“…What?”

For a moment, Cardien wore an incredulous expression.

But I was utterly serious.

I added to that.

“Especially don’t even look at other women.”

“….”

Watching Cardien’s lips press together like a clam, I thought.

‘We can’t have Cardien falling for Celestina today.’

Although circumstances forced me to accompany Cardien, I couldn’t help but worry.

‘In the original story, Cardien falls for Celestina at the Emperor’s birthday banquet.’

But there’s no rule saying it has to happen exactly like the original.

So couldn’t that timing be moved up?

‘If that happens, it would be the worst.’

Knowing better than anyone how madly and obsessively Cardien would act once he fell for Celestina, I felt anxious.

I held out my pinky finger towards Cardien, who was looking at me with an inscrutable, strange gaze.

“Promise me. That you won’t even look at any woman other than me. No, don’t look at men either. Keep looking only at me.”

Urgency crept into my voice without me realizing it.

We have to get off soon. Hurry up and promise!

As I looked at him with an urging gaze, Cardien repeatedly opened his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again.

I felt needlessly impatient.

After a long while, his deeply sunken voice flowed out.

“…Look only at you?”

“Yes! Look only at me, I’ll also-“

I thrust my upper body towards him abruptly.

Cardien flinched and looked at me.

“I’ll only look at Your Grace too.”

I’m going to watch you.

Whether you fall for Celestina and ruin yourself or not, I’ll be watching.

As I stared at him with a serious expression, Cardien blankly looked at me and then let out a low, hollow laugh.

“…I didn’t know you could be this aggressive.”

Aggressive?

Well, certainly, that’s true.

‘I was just waiting for the right timing to say it.’

It’s not like Celestina would appear with a “ta-da!” the moment we got out of the carriage, but I felt unnecessarily urgent.

Cardien quietly looked at me like this, then slowly parted his lips.

“I have one too.”

“Pardon?”

“I have a condition too.”

“A condition?”

What condition all of a sudden?

“What is it?”

Instead of answering, Cardien put his hand inside his jacket.

I watched quietly, wondering what he was going to do.

Finally, Cardien took something out from his jacket, gently grasped my right wrist that I had extended for the promise, and turned it over.

I flinched and reflexively tried to pull my hand away.

I had habitually extended my right hand, but…

‘The mark will be visible.’

On the inside of my right wrist is a flower-shaped mark, the sign of the Magic Disease.

I remember Cardien’s terrifying reaction when he saw this mark last time.

‘I’ve been covering it with a bangle since then, but…’

The thick bangle was heavy and cumbersome, but it was necessary to cover the mark.

But today, since the maids had dressed me up, I didn’t have the chance to grab the bangle.

Sure enough.

Soon, the small flower-shaped black mark on the inside of my wrist was exposed.

I watched Cardien’s reaction.

Cardien silently stared at the mark, then pressed it firmly with his thumb.

The pressure was strangely strong, and I let out a small groan.

“As I thought, I don’t like it.”

What are you saying after forcibly turning it over?

I looked at him, feeling wronged.

However, Cardien’s impulsive action didn’t end there.

He rustled about and then put something on my wrist.

I blankly looked at what he had put on my wrist.

‘A bracelet?’

It was a thin silver ring bracelet, with a cross-shaped pendant in the middle that looked familiar.

“This is…”

What’s more surprising was that even though the bracelet was thin and shouldn’t be able to cover the mark, the mark wasn’t visible.

As I looked at Cardien with surprised eyes, he spoke in an indifferent voice.

“I thought about it, and the necklace was too flimsy. It breaks easily, and it’s troublesome to take out if it’s hidden under clothes.”

There was only one thing that statement implied.

“…Don’t tell me you modified that pendant necklace into a bracelet?”

No way. Right?

Even as I asked the question, I thought it was impossible.

After all, modifying an already completed magical tool into a new form is like tearing down a castle and rebuilding it in a similar but different shape.

However, Cardien continued with what he wanted to say.

“It’ll be much more durable than the pendant necklace from before. Not only can it track your location, but if anything happens to your body, the magic will activate immediately without needing to inject magical power. Plus, with illusion magic, your damned mark also…”

“Wait, wait a moment, Your Grace.”

As I called out urgently, Cardien closed his mouth.

I struggled with how to respond.

This whole situation was just confusing.

Of course, it’s not that I hadn’t thought about the pendant.

I had been wondering if he would give it back to me someday, but…

I didn’t expect it to be upgraded to this extent!’

What was worth one castle has been demolished and rebuilt, returning as something worth three castles.

It was too burdensome to accept it like before.

Of course, it was burdensome before too, but still.

However, I already know Cardien.

‘No matter what I say, it won’t make a difference.’

I’ll be thankful if he doesn’t open the window threaten to throw it away like last time.

As I was hesitating like that, suddenly Cardien’s voice was heard.

“I know you find these things burdensome.”

Surprised by the unexpected words, I looked at him with wide eyes.

Did these words really come from Cardien’s mouth?

After briefly closing his lips, he slowly parted them again.

“…But isn’t it time for you to accept it? If something happens to you, how many people will…”

I could see the strength in his hand as he spoke that far.

I blankly stared at the veined back of his hand, then looked up again.

His purple eyes gazing at me in the darkness had sunk gloomily.

My heart grew heavy along with that gaze.

“…Your Grace.”

“If you think about the person who would lose their mind over even a single scratch on your body, you shouldn’t refuse this bracelet. You’re not worried about the poor kids in the 4th district while not giving a thought to how those around you are burning up inside, are you?”

His low voice dripped with sarcasm.

But this time, I couldn’t just brush it off with a simple ‘That’s so like Cardien.’

Because I finally understood that my actions had been causing anxiety to those around me… especially Cardien.

‘Not just Cardien, but Chelsea, Winston, and Vincent too…’

I truly believed I was fine.

With my special ability and the Magic Disease’s long cycles, I was normal most of the time.

But that was just my perspective – I never considered how others might see it differently.

Especially Cardien, who had witnessed everything: Jeffrey’s threats to my life, my blood-stained coughing fits, and my moments of agony.

Just because he was Cardien, the supposed villain, cold and distant Cardien…

‘I dismissed it all.’

I never realized these moments could traumatize him too.

Despite knowing how deeply he cares for me, even as he tries to hide it.

“…I’m sorry, Your Grace.”

“….”

I lowered my head towards him.

The dark brown hair that the maids had carefully combed flowed down smoothly.

I could clearly feel Cardien’s gaze on the top of my head.

I took a deep breath inwardly.

And looking into his eyes, I said.

“You’re right, Your Grace. I was only thinking about myself.”

I fiddled with the thin silver bracelet on my wrist.

It’s cold, but reassuring.

Just like the man in front of me.

“Thank you for the bracelet. I’ll never take it off my body. So please don’t worry too much. This is precious, isn’t it?”

As precious as it is, it must be very effective.

I smiled brightly.

Cardien quietly looked at me like that, then nodded slightly.

“…It’s good that you understand now, at least.”

That’s a relief. It seems his mood has improved.

I grinned.

Soon the carriage stopped and the door opened.

Just before getting off, I extended my hand towards him again.

He looked at me with slightly exasperated eyes.

I persistently held out my hand with the bracelet and said.

“It was a ‘condition’, wasn’t it? Since I accepted Your Grace’s condition, you should accept mine too.”

“…You mean the one about not even looking at other women and only looking at you?”

“You understand perfectly. You must only look at me!”

Cardien still had an incredulous expression.

But after looking at the silver bracelet on my wrist, he let out a deep sigh and linked his finger with mine.

He said in a low voice.

“I promise. That I’ll only look at you, Livia Pellington.”

“And that you won’t even look at other women.”

“…Right. I absolutely won’t look at other women. I had no intention of doing so even without the promise.”

You’re making a fuss over nothing.

He added in a grumbling tone, but I smiled with satisfaction, not minding at all.

With this, the preparations before the baptism ceremony were complete.

Now…

I turned my head to look at the majestic temple visible through the open carriage door.