Chapter – 42
After turning fifteen, some boys began trying to catch Damia’s attention by doing foolish things in front of her.
Although she was often embarrassed by Casian, fifteen-year-old Damia had become more than just a doll-like child to her peers—she had grown into a young woman who made hearts flutter.
“You still think I’m a child?”
“Of course.”
“I’m fifteen years old. You were pretending to be an adult when you were fifteen, weren’t you, Marquis?”
Casian’s eyes narrowed, expressing displeasure.
“You and I are different.”
“What’s different about us?”
“Ha… Damia Ponti, why do you have so many questions even though you’re already fifteen? Just understand it roughly.”
“See that? He’s dodging the question because he can’t explain it properly.”
“You…!”
“Why? Did I say something wrong?”
Casian ran his hand roughly through his hair. His mind was boiling, yet he seemed unable to argue.
“And I’ll come by more often from now on. Do you think I’ll just let the chance to see the Marquis slip away?”
“Just give it up. Aren’t you tired yet?”
“No. I’ll even bring more medicine little by little, so I can visit more often!”
“I’m busy too. I have to go out soon today.”
“Really? Did you have an important appointment today?”
There was a brief silence.
“You don’t need to know.”
“No. I said I’m curious.”
“…I have an appointment.”
Ah…
Around seventeen-year-old Casian Sarkis, there were countless girls who didn’t care about his fiancée.
‘Even with his health so clearly failing, they don’t notice?’
Thinking of the girls who whispered about his decadent beauty, Damia sighed.
Luckily, the contract had a clause forbidding interference in private matters.
Without that clause, she might have been trying to convince the girls to get a grip.
“You’re going to the Rosen Count’s house, right? Vivian’s birthday is coming up.”
“…How did you know? I’m not going to celebrate her birthday or anything.”
“Ah, don’t pretend. Miss Rosen bragged about it so I could hear everything.”
Casian’s lips twitched.
“What did Miss Rosen brag to you about?”
“Marquis, you don’t have to hide anything from me. I mean it.”
“Say it clearly, Damia.”
“Vivian seems like a nice person.”
The biggest difference from the previous life was Drury Soro’s behavior.
Normally the center of attention, Drury had become noticeably withdrawn after the White Snake incident.
The western noble girls began gathering around Vivian instead of Drury.
The Rosen family was a prestigious line related to the previous Empress, and Vivian’s striking appearance helped too.
“Anyway, our temporary engagement lasts until I come of age.”
Of course, Casian might die before then, but Damia pushed that thought aside.
“Even if it drags on, it’s only three more years. You should start looking for a proper marriage partner, Marquis.”
“Ha.”
Casian rose quietly with a slightly offended look.
“….”
As he approached, Damia couldn’t help but feel tense.
Casian had grown rapidly over two years and now towered over most adult men.
“My fiancée is really kind, isn’t she?”
“Thank you for the compliment. I’m virtuous, after all. I care deeply for you, but I respect your happiness…”
Nervous, Damia kept talking.
“That’s enough. And you’re not hiding anything, are you?”
Casian smirked slightly. Damia realized he had seen through her panicked babbling.
“Someone came all this way to see you, didn’t they?”
“Huh? Oh, you mean Arsen?”
“Yes, that sly little brat.”
“Why do you dislike Arsen so much when you’ve never even met him?”
“Do you think a sane man would talk about the future to a girl who already has a fiancée?”
“Don’t exaggerate, Marquis. Arsen and I are childhood friends.”
Casian frowned, clearly displeased.
“You had no reason to be so bold, especially after peeking at my letters.”
“You left that letter open for me to see and then walked away!”
Damia swallowed a bitter laugh. Two years ago, Casian had sulked for a long time over a letter she didn’t even remember.
The obsessive behavior wasn’t completely incomprehensible.
Because of his terminal illness, Casian could confide in no one—except Damia. Unconsciously, he must have become attached to her.
“You always insist I’m a child, yet you change your tone in situations like this.”
“….”
“Even if I made a childish promise with Arsen, it was just a game for kids. Arsen would think the same.”
She hadn’t asked, but probably.
“Well… that black-hearted guy doesn’t, and I’d stake his life on it.”
“Why would you stake a perfectly fine friend’s life?!”
“Since I can’t stake my own life as a terminal patient.”
Damia fell silent. He used his terminal illness as a shield.
“You confessed that you loved me when you were thirteen, so at ten, you might have made promises with that kid.”
“You’re so unfair, changing your story all the time.”
“Anyway.”
Casian stepped back. A very brief hesitation crossed him before he spoke.
Damia felt that now was the real purpose of his words.
“If you’re not trying to preempt your childhood friend, it’s too early to talk about my new fiancée.”
“Why?”
“I’m not ready to have a serious relationship with anyone yet. First, I need to break the curse.”
“Wouldn’t it make sense to meet several people first to see who really fits you best?”
“You’ve always tried to push me onto others, haven’t you?”
“W-what? No. I just want to be prepared to let you go anytime.”
“Ha… Damia Ponti.”
“Yes?”
Why did he have to say her full name to make her nervous?
“Give me your hand.”
The Marquis slowly removed his gloves and said something that made Damia’s heart skip a beat.
She barely dared to believe her ears as their hands met perfectly.
“Could you really marry a man whose heart races just from holding another woman’s hand?”
She clenched her lips, trying not to show panic.
Casian truly had no fear. What if she ended up binding him forever under the pretense of medicine or touch?
Before that dangerous impulse surfaced, Damia shook her head slightly. She couldn’t repeat what the late Count Fabron had done in her previous life.
“Answer me.”
His crimson eyes stared at her insistently.
She needed an excuse to escape this situation.
“Marquis… I just thought of a new possibility.”
“What is it?”
“Well… it doesn’t have to be me, does it? Maybe we’ve been thinking too narrowly.”
“What nonsense?”
“Why not try holding hands with other girls too?”
The moment the words left her mouth, Damia screamed inside.
‘Oh, this is the worst.’
Even for a temporary fiancée, this suggestion felt harsh.
“…Are you serious?”
“It might even be more effective for the curse. Why haven’t we tried it until now?”
She couldn’t take the words back, so she decided to push forward confidently.
“You have a near-obsessive aversion to touching others. Maybe that’s why you missed opportunities until now.”
Casian’s handsome face twisted completely.
