entered?
Nevertheless, I smelled this scent every time.
And very closely.
“Oh…”
I felt confused. My legs lost strength and I almost fell down.
The rays of light that fell on the hardwood floor were getting longer and clearer. It fluttered faintly at my feet. As if it’d grab my ankle at any moment.
Feeling somewhat afraid, I headed to the stairs as if I were running away. I had to get as far away from this scent as possible.
“Melissa?”
As I ran up the stairs in a hurry, a voice caught me. It was Mrs Kerney.
“…….”
However, nothing came out as if I was strangled. I couldn’t even look back. I just had the idea of running away from terrible thoughts.
“Haa…”
It was not until the door was firmly closed that a sigh of relief was scattered.
At the same time, I had to admit. The fact that I couldn’t stop thinking of that cold, alluring scent any longer.
Did it get deeply engraved on the lungs in the meantime? The airy scent, which I had not noticed even though he was always close, finally became clear. It was as if my nose was still in that glass bottle.
Thinking of that man who would have wandered around me in that scent gave me goosebumps. Nevertheless, the sweet and sensual scent made me want to forget all the anxiety.
Sitting with my chin on my hand in front of my desk and biting my lips, I was caught up in a strange thought. Until now, I thought it was a ridiculous hypothesis, but it was already the third suspicion.
The owner of the Antris, the person who took me straight home from the snow, and the main character of this perfume.
Come to think of it, the man who visited me was very tall and straight. The color of the eyes that shined in the shade, unless I saw it wrong, I’m sure…….
“….It’s too early to jump to conclusions.”
There is no one in this kingdom who can believe that Alan Leopold is my stalker, and I am also one of them. This is such a ridiculous hypothesis. Nevertheless, my head continued to weave pieces together.
Alan, in pursuing his stalking not only buys the entire coffee shop but, can’t help but buy an old mansion. Beggars acting like stalkers’ minions, and the reason Mr. Longhorn was terrified is also understandable considering the power of the Leopold family.
Prince Bentley said he saw Alan with me. He was even mistook us as lovers, but maybe he just witnessed him narrowing his distance and followed behind me…….
“…….”
My hands trembled. If Alan is really the stalker, it makes sense to cover his face. Just walking around the street would make people talk about it, so he has no choice but to hide his appearance.
There is no point in speculating if the red long hair is a wig.
“Wait, his lover must be red…….”
Finally, I came to cover my mouth. What is the probability that these countless coincidences overlap at the same time?
What if, really, he’s my stalker?
I wasn’t even sure if I was in a normal state of thinking. I wish it was just a side effect of being awake for nearly a day.….
“Calm down. Just do what you can for now…….”
It is unreasonable to fall asleep like this. I grabbed the pen, pressing down my heart that was beating as if it were going to break through my chest. I missed it twice because of my sweaty hands, but as if it were my only salvation and lifeline.
While I was writing down in a hurry, I was afraid as if I were being chased, and I was ecstatic to the point of being overwhelmed. At this point, I did not know whether the reason why my heart was beating as if it was going to break was because of fear or some other emotion.
I fell into such a perfect immersion that even the blink of an eye felt like a waste. I’ve never felt this way before. The plot I had been longing for all the time swirled in my head and I wanted to capture it before it escaped.
In the midst of a strange fantasy, where countless seasons seemed to pass quickly behind my back, I desperately held onto the pen. I’ve never experienced such a bright joy in my life, the smell of perfume that may be his was lingering lightly.
When I finally finished writing the middle part, Mrs. Kearney knocked on the door.
“Mel, breakfast—”
“Mrs. Kerney.”
I barely licked my dry lips.
“Please send this to the academy.”After saying that, I gladly sank into the huge waves of sleep.