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Well, Cayena didn’t know how he interacted with others. He had never said similar words with such a gentle smile to the original Cayena.

‘No. I shouldn’t get caught up in his misleading manner of speech.’

Cayena shook her head and calmed her pounding heart.

Maybe it was a good idea to wrap up today’s meeting here.

“…I’ll excuse myself first. I have some work to finish today. It may be better to reschedule our visit to the academy to notarize the documents.”

As she stood up, Raphael followed.

Cayena cooled her head and started walking.

Raphael trailed along behind her and said, “I will escort you, Your Highness.”

Cayena looked back to refuse his escort.

“No! You don’t have to do that…”

Then she found herself nose-to-nose with Raphael and hastily pulled herself back.

“Ah…!”

Having lost her balance slightly, she reached out her hand. Raphael was strong enough to grab her hand and help her up, but doing so could strain Cayena’s body. Using that as justification, he held Cayena tightly in his arms around her back. Cayena, surprised, stuck close to him.

“Are you all right?”

His tone was brusque but kind.

Cayena felt a sense of deja vu.

‘I was held by him at the imperial library, too.’

Like then, she felt secure, like she was completely safe and protected by him. Raphael tucked back a strand of her hair that had spilled out.

Cayena came back to her senses at that moment. She quickly tried to get away from him. However, her body didn’t budge. It was very embarrassing.

“Sir Raphael.”

Raphael looked down at Cayena, who had turned stiff.

As expected, something was unusual. Cayena was too reluctant to be in contact with him. It almost looked like she was afraid.

“Have I displeased you?”

“No, that isn’t it at all.”

Displeased? It was a ridiculous misconception.

“Then why do you keep avoiding me?”

“That’s…”

For a moment, she was speechless.

She was only trying to be careful, but it seemed she went too far. But wasn’t this more comfortable for him too?

Cayena thought Raphael would welcome this change. After all, he was a person who felt nauseous by touching others.

But now, Raphael’s complexion looked quite fine. He didn’t even look pale or uncomfortable.

Cayena bit her lip. With her confidence slightly diminished, she said, “I was afraid you’d be uncomfortable…”

‘I know it’s true, but this is weird.’

There was clear evidence that he tried to avoid personal contact.

Raphael’s heart itched when he looked down and saw Cayena being confused.

How could this ever be uncomfortable? He didn’t fully understand himself right now, either.

But one thing was for sure.

“I’m not uncomfortable at all.”

Raphael realized that he had to clearly explain how he felt to Cayena, who was being too cautious.

“It’s more uncomfortable when you avoid me.”

‘But that doesn’t make sense.’

Cayena wanted to refute his words, but she only furrowed her brows a bit. Raphael smiled discreetly at her expression, then forced the corners of his lips back down.

“Shall we go, then?”

Instead of letting Cayena out of his arms, he held out his hand. That gesture’s intent was to ask if he could escort her. Cayena glanced at the hand for a moment, and then gently held it with her own.

‘Since he said it was fine…’

Somehow, the room felt a little hot.

Scene 9. An Unwanted Realization

“Where is Jeremy now?”

As soon as he returned to the villa, Raphael asked about Jeremy’s whereabouts. He wanted an update on the investigation on Henverton Gillian.

“He’s still outside.”

‘Still?’

Raphael nodded and headed for the bedroom. Baston, who was following him, asked,

“Master, you didn’t treat Her Highness coldly again, did you?”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“In the parlor, earlier…”

Baston immediately started to respond to Raphael’s indifferent words when he stopped himself.

There were many ears around. He stepped closer to Raphael. He didn’t notice how Raphael’s face was turning a little more frigid.

“Wasn’t Her Highness’s expression a little unusual when she exited the parlor?”

Raphael put some distance between them subtly, so that Baston wouldn’t notice. He said, “Nothing happened, so don’t do something rash again.”

“When did I ever do something rash?”

Baston pouted.

‘Did I see wrong? Master really did seem different from his usual, though.’

But when Baston looked back at Raphael, he seemed to be the same as always. Well, it had always been like this since the first time he met Raphael.

Jeremy told him that their master had the same personality since he was young.

‘A solemn, dignified child. I’m getting goosebumps.’

Baston, who originally wandered around with mercenaries, accidentally became an attendant of the Kedrey dukedom.

At that time, the duke was a little strange.

‘Overall, his atmosphere was sharp.’

It was less so now, but back then, Baston was so bad with discipline that he felt like he was choking.

Baston remembered his first impression of Raphael.

‘What an asshole.’

Raphael was handsome and tall, and everything came to him easily ever since he was a child. However, he was strangely reticent and rarely ever smiled. Baston wasn’t saying that just because the maid he had a secret crush on had been in love with Raphael.

…Probably.

‘There are a lot of people who love Master.’

Some people even called him the first-love manufacturer.

‘Even Her Highness is fond of him.’

Baston’s eyes teared up as he became absorbed in his own thoughts.

The side profile of his master as he expressionlessly climbed the stairs looked more wonderful today. It must have been because of the cream shirt that Baston recommended.

“Baston.”

He startled.

While Baston was distracted, Raphael had taken off his jacket and held out his shirt.

Baston didn’t notice that they had arrived at Raphael’s chambers.

“Oops! I’ll take that now.”

Baston took Raphael’s shirt, unfolded the dressing gown that an attendant brought it, and started putting Raphael’s arm through the sleeve.

As he did, his Adam’s apple bobbed subconsciously.

Raphael’s perfectly trained body was impressive, but the reason Baston gulped was because of the long scar on Raphael’s back. It was a battle wound he got because of Baston.

Baston could still remember what Raphael said to him, expressionless, as he oozed blood like rain.

“Get a hold of yourself, Baston Debora.”

His dry voice, which Baston always thought was condescending, had sounded so reliable.

If it weren’t for Raphael, Baston would have certainly died at the hands of the barbarians.

‘Master doesn’t seem to mind this wound, but…’

Soon, the scar was swallowed up by the black shirt.

The duchy’s territory shared borders with another country. In addition, the barbarians often tried to invade, coming from the western border as they tried to carve out more land for themselves.

Once Raphael was old enough to enter the battlefield and as soon as he was fully prepared for war, he wiped out the barbarians.

The western border was reclaimed in no time.

‘Because the war never reached the capital, they don’t know how cold-blooded my master is.’

Raphael’s hands had no mercy to the point that it seemed excessive.

Like a person who could not sympathize with others’ pain, he just did what he needed to do. Since then, Baston comfortably concluded that Raphael’s heart was made of ice.

‘But now, spring is finally coming to our master!’

Baston huffed.

At that moment, Raphael made eye contact with Baston with a cold gaze.

“Your breathing is unpleasant.”

“Ahem. The seasons are changing, so my allergies… ”

Raphael, now wearing a shirt, picked up the familiar ruby cufflinks from the jewelry box, but hesitated.

A dazzling blue diamond, which he usually didn’t notice at all, stood out to him.

That blue color reminded him of Cayena’s eyes.

Knock, knock.

A servant knocked on the bedroom door and entered.

“Jeremy has arrived. He says he has something to report to you immediately. What would you like to do?”

Raphael turned his gaze and said, “Let him in.”

~~~

[TN] Out of respect to other readers (including myself, because I don’t read ahead OTL), please refrain from sharing spoilers on Disqus. You’re welcome to discuss spoilers in the NU thread or on the Discord in the spoiler channel.