AME 33

CH:33

As soon as they returned to the room, Alessia’s tone changed completely, and she scolded him. Just moments ago, she had shyly suggested entering first with Kaon, but now she was a different person.

“What, you want the whole town to know something happened? Do you have no brain? Is that thing on your shoulders just for decoration?”

Kaon stood there with a gloomy face, enduring her nagging. It was true that he’d been acting awkwardly for the past month. He’d even heard a few people ask if the two of them had fought, so Alessia wasn’t making it up.

Still, Kaon felt wronged. He hadn’t meant to deceive the family, yet now he was tangled in this whole mess. It felt like all the years he’d spent living honestly had gone down the drain, and that made him deeply depressed.

On top of that, adjusting to this Alessia, who had changed as if her soul had been swapped, wasn’t easy. She had changed so much that he even had a ridiculous thought — maybe the Alessia he knew had a twin, and they’d switched places for some unknown reason. Of course, that couldn’t be true.

‘I’m out of my mind.’

What hurt the most was how he had once called this mess his first love — and how he’d been so moved by that idiot’s every little action.

He’d wanted her to stay in Ferdinand forever, worried about fragile little Alessia…. Thinking back now, it was all such utter nonsense.

He felt sick remembering how he’d once fluttered over actions that meant nothing to her and had gone so far as to plan out their future. The memory made his hands and feet curl, and his skin crawl.

He should have let it go by now, but every evening as the sun went down, the memories came back so vividly that he couldn’t sleep from kicking his blanket in frustration. He was tired every single day.

“Does it look decorative to you?”

Kaon didn’t want to deal with her, so he responded half-heartedly. He already had enough on his mind, and the past month had been like experiencing a lifetime’s worth of stress all at once. He knew that if he argued with Alessia now, his body and mind would be torn to shreds.

So he resolved to let it slide just for today….

But it wasn’t so easy.

“A candlestick is decoration. So is that rug. I didn’t realize your head was on par with that. No, actually, the rug at least looks good.”

That was too much.

“What, my head…! Hey! Do I look like a bird to you? A chicken? And what’s wrong with my face! Mind your own!”

Kaon snapped, unable to hold back anymore. He thought arguing like this was childish, but he couldn’t take her insults lying down.

“Head” — what kind of crude insult was that? He’d never been called anything like it before. And what was wrong with his face? Sure, Kaon wasn’t overly confident about his looks, but he certainly didn’t think they were that bad.

And that wasn’t pride — it was something he’d learned from experience. Wherever he went, people stared, and more often than not, those stares held a certain heat. It wasn’t something he could ignore.

“What’s there to worry about with my face?”

“Huh?”

Alessia scoffed and tossed her hair behind her ear, resting her chin on her hand for full effect.

“You like my face, don’t you?”

“What the….”

Kaon was about to ask if she’d gone completely crazy — but stopped. Because Alessia Ingelos, blatantly acting cute, really was beautiful.

Her face was gorgeous just sitting still, and when she added those sly little expressions… there were no words. The moment he saw the slight curve of her eyes when she smiled, his heart skipped a beat. She was exactly his type — the worst part was, she knew it.

“Hmm? Am I wrong, Kaon?”

The gentle question made his jaw clench. In that moment, she looked exactly like the Alessia he used to love.

“…Try to stay mad in style, will you?”

Even though he knew they couldn’t go back, he couldn’t bring himself to deny it. So instead, he threw out a sarcastic remark and turned away.

He couldn’t help it. The one who caused all this was Alessia Ingelos — not that damn pretty face of hers….

“Madeleine? Why are you here all of a sudden…?”

“Oh, Master. You should’ve told me.”

“Huh? No, I mean… why? Why suddenly?”

The incident began when Madeleine appeared out of nowhere. Carrying a tray full of her special juice, she looked oddly emotional.

“I was so moved to hear that you appreciated my efforts so much. If it’s for your health, this is nothing — don’t worry one bit.”

“Uh, Madeleine? I have no idea what’s going on right now.”

“There’s no need to play dumb. Miss Alessia told me everything. She said you shared the juice I made because it was too precious to waste — and that you didn’t want to trouble me! I can’t believe you thought of your head maid so deeply….”

Tears welled in Madeleine’s eyes as she wiped them away. While she fussed about not crying in front of her young master, Kaon glared at the curtains.

‘That damn scammer….’

So Alessia had pulled another trick.

She knew exactly why Kaon hadn’t drunk the juice last time. She’d even looked at him with pity — as if she understood his struggle.

Yet she twisted that and told Madeleine a whole different story. It was infuriating.

“I made a big batch just for you, Master. Please enjoy it freely. Go on, drink up! No need to hold back.”

“Uh, r-right….”

He couldn’t bear to reject Madeleine’s hopeful gaze, so Kaon forced himself to down a glass. Even holding his breath while drinking couldn’t stop the bitter aftertaste from making him gag.

“How is it, Master? I made it even stronger than last time. You’ll feel revitalized for sure.”

If anything, he just felt angry. Using sweet Madeleine like this was truly despicable.

‘Damn it….’

Also, it was way too bitter. Even once was too much. Was this really a health tonic and not poison? Judging by the taste, it might as well be.

While trying to suppress the overwhelming bitterness, Kaon suddenly looked up.

“…Wait, Madeleine.”

“Yes?”

“I feel bad drinking all of this alone. Alessia must be tired from all the inspections lately.”

He forced a smile despite his numbed lips and pointed at the curtains. If she liked setting traps so much, she should be ready to step on one too.

‘Let’s see how you like it.’

“Oh my, you’re even thinking of Miss Alessia now? You’ve grown so much, Master!”

Madeleine looked at him with such motherly pride that Kaon felt a little guilty — but not guilty enough to stop.

“But… what a shame. Miss Alessia said she doesn’t respond well to herbs. Especially the Jasaengte fruit — she has an allergy.”

“…What?”

Kaon’s expression instantly crumpled.

Jasaengte trees grew in warm climates. They couldn’t possibly survive in a cold place like Ingelos. And yet Alessia had an allergy to their fruit?

“She said she really wanted to try it but was heartbroken that she couldn’t. Poor girl.”

Clearly, Alessia had planned everything, even her excuse. The performance must’ve been rehearsed too — this had to be her plan from the start.

“Well, if she can’t drink it, there’s no helping it. Please drink her share too, Master. That would make everyone happy.”

Except me….

Kaon, now officially excluded from “everyone,” swallowed his tears in silence.

“What? An allergy to Jasaengte? Have you even seen a Jasaengte fruit?”

After Madeleine left, Kaon stormed up to the curtain, fuming.

He’d had to drink two full glasses while Madeleine wept, saying even the late mistress in heaven would be proud to see how much Kaon had grown.

“She said that juice was made just for you. Isn’t it good for your health?”

The voice from behind the curtain made him even angrier. If she liked it so much, she should drink it….

“Stop bothering me over something so trivial and go do something useful. Like reading another book.”

“Trivial?”

Kaon, who had been grumbling quietly, let out a bitter laugh at her next words. It was like a bucket of ice water dumped on his head.

“Alessia Ingelos… do you really think all of this means nothing?”

“Isn’t it just some bitter drink you’re whining about?”

“I’m not just talking about that. You—!”

He paused, afraid he might yell — and that’s when the curtain was drawn aside and Alessia stepped out.

She leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes looking up at him with the same bored expression as if she were watching a mosquito buzz in a dark room.

“Do you really want to marry me and live like this? You really think that’s going to work?”

Marriage to Alessia. Spending a lifetime together.

He used to sincerely want all of that. But now, it felt like a laughable fantasy.

“Why not?”

“Why would you even want that?”

Kaon genuinely didn’t understand. Ferdinand and Ingelos were sworn enemies. Why go through so much just to stay in the land of her enemy?

There were still unresolved issues between the families, but they weren’t married yet. Things could still be undone.

They could end it now, keep each other’s secrets, and go their separate ways — that seemed like the better path.

‘If she leaves, everything will be solved.’

The moment he thought that, a strange ache pierced his chest. But he ignored it. Maybe that pushover instinct in his blood was stronger than he realized.

“If I go back.”

Alessia had been silently watching him for a while. Then she finally spoke.

“I’ll die.”

And that statement made Kaon’s heart sink like a stone.