Chapter – 36
“What is it?”
“The thing you’re holding right now.”
“Huh? This? It’s nothing.”
Damia hid the letter behind her back, showing uncharacteristic signs of fluster.
“Really?”
Cassian tilted his head, staring at Damia.
The boy’s red eyes seemed to pierce through her thoughts. Her mouth went dry.
“It looks like a letter. Who sent it that you’re hiding it?”
“W-why are you suddenly getting so close…!”
The faint scent of soap from the freshly bathed boy reached her. Damia’s cheeks flushed.
“I said it’s really nothing!”
“You don’t mean…”
Cassian narrowed his eyes.
“Are you… in love with someone?”
If anyone heard that, what would happen!
Damia looked around in disbelief. Luckily, no one was nearby.
“In love? What are you talking about!”
“You’ve been acting a little suspicious lately. Spacing out and all. Now I know why.”
Despite Damia’s firm denial, Cassian chuckled. He even forced a relaxed expression, tilting the corner of his mouth as if to appear calm.
“It’s okay. Honestly, tell me. Someone else might’ve caught your eye.”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Hmm… you seemed so willing to agree to the ‘no interference in private life’ rule.”
Even though he was completely misreading the situation, Cassian wore a gentlemanly smile. It was like he was pretending to be a magnanimous fiancé.
“You made such a fuss about me liking you… well, you’re still young, so your feelings might change quickly. I understand it all.”
Why did “I understand it all” come with what feels like a twitching corner of his mouth?
“If you want, I can even give you advice. About love.”
“Love advice? That… honestly, what could the young Marquis possibly know?”
“Ha! I know far more than you do.”
It was an offhand remark, but Cassian took offense.
“Y-yeah, I’m sure you do.”
“So, tell me. Who’s got you so excited? Give it here.”
“I told you it’s nothing!”
Damia glared at Cassian as she clutched the letter to her chest.
“You really…”
The boy laughed helplessly.
“If it’s nothing, then just show me. The more you hide it, the weirder it looks.”
“Enough. By what right do you think you can read my mail?”
“Me? Your fiancé.”
A mischievous smile spread across the handsome young man’s face.
He was dangerously attractive, but brazenly shameless.
“Young Marquis! Where are you?”
At that moment, Cassian’s aide, Sir Alec, called out.
Taking the chance while Cassian glanced toward the voice, Damia bolted.
“Damia, wait!”
“D-don’t follow me!”
Her breath hitched, but Damia didn’t stop.
Finally reaching her room without being caught, Damia leaned against the wall to catch her breath.
“Persistent in the strangest ways…”
She peeked out the door. There were no sounds of pursuit.
Only then did she feel a little relieved. Damia slowly opened the letter.
[Sorry for replying so late.
Nothing happened, don’t worry.]
‘That’s a relief.’
Arcen’s handwriting was neat and graceful, as always. Yet some letters were pressed hard, leaving noticeable marks on the paper.
[I asked my father about the things you inquired. They’re not hard to get, so it shouldn’t take long.]
Thanks to traveling with his successful businessman father, Arcen was unusually savvy for a thirteen-year-old.
Through Arcen, Damia kept track of trends in Rodion. So far, most things aligned with her memories from her previous life.
Some requested items could even be procured at a low cost via Arcen’s father.
The letter detailed how far along her requests had progressed.
[I was surprised to hear that you moved to the estate of the Duke of Sarchis.]
Reading the letter with a satisfied smile, Damia paused. Arcen had always remained unusually silent whenever Cassian was mentioned.
Finally, his name appeared in the letter.
[Honestly, I thought the engagement was sudden… but I don’t mean to question your decision.
And… since you suddenly got engaged and moved residences, perhaps there was a difficult situation you couldn’t easily talk about.]
Arcen’s intuition was startlingly accurate, even though Damia had been evasive.
[I’m happy as a friend that you have someone to rely on when things are tough, but I’m a bit disappointed that it’s not me.
I suppose I’m narrower-minded than I thought. I’m disappointed in myself too.]
Damia hadn’t expected her personal changes to make Arcen reflect on himself.
‘Wow, that’s actually touching.’
Her chest warmed. Since they’d been inseparable since childhood, Arcen treated her troubles as if they were his own.
‘He really is such a good friend.’
[I don’t know exactly what happened, but if you had told me first… I might have come to Rodion with you. A ridiculous thought, I know.
But now it’s probably too late.]
Damia paused at the overly sentimental phrasing.
They had been childhood friends, yes, but was he really taking this much responsibility for her?
[I’m glad you’re doing well, and that you’re happy with the young Marquis fiancé.
Now that I know the situation clearly, I won’t be late in replying anymore.]
Then why had he delayed his replies until now?
She was on the last page of the letter.
[You’ve already forgotten the promise we made, and it’s hard to admit that only I took it seriously.]
Damia stopped reading and tilted her head.
‘Huh? What promise did we make?’
She racked her brain, but nothing came to mind.
‘Ah… maybe it was before Arcen fled to the Kingdom of Rodion. The promise we made then.’
They had said that even if they had to part now, they would meet again, and when that time came, they would never separate again. Arcen had even shed tears, and Damia had promised to agree to comfort him.
‘But that was such a long time ago.’
Her childhood friend’s fleeting resentment was likely because she had gotten engaged before he could say anything.
At that moment, the cheerful sound of footsteps echoed down the corridor.
“Miss Damia! The herbs you planted have sprouted!”
“Romi? Really?”
Damia had been tending a small garden at the duke’s estate.
Although the purple wildflowers used in Cassian’s remedies couldn’t be transplanted, she had planted other useful herbs.
Due to the different environment, they hadn’t been growing well, and she had half given up. But it seemed some had sprouted.
Damia stuffed the letter into the nightstand. Her white cheeks flushed with excitement.
“I’ll go out quickly!”
At that moment, the last page slipped from the letter and fell beneath the nightstand.
But Damia was already running down the corridor. Her steps were light as if flying.
Cassian Sarchis was having a particularly uneasy afternoon.
‘When did it become just me again?’
He sat at his desk, anxiously flipping through innocent documents. The corners of the papers were already frayed and worn.
‘Who sent a letter like that?’
He hadn’t even seen the sender’s name, as Damia had held the letter tightly to herself.
His fiancée unusually liked being alone, and unless she had a special reason, she rarely left the house.
In other words, there was virtually no opportunity for her to befriend another boy her age.
‘Ah… could it be a tea party?’
At the last party, some noble boy had behaved rather familiarly toward Damia.
He even offered to escort her to the lakeside, and that alone irritated Cassian.
‘Even if it’s a contractual engagement, how can someone else catch her eye?’
Of course, Damia’s tastes might be unusual, but it wasn’t his place to interfere.
After all, he had been the one to create the ‘no interference in private life’ clause.
Yet, he couldn’t shake his growing agitation. Eventually, Cassian sprang from his seat.
‘Yes… this isn’t a matter of judgment—it’s clearly my eyesight.’
If that were the case, it was serious.
He had to ensure his fiancée’s safety. That was their contractual obligation.
‘Her eyes must be failing.’
If Damia’s vision got worse and she tripped on a night path, it would be a clear breach of contract. He had to act quickly.
Cassian quickly ended his ridiculous rationalization and rushed straight to Damia’s room.
