Episode 49: What We Didn’t Know Because We Didn’t Speak

Upon hearing that Latte and Leonard had come, Bliss fell into thought. Latte mentioned their appointment, and Leonard, for unknown reasons, had come along.

‘This actually works out well.’

She had been looking for an opportunity to meet with Caelan. She’d been busy going in and out of the palace as Princess Jasmin’s lady-in-waiting and spending time with Caelan during Etienne’s Day, but now they had come on their own.

“Did you invite Viscount Jimilta too?”

Lost in thought, Bliss answered without checking Caelan’s expression.

“No, but I was thinking of visiting him. I have something to tell him. Butler, please guide those two to separate reception rooms.”

“Understood.”

As Bliss turned her head toward Caelan after watching the butler leave, she hesitated. The gentle expression he had worn until just now had vanished. His expressionless face, like a mask, made it impossible to read what he was thinking.

Bliss shook her head internally as she tried to recall if anything had happened with Leonard. It didn’t seem like the two men would have had any reason to meet. Perhaps he was just displeased as the house owner that someone had entered without permission.

“I’ll meet with the Viscount first, could you keep Latte company in the meantime?”

She thought his mood would improve once he saw Latte. The fact that he had asked about Leonard’s reason for coming but hadn’t mentioned Latte was proof of that. By mentioning she had business with Leonard, she could naturally create a private moment for Caelan and Latte.

“She came to see you, after all.”

“It won’t take long.”

Bliss made her request under the pretext that she wouldn’t need much time.

“About what you need to tell Viscount Jimilta…”

Caelan paused for a moment before mentioning Leonard with an expressionless face.

“Can you tell me about it?”

While finding it strange that he kept asking about Leonard rather than Latte, Bliss answered without difficulty.

“It’s nothing important.”

If Caelan pressed further, there was nothing she couldn’t tell him, but it really wasn’t anything significant.

“More importantly, when you meet Latte, the rose perfume…”

Bliss’s eyes caught Caelan’s lips. Clearly, a small but irritated comment escaped through his teeth. What could have possibly upset Caelan?

“I think I had a foolish fantasy for a moment.”

Caelan looked down at the plate in front of him. Until the butler came in, it was the plate Bliss had been using to feed him. Caelan slowly pushed it away.

“I thought perhaps we could get along well…”

Caelan’s low mumbling disappeared, buried under the noise of the plate that teetered precariously at the edge of the table before falling. Though broken plate pieces were scattered everywhere, neither Caelan nor Bliss made any move to get up.

The meal time that had been better than ever ended in the worst possible way.

“I need to return to the imperial palace.”

Caelan stood up and walked away nonchalantly. The crunching sound of plate pieces under his feet replaced his footsteps.

Until Caelan left the dining room, Bliss’s gaze remained fixed forward, never turning to look at him.

“What exactly upset Caelan’s mood?”

Could arranging for him to meet Latte really be that offensive?

***

Caelan walked roughly with a visibly stiff expression. Because of this, the employees in front of him hurriedly stepped aside to avoid bumping into him. One employee who hadn’t noticed Caelan was even pulled away by another, barely avoiding a collision.

[I wrote this down to remind myself of the importance of money, something I can read anytime to steady my mind.]

She had written a note stating that if anything happened to her, if she were to die, it would be Caelan’s fault. Curious about what Bliss was planning, he had done as she wished. And even when he saw her slip it between the pages of a book, he had jokingly asked what if he got rid of it…

[Of course I won’t keep it here. I plan to give it to someone I trust.]

Recalling Bliss’s words, Caelan not only stopped in his tracks but also punched the wall with his clenched fist.

“Viscount Jimilta, he’s the one she trusts most.”

He had known Bliss since before her marriage and they were close. He had boldly appeared alongside Count Bonita, Bliss’s father, and even given her an invitation. And Bliss had attended his party, showing their close relationship.

“He must be waiting for me to break up with Bliss.”

So that he could step in the moment that happened. He had thought it was just Viscount Jimilta’s one-sided feelings, but if Bliss felt the same way…

“She’ll divorce me and go to Viscount Jimilta.”

Displeasure welled up inside him.

The lingering image of her face as she had cupped his cheek last night only served to worsen his mood.

“Marquis.”

When a delicate voice called out to him, Caelan turned his head. In the distance, a woman with platinum blonde curly hair came running, her hair fluttering. As the distance closed, he recognized who she was. Latte smiled with her clear face flushed pink.

“We’re meeting again quite quickly, aren’t we?”

Even as he heard her voice, Caelan frowned at the fact that he was still recalling Bliss’s calm voice. Despite leaving in anger because he was upset about her meeting Viscount Jimilta.

“Am I perhaps holding up a busy person? I’m sorry. I got excited seeing you and without thinking…”

Sensing Caelan’s bad mood, Latte apologized with drooping eyebrows, looking gloomy. Her expression matched her delicate appearance perfectly, looking just like a dejected puppy. The employees kept stealing glances at her cute appearance.

“Why do you always apologize?”

“…Pardon?”

“Do you have something to be sorry to me about?”

Looking up at Caelan with a surprised expression, Latte’s face gradually turned red.

“That’s not it, I just wanted to be considerate of you…”

“I’ll see you next time.”

After giving an eye greeting, Caelan walked away, and Latte’s gaze followed him.

She had come to the Marquis’s residence using Bliss as an excuse because she wanted to see Caelan. Thanks to that, she had seen him, and though they had only exchanged greetings, it was better than not seeing him at all.

Latte couldn’t hide her disappointment as she watched his back until Caelan disappeared from view.

***

“What is the reason you called for me?”

“Actually, I just need to wait for the Marchioness, but I called you because I heard you stopped by the palace.”

Caelan took a seat opposite Princess Jasmin, who had asked to see him as soon as he entered the palace.

“Did I perhaps call for someone busy?”

“No.”

Though he had come to the palace without any particular plan, he had originally intended to stay at the Marquis’s residence until today. However, since he didn’t want to be at home right now, time wasn’t an issue.

“You received a sword from the Marchioness, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“How was it?”

Fortunately, since he had received it from Bliss yesterday and had tried it out, he had something to say.

“It wasn’t bad.”

“So was it good?”

Princess Jasmin, seemingly disliking ambiguous answers, wanted him to speak directly.

“I thought it would be good if I could distribute them to the knights of our family.”

“So you liked it.”

Princess Jasmin revealed a pleased smile.

“I thought you would.”

The princess tapped her cheek with her finger while resting her face on her hand.

“Now that I’ve heard Marquis Adrian’s answer, there will be much to do. Getting the metal tested by His Majesty, mining for more, and also…”

Princess Jasmin excitedly brought out something. It was an experimental product created based on Bliss’s suggestion to turn all the metals into needles for testing. Of course, this included Tritan, the metal used in the sword.

“Then if these are used properly, they’re treasures in themselves… It makes me regret only searching for diamonds and gold until now.”

Princess Jasmin’s brightly shining eyes seemed somewhat abnormal. Moreover, her bright smile wasn’t directed at Caelan.

Since she wasn’t even speaking to Caelan anymore and was just taking out needles, he stood up. It was obvious she wouldn’t hear him even if he said he was leaving now. As he decided to wait until she regained her senses somewhat, he looked around the room.

As Caelan casually surveyed his surroundings, his gaze stopped at the bookshelf. A familiar book disturbed his vision. Unable to take his eyes off that book, Caelan tried to maintain his crumbling expression, but it wasn’t easy.

“This book…”

“The Marchioness gave it to me, and you recognized it right away.”

Princess Jasmin said while taking out the needles one by one.

“She asked me to keep it, so I said I would.”

Princess Jasmin focused again as she placed the needles down in order, and didn’t reveal anything else that might satisfy Caelan’s curiosity. When did Bliss give her the book, and did she say anything else when handing it over…

Caelan touched the book. He had thought her business with Viscount Jimilta was about entrusting this book, or more precisely, the paper inserted inside it. But it was here in the princess’s room. He should have asked her directly. The feeling that there was much they didn’t know about each other because they hadn’t spoken gnawed at Caelan’s patience.

Caelan put the book back on the shelf.

“I need to go.”

He needed to see Bliss right now. He wanted to resolve the complications that had arisen because they had been hiding things from each other all this time.