Chapter 57

The cheeks that had flushed quickly cooled to a lukewarm temperature as soon as they met the breeze.

His mother looked at Chase with her blue eyes, her gaze somewhat skeptical.

To avoid that gaze, knowing it was impolite, he gulped down the tea on the table as if it were water.

“But the tea is really delicious!”

Fortunately, the skeptical gaze was withdrawn.

“Yes, I deliberately didn’t add sugar for you, thinking of you. You don’t like sweet things.”

His mother also drank her tea with a smile. Hearing that, Judith’s image came to mind again.

‘Try to like sweet things.’

He was definitely going crazy. How could he not shake off thoughts of Judith no matter what he did?

But soon, Chase hesitated for a moment before speaking.

“Next time, you can add sugar.”

His mother tilted her head as if hearing something unexpected.

“I’m trying to like sweet things.”

“Hmm? All of a sudden?”

Chase avoided her gaze, muttering, “Just because.” His mother thought it was just a momentary whim and didn’t press for details.

After that, everyday conversations followed.

Most of them were inquiries about how he was doing at the academy.

His mother was always curious about Chase’s life at the academy. But since Chase often skipped classes and had no friends, he could only awkwardly laugh it off.

But this time, he could speak proudly.

“Recently, I’ve been diligently attending accounting classes. I even take notes.”

“Really? Then can I look forward to your exam scores this time?”

“……I don’t know about that.”

His mother’s laughter burst forth at Chase’s sheepish mumbling.

“It’s fine, I’m satisfied as long as you’re healthy and well.”

Chase felt a tickling sensation in his chest and silently fiddled with his teacup.

“But what wind blew that made you study so hard, even taking notes?”

“Well, to graduate from the academy, there’s no choice. They say you have to meet certain attendance and exam score criteria to avoid failing.”

His mother placed her teacup on the tea table, covering her mouth in surprise as she looked at Chase.

“Oh my, Chase. You were concerned about that? I thought you didn’t care whether you graduated or not.”

She added in a half-joking, half-serious tone.

“I even wondered if you were planning to stay at the academy forever.”

“No way.”

Even though he disliked coming to the mansion, that wasn’t the case.

Or was it? If Judith hadn’t been there, would he still have tried so hard to graduate?

Chase imagined it. Would he have consistently attended accounting classes if he hadn’t been engaged to Judith?

He would probably have just failed…

“Anyway, thinking about graduation is commendable.”

It wasn’t something to be praised for, but he felt embarrassed receiving the compliment. Chase drank his tea quickly to quench his thirst.

His mother glanced at him and then took out a pocket watch from her bosom.

“Is it already this late? You must be tired from the long journey, so go and rest.”

Since his body was indeed stiff from sitting in the carriage all day, Chase didn’t refuse.

He nodded politely and was about to leave the greenhouse.

“Chase.”

At his mother’s call, he turned around. Her deep blue eyes seemed to capture him.

“I have one last thing to say.”

“……Please go ahead.”

Feeling tense at the change in atmosphere, Chase listened as his mother spoke without hesitation.

“Once again, love changes easily. It’s not eternal. Don’t entrust your entire life to a momentary impulse.”

Chase, who had been responding diligently, was silent this time.

“If you don’t give your heart in the first place, you won’t get hurt, nor will you hurt others.”

His mother gave her final advice.

“Remember my words.”

* * *

“Chase.”

Judith called him. Her tone was as sweet as if she had a candy in her mouth.

Chase stared blankly at Judith, who was walking towards him from afar.

Under the morning sunlight spreading like a rainbow, her pink hair fluttered wildly in the wind.

Soon, Judith stood before Chase, showing a gentle smile.

What on earth is she going to say to call me out like this in the morning?

Chase cleared his throat unnecessarily, shifting his weight. Somehow, he felt nervous and uneasy, but he didn’t want Judith to notice, so he deliberately adopted a defiant posture.

Then he looked down at Judith arrogantly, hoping she would see him as composed.

At that moment, her small pink lips parted, and she spoke casually.

“I think we should break off the engagement.”

“……What?”

Chase’s legs gave way, and he staggered. But he managed to regain his balance and stand upright, not wanting to show an unsightly fall in front of Judith.

Did I mishear?

He tried to ignore the sentence that had just reached his ears.

But Judith, cruelly, spoke again without erasing her smile. This time, clearly enough that he couldn’t ignore it.

“You know, don’t you? Love isn’t eternal and changes easily. And from the start—”

Chase held his breath as Judith continued.

“We weren’t in love anyway.”

“…….”

“I already like someone else who isn’t you.”

Chase turned pale and took a step back. He had just vowed not to show an unsightly side, but he couldn’t help it.

Judith looked at Chase intently and then laughed quietly.

“You must have expected this outcome a long time ago. Why do you look so surprised?”

Chase desperately took a step back. But somehow, when he blinked, Judith was right in front of him.

How did she get here so quickly?

Compared to himself, who was flustered and shaken, her golden eyes were emotionless and indifferent.

Like a soulless doll.

Chase stopped running away and shook his head.

“I never expected that.”

“No, you did.”

“I never expected it.”

“Really?”

The golden eyes, devoid of any emotion, captured the trembling Chase.

“Then why did you tell me not to love you?”

“That, that’s because.”

“And you said you had no intention of loving me.”

“I…”

“You were afraid, weren’t you? Afraid of facing a situation like this, so you deliberately avoided it.”

Thud. In the end, Chase’s legs gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. His heart ached as if pierced by a sharp awl.

He quickly raised his hands to cover his ears. But somehow, Judith’s voice continued to reach him, clear as if echoing in his mind.

Judith, who had been standing quietly in front of the seated Chase, soon knelt down. Then she met his eyes.

“Were you scared? Afraid of being hurt by love. So you didn’t even try to start?”

Despite her emotionless face, her voice carried a hint of pity.

“But what can you do, you’ve already…”

Suddenly.

“Huh…!”

Chase sat up in bed. He struggled to calm his breath, as if someone had been choking him. He hurriedly looked around.

A dark room with the lights off.

It was Chase’s room in the Cardandy mansion. The familiar sight relaxed his tense shoulders.

He muttered in futility.

“What, it was just a dream.”

Not a child anymore, and yet he was making such a fuss over a mere dream.

He laughed at himself for being so ridiculous. But then he saw his reflection in the mirror opposite.

Cheeks pale as if he’d seen a ghost. Red eyes and bangs sticking to his forehead with cold sweat.

And eyes that were still trembling as if lost.

“……Why was I so surprised?”

Chase found himself incredulous and, at the same time, puzzled.

In retrospect, it wasn’t even a nightmare.

There was no terrifying monster ruthlessly killing humans, nor an accident of falling off a cliff.

It was just a dream where Judith suggested breaking off the engagement.

“But why…”

Chase ran his hand through his damp hair with clouded eyes. The feel of his hair slipping through his fingers was unpleasant.

He suddenly looked out the window.

Like the last time he spoke with Rodein, the moonlight shone brilliantly in the middle of the dark sky.

Seeing that, Chase couldn’t help but recall that meeting.

When he asked what the conversation with Judith meant, what did Rodein say?

Surely—

‘Ah, Senior Chase, you didn’t know.’

Sadness was evident in the eyes that folded with pity. Soon, Rodein lowered his eyes and confessed the truth.

‘Since you’ve already overheard, I have no choice but to tell you. The truth is—’

That Judith and Axel were in love with each other.