Chapter 88: The Subject of the Deal

Count Bonita believed that Caelan would no longer keep her as his wife since the subject of the deal had disappeared.

He didn’t care at all about his daughter living in a loveless marriage… That’s why Bliss hadn’t told him that Caelan’s heart was directed toward her. She didn’t want to reassure Count Bonita, and she didn’t want to give him any excuse to use Caelan.

However…

‘I shouldn’t hide this from Caelan.’

She needed to tell him what had happened.

But finding the right moment wasn’t easy. Right now, Caelan was both the same as usual and somehow different. Strangely…

“Your fingers are pretty.”

His face was strangely excited as he kissed her hand.

“Your hair is pretty too.”

As he held a handful of her hair and looked at it, Bliss awkwardly raised her eyes to meet his.

“Caelan?”

“Your voice is pretty too.”

When he went this far…

“Have you had a lot to drink?”

She had to ask. After all, he wasn’t someone who usually gave so many compliments.

“If you’re asking if I’m drunk, I’m not.”

“Then why do you keep saying things are pretty?”

“Don’t you like it?”

When Caelan asked with slightly lowered eyebrows, Bliss waved both hands in surprise. With just that small change, the man who had seemed excited until just now suddenly became gloomy.

“Of course not. I just asked because you seemed in a good mood.”

“I had time to think about you again.”

Caelan, having noticed what Bliss was curious about, spoke while fiddling with her hand.

“I was thinking back on why I came to like you.”

As she listened to Caelan’s neither high nor low voice, Count Bonita’s name disappeared from her mind. No, it felt more like it had been pushed aside. If his compliments had made her embarrassed and flustered before, now she was being swept along without even realizing it.

Come to think of it, she had wondered when Caelan had started to like her. Though it hadn’t been long since he learned she wasn’t Bliss, he had expressed his feelings before that.

“You shook me up more often than I expected.”

“I did?”

Bliss laughed and shook her head. Since the original Bliss had been such a bad person, she had tried to break away from that image. So she had tried to stay quiet and not do anything?

“You were wary of me.”

“…What?”

When these unexpected words came, Bliss showed a dumbfounded expression. Was he talking about when she started seeming different?

“That was what first caught my attention. Then you started acting differently from usual, which made me keep looking at you and becoming more interested.”

“So you’re saying it was strange that I wasn’t doing anything.”

Bliss explained Caelan’s words in her own way. Well, it would be strange when Bliss, who had been causing trouble almost daily, suddenly became quiet.

“You protected me from Duke Blast.”

“Was that really protection?”

While it was true that she had stepped forward because of the rumors Caelan would have to bear… if that was called protection, then perhaps it was protection.

“It didn’t feel bad having you rely on me. It was also fun when you went to the imperial palace and came back as a maid.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed it.”

This was an honest feeling. Back then, it had all been struggling to escape from Caelan and to avoid death, but now it had just become memories.

“That’s right. I think you’re the first woman who tried to protect me.”

As if realizing it while speaking, Caelan stroked his chin and nodded.

“When I was startled by the poison, you comforted me too. I was trying to tell you when I started liking you, but I realized another thing. Maybe I came to like you because of all those moments piling up – when I was confused, surprised, and amazed?”

“That’s the right way to like someone, isn’t it?”

When Bliss asked if she could laugh freely, Caelan showed his smile first. Only then did Bliss feel free to laugh, leaning into Caelan’s warmth and closing her eyes.

“That’s why I like you. You’re pretty and lovable.”

“I must be the only person in the world hearing such sweet words in a carriage.”

Bliss muttered with a surprised yet happy face. She didn’t dislike Caelan’s sudden confession. As she met his eyes and smiled brightly, Bliss brought back the matter of Count Bonita that she had pushed aside.

She had been looking for the right moment to tell him, but it didn’t feel right to let him remain happy without knowing anything. Perhaps she also hoped he would be less shocked while in this good mood.

“Actually… I met Father.”

Bliss wrapped both her hands around Caelan’s hand.

As the atmosphere turned serious, questions reflected in Caelan’s eyes.

“The reason you married me…”

Bliss lowered her head, pretending to look at his hand.

“I know about it.”

She held his hand tightly in both of hers, trying to give it warmth.

“But I heard that the person you were supposed to take care of has disappeared.”

She could tell without looking at his expression. That he was shocked…

His hand became stiff.

***

After getting out of the carriage, Caelan went into the mansion first. Knowing he needed time, she didn’t stop him and kept waiting in the room.

“My lady, you don’t look well. Was the water too hot?”

After her bath, Mint asked with concern.

“No.”

In truth, she hadn’t felt whether the water was hot or cold at all. Rather, she had been half out of her mind wondering where Caelan was and how he was feeling.

“Then I’ll continue.”

Mint patted her wet hair with a towel. Though it wasn’t direct contact, it made her feel better, and Bliss looked at Mint through the mirror.

“Are you uncomfortable somewhere?”

When Mint noticed her gaze and asked, Bliss shook her head and stood up.

“I think having someone beside you is better than being alone.”

She hadn’t noticed Mint’s presence either, but in that brief moment when she was drying her hair with the towel, she felt an unexpected warmth. If that was the case, couldn’t she do the same for Caelan?

“If you’re looking for the Marquis, he’s in the rose garden.”

The perceptive Mint gave Bliss the answer she wanted.

“Thank you.”

Bliss grabbed the skirt of her dressing gown and turned from the chair. As she walked quickly forward, Mint reached out toward her.

“Your hair isn’t completely dry yet…”

Though water drops were falling and leaving traces on the floor, Bliss disappeared without paying any attention.

Heading straight for the rose garden, Bliss increased her pace several times, wanting to hurry. She should have not left Caelan alone from when they got out of the carriage. Though people say you need time to organize your thoughts when there are complicated matters, this wasn’t such a case.

She should have stayed firmly by his side.

“He said I was the first person to protect him, and stupidly…”

She had let Caelan go alone. Bliss went to the rose garden with hurried steps that were almost running. And just before opening the door, she forcefully calmed her breathing.

“I shouldn’t get excited.”

She thought she needed to be calm and composed for Caelan to be able to lean on her. After taking several breaths, Bliss pretended to be composed and opened the door.

As she entered the rose garden, the tickling sensation of grass on her soles made her realize she had come barefoot. Her rush to get to Caelan had left no room to think about anything else. Bliss lowered her skirt to hide her feet and went deep into the garden.

While carefully looking around to find where Caelan might be, she discovered him under the garden’s only tree. She hadn’t expected him to sit in a chair, but finding him leaning against the tree was unexpected. Perhaps because it was the only thing not blooming among all the rose beds, both Caelan and the tree stood out more.

Bliss came to Caelan’s side and carefully lowered herself. Until she sat down on the ground to match his eye level, Caelan remained motionless with his eyes closed.

‘Is he sleeping?’

At his peaceful expression, Bliss carefully brought her hand close to his face. Should she wave her open hand, or…

As soon as she extended her index finger under his nose, Caelan, who had been still until now, smiled.

“Checking if I’m dead?”

“…That’s right.”

Even though he was breathing whether he was asleep or not.

Bliss lowered her awkward hand. She wouldn’t normally do this, but her worry for Caelan had prevented her from thinking properly.

“Are you okay?”

This was all she could say right now. Count Bonita hadn’t told her who he had been taking care of, and she couldn’t ask Caelan. She just wanted to comfort him because his mood wasn’t good.

“Who do you think it might be?”

Caelan asked with a faint smile. His smile seemed somewhat bitter.

Bliss shook her head. Since Caelan was in the rose garden now, she wondered if it might be someone related to this place, but it wasn’t something she could say carelessly.

“Mother.”

But Caelan spoke first.

As Bliss looked into his eyes, Caelan slowly turned his head to meet her gaze.

“Mother, who wanted to claim this rose garden.”

Though his words made no sense at all, it was a moment when she could recognize the pain contained in his eyes.