Chapter 44
“Count Pavron can’t come today. He originally said he would definitely attend, at least out of respect for my father.”
“Then I suppose I should take my leave.”
“Wait! Something urgent suddenly came up, so he couldn’t make it.”
“What happened?”
Vivian tugged at Cassian’s sleeve.
“I overheard my parents talking… They said there’s a high chance there’s a gold mine in the Ortiga Mountains.”
Cassian, who had been about to pull his arm away, paused.
A gold mine? At best, he had expected a copper mine.
“They were very confident that if they invested, they could make a huge profit. I don’t know the details, but it seems like they have solid evidence.”
“Ah, really? Then I can’t just sit still.”
“My lord?”
Cassian gently removed Vivian’s hand with his gloved one.
“I should go and look into it right away. If it’s a gold mine, I can’t miss the opportunity.”
“You’re really going?”
“Thank you, Lady Rosen.”
Vivian looked as if she were about to cry, but Cassian only gave her a picturesque smile.
There was no reason to stay with Vivian when his original target, Count Pavron, wasn’t even present.
Still, learning that a promising gold mine might be involved in that suspicious mining venture was a gain.
“Oh, and please tell Countess Rosen this.”
Cassian, who had finished preparing to leave, suddenly stopped as if remembering something.
“I’m not particularly fond of anything that comes from the Kingdom of Rodion.”
“Huh? Do you mean desserts?”
Instead of answering, Cassian simply smirked.
There was no need to correct her misunderstanding.
Until that sly childhood friend of Damia’s disappeared—whether by marriage or enlistment—his preferences would remain unchanged.
“Shall we return to the ducal estate?”
“No, to Viscount Ponti’s residence.”
It was a sudden change of destination, driven partly by impulse.
“Lord Cassian…!”
“We’ll meet again if the chance arises, Lady Rosen. Though I doubt that will happen.”
Vivian practically clung to the carriage window.
Cassian gave her one last grin before coldly drawing the curtain.
As soon as he was out of sight, he closed his eyes.
The headaches caused by the dragon’s curse—something he had long grown accustomed to—had been worsening lately.
Others might not notice unless they were as close as Damia, but his condition was undeniably deteriorating.
Even maintaining the façade of the perfect young duke was reaching its limit.
‘What am I even going to do by going to Viscount Ponti’s house now?’
Regret crept in as soon as the carriage started moving.
He had coldly pushed Damia away, yet now he was heading to see her on a whim.
Of course, Damia—who liked him far too much—would welcome him anyway.
‘Try holding hands with other ladies?’
That suggestion kept resurfacing, irritating him.
‘She even seemed unbothered imagining me holding hands with multiple ladies.’
He began to feel dissatisfied with his fiancée’s excessive consideration.
Damia had never asked anything of him, but he had never once escorted another lady. He always wore gloves to every event.
He knew he needed to distance himself from her. But that didn’t mean he had to endure unpleasant misunderstandings.
They needed to talk properly at least once. And it might as well be today, Cassian resolved.
Unaware of who he would encounter at the viscount’s residence.
The moment he arrived at Viscount Ponti’s estate, he realized something was wrong.
The newly appointed butler—someone Cassian himself had placed there—was visibly flustered.
“M-My lord, this is so sudden…”
“Why are you so surprised? It’s not like I’ve come somewhere I shouldn’t.”
The butler usually greeted him warmly whenever he visited. Cassian tilted his head in confusion.
Was Damia out? Or perhaps she hadn’t returned from the ducal estate yet?
Could she still be waiting for him there?
The thought made his chest sting faintly.
“Th-the young lady has a guest.”
“A guest? She’s always buried in her study—there’s no one close enough to visit her like that.”
That sly childhood friend who had traveled all the way from the empire for her birthday shouldn’t have arrived yet.
“Well, that is…”
“Whatever. I’ll just see for myself.”
Cassian brushed off the butler’s nervous expression.
Damia was incredibly lenient—no, devoted.
She not only respected their contract of not interfering in each other’s private lives, but she was even encouraging him to pursue relationships.
All because it might help with his curse.
“I-I will inform the young lady of your arrival first.”
“No need. I want to surprise her.”
She would undoubtedly be happy to see him.
“My lord! I’ll have Romi prepare some tea first. The young lady is tending the garden right now—”
“No need for formalities. Step aside.”
The butler was acting strangely, but Cassian paid it no mind.
He was a man with limited time left—he knew he should distance himself. Yet his resolve always wavered.
Despite the looming sense of urgency, just the thought of seeing Damia again made him smile.
“The young lady will need time to prepare before seeing you!”
“It’s nothing new. I’ve already seen her covered in dirt from the herb garden many times.”
Before he knew it, Cassian had reached Damia’s room. The door was slightly ajar.
“…Okay… wait a second…”
Just as he was about to knock, a voice from inside stopped him.
It was unfamiliar.
He could have peeked inside, but for some reason, he couldn’t move.
He stood frozen, listening.
Was this unexpected guest the reason the butler had been so flustered?
“Damia.”
“Yeah?”
“Do you know how much I missed you?”
“I know, you’ve said it several times already. Now stop talking nonsense and play your card.”
She was talking to a boy.
Alone.
That trivial fact made something flare violently inside Cassian.
“I never imagined you’d get engaged while I was gone.”
The boy’s voice dripped with disappointment—or at least, that’s how it sounded to Cassian.
“And you didn’t even tell your childhood friend until much later.”
“I told you, there were circumstances.”
Cassian’s clenched fist trembled.
It had to be him—that sly childhood friend from the Kingdom of Rodion.
‘What does he think he’s doing with someone else’s fiancée?’
Anger surged to his head. Cassian was ready to burst through the door.
The clause he himself had written into their contract—prohibiting interference in private lives—was completely forgotten.
The butler fidgeted anxiously beside him, but Cassian didn’t notice.
“What circumstances? Why did you suddenly decide to get engaged?”
“I told you. My mother is acquainted with the Duchess of Sarkis…”
“That’s all? You just followed the adults’ decision?”
“Well…”
“Then what about your feelings?”
Cassian froze at the question.
Honestly, he already knew the answer.
That girl had claimed from the moment they met that she had a crush on him. Surely she would confidently confess it even in front of her childhood friend.
The stiffness in Cassian’s expression eased slightly. He forced himself not to grin.
“Think about it, Arsen. What lady in the world would dislike being engaged to the young Duke of Sarkis?”
…What?
Her response felt oddly lukewarm.
A cold sweat formed in Cassian’s palm.
“I’m just like any other girl. Being engaged to him is a stroke of luck, isn’t it?”
“That’s not what I asked, Damia. Do you truly love him?”
Silence filled the room.
Without realizing it, Cassian held his breath.
