“But we succeeded.”

“True. Good job, Cedric.”

By tomorrow, a sobered-up Jeffrey would probably come to the department store and cause a scene. I was just thinking about hiring a few more security guards.

“I’ll double the security personnel for the time being. Even Jeffrey can’t do anything about a contract he’s already signed.”

“You’re so lovely. You even predict everything I’m about to say.”

“That’s why you should keep me by your side.”

I wrinkled my nose at Cedric and signaled that we should leave now.

The rain had stopped briefly in the evening, but it looked like it would pour again soon. The humid, sticky air mixed with the restaurant’s heat made me nauseous. I felt I could only breathe properly once I got outside.

‘Did I drink too much?’

After paying for the drinks, I stepped outside and found it much easier to breathe. The night air under the star-studded sky couldn’t be more refreshing.

“I’ll take you home.”

“It’s fine. I can go alone.”

“I’d feel uncomfortable.”

We walked along the riverbank for a while. Occasionally, the wind blew, bringing the sound of large leaves colliding. The noise from the restaurants along the street gradually subsided. The path we were walking on and the twinkling lights across the river seemed like they belonged to different worlds.

“Boss.”

“Yes?”

“It seems Marquis Paine has feelings for you.”

“Come on, no way.”

What a random thing to say. The heat rising in my body from the alcohol immediately subsided at Cedric’s words.

‘You should say things that make sense.’

When I chuckled, my secretary sighed and took off his coat to drape it over my shoulders.

“There are people in this world who become troublesome when you get involved with them. It doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”

“Someone like Marquis Paine is rich and handsome. That’s not bad. If things go well, I might not even have to pay back the investment.”

At my joke, a crease formed between Cedric’s handsome brows.

“Boss.”

“Do I look like someone unprincipled enough to go after a friend’s fiancé? I thought others saw me as a loyal and cool boss all this time. Guess I’ve been deluding myself?”

The surface of the river visible in the darkness sparkled occasionally like a broken mirror. A moment of silence fell between us.

“I apologize. I spoke out of line. You are the most admirable and loyal person I know, Boss.”

After giving me this compliment, Cedric seemed embarrassed and quickened his pace.

‘Don’t act like you know everything about me.’

It just makes me annoyed.

What reaction would Cedric show if I told him that about four years ago, my clumsy first love was actually Marquis Michael Paine? Would he laugh and tease me, or would he advise me with a serious expression? Or maybe he’d stiffly reply, ‘I didn’t ask that far.’

Whatever his reaction would be, I’d be hurt.

It was a feeling I had already abandoned last year. The fact that I briefly had a crush on him is a secret that only I know and should remain buried forever. So if my heart is fluttering a little now, it’s simply because of the alcohol. That’s what it is.

* * *

Cedric’s story—

Children take after their parents.

Throughout his life, Cedric hated people who spouted such nonsense the most. If that were true, wouldn’t it mean he too would grow up to be a pathetic loser who beats defenseless women?

When he was thirteen, Cedric’s mother killed his abusive father and then followed him. Thanks to that, for a while, the people in his hometown pitied him, but at the same time, they spat behind his back, calling him an unlucky child.

He sold household items to exchange for food. When he found work, he saved money diligently, but there was a limit to how much a child could save in a rural area.

Moreover, boys his age always disliked him.

“How dare an orphan like you look at my Ellie?”

They would often come in groups, mentioning the name of a girl he didn’t even know, and beat him up. Some days they tried to rob him of his money too, which he fought off with killing intent, biting them. As he struggled to survive, his fist-swinging appearance gradually came to resemble the man he most despised.

His appearance, which resembled his father, also hindered his life.

Black hair and gray eyes. His exceptional looks, like a carved sculpture, always attracted women’s attention wherever he went. It charmed people regardless of age or gender.

“The viscountess says she has work for you. Follow me immediately.”

As soon as he became an adult, as if they had been waiting, high-ranking people sent servants to command him to come and go. On days when he had a bad feeling, his intuition inevitably became reality.

“You can lean on me if it’s hard. You deserve it.”

Ladies in thin chemise dresses would always choose times when their husbands were away to call him out and seduce him.

“No, thank you. I appreciate your concern, but if your husband found out about this, I would face severe consequences.”

Offended by his polite rejection, they would sometimes use their servants to take out their frustrations on him. Telling him if he didn’t want to get beaten, he should accept their proposal. That he could earn more money than he thought.

The large sum tempted him, but he didn’t want to become their plaything.

That’s why Cedric left his hometown and came to the capital. He wanted to escape his poor rural village, gain power, and become wealthy. Above all, he wanted to blend in with people who didn’t know his miserable past.

In the capital, he took on various odd jobs. He carried heavy loads or worked as a laborer at construction sites to make a living. The rent in the capital was high, and there were insurmountable walls for someone who was neither a noble nor a graduate from an academy.

But the people in the capital, unlike those in Cedric’s rural village, had refined speech and manners. They seemed like people from a different world. Of course, there were men here too who were wary of his handsome face. But rather than spitting and using their fists, they politely dismissed and attacked him with words only. To someone hardened by life like him, such attacks didn’t hurt at all.

One day, a fabric shop owner who noticed Cedric’s appearance hired him as a sales assistant. It was a precious job that provided lodging and food. But happiness didn’t last long.

The shop owner’s daughter snuck into his room.

“Cedric. For you, I’m prepared to abandon even my fiancé.”

“Miss, please don’t do this.”

“Take me. Then this shop will be yours too.”

He was sick of women. Especially wealthy women who knew nothing of hardship. When Cedric refused, the owner’s daughter attempted to blackmail him.

“If you reject me, I’ll report you to the police.”

She wailed that she would tell all possible lies, whether it was theft or s*xual assault. Her pride seemed quite hurt.

That day, he packed his belongings and fled the fabric shop.

But having lost both his job and his place to stay at the same time, he soon felt desperate. He was at his limit of patience, to the point where he readily accepted when a woman he met at a tavern offered him a large sum for a deal.

For a while, he lingered around construction sites where plaster dust flew.

And finally, he met her. That brown-haired girl who shone alone among rough men.

Cedric Whisker still vividly remembered the day he first encountered Charlotte Liv.

That day, the sky was so clear it was as if lapis lazuli powder had been sprinkled across it. At that time, he was somewhat tired from dehydration.

Even to his exhausted eyes, Charlotte looked quite pretty. Her half-tied brown hair had many loose strands sticking out, and her clear green eyes sparkled like jewels. Seemingly unconcerned about the dust settling on her form-fitting silk dress, she enthusiastically moved around the construction site.

Approaching the bricklayers who were mixing lime and sand, Cedric pointed to the woman in the distance and asked,

“She looks like a noble. What’s that lady’s name?”

One of the bricklayers, mocking his shabby clothes, answered,

“You’re talking about Miss Charlotte? Our wages come from her pocket. From the looks of it, you’ve come from far away looking for work too. Why don’t you go grab onto that noble lady’s skirt and beg?”

Would that really get him a job?

Cedric studied the bricklayers’ expressions. He saw a few exchanging mischievous glances. Ah, it was just a joke.

“Oh my, this person. Trying to trick someone again. Hey, see that person with the protruding belly next to the brown-haired lady? That’s the work supervisor, so ask him for a job. They say they’re short-handed these days, so if you’re just diligent, you’ll probably be hired right away.”

Following the advice of a kind worker, he walked toward the work supervisor.

At that moment, someone else approached them before he did.

“Hey, Charlotte. You’re getting dust on that pretty face. Why are you here?”

The man who was brushing the dust off his trouser cuffs with a frown on his face was Jeffrey.

“Jeffrey. What brings you here?”

“What brings me here? I came to see you. Also thinking about investing some of my fortune in that department store business you’re running.”

The man’s arrogant attitude looked quite distasteful to Cedric’s eyes. But Charlotte smiled brightly. That smile was truly beautiful enough to seduce anyone and then some.

“Oh my, really?”

“Yes.”

The auburn-haired man patted the delighted woman’s shoulder, then slyly moved his hand downward. A look of disgust briefly crossed her face as her hand was suddenly grabbed, but she covered it with her fan, stepped back, and pulled her hand away.

“I can’t keep an important person waiting. How much are you thinking of investing?”

“Well. About 3,000 flora should do.”

Charlotte’s tone immediately turned dry.

“That’s it? That’s money I could do without. Goodbye.”