Chapter 5 – 【 What Misunderstanding Brings 】 (Part 5)

Yuria woke up after a full day of illness. When she opened her eyes, she saw a familiar ceiling. The Countess of Roark’s manor, her own room. Relief washed over her like a flood. Overwhelmed by relief, Yuria sniffled a bit.

The maid who had been keeping watch by her bed comforted Yuria, saying everything was fine now. She went out, saying she would call the doctor, but the person who entered was Cedric.

“What did you do to start crying again?”

His face showed signs of fatigue. 

Does he still not welcome me? Or does he still believe I tried to elope? 

Yuria’s heart, burnt to ashes since Lesia appeared, seemed to have more left to burn. 

With a teary face, Yuria reached for the water cup. Cedric, who had approached her quickly, poured water into the cup and handed it to her. Her hands shook weakly as she took it, and despite his short sigh, Cedric held the cup to her lips, letting her drink to her fill.

What was this kindness? Was it just kindness towards a patient or something?

“Are you done?”

When Yuria nodded, he drank the remaining water from the cup himself.

“…Who’s the one really burnt out here?”

Yuria muttered softly. Cedric laughed as if it was absurd. Who indeed? He couldn’t sleep at all, first because of the wife who ran away, then the princess who got kidnapped, and last night because of someone crying and being sick. 

There was a physician and dedicated maid, but he insisted on staying by her bedside. He had to step out occasionally to receive Howard’s reports, but he stayed by Yuria’s side. He was anxious. Though there was no reason to be, he was anxious.

He was afraid that this small woman might disappear again in an instant. He couldn’t lie in bed with her, so he sat awkwardly in a chair beside it, feeling ridiculous. How could he win a war with such softness? But this wasn’t a battlefield, so maybe it didn’t matter.

How could this situation be more nerve-wracking than being surrounded by enemies? 

He stayed up all night without a wink of sleep, and now she said what? Burnt out?

“I didn’t elope.”

“I know. I saw you bash Edward’s head in.”

It was a solid hit. As he leaned back on the chair and mumbled, Yuria’s eyes turned sharp.

“You look like you want to bash my head in too, Princess.”

“…Seems like you did something to deserve it.”

Her green eyes again reflected unease. Cedric knew what misunderstanding tormented her. Yet, he didn’t bring it up first. As he remained silent, Yuria’s sadness welled up again, and her eyes drooped.

“Is there really something between you and that woman?”

She whispered in a small voice. Edward’s head had been bashed in with the edge of a plate, but she was so timid about Lesia.

“There’s nothing.”

“They say she was your first love.”

The ridiculous term now came from Yuria’s mouth.

“So what if she was my first love? It was over ten years ago.”

“But she divorced and followed you here. She still has feelings for you.”

“So if she still has feelings, I should just go along with it?”

“If she decides to seduce you.”

Cedric had eyes; of course, he would find Lesia more beautiful than her. Beauty might be subjective, but there are universal standards, and Lesia met all those standards.

“She followed me here to seduce me, and you just stayed quiet?”

“I met with Viscount Eastwood’s daughter to sort it out.”

“Did you firmly tell her you have no interest in sharing your husband?”

No, she didn’t. She went to discuss something similar but got kidnapped before she could.

“Didn’t you think of telling me first?”

“With my conscience, how could I…….”

Yuria bowed her head low. Cedric pondered over the word “conscience” she had uttered. So, she felt guilty about her past, having flirted with other men for three years. 

She had her fun and now wanted to control her husband’s actions but felt too guilty. The irony didn’t even make him laugh. He sighed. Lady Mowbray had said she had affairs to gain his attention. But now she felt guilty?

“Did you have a first love among those men you met?”

“No.”

“Even if you didn’t give your body, did you give your heart to someone?”

“No, really, they were just light relationships. Did you, during my absence, have something with that woman? She must have comforted you a lot.”

Yuria shivered as if she couldn’t even bear to imagine it.

“She’s trying to take my place!”

Even during her kidnapping, she had somehow realized that. She wasn’t entirely clueless, but then her actions sometimes proved otherwise.

“She can only take your place if I let her.”

“You wanted to let her. I know everything.”

Know what? 

Cedric’s expression said. It wasn’t even worth talking about. But Yuria had more to say.

“If there was no feeling, why couldn’t you invite her to the house?”

She made me suspicious. She tried so hard not to be suspicious.

“And you even bought a cake from the same shop.”

This wasn’t just a coincidence. It couldn’t be dismissed as such.

“And the scratch marks on your shoulder… Those were from her, right?”

You slept together. It’s certain.

“Did you sleep with Lady Eastwood?”

Tears welled up. Her eyes, sore from days of crying, stung.

“Ha.”

Cedric let out a bitter laugh. Rubbing his face, he was at a loss for words. Lesia had prepared quite a bit to ensnare the Princess.

“Is that all the suspicious circumstances?”

“Her name.”

“What about her name?”

“You called her by her name so affectionately.”

The voice calling “Lesia” still echoed vividly in her ears. All doubts began from there.

“You never called my name even once.”

Before her sobs could choke her voice, she quickly blurted it out. To him, she was always “Princess, Princess.” Not even “wife.” Was he afraid she might forget she was a Princess?

“…Ha.”

Watching the Princess pout her lips, Cedric couldn’t help but chuckle. It was bait thrown to catch Henry and Lesia. Henry and Lesia were people who could never get along. Seeing them converse while looking into each other’s eyes was suspicious. So, to find out their true intentions, he deliberately showed a weak spot.

Pretending not to know anything, acting pleased to see an old friend after a long time, he didn’t raise his guard. But to think Yuria would fall for it, just because he called out Lesia’s name once. If she were a subordinate, he would have dismissed her long ago. Explanation? He didn’t even feel the need to offer one.

“Those two can’t get along, but they were pretending to be close, so I played along.”

But here he was, kindly explaining. At a time when he should be teaching her not to be so loose. He was speechless with exasperation, but seeing the Princess’s curious eyes wide open, his lips moved on their own.

“Why can’t they get along?”

Lesia’s mother, now a distant relative of the Dowager Duchess’ family, lived in poverty and stayed at the Dowager Duchess’ family’s place. Even her debutante was funded by the Dowager Duchess’ family. So the Dowager Duchess treated Lesia’s mother like a maid. The same went for her son.

How could a daughter like a boy who treated her mother like a maid? Lesia despised Henry. After witnessing him having s*x in the garden in front of her, she didn’t even treat him as a person. After her mother died, there was no contact with the Duchy.

But suddenly, she appeared at the funeral? Well, she could have been invited out of old ties. She could attend. But the affectionate glances they exchanged were suspicious. He was sure they were in cahoots the day Lesia came to Ritano. If she had come for business, it would have been less suspicious, but she said she was there for vacation.

Cedric ordered an investigation into Lesia that day. The debts scattered around the Duke Spencer’s family. The railroad construction rights. The Eastwood Trading Company. These three things intertwined in his mind. Henry had failed multiple business ventures. Yet, he was greedy for the railroad construction rights again. If he could secure them, he could pay off all his debts at once.

But even though the noble council was centered around Duke Spencer, they couldn’t blindly support the railroad construction rights, knowing his circumstances. If he failed midway, it would be difficult to resolve. It would also give the royal family a proper excuse to pick on the noble council.

So he must have thought of a plan. Bringing in a moderately capable trading company under his wing would suffice. The Eastwood Trading Company, run by the daughter of the woman his mother treated like a maid, must have caught his eye. It was a trading company of decent size and reputation.