ā Chapter 8 ā
“You expect me to believe that?”
At this rate, if she ever ran into him inside the Christopher Ducal Mansion, he would probably say,
“Ah, people often tell me I have the same face, the same name, and even live in the same place as Grand Duke Cesare.”
The casual way he had handed her 1,000 Reed.
And his magic.
No matter how many times she thought about it, the man’s true identity had to be Grand Duke Cesare. His rough manners had confused her, but considering how eccentric powerful mages tended to be, it actually wasn’t that strange.
But why would someone as important as the Grand Duke be so obsessed with this mansion?
For a moment, Catherine wondered if she should finally start treating him with proper respect.
Then she looked at Cesare’s handsome yet shameless, sly face, and the thought disappeared completely.
“Why did you suddenly change your mind?” he asked.
The stack of 1,000 Reed was still lying untouched on the table.
“I only said I’d think about it. I never promised I’d move.”
“Miss Panya, you can tell what someone is thinking just by looking into their eyes.”
Cesare’s eyes, as blue as a summer beach, pierced straight through her.
It felt as though he could read every thought in her head just by looking at her, and the feeling made her uncomfortable.
Actually, whether this man really was the Grand Duke wasn’t the biggest issue anymore.
The real problem was something else.
He belonged to the same kind as those things.
Even though his eyes were now a bright, vivid blue…
The violet eyes that appeared whenever he used magicā
Just remembering them sent a chill through Catherine’s body.
She deliberately walked around the dining table and chose the chair farthest away from him.
“What’s wrong with my eyes? Go ahead and look all you want.”
Leaning back in his chair with folded arms, Cesare blinked slowly.
“Do you remember a few days ago? Back then, you were afraid of something.”
“Was I?”
Did he even realize that he was the thing she had feared?
“But that’s no longer the case. I don’t know what happened in just five days… but one thing is obvious.”
“You’ve decided not to back down.”
“Did you find something so important that you’re willing to risk everything for it?”
Catherine simply looked at him.
More accurately, she stared at his nose and cheek instead of meeting his eyes.
Talking to this man was exhausting.
No…
More than exhausting.
She hadn’t realized it before, but she certainly did now.
Cesare was unlike anyone Catherine had ever met.
Perhaps that was only natural for someone who stood at the rank of Grand Duke.
He never pretended to be rich because he lacked wealth.
He never boasted unnecessarily.
He never acted like he knew things he didn’t.
That was exactly why she found him difficult.
He was impossible to understand.
“If you’ve figured that out, then please give up already.”
“And stop entering my house without permission.”
“I’ve lost count of how many times I’ve had to say that.”
Cesare smiled again.
Unlike the gentle smile from earlier, this was his usual dark, unreadable smile.
“It seems you’ve completely forgotten who saved this mansion after half of it was destroyed.”
Catherine widened her eyes.
As if she had nothing to say.
“And it seems you’ve forgotten who saved you from freezing to death in the storm last night.”
The smile vanished from Cesare’s face.
It disappeared so suddenly that it was as though he had taken off a mask.
His features were already delicate and cold by nature.
Without the smile, he looked like an entirely different person.
Strangely enough…
She found this expression far more natural.
Less frightening.
Perhaps this cold face was the real Cesare.
“That…”
Catherine glared at him as if daring him to continue.
His expression became unexpectedly complicated.
Several times he looked as though he wanted to say something.
But every time his eyes met hers, he swallowed the words.
Finally, all he said was,
“…Forget it.”
“Forget it? I’m not done.”
“I caught a cold because I got soaked in that downpour trying to save you.”
Of course, Catherine had never been sick a single day in her life.
She had inherited her mother’s incredibly healthy constitution.
“And you don’t even say thank you.”
As soon as she said it, she realized she sounded like a child demanding gratitude.
Seriously…
Why do I always become so childish whenever I’m around this man?
Cesare slowly rubbed the back of his neck with his long fingers before replying.
“You look perfectly healthy to me.”
In other wordsā
He knew she was lying.
“If gratitude is what you want…”
“That’s hardly difficult.”
“You did show me genuine kindness.”
He stood up gracefully, every movement elegant like a true noble.
“Very well.”
“Until your cold is gone, I’ll stay by your side.”
Then…
He walked over to the kitchen.
And started cooking.
Cooking?
Catherine stared blankly at his back.
Beneath his light autumn shirt, the muscles on his back moved naturally.
The rolled-up sleeves revealed firm, well-built arms.
His strong physique contrasted sharply with his long, pale fingers.
She hadn’t realized it while he was sitting.
But once he stood, his height became impossible to ignore.
She couldn’t even see what he was cooking because he completely blocked her view.
A mage.
One of those things.
Cooking for her.
It was unbelievable.
He’s not trying to poison me… is he?
The thought suddenly made her uneasy.
Maybe he’s adding poison.
Or perhaps he’s planning to feed me something impossible to digest.
Yet…
He looked incredibly skilled.
A Grand Duke shouldn’t be this good at cooking.
Maybe he really was the Grand Duke’s secret twin.
But no matter how much she thought about it…
He was obviously Grand Duke Cesare.
Her head felt ready to explode.
“My, my!”
Hearing the noise, Rose hurried into the kitchen.
She rushed toward Cesare, clearly flustered.
But Cesare simply turned his head, smiled charmingly, and politely asked her to sit down instead.
“Rose, it’s alright. Come sit here.”
Relieved by Catherine’s invitation, Rose sat beside her with a sigh.
Apparently, she couldn’t bear the thought of letting a guest cook.
Before Catherine realized it…
A surprisingly impressive meal had appeared on the table.
Spicy shrimp stew.
Bacon served with vegetables.
Fresh bread.
“My goodness.”
“I thought you were simply a noble gentleman, but you’re an amazing cook.”
Rose was completely captivated by Cesare.
No…
She wasn’t just captivated.
She looked as though she was happily drowning in admiration.
“What does cooking have to do with taking care of me?” Catherine asked.
Sitting across from her, Cesare chuckled.
“Everything.”
“Good health begins with eating proper meals, Miss Panya.”
“So don’t leave anything behind.”
“Chew every bite.”
With that, he tore off a piece of bread and began eating.
And so…
The strangest lunch Catherine had ever experienced began.
The food tasted far better than she had expected.
So good that she couldn’t believe he had actually cooked it.
He cooked expertly.
The food tasted wonderful.
The Grand Duke really is a strange person.
Once she accepted that he was simply an odd man, everything suddenly made a little more sense.
After lunch, Rose immediately stood up.
“If you’ve already cooked, then at least let me clean up!”
She practically chased both Catherine and Cesare out of the kitchen.
“Miss Panya.”
“This way.”
Cesare walked confidently through the mansion as though he knew every corner of it.
Feeling strangely awkward, Catherine followed him into the drawing room.
It almost felt as though Cesare was the owner of the house…
And she was merely a guest visiting on a rainy day.
He motioned for her to sit on the long sofa.
“Now that we’ve eaten, I think you should quietly sit here and read a book.”
A blanket and a book had somehow appeared beside her.
With a light wave of his handā
Whoosh.
The fireplace burst into flames.
Catherine couldn’t help admiring the beautiful sight for a moment before unfolding the blanket.
He was the sort of man who appeared whenever he pleased…
And disappeared just as suddenly.
He’ll probably leave once he gets bored.
Thinking that, Catherine quietly did as he suggested.
Rain poured endlessly outside.
Time passed.
The already gloomy sky became even darker.
The rain showed no signs of stopping.
Occasional flashes of lightning lit up the room.
Unable to keep reading any longer, Catherine closed her book and stretched.
The room had become strangely quiet.
Did Cesare leave…?
She thought so untilā
Clack.
He was playing chess.
Where did that come from?
Even this old mansion, filled with antiques, didn’t have a chessboard.
Yet the one Cesare was using was beautifully polished and rested on an expensive wooden table.
“Do you know how to play?” he asked, never taking his eyes off the chess pieces.
Catherine quietly shook her head.
It was a foolish gesture.
But somehow…
She felt as though Cesare could tell without even looking.
“Just go home,” she said.
Clack.
Without answering, Cesare moved another chess piece.
“I never asked you to take care of me.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“You can leave now.”
What did this man actually want?
Never in her life had Catherine imagined that she would one day be fed and looked after by a man she had met by chanceā
A man who had even broken into her house.
She had lied about being sick.
Someone like Cesare should have seen through it immediately.
Yet…
He had pretended to believe her.
“So you’re trying to send me away?”
“Even in weather like this?”
BOOM!
A deafening clap of thunder split the sky.
A flash of lightning illuminated Cesare’s face.
His expression remained focused entirely on the chessboard.
“Looking after you isn’t difficult.”
“I’ll leave once the rain stops.”
“So you don’t need to worry.”
“…I suppose that’s true.”
“You can stay tonight.”
“I’ll prepare a room for you.”
Then why had he stood outside in the rain yesterday if he hated thunder?
He really was impossible to understand.
***
Crackle. Crackle.
The comforting sound of burning firewood echoed softly.
The steady warmth slowly pulled Catherine from sleep.
“…When did I fall asleep?”
She looked at the clock.
It was already midnight.
She remembered having lunch together.
Everything afterward was blurry.
She must have fallen asleep while reading.
Cesare was gone.
The chessboard and chess pieces had disappeared as well.
“He really does come and go whenever he pleases.”
She rested on the sofa for a moment until the drowsiness faded.
Then she extinguished the fireplace and left the drawing room.
Holding only a lantern, Catherine slowly climbed the staircase.
The farther she moved from the fire, the colder the air became.
Halfway down the long hallway toward her bedroom…
She noticed someone leaning against the window.
It was Cesare.
“Shh.”
He placed a finger against his lips and silently gestured for her to come closer.
When she stood beside him, he felt…
Different.
It was difficult to explain.
Almost as though she were meeting him for the very first time.
Blinking awkwardly, Catherine followed his gaze out the window.
“Hm?”
Someone had entered the mansion grounds.
Two large men wearing rain cloaks walked through the garden.
Beneath their black cloaks, silver armor gleamed.
Huge swords hung at their sides, too large to be hidden by the cloaks.
“Those people…”
Catherine’s naturally excellent eyesight allowed her to examine the armor carefully.
It was magnificently crafted.
She recognized it immediately.
It belonged to the Imperial Knights.
Startled, she quickly turned toward Cesare.
Still leaning casually against the window frame, he spoke in a calm voice.
“Didn’t I tell you?”
“If you stay in this mansion, dangerous things will continue to happen.”
The two men steadily drew closer as they crossed the garden.
She had no idea how they had unlocked the gate.
But without hesitation…
They entered Catherine’s mansion.
In a voice barely louder than a whisper, Cesare asked,
“Do you still have no intention of leaving this place?”
