~Chapter 05~
“You’re really annoying.”
Cedric, frustrated with Eileen’s unwavering calmness, gave up on arguing. No matter what he said, she remained calm and responded elegantly, leaving him speechless.
“That’s a new one. You can’t blame me for your lack of fluency,” Eileen replied with a slight smirk.
“In the North, we don’t waste words. We communicate with swords,” Cedric retorted.
“Oh, really? You’re going to challenge me to a duel in swordsmanship even though I’ve never held a sword before? How can you be so shameless?”
Eileen remained silent, standing up first. She had confirmed everything she needed to and made sure Cedric understood the points she wanted to emphasize. With that, she felt that she had completed her task for the day.
“I’ll leave you to your sword practice. I won’t bother you anymore.”
As Eileen stood up to leave, Cedric seemed taken aback. Was this really the end? He had thought she would do something dramatic, something big.
“…You’re leaving?” he asked, his voice confused.
He didn’t quite understand why he wanted to stop her from leaving. Despite calling her annoying, there was something about Eileen that made her different from the others. Perhaps it was her straightforwardness or her ability to speak plainly, unlike the people in the capital who constantly spoke in circles. She felt fresh and strange to him.
Perhaps it was also because she seemed unfazed by her dress being dirty, as if she wasn’t bothered by the mess it had gotten into. He couldn’t help but feel unsettled by it.
“You don’t need my advice, but at least change your clothes. This large mansion must have a dress or two,” he said, trying to cover his own discomfort.
Eileen didn’t respond but simply stood there, gazing at him. Cedric’s face turned red again, and he suddenly raised his voice, trying to cover his embarrassment.
“It’s not like that, but I don’t want rumors to spread that I’m tormenting you while you’re wearing that dress when you leave the Duke’s house.”
Facing Eileen’s unshakable, composed expression, Cedric felt like the only emotional one in the room.
“…Who’s going to say that?” Eileen asked with a soft smile before making a serious tone as if giving advice.
“You smell like sweat, too, so you should change your clothes.”
“What…!”
Cedric, reacting a bit too late, sniffed his clothes, clearly unsure whether to be offended or embarrassed. Eileen, finding the situation somewhat amusing, left the scene before he could say anything else.
***
As Eileen walked away, she spotted Mary lingering at the entrance to the training grounds. Cassel was standing quietly nearby.
“He said I can change my clothes. Do you think there’s a dress I could wear?” Eileen asked.
“I’ll call the head maid for you,” Cassel replied.
Luckily, though the dress was worn, Eileen quickly found a neat and elegant one that would do. As she prepared to leave, she overheard Cassel talking about some things related to the mansion’s situation.
Apparently, the previous duke hadn’t visited the capital often, so the estate had fallen into disrepair. To fix things, they had purchased the mansion of a fallen nobleman. Now they were scrambling to clean up before the ball.
As she made her way to the main hall to pay Cedric a brief visit, she crossed paths with the butler.
“What’s that?” she asked, noticing the thick envelope in his hand.
It was crumpled, so it didn’t seem like an official invitation but more like a personal letter.
“This is a letter for the young master,” the butler explained.
“I’ll deliver it. I was looking for him anyway,” Eileen said casually, taking the letter from the butler.
However, when she saw the sender’s name, her hand froze.
“…This is.”
The envelope had a round, charming handwriting that seemed to belong to a young girl. Eileen could almost imagine her diligently writing the letter. But it wasn’t the handwriting that shocked her. It was the name on the envelope.
Diana.
Cedric’s childhood friend.
His hope and his despair.
Diana was someone who held a special place in his life, a family-like figure who would eventually be the cause of Cedric’s downfall. Eileen’s heart sank as she stared at the letter.
Before Eileen could react further,
“Give it back! Don’t look at it,” Cedric’s voice broke through her thoughts as he approached, his damp golden hair blowing in the wind.
He grabbed the letter from Eileen’s hands with an almost desperate motion, clutching it to his chest, almost protectively.
The tension in the air disappeared almost instantly.
But Eileen couldn’t help but follow his every movement with her eyes. It was as if the story she had almost forgotten was starting to unfold again, as the wheels of fate turned with a distinct, inevitable sound.
“I wasn’t planning to snoop through your letter,” Eileen said, her tone genuine. She had no intention of meddling; she had simply wanted to save the butler some effort. While he seemed busy, Eileen had the time to deliver the letter to Cedric herself.
The atmosphere between them became a bit awkward, and Eileen, after a pause, casually remarked, “Seems like an important person.”
“She’s my friend. The most precious and important one to me,” Cedric replied, emphasizing each word as if to make sure Eileen understood. He spoke as though he didn’t want to reveal too much, as if he were trying to keep something hidden.
A bittersweet smile tugged at Eileen’s lips. As a ‘villainess’ in the story, she knew that Diana, the female protagonist, would never return Cedric’s feelings. He would eventually fall in love with her, but Diana would never reciprocate.
Eileen was meant to torment their relationship and had no way of warning Cedric of the impending, tragic future. The roles they had to play in this tale were already set, and there was no way to escape their fates.
‘For now…’ Eileen thought, ‘It’s still too early for any feelings beyond friendship between them.’ Cedric and Diana were still in the early stages of their relationship, and there was plenty of time before things would become complicated.
‘When the “main male lead” appears, Cedric will likely experience jealousy over him, and that will spark new emotions,’ she mused. A complex love triangle would emerge, but Eileen had no intention of getting involved in that mess.
To shift the mood, Eileen casually continued the conversation, “It must be nice. I don’t really have any close friends like that.”
Ever since childhood, Eileen had always been calm and composed, a presence that her peers found strange. The noble young women she interacted with were more acquaintances than true friends, and she didn’t have anyone with whom she could share her true feelings.
“She’s a childhood friend. We grew up together,” Cedric explained, glancing at Eileen’s face, seemingly unsure of how to read her.
Eileen noticed the hint of unease in his gaze. He felt awkward discussing Diana, as though he feared Eileen might judge him for it. Despite the formal, almost cold demeanor Eileen had, Cedric wasn’t sure how she would respond.
“Are you in love with her?” Eileen asked, her voice light.
Cedric was caught off guard and lifted his gaze to meet her eyes. Her expression was calm, unreadable. She had a way of looking at him that made him feel like she could see right through him. Why couldn’t he do the same with her?
His response was more reflexive than intentional.
“What if I said yes?”
The truth was, Cedric had never thought of Diana in a romantic way. To him, she felt more like a younger sister—someone he wanted to protect and care for, not a romantic interest. But with the mention of her, Cedric’s thoughts drifted back to the letter Diana had sent him, asking him to visit the capital together. He had been so happy imagining her joyful face when he read it.
But that happiness quickly turned to worry when the emperor’s unexpected order came down. “Are you planning on kicking her out if she comes here?”
In contrast to Eileen, who was cold and calculating, Diana was gentle, pure-hearted, and kind. The thought of Eileen treating her harshly sent a pang of concern through Cedric’s chest. He had already been firm with Eileen about their broken engagement, but Diana was different. He couldn’t bear to think of her being mistreated.
As the conversation continued, Cedric’s thoughts tangled with his own inner chaos. He didn’t know what to do with these conflicting feelings, and Eileen’s investigative questions only made things more complicated.
