Chapter 14

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Translator: Harry Potta

Chapter: 14

Chapter Title: The Petal Marks Obsessively Engraved

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“Then tonight. Don’t sleep. Wait for me.”

“......Pardon?”

“Looks like I can finally do what I’ve been holding back on.”

Clodel’s eyes widened round.

“Wait a moment. Th-that’s...”

“Suddenly got busy. I need to finish up before dinner.”

Before she could say anything more, Kaiyan set down his utensils, rose from his seat, and wiped his hands with a napkin.

“I’ll hear from the butler whether you’ve cleared your plate properly. Don’t leave anything behind.”

Kaiyan strode out of the room with long steps.

As he headed to his study, he felt his lips twitching involuntarily and rubbed at the corner of his mouth.

“They say even heaven moves for sincere devotion.”

After pouring such heartfelt care into his benefactor, he had a good feeling that something good was finally about to happen.

“What could have come up so suddenly during dinner?”

Kaiyan hurried to his study to wrap things up quickly, and the butler, watching his retreating figure, tilted his head in puzzlement.

Clodel didn’t know what to do.

“Ah. What now.”

She hadn’t expected Kaiyan to visit her like this every single day.

Her body, which hadn’t been eating well as her illness worsened, couldn’t recover easily from major injuries, but she couldn’t refuse the food he intimidatingly stared her down and spoon-fed her, so she forced it down—and her starved body hungrily accepted even that.

These past few days, she could feel a different kind of strength coursing through her.

Still, every time she swallowed, her chest ached terribly, so she didn’t want to force it down, and seeing Kaiyan who visited so often left her heart uneasy.

He’s my benefactor.

You saved me.

She hadn’t saved him hoping he’d treat her specially.

She was going to die soon anyway.

In that moment, she’d just thought it was better for her to get hurt than for him to.

That was all.

Yet whenever she saw this cold, ruthless man hold back a outburst to accommodate her, or soften his glare, futile thoughts crept in.

What if.

If Kaiyan had treated her like this from the first day she arrived at Rowen Castle, would she perhaps have come to like him?

The fact that even such thoughts arose made her want him to stop these forced visits out of mere gratitude or sense of duty.

And yet, when he briefly lifted her—still unable to move her legs well—to carry her to another spot, or when she leaned her head against his broad chest, or felt the warmth from his large hand holding hers, it was comforting.

It must be the illness.

That’s why everything felt so cold.

The coughs that stabbed like ice thorns into her chest made her so chilled that even the tiniest warmth made her want to cry and weakened her resolve.

Kaiyan had fed rice to her body that panted even at a fingernail-sized morsel and left a spark of warmth in her lonely, affection-starved heart.

However, even before arriving in Rowen lands, she’d heard Kaiyan’s infamous reputation drilled into her ears back in Valmond, so she hadn’t forgotten that this was the same man who had ignored and humiliated her all along.

Kaiyan was an extraordinary and terrifying person.

As far as she knew, he was only five years older than her.

But was there really that much difference between twenty and twenty-five?

Unlike her, who knew nothing, he had inherited the family headship and title at just eighteen and governed this vast territory and its countless people.

The overwhelming pressure emanating from him made shoulders shrink and heads bow instinctively.

Was being raised as heir from the start really that different?

Clodel was curious, but her remaining life was too short to delve into it.

If she grew attached like this only for him to turn cold, it would hurt deeply.

Even if she didn’t particularly like him.

She was trying her best to endure, but that didn’t mean she was immune to pain.

One small mercy was that her life truly wouldn’t last much longer, so she could probably pass peacefully like this.

Kaiyan, who fussed over her as his benefactor, probably wouldn’t rub salt in her wounds by calling her a Vermonte.

Clodel continued tidying up her scant belongings, which held nothing worth organizing anyway.

She’d left what few possessions she had to Hanna.

Hanna.

“Come to think of it, where did Hanna go?”

Her wandering thoughts about Kaiyan finally snapped back to reality.

Looks like I can finally do what I’ve been holding back on.

What on earth had he been holding back?

“I feel like I’ve already said and done everything I wanted.”

Without needing her consent or agreement.

Anyway, she wanted to tell Hanna quickly, but even after quite some time, she hadn’t returned.

Hanna was dashing busily near the castle gates.

Sweat beaded on her forehead, and right now, her fighting spirit was surging.

Soon, the person she’d been searching for came into view.

“Hey! You there, stop right now!”

Hanna bellowed, and Antyone turned around.

“Hey? Did you just say ‘hey’ to me?”

In Rowen territory, ruled by House Temneth, no one dared speak casually to a lady of Temneth blood, so Antyone bristled at Hanna’s attitude.

“Yeah. I said ‘hey.’”

Hanna, dropping all pretense of respect, approached with a fierce glare.

“You only get respect if you deserve it. Hand it over.”

“Wh-what?”

Antyone flinched at Hanna thrusting out her hand.

“The ring you stole.”

“What?”

Hanna was clever and sharp-eyed.

As a child, she’d lacked finesse and strength, but after three years, she could handle a full servant’s workload meticulously.

Theft was a grave matter.

Losing a master’s belonging was no small thing.

It often ended with someone being dragged out of the castle in tears, so Hanna, raised among the maids in the castle from a young age, was naturally sensitive to it.

Until now, the duke’s temperament made me hesitant to suspect, but...

Seeing Kaiyan visit Clodel several times a day since her injury—not that she’d observed on purpose, but it was hard to miss—had made her look a bit closer.

Anyway, to Hanna, Kaiyan just seemed inexperienced with romance.

Back in Valmond Castle, all sorts of rumors swirled about Kaiyan—about his wealth and skills, embellished tales of his unattainable status.

The real Kaiyan and Rowen Castle she’d seen seemed far more imposing and wealthy than the Valmond tales suggested. Perhaps Valmonders downplayed House Temneth out of reluctance to acknowledge them.

On the other hand, rumors of him bedding three virgins in a night didn’t ring true.

Not even a conversation with one Clodel went smoothly.

He’d start to say something he wanted, and if Clodel didn’t respond as hoped, he’d snap and storm out—over and over.

Before, such incidents meant days without seeing his face, but now, using the “benefactor” excuse, he visited multiple times a day and brazenly returned as if nothing happened.

Those who enjoyed women usually understood women’s hearts well.

That’s how they juggled multiple lovers.

Sharing bodies but not hearts, whispering tailored sweet nothings to each.

But realizing Kaiyan’s awkwardness with women made Antyone’s actions all the more suspicious.

And today, she’d caught her red-handed.

Antyone, who’d come dressed to expose her injured ankle and calf while openly insulting and deceiving Clodel by calling her a “cripple,” had hastily covered the blue diamond ring she’d proudly shown off when Kaiyan appeared.

Moreover, after foisting a bouquet on her, the ring vanished from Antyone’s now-empty hand.

Pretending to give me the bouquet while slipping off the ring.

Why?

For what reason?

Because Kaiyan favored her so much he’d passed down his mother’s keepsake?

Hanna hadn’t told Clodel about running into Antyone that day.

Because Antyone had wanted it that way.

What was the point of burdening her lady with something unsolvable?

No need to chase after Kaiyan for confirmation either.

She’d just stewed inwardly until today, when she saw Antyone flee like a coward before Kaiyan—her instincts kicked in.

“Hand it over nicely while I’m asking.”

“Wh-what are you talking about?”

“My lady’s wedding gift.”

Antyone’s blue eyes widened, then shook unsteadily.

“Have you no shame? Stealing the wedding gift another woman’s husband gave his wife.”

“You... you... What nonsense! Got proof?”

“Proof?”

Hanna grabbed Antyone’s left wrist like a vice.

“This ring’s the proof. Give it here!”

“Kyaa! Are you mad? It’s mine!”

Antyone and Hanna tussled. Desperate not to lose the ring, Antyone yanked her hand behind her back—then slapped Hanna across the cheek.

Slap.

Panting with rage, Antyone spat.

“You... I won’t let you get away with this. How dare a lowly Vermonte servant lay hands on a Temneth?”

That was when it happened.

Smack!

A sharper, fiercer sound landed on Antyone’s cheek.

“Fine. Let’s go report it right now. Who do you think the lord will punish—you, who stole the jewel he gave his lady, or me, who slapped a Temneth thief?”

“I told you, it’s mine! Kaiyan gave it to me—I’ve said it a million times!”

“Liar.”

“What lie have I...?”

“Saying you spent the night with Kaiyan-sama? All lies.”

“Wh-what...?”

Hanna smirked, and Antyone’s face twisted.

“Do you know what position the duke likes?”

Truth be told, Hanna didn’t either.

“Th-that’s...”

“You should’ve seen the petal marks obsessively etched into my lady’s body, or the bruises from him gripping her like restraints.”

Even if Clodel had them, she’d never show Hanna.

“You wouldn’t know how desperately their voices called each other’s names through the bedroom door all that long night—enough to worry they’d stop breathing.”

Because nothing like that had happened.

But Hanna, well-versed in such tales from Valmond Castle maids who’d schooled her early, hurled whatever came to mind at Antyone.

“You know nothing.”

“No! Kaiyan-sama wouldn’t!”

See that? Shocked eyes already?

Even if Kaiyan had a hobby of playing with women like the rumors, it sure wasn’t with Antyone.

Stealing and daring to call my lady a cripple?

Hanna ground her teeth and said to Antyone.

“Hand it over nicely while I’m asking.”