Episode 111. Daniel Bohan (2)

Daniel looked utterly surprised by my words, leaving me tilting my head in confusion.

‘Why does he look like that? He hasn’t even responded with a thank-you.’

Was he caught off guard because I said I was glad?

‘I don’t particularly have a reason to dislike meeting him. After all, his actions were always because of Beth.’

As my puzzlement grew, Daniel’s expression sank into a complicated mixture of emotions.

While I was frowning, trying to decipher his mood, Percy suddenly stepped forward and blocked my view.

“I’m sorry, but my wife is feeling quite exhausted. We’d like to head inside quickly,” Percy said curtly.

“Oh, my apologies. Please, come in, Your Grace,” Daniel replied, stepping aside.

I wasn’t particularly tired, but I didn’t mind avoiding an awkward standoff with Daniel either.

I bowed my head slightly and followed behind Percy.

Daniel led us to the drawing room.

He bowed politely.

“This room hasn’t been used in a long time, so the guest rooms aren’t fully prepared. Please wait a moment.”

“We’re fine, really…” I began to say.

“We can’t treat our guests carelessly,” Daniel insisted.

Showing up unannounced on a rainy night, we were certainly imposing, but he was going above and beyond.

When I gave an awkward smile, Daniel flinched slightly and turned away from my gaze.

“I’ll bring some tea,” he said.

“Huh?”

Was he seriously going to fetch the tea himself?

I wanted to stop him, but he swiftly exited before I could say anything.

Clenching my empty hands, I let out a small laugh and scratched my cheek awkwardly.

“Goodness. He’s being so attentive that it’s making me feel uncomfortable.”

“…”

“Percy?”

But Percy didn’t respond.

When I turned to look at him, puzzled, he was staring at the door Daniel had left through with a stiff expression.

“I don’t like it,” Percy muttered.

“What now?” I asked.

“The way he keeps glancing at you. It’s as though he’s showing too much interest in my wife, and it’s driving me mad,” Percy said bluntly.

What was he even talking about?

I burst into laughter.

“Don’t you remember? You were the one who said we should come in and not worry about it.”

“Well, that’s…”

Percy trailed off, his mouth closing as if he didn’t have a counterargument.

Grasping his hand gently, I said.

“And if he had given me cold looks or treated me poorly, I’d have been upset. It’s better this way.”

“Is that so?”

“It’s just for one night. We’re leaving early in the morning, right?”

“That’s true.”

Though he still didn’t seem pleased, I smiled warmly and tried to ease his mood.

Then, an odd thought struck me.

‘Wait, why am I the one comforting Percy?’

When had our roles reversed like this?

While I was lost in thought, the door to the drawing room opened, and Daniel entered, holding a tray.

With him was a boy slightly shorter than Daniel.

“This is my younger brother,” Daniel introduced.

‘The sub-male lead!’

Hearing his introduction, I blinked in surprise.

The boy shared Daniel’s dark hair but had his face obscured by his bangs.

I tilted my head curiously.

‘Was he always this gloomy? In the original novel, he had a much brighter vibe.’

In the story, the Count of Bohan embodied sophistication and kindness, while Daniel was the calm and stoic handsome type.
The other two younger brothers were supposed to be cheerful and full of mischief.

‘Could this be because of Beth too?’

The boy, who gave off a completely different aura from the original novel, greeted us briefly before vanishing as though fleeing.
I bit my lip.

‘Daniel must truly resent Beth.’

The Count of Bohan had died suddenly, his younger brother’s personality had changed, and the entire household had fallen apart because of Beth.

As I stared at him with pity, Daniel opened the teapot.

“Since it’s almost bedtime, I’ll brew the tea lightly,” he said.

“…”

Regardless of my sympathy for him, I wasn’t thrilled about drinking tea he’d brewed himself.

Should I ask for plain water instead, or should I insist on making my own tea?

While I wrestled with the decision, Daniel placed a small box in front of Percy.

“This is for Your Grace. A fine product recently arrived,” Daniel said.

A fine product? That sounded suspicious, like something a dealer might say.

Even though the box wasn’t opened yet, Percy stiffened as if he already knew what was inside.

Curious, I picked it up.

“What is it?” I asked.

When I opened the tin case, I found small, golden-brown objects wrapped in paper, lined up neatly.

A curious little knife was also included; pressing on its handle would send a blade down to cut the objects in the middle.

Realizing what it was, I widened my eyes and turned to Percy.

“Cigars? Percy, do you smoke?”

These were luxury cigars, called cheroots.

‘I’ve never seen Percy smoke before,’ I thought.

Wait. Did he smoke when we first met?

As I rummaged through my hazy memories, Percy gave me a neat smile and answered.

“It’s just for social occasions.”

“Isn’t this too strong for casual smoking?”

“I’m not fond of tea, so this suits me better,” he replied.

“Huh.”

I figured that among men, it was either tea or cigars during social exchanges.

Glancing between Percy and the cigars, I shrugged.

“They do suit you,” I muttered.

Percy frowned slightly, as if surprised by my comment.
“Do you think highly of cigars?” he asked.

“No, I can’t stand them. They’re bad for your health and hard to quit once you start. How are they any different from drugs?”

“…That’s true.”

I had expected him to agree wholeheartedly, but his response was oddly lukewarm.

Perhaps because of the awkward mood between us, Daniel hesitated to serve the tea he had just prepared.
The atmosphere remained stagnant for a moment until the butler of Bohan Castle entered the room.

“The rooms are ready,” the butler announced.

Eager to escape the tension, I quickly stood up.

“Then we’ll head up! Thank you for your hospitality.”

I couldn’t wait to soak in warm water and get some rest.

* * *

Daniel was completely jolted awake by the sudden arrival of Sienna and Percy. Restless thoughts stirred within him as he stepped out into the garden. The rain that had been falling earlier had already stopped.

‘It felt like I was looking at someone else.’

Late at night, lantern in hand, Daniel wandered through the garden, his mind inevitably drifting to Sienna. Her appearance tonight had been shocking to him.

‘She was smiling brightly and speaking so freely.’

During their engagement, Sienna had always worn a scornful expression, her words laced with thorns. Yet tonight, sitting beside Percy, she seemed like a completely different person. For the first time, Daniel noticed how much gentler her features were compared to his memories.

‘Maybe it was my prejudice that made her seem so harsh.’

In the end, it was his own pettiness—judging her based on rumors—that had been the real problem. Thinking this, Daniel let out a bitter smile.

As his body, chilled by the night air, urged him to head back inside, he noticed someone standing on the terrace. It was Percy.

Daniel tried to pass by without being noticed, but Percy raised a hand in greeting, making it impossible to avoid him. Reluctantly approaching, Daniel nodded awkwardly.

“You’re still awake.”

“Yes. I couldn’t sleep being alone,” Percy replied nonchalantly.

Having exchanged greetings, silence fell between them. After a moment of hesitation, Daniel asked abruptly.

“Is smoking meant to be a secret?”

He was referring to what had happened earlier in the drawing room. Percy answered lightly.

“It’s not exactly a secret. It just turned out that way.”

“…”

While Percy claimed it wasn’t a secret, it essentially was.

Daniel’s gesture of offering cigars earlier hadn’t been mere politeness. It was well known among the imperial knights that Percy Stewart was a heavy smoker. Daniel had deliberately gone out of his way to procure premium cigars for him.

‘But judging by Her Highness’s reaction earlier, she seemed like she’d never seen him smoke.’

Even if he wasn’t smoking in front of her, the smell would have been impossible to hide.

It all pointed to one conclusion: Percy had voluntarily quit smoking to avoid upsetting her.

Realizing this, Daniel frowned involuntarily.

“That’s not like you, Your Grace.”

“What exactly is ‘like me’?”

Percy asked, his expression turning cold.

“Someone who would stubbornly stick to their preferences, even if it displeased the woman they love,” Daniel said honestly.

“Frankly… yes, that’s how I would have imagined you.”

After answering, Daniel pressed down on the ache in his chest. He knew exactly which words had struck a nerve.

‘The woman he loves…’

Even Percy’s ability to openly express his emotions felt uncharacteristic.
‘I thought you, of all people, would never change.’

For reasons Daniel couldn’t understand, the thought left him feeling unsettled. He bit his lip hard. Percy, noticing his reaction, let out a faint chuckle.

“Then call it unlike me if you will. Because I’m more than willing to change for her.”

Only then did Daniel realize the truth.

What he was feeling right now was jealousy.

 

₍ᐢ . ̫.ᐢ₎♡₍ᐢ. ̫ .⑅ᐢ₎

☕ Hi, friends! Your support means the world to me. If you’d like, you can buy me a coffee here: Click the link on the image! 💖

Thank you for keeping me inspired! 🌸

* ੈ✩‧₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚* ੈ✩‧₊˚