Episode 11
Why didn’t she demand anything in return for saving him? What could she possibly be thinking?
“…”
He took out the bread and ate it with jam as the woman instructed.
He also quenched his thirst with warm water.
The sweetness on his tongue felt unfamiliar.
“Am I supposed to sleep there…?”
The woman handed over the bedroom to him while she lay on the sofa in the office.
She offered him a comfortable place to sleep for no apparent reason.
‘What does she really want from me?’
He wished she would just tell him straightforwardly.
He wished she would treat him like everyone else.
If she did, his body might be exhausted, but at least his mind wouldn’t be this anxious.
After staring blankly at the place where Celia was for a moment, he headed to the bedroom.
He checked to see if there were any traps set inside, but there was nothing wrong with the bed.
Soon, Damon slipped under the fluffy blanket and closed his eyes.
A drowsy feeling rose from his toes, enveloped by the warmth that covered his entire body.
It was a new kind of emotion that he’d never felt before.
‘…It would be nice if I could stay here for a long time.’
Before falling asleep, he suddenly had that thought.
He wished this ‘master’ could be with him for a long time.
Even if she changed her mind and treated him coldly on a whim, he just hoped she wouldn’t kick him out.
The desire to be by her side flickered faintly in his subconscious before disappearing.
That’s how Damon sank into sleep.
* * *
“I almost slept in. What kind of book is that long…?”
It was when he heard a murmur outside the door that he woke up again.
As soon as he realized it was Celia’s voice, Damon immediately got out of bed.
Then he went straight to the door and came out to where she was.
“Oh? You’re awake.”
The woman, who had belatedly noticed Damon, said in a slightly startled tone.
Even though he had seen her just a few hours ago, he felt glad to see her face.
Thinking it was a strange thing, Damon opened his mouth.
“Master.”
“….”
At Damon’s words, the woman’s expression became subtle.
It was a truly subtle expression, neither a smile nor a frown.
Did she not like this title?
“My name is Celia Wolf.”
“Celia…”
“And for the time being, you’ll be working here as an assistant. So from now on, call me Ma’am.”
Assistant? Damon looked at her with a puzzled face.
“You asked me to take you in, didn’t you? Because you had nowhere to go?”
The woman continued with a shrug.
“However, I’m also in a tight situation financially, so I can’t treat you too well. All I can offer is food, lodging, and a small wage. Is that okay?”
“…Wage?”
Words he had never imagined poured out of her mouth.
She was going to hire him as an assistant? And pay him?
He was so flustered that he couldn’t say anything, and in the meantime, Celia came up to him.
His body stiffened involuntarily at the suddenly close distance.
“Now that I think about it, it doesn’t seem bad.”
A low-pitched voice tickled his ears. Then, soft fingers brushed Damon’s cheek.
Damon blinked, swallowing his breath.
What was she saying? Did she think of a way to use him?
“I like you.”
The moment Celia uttered the next sentence, Damon’s eyes widened.
When he unconsciously took a step back out of the embarrassment he felt for the first time, a deep smile appeared on her lips.
“I’m looking forward to seeing how you’ll grow.”
“…”
“I plan to keep you by my side and watch over you, so please take good care of yourself.”
Until Celia finished speaking with a voice full of smiles, Damon couldn’t respond at all.
His heart strangely pounded fiercely.
His spinning vision made him feel like he might collapse.
“I have something to take care of today, so wait at home by yourself. If you’re hungry, take out anything and eat. If you’re bored, read a book or something. But…”
But?
Was there another condition, something he must absolutely fulfill?
Damon quickly raised his head at the ominous word.
Then, Celia’s face was right in front of his eyes.
“Don’t go outside the office without my permission. I don’t like it when what’s mine catches someone else’s eye.”
At the quiet warning, Damon stood stiffly in place, forgetting to breathe.
Meanwhile, Celia turned around without hesitation and left.
* * *
Obsession Tip. Pretend to offer good terms and keep them isolated by your side.
The key is to pretend to care for and support the other person while gaslighting them.
Adding subtle flirting and cheesy expressions makes it perfect!
Was this really the right way?
I did follow the instructions by reducing my sleep and reading carefully, but…
Even as I did it, I wondered if this would really work.
‘If this doesn’t work and he doesn’t run away, I’ll find out the author’s address and pay them a visit. Of course, I’ll also claim the 100,000 cash from them.’
Then I’d show them what real obsession meant, in the worst sense.
With that resolve, I climbed a carriage to the residence of Marquis Grayden.
‘But it seems to have worked well so far…?’
Suddenly, the image of Damon taking steps back with a white face came to mind.
He seemed very flustered by my sudden change in attitude.
‘I hope Damon quickly returns to the original storyline.’
I had intentionally left my purse at home to ensure he could leave anytime he wanted.
If you have any sense, please take it and leave quickly.
Go out and reclaim the imperial palace, or find the love of the century, do as you please.
Before I knew it, I could see the Marquis’ residence out of the swaying carriage.
We must be almost there.
As soon as I got off at the entrance of the mansion, the butler greeted me with a puzzled face.
“Detective? What brings you here?”
“I’d like to see the Marquis.”
At my straightforward demand, the butler led me to the reception room.
While I was waiting and drinking tea, the Marquis soon appeared with a deeply furrowed face.
“Is there still something to see in the mansion? Isn’t it about time you went out to find Chelsea?”
The Marquis spoke with an irritated voice as soon as he saw my face.
“Don’t worry. You’ll be able to meet the Marchioness today.”
“You’re a good talker. Have you found where Chelsea is?”
“Yes, so let’s go together now.”
At my confident suggestion, the Marquis’ eyes narrowed.
“Where should we go?”
He seemed to be secretly looking forward to it even though he was acting skeptical.
I put down my teacup and stood up with a chuckle.
“To the Marchioness’ greenhouse.”
* * *
“Now, if you eat this, you’ll get better.”
Viscount Larmin said as he handed over a freshly picked green apple.
Chelsea, who was already feeling weak, accepted the apple with joy.
“Thank you, Viscount.”
The lord’s cold gaze turned to Chelsea, who was eagerly eating the apple.
Only after confirming that she had eaten every bit without leaving a single piece did he leave his seat with satisfaction.
Watching this, the young Chelsea thought to herself.
‘As I thought, uncle still considers me family.’
After her mother and father passed away one after another, she lived at her uncle’s house and ate leftovers. The room was small and poorly heated, and the meals were inadequate.
Amidst this, she even took on menial tasks that a noble lady would never do, and her body quickly became frail.
Then one day, as she lay on a hard bed, groaning, her uncle appeared and abruptly offered her a piece of fruit.
The fruit she ate at that time felt sweeter and more fragrant than any other food.
In fact, after she started eating it, she felt her health gradually improving.
“Mom! Can’t I have some too?”
“Stay still.”
Even when the whole family gathered for meals, a variety of fruits were placed in front of Chelsea.
The rest of the family never touched the fruit, but Chelsea didn’t find it strange at all.
She simply thought that because she loved it so much, her cold uncle had reluctantly shown her kindness.
She believed it was because he cared for his sick niece.
Curiously, just eating the fruit energized her weakened body, and she could handle her chores easily. Sometimes, she had so much energy that she couldn’t sleep until late into the night.
Conversely, when she didn’t eat the fruit, she became strangely sluggish.
THE MF DRUGGED HER?? Viscount larmin accurately sounds like Viscount vermin
And Celia making plans to rip off the author of that guidebook is so real. It works so well that even I got uncomfortable with her words.
