Chapter 14
Though still sharp, there was a noticeable dulling in his tone that hinted at lingering youth.
After a brief hesitation, Erica obediently nodded.
But that alone didn’t seem to satisfy Sebastian, whose gaze remained fixed on her, waiting.
Erica held her breath and carefully chose her words.
What kind of answer was Sebastian expecting?
‘He might be testing my resolve.’
In that case, there was only one appropriate answer.
Taking a short breath, Erica spoke in a small but steady voice.
“Yes. But… I think it’s not the right time yet.”
A soft chuckle. The quiet sound of laughter lightly brushed over the top of her head.
It seemed her answer wasn’t entirely wrong.
But it was still too soon to feel relieved. Sebastian’s next question followed immediately.
“Then, when exactly will the right time come?”
With his arms crossed, he deliberately feigned a bored tone.
Erica cautiously glanced at him for a read on his mood.
Just then, his crimson eyes were looking somewhere beyond her. Judging by the direction, probably where Bonfiju was.
“Honestly, I’d prefer to get rid of her as soon as possible. I know her type very well. Those with inflated egos only get scared for the moment, no matter how many chances you give them. I guarantee it—sooner or later, she’ll cause trouble again and get on my nerves.”
It seemed Bonfiju was really getting under his skin. Sebastian even clicked his tongue as soon as he finished speaking.
Erica, keeping her lips pressed tight, spoke up carefully.
“Still… I hope she can come with us as far as the Grand Duke’s estate… That’s just my opinion. Even though you didn’t ask for it.”
Her words implied that if Sebastian decided otherwise, she would comply without complaint.
Sebastian pulled his gaze away from Bonfiju.
He looked down at Erica in silence, then bluntly dropped his next words.
“As expected. Bringing her along was the right call.”
There was no subject, but it wasn’t hard to guess whom he meant.
“Is that woman actually of any use to you?”
Erica nodded.
Of course, Bonfiju wasn’t helpful in any real sense.
But just keeping her nearby would make Marquis Blanche believe he still had Erica tightly within his grasp.
That alone was enough to guarantee her mother’s safety.
So Erica was more than willing to endure a little discomfort.
Sebastian asked again.
“What if… I don’t give you the answer you want right now?”
Erica’s already pale face turned even more colorless.
“The Young Duke would…”
Her hands clenched tightly as she hesitated, then parted her lips.
“…end up being a little more troubled.”
“Me? Why?”
“Because… once you’ve granted a request once, I’ll know it’s not that hard to make you do it again.”
Ha.
A loud, hearty laugh burst from Sebastian’s lips.
The booming sound shook the air, making Erica lift her head like a startled rabbit, wide-eyed, to look up at him.
Ever since their first meeting, all she’d seen was his frowning face.
She had never once imagined him smiling.
Even when she tried, she’d always shake her head, feeling like even imagining it would get her scolded.
But now… seeing that face soften in an instant…
For some reason… she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
Whatever was so amusing, Sebastian laughed a little longer, then finally reined it in and composed his expression.
“Alright. I get what you’re saying.”
Though his words said otherwise, he deliberately shook his head.
Bonfiju’s expression darkened again at the negative gesture.
“At this point, it should look like you’ve pleaded enough with me.”
“Ah…! Yes, thank you.”
Erica clasped her hands together and bowed deeply.
Then she quickly turned around and walked away without hesitation.
Sebastian’s crimson gaze followed her retreating back for a long while.
“Unbelievable.”
Yet the smile lingering at the corner of his mouth carried a warmth that didn’t match his cold words.
Meanwhile, the cheeky maid Bonfiju, now standing nearby, shook her small head.
As if aware Sebastian was still watching, Bonfiju forced a gentle smile, stretching her lips as though she hadn’t almost scowled a moment ago.
Sebastian kept watching the two women.
Under his persistent gaze, Bonfiju eventually left Erica alone and moved far away.
“She’s… more interesting than I thought.”
Bold, too.
Truthfully, Sebastian hadn’t been fond of this marriage from the start.
Of course, he had always expected he’d marry someday.
But he had no fantasies, no ideal type. He had no specific desires.
So, he’d figured he’d just marry someone suitable when the time came.
The sudden arrangement of this marriage annoyed him.
Meeting her in person and realizing how young she was had been even more absurd.
But what could he do? What’s done is done.
There was no taking it back, so he’d intended to bring her to the Grand Duke’s estate and ignore her afterward.
“Interesting.”
Yet, he was slowly growing curious about this young bride, whose personality was so different from what he’d expected.
Was this… a good thing? Or a bad thing?
Erica honestly didn’t know.
She glanced sideways at him.
“What is it?”
Sebastian’s crimson eyes, which had been staring at her the whole time, met hers directly.
Startled.
“Ah… n-nothing. It’s nothing.”
Like someone scalded by fire, Erica flinched and quickly lowered her gaze, trembling.
Her face felt hot, all the way to her ears.
Not long ago, Sebastian had looked at her like she was just some random object.
No, he hadn’t even cared enough to give her a glance.
But…
Ever since the day she first approached him—pushed into it by Bonfiju’s harassment—his attitude had changed noticeably.
He started looking at her more.
And after ‘that incident’ a few days ago… they even started having meals together.
“Hey. You damned woman. What do you think you’re doing?”
That was when Bonfiju had been transferring the stew chunks from Erica’s plate to her own.
Startled by Sebastian’s low voice from behind, Bonfiju immediately froze mid-action.
Erica hadn’t noticed him approaching at all, likely because he’d deliberately silenced his footsteps.
Her heart almost dropped.
“Y-Young Duke?”
“I asked you. What do you think you’re doing?”
With a frown showing clear irritation, Sebastian jerked his chin toward Bonfiju’s plate.
Bonfiju’s eyes wavered like a small boat in a storm, about to capsize.
The situation left no room for doubt.
Bonfiju had been scooping food not from her own plate, but from Erica’s.
Sebastian’s eyesight was not bad enough to miss that.
Yet… he still asked, obviously with a purpose in mind.
In the end, Bonfiju chose the most childish option once again—blaming Erica.
“The young lady said she didn’t want to eat her vegetables…”
“…?”
“Oh, and… The knights of the Archduke’s household went through so much effort to make this food… If she left it uneaten, they’d be sad… So… I was just trying to finish it all myself…”
Since this was a long-distance trip, the food had been meager.
They hadn’t brought a chef, so the taste was average at best and portions small.
Bonfiju wasn’t satisfied with that.
So, she often stole from Erica’s share.
This all happened because Erica and Bonfiju always ate separately, far from Sebastian and the knights.
If either Sebastian or Milord had paid a little closer attention, it wouldn’t have come to this.
Sebastian immediately recognized the lie.
He scoffed.
But for some reason, pretending to believe Bonfiju’s excuse, he turned to Erica and asked in a pressing tone:
“So… is that true?”
“…Yes.”
With Bonfiju glaring daggers at her, Erica had no choice but to nod in resignation.
Sebastian, as if waiting for that exact reply, opened his mouth sternly.
