Chapter 27
‘He must really like cake! Oh no, what do I do—he’s too cute!’
With a warm smile, I scooped a bit of everything onto a plate and set it down in front of Charles, then poured him a drink.
“Do you dislike tea since you’re still a child? You prefer milk, right?”
“I like tea too! It feels refreshing when I drink it with chocolate cookies.”
“Oh my, you’re still a child but your way of speaking is so mature!”
His face was still so babyish, yet he used words like refreshing.
Charles’ bright, eager answers were so adorable that I couldn’t help but smile too.
“Eat lots! When you’re five years old, it’s only right to eat all the delicious food you can today.”
Charles flinched in surprise and mumbled hesitantly,
“But Mother said my chubby cheeks are disgusting…”
“Oh, heavens! These are adorable—something not everyone can have!”
I was genuinely shocked by his words.
‘You should never say things like “disgusting” to a child!’
Even as I spoke gently, he looked nervous and uneasy, which made my heart ache. I winked at him.
“But it’s true that eating too many sweets like cake isn’t good for you. So how about this—we’ll only eat them occasionally, and only when you’re with me.”
Charles’ eyes went round.
“…With my sister-in-law?”
“Not sister-in-law. Edel.”
“Edel.”
He repeated my name cautiously. I smiled and reached out my hand.
“Nice to meet you, Charles. My precious tea-time friend.”
“Friend!”
Charles’ pale cheeks flushed pink. With a determined nod, he grabbed my hand.
“I’ll be a good friend too, Edel!”
Watching Charles scurry away with his tiny steps was such an adorable sight that I couldn’t look away. Cerulean frowned slightly and said,
“You’re very skilled at looking after children.”
“Ah, well, my mother passed away, and I spent some time in an orphanage. I used to look after little ones about his age.”
I smiled lightly. It was long in the past, so my tone came out casual.
“After losing my mom, I fell into depression. I wouldn’t eat or drink, just stayed in bed until I nearly died of dehydration. Luckily, the priest from the orphanage nearby found me. He let me stay there for a while after that.”
“I see…”
Cerulean fell silent for a moment, as if at a loss for words. But soon, he spoke in his usual emotionless tone.
“He must have been a good priest. I’ll have to repay his kindness someday.”
“Oh, no. He’s actually rather ill-tempered in person. And I’m the one who should repay him, since I owe him a lot.”
“Ill-tempered, you say…”
“Ah, is that blasphemous of me? But really, he’s a very cynical man.”
I shrugged as I recalled Father Leophrid. His face looked like that of an angel, but his words could be downright demonic.
‘Still, deep down, he’s kind.’
If he hadn’t been, he wouldn’t have bothered to check on me back then.
Talking about my past inevitably brought a faint heaviness to my mood. Cerulean, watching me quietly, asked in a low voice,
“The despair of losing your mother must have been immense.”
“She was all I had. When I lost my job as a palace scribe and my only family, I completely lost myself. That’s what it really means to be consumed by grief.”
At first, I just felt hungry. But soon, even that sensation disappeared. I couldn’t tell whether I was awake or asleep—everything blurred together and sank like sediment in water.
When I finished speaking, I smiled again.
“But I’m all right now. It’s in the past.”
Of course, I couldn’t say that the past no longer affected me at all.
‘But I’ve decided not to stay stuck anymore—I’ll move forward.’
I bit my lip. I had two goals in life now.
To uncover the true identity of the monster, the Loe, that killed my mother.
And—
‘To make Princess Vanerinne taste the same despair.’
That woman stole everything from me, as if it meant nothing. Just because I witnessed her hitting a maid.
Yet God did not punish her. She lived proudly, even happily.
‘So I’ll expose her. Every last bit of her true face.’
I bit my lip harder.
‘What a strange woman.’
Cerulean’s light blue eyes lingered on the red-haired woman sitting before him.
When she smiled, a small dimple appeared on her cheek—it was charming. She wasn’t dazzlingly beautiful, but she had a warmth that was undeniably endearing.
‘At first, it was just on a whim.’
Her scent had been oddly intoxicating, her flavor vivid and unusual.
That was why he had gone along with her absurd proposal for a contract marriage—like a man helplessly caught in fate’s tide.
But after a few coincidences, he’d actually become her legal husband. Even then, he had thought little of it.
‘We can just stay married in name only.’
Yet the more time he spent with her, the more he noticed everything about her—
Her mix of clumsy and capable, her blend of independence and kindness.
‘Is it that she’s special, or that I’ve become strange?’
Since leaving the orphanage and stepping into House Duke Luc, Cerulean had never once shared a truly warm conversation with anyone. That had never bothered him.
But Edel was different. Talking to her felt like hearing words he should have heard long ago—like applying balm to an old wound.
Still, he wondered whether these ordinary exchanges were really a good thing.
‘I’m not sure anymore.’
Cerulean crossed his arms, watching Edel. Her lips were pressed tightly, her expression resolute, as if she were deep in thought.
He knew that look. He knew how strong she could appear, and how much life burned behind those shining eyes.
‘I can hardly believe she was once so fragile.’
His gaze darkened slightly.
Depression. Dehydration. Death.
He had listened with a calm face, but inside, he hadn’t been calm at all.
Those three words all pointed to one thing.
Loe.
‘Loe favors people who carry deep shadows.’
It feeds on their souls and devours their bodies, growing into a monstrous being.
Edel believed the priest had found her by chance, but it was no coincidence.
If a Hunter destroys a Loe, then a Seeker is one who senses its presence—someone who detects it before it grows too powerful.
That “ill-tempered priest” must have been a Seeker.
‘Most likely that man…’
Cerulean’s blue eyes lingered on Edel. Even while he stared at her so intently, she didn’t look back—lost in her own thoughts.
But he too had thoughts he couldn’t share with her.
‘Did the Loe hovering near her sense her energy?’
Or was it still obsessed with the prey it once almost devoured?
Either way, it was dangerous. That’s why he’d placed Kalima at her side.
‘She’s an excellent Seeker.’
Fortunately, the moody Kalima had also taken a liking to Edel. Since Kalima couldn’t be bought with money or favors, it was a blessing that she chose to protect Edel willingly.
Though Cerulean still disliked how Kalima sometimes let slip bits about the Loe.
‘Still, with her there, Edel’s safe.’
He exhaled softly through his nose. Then a strange realization struck him.
‘…Since when have I cared this much about someone else’s safety?’
Everything about this was unfamiliar—worrying for someone, feeling uneasy or relieved because of them.
But one thing was clear.
‘I want to stay like this—with her.’
Just then, Edel looked up, meeting his gaze. Her light green eyes softened into a gentle curve.
He wanted to keep looking at that smile forever.
‘This is bad. I’ve got it bad.’
He had grown not only used to her presence, but addicted to it. He smirked inwardly. It felt like falling into a sweet trap.
‘But even if it’s a trap, I don’t care—as long as this time lasts.’
Of course, life never went according to one’s wishes.
A butler and servant stepped into the garden, their footsteps heavy. The sight of the black gloves in the butler’s hand froze Cerulean’s expression cold.
In this mansion, those gloves meant only one thing.
Loe.
Cerulean stood up.
“I’m afraid we’ll have to end tea time here.”
“Oh, did something come up?”
Not wanting Edel to learn anything about the Loe, he chose his words carefully.
“A household matter.”
“I see.”
She nodded obediently, but her eyes sparkled sharply. Cerulean caught it at once—she was curious, suspicious even. As expected of a skilled journalist, she was both observant and inquisitive. She was likely already guessing it had to do with the Loe.
Pretending not to notice, Cerulean turned to the butler.
“Our guest will be leaving soon. Prepare the carriage.”
“Yes, sir.”
The butler bowed—but didn’t leave immediately. He too had business with Edel.
At his signal, the servant stepped forward, holding a large box out to her.
“My lady asked that I deliver this dress to you.”
“Oh, the wedding dress.”
When Edel opened the box, a fold of white fabric peeked out. She tilted her head.
“She told me to choose one from several options.”
“This was the only box I received.”
Hadn’t they said there were at least three?
Sensing something suspicious, Cerulean turned toward Edel. She clearly thought the same.
