Catherine couldn’t understand. Why would he, so suddenly…?

Unlike Catherine’s confusion, David’s expression remained unchanged. After staring at Catherine for a long moment, he blinked with an innocent look, as though unaware of what he had just done. Then he slowly rose from his seat.

Catherine flinched at David’s calm movements but instead of approaching her, he turned and walked toward the door.

“Ah, young master,” came the butler’s voice from outside. David’s low voice followed as he spoke to the butler, though their conversation wasn’t clearly audible. Only then did Catherine collapse onto her seat, her strength completely depleted.

‘Just now…’

That was all she could think of. Nothing else came to mind. Her thoughts had gone completely blank, obscured by what felt like a dense white fog.

“Doesn’t it seem like he might have feelings for you, my lady?”

The conversation from earlier in her bedroom flickered through her misty mind. Catherine shook her head. That couldn’t be.

Though she tried to deny it, it wasn’t easy. David’s touch as he rubbed between her knuckles had been too explicit… and Catherine wasn’t foolish enough to misunderstand its meaning.

Yet despite recognizing its meaning, Catherine couldn’t comprehend David’s actions. She didn’t want to understand.

Instinctively, her hand reached out, searching for something. Her fingertips touched cold skin—a hand so thin that the knuckles protruded. She extended her fingers further, feeling an unhealed wound between the knuckles. Catherine grasped that hand tightly.

It was Saul’s hand. This was the hand Catherine should be holding—not the hot, firmly-boned hand from before, but this one. Even though it was thin and damaged beyond repair…

“Lady Catherine.”

Startled by the voice above her head, Catherine looked up. David was standing before her, though she hadn’t noticed his return. He blinked, seemingly surprised by her startled reaction. 

“My lady?” came another familiar voice.

Catherine finally noticed the butler standing behind David, giving her a puzzled look.

“Is something wrong?”

Her bewilderment must have been evident, as concern in the butler’s expression gradually gave way to suspicion. His slightly narrowed eyes darted briefly between Catherine and David. Catherine quickly shook her head.

“No, I was just lost in thought for a moment…”

She answered while lightly pressing her empty hand against her lips and cheek before removing it. Fortunately, David’s composed demeanor made Catherine’s excuse sound plausible. The butler nodded, seemingly accepting her explanation, then belatedly stated his business.

“I’ve prepared a meal in the adjacent room. Would you like to—”

“No, thank you,” Catherine declined before the butler could finish his question. She deliberately kept her gaze fixed on Saul, refusing to turn away. Having already eaten a light meal upon waking, she wasn’t particularly hungry, but more importantly, she didn’t want to face David right now. Catherine needed time.

“But my lady,” the butler began to insist, but his voice stopped before Catherine could refuse again. David had apparently intervened. Unfortunately for Catherine, David’s gentle whisper soon followed.

“Lady Catherine.”

Though Catherine had been determined to keep her eyes on Saul, this time she couldn’t help but look up. She exhaled softly and raised her head, immediately meeting David’s blue eyes before instinctively blinking and lowering her gaze. Fortunately, David didn’t comment on her reaction.

“If you don’t mind, I’d like you to join me.”

His tone was gentle yet carried an underlying firmness that made it difficult to refuse.

“I have important matters to discuss with you as well.”

Noticing her reluctance, David added this before Catherine could respond. She unconsciously frowned. At this point, it became difficult to refuse outright.

Though Catherine couldn’t hide her discomfort as she looked at David, he ignored her reaction and extended his hand with his usual courteous manner.

Catherine stared at him for a long while, trying to gauge whether he was lying or planning some disrespectful prank.

But when David, maintaining that innocent expression, gestured impatiently with his eyes, she finally released Saul’s hand with a soft sigh and stood up. “Very well. Let’s go,” she said.

Seeing Catherine prepare to leave, the butler hurried out to ready the room.

Instead of taking David’s hand, Catherine gently pushed him aside and walked ahead.David followed quietly behind her, giving the impression he wouldn’t say anything more, but when they reached the doorway, he smoothly stepped in front of her, blocking her path.

Before Catherine could react, he took her hand and placed it on his arm, then smiled.

“Since I’ve behaved poorly, please at least allow me to escort you.”

Catherine glared at him in disbelief and tried to pull her hand away, but David wouldn’t release it. A brief, futile struggle ensued, though it didn’t last long.

Catherine soon gave up trying to free her hand and exhaled with visible irritation, her shoulders rising noticeably. Unable to tolerate his behavior any longer, she snapped at him.

“Did you behave like this at the theological seminary as well?”

“There were no noble ladies like you there.”

His response completely missed the point of Catherine’s question about the devout attitude he should have learned at seminary. Catherine couldn’t help but show her displeasure as she looked at him. Yet David seemed unaffected by her attitude and instead pulled his lips into a light smile.

“Shall we go?” Despite his willful behavior, David’s manner remained impeccably polite.

As she walked, led by David’s hand, Catherine unconsciously shook her head. She simply couldn’t make sense of this man. The Cavendish brothers appeared to be as different in temperament as they were similar in appearance.

Looking at David’s hand holding hers and gripping her arm, Catherine recalled Saul, who had often seemed dry and sometimes even cold. Saul had also been polite to Catherine, but… it had always ended there.

If only this hand were Saul’s instead. Catherine caught herself thinking this and quickly shook her head in surprise.

* * *

Though not robust, Saul’s hands had once been firm.

Catherine remembered when those cool, slender hands had gripped hers with strength. Sadly, this was her memory of Saul at his healthiest—when they stood before God and promised to be faithful to their union. In that frail grip, Catherine had sensed a powerful will.

“Remember, Catherine.”

Saul had personally slipped the ring bearing the Cavendish seal onto Catherine’s right ring finger, then whispered as his fingertips traced the ring’s edge.

“You are now the mistress of Cavendish.”

His voice was solemn as he whispered those words. That low, soft voice resonated in Catherine’s chest, making her heart pound.

Perhaps what Saul meant to convey was that they had reached a point of no return. It was like a warning that if they proceeded further, there would be no going back.

It might have been a subtle invitation to flee—to shake off his hand and throw away the ring if she wanted to escape. But Catherine had instead grasped Saul’s hand in return.

Even if she could return to that moment, Catherine wouldn’t want to change anything. She wouldn’t run away. Catherine had no intention of letting go of Saul’s hand that held hers, nor the ring he had placed on her finger.

“If you don’t forget our promise?”

“If you don’t forget our promise.”

That promise—to bear just one child for Cavendish—if she kept only that one. Saul’s blue eyes, repeating Catherine’s words, looked unbreakable in that moment. Catherine didn’t know what it was for, or why it made him so strong.

But at the same time, Saul probably didn’t know either. That those eyes, that gripping hand, would become the most brilliant moment in Catherine’s life.

Though Catherine herself hadn’t realized it… looking back, she might have fallen in love at that moment. Otherwise, Catherine wouldn’t have said such words to Saul.

“Even if I don’t love you?”

Hearing this question, Saul seemed somewhat surprised. Perhaps he had thought Catherine naive. That might have been the first time.

As far as Catherine could remember, it was the first time Saul, who had always been merely polite, showed her genuine human warmth.

“You don’t need to love me.”

It was impossible to know what in Catherine’s question had touched something in the man who had always seemed so dry.

Catherine deliberately chose not to find out. She was content with the pity in Saul’s hand as he caressed hers—like someone feeling sorry for an innocent child who knew nothing.

“Don’t… love me.”

So Catherine didn’t answer when Saul murmured as though suppressing something. Perhaps at that moment, Catherine instinctively realized she couldn’t keep that promise.

Catherine would have come to love Saul eventually. She couldn’t help but love him. It would have been extremely difficult not to love the only man who had given Catherine what she had never possessed—the man who had placed in her hands what she had never been able to hold.

Thus, Catherine had made only one promise to Saul.