Chapter – 28
“Uh….”
Something fell from behind with a soft thud.
It was the knife that had been tucked at Cyderon’s waist just moments ago.
Blake froze, still wearing that same sly, smiling expression.
I watched the scene blankly, only understanding what had happened a moment later.
‘D-did he just… throw a knife?’
“Talking nonsense again. If you spout idle words next time, it won’t stop at your hair.”
Cyderon’s gaze landed squarely on Blake’s mouth.
Wow… that’s terrifying.
Even standing nearby, I could feel a chill run down my spine.
So for Blake, who was the target, it must have been even worse.
Cyderon clicked his tongue in irritation and turned his body.
‘I can’t just let him go like this.’
I had a gut feeling.
If we let Cyderon leave now, Blake might never be summoned back to the mansion.
I dashed ahead, cutting off his path without a second thought.
“W-wait!”
“I have nothing to say.”
No, obviously I have something to say here.
“I know what you’re worried about, but look at him!”
I pointed at Blake.
Beneath his messy bangs, his face had delicate features, but from an outsider’s perspective, Blake looked nothing more than a country bumpkin.
“Who’s going to think someone like him is my husband?”
“M-Ma’am?”
Blake called out, sounding a little hurt.
‘You clueless fool!’
I strained my facial muscles, signaling Blake to be quiet.
“Do you think I’m doing this just because of that?”
Cyderon’s voice was sharp and deadly, and I flinched as I turned to look at him.
T-then… what else could there be…?
“I heard from Herden. He’s been sneaking into the mansion for years.”
Herden?
‘W-what? How did he even find out?’
Blake had been boasting about sneaking around, acting confident he wouldn’t get caught.
“T-That’s… well! You see, I’ve always wanted to try investing! The butler said it’s one of the skills a master should have, so I thought I’d give it a try.”
Cyderon’s eyes narrowed.
“Ken?”
“Yeah!”
Technically it wasn’t really about investing, but more like trying something new. Still, in this situation, the best tactic was to shift the blame.
Cyderon’s tone softened slightly.
“Even so, how can you trust a merchant whose background you don’t even know? The experience can be gained elsewhere—it doesn’t have to be him. You don’t need to be the one to do it.”
He said that and tried to end the conversation.
I threw out a random line to stop him.
“No! I only want to invest with Blake!”
“……”
“If gaining investing experience is what matters, who does it doesn’t matter!”
“Lilia.”
“Yes. No matter what you say, I won’t compromise.”
I had never realized a smiling face could look so terrifying.
“Fine. Do as you wish. I won’t interfere.”
But contrary to my worries, Cyderon gave a surprisingly generous answer.
“R-really?”
“Yes. As long as the other party is alive.”
Whoosh!
The blade in his hand was instantly engulfed in flames.
Cyderon smiled slightly and surged forward before I could even comprehend what he meant.
His movements were too fast to follow with the eyes.
The fiery blade lunged straight toward Blake’s neck.
Watching this, my heart felt like it was going to leap out of my chest.
“B-Blake!”
“Ugh—!”
Whoosh—.
Cyderon’s sword sliced through the air.
Blake, fortunately, lost his balance and fell, narrowly dodging the blade.
Even then, his lips formed a polite little smile.
“Sh-should we talk about this like rational adults?”
Cyderon, as if deeming it unworthy of a reply, swung the sword again.
Whoosh, swoosh—.
I couldn’t tell if Cyderon was holding back or if Blake was just lucky, but Blake dodged by the slimmest of margins, while Cyderon continued mercilessly.
Even worse, the grass brushed by the blade had caught fire.
‘This is insane!’
I bit my lip, panicking, and ran toward them.
If this continued, Blake would really die.
I grabbed Cyderon around the waist, trying to stop his next swing.
“Please! Please, stop! He’ll really die!”
I didn’t expect it to work, but surprisingly, Cyderon froze.
I tried to calm my wildly beating heart, signaling Blake to run with my eyes.
Hurry—if you want to live.
Blake silently mouthed, “Hang in there, ma’am,” and swiftly disappeared from sight.
But even after such a courageous act, I was terrified.
If the blade had turned toward me, I would have been cut in two.
After a few moments, Cyderon took hold of my hands around his waist and then let go.
‘Am I… going to die? Just like this?’
I closed my eyes, but nothing happened.
‘Huh?’
Cyderon stomped out the small fire at his feet, retrieved his sword, and sheathed it.
“…Enough. Don’t do that again.”
“W-what?”
If he explained, I would follow it to the letter.
But Cyderon simply looked at me with a complicated expression and shook his head.
“…Done.”
No, sir. You need to tell me what that was about.
Curious as I was, I didn’t insist.
Once Cyderon was gone, I collapsed onto the floor.
I felt like I’d just walked into a beast’s den with my bare hands.
As I tried to calm my trembling arms, someone reached out to me.
“Your husband’s scary, ma’am.”
It was Blake. I stared at him in shock, my mouth falling open.
“Why are you still here? I told you to run!”
Fearing Cyderon might return for more swordplay, I shoved Blake forward.
“Haha. I really thought I was about to meet my end without spending my saved money.”
“Seriously, just run before you die.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I already saw your husband leave.”
Hearing that, I relaxed my push.
‘Yeah… he values his own life above all else.’
I had seen Cyderon leave with my own eyes.
“And besides, when else would I get to see a war hero up close like this?”
Even after almost dying, he remained so carefree.
I shook my head, noticing a wound on Blake’s cheek.
‘Was that from earlier?’
Considering how Cyderon had swung his sword, it was a miracle it wasn’t worse.
‘No, it was sheer luck.’
Blake, smiling in a half-crazed way, quietly asked me:
“…Do I really look like a bumpkin?”
I quietly turned my head.
“Um, ma’am?”
Sorry, Blake.
I just can’t lie.
“….”
After a long silence, Blake seemed to give up asking and sat down beside me.
We sat quietly for a while, calming our racing hearts.
“Isn’t this a bit… strange?”
As my heart settled, Blake suddenly asked.
“What is?”
“Is this a question I’m supposed to answer…?”
Blake’s pouty tone made me clear my throat and urge him to speak.
“You said before that your husband really dislikes you. That he wants a divorce.”
“That’s right.”
Hearing that, Blake’s eyes narrowed. He glared at me and spoke bluntly.
“Ma’am, I’ve wondered this for a while… were you born without any sense of awareness?”
“Are you picking a fight now?”
“No, of course not. But think about it. The way the Duke reacted just now—anyone could see that he was a jealous man.”
I recalled the scene just a moment ago.
…Right. I can admit someone uninformed might think that.
But there’s absolutely no way.
I sighed.
“Blake, you don’t understand—it’s not like that at all. He was just upset because I did something stupid. That’s all. A wife who’s not good at anything makes a husband mad, that’s it.”
“Hm.”
I gave Blake a sharp look at his odd sound and naturally changed the subject.
“Anyway, after today, I won’t be able to bring up the divorce at all for a while.”
“Do you think your husband doesn’t love you?”
Blake’s serious expression made me hesitate to answer immediately.
After a little while, I finally gave a reluctant answer.
“…Of course not. There’s no way Cyderon could ever like me.”
It’s all already written.
Small details might change, but the core story remains the same.
‘Moreover, Cyderon already has a heroine.’
There’s absolutely no way he could like me.
I don’t even want him to.
Just as I was about to tell him to stop talking nonsense and go home, Blake said something strange.
“Then… do you want to make a bet with me?”
