Chapter 5 (Part 7)

After walking for a while, they were heading back to the mansion.

“Oh? It’s Grand Duke Theodore.”

“Hehe.”

“Look. Isn’t it really cute?”

Theodore was approaching from the entrance of the garden, carrying a large picnic basket.

Theodore, who had run up to Meia, spoke cautiously with eyes full of anticipation.

“I brought delicious strawberry cake and strawberry aid. Would you like to have some with me?”

Meia did not refuse him, as he had brought her favorite food.

“Grand Duke Theodore, please try this.”

“Yes.”

Theodore nodded, his face turning red.

Meia’s eyes curved gently as she looked at him and smiled.

Meeting her eyes made him feel shy and want to avoid them, but at the same time, he hoped she would look at him persistently.

“The strawberry cake is not too sweet or greasy, it’s just right and delicious.”

Meia drew a deep curve on her lips and enjoyed it. Theodore stared blankly at her smiling face with a blush. Watching her eat the cake deliciously filled him with sweet satisfaction, making his heart tingle.

“I should give the patissier a bonus.”

“Grand Duke Theodore, you really care for your subordinates.”

“Yes. They work for me, so I should treat them well.”

What Meia felt while staying at the Grand Ducal residence was that all the servants praised him.

Although they hadn’t known each other for long, he was considerate and kind.

“You have a wonderful heart.”

A warm feeling filled Theodore’s once empty heart.

“Thank you for the kind words.”

Quini grabbed a canvas and brushes and positioned himself at a suitable distance from Meia and Theodore.

With his right eye closed and his left eye open, he measured the angle of the picture with his thumbs and index fingers. Feeling that the subjects were excellent and would make a good painting, Quini showed a subtle smile.

“Could you both stay like that?”

“You want to paint, Quini?”

“Yes. It’s perfect right now.”

Inspired by the sight of the two of them smiling brightly at each other, Quini stood in front of the canvas.

“Please sit a little closer together.”

At that moment, Theodore thought about giving Quini a huge bonus too.

“When inspiration strikes, Quini grabs the brush. It will be a great painting. Come next to me, Grand Duke Theodore.”

Theodore felt like he was dreaming. Meia was asking him to come next to her!

Venable’s words were true. Dreams are indeed the opposite!

Theodore cautiously approached Meia. As he got closer, his face, neck, and ears turned red like an apple, and his heart pounded so hard that he took deep breaths to calm himself.

To sit so close to her!

His whole body felt hot, and his throat was dry.

Seeing the nervous Theodore, Quini grinned and said.

“Move a little closer!”

Meia glanced at the embarrassed and shy Theodore, and her lips slowly curved up.

“Is it because the weather is hot? Your face is red, Grand Duke. Shall we stop painting and go inside?”

Theodore shook his head vigorously from side to side and said.

“No! Absolutely not! It’s just…”

“Just?”

Theodore couldn’t bring himself to say that he was too nervous and excited, so he trailed off and lowered his head. Quini shouted.

“Your Grace, please lift your head! Don’t move.”

At Quini’s words, Theodore mustered the courage to lift his head.

“It’s because of the sunlight. When I see sunlight, I get a bit… heated.”

“I see.”

Theodore felt the sweet pain of his heart pounding again at the sight of Meia smiling.

“Quini, please paint quickly.”

“Yes.”

Every time the wind blew, Meia’s hair tickled Theodore’s arm. Even if it tickled, he couldn’t move. No, he didn’t want to move.

‘If I move my arm a little.’

Our arms might touch. Wanting to touch more, would that be greedy?

‘Should I muster a little more courage?’

But just sitting next to her made his heart feel like it would burst out.

Various thoughts tangled in Theodore’s mind.

As time passed and Quini completed the sketch, he waved at Meia.

“The sketch seems to be done. When Quini waves like that, it means a good painting is complete.”

“…Yes.”

Meia pulled a handkerchief from her bag and asked Theodore, who looked disappointed.

“May I wipe the sweat off your face?”

The anxiety and nervousness from the terrible nightmare that morning melted away.

Theodore slightly lowered his head so that Meia could wipe his face comfortably.

“As much as you like.”

Meia looked directly at Theodore and wiped his forehead with the handkerchief.

“Grand Duke Theodore, you never refuse anything I say.”

“Because I have no desire to refuse.”

He saw his reflection in Meia’s blue eyes. He was sure that her image was also filling his black eyes.

Although he thought meeting her gaze would be quite embarrassing, now that he was facing her, he wanted to do it more and be closer.

It was a pleasant time. What to do? He was starting to want more of her.

But the time was too short.

***

Bang!

Theodore pounded his fist on his desk in anger.

“You must calm down. You need to remain composed in times like this.”

“Who exactly is this David…”

To make him feel such misery!

He realized that even someone he had never seen could make him feel so miserable.

The events in the garden replayed in his mind, tormenting him.

Thanks to Quini, he had spent a cozy time sitting close to Meia. That time was undoubtedly good and satisfying for Theodore. But Quini’s single comment ruined all that.

He saw Meia’s expression change instantly at the mention of David.

<Indeed.>

Quini smiled silently, and Meia spoke with a face full of longing.

At Meia’s words, Theodore felt tears welling up uncontrollably.

What kind of person could make Meia show such an expression? And she said she missed him.

Meia’s expression and words became sharp spears that pierced Theodore’s heart.

Everything went dark. It felt like he was sinking into a swamp and suffocating to death.

He wished he could be the one to make Meia show such an expression. But it wasn’t reality. She missed David.

He couldn’t help but feel an ugly jealousy towards David.

“Your Grace, please calm down. Aethon said he would find out about David and report soon.”

Theodore staggered.

“It hurts, Venable, my heart hurts so much.”

Theodore scratched his left chest and began to gasp for breath.

“Master! You must not stimulate your heart too much!”

Watching Theodore’s trembling black eyes, Venable felt hopeless having to witness his master’s suffering.

“Master!”

Venable found it extremely painful to see his master, Theodore, having a seizure due to severe lovesickness. When someone is in pain, they can take painkillers or be healed by divine power, but lovesickness doesn’t respond to any of that.

Even the physician said that lovesickness is an incurable disease. The incubation period is forever, and even if one achieves their love, it doesn’t mean the disease is 100% cured. Theodore had to live with the incurable lovesickness for the rest of his life.

That made Venable very upset.

“Venable, I wish someone would take out my heart. It hurts too much.”

“Please don’t think like that. Removing your heart! That would kill you! Take my life instead. Please wait a moment.”

Venable opened his magical space. He took out a new portrait of Meia that Quini had given him that morning and began to soothe Theodore.

“This is the lady having strawberry tea in front of the lake in the summer when she was eleven.”

Usually, Theodore would smile broadly and hug the framed portrait tightly, but his expression was different.

“It was drawn during a picnic by the lake in the duchy.”

“She’s so beautiful. I want to go on a picnic by the lake with the lady too.”

Theodore’s face was full of sorrow as he gently pulled the frame from Venable’s hands and hugged it tightly.

“It hurts, but I like it.”

Hugging the framed portrait of her, Theodore lowered his head, closed his eyes, and continued to groan in pain. Watching him, Venable felt like he could feel his master’s pain.

“Venable, it hurts so much. I’m not going to die like this, am I?”

“Please don’t say that. It pains this old butler.”

“I wish I were the one she missed.”

“Master…”

“I like looking at the lady’s portrait, even if it hurts. Even if it hurts this much, I like it. To the point of madness.”

“I, Venable, will use my life to eliminate this David. So please, master, pull yourself together. I will get rid of him completely.”

Venable firmly resolved not to let David off the hook.

“I will take better care of your beauty so that you become more beautiful than David. Please, master, pull yourself together!”

The more he looked at his master lying weakly, the more Venable’s heart burned.

“Master, please pull yourself together and get up.”

The old butler’s eyes gradually reddened. He tilted his head back and blinked to hold back the tears.

Seeing Theodore struggling with the pain in his heart, Venable couldn’t hold back and quickly wiped away the tears streaming down his cheeks with his sleeve as he diligently cared for him.