“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

Perhaps her feelings had unconsciously shown on her face. Chase raised his eyebrows and asked sharply.

Iella hurriedly composed her expression and gaze, pretending nothing was wrong. Then, before he could add anything, she answered first.

“You’re caught in an extremely arrogant misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“Do I look like someone who would be swayed by such a thing? To the point of giving up my life? Frankly speaking, what meaning do you have to me, Grand Duke?”

“……”

“At the very least, you would need to have some significance for me to be shocked or care, wouldn’t you? Ah, is it because of the sponsorship?”

Iella continued without stopping, even as she saw the Grand Duke’s expression hardening. She knew it wouldn’t do any good to provoke him, but she couldn’t bear the frustration.

She knew she was being meddlesome. But she also knew all too well that nothing was more painful than clinging to something without possibility. How much frustration she had tasted each time she confirmed that something would never be fulfilled, and how much it had eaten away at herself.

‘Because that’s how I felt every time I saw friends getting adopted by good parents.’

In her previous life, whenever peers found new families and left, she had to feel both envy and frustration simultaneously. Why doesn’t anyone take me? Is there something wrong with me? She constantly looked for problems within herself.

All the while, she engraved hope that she would surely find her family next time. Even knowing that getting adopted became more difficult with age, she deliberately ignored that fact and kept thinking, next time, or the time after that. She repeatedly subjected herself to this hopeless torture of false hope.

But repetition soon became resignation, and that’s how she gave up. The process was so painful that she actually felt at peace when she finally gave up.

‘The funny thing is that Kang Seon’s grandfather came to the orphanage just a few months after that.’

Anyway, Iella felt that Chase’s state was similar to when she had denied reality and repeated her self-torture of false hope.

He seemed to be consoling himself that if he continued to provide full material support to Ailexia, who didn’t care for him, she might eventually accept him too.

While not being unaware that Ailexia was just taking his money.

Perhaps his current state of blaming himself was also because of this. The behavior of finding problems within himself when faced with unfulfilled hope was repeating, making him feel as if Ailexia’s actions were all his responsibility.

Foolishly.

“Isn’t this the most meaningless relationship possible? A relationship that ends when you cut off your sponsorship.”

“……”

“So stop this presumptuous self-blame.”

Iella spoke firmly, hoping that he would escape from his self-torture of false hope and face reality. Chase stared at her silently without any reaction. Although his response was intimidating, she didn’t regret what she said.

Not until she heard a faint laugh that escaped from him as he suddenly turned his head sideways.

‘……Did he laugh?’

For a moment, she thought she had misheard. Especially since it wasn’t heard again after that one instance. Moreover, who could laugh after hearing such words? Had he gone insane on the verge of anger?

While Iella’s eyes wavered in confusion, Chase straightened his head again to look at her. Meeting his red eyes, Iella became even more perplexed.

His eyes were no longer subdued.

‘Why does he look pleased?’

His previously tense expression somehow seemed to have relaxed.

To the point where she wondered if she hadn’t misheard his laughter.

“Self-blame….”

Chase murmured as if savoring the words. She couldn’t understand what he was thinking. It felt like a moment when she might have misspoken.

“So it wasn’t because of me, and you had no intention of dying?”

Suddenly, he asked as if confirming. Iella nodded reflexively. Then the corner of his mouth seemed to relax slightly, forming a subtle upward curve.

“Then I’ll believe that. I should change the meaning of this gift too.”

“……What?”

There was no time to follow his sudden change in attitude. He grabbed a handful of her platinum blonde hair and brought it to his lips.

“Not a sick visit gift, but one requesting you to go out with me.”

Iella’s hand, which had been trying to pull her hair from his grasp, awkwardly stopped in mid-air. Chase’s voice repeated two or three times in her head, as if trying to grasp its meaning.

Soon after understanding, Iella parted her lips slightly. He was now asking her on a date.

“What nonsense! How did the conversation jump there?”

“Why not?”

“How can you say that now? Besides, are we even close enough to go out together?”

“We’re closer than anyone.”

Iella shouted in astonishment as she yanked her hair away. However, he calmly retorted without concern and even used her own words against her.

“If a relationship ends when sponsorship is cut off, doesn’t that mean it will never end as long as it’s not cut? What relationship could be closer than this?”

“Huh……”

She was so dumbfounded that no words came out. When had he gone from being completely dejected and cautious around her to being so confident? His blood-red eyes seemed to gleam with a kind of madness. Iella held her forehead as dizziness swept over her.

She couldn’t understand how her words had restored him to this extent. But one thought that immediately came to mind was that if she had known this would happen, she wouldn’t have said anything at all.

Just then, a voice that resolved Iella’s confusion was heard.

“Besides, didn’t you tell me not to blame myself? Then shouldn’t you help me not to blame myself? You should humor your sponsor.”

Iella suddenly realized, as if gaining enlightenment. The reason why his mood had suddenly improved and his attitude had changed.

‘He thought I was worried about him!’

To be honest, that wasn’t entirely untrue. But that was all. Her tone had been curt and resolute, and looking at the content alone, it was no different from cold-hearted verbal abuse saying, “Know your place, you’re nothing to me.” At least, that’s what Iella thought.

She never dreamed he would interpret it as her being concerned about him blaming himself!

“You’re misunderstanding……”

“Misunderstanding? Didn’t you tell me not to blame myself?”

“But before that, I said ‘presumptuous’……”

“Is that a problem? I think that regardless of the speaker’s intention, it’s ultimately up to the listener to interpret. I’m saying I didn’t feel any problem with it.”

Ha! Iella let out a rough breath in frustration. This wasn’t even a battle of spear and shield; they simply weren’t connecting. He rebutted each point with his own arguments as if determined to enforce his will. Because of this, she couldn’t even say that it wasn’t out of concern.

“I heard you’ve been staying in your room since you collapsed. It wouldn’t be bad to go out for a change of mood.”

“……”

“Of course, I know you don’t want to go with me. I also know that you could go out well enough on your own, as you’ve always done.”

Chase leaned his upper body slightly toward Iella. His breath came close enough to touch her ear.

“However, the emperor’s surveillance has intensified lately. It was gradually increasing even before the tea party, so it must be worse now, not less. He can openly deploy surveillance personnel using the accident as an excuse. He’s gained sufficient justification.”

Iella, who had been shrinking her shoulders at his low voice, stiffened at its content. Suddenly, she recalled Nix, who had appeared in a maid’s outfit instead of coming and going through the terrace as usual.

He had said the method needed to be changed, but what if there was a different reason? What if it was related to the emperor’s surveillance?

‘So that’s why he subtly asked if I’d like to go out with the Grand Duke.’

Now Nix’s seemingly random remark made sense. He had mentioned the only way to go outside despite the emperor’s surveillance.

If Ailexia had already left the forest and they needed to track her traces again, and if the tracking became prolonged, this could allow them to visit the sorceress’s village with Vanessa as their next plan.

In that sense, Chase’s proposal might actually be an opportunity.

‘But……’

Iella shifted her gaze to Chase, who had straightened his posture. He was looking at her as if waiting for an answer. She was reflected in his still unchanged crimson eyes.

‘What if this opportunity leads to his lair?’

What had been thwarted at the banquet could really go all the way this time. Perhaps he might make it so. Even if he didn’t have such intentions at the moment, anything could happen when a man and woman were alone together. She couldn’t guarantee it wouldn’t.

‘…No. Let’s not be afraid prematurely.’

After falling into deep contemplation for a moment, Iella soon steeled her resolve as if she had made a decision. In any case, her ultimate goal was to return to her original body. She decided to focus solely on that.

Just then, as if pushing her determination, Chase added:

“If you must, think of it this way. The contract you agreed to fulfill when I want—you’re going to fulfill it.”

This was perfect for Iella. She had been worried all along about what would happen if he demanded they be alone using the contract as an excuse, but this time it seemed she didn’t need to worry. At least if they went to crowded places, no strange situations would arise between just the two of them.

“…But I’ll decide the destination.”

Iella answered reluctantly, pretending to grudgingly agree. However, inwardly she was very busy organizing all the things she needed to check for her alternative plan.

She would finally be able to explore the city, which had been constantly interrupted. She had no intention of missing this opportunity.

“Then let’s go right now.”

“What?”

But she didn’t know that Chase felt the same way.