Chapter 129…
The moment the ominous thought crossed her mind, Cynthia felt her head spin.
Could it be that Elizabeth had also been in a situation where her life was being threatened by the Bailey family? That they had found out she was secretly digging into them?
Then… could that carriage accident have been…?
Realizing where her thoughts were headed, Cynthia quickly shook her head.
No, that can’t be it! Don’t jump to conclusions without any evidence!
Even if the Baileys valued their family’s safety above all else, they wouldn’t go so far as to harm one of their own, right? Right…?
Besides, on the day of Elizabeth’s carriage accident, the Baileys who arrived at the scene had clearly been startled. And although they initially tried to cover up her death, that was only to get the Retemper Merchant Guild back from Tession, not because of something else…
So that carriage accident definitely shouldn’t have been intentional…
<Suspicious Accident Records>
At that moment, another line from Elizabeth’s notebook appeared in Cynthia’s mind.
She grabbed her head with both hands. No, no…! Why does that carriage accident suddenly look so suspicious?
Even as she tried to deny the thoughts rising inside her, Cynthia swallowed hard.
It really isn’t true… right?
“Gardener.”
While Cynthia’s mind spun rapidly, she slowly spoke.
“Yes?”
“That famous jewelry shop—where exactly is it located?”
“Hmm… not far from the Romanov Restaurant. Somewhere around there.”
“Could I possibly go see the jewels too?”
At her question, the gardener’s expression instantly became troubled.
Even though he didn’t understand the exact situation, he knew how much the Grand Duke cared for her. On top of that, after she was dragged away by the Crown Prince recently, he had become extremely wary of her leaving the manor at all…
“Th-that is…”
“Please! If you’re worried about me going out, we can just bring some knights along!”
Cynthia remembered the last time she’d stepped out to meet Violet.
But the gardener quickly shook his head.
“My lady, I’m just a gardener. I don’t have the authority to mobilize knights. If you truly wish to go, it would be best to wait until the Grand Duke returns and accompany him.”
“That’s…”
Cynthia bit her lower lip.
He was right. Going out recklessly wouldn’t solve anything…
She had no choice but to nod. Still, the ominous feeling gnawing at her wouldn’t go away.
That evening, when Cynthia saw Tession’s carriage entering the mansion through the window, she shot to her feet. Throwing open her door, she hurried down the grand staircase to the lobby.
“Cynthia?”
Just as he stepped inside and handed his gloves to Ruth, Tession noticed Cynthia running toward him.
“Your Grace! You’re finally back?”
She rushed straight to him.
Seeing her run toward him, Tession couldn’t hide his smile.
“Yes. If I’d known I’d get such a warm welcome, I would’ve returned even earlier.”
“Have you eaten yet?”
“I have. Did you have your dinner?”
“Yes! Then I have something to tell you, so let’s go up quickly!”
Cynthia grabbed Tession’s hand and pulled him toward the stairs. Confused, he let himself be dragged along.
“What is this urgent matter you need to tell me?”
“I’ve been waiting for you all day!”
“You were… waiting for me?”
Tession’s lips curled upward as he looked at the small back of the woman pulling him along. He hadn’t known that being awaited by someone could feel this overwhelmingly joyful.
If she stayed here with him from now on, he felt he could continue living happily.
And if their relationship became something stronger—more certain—he would be even happier.
Feeling his heart race, he tightened his grip on her small hand. A strange, warm happiness wrapped around him.
A moment later, Cynthia stepped into his room ahead of him and turned around.
“Your Grace, would you like to wash up first?”
“…Wash?”
Tession blinked, wondering if he heard correctly.
She had waited for him all day… only to immediately tell him to wash? After all the thoughts he’d entertained on the way here, it was a bit difficult to accept her words at face value.
“Cynthia… don’t you think the phrasing is a bit strange…?”
“Huh…?”
Strange? Because I told him to wash?
Realizing the implication behind his words, her eyes flew wide open and her face turned bright red. She quickly let go of his hand and flailed awkwardly.
“N-no! I didn’t mean anything weird! I just thought that since you’re home, you might want to wash up… so you could listen comfortably… because we might talk for a while…!”
Watching her panic, Tession let out a quiet laugh.
“Once again, I’m the strange one. I understand. I’ll wash quickly and come out.”
“…Okay!”
A short moment later, after finishing his shower, Tession stepped out. Cynthia immediately stood and sat at the table.
She tapped the table.
“Your Grace, sit here!”
“What exactly is this talk you’re so worked up about?”
Tession sat across from her, drying the ends of his hair. Her unusual assertiveness made him both curious and uneasy.
He was ready to listen to anything she said—because whatever she said, he had no choice but to listen.
“I’ve been thinking…”
Cynthia began.
Tession’s eyes lowered to her lips, tension building.
They had been spending more and more time together lately, and his hopes had grown stronger. He’d even reacted sensitively about the mention of a new fiancée recently. Perhaps she, too…
“I want to investigate the Bailey family in more detail!”
His face fell instantly.
Hearing those words, something inside him collapsed.
So it was the Baileys again…
After taking a moment to steady his breath, he forced himself to speak.
“…The Baileys?”
“Yes! I came up with a hypothesis, and I’m not sure if it’s correct. Remember the notebook Violet gave me? From the contents written there, I got an idea…”
As she continued seriously, Tession let out a hollow laugh, lowering his head.
“….”
What was I even expecting?
It felt miserable realizing he was the only one imagining a future between them—thinking, hoping—while she seemed to have no such thoughts at all.
“And Dale disappeared suddenly, which is strange too. Are you listening, Your Grace?”
When she received no answer, Cynthia called him again. After staring at the floor for a long moment, Tession finally brushed his bangs back and replied slowly.
“The Baileys again?”
“Sorry? What?”
“It’s been a long time since I terminated the contract with the Baileys. Why are we still talking about them?”
Cynthia’s eyes widened. She had never seen him react so coldly.
Why was he suddenly like this?
Startled, she blinked and spoke carefully.
“N-no, I mean… it’s not really about the Baileys themselves. Like I said before, I just want to know more about Lady Elizabeth…”
“And why Elizabeth?”
His voice was sharp.
Seeing his violet eyes turn dark, Cynthia fell silent. For some reason, he looked upset.
He continued.
“Because your situations are similar? Because you feel attached to her? Because you… empathize with her?”
“…”
“You care so much about someone who isn’t even here anymore… yet it seems I’m invisible to you.”
“Your Grace…”
Tession let out a long sigh.
“To be honest… I don’t understand why you’re doing all this. I thought things were fine once you regained your memories. But why are you still so obsessed with Lady Elizabeth…?”
“Obsessed?”
Cynthia echoed him. Did he really think everything she did was nothing but obsession?
He frowned and shook his head.
“I’m sorry. I’m tired today.”
“…”
“I’ll escort you back to your room. We can continue this conversation tomorrow.”
He stood.
Cynthia remained seated, staring at the hand he extended toward her. He clearly wanted her to leave the room, but something inside her screamed that she shouldn’t stand up yet.
After a brief moment of hesitation, she spoke.
“Your Grace.”
“Let’s talk tomorrow.”
“Your Grace.”
“Cynthia, I’m sorry but I’m not in the right state to—”
“I like you.”
He froze.
Her words stopped him in his tracks.
It was completely unexpected. His eyes widened slightly as he stood motionless.
After taking a calm breath, Cynthia rose from her seat and stepped closer.
“I like you, Your Grace.”
