“Your Grace, is this alright?”

At my question, he gave me a look that seemed to ask what I was talking about.

“I mean about the Head of the Council. This isn’t just simple confinement.”

The Mercedes mansion is so vast that I don’t know all of it, but I have a vague understanding of the north annex.

‘An unfinished building, he said…’

There’s no special story behind it, but the building is so old and rarely used that during renovation, they decided it would be better to demolish it and stopped the construction.

So it would lack not only heating facilities but also a proper living environment.

And to send him there…

‘Well, he deserves it anyway.’

Not only had he bullied Vincent all this time, but he also tried to use violence, so in my mind, it was a justified punishment.

But in reality, the issue was a bit different.

He’s the head of the Council of Elders.

This wasn’t just simple confinement but sending him to a substandard annex.

And the grand council meeting will be held soon.

The timing isn’t particularly good.

I couldn’t help but feel concerned.

With these thoughts, I looked at him, but for some reason, Cardien was staring at me with irritated eyes.

Surprised, I just blinked, and he pushed back his hair as if frustrated and said.

“Sometimes, I want to open that clever head of yours and look inside.”

“….”

…What kind of horrifying thing is he saying now?

Is this a murder threat?

I stared at Cardien with an astonished expression as he spoke so casually about wanting to open someone’s head.

“Do you even realize what happened to you?”

“What?”

Me, what?

“You were hit on the head. Is this the time to worry about someone else’s well-being? Is that so important?”

“Ah…”

For a moment, I stared at him blankly, not understanding his meaning, but soon I came to my senses.

So the reason Cardien is angry…

“You’re angry because I’m not taking care of myself…?”

“With such a weak body, what were you thinking jumping in there? Is it your hobby to push your body to its limits?”

How crooked his attitude is. He’s definitely on a crooked path right now.

‘I guess that means he’s really angry?’

Since he doesn’t deny my question, it seems I’m right.

While I was perplexed, I couldn’t help but smile.

After all, it stemmed from his concern for me.

At that, Cardien’s eyebrows twitched.

“Don’t glare at me like that. You know, I had no choice.”

“….”

Having nothing to refute, Cardien firmly pressed his disgruntled lips together.

It wasn’t just anyone, it was Vincent.

If I were in the same situation again, I would throw my body in the way.

“…That bracelet is useless. It couldn’t even block an incoming hand.”

Cardien shifted his dissatisfaction to a new target.

Afraid he might bring a new item and force it on me, I hastily exclaimed.

“It must not have activated because the hit was too weak! It was really so weak that I didn’t even realize I was hit.”

I exaggerated a bit to calm Cardien down, but it wasn’t a lie.

“And this works well.”

Recalling what happened at the temple, I added with a serious face.

Cardien, who had been staring at me, suddenly raised his hand and firmly grasped my head.

Startled by his sudden action, I looked up at him with eyes that seemed about to pop out.

“W-What are you doing?”

Surely he’s not really trying to open my head?

No, no way… right?

“I’m really fine-!”

“Stay still.”

As I struggled in anticipation, Cardien murmured lowly.

The distance was already close, and when his low voice reached my ears, I flinched and held my breath.

Meanwhile, Cardien parted through my hair.

What on earth is he doing?

The answer came quickly.

“…Fortunately, it seems there are no wounds or bumps.”

Not completely trusting my words, he seemed to be checking if there were any injuries by parting through my hair instead of opening my head.

Feeling somewhat disappointed, I gently pushed Cardien away.

Cardien stepped back obediently.

“I told you I was fine.”

I felt strange.

I was a bit surprised, but normally I would have welcomed this situation.

Seeing is believing, as they say, and this would instantly prove that I was fine.

But…

‘Why do I feel so strange?’

It’s not the first time he’s held me, but my heart dropped like I was about to fall off a cliff and then pounded at an unstable pace.

I’m glad Cardien only rushed to check my head.

If he had said he wanted to check other places, I would have undoubtedly revealed this strange state.

‘Could my illness be flaring up again?’

It’s possible.

Since the second symptom was vomiting blood and losing consciousness, it wouldn’t be strange if the next was cardiac arrest.

‘That’s just dying.’

To begin with, Magic Disease is an extremely rare illness, and while it’s said to manifest up to the seventh point, in reality, no one knows how many stages one can endure.

So, bluntly speaking, I might really die at the next symptom.

Grab.

“….”

Cardien turned around with a puzzled expression.

I belatedly realized that I had unconsciously grabbed the hem of Cardien’s clothes.

“Ah, well.”

Not knowing what to say, I just moved my lips.

How could I explain?

That I suddenly became afraid when thinking about death, and unconsciously grabbed him.

“S-Sorry-“

I hurriedly tried to let go.

But…

“Ah!”

A large hand, calloused all over, wrapped around mine.

Startled, I looked up with wide eyes.

“Just hold on.”

“…Pardon?”

“Didn’t you grab me because you felt like you were going to fall?”

“Ah…”

There was a minor misunderstanding, but since I had no intention of revealing the truth, I nodded slightly.

“Then this way is more stable and better.”

“That’s true, but…”

It feels like I’ve fallen into a trap I dug myself.

Well.

Despite feeling awkward, I walked alongside him, holding his hand.

The place we naturally headed to was Cardien’s room.

But wait.

“Your Grace, what really brought you there?”

I had accepted Cardien’s statement, “What does it matter where I am in my own house?” but I couldn’t help being curious.

The atmosphere isn’t bad right now, so maybe he’ll answer?

Cardien, who had stopped a step ahead, quietly turned to look at me.

I tilted my head curiously.

After a moment of silence, his lips parted.

“…When you didn’t come even after time had passed.”

“….”

“I just came out wondering if you had collapsed somewhere again.”

“…Oh, so.”

I blinked my eyes and then smiled brightly as I said.

“You mean you were worried about me and rushed over in one breath?”

“…That’s an exaggeration.”

“But you’re not denying it.”

“….”

In the end, Cardien pressed his lips firmly together.

Seeing this, I let out a small laugh, and he abruptly turned around and sat down at his desk.

I followed closely, chattering.

“This is serious. Your Grace, don’t you like me too much?”

It was a joke.

A joke thrown to lighten the stiff atmosphere a bit more.

But…

“…Is that so?”

“….”

I expected him to tell me to stop talking nonsense and give me a disbelieving look, but contrary to my expectations, Cardien tilted his head and asked with a serious expression.

Ah, no. Why are you asking me that…?

Faced with a response different from what I expected, I looked back with a dry expression.

But Cardien’s eccentricity didn’t end there.

Resting his chin askew on his hand, he looked at me and muttered.

“Do I like you?”

“…What-“

“Then, if I were to say that I like you…”

Trailing off, the corner of Cardien’s lips curved upward slightly.

His purple eyes, wrapped in unreadable emotions, persistently captured me.

Eventually, scratching his neck, the words that came out “Would you run away from me?”

Were enough to perplex me.

I stared blankly at Cardien.

One might feel embarrassed if the other person acted like this, but Cardien showed no such sign and stared at me intensely.

Could it be…

‘Is he serious?’

Of course, there’s no way he’s serious.

Even if Cardien stopped loving Celestina, that doesn’t mean he would love me.

In many ways, I didn’t meet the conditions for Cardien to like me.

So this is-

“Stop joking, Your Grace.”

He must be teasing me.

“Joking?”

Cardien asked with a strange expression.

I deliberately nodded more vigorously and said playfully

“You’re getting back at me because I joked a little, right?”

“Ha.”

But somehow, Cardien’s demeanor seems strange.