“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.
Flash-! A brief flash of light emanated from beneath Fiona’s cloak. Cedric’s eyes widened in recognition.
That’s…
The light from a magic device?
Immediately after, a deafening bell rang out, shattering the silence. Deng—! Deng—! Deng—!
“Keugh, what is this…!”
Cedric instinctively covered his ears and looked at Fiona. His shock grew as he saw her standing there, perfectly fine, glaring at him with a hint of contempt in her eyes. Despite clearly being pricked by the poisoned thorn, why was she unharmed?
Could it be… A chilling thought crossed Cedric’s mind. His eyes moved involuntarily towards the bouquet.
The flowers, now lying on the ground, were shriveled as if they had been attacked by something. It was an unnatural state.
Could it be that she had more than one magic device on her…?
“Over here! This way!”
“That’s the lady’s signal! Move quickly!”
Voices from the mansion broke Cedric’s train of thought. He twisted his face into a grimace and tried to flee, but the knights of the Duke Yelling were faster. They twisted his arms behind his back and slammed him to the ground.
Cedric writhed in pain, trying to break free. “Let me go! Do you even know who I am…!”
But the knights ignored Cedric’s shouts and turned to Fiona. Fiona clasped her trembling hands to her chest. Her hands were fine without a single scratch.
“…Yes, I’m fine.”
She watched in a daze as Cedric, bound by the knights, was dragged towards the mansion, still struggling. The face she had always thought angelic was now twisted with malice. The eyes she once found as clear as a transparent lake were now terrifying and full of rage.
“Be cautious of Cedric Haieren, Lady. I’m telling you this because you have considered me a friend.”
I hoped it wasn’t true…
Fiona struggled to calm her trembling but eventually let out a groan and buried her face in her hands. Her delicate shoulders shook like a leaf.
* * *
It wasn’t long ago, on the day Cedric had ‘mistakenly’ hurt Fiona.
“I’ll go back alone. So, you should return soon as well.”
“Understood?”
Fiona had left Cedric at the party and walked out alone. However, on the way to where her carriage was, her legs gave out, and she collapsed on the spot.
“Ah…”
Fiona looked at her trembling hands and let out a small groan. Her hand, which Cedric had gripped, was now bruised.
“I am your partner. I am your partner, Lady. Cedric Haieren, not some lowly knight…!”
Cedric’s face had looked demonic when he said those words. His eyes, which had sparkled menacingly, and his fierce voice seemed utterly alien to the person she knew.
He must have… just lost his temper for a moment. That’s got to be it. Fiona desperately repeated to herself. She recalled Cedric asking her about flowers and soothing her nerves with a smile.
Yes, sometimes everything can be irritating. Cedric must have been like that too. He was jealous because she seemed close to Sir Antar… It must have been a momentary mistake.
Cedric likes her.
“Hic…”
However, the image of Cedric, who had momentarily acted as if he would strangle her, couldn’t leave Fiona’s mind. Fione let out an involuntary sob.
“…Lady Yelling?”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from behind. When Fiona turned her head, she saw Antar looking at her with a surprised expression.
“Are you crying?”
“N-No…”
Fiona tried to regain her composure and deny it. But Antar had already approached and knelt beside her. When he saw the bruise on her hand, his brows furrowed.
“Who… Could it be that Lord Haieren did this?”
“Ah, that… Lord Haieren misunderstood our relationship and got a bit jealous. It was just a mistake.”
Fiona tugged her sleeve to cover the bruise and forced a smile. The image of Cedric soothing her nerves with a smile still lingered in her mind. But Antar’s face grew more serious. He looked her in the eye with a grave expression.
“Lady.”
“…”
“Whether it’s a mistake or not, being unable to control your anger and laying hands on someone else is not something a normal person would do.”
“…”
“Especially if there is no justified reason for that anger.”
Antar’s words left her speechless. The words Cedric had used to belittle Antar by mentioning his ‘background’ echoed in her ears. Fiona was at a loss for words, her mouth hanging open.
Antar, looking at her with pity, made up his mind and spoke. “Lady.”
“…”
“To be blunt, I follow the order of the third price because he’s my benefactor. But putting that aside…” Antar paused to take a breath. He knew that speaking too hastily might make Fiona suspicious or wary, but he continued.
“Be cautious of Cedric Haieren, Lady.”
“…”
“I’m telling you this because you have considered me a friend.”
After that, Antar helped Fiona into her carriage, and she returned to the mansion.
At the time, Fiona had thought it was nonsense.
Be cautious of Cedric. Why should she be wary of that man everyone says is like an angel and so kind?
But soon after, she received a secret letter from Cedric asking to meet. Normally, she would have accepted without hesitation, believing Cedric would never harm her. But after Antar’s warning, she couldn’t shake the unease from her mind. Though she felt guilty for doubting Cedric, she couldn’t bring herself to agree to meet him readily.
In the end, Fiona, after much deliberation, sent a reply agreeing to meet and took with her a magic device when she went to see him. One device was for protection, releasing magic to shield the user from poison or danger. The other was a device that resonated with the self-defense device to emit loud alarms.
After all, I probably won’t need to use these. She reassured herself, believing Cedric wouldn’t harm her.
Hiding the magic devices under her cloak, Fiona went to meet Cedric. He was waiting at the agreed location with a nervous expression, but his face melted into a smile as soon as he saw her.
“Lady.”
Seeing the unmistakable look of someone in love on that face, Fiona couldn’t help but feel relieved. Of course, Cedric would never do such a thing.
Cedric had sincerely apologized for his jealousy and presented her with a bouquet, confessing his love. Though she received his apology and the moment she had longed for had come, she didn’t feel the joy she expected. She stared at the bouquet with a complicated expression before taking it.
“It’s beautiful. Are these… Haieren flowers?”
“Yes. They look similar to roses but have slightly different shaped leaves.”
Curiosity momentarily pushed aside her unease. Fiona examined the Haieren flowers with interest. As she did, a sharp pain pricked her fingertip.
“Ah…!” Fiona pulled her hand back, her shoulder trembling. Reflexively, she looked at Cedric. Could he have missed removing a thorn by mistake?
Mistake. The word struck her mind like lightning.
Fiona then witnessed Cedric looking at her with a face full of exhilaration.
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