As the light from the living room disappeared, the room grew dim. Even in the darkness, Kasion’s form was faintly visible. He was slightly bowing his head. Because of his large build, the posture felt even more intimidating.
Was he finally revealing the true nature he had been hiding?
A low, rough groan rumbled from his throat.
“Haa, Ariel.”
A wave of fear washed over me.
I haven’t even seen Serhen’s wedding yet. I still want to see Lireania elegantly walking down the red carpet in a beautiful dress. And what about my niece or nephew? I wanted to play with the little ones who would look just like Serhen and Lireania, who never existed in the novel. I love children, after all.
“I told you not to come in here, didn’t I? I believe I mentioned that the lock was broken.” Kasion’s voice cut through the darkness.
“That’s why I p-propped the door with my shoe.”
Even though I felt wronged, I should have kept my mouth shut. My voice was the perfect trigger for a man who had found an opportunity.
Kasion took a rough breath and stepped toward me. I took a step back in response to his approach. He took another large step forward. Being shorter than him, I had to take two steps back. The distance between us remained the same.
“When I said not to come in, you should have considered that there might be other reasons.”
His voice was restrained. Was he holding back anger or suppressing his beastly nature?
“O-Other reasons?”
“Yes. I didn’t want you to know, not just yet.”
He raised his head. Even in the darkness, his yellow eyes were clearly visible, as if he was no longer hiding the emotions he had been suppressing.
Kasion stood still, some distance away from me. The sound of his wet clothes squishing echoed as his shadow moved. His arm swept across his face. I couldn’t see his expression clearly, but I could tell it was a dangerous one. Then he did something even more dangerous.
“Wait! Why are you taking off your clothes?”
“If I don’t open the curtains, you won’t be able to see me. So what does it matter?” He spoke, slightly out of breath.
“Still…”
“No matter how strong I am, if I stay in wet clothes too long, I’ll catch a cold too.”
I shut my mouth at his words. He wasn’t wrong, but why did he have to choose now to undress?
We were trapped in a dark room, and he was coming closer. His sinister intentions were becoming more apparent, making me more cautious.
“Y-You didn’t forget about writing the contract, did you?”
“Is that really important right now?”
As expected, this was all a trap. At this point, everything seemed suspicious. Did he plan this tea time, waiting for a day like this on purpose?
As I remained silent, he sighed in frustration. “Sigh, let’s figure out how to get out of here first.”
“Are you serious?”
“Of course, why would I lie?”
“Seems suspicious…” I muttered softly, and Kasion let out another rough sigh. In the darkness, his breathing sounded threatening, like that of a beast.
“You know, it seems like you’ve been treating me like a scoundrel for a while now.”
He noticed. Did I make it obvious that I disliked him? Maybe I should have worded the no-confinement clause more subtly.
“When did this misunderstanding start?”
“T-That’s…”
“When you were younger, you didn’t treat me like this.”
His voice was filled with a sense of hurt. Hearing it made me feel strangely conflicted.
The person I know, the one from the novel, had a personality that was oddly similar yet different, which momentarily confused me. If I hadn’t recalled memories of my past life or found that book, how would I have treated him?
“I’m sorry…”
I probably would have continued to trust and rely on him.
He was the knight who scared away any villain who tried to harm Serhen and me with his fierce gaze.
“Could it be Serhen’s influence? Did he advise you to avoid me during the two years I was gone?”
Why is the blame being shifted to Serhen for no reason?
With everything that was happening, I couldn’t let my guard down. If I compare his actions so far to the novel, he’s exactly like the Kasion in the story. The only difference is that he resents Serhen because of me, not because of Lireania.
“That’s not true at all.”
“Really? You always defend Serhen, even when he lied to you about me.”
“What are you talking about?”
Is he trying to slander Serhen? Just like in the novel, he’s wary of Serhen, which is why I couldn’t act like I used to.
As I remained on high alert, Kasion started approaching me again. I backed away, trying to maintain distance until my knees hit the edge of the bed. Startled by the unexpected impact, I lost my balance and fell backward. Fortunately, it was a bed, so I wasn’t hurt. At least no one else saw me fall over like this in a dark room alone with Kasion.
“Ariel!”
At that moment, Kasion rushed toward me. But he, too, seemed to lose his sense of distance in the dark and bumped into the bed. Or did he pretend to?
Our position feels awkward. His muscles, which were now clearly defined, completely surrounded me.
Through the darkness, I could see Kasion’s face. He was so close that I could vaguely make out his expression. A face that was solely focused on me. A face tightly furrowed with concern.
When he opened his mouth, his warm breath tickled my nose. The fresh scent, whether from him or his clothes, was undeniable. I didn’t have a fever, but I felt blood rushing through my veins.
“You’ve been making it impossible to take my eyes off you since you were young.”
Was he saying that he had been fixated on me since childhood? Isn’t that even more dangerous?
But something seemed off about Kasion. His arm, which brushed against mine, felt a little warm…
“Uah! Kasion!”
Kasion staggered slightly and collapsed onto me.
Strange. In the novel, he was never supposed to get sick, boasting an ironclad stamina and immunity. His body was even hotter than it had been when I was sick last time.
* * *
Serhen arrived at the duchy. He greeted the butler, who opened the carriage door for him.
“It’s been a while.”
“Welcome, Marquis.”
The butler opened a large umbrella. After Serhen got out of the carriage first, he extended his hand to help Lireania out. His shoulder got wet from the rain outside the umbrella, but not a drop of the cold autumn rain touched Lireania.
“Be careful, it’s slippery.”
“Thank you, Serhen.”
The butler smiled warmly as he watched the affectionate couple. His master would soon find a partner to share such sweet moments just like them, right?
“Where is Ariel?” Serhen asked, looking for his sister before even addressing the host.
The butler found this endearing. He had always admired the warm relationship between the siblings he had watched grow up. If they could bring such warmth to the duchy, which had been bleak for generations, it would surely brighten the place.
“She’s on the third floor, in the room where she used to stay when she visited the duchy a few years ago.”
Hearing that, Serhen’s eyes sharpened slightly. He knew exactly which room that was. The duchess’s room.
“Is she alone?”
“His Grace should be with her.”
“What? Didn’t you say her clothes were ruined and she needed to change?”
“There were no clothes for her to wear immediately, so His Grace gave her some of his own clothes to change into.”
At that, Serhen’s eyes flashed sharply.
Lireania noticed and placed her hand on his arm. “I don’t think the duke is the type to be disrespectful. I’m sure he wouldn’t do anything to tarnish Lady Ariel’s honor, so don’t worry.”
Lireania’s words made Serhen bite his lip slightly. This innocent woman didn’t understand how dangerous a man could become when he was in love. Especially when someone like Kasion, who is quick to act, makes up his mind, it’s obvious that kind Ariel would be devoured.
“If you’re so worried, let’s go up quickly.” Sensing the anxiety in her lover’s eyes, Lireania spoke gently.
Serhen handed the box containing Ariel’s new clothes and shoes to a servant of the duchy. “Lead the way.”
The sudden rain had turned the road into a muddy mess, causing too much of a delay. Hoping that nothing had happened to Ariel, he moved with anxious steps.
The butler and servants led him to the room on the third floor. The room opposite Kasion’s is the duchess’s room. He had never understood why Ariel was made to sleep in the duchess’s room instead of a guest room back then, and now they had brought her there again.
“Why are you two standing outside?” Serhen’s eyes caught sight of two knights from the Marquisate.
“His Grace was concerned that we might see the young lady’s wet body, so he kept us at a distance.”
They left her knights at the end of the corridor? But why was the room so quiet? The lack of any sound made him more uneasy.
Without knocking, Serhen flung open the door to the duchess’s room. The two of them weren’t in the living room. Instead, Ariel’s clothes were laid out in front of the fireplace. Flames sparked in Serhen’s eyes.
“Ariel! Where are you?”
Just then, a thud came from the inner room.
“That’s the bedroom. How did the two of them end up in there…?”
The butler’s voice reached his ears. Serhen might have lost his mind at that moment. His trusted friend had finally betrayed him. Pretending to gain Ariel’s favor first, what had he done now?
Serhen’s slender body, which Ariel had worried about, was surprisingly strong. The strength he showed might have come from the worry he felt for his sister. Unable to control himself, he grabbed the door handle and, without restraint, slammed his shoulder into the door. The door burst open.
“You b*stard! What have you done to my sister?!” Serhen, with fists clenched, charged into the bedroom.
Happy New Year everyone!ヾ(´︶`♡)ﾉ
omg no the cliffhanger😵💫