Chapter 35
The last tea party of summer ended with a slightly awkward feeling.
“Miss!”
As Damia entered the courtyard, Luke waved both hands at her. He had looked tense from the size of the duke’s estate, but seeing her relaxed him.
“I was so surprised when you suddenly moved,” he said.
“Romie didn’t tell you?”
“They think no news is good news,” Luke said. The siblings seemed very ordinary—maybe even close.
They sat at a small table near the flowerbeds.
‘I wanted to meet outside and check the village too,’ Damia thought.
Cassian had worried it was dangerous, but he allowed Luke into the estate.
Damia frowned, noticing a deep scar on Luke’s cheek.
“What happened to your face?”
“I got hurt while hunting wolves,” Luke explained.
“Wolves? You, hurt by a wolf?” Damia asked, surprised.
Luke lowered his voice.
“It was strange. Their eyes… they were red.”
“Red eyes?”
Luke looked shocked. Damia’s heart raced. It had to be the wolf-like monster she remembered. Red eyes meant dragon power, the mark of magic corruption. Animals touched by it would die or turn into monsters. Only the Sarkis family was an exception. Their ancestors survived, but their descendants were born with red eyes.
“People whisper that it might be a monster,” Luke said quietly.
“All the wolves had red eyes. And…” Luke looked around and lowered his voice again.
“The wounds I got were strange. They would have rotted quickly, but the ointment you gave me worked perfectly.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Nothing else helped.”
“Did you share it with others?”
“Yes. They all want more now.”
Damia smiled slightly. This was going as planned.
“People lined up to buy it, even offering extra money.”
“Really?”
“Yes. Can you make more? We’re running out.”
Damia sighed. She needed herbs from the duke’s garden to make more, and she was stuck at the estate.
“I’ll share what I have for now,” she said. It was enough for an urgent need, but not for long.
After sending Luke off, Damia headed straight to Cassian’s room.
Since the butler’s body was found in a terrible state, Cassian had been overly protective, delaying her return home.
‘The dragons might be behind this,’ she thought, shivering.
She met the butler in the hall, who handed her a letter from the Kingdom of Rodion—surely from Arsen, her childhood friend.
Damia eagerly took the letter. She had been in regular contact with Arsen, but he avoided the topic of her engagement and hadn’t replied since she moved to the duke’s estate.
‘Doesn’t he care what I’m doing?’ she thought, excited to read it.
Just then, Cassian appeared in the hallway. His cheeks were slightly flushed, as if from training.
“Marquis,” Damia said, stopping.
Cassian looked tired but strangely satisfied, his usual sharp eyes relaxed.
“Good timing. I wanted to tell you something,” he said, approaching. The smell of soap filled the air.
Damia bit her lip unconsciously, trying not to show her nervousness.
“I’m tracking the person who tried to copy my moves based on your information,” Cassian explained.
“There aren’t enough clues. If we act too fast against Count Pavron, they’ll cut off their trail,” he continued.
“I caught a spy who had entered the estate. He was low-level, but I got some useful information.”
“A spy?”
“Don’t worry. It’s safe now.”
“I didn’t know anything about it.”
“You didn’t need to. It would just make you anxious,” he said, showing how protective he was.
“But you should tell me next time,” Damia insisted.
“Why? I deliberately kept you out of it,” he said.
“Knowing is power, Marquis,” she said firmly.
Cassian clicked his tongue. He usually treated Damia like a child, but after seeing her cry, he became even more protective.
“I can’t stay here forever,” she added.
“What? Did someone make you uncomfortable?”
“No, it’s fine. They’re all kind. But I can’t get used to staying here. I have work to do at home.”
“You were only supposed to stay until the butler was caught,” he said.
“But if dragons are involved, it’s dangerous outside,” Cassian warned.
“I can’t stay indefinitely. Bad rumors might spread.”
“You’ll need safety measures at the duke’s estate—improve the facilities, arrange guards,” Cassian explained.
“That’s serious?” Damia asked.
“Yes. Start with the duke’s cooperation,” he said.
Damia paused, realizing this was more than a simple favor. Placing Cassian’s people in her father’s estate could be seen as disrespectful.
“It might take some time,” she said quietly.
“By the way, you seem happy. Is something up?” Cassian asked, suddenly noticing her hands.
Damia realized she was still holding Arsen’s letter.
“Oh… it’s nothing. I was just heading to my room,” she said, trying to hide her excitement.
Cassian’s eyes narrowed as he noticed the letter, a slight smirk on his lips.
