“By the way.”
The ongoing conversation slowed down and came to a pause. Then, with her gaze slightly narrowed, Blanca resumed the conversation that carried an air of concern.
Sensing all eyes on her, Blanca continued.
“Thanks to the timing, the rumors about Ducal Lady Rosetta have quieted down considerably. They used to flare up quite easily… Just settle down briefly, then spread like wildfire again after a while.”
“…Indeed. Rumors can be quite persistent.”
Or rather, perhaps the rumormongers instead are the ones who are persistent?
Rosetta quietly added the last part.
Her throat was parched.
Or maybe there’s just a bitter taste lingering there.
As much time had passed, the rumors surrounding Rosetta hadn’t abated. No, it’s more like they were simmering rather than settling.
Blanca had done her best to cloud the rumors, but they still sprouted minor disturbances, like the blue monsters, here and there.
The extent of the damage wasn’t significant, but the very existence of these blue creatures brought fear.
People, even though they might initially doubt it, tried to link the source of their fear to these blue monsters when they encountered them.
The idea that there was a source, in other words, that it could be solved by eliminating the source.
Wouldn’t it more terrifying if you didn’t know the true source of your fear?
Therefore, people tried to somehow find the root, and naturally, their arrows pointed toward Rosetta, who was currently the most likely candidate.
It was beyond exasperating.
The expressions of everyone in the room, except Blanca and Rosetta, crumpled for a moment.
“Frankly, I’m quite impressed. How could the culprit manage to time his moves so well? At this point, I might develop a competitive streak against him.”
Blanca spoke with a voice laced with a mixture of amusement and admiration. Rosetta nodded.
Her empty glass had been refilled at some point.
“Still, don’t push yourself too hard. As long as he still has control over the monsters, a situation like this is inevitable. Madam, even if you manage to suppress the whispers entirely…”
“If he releases the monsters from his side, the rumors will flare up again.”
When Rosetta trailed off insinuatingly, Cassion finished her sentence.
It was clear that he was trying to maintain a calm demeanor, but the restrained sound of his grinding teeth couldn’t be concealed.
Intense hostility glinted in his eyes.
Rosetta subtly scanned the man and answered with a furtive smile.
“Well, at least it’s not as noisy now, compared to the hunting festival.”
The monster disturbances that had occurred several times after the hunting festival were merely unsettling for people, not more or less. Yet, the detrimental effect that was left was how the momentary appearances of the monsters continuously fueled anxiety through the grapevine.
“He’s maintaining the people’s unease, but it seems like he’s being more discreet now, don’t you think?”
“That’s right. He prefers the tactic of seizing a definite opportunity rather than taking a gamble.”
In response to Blanca’s question, Rosetta replied firmly.
For a brief moment, Cassion’s gaze rested on her and then fell away.
Rosetta remained unaware of that fleeting moment.
“Moreover, Young Duke Carter is involved in this, too.”
As Blanca casually spoke, her surprised expression upon briefly meeting Cassion’s eyes showed she had been startled.
“Ah, the Second Young Master of House Carter, I mean.”
“It’s fine.”
“Goodness, I got it mixed up again.”
After Blanca said so with the same playful tone, Logan was instead the one who offered a short apology.
Cassion simply averted his gaze.
Observing the brief banter, Rosetta couldn’t help but smile and thought through the situation.
Once again, Blanca’s judgment was astute. Regardless of the specific details of Urien’s plans to take her as his possession, with Leo involved, he wouldn’t make any brazen moves.
For example, he wouldn’t just kidnap her outright.
Of course, she wouldn’t go along without a fight either.
‘I’m sure he won’t just be targeting me.’
Urien must have struck a deal with Leo to gain his cooperation.
Though she didn’t know the exact details, the agreement must have included granting him power in some form.
With that alone, Urien’s actions were already restrained.
It was for the same reason that Rosetta hadn’t yet stormed the Carter and Freesia households with the singular objective of bringing two lives to an end.
Amid various issues, including the households, openly committing a major crime would result in significant repercussions.
Leo would still want to become the next duke, even if it meant risking his life.
So, roughly speaking, their contract period must be until ‘Leo becomes the household head’.
“I don’t know how long Urien and Leo will keep their alliance.”
Even if it seemed likely that one was raring to stab the other in the back, for now, it seemed unlikely that they’d betray each other any time soon.
“Using the blue monsters to this extent… There must be a significant reason.”
“Are they trying to manipulate the crowd’s psyche?”
“Yes, maybe… They might even cause some trouble during the coming-of-age celebration. There’s no place with as much attention as that.”
Of course, it comes with more significant risks, too, especially now when Leo was pretending to be Urien to deceive Rosetta.
“…Huu.”
A deep sigh escaped Cassion. It seemed like he was forcing himself to keep his anger at bay again.
Rosetta silently reached out and lightly brushed her hand over Cassion’s rough, veined knuckles.
It was a fleeting, discreet touch, but Cassion turned his head toward Rosetta while keeping his body tense.
Their gazes locked, and beneath the golden eyes, red lips formed a subtle curve.
“Well, no matter what they’re planning, it probably won’t be as good as the gift I’ve prepared.”
The lips that spoke in a seductive tone brushed lightly over Cassion’s hand before retreating.
Beyond the round, glimmering eyes, the sparkling pupils remained fixed on the man’s eyes.
“Right?”
There was no response to the playful words that followed.
The stiff muscles in Cassion’s ears and neck turned bright red.
“Whoa.”
The response came from another direction.
As Rosetta turned her head in the direction of the sound, she saw Blanca clapping silently with an excited expression.
“Wow, wow, wow. It’s so hot that I thought it’s summer all of a sudden.”
“Really? Isn’t it because the heating is strong here?”
“I guess I just get hot easily.”
While the two of them exchanged casual conversation, Diana, who was sitting across from Cassion and Rosetta, had her eyes wide open, frozen where she was.
And with Logan sitting next to her, he kind of started to worry.
‘Is this person not breathing?’
Diana suddenly leaped up from her seat.
“Huuuuh?!”
With a determined posture and an even more extended index finger than her straight hand, she pointed at Cassion.
“W…What… that… Huuhh…!!”
Although her words didn’t follow a typical structure, one could guess from her trembling lips and rough breathing that her remarks were quite intense.
Rosetta chuckled as she looked at the cute Diana, and Cassion, who had finally regained his composure, emptied his glass with a loud gulp.
“Cough.”
But he had forgotten that it was strong liquor.
It was a total mess.
One person was hiccuping, and the other was huffing and puffing.
“Oh, really, this is so fun.”
Blanca began to laugh at this amusing spectacle, tapping the table with her hand.
Rosetta smiled quietly while meeting her gaze, and Logan, who met her eyes, let out an embarrassed sound.
Again, it was a complete mess.
* * *
Whooosh—
Thump.
The window that had been letting in the chilly breeze was closed shut.
The room was a bit cooler now, but thanks to that, the intense smell of alcohol had somewhat dissipated.
After closing the window, Cassion returned to the sofa and sat down. On the table, amidst the mess of empty liquor bottles and glasses, were two cups of hot cocoa.
A pale hand lifted one of the cups.
In the silence, the sound of liquid going down the throat rang softly.
Black, piercing eyes followed the movement.
As the lips covered by the mug returned to the table, the pale hand that had held it brushed back a silvery strand of hair.
Cassion’s black eyes followed this action.
The mug that covered her lips returned to the table, and the pale hand that had held it moved to brush back a lock of silver hair behind her ear.
In the silence, Rosetta smiled coyly.
“Again, what are you staring at?”
“…Because I think I won’t be able to see you for a while, and for a moment, I felt a bit sad.”
Through those parted lips spilled forth a voice that uttered unfiltered words, almost bordering on a stickiness with how sweet he was.
Rosetta glanced up at Cassion then smiled again.
She didn’t mind this kind of candidness. In fact, she adored how honest this man was.
“Didn’t Blanca give you a crystal ball as a present? We can stay in touch with it.”
“But I won’t be able to touch you.”
“Indeed, it’s a pity. Your body is quite warm. It feels nice to touch in winter.”
Rosetta paused and raised her hand on the table. Cassion quietly overlapped his hand with hers.
“See, it’s so warm like this.”
In the subtle whisper, Cassion thought to himself. Does she know? My body always warms up in front of Rosetta.
“It’s a shame, but bear with it for a little. You’re going to be the star of the coming-of-age celebration.”
“……”
“After that, there’s Urien, Leo, and the Duke…. If everything goes as planned, then after that…”
“After that?”
“Let’s never part ways. Let’s stick together until we die.”
The response didn’t come immediately. Rosetta was sure it wasn’t hesitation.
It was just that the voice couldn’t come out, probably stifled by the flushed breath.
The evidence was in that gaze.
As hot and fiery as body temperature, that burning gaze.
“So, how about you stop thinking about that and enjoy the moment?”
The night, the alcohol, and me.
“There’s nothing more perfect than this, is there?”
At Rosetta’s words, Cassion stood up from his seat.
With their hands still entwined, Cassion hoisted Rosetta up with his free hand.
Rosetta wrapped her own free arm around Cassion’s neck, keeping their hands joined.
Her forehead touched his chest, and the spot where they made contact was warm.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, or perhaps due to the fact that their hearts were beating faster than usual, Cassion met Rosetta’s gaze with a sense of impending vitality.
“…Rosetta.”
“Yes?”
“Take off my earring.”
“……”
“Since you brought Maxwell into this world, I wish that for you to be the one who’d end his time here as well.”
His voice trembled slightly at the end.
Funnily enough, his voice carried a hint of lingering regret—that it’s a shame that this time was about to come to an end.
Rosetta gazed at Cassion like that for a moment, then slowly raised her hand to caress his cheek.
Her hand, which was gently caressing his cheek, moved up to his ear.
Lightly brushing the earlobe, a sharp intake of breath could be heard.
Her hand soon reached the sturdy fixture of the earring on Cassion’s ear.
She carefully removed the earring, and in doing so, her touch was gentle and deliberate.
And thereafter, the man’s irises and hair returned to their original state.
Rosetta looked into his eyes, where black and vivid red colors were subtly mixed in perfect harmony, and she softly murmured,
“Hello.”
This was a farewell to Maxwell, and a welcome to Cassion.
Finally, Cassion had returned.
“By the way.”
The ongoing conversation slowed down and came to a pause. Then, with her gaze slightly narrowed, Blanca resumed the conversation that carried an air of concern.
Sensing all eyes on her, Blanca continued.
“Thanks to the timing, the rumors about Ducal Lady Rosetta have quieted down considerably. They used to flare up quite easily… Just settle down briefly, then spread like wildfire again after a while.”
“…Indeed. Rumors can be quite persistent.”
Or rather, perhaps the rumormongers instead are the ones who are persistent?
Rosetta quietly added the last part.
Her throat was parched.
Or maybe there’s just a bitter taste lingering there.
As much time had passed, the rumors surrounding Rosetta hadn’t abated. No, it’s more like they were simmering rather than settling.
Blanca had done her best to cloud the rumors, but they still sprouted minor disturbances, like the blue monsters, here and there.
The extent of the damage wasn’t significant, but the very existence of these blue creatures brought fear.
People, even though they might initially doubt it, tried to link the source of their fear to these blue monsters when they encountered them.
The idea that there was a source, in other words, that it could be solved by eliminating the source.
Wouldn’t it more terrifying if you didn’t know the true source of your fear?
Therefore, people tried to somehow find the root, and naturally, their arrows pointed toward Rosetta, who was currently the most likely candidate.
It was beyond exasperating.
The expressions of everyone in the room, except Blanca and Rosetta, crumpled for a moment.
“Frankly, I’m quite impressed. How could the culprit manage to time his moves so well? At this point, I might develop a competitive streak against him.”
Blanca spoke with a voice laced with a mixture of amusement and admiration. Rosetta nodded.
Her empty glass had been refilled at some point.
“Still, don’t push yourself too hard. As long as he still has control over the monsters, a situation like this is inevitable. Madam, even if you manage to suppress the whispers entirely…”
“If he releases the monsters from his side, the rumors will flare up again.”
When Rosetta trailed off insinuatingly, Cassion finished her sentence.
It was clear that he was trying to maintain a calm demeanor, but the restrained sound of his grinding teeth couldn’t be concealed.
Intense hostility glinted in his eyes.
Rosetta subtly scanned the man and answered with a furtive smile.
“Well, at least it’s not as noisy now, compared to the hunting festival.”
The monster disturbances that had occurred several times after the hunting festival were merely unsettling for people, not more or less. Yet, the detrimental effect that was left was how the momentary appearances of the monsters continuously fueled anxiety through the grapevine.
“He’s maintaining the people’s unease, but it seems like he’s being more discreet now, don’t you think?”
“That’s right. He prefers the tactic of seizing a definite opportunity rather than taking a gamble.”
In response to Blanca’s question, Rosetta replied firmly.
For a brief moment, Cassion’s gaze rested on her and then fell away.
Rosetta remained unaware of that fleeting moment.
“Moreover, Young Duke Carter is involved in this, too.”
As Blanca casually spoke, her surprised expression upon briefly meeting Cassion’s eyes showed she had been startled.
“Ah, the Second Young Master of House Carter, I mean.”
“It’s fine.”
“Goodness, I got it mixed up again.”
After Blanca said so with the same playful tone, Logan was instead the one who offered a short apology.
Cassion simply averted his gaze.
Observing the brief banter, Rosetta couldn’t help but smile and thought through the situation.
Once again, Blanca’s judgment was astute. Regardless of the specific details of Urien’s plans to take her as his possession, with Leo involved, he wouldn’t make any brazen moves.
For example, he wouldn’t just kidnap her outright.
Of course, she wouldn’t go along without a fight either.
‘I’m sure he won’t just be targeting me.’
Urien must have struck a deal with Leo to gain his cooperation.
Though she didn’t know the exact details, the agreement must have included granting him power in some form.
With that alone, Urien’s actions were already restrained.
It was for the same reason that Rosetta hadn’t yet stormed the Carter and Freesia households with the singular objective of bringing two lives to an end.
Amid various issues, including the households, openly committing a major crime would result in significant repercussions.
Leo would still want to become the next duke, even if it meant risking his life.
So, roughly speaking, their contract period must be until ‘Leo becomes the household head’.
“I don’t know how long Urien and Leo will keep their alliance.”
Even if it seemed likely that one was raring to stab the other in the back, for now, it seemed unlikely that they’d betray each other any time soon.
“Using the blue monsters to this extent… There must be a significant reason.”
“Are they trying to manipulate the crowd’s psyche?”
“Yes, maybe… They might even cause some trouble during the coming-of-age celebration. There’s no place with as much attention as that.”
Of course, it comes with more significant risks, too, especially now when Leo was pretending to be Urien to deceive Rosetta.
“…Huu.”
A deep sigh escaped Cassion. It seemed like he was forcing himself to keep his anger at bay again.
Rosetta silently reached out and lightly brushed her hand over Cassion’s rough, veined knuckles.
It was a fleeting, discreet touch, but Cassion turned his head toward Rosetta while keeping his body tense.
Their gazes locked, and beneath the golden eyes, red lips formed a subtle curve.
“Well, no matter what they’re planning, it probably won’t be as good as the gift I’ve prepared.”
The lips that spoke in a seductive tone brushed lightly over Cassion’s hand before retreating.
Beyond the round, glimmering eyes, the sparkling pupils remained fixed on the man’s eyes.
“Right?”
There was no response to the playful words that followed.
The stiff muscles in Cassion’s ears and neck turned bright red.
“Whoa.”
The response came from another direction.
As Rosetta turned her head in the direction of the sound, she saw Blanca clapping silently with an excited expression.
“Wow, wow, wow. It’s so hot that I thought it’s summer all of a sudden.”
“Really? Isn’t it because the heating is strong here?”
“I guess I just get hot easily.”
While the two of them exchanged casual conversation, Diana, who was sitting across from Cassion and Rosetta, had her eyes wide open, frozen where she was.
And with Logan sitting next to her, he kind of started to worry.
‘Is this person not breathing?’
Diana suddenly leaped up from her seat.
“Huuuuh?!”
With a determined posture and an even more extended index finger than her straight hand, she pointed at Cassion.
“W…What… that… Huuhh…!!”
Although her words didn’t follow a typical structure, one could guess from her trembling lips and rough breathing that her remarks were quite intense.
Rosetta chuckled as she looked at the cute Diana, and Cassion, who had finally regained his composure, emptied his glass with a loud gulp.
“Cough.”
But he had forgotten that it was strong liquor.
It was a total mess.
One person was hiccuping, and the other was huffing and puffing.
“Oh, really, this is so fun.”
Blanca began to laugh at this amusing spectacle, tapping the table with her hand.
Rosetta smiled quietly while meeting her gaze, and Logan, who met her eyes, let out an embarrassed sound.
Again, it was a complete mess.
* * *
Whooosh—
Thump.
The window that had been letting in the chilly breeze was closed shut.
The room was a bit cooler now, but thanks to that, the intense smell of alcohol had somewhat dissipated.
After closing the window, Cassion returned to the sofa and sat down. On the table, amidst the mess of empty liquor bottles and glasses, were two cups of hot cocoa.
A pale hand lifted one of the cups.
In the silence, the sound of liquid going down the throat rang softly.
Black, piercing eyes followed the movement.
As the lips covered by the mug returned to the table, the pale hand that had held it brushed back a silvery strand of hair.
Cassion’s black eyes followed this action.
The mug that covered her lips returned to the table, and the pale hand that had held it moved to brush back a lock of silver hair behind her ear.
In the silence, Rosetta smiled coyly.
“Again, what are you staring at?”
“…Because I think I won’t be able to see you for a while, and for a moment, I felt a bit sad.”
Through those parted lips spilled forth a voice that uttered unfiltered words, almost bordering on a stickiness with how sweet he was.
Rosetta glanced up at Cassion then smiled again.
She didn’t mind this kind of candidness. In fact, she adored how honest this man was.
“Didn’t Blanca give you a crystal ball as a present? We can stay in touch with it.”
“But I won’t be able to touch you.”
“Indeed, it’s a pity. Your body is quite warm. It feels nice to touch in winter.”
Rosetta paused and raised her hand on the table. Cassion quietly overlapped his hand with hers.
“See, it’s so warm like this.”
In the subtle whisper, Cassion thought to himself. Does she know? My body always warms up in front of Rosetta.
“It’s a shame, but bear with it for a little. You’re going to be the star of the coming-of-age celebration.”
“……”
“After that, there’s Urien, Leo, and the Duke…. If everything goes as planned, then after that…”
“After that?”
“Let’s never part ways. Let’s stick together until we die.”
The response didn’t come immediately. Rosetta was sure it wasn’t hesitation.
It was just that the voice couldn’t come out, probably stifled by the flushed breath.
The evidence was in that gaze.
As hot and fiery as body temperature, that burning gaze.
“So, how about you stop thinking about that and enjoy the moment?”
The night, the alcohol, and me.
“There’s nothing more perfect than this, is there?”
At Rosetta’s words, Cassion stood up from his seat.
With their hands still entwined, Cassion hoisted Rosetta up with his free hand.
Rosetta wrapped her own free arm around Cassion’s neck, keeping their hands joined.
Her forehead touched his chest, and the spot where they made contact was warm.
Perhaps due to the alcohol, or perhaps due to the fact that their hearts were beating faster than usual, Cassion met Rosetta’s gaze with a sense of impending vitality.
“…Rosetta.”
“Yes?”
“Take off my earring.”
“……”
“Since you brought Maxwell into this world, I wish that for you to be the one who’d end his time here as well.”
His voice trembled slightly at the end.
Funnily enough, his voice carried a hint of lingering regret—that it’s a shame that this time was about to come to an end.
Rosetta gazed at Cassion like that for a moment, then slowly raised her hand to caress his cheek.
Her hand, which was gently caressing his cheek, moved up to his ear.
Lightly brushing the earlobe, a sharp intake of breath could be heard.
Her hand soon reached the sturdy fixture of the earring on Cassion’s ear.
She carefully removed the earring, and in doing so, her touch was gentle and deliberate.
And thereafter, the man’s irises and hair returned to their original state.
Rosetta looked into his eyes, where black and vivid red colors were subtly mixed in perfect harmony, and she softly murmured,
“Hello.”
This was a farewell to Maxwell, and a welcome to Cassion.
Finally, Cassion had returned.
