IAEOG~

Chapter 6

“I didn’t think you’d show up here.”

“How could I not? Did you forget our families are close?”

“Of course I know that. But isn’t this place… uncomfortable for you?”

What’s going on? Weren’t the three of us childhood friends? Why are they fighting?

The most uncomfortable person here was me. I’d only come because it was Cedric’s welcome-home party, yet now he and Raphael were practically having a standoff.

Maybe I shouldn’t have come. I already showed my face—should I just go home?

“Lady, would you like to come up to the attic with me? You used to love watching the sky from there.”

…Excuse me? Me?

No idea what he’s talking about. I’ve never even been to Cedric’s house before—well, at least since I transmigrated.

Still, being around Raphael didn’t sound pleasant, so I was about to agree when—

“Did you forget I liked that place too? That hurts. I’ll join you.”

What the—fine, you two go by yourselves.

So, to explain: today was the long-awaited day of Cedric’s return.

I couldn’t help but wonder—how handsome would he be?

My heart… no, my curiosity was running wild.

This would be my first meeting with the story’s real male lead. A key scene!
I needed to remember every single detail—from the moment we met to when we parted.

“Young Lady, we’ve arrived.”

I stepped out of the carriage and walked toward the mansion.

From afar, a man holding a large bouquet of flowers approached me.

Is that Cedric?

My heart began to thump. Was he really that good-looking?

Step by step, we drew closer—

Guess not.

He was supposed to be as handsome as Raphael, but this guy barely looked taller than me and seemed… ordinary. Probably just another guest.

“It’s been a while, my lady. Thank you for attending my welcome party.”

The silver-haired man took my hand, kissed the back of it, and handed me a bouquet filled with white lilies.

Wait—this guy is Cedric?

…Marie, explain yourself. You really thought this face was handsome?

“You’ve grown beautifully. You still look just as you did when we were young.”

I don’t know if the problem is me or you—but I’m leaning toward you.

After giving the flowers to a servant, I let Cedric lead me inside.

Then I saw a painting of us together hanging in the hall—and decided to forgive Marie.

He used to look fine. What happened? Did studying abroad do this to him?

“How have you been? I was disappointed when your letters suddenly stopped.”

“I was too. I guess you were busy studying?”

“I thought you were uncomfortable with my proposal, so I stopped writing.”

“…Proposal?”

What proposal? I only recently learned Cedric even existed.

“I asked you to marry me when I returned. Honestly, your silence hurt.”

Ah, so that’s why the letters stopped.

If he hadn’t… changed so much, I might have actually considered it.

“But there’s still time.”

No, there’s not. You’ve failed the visual screening round.

Of course, I couldn’t say that aloud. Instead, I smiled awkwardly—
which, apparently, he took as encouragement.

Ignoring everyone else’s greetings, Cedric stuck to me like glue.

Now everyone’s staring. Great, they think we’re dating.

A scandal with him? My pride can’t take that. Maybe I should just go—

“It’s been a while. Welcome back.”

The familiar voice came from behind us, and Cedric’s expression darkened.

No need to look. It was Raphael.

Leaving behind the curious gazes of others, I followed Cedric up to the attic.

This kind of attention was exhausting.

“Wow…”

The moment I saw the view through the attic window, I understood why Yvonne had loved this place.

The sky was crystal clear, the garden below bursting with colorful flowers.

It was beautiful—almost breathtaking.

“I knew you’d like it,” Cedric said proudly. “I even had the garden redone for you.”

He smiled and brushed a kiss against the ends of my hair.

Not romantic. Not even close. Just… uncomfortable.

And the way he kept clinging to me was annoying. I was about to tell him off when—

“Don’t you think you’re standing a bit too close?”

Raphael’s voice cut in, pulling me toward him. His expression was grim.

Was that… jealousy? My lips twitched upward before I could stop them.

“I’m sorry,” Cedric said quickly. “It’s been so long—I must’ve acted too familiarly. Did I upset you?”

“No, it’s fine. Depends on who’s doing it.”

If it were a lover, I wouldn’t mind at all.

Cedric’s touch had been infuriating, but since it clearly provoked Raphael, I pretended not to mind.

“Still,” Raphael added coldly, “uninvited touching can make people uncomfortable.”

For once, he was right.

Though considering he was still holding my arm from earlier, that sounded a bit hypocritical.

“Exactly. So maybe you should let go?”

He released my arm. The atmosphere immediately grew heavy and awkward.

I suddenly wanted to go home.

“It’s your party,” I said to Cedric. “Shouldn’t you greet the others?”

“As long as you’re here, I don’t need anyone else.”

Ugh. So he’s one of those types.

“It’s flattering, but ignoring your guests might reflect poorly on you.”

“You’re still as kind as ever,” he said softly, eyes shining as if moved.

It was… unsettling.

At least my words worked. We finally left the suffocating attic, and I felt much lighter watching Cedric mingle with the guests.

I just needed to hide in a quiet corner until it was late enough to leave.

“You don’t have to try that hard.”

Raphael appeared beside me, uninvited as ever.

“What are you talking about?”

“Pretending to enjoy Cedric’s company just to forget about me. You were already glued to him before heading upstairs. No need to force yourself.”

“I was just happy to see an old friend. That’s all.”

I’d been faking smiles the whole time, but I guess I did a decent job.

So Raphael interfered because… he was jealous?

Yeah. It’s about time. This is usually when the regretful ex part of the story starts getting fun.

I could feel my lips wanting to curl up, but I held them down. No, stay calm.

“You didn’t look happy,” Raphael said flatly. “You don’t have to pretend. I’m not the type to get jealous. Goodbye.”

I was about to respond, but he turned and walked away.

Oddly enough, his coldness didn’t hurt anymore.

Still, I didn’t get it. He was jealous earlier—so why deny it now?

He just hasn’t realized it yet.

Guess I’ll need to find another handsome man to make it obvious.

…Now, where do I find one?

Episode 46

(Excerpt)

Watching Yvonne smile beside Cedric irritated Raphael.

That’s why he’d followed them up to the attic in the first place.

So she really is thinking about me.

Up close, she was forcing that smile—her expression barely hiding how annoyed she felt.

And somehow, seeing her like that… was adorable.

(Excerpt)

Inside the carriage home, Raphael sank deep into thought.

Why did it still bother him to see Yvonne and Cedric together, even after all these years?

Four years ago, he’d buried a secret he never told anyone—

“Yvonne, what are you doing?”

“Writing to Cedric.”

Raphael felt a pang of resentment watching her focus so intently, not even glancing at him.

Still, he quietly cast a small spell on the white lilies sitting at the edge of her desk—something she didn’t notice.

“All done!”

She tapped her pen down cheerfully.

She’d filled an entire page—for Cedric. That didn’t sit well with him.

“I’ll give it to the servant,” Raphael said quickly.

As soon as she slipped the letter into an envelope, he snatched it and left the room.

It was pure impulse.

If he hadn’t, she would’ve doodled all over the envelope, decorating it lovingly. And he couldn’t bear to see that.

In the hallway, he ran into a servant carrying another envelope.

That one had to be from Cedric. Raphael was sure of it.

“Is that for Lady Yvonne?”

“Yes, sir. I was just about to deliver it.”

“I’ll take it to her.”

He accepted the letter—but didn’t hand over hers.

His fingers tightened, crumpling the envelope slightly. He didn’t care.

“Thank you, sir. And the one in your left hand—is that Lady Yvonne’s letter to Master Cedric? I can deliver it.”

“No. This one’s mine.”

His heart began to race.

Why did I lie?

All he knew was that he didn’t want either of them to have the other’s letter.

“I see. Strange, there’s no drawing on it like usual. Very well then.”

The servant bowed and left.

Raphael immediately went to the bathroom, tore open Cedric’s letter, and frowned deeper with each line.

It was full of romantic nonsense.

Good thing he hadn’t let Yvonne see it.

Does she… like Cedric too?

He opened her letter next—feeling guilty, but unable to stop himself.

Relief washed over him. She’d written mostly about the time she spent with him.

Stuffing both letters into his pocket, Raphael returned to her room—his steps lighter than before.

[Comments]
→ Wait, Cedric isn’t the main lead?!
→ Cedric stocks are plummeting 😂 I should’ve known better than to invest.
→ So when does Raphael start regretting things?
→ But seriously, why steal the letters? If I were Cedric, I’d lose my mind.