~Chapter 19~
“Yeah. I knew it was you.”
Cedric, who had been lying down, slowly tried to sit up but gave up and leaned back against the headboard. He still looked dizzy.
“Diana would never just sit there quietly like that.”
He looked at Eileen and gave a mischievous smile, one brighter than usual.
“She’d be holding my hand and crying her eyes out.”
“Want me to cry for you?”
Eileen didn’t really have any hard feelings toward Diana yet. Still, being compared to her wasn’t pleasant.
Tears wouldn’t change anything. Just thinking about it felt inefficient.
If it were really that serious, the rational thing would’ve been to replace the doctor or even pressure the emperor into sending the royal physician.
“No. Eileen, it’d be weird if you did that.”
“Do you think I’m that cold and heartless?”
Cedric burst out laughing, slapping the empty space beside him on the bed as if her sulky tone was hilarious.
Of course, his laughter came with consequences—he’d moved his injured arm too roughly.
“Ow, ow… ah…”
“Try using your brain before moving.”
Eileen scolded him, but she still stood up and reached for the bell cord just in case. Cedric stopped her.
“No, don’t.”
“Why not? We should check your wounds again.”
“The poison hasn’t been fully neutralized yet. That’s why I feel weak. The wound itself is fine. I’ve recovered from worse injuries before.”
His words hinted that his childhood had been far from ordinary.
Eileen stared at him carefully, checking if he was just pretending to be okay. Only when she confirmed that he wasn’t sweating or pale did she sit back down.
“Did you find out who the assassins were?”
She asked in a flat tone, like someone asking about the weather while smoothing out the wrinkles in her dress.
The atmosphere in the room instantly changed.
‘She really is different from Diana.’
Eileen’s calm attitude, merely checking Cedric’s condition without judgment, felt almost cold.
Diana would’ve been crying and begging him not to scare her like that again. Maybe Cedric had gotten too used to that kind of reaction.
“Are you asking because you’re worried about me?”
That’s why he suddenly blurted out the question.
Eileen was the complete opposite of someone like Diana, who showed all her emotions openly.
Cedric found Eileen’s calm, unreadable expression confusing—and he wanted some kind of reaction from her.
“Why else would I care if I wasn’t worried about you?”
“Just… it’s kind of amazing to hear you say you’re worried.”
As soon as he got that confirmation, Cedric felt a flutter near his heart. He was happy knowing she cared, even a little.
“Don’t say dumb things.”
Eileen turned her head as she spoke, revealing a still-visible bruise on her face. She must have taken off her veil out of frustration.
Cedric’s expression immediately darkened.
“That bruise…”
“Anyway, thanks.”
He was about to tell her to get treatment from the family doctor, but Eileen suddenly spoke.
Looking down at her hands resting on her lap, she started fiddling with her fingers.
It was unusual to see her hesitating.
“…Thanks for helping me.”
“Anyone would’ve done the same.”
Cedric’s reply felt strangely bitter.
It made her realize once again—there had been no deeper meaning behind his actions. He helped her simply because she was in danger, nothing more.
At the same time, she felt a little pathetic for needing someone else’s help to get through that situation.
“I’ll repay the favor later.”
“If you’re saying that because of what I said about writing it down as a debt, I was just joking.”
Cedric quickly sat up, flustered.
He should’ve known that someone like Eileen Cassiar would take his joke seriously.
“Even if I haven’t received my share of the family inheritance yet, I’m not completely broke.”
“Eileen.”
“I own a small villa on the outside of the capital, and there are some noble ladies who owe my grandmother favors. If I ask, they’ll help me move out of here…”
Without even looking at him, Eileen began listing her plans as if she’d been waiting for this moment.
“Eileen Cassiar!”
Cedric shouted her name out of frustration.
Only then did she snap out of her thoughts and look at him.
“Eileen. Even if you were completely broke, do you think I’d throw you out?”
There was surprise in her green eyes as she blinked slowly.
“If anything, being broke would add more reason for me to not send you back to that Count’s house or leave you on the street.”
“But me being here makes things uncomfortable, doesn’t it?”
“There are plenty of rooms here. Not many people around either.”
It did seem that way. The mansion looked like it had been quickly purchased just to avoid staying in inns or other nobles’ homes.
It wasn’t a proper home—it felt more like an emergency shelter.
“Can I really stay here?”
“You can even have the guesthouse all to yourself. Do whatever you want.”
Cedric didn’t want her to leave.
His emotions were tangled—too complicated for even himself to explain.
He wasn’t sure why he felt so desperate to stop her from going.
“The guesthouse… oh, that could work.”
It would give her some physical distance and prevent them from running into each other too often.
It didn’t mean she was entirely okay with staying in the mansion.
She believed there was no such thing as a favor without a cost.
This level of kindness was just burdensome to her.
Especially coming from someone who clearly didn’t want to marry her and was just waiting for the engagement to be broken.
“I’ll stay as quietly as possible. Don’t worry.”
To her, that was a polite and respectful thing to say—as a guest.
But Cedric took it differently.
‘Am I that uncomfortable to be around? Seriously?’
He had just told her she could stay comfortably.
So how did she end up hearing the exact opposite?
“I mean, um…”
“Still, I should keep track of my living expenses. It wouldn’t be right for you to pay for anything on my behalf.”
Eileen continued talking, calmly and thoroughly, giving Cedric no chance to interrupt.
“Ah, maybe I should talk to your assistant about it. I won’t ask for huge sums like hundreds of gold at a time. But even if I try to keep things minimal—like dresses or accessories… Would you be okay lending me a large amount of money without interest?”
“Huh? Uh… The Duchy can afford that… I mean, I’m not that stingy.”
It took Cedric a while just to understand her extremely practical concerns.
She was so sharp and firm with her boundaries that he could barely keep up.
“Okay then. Let’s do it that way.”
Eileen gave a fresh, relieved smile as if she’d settled everything neatly.
By the time Cedric thought of a proper reply, it was too late.
“I’ll go let Sir Cassel know you’re okay. He was really worried.”
“Wait a sec—”
Without listening, Eileen opened the door and quietly walked out.
***
Meanwhile, Cedric Lowel was now taking out all his irritation during sword training.
“Please, go easy on me, young master.”
“Go easy? What, are you going to negotiate with enemies during battle?”
Cedric had shown exceptional talent with the sword since childhood and was already said to surpass what his father could do at the same age.
“That’s not what I meant…”
His instincts were sharp, and his movements made it hard for opponents to land any hits while making counterattacks easier.
“Your sword feels especially sharp today.”
“Maybe your skills are getting rusty.”
Cedric’s thoughts were so jumbled that he accidentally turned back to an old way of speaking.
Eden raised an eyebrow.
