Chapter 29

The two, with slight misunderstandings between them, sat by the window with fireworks bursting in the background.

Ashton was a person with a more complicated purpose than Sabina thought.  

Sabina was considering more variables than Ashton realized.  

Intentionally, or perhaps by coincidence, each caused the other to misunderstand, yet both steadily grew accustomed to each other.

Ashton sat Sabina down on a chair and knelt before her. His hands were careful as he removed her shoes. Sabina watched his lowered head, broad shoulders, and back, then absentmindedly placed her hand on top of his head.

His hair, so fragile it might crumble, tangled around her fingertips. Ashton stiffened for a moment, then removed the other shoe. Even through the stockings, she could see her toes were flushed and swollen.

“You’re considerate, Ashton.”  

Her tone was plain, simply stating a fact. Only then did Ashton look up. The eyes he met held no suspicion or hostility.

‘Ah…….’

Suddenly, a chill of pain swept through his chest.

He had approached Sabina solely to achieve his goal. He had never forgotten that purpose must come before emotion. Even when he applied for the position of contract lover, he believed he could remain cold.

But something that had faded during their long separation, to the point she no longer recognized him, was now stretching awake.

He had missed her for a long time.

In the past, he had wanted to make her like him more than anyone else.

Reality, which would not let him simply drown in the tidal wave of realization, was only sad.

Ashton spoke, almost sighing.

“I’m not sure.”

His voice trembled slightly as he tried to gather his awakened feelings.

He neatly placed the removed shoes beside the chair.

“I’m not considerate to everyone.”

“That sounds like something a playboy would say.”

“Haha.”

Ashton closed his eyes and tilted his head, laughing.

“There are many who say that’s the mark of a charming man. Isn’t it so for you?”

“I haven’t been able to feel any charm from men for quite a long time.”

At Sabina’s abrupt words, his handsome eyebrows twitched slightly.

“I don’t believe everything you say to me is true, and I can’t love a man. You said you liked me, right? But even if I give you the title of lover, I won’t be able to love you.”

As she confessed calmly, Sabina thought, This feels unnecessary. But there’s no need to stop.

“I have warned you clearly.”

She reached out and gently ruffled Ashton’s hair. Her smile surfaced briefly, only to vanish like a mirage.

“If you’re willing to accept that, I’ll hire you.”

“…….”

“All the while I was sitting in that room, looking down at you, I thought about it.”

That was exactly what Ashton wanted to hear. She wouldn’t love him, but for now, she would keep him close.

At that moment, for Ashton, the best he could do was maintain a blank expression. He felt like he might cry.

Sometimes, she seemed like an omnipotent savior—honest and lovable.

Ashton pressed his forehead to Sabina’s knee and curled up tightly.

Ever since the moment Sabina’s mind was filled with the misunderstanding that Helio had brainwashed Don Slapdi, the water had been spilled. Someday, she would realize the truth and be angry at the deception. The chance to part beautifully when the time came was something Ashton himself had thrown away. And that was what he wanted.

At the end of the plan he set like a trap, he would have to disappear, receiving all of Sabina’s contempt.

He could never have the unconditional bond that Helio did.

That was why Ashton Bryant, so basely, was jealous of young Helio and acted coldly, even though he knew as an adult he shouldn’t.

Sabina didn’t understand why Ashton looked sad, nor did she love him, but she leaned over and quietly hugged him. Her small hand gently patted his back.

The rhythm matched the tempo of Sabina’s heartbeat. Ashton closed his eyes quietly.

With the distant noise of the festival and the fireworks flickering through the window, being held by Sabina struck a strangely sentimental chord. Ashton stayed like that for a long time before finally speaking.

“Yes.”

Sabina kept stroking the young man’s hair. It was a simple answer, not like a man with a light mouth and many words.

Ah, it was this sense of incongruity that left her with a mystery. Perhaps it was because of this mystery that Sabina, after long hesitation, always chose to approach him. She was a scholar, after all.

It didn’t matter if he had approached her to use her. What she had for him was curiosity and questions, not trust.

Why did he approach so boldly?

If it was only for a purpose, why did he sometimes show such vulnerability?

Was that all calculated too… like Reyes Brinita?

‘It’s fortunate I can’t love him.’

If she could, she wouldn’t have been able to keep her guard up.

Ashton showed no sign of getting up, and Sabina continued to stroke his firm back. Like a boy, Ashton leaned against Sabina’s knee and breathed quietly. There was no question about how long this would last.

Sabina’s eyes turned to the window. The fireworks had ended. Soon, people would likely leave the mansion.

“It will get quiet.”

Sabina murmured. Ashton, eyes closed, asked in a subdued voice,

“Shall I prepare a room for you?”

It was an awkward time to wake Helio and return home. Sabina replied easily, “Yes.”

“Is it alright not to see the guests off?”

Only then did Ashton slowly get up. Even if he wanted to keep his head on the knee of the person he missed, he was a sensible adult. He straightened his appearance and smiled as usual.

“Shall we write the contract now?”

“Let’s do that.”

“Helio won’t like it.”

“Helio?”

Not Reyes? Sabina’s eyes briefly filled with curiosity.

Ashton turned his back to Sabina and stood before the mirror. He ran his hand through his hair and answered nonchalantly,

“Yes. That child will be jealous.”

“How can you be so sure?”

The man tapped the tip of his shoe on the floor and spun around. His dimples deepened.

“I know everything.”

There was no logic or reason in those words, but at that moment, Ashton was full of certainty.

“You’ve hardly even seen him properly, so how can you say you know him better than I do?”

Instead of an answer, he gave her a mischievous smile.

Thus, another mystery about him piled up, and Sabina stared at his face, searching for the answer.

But no answer would come from that.

“Good night.”

Ashton left the room with a nighttime farewell.

“……You too.”

Sabina replied only after the door closed.

* * *

The next morning, even after a good night’s sleep, Helio was in a bad mood.

Because he woke up somewhere other than home.

He got up from bed and drew the curtains. As if there had never been a party, the garden was clean. Judging by the length of the shadows, he had slept late. Checking the clock only made Helio feel worse.

“Ten thirty…….”

No doubt Sabina had worried about Helio’s condition and let him sleep in. Instead of feeling grateful, he felt annoyed—probably because he had shown a vulnerable side to Ashton Bryant. Had that man gotten up early? Maybe he had even had breakfast with Sabina.

Helio rang the bell to call someone. Facing the maids, his mood sank even further. All of Ashton Bryant’s staff were from Marquis Meolin’s mansion; they were familiar to Helio.

Helio ground his teeth at the complicated emotions he read in the eyes of the maid handing him the clothes brought from D’Vialis Mansion.

“Tell me where my master is, then get out.”

Helio’s tone, usually polite to the maids of D’Vialis Mansion, turned rude and harsh. The maid said Lady D’Vialis was in the room to the right and hurried out.

Left alone, Helio nervously ruffled his hair. He curled up on the bed, bumping his forehead against his knees several times. Maybe he shouldn’t have come here. Maybe he should have listened to Sabina……

“Ha…….”

The boy raised his head and stared blankly at the empty wall. The magic Ashton had cast yesterday was still working. Even in this empty space, Helio couldn’t reveal the information Ashton had “sealed.”

‘I need to break the spell first.’

But how could he? Helio was sure he had studied cases like this.

The mechanism of magic is as unique as a fingerprint, so even if a mage has the same attribute, they can’t break a spell cast by another. Unless they use an opposite attribute to neutralize it.

But special-type magic has no such “opposite attribute.” That’s why it’s more powerful and dangerous.