Chapter 56
The ruby-colored eyes of the cat were filled with Cheshion’s figure as he rose from his chair and walked toward Gremory.
“Your eyes are sparkling. You must be excited to go to the wedding, huh?”
“I’m curious. I wonder what kind of place it will be.”
“Well, you do like beautiful places.”
“It’s not about the place. I’m curious about beautiful love.”
“Ah…”
“I wonder what it feels like to love someone so much that you gather all sorts of beautiful things for them. I want to see it, so I want to go.”
Cheshion’s gaze began to waver. Meanwhile, the black cat stared at Cheshion with a curious look, flicking its tail.
Then, as Cheshion blinked for a moment, the cat was gone, and in its place stood Gremory in human form.
She looked exceptionally beautiful under the bright sunlight.
‘Curious about what it feels like to gather all the beautiful things for someone?’
At that moment, Cheshion was swept up in an uncontrollable impulse. He immediately wanted to gather all the jewels from the Duke’s estate and give them to Mori.
‘Is it because of what happened last night? Why can’t I control my feelings?’
Last night, when Mori had been trying to reveal her past, Cheshion had honestly been happy. He felt like Mori had finally opened up to him. The fact that he had become closer to Mori made Cheshion feel excited.
As Cheshion’s heart raced, Gremory gently touched it.
“By the way, Cheshion, I think you’re a lot like Count Marbellion.”
“Me? Like me?”
“You’ve shown me all kinds of beautiful things from the human world.”
“…”
“Does that mean your actions are also a form of love? Or an expression of affection? …Wait a minute. Your face is turning red. Why?”
Cheshion felt like he was about to die. He was so curious about what Mori truly meant when she casually said things like that.
“Yeah, it’s because you keep saying things like that! Mori! I’ll say it again—don’t talk to other men! Only talk to me! Got it?”
“Okay, okay.”
“And I—!”
Cheshion, who impulsively wanted to confess his feelings, suddenly stopped. Honestly, everything about Mori was so charming that it was driving him crazy. Of course, her face was stunning, but when she looked up at him with those innocent, curious eyes, he felt like he couldn’t breathe. When she showed her vulnerable side, like last night, he wanted to hold her all day long.
But confessing in a rush, unable to control his feelings, wasn’t something he could easily do. Mori had been hurt a lot, and her emotions had been dulled. Cheshion thought it would take time for her to feel normal emotions again.
As he stopped mid-sentence, Gremory tilted her head.
“What about you?”
“…I like your soft cat fur.”
“Oh? Why didn’t you say that earlier?”
Turning into a cat again, Gremory leapt into Cheshion’s arms. Cheshion sat down on the sofa, thinking he might not get any work done this morning because Mori was so cute.
While he was gently stroking Gremory in his arms, she called him in a sleepy voice.
“Cheshion.”
“Yeah, Mori?”
“I love your embrace. It’s so warm.”
“…”
“I think it’s getting even warmer.”
“…”
“I think I’m sweating. Are you hot?”
“No, it’s fine. Don’t worry. Just sleep.”
As Gremory fell asleep, her transformation wore off, and she returned to her human form. Cheshion gazed at her face for a long time, carefully moving her black hair that had fallen across her face.
The wedding of Count Marbellion was, as Cheshion had said, spectacular. A fountain carved from rare minerals, and crystal and precious gemstones hanging from trees reflected the sunlight and sparkled.
Before the ceremony began, Cheshion walked with Gremory through the garden. Gremory’s gaze was fixed on the colorful flowers. Cheshion chuckled as he watched her.
“Are you fascinated by the flowers? There are plenty of flowers in the Duke’s garden too.”
“They’re not as varied as these. Wow, I’ve never seen this one before.”
Cheshion’s smile started to twist. His Mori, who was always looking for fresh meat, actually knew about flowers. If he’d known, he might have paid more attention to his garden. His garden at home was barely passable.
“Mori, which flower do you like the most?”
“I’d like any flower, as long as it’s not yellow.”
“Yellow flowers, like the Rilkana flower?”
“Yeah. I don’t like them.”
“I don’t like them either.”
“Why? Are you a witch too?”
“Because they hurt you. By the way, I’ve asked a magical research lab I know to study Rilkana flowers. I want to find out if they have any toxic properties that could make a person vomit blood.”
“They don’t really have poison… Wow! It’s beautiful!”
Suddenly, Gremory’s eyes widened, and she ran off in a direction. In that direction, Rilkana flowers were in full bloom.
Cheshion, shocked, grabbed Gremory’s shoulder.
“Mori! You said you didn’t like those flowers! Why are you acting like this all of a sudden?”
“Let go! I need to eat one of those right now!”
“Why? Mori, please stop!”
Cheshion barely managed to pull Gremory away from the Rilkana flowers. Naturally, their actions attracted attention from others. Catherine, who had been attending the wedding, was heard gossiping with her new friends from a distance.
“Sigh, so uncultured. Where has she been living to go crazy over flowers like that?”
“Maybe she’s a witch who’s been enchanted by Rilkana flowers? Ho-ho, looks like it.”
“Even the Duke… Why is he with someone like her?”
“Probably just for the bed. She looks fine on the outside.”
“She’ll probably be discarded soon. Right, Lady Ortega?”
Catherine’s new friends began to stoke the fire in her heart.
“Of course. And soon, that woman’s place will be mine.”
“Good luck, Lady Ortega! I’m always rooting for you.”
“Next month, the Duke’s birthday is coming up, right? Lady Ortega, you’ll bring a very valuable gift, something that the Duke can’t refuse. Something this pitiful woman could never give. You, as an Ortega, can definitely do it.”
“Heh, of course.”
While Catherine chattered away, Gremory’s disruption gradually settled down.
The outdoor wedding of Count Marbellion officially began.
Gremory couldn’t take her eyes off the Count and his wife. It was the first time she’d seen such pure love without any shadows. Their ring fingers were connected by a thread of white and clear light, signifying a bond created by the heavens.
‘I’ve seen plenty of toxic connections made by fate, but this pure bond is something I’ve never seen.’
Gremory absentmindedly glanced at her own hand. With her witch’s eyes, she could only see human connections, and her hand had nothing.
‘…I wish I had a connection like that.’
As she looked up at Cheshion’s face absentmindedly, someone passed by, hitting a table. At the same time, the wine glass at the edge of the table spilled onto Gremory’s dress.
“Oh, I’m so sorry! It was an accident!”
The blue-haired lady, who had knocked over the glass, flustered. Gremory, who didn’t care much about her dress getting damp, firmly gestured that it was okay.
“It’s fine. Just show me where the bathroom is.”
“Yes! I’ll take you there! I’m really sorry!”
Gremory went to the bathroom with the blue-haired lady and quickly fixed her clothes. The blue-haired lady tried to remove her outer garment to cover the stain with her clothes, but Gremory refused.
However, there was a problem.
This lady was terrible with directions. She was able to take Gremory to the bathroom, but forgot the way back.
“I’m sorry. This is my first time at this mansion… I’ve only been to the bathroom once.”
“Unbelievable.”
“I’m really sorry…”
Gremory walked around the Duke’s mansion with the crying blue-haired lady. Fortunately, they encountered a guard who could direct them back.
“Just keep going straight, past the gallery.”
Gremory walked with the blue-haired lady through the gallery. The gallery was filled with portraits of past Counts and Countesses. Gremory paid no attention to them and kept walking.
Then, Gremory suddenly stopped. The blue-haired lady, who had stopped with her, looked at her curiously.
“Um, what’s wrong?”
“…This.”
“What? This is a portrait of the 3rd Countess.”
The blue-haired lady began reading the description under the gold plaque beneath the portrait.
“She was said to have beautiful greenish curly hair. Her name was Alice Marbellion. Oh my, she died at the age of twenty-six, 200 years ago… The cause is unknown.”
Gremory stared blankly at Alice’s portrait. It was a portrait of Alice Marbellion, the late Countess, who looked just like the woman taking care of Saera now, Alice.
