“Milady, you’ve… arrived.” The butler of the duchy glanced behind me as he greeted me. “And these people are…?”
Two large, rough-looking knights were standing behind me.
“I brought the escort knights from the marquisate. They can come in with me, right?”
“Of course, although there won’t be much for them to do at the duchy.”
Even the usually kind butler looked a bit puzzled and wary at the sight of the knights.
Up until now, my escorts had always waited in the carriage upon arriving at the duchy. Pertelian was a safe place for Mellin. But not anymore.
“Another tea time?”
“Yes, only two more, including this one.”
“Ariel, do you remember what I told you?”
“Of course. You said all men are dangerous except you, Brother.”
Especially Kasion. He’s probably the most dangerous man in the empire.
To ease Serhen’s worries, I brought the escort knights along. Though I would have brought them regardless. You never know when Kasion might try to kidnap or confine me. I still harbored the anxiety that I might have become the female lead of the dark romance novel.
“Where’s Kasion?”
He’s probably with the knights again, trying to catch me off guard.
“He’s already in the garden.”
What is this? What kind of scheme is he up to today that he’s doing something he usually doesn’t?
Hiding my unease, I walked the familiar path to the garden. The scent of apples had diminished, likely because they had already been harvested. Instead, the aroma of fragrant tea and rich butter grew stronger.
“Welcome.”
I stopped in my tracks at the sight of Kasion’s attire.
What’s going on? Why does he look so impeccable?
To my surprise, Kasion was dressed in a neat and formal suit. A white shirt with pumpkin buttons, a navy vest and coat, and perfectly creased trousers. In contrast, I had dressed casually, expecting a more relaxed setting after the last time.
We really don’t match.
“It’s been a while, Kasion.”
Feigning a lack of suspicion, I smiled as naturally as possible and approached the table. Kasion stood up from his seat as I did.
W-What’s going on?
My body, tense with nerves, froze when he approached. Strange thoughts ran through my mind.
What if he takes the swords from my guards? And what if he kills them one by one?
The inevitable conclusion would be him locking me up somewhere deep within the duchy, doing unspeakable things to me day and night.
“S-Stop!” It was a meaningless protest, but I quickly blurted it out.
Kasion casually reached out his hand. As I flinched and stepped back, his hand sliced through the air and landed on the back of the chair.
“It’s only natural for a knight to pull out a lady’s chair.”
Why is he being so kind all of a sudden?
Kasion smoothly pulled out the chair for me. Watching him with wary eyes, I took a hesitant step toward the chair. Click—! At that time, my ankle twisted slightly, perhaps because of a stone in the garden.
What kind of divine prank was this? The heels of my new shoes, which I hadn’t worn for long, broke with a loud noise. Losing my balance, I naturally stumbled.
“Uaah!”
Kasion quickly turned, extending one leg as he caught me. My hips gently landed on his bent thigh.
Is this a reclining chair?
Even though I wasn’t light, he supported me effortlessly.
“Are you okay?”
“Yes, but my new shoes…”
He helped me stand up. Standing in the broken shoes made me feel off-balance. It was more comfortable sitting like I had been.
“Lift your skirt.”
“What?”
“I need to check if your ankle is injured.”
I instinctively looked over at the knights I had brought. With my eyes, I silently scolded them for doing nothing. But they were too busy watching Kasion with admiration to notice my plight.
As I clicked my tongue in disbelief, Kasion knelt on one knee. His previously loose trousers suddenly stretched tight. That wasn’t just flesh under there. The same strength that had let him jump up to the second-floor terrace and catch me without flinching. The source of his prowess as described in that problematic novel.
If I made one wrong move, I would be dealing with a truly dangerous man. It made me swallow hard.
“Ariel?”
At his call, I turned my head and gingerly extended my foot.
“Does it hurt?”
He gently pressed on my ankle, rotating my foot as he did. It tickled so much that my toes curled.
“I’m fine! Please let go, I’m really okay!”
“Your shoe is completely broken. Butler, send someone to the marquisate to fetch a new pair of shoes.”
“Yes, right away.”
As soon as the butler left, Kasion stood up.
“Kyaa! Wait, Kasion! The chair is just a step away!”
“Walking in those shoes will only hurt you.”
He lifted me into his arms and placed me gently in the actual chair. Unlike my flustered self, Kasion calmly pushed my chair in and then moved to the seat opposite mine.
“The weather is a bit cloudy for an outdoor tea time.”
I looked up at the sky out of embarrassment. The previously sunny skies were now covered in clouds. Though the sun peeked through occasionally, the shade made the chilly evening breeze nip at my fingers.
“Indeed. It’s not the best weather for tea.”
At my words, Kasion stood up again. He picked up a thick blanket from the small table and silently draped it over my lap. Returning to his seat, Kasion poured the tea himself instead of letting the butler do it. He didn’t drink; he just leaned on his hand and observed me as I sipped.
“Serhen’s wedding is in a week, right?”
“Yes, it’s soon.”
“He already shows signs of being a devoted husband.”
“My brother has always been a kind person.”
“Yes, it looks like they’ll be happy together, and that’s a relief.”
I looked Kasion straight in the eye. His yellow eyes didn’t seem to be lying. They were fixed on me, clear and unwavering. He only had eyes for me. Only me.
…It was a good idea to bring the knights. His gaze was too dangerous. I fidgeted with my teacup, avoiding his gaze.
“By the way, have all the furnishings been moved into your new house?”
“Yes, I received the bed you sent too.”
“I hope you like it.”
“Of course.” Though I planned to replace it.
Lifting my tea cup, I took another sip.
“In that case, let’s have our remaining tea times at your new house after Serhen’s wedding.”
“Are you serious?”
It was a welcome suggestion for me. After the wedding, I could keep postponing and avoid him altogether. I planned not to see Kasion anymore. It was because I needed to rebuild the walls I’d let down before I became the female lead of a dark confinement story.
“Yes. But knowing you, I’m sure you’ll find some excuse to delay it.”
This sly fox. How did he know? My eyes trembled with the realization that he’d seen through me.
“Eei, no way.”
“So, I’ll set up a safeguard.”
It gave an ominous signal.
“What is it?”
“The pledge you requested.”
The pledge not to confine me! The lifeline that would save me from becoming the female lead of a confinement story!
My eyes widened while Kasion’s eyes narrowed.
“You said you’d write it today, right?”
“Yes, I plan to write it today. Though I still don’t understand why you’re asking for something like that.” Kasion squinted, clearly thinking I was up to something strange again.
“But what does that have to do with the third tea time?”
“I’ll give you that pledge on the day of the third tea time. If you keep postponing, you won’t get it.”
I had been so focused on avoiding the dark romance and confinement aspects that I’d forgotten how clever Kasion could be.
* * *
Lireania visited the marquisate to make the final alterations to her wedding dress.
“Lord Serhen, why do you seem so down?” She suddenly asked as she checked the lines of his suit from behind. Lireania knew the reason, of course, but she wanted to hear him admit it since he kept pretending otherwise.
“Ariel went to see Kasion again.”
“The duke seems to care for Lady Ariel a lot, doesn’t he?”
“…”
“Seeing them dance together at the ball, they looked like a perfect match. Even the noble ladies who visit the boutique said the same.”
Serhen tensed his arm, and Lireania lightly tapped it.
“Relax.”
As he relaxed his hand, Lireania picked up a pin and adjusted the line of his suit.
“Do you dislike it that much? You should trust him more, especially since he’s your friend. He comes from a good family, is capable, and most importantly, he genuinely cares for Ariel.”
“But Ariel doesn’t like him.”
“Do you really think she doesn’t? If that were the case, you wouldn’t be this upset.” Lireania’s words hit the mark.
Serhen’s face twisted slightly. He sighed deeply, looking at Lireania. “A long time ago, Ariel said that I was like a kind younger brother to her, and Kasion was like a strict and scary but caring older brother.”
“So, he was family to both of you.”
“Yes, but Kasion was the first to try to break that after returning from the battlefield.” Serhen clenched his fist in frustration.
Lireania couldn’t quite understand. If Kasion was family, shouldn’t that mean they trust each other more? Then Serhen should be able to trust his sister to Kasion.
“Is that really the only reason?”
“Sigh, I don’t know. Kasion is someone who could be dragged back to the battlefield at any moment…”
“And?”
“His status is higher than mine.”
Lireania understood what he meant. If his sister’s husband outranked him, Serhen wouldn’t be able to scold him if he ever made her cry. Serhen didn’t like that.
Lireania smiled softly to herself. From what she could see, Kasion might have a harsh demeanor, but he would never make Ariel cry. That’s why he always sought her advice with such a serious face. She just hoped he would listen to her today.
“If you keep giving the duke a hard time, Lady Ariel might end up resenting you.”
Nonsense. That would never happen.
Serhen couldn’t bring himself to argue with his beloved, so he just twitched his eyebrows. Then, the butler entered the room.
“Milord, there’s a message from the duchy.”
“What is it? Don’t tell me something happened to Ariel?”
“They said the heel of the young lady’s shoe broke. They’re asking for a new pair to be brought over.”
Serhen’s eyes lit up.
“Lire, why don’t we go to the duchy together? I think we should pick up Ariel before it starts raining.”
Lireania chuckled at her fiancé. Really, he and the duke would both ignore her advice, only to regret it when Ariel eventually resented them.
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