“Kayden? Why are you doing that?”
Suddenly, a voice interrupted his thoughts. Kayden reflexively lifted his head.
Standing at the door of the office, Diana looked at him with wide eyes. Kayden noticed the basket she was holding and spoke without thinking.
“Diana, that’s…”
“Ah, I made it with Bella’s help. It took a while to get a decent shape, so I ended up a bit late in delivering them.” Diana approached Kayden and sat down, smiling awkwardly.
Kayden stared blankly at the neatly shaped cookies in the basket she offered, much prettier than the ones Patrasche had been eating.
Seeing no response from Kayden, Diana glanced at his face with a slightly anxious expression. “I heard you’ve been increasing your training sessions on top of attending many gatherings lately. I made these to cheer you up since I heard you like sweets. But if you don’t like them…”
“No, no. I love sweets. I’ll enjoy them.” Kayden came to his senses at her words and accepted the basket she handed over. Only then did a smile bloom on Diana’s face.
“That’s a relief. I’ll be going now. See you at dinner.”
“Ah… yes. Thank you, Diana.”
“Thank you for accepting them.”
With that, Diana left. Kayden watched her retreating figure until she disappeared from sight, then quickly raised his hand and slapped his cheek. Slap—
“…It hurts.”
So, it’s not a dream.
A smile slowly crept up on Kayden’s face. He got up, glanced at the cookies on Patrasche’s desk, then at the basket he was holding, letting out a snicker.
This is the difference between a husband and a mere servant, Patrasche Remit.
“…Ah, come to think of it.”
Amidst his gloating over Patrasche, Kayden remembered something he’d forgotten. I need to arrange a meeting with D. Obscure.
The information provided by D. Obscure had never been wrong. Not only did they identify the integrity of various charitable organizations, but they also provided investment information that would hit the jackpot within weeks. It was almost as if they could see the future.
It wouldn’t hurt to confirm their identity at least once.
Given the little known about them, it seemed likely they were intentionally hiding their identity, so it was uncertain whether they would agree to a meeting. But meeting D. Obscure in person could clarify the nagging doubts that kept bothering him.
With determination in his eyes, Kayden went to find Patrasche, not forgetting to bring the basket for bragging purposes.
* * *
It was sometime later, on a late night with no moon. Cedric arrived at the back gate of the Yelling mansion at the time Fiona had specified in her letter. Pulling his hood low and glancing around, he noticed a small side door, likely used by the servants, slightly ajar. He took a deep breath and stepped inside. The door opened smoothly without a creak.
The mansion was silent, shrouded in darkness. There were no guards in sight. Cedric smiled quietly at this.
It seems she still has feelings for me. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have agreed to meet late at night or sent the servants away.
[To Lady Yelling.
I wish to apologize for my previous rudeness. Additionally, I have something to tell you. If possible, could we meet privately and quietly?]
A few days earlier, after much deliberation, Cedric had secretly sent a letter to Fiona. If Rebecca and Ludwig realized that Fiona had started to suspect Cedric, they would dispose of him immediately. But Cedric had no intention of letting go of the opportunity he had worked so hard to secure.
As long as I fix things before they find out, everything will go according to plan. Therefore, without reporting to Rebecca and Ludwig, Cedric had sent the letter to Fiona on his own.
Before they could harshly discard him, while Fiona still harbored feelings for Cedric, he planned to use a somewhat drastic method to ensure she couldn’t voice her suspicions about him.
It’s a surefire way…
Cedric stopped in a dark corner of the garden in front of a gazebo. He glanced down at the bouquet in his hand. The bouquet was fresh and beautiful. Moreover, it strangely resembled the one Antar had presented at the charity party hosted by the Lireul Foundation. But between the ribbons tying the bouquet, small thorns protruded from the flower stems.
These were flowers Cedric had specifically bred, known as Haieren flowers. Once five hours passed after being picked, they would just be ordinary flowers, but if pricked by the thorns while fresh, one would collapse instantly. The poison wasn’t life-threatening. It merely spread rapidly through the body, paralyzing the limbs.
Once the poison spreads, I’ll sneak into her room… and make it look like she fell headfirst from the terrace.
Cedric planned to make it appear as though Fiona had lost her balance and fallen from the terrace, leaving her permanently paralyzed. Then, he would devote his life to caring for her, tearfully vowing to stay by her side forever.
As Fiona and Cedric were practically betrothed, people would sympathize with his tragic tale. At the same time, the nobles he had already won over would praise him for his dedication to Fiona, who could no longer be the heir. Duke Yelling would then be in such a state of shock from his daughter’s tragedy. So if he took that opportunity to comfort the duke and show how attentively he cared for Fiona…
I could really become a duke…
Excitement and nervousness made his palms sweaty. He wiped his hands on his pants.
Just then, he heard a small sound approaching. Cedric quickly hid the bouquet behind his back and looked forward.
“…Lord Haieren.”
“Lady.”
Cedric put on the smile of a man in love and looked at Fiona. Fiona also approached with a small smile. She was wearing a thick cloak. Underneath, he could see the hem of her nightgown peeking out, suggesting she had just thrown on the cloak over her sleepwear.
Cedric was relieved to see her smiling at him. Clearly, she still had feelings for him.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet.”
“It’s nothing. But… you said you wanted to apologize?” Fiona asked hesitantly.
Cedric lowered his gaze, looking somber, and spoke heavily. “Yes. Last time… I said hurtful things about Sir Antar out of jealousy, and I injured your hand. I truly apologize for all of it. And…”
Cedric trailed off and brought the bouquet out from behind his back. A radiant smile spread across his face.
“I like you, Lady.”
“…”
“No… Fiona.” Calling her name shyly, he looked every bit like a boy experiencing his first love.
“…”
Fiona seemed unsure whether to laugh or cry as she looked at him. Eventually, she reached out and took the bouquet from Cedric.
“It’s beautiful. Are these… Haieren flowers?”
“Yes. They look similar to roses but have slightly different shaped leaves.”
Cedric calmly guided her to touch the stems. Fiona naively examined the bouquet. And then, the moment he had been waiting for arrived.
“Ah…!”
Fiona’s face contorted as she abruptly pulled her hand away from the bouquet. The reaction was unmistakably that of someone who had been pricked by a thorn.
Gotcha…!
At that moment, Cedric was filled with exhilaration.
Hi, now you can purchase 5 advance chapters in here.
