◇ Chapter 10 ◇
“Catherine.”
At the quiet call, Catherine’s shoulders trembled.
She couldn’t bring herself to face Cesare, so she only nodded.
“Catherine, look at me.”
Instead of raising her head, she only rolled her eyes toward him.
Cesare stood beside her with his usual shameless, teasing smile.
In her entire life, she had never met anyone more shameless or fearless than this man.
Not even her half-sister Anne.
Still…
In the end, he was helping her.
The truth was, there wasn’t really a way to describe their relationship.
To put it bluntly…
They were nothing more than a homeowner and an uninvited guest.
The problem was that they happened to be together so close to midnight.
Once she thought about it that way…
Cesare’s solution didn’t seem completely ridiculous anymore.
Catherine quickly convinced herself.
“It’s true… having such a wonderful night interrupted doesn’t feel very pleasant.”
Afraid someone would notice she was lying, Catherine deliberately put on a serious expression.
At the same time, she quietly pushed the fallen shovel into a corner with her foot.
“It could have been a very important night for us.”
The knight finally came back to his senses and closed his hanging jaw.
He still looked as though he couldn’t believe Catherine was real.
“I’m sorry.”
“More importantly… your boots are covered in mud.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Cleaning is already difficult because the rain won’t stop.”
“I’m sorry.”
Imperial Knights…
Having to apologize to an unknown young woman must have been a huge blow to their pride.
“Do you only know how to say ‘I’m sorry’?”
“I’m sorr…”
“…No, I’ll be more careful.”
She had only asked because she was honestly curious.
But seeing the knight’s pale face…
She almost felt like she was the one doing something wrong.
Not knowing what to do next, Catherine looked toward Cesare.
He looked as though he had just found an amusing toy.
For some reason…
Her face grew warm.
Finally uncrossing his arms, Cesare looked at the knight.
“Anything else to say, Sir Damian?”
“No.”
“No?”
“Ah…”
“It seems you still haven’t learned your lesson.”
“Come see me before you return home.”
The knight let out a silent scream.
His face turned as white as paper, and his lifeless eyes said everything.
Now I actually feel sorry for him.
Cesare raised an eyebrow as he looked at the defeated knights standing near the door.
“Why are you still standing there?”
“If you’re finished, leave.”
“After all…”
“I still have to relight the fire you interrupted tonight.”
The fireplace…
He means the fireplace.
Catherine repeated that to herself over and over.
Thanks to that…
She felt a little less embarrassed.
Actually…
If pretending to be his lover was enough to send the Imperial Knights away…
She should probably be grateful.
Though she still couldn’t bring herself to smile at Cesare.
Click.
The door opened.
The knights quickly disappeared into the rain.
Only Catherine and Cesare remained in the hall.
The only sound left was the rain falling outside.
Perhaps because there were fewer people now…
The already dark mansion felt even darker.
“I think this settles my debt for saving the person who almost froze to death.”
Cesare’s voice remained perfectly calm.
“Or perhaps I’ve repaid it more than enough.”
“Either way…”
“You should stop swinging shovels around so carelessly.”
“Even if they’re only knights… there’s a limit.”
Then he slowly turned around and walked toward the drawing room on the first floor.
Catherine silently watched his back before quickly following him.
As they entered the drawing room, which had become cold after the fire went out…
She awkwardly spoke.
“Thank you.”
The chessboard was gone.
Walking to the table, Cesare picked up the book that had been lying face down.
The cover looked familiar in the dim light.
But Catherine couldn’t remember exactly which book it was.
“This book…”
Cesare walked toward Catherine, who was standing near the entrance.
Unlike his playful attitude earlier…
His face was calm.
“It’s quite interesting.”
“I’ll borrow it for a few days.”
“Don’t tell me no.”
“Even if you do…”
“I’ll borrow it anyway.”
Maybe she should take back her thanks.
Without the slightest shame…
Cesare walked right past her.
When Catherine turned around…
The hallway where his back should have been…
Was completely empty.
“…Cesare?”
Only the sound of heavy rain answered her.
Left alone…
Catherine slowly walked toward the sofa.
The person who was supposed to leave had simply gone home.
Yet…
The room suddenly felt much quieter.
That was the sad thing about living alone in such a large house.
Sometimes…
Loneliness arrived without warning and washed over both her body and heart.
Just as she finished folding the blankets and was about to leave the drawing room—
“I almost forgot.”
“How long may I borrow the book?”
Cesare suddenly appeared again from the hallway where he had disappeared.
His shirt and vest were exactly the same.
So was the neat silver hair that fell over his forehead.
Catherine straightened up.
Then froze.
She had almost…
She had almost run straight toward him.
“Miss Panya.”
His quiet voice pulled her back to reality.
Catherine quickly stood up straight.
“Three days.”
“Three days.”
For a brief moment…
It felt as though time had stopped.
She wasn’t completely sure…
But it seemed Cesare’s eyes remained fixed on her.
After a while…
He turned around and disappeared from sight once more.
Even though she knew he was gone…
Catherine still walked into the hallway and checked the empty corridor herself.
Unlike Catherine, who had tossed and turned all night…
Rose looked full of energy early the next morning.
Perhaps because she had finally slept well…
Her face looked lively, and her voice echoed through the house.
If she knew what had happened while she was asleep…
She would probably faint.
“Miss, have you heard the news?”
Whenever Rose became this excited…
It meant she had brought back some interesting gossip.
“Probably…”
“No.”
Today, though…
She looked even more excited than usual.
It didn’t seem like it was only because she had slept well.
“So?”
“What news made you so happy?”
Even when Rose had told her that Sir Mel was actually over seventy years old…
Or when she spread rumors about the flower shop owner’s daughter dating two men…
She had never looked this excited.
Catherine wondered just how amazing this news could be.
“Sir Percival is passing through the city!”
“…Percival?”
“Yes!”
“Surely you know Sir Percival?”
“The Holy Knight Percival?”
Rose hurriedly unfolded the newspaper she had brought with her.
There seemed to be an article about him.
Watching her quietly…
Catherine answered in a soft voice.
“Of course I know him.”
Anyone who spent time outside among society knew that name.
Percival Benedicto Pahenrihin.
The Vatican’s most trusted knight.
The Holy Knight of the Lily.
The Handsome Mad Dog.
Just like Grand Duke Cesare…
He had many famous titles.
As a descendant of the Pahenrihin royal family…
He lacked nothing.
Birth.
Talent.
Status.
Everything about him was perfect.
Whenever he led a campaign against demons…
The number of casualties among his knights was unbelievably low.
That was why he was called the Vatican’s hero.
Yes…
That’s what the public believes.
But the truth was different.
Or rather…
There was an important difference.
Percival wasn’t the Handsome Mad Dog.
He was…
A real mad dog.
(Who also happened to be handsome.)
“I heard Christopher is on the way back from his latest demon subjugation.”
“They say they defeated an incredibly powerful demon this time…”
Catherine vaguely remembered hearing something about it.
“Well…”
“Someone like me doesn’t really know the details.”
“But I heard Sir Percival is incredibly handsome.”
“Not exactly impressive…”
“But yes.”
“He’s handsome.”
Rose’s eyes sparkled.
“You’ve seen him before?”
“Tell me everything!”
“What’s the Holy Knight of the Lily like?”
Ugh.
At the words “Holy Knight of the Lily,” Catherine almost felt sick.
What kind of man was Percival?
If she started explaining…
It would take the whole night.
First of all…
The title “Holy Knight of the Lily” suited him far less than people thought.
“He’s just… a handsome man.”
“I heard his hair is as soft as warm chocolate.”
“I don’t know about chocolate.”
“But it is dark brown.”
“And they say he has brilliant rose-colored eyes.”
“His eyes were red.”
“And lips so beautiful that anyone would want to steal a kiss…”
At this point…
Catherine wondered what kind of nonsense Rose was reading.
The descriptions were so ridiculous that she felt like losing her mind.
“Where do you even hear things like that, Rose?”
As though she had been waiting for that question…
Rose spread the newspaper across the table.
“It’s written right here.”
“‘He is a noble and pure man, like a single white lily, with hair as soft as warm chocolate and brilliant rose-colored eyes…'”
That was the mistake.
Catherine had never expected Rose to read the entire ridiculous description aloud.
Because it was Rose…
She silently endured it.
Otherwise…
She felt like her ears would rot.
Still…
One name lingered in her thoughts.
Percival.
Percival…
How many years has it been since I last heard that name?
Back in Orleans…
She had been too busy protecting her own share of the family inheritance from her stepmother.
She had almost forgotten everything.
What kind of relationship they had shared.
How they had met.
And how it had all ended.
What was the point of remembering now?
Back then…
She had been much younger.
More immature.
Inside Orleans…
She had quietly played the role of the eldest daughter.
But outside…
She had been completely different.
She had poured out all the emotions she had kept buried inside.
Percival had been part of that reckless time in her life.
Now…
He was nothing more than an old memory.
Just as Catherine remembered him…
She believed he probably remembered her only as vaguely as a lakeshore after the rain.
Or perhaps…
He didn’t remember her at all.
After all…
Things had not ended well.
“Then… may I go watch the parade?”
Catherine came back to her senses and looked at Rose.
Rose’s black eyes sparkled with excitement.
Looking at that hopeful face…
Catherine couldn’t bring herself to refuse.
She honestly couldn’t understand why watching the Holy Knights’ parade was so exciting.
“Go ahead.”
“Thank you so much, Miss!”
“I heard the Holy Knights are just as handsome as the Imperial Knights.”
“It’s been so long since I got to admire handsome men!”
Ah…
So that’s the real reason.
Rose’s face was filled with happiness.
Well…
Looking at them is harmless.
It wasn’t as if she was going to talk to them.
At that moment…
Catherine truly understood the meaning of the saying:
Sometimes… it’s better not to know.
