Chapter 84…
“Your Grace, I’m so sorry.”
At last, Cynthia grabbed his arm and spoke in her own voice. Hearing her, Tession slowly lifted his head.
Tession narrowed his eyes, his brows furrowing.
“Cynthia…?”
“It’s all my fault. I thought leaving was the best way to protect you. I was foolish.”
Tession’s eyes widened. The hand that had been hanging limply rose and cupped her cheek. His trembling fingers kept stroking her pale skin.
“Is it really you, Cynthia? Why…?”
“I didn’t realize I was hurting you the most. I kept hiding everything from you… I was such a coward…”
Looking down at her, Tession suddenly let his whole body relax, collapsing into her arms. Cynthia instinctively reached out and caught him.
In truth, he was so much bigger that it ended up looking like she was the one being pulled into his embrace.
“Your Grace, are you alright?”
“Cynthia.”
From above her head came Tession’s low whisper.
“Yes! Should I help you sit down?”
“Let’s go back to the Grand Duke’s residence together.”
“Ah…”
“Let’s go together… please…”
Hearing how broken his voice was made her chest ache. Cynthia had no choice but to nod in his arms.
The coachman Enoch had worked so hard to find walked into the pharmacy with a bewildered face.
The master who always seemed perfectly healthy—healthier than anyone—had suddenly collapsed? And in a pharmacy of all places?
“Y-Your Grace…?”
Looking around the pharmacy in shock, he then spotted Tession clinging closely to some woman, looking perfectly fine. The coachman grew even more confused.
“William.”
“Your Grace! Are you alright? What in the world happened…?”
“I’m fine. Let’s return to the manor.”
Tession stood up, holding tightly to Cynthia’s hand. Cynthia looked awkwardly toward Enoch. He raised an eyebrow.
“What’s with your face? Were you crying?”
“N-No…”
“What even is this situation? This needs an explanation.”
“Cynthia, I’ll go ahead. Speak comfortably and come out when you’re done.”
Perhaps to spare her the discomfort, Tession spoke first and walked away. He glanced down at Enoch with a completely unreadable expression, gave a polite nod, and passed him by.
It was nothing more or less than a simple courtesy, without any deeper meaning.
Once Tession and the coachman left, Enoch turned to Cynthia with his mouth hanging open.
“Is the Grand Duke okay? Just a while ago he looked like he was dying—why is he suddenly fine again?”
“Well…”
Cynthia said with an embarrassed face.
“A-Anyway, he’s alright now.”
“And you? Did he find out who you really are?”
“I told him myself…”
“You told him? Ha… I seriously don’t understand anything anymore. You’re too difficult, Cynthia.”
Cynthia looked up at him with her hands fidgeting in front of her.
“I’m sorry I can’t explain everything right now. Someday…”
“It’s fine. It’s not like you’ve ever been an open book.”
“Anyway, I think I need to pack and leave today…”
“What?”
Enoch immediately frowned.
“You were planning to leave anyway since business got bad. I’ll just stop bothering you starting today.”
“That’s not the issue…”
“Fortunately, His Grace will be able to help me.”
Enoch looked at her face—which seemed lighter than before—and muttered irritably:
“So it was a lovers’ quarrel?”
“What?”
“You and the Grand Duke. Was this all just some stupid lovers’ fight? Here I was thinking you had some serious reason for hiding your identity so thoroughly, but that’s all it was?”
“L-Love? It’s not like that!”
Could she even define her relationship with the Grand Duke using that word? Cynthia’s face flushed bright red.
Watching her, Enoch’s expression only darkened further.
“Enoch, thank you for everything. And if you ever need my help, you can always contact me.”
“You think I’d want to contact someone who’s blindsided me twice?”
“I-I’m really sorry…”
“My partner apparently enjoys sucking out my soul and then running away at the last minute.”
He spun around and walked toward the dispensary. Cynthia watched him with guilt.
Why do I keep ending up feeling sorry to him…
“Enoch…”
“Don’t just stand there looking dumb. Come get your weekly pay.”
Standing in the middle of the dispensary, he waved his hand toward some messy drawer.
Cynthia blinked. His brusque voice couldn’t hide the concern underneath.
“When the pharmacy gets successful, I’ll call you back. Just so you know.”
“Of course!”
Cynthia nodded and walked over.
“Enoch, really, thank you. You’re going to do amazingly. I guarantee it! You’ll become the most famous and successful pharmacist in the entire Dirotaine Empire!”
“You’re just stating the obvious.”
“I’ll definitely come back then!”
Hearing Cynthia speak with such certainty—as if she knew the future—Enoch’s ears reddened. His yellow eyes, full of emotions he didn’t express, turned to her.
He looked at her for a while without speaking, then finally opened his mouth.
“Alright. Make sure you do.”
Outside the rattling carriage, a familiar landscape appeared.
Cynthia leaned back with a conflicted expression.
How did things turn out like this? Returning to the Grand Duke’s estate in just a week… What’s going to happen to my life now…?
“Cynthia.”
Beside her, Tession spoke her name.
She quickly turned to look at him.
“Yes?”
Tession simply stared at her without saying anything more.
In his violet eyes were relief, joy, ease—and a hint of obsession—at having her back.
Staring into his eyes made her feel strange. With the original story completely derailed, she found herself unconsciously searching for a way to return.
But…
When she looked into his warm gaze, she felt a lingering regret—an unwillingness to let go.
Was going back really necessary? Did she even have a choice?
If she did have a choice… what was the right one?
Her thoughts kept spiraling.
They stared at each other for a long moment before Tession smiled faintly and shook his head.
“No, it’s nothing.”
What? How anticlimactic…
Cynthia also gave him a small smile. After watching her for a little longer, Tession looked forward again.
“……”
Now Cynthia found herself staring quietly at him.
Why doesn’t Tession ask me anything?
About the Elizabeth who supposedly returned home…the fact that she had been working at a pharmacy instead of the Bailey estate… her hair growing in darker at the roots… her changed eye color…
Thinking about it, Cynthia realized she didn’t understand him. Did he not wonder about any of it?
Or…
“Your Grace! We’ve arrived at the Grand Duke’s residence!”
At that moment, the coachman’s voice cut through her tangled thoughts. Cynthia turned to look outside. The looming Lumanov castle filled the window.
The grand bath of the Lumanov estate—restored to her at last—was still as wide and luxurious as ever.
Cynthia soaked in the hot water, releasing her accumulated fatigue from the past several days.
“Aaaah…”
Oops—that sounded way too much like an old man…
Startled by her own echoing voice, she shut her mouth and glanced around. Of course, no one was there, but knowing Tession was somewhere nearby made her oddly self-conscious.
‘Before you sleep, could you come to my room for a moment?’
And he asked her to come at night!
A night with him had never just passed normally. Embarrassed by her runaway imagination, she slid deeper into the tub and shook her head.
“No, stop getting ahead of yourself. Maybe he just hasn’t been sleeping because of nightmares again, like last time.”
Yes, that must be it.
“Still, I should wash a bit more thoroughly! It’d be rude to show up in front of Tession like this.”
