“Dear Lady Vivi.” She started, her voice clear and steady, carrying the weight of Lila’s words with a tender reverence. “I hope you’ll forgive me for writing, but I just had to tell someone how wonderful my husband is, how happy my life’s been because of him…No one in our neighborhood wants to hear an old woman ramble on about her love, so I thought I’d send this to you, knowing you’ve got a heart big enough to listen.”

The old man’s eyes widened, a soft gasp escaping him as Vivi continued, her voice weaving Lila’s words into the still air.

“Everyone in the world thinks my husband’s a stinky man, unworthy because of his job—cleaning outhouses, carting manure. It’s not the grandest work, and folks turn their noses up at him…But I know the truth, Lady Vivi.”

“I know what a good man he is, how his heart’s bigger than all their scorn. Every day with him is a gift, and there’s not a single moment in our forty years together that I regret. Not one.”

“…He’s made me so happy, so loved, in ways I can’t even put into words.”

Vivi’s voice softened, her eyes flicking to the old man, who sat frozen, tears beginning to glisten in his eyes.

“You know, I actually scold him all the time—call him stinky, fuss about his muddy boots or his smelly feet. But that’s just my way, my clumsy way of loving him…I don’t always say it right, but every time I tease him, every time I call him a pig, it’s me saying I love him, more than anything.”

“Even when we first met, I told him he smelled worse than my pigs—oh, I was so embarrassed, my heart was pounding because I thought he was the handsomest man I’d ever seen…I wanted to say ‘I love you right then, but all that came out was that silly insult.”

“…It’s been our joke ever since, our way of saying what matters most.”

The old man’s hands shook, tears spilling down his cheeks as he stared at Vivi, his breath hitching with every word. Lucius, standing behind Cassius, felt his own eyes sting, his throat tightening as he blinked rapidly, trying to hold back the flood of emotion.

Vivi’s voice grew quieter, her tone reverent as she reached the letter’s final lines.

“I know my time’s coming soon, Lady Vivi. I can feel it, like a shadow creeping closer. It won’t be long before I’m called to the heavens…But I don’t want my husband following me, not yet. I want him to stay here, to live a hundred years more, to watch over our grandchildren, to carry my love for them in his heart.”

“…And if he dares come up right after me, I swear I’ll beat him like a pig when he gets here—mark my words.”

Vivi smiled, her own eyes misty as she folded the letter and gently slid it across the table to the old man.

“She wrote this for you, I think.” She said softly. “Like she knew you’d need to hear it one day.”

The old man took the letter with trembling hands, his fingers tracing the ink as if it were Lila’s own touch.

His tears fell freely now, his shoulders shaking as he read the final words, his voice breaking into a sob that echoed through the quiet garden.

“Lila…oh, Lila.” He whispered, clutching the letter to his chest, his cries raw and unrestrained, a flood of grief and love spilling out.

Vivi watched him, her smile steady but tender, her voice gentle as she spoke. “There’s nothing I need to say, sir. Your Lila—she saw this moment coming. She knew you’d be here, struggling, and she left these words to guide you.”

“…So, unless you want to go up there and get beaten like a pig, just like she promised, you’d better stay here, live for your grandchildren, carry her love forward like she wanted.”

The old man’s sobs grew louder, but a faint, tearful laugh broke through, his head nodding as he clutched the letter tighter.

“She’d do it, too.” He choked out, his voice thick with emotion. “Beat me silly, she would. Oh, Lila…I’ll stay, I’ll stay for you.”

Lucius sniffled, his hands frozen on Cassius’s shoulders, his eyes brimming with tears he was desperately trying to hide. Cassius glanced at him, a teasing glint in his eyes as he murmured.

“What’s this, Lucius? You about to cry on me?”

Lucius straightened, puffing out his chest with a shaky scoff, though his voice betrayed him, trembling slightly.

“Of course not, Master! A trifling matter like this? Wouldn’t faze me in the least!” He wiped at his eyes with the back of his hand, his bravado fooling no one.

Cassius chuckled, but his own eyes glistened, a rare crack in his usual composure as he turned back to Vivi, his voice low.

“Got to hand it to her—she’s pulling tears out of everyone, even me.”

He blinked quickly, masking the tears that were forming with a smirk, but the weight of Lila’s letter lingered, its power undeniable, so much so that it was making him unveil the mask he put on everyday to maintain his image.

The old man’s sobs echoed softly in the garden, his hands clutching Lila’s letter as if it were a lifeline, tears streaming down his weathered cheeks.

Vivi watched him, her own eyes still glistening from the letter’s words, but a flicker of determination crossed her face.

She leaned forward, her voice trembling with empathy as she spoke.

“Oh, sir, I can’t bear to see you cry like this.” She said, her tone gentle but resolute. “And you know, my mother always told me that more than any medicine, love and care are what a person needs most to heal…And right now, you need that more than anything.”

She spread her arms wide, her smile radiant despite her frail frame.

“So, come here and let me give you a hug…I’d come to you, but it’s not so easy for me to get up, I’m afraid.”

The old man froze, his tear-covered face snapping up in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.

Lucius, standing behind Cassius, also went rigid, his hands pausing mid-motion as his jaw dropped. The senior maid gasped as well, her blanket slipping from her fingers as she stared at Vivi, utterly stunned.

For a noble like Vivi—delicate, refined, known for her preference for cleanliness, shying away from even muddy paths to offer a hug to a man who’d spent his life cleaning noble outhouses was unthinkable.

The very idea defied every social boundary, every expectation of her station.

And because of that the old man shook his head frantically, his voice rising in a panicked protest.

“No, no, my lady, I can’t!” He stammered, his hands waving as if to ward off the suggestion. “Me, hug you? I’d soil you, make you impure with my filthy body, my body which has been knee-deep in muck all my life! There’s no way I’d do that to someone as pure as you!”

The senior maid stepped forward, her voice sharp with concern.

“Lady Vivi, please, this is inappropriate.” She said, her hands wringing together. “You mustn’t…It’s not proper, and it’s not good for your health. I insist you reconsider!”

But Vivi’s smile only grew, her eyes sparkling with a stubborn warmth as she tilted her head.

“What’s wrong with it?” She asked, her voice light but unyielding. “It’s just a hug a simple bit of love for someone who needs it most. When I’m feeling down, mother hugs me, and it makes everything better.”

“…I’m just doing the same for him. There’s nothing improper about that.”

The old man’s protests grew louder, his voice trembling with fear and conviction.

“It’s not the same, my lady! A noble like you shouldn’t touch a commoner, let alone someone like me the lowest of the low, cleaning what no one else will…I’d rather run off right now than let you do this. I’d be going against my own will, soiling you with my shame!”

Vivi opened her mouth to argue, her pout returning as she prepared to press her case, but before she could, a voice cut through the tension—low, amused, but carrying an undeniable weight.

“…As much as I appreciate the sentiment, Vivi, hugging him might not be the best idea right now.”

Vivi’s eyes widened, her heart skipping a beat as she recognized the voice instantly—the voice that had become familiar over months of visits, the one that had guided her from the edge of illness to the vibrant life she now led.

And in response, she immediately turned in her chair, her frail frame practically vibrating with excitement, her face lighting up like a child seeing a beloved parent after a long absence.

“Young Master Cassius!”

She exclaimed, her eyes shining as she spotted him lounging in his chair, his gaze fixed on her with a warm, teasing smile. Lucius stood behind him, his expression a blend of pride and barely concealed emotion, his hands still poised from his earlier massage.

“You’re here!” Vivi said, her voice bubbling with joy. “When did you arrive? Why wasn’t I told? Oh, I can’t believe I didn’t notice you!” Her cheeks flushed, her hands clasping together as she leaned forward, her excitement infectious.

Cassius chuckled, his smirk widening as he leaned back, crossing his arms with a lazy grace.

“I got here a while ago, actually.” He said, his tone casual but with interest. “I then saw you holding court with all these folks, talking through their troubles, and I was hooked. Couldn’t bring myself to interrupt since it was too interesting watching you work your magic…So I took a seat, kept quiet, and listened to every word.”

Vivi let out a cute yelp, her flush deepening as she covered her face with her hands, her voice muffled with embarrassment.

“Oh no! You heard everything? From when? How much did you see?”

She peeked through her fingers, her pout returning as she caught his grin.

“From the start…” Cassius said, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Those kids fighting over snacks and toys—caught that whole show, and everything after. Didn’t miss a thing.”

Vivi’s eyes widened, her voice rising in a flustered squeak.

“The children? That means you saw nearly all of it! Oh, this is so embarrassing!”

She puffed out her cheeks, her pout deepening as she crossed her arms.

“You should’ve told me from the start! Here I am, bumbling through these silly little fights, trying to help people, and you a proper doctor, saving lives—are watching me like I’m some…some gossipmonger! I must’ve looked ridiculous!”

Cassius’s smirk softened, his expression shifting to something rare and genuine, his voice low and sincere.

“Not at all, Vivi.” He said, leaning forward slightly, his gaze locking with hers. “What you’re doing, it’s important…Damn important if I had to say.”

“Lucius said it earlier, and he’s right: there are wounds no medicine can touch, no potion from the church can heal in this world. Wounds deep in the heart, the kind you can’t see or stitch up.”

“…And you, with your words, your heart, the way you find just the right thing to say—you’re mending those wounds, leaving people better than you found them…That’s no small thing.”

Vivi’s breath caught, her eyes widening as his words sank in, her flush fading into a glow of pride.

Lucius nodded vigorously behind Cassius, his own eyes shining with agreement, while the senior maid beamed, her earlier concern forgotten in the face of such praise.

Vivi’s lips parted, her voice trembling with emotion.

“You…You really think so?” She asked, her hands pressing to her chest. “I thought…I thought maybe people would see it as just talk, nothing like what you or Mother do.”

Cassius shook his head, his voice firm but warm.

“You’ve got a talent, Vivi—a rare one. I can spot problems, come up with solutions, same as your mother…But finding the troubles of the heart like you do? Finding the perfect words, the perfect moment, to leave someone smiling, to make them whole again?”

“…That’s something I couldn’t do, not like you. You’re saving people from the inside, just like your mother saves their bodies…”

“…Be proud of that—it’s no less than what your mother does.”

Vivi’s eyes shimmered, her heart swelling with a joy so fierce it nearly overwhelmed her.

To hear such words from Cassius—a doctor her own mother revered, the man who’d given her the strength to sit here, to live again, felt like a gift beyond measure.

She’d feared her work was trivial, mere chatter compared to the practical healing of medicine and potions, but his recognition, his praise, validated every letter she’d read, every conversation she’d held.

“T-Thank you.” She whispered, her voice thick with gratitude. “Thank you so much, Young Master Cassius. It’s…It’s my utmost honor to hear that from you.”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep