~Chapter 16~
What on earth was going on?
“Move.”
There was no need for threats.
As soon as the servant heard Cedric’s cold voice, he got scared and stepped aside immediately.
When Cedric finally opened the door, the person waiting behind it—Eileen—greeted him with a calm and composed expression.
“…What happened to your face?”
There were bruises all over her, clearly shaped like a large handprint.
One look, and the truth was obvious.
Cedric didn’t know what to do.
He just stood there, staring at her—at the strangely calm expression on her face that only made him more uneasy.
“Why are you here?”
Eileen asked sincerely, out of pure curiosity. He hadn’t contacted her at all lately, and it seemed like he didn’t want anything to do with her.
So why did he show up so suddenly?
“Why am I here? That’s the first thing you have to say?”
Cedric clearly took her words very differently.
How could she act like this was nothing?
He was more furious than she was—and it made him feel ridiculous.
“So what? Should I just leave? Pretend I didn’t see this?”
He didn’t mean that.
He knew Count Cassier was greedy, but he didn’t expect him to be such a disgusting person.
Even if she was only a half-relative, she was still family. How could he lay his hands on her?
There was no way Cedric could leave Eileen here, not in that house.
Even if she and he had no special relationship—he would’ve still been just as furious.
That’s what he believed. That’s why he was so angry.
“…Cedric, I thought you hated me.”
“I do. I do hate you. Even now—sitting there like this, pretending everything’s fine, looking at me like you wish I’d just leave—yeah, I hate that.”
She just sat there biting her lips silently, not even flinching in pain.
It was so frustrating to Cedric.
It was obvious this kind of treatment wasn’t new.
She must have been ignored and mistreated in that house for a long time.
But still—she could’ve said something.
Did she think he would’ve just brushed it off and told her to deal with it herself?
Cedric sighed and leaned back against the window frame beside her.
He sat down and ran a hand over his face, asking quietly:
“Do you remember what I told you last time?”
“You said I was annoying.”
“No, not that. Don’t remember that part. I didn’t mean it…”
He started shouting but suddenly went quiet again, like a flame that had gone out.
He mumbled the rest to himself.
Eileen watched Cedric carefully.
To someone like her, who had become numb to everything in life, he was… full of emotion.
Always changing, always intense.
“…I try to be honest with you, but you always hide how you feel.”
“I never lied to you.”
Of course, there were truths she had to hide.
But lying—especially to someone like Cedric—wasn’t easy.
“That’s what I hate. Ugh, how do I even explain this… Agh!”
Now he was pulling at his hair in frustration.
Last time they talked, he had asked her not to lie.
Eileen had understood it that way. That’s why she said—
“It’s okay if you hate me.”
She said it softly after thinking about it.
She figured maybe he was feeling guilty about disliking her.
But his face twisted immediately.
Clearly, that wasn’t the right answer.
“That’s not okay.”
“I really don’t understand what you’re trying to say, Cedric.”
“I mean—you saying it’s okay is what’s not okay with me!”
His words only confused her more.
She didn’t know what he wanted to say.
At this point, she was starting to wonder—why exactly did he say he hated her?
“Ugh… I really hate this…”
Still clutching his head, Cedric mumbled to himself.
Now he was banging his head lightly against the wall.
Eileen was about to stop him—it didn’t look like it was helping—but then he suddenly turned his head and said,
“Let’s go. Let’s talk at the duke’s house.”
“There’s nothing to talk about. As you can see, the Count’s temper is the only problem here.”
“That’s exactly why I want you to leave.”
He reached his hand out to her.
But as Eileen flinched instinctively—remembering what had happened just days ago—he quickly pulled his hand back.
“…Why are you trying to stay in a place that scares you?”
She turned her eyes away.
Today, it was harder than ever to face Cedric’s gaze.
“Because I have nowhere else to go. And… this is partly my fault. I got emotional when I shouldn’t have.”
“So, you’re saying you’re sure this won’t happen again next time?”
“Yes.”
Her calm response sounded like someone correcting a wrong answer on a test—like that’s all it was.
Cedric found himself wanting to understand how Eileen Cassier’s mind worked.
“Nowhere to go, huh. Are you planning to just keep your fiancé around like decoration?”
“He’s not a real fiancé anyway.”
“When you inherit your family’s fortune later, you can repay me. For now, just come stay at my house.”
Frustrated, Cedric’s usual blunt tone slipped out.
Eileen gave a faint smile. The way he said “my house” was awkward but somehow… very him.
“Why are you smiling? I’m telling you—I’ll also charge you a lot.”
“A future duke should be more generous. And yet you’re trying to squeeze money out of someone like me, who doesn’t even have a title.”
Despite her teasing, Cedric felt relief in her tone.
It reassured him that maybe… she really was okay.
Maybe she was stronger than she seemed.
She might be the only person in the world who could take his words lightly like this.
And probably the only one who would dare talk back to him at all.
“Anyway, come downstairs. I’ll call the carriage.”
Cedric stood up and opened the door. He gave the count a cold glare, then summoned two knights from the duke’s house to guard the area before disappearing without another word.
Eileen, watching it all, mumbled quietly to herself, “You treat me way too kindly for someone who says he hates me.”
Of course, she told herself he was probably just helping because he couldn’t walk away from someone in need. Cedric Lowell had a softer side—more than he showed.
Just then, Mary came rushing in.
She had stepped away briefly to get breakfast, and now realized what had happened.
“I didn’t expect the young master to come!”
She smiled brightly, clearly happy, and quickly began packing things to leave.
“It’s such a relief. The young master seems like a really kind person.”
“Yeah…”
Cedric had joked about sending her money, but the kindness he showed just now settled heavily on Eileen’s heart.
She didn’t want to be too close when he would eventually meet the tragic future she knew awaited him.
Even if it was pointless, she knew she’d be tempted to interfere.
That’s why, when he kept his distance and pretended to hate her, she told herself it was for the best.
But now, Cedric Lowell was making things far more complicated for her.
***
Whatever Cedric had said to the Count, it worked.
Leaving the estate turned out to be surprisingly easy.
He helped her into the ducal carriage, then sat across from her with a soft thud.
“Cedric… Are you hurt?”
She suddenly noticed blood soaking through the sleeve of his jacket.
The red stain kept growing—it wasn’t a minor wound.
“Oh… this? It looks like the wound reopened. No big deal. There was an assassination attempt during the ball, actually.”
“…What?”
“I didn’t really mean it when I told you to leave. There were assassins, and I had to take care of them alone. It was a bit of a hassle.”
He rubbed the back of his head, speaking casually as if it were nothing.
But to Eileen, it was shocking.
Eileen stared at him, speechless.
How could he be so calm with a wound like that?
“You should’ve told me you were hurt.”
“Well… you didn’t tell me anything either.”
Thank you very much