~Chapter 10~
“Already calling her by such a sweet name. I think it won’t be a problem when she becomes the duchess in the future, so I’m relieved.”
“What do you mean by that?”
It would be easy just to say that he wasn’t close with Eileen and that she was merely his formal fiancée. Whatever this man said, he wouldn’t involve the Cassier family in any way, so he should stop trying to bring the Lowels into this.
However, Cedric couldn’t help but feel strangely uneasy about saying that. So, he chose to shift the topic.
“Is there something you want from me?”
Count Cassier, still smiling, smoothly continued speaking.
“It’s not a serious matter. It’s just that I was hoping you could arrange a position in the Lowell family’s knight order for the son of a close friend of mine.”
“I didn’t hear anything.”
It was just another trivial request. Cedric frowned and was about to pass by the Count, but the Count hurriedly stopped him.
“Didn’t Eileen mention this?”
“…Eileen?”
What could Eileen have possibly told him?
The Count’s words suggested that she was somehow involved in this request.
“She might not have mentioned it, I suppose.”
The Count smiled awkwardly, his expression so natural that Cedric couldn’t tell if he was lying or being sincere.
“What do you mean?”
“When Eileen eventually becomes the duchess and moves to the estate, she said it would be good if she had a trusted person by her side. This is the method I came up with after careful consideration.”
Cedric stared at him quietly, trying to discern the lie.
“If there were a reliable escort knight with a solid background, wouldn’t Eileen feel much more at ease?”
The Count continued to maintain his consistent, sympathetic expression, as though this was truly for his niece’s benefit.
“…Eileen said that?”
That didn’t sound like something she would say. It went completely against the kind of agreement they had.
“I was told not to disturb your mood with such trivial concerns, but I couldn’t help myself, I was so worried.”
The Count still wore a relaxed smile.
As Cedric watched him, a thought suddenly struck him: Eileen had rarely spoken about her family, including the Cassier family, in any detail.
“She spoke about the Lowell family before…”
“…I’ll consider it.”
Cedric decided that he would ask Eileen about this later. So, he didn’t outright reject the request, but his response was less than sincere.
He didn’t think she had any hidden agendas, but something about this still felt awkward.
“Please don’t tell anyone I mentioned this. It would worry her unnecessarily.”
Cedric gave a half-hearted goodbye to the still-smiling count and left.
Even while picking up two glasses, his head was spinning.
Why hadn’t she ever talked about her family or household?
‘There’s a complicated situation. The Cassier family doesn’t talk about it, but everyone knows the current Count Cassier is an illegitimate child. It’s a shameful thing for the family.’
When he had first arrived in the capital, Cedric hadn’t thought much about the Cassier family. He only knew the surface-level details that Cassel had shared with him.
‘Hello. That comment you just made to your fiancée was incredibly rude, but I’ll let it slide.’
Now, he remembered how Eileen looked the day she visited the Duke’s residence.
Why had she walked there instead of taking a carriage, even though her dress got dirty?
‘Maybe it wasn’t that she didn’t want to take the carriage… maybe she couldn’t?’
Was she being mistreated at home, despite being part of the family?
He couldn’t imagine Eileen, the person he knew, enduring such treatment.
‘Yeah, she probably lost everything.’
But what if that bitter smile she sometimes wore came from having to deal with a harsh reality?
What if her words were half-truths, twisted to hide the real pain?
The grip on the glass tightened.
If Count Cassier had just been honest and said, “I’m not well-regarded in my family, and Eileen needs your help,” things would’ve been easier.
How hard could it be to just say that?
“…What are you doing here? Why aren’t you coming inside?”
Then, the voice that had stirred all these thoughts appeared—Eileen.
Cedric suddenly realized he’d been standing still next to the balcony door, leaning against the wall, lost in thought.
“Eileen.”
He handed her a drink. She seemed to notice something was off—her expression changed slightly.
Her green eyes studied him closely.
Unable to hide his anxiousness, Cedric asked directly:
“You’re not hiding anything from me… are you?”
“Why are you asking that? Who did you meet, and what did they say to you?”
Eileen’s expression turned cold. Even the air between them felt icy.
But Cedric’s emotions were beginning to boil over.
The fact that she asked who he met—it meant Eileen Cassier already had a good idea of what was going on. And yet, she didn’t seem interested in explaining anything first.
“Eileen, don’t avoid the point. That’s not like you. I asked if you’re hiding something from me.”
“…There’s nothing. Why would there be?”
Her green eyes looked away for a brief second before quickly meeting his again.
Her voice, usually full of confidence, trembled slightly.
“…I see.”
He noticed the tiny change. And with it came quiet frustration and bitter resignation.
Did she really think he’d believe Count Cassier’s words and turn his back on her?
Even if their engagement was to be broken someday, Cedric knew how to judge people.
Just what kind of person was he to Eileen Cassier that she couldn’t even tell him if something was hurting her?
He thought they were building a relationship where they could trust and advise each other.
But maybe that had all been just his wishful thinking.
***
“Are you hiding something from me?”
It was a question Cedric suddenly asked after returning, even though the mood had been light moments before.
It could’ve easily been brushed off.
But strangely, Eileen hesitated.
Maybe it was because she happened to meet Cedric’s eyes directly.
Looking into his eyes, she found it hard to lie and say she truly knew nothing—especially when she was holding back so much.
In a way, it was like deceiving him.
“…There’s nothing. Why would there be?”
That’s why her reply came late.
The truth was… she had known about their engagement far in advance.
She also knew that his future could turn into a disaster, but she still hadn’t fully stepped in to change it.
Instead, she’d just gone along with her grandmother’s wish—for her to live a peaceful life—and become an observer.
How could she explain all of this to him?
‘Mother, Father, can’t we just stay home today?’
There was a time when Eileen had tried to change her fate using what she knew from the “story.”
She remembered one detail from the original novel: “Count and Countess Cassier died in an accident just before their daughter’s birthday.”
So every year, she tried to stop them from going out around that time, thinking she could save them.
But a few years ago, she still had to hear the news of their horrible carriage accident. They died instantly, with no chance for help.
Ironically, the accident happened right after her birthday had passed—so she had let her guard down.
“Hi, Sadina, Mia. I’m Eileen. You can just call me Eileen unnie.”
After that, the current Count Cassier and his family took over the household.
There was even a time when Eileen tried to be kind to them, hoping she could make the future less painful.
But her efforts meant nothing to a family that had decided to push her out.
Each turning point in her life left her feeling more powerless.
And it was the same with this engagement.
Even if she struggled and fought against it, she often wondered if there was any point.
Sometimes, she just couldn’t help thinking that maybe everything was already decided.
