Seeing his flustered expression, Evelyn was certain her guess had hit the mark. Though she hadn’t met him many times, her words weren’t entirely without credibility. Aside from that incident, he seemed perfectly fine—kind, even.

After their conversation, she felt even more convinced. A thoughtful attitude that showed consideration for others was extremely rare among high nobility. 

Moreover, hadn’t he endured humiliation himself so she wouldn’t become a liar?

Perhaps the reason he hadn’t married despite passing marriageable age was because of that.

‘So that’s why he sent me a marriage proposal.’

Her train of thought led to the marriage proposal. She hadn’t quite understood the reason before, but now it didn’t seem entirely unreasonable.

If he had such an embarrassing condition, it explained why he rarely visited the capital despite inheriting the ducal title. For a Duke whose public image mattered, having such a fatal flaw reach his enemies’ ears would be disastrous.

From his confession, Evelyn reached a complete conclusion in her mind.

Watching Evelyn’s expression change moment by moment as she spread her wings of imagination alone, Elkas was seized by a strange feeling.

Just as Elkas, sensing she was definitely misunderstanding something, was about to open his mouth, Evelyn jumped up.

“Don’t worry. I’ll never tell anyone about your chronic illness.”

“…Chronic illness?”

“I’ll keep my mouth absolutely shut so it never reaches your enemies’ ears. You don’t need to worry at all. Just trust me.”

Enemies.

Elkas stared at Evelyn, wondering if he even had enemies. He was just about to ask what on earth she was thinking.

Suddenly, a white ball of fluff leaped onto the table and knocked over Elkas’s teacup. The tea spilled, thoroughly soaking the table as the dessert plate and teacup overturned.

“Ah!”

As she tried to check if the tea had splashed from the unexpected intruder’s rampage, two outstretched arms scooped up the furry creature. The cat that had shot up between them was Popo, whom Evelyn raised.

“Popo, you troublemaker.”

Only after seeing the fluffy ball squirm in her small hands did Elkas realize the sudden interloper was a cat. Seemingly feeling his steady gaze, Evelyn smiled awkwardly.

“I’m sorry. It must have secretly escaped from the separate building.”

“That cat is…”

“It’s my cat… My parents dislike it, so I try to keep it from coming to the main house at all costs.”

Evelyn made excuses weakly at Popo’s appearance.

‘He’ll tell me to get rid of it right away.’

Evelyn assumed the Duke would immediately show displeasure. But surprisingly, the Duke stared at Popo with eyes full of curiosity.

“It’s grown quite a bit. You must have taken good care of it, my lady.”

At his tone, speaking like he knew this cat, Evelyn blinked and opened her mouth in surprise at the Duke’s reaction, which showed no disturbance whatsoever.

“You don’t dislike it?”

“How could I dislike an animal you cherish, my lady? May I hold it?”

“Really? You’re not just saying that?”

Evelyn was dumbfounded at the unexpectedly favorable reaction. After all, nobles avoided animals, and cats especially—after ‘that incident,’ they avoided touching them at all costs.

Evelyn slowly handed Popo to the Duke, who held out his arms. Popo, who had been struggling reluctantly, strangely calmed down quickly. The cat that had seemed large in Evelyn’s arms looked quite small in the Duke’s embrace.

Finding this curious, she watched as his large hand stroked the fluffy fur. Though his touch was clumsy, Popo sniffed lightly, seemingly not disliking it.

“It doesn’t seem wary of strangers.”

A gentle smile hung on his lips. At his beautiful appearance—lovely enough that countless people praised and stared at him entranced—Evelyn too lost her words for a moment and stared at him.

At that moment, sharp claws suddenly scratched across the back of his hand.

“Popo! Oh no. Give it here quickly.”

Evelyn, her face pale, tried to take it back immediately, but the Duke lifted the furry scruff, seemingly unconcerned.

“It’s just playing.”

When she looked unconvinced and he extended his finger, the cat bit down hard on Elkas’s straight thumb.

“Kyaa… Medicine… get medicine quickly.”

The color drained from Evelyn’s face. She gestured urgently to a maid standing at a distance to bring medicine, but even then the Duke just laughed heartily, seemingly pleased about something.

Soon Elkas’s hand, repeatedly scratched by sharp claws, was covered in scratches. Even with his hand beaded with drops of blood, Elkas’s lips were filled only with smiles.

“Animals are naturally wary of strangers at first, but if you wait patiently, sincerity gets through. Look here.”

The Duke waved his hand as it was. The cat that had bitten down hard dangled from his hand.

It was a deeply bizarre picture. No wonder—blood dripped from between the teeth of the cat, its tail raised stiffly, seemingly full of venom.

No matter how she looked at it, this didn’t seem right.

“Blood… you’re bleeding.”

“It doesn’t hurt at all.”

“It looks like its teeth are embedded…”

Unlike the restless Evelyn, the Duke remained consistently relaxed and calm throughout.

Did he not know how to get angry? Or was he holding back because he was in front of her?

Even amid the confusion, the Duke’s lips remained gently relaxed.

She’d thought he might be a strange person, but his smile as he showed his finger embedded with sharp teeth, truly seeming fine, looked almost joyful.

“It must like me. I think we’ve become friends.”

“Ah, yes…”

Though it must certainly hurt and sting, Evelyn nearly burst out laughing at the man’s face saying he was fine even if he died right now.

“More importantly, I’m concerned whether the tea splashed on your clothes, my lady.”

“Oh… I’m fine.”

“That’s a relief.”

His voice was sweet and his tone gentle. More than that, cats were animals that anyone in the empire would shun enough to gasp, yet he was the first person, regardless of gender, who didn’t even show dislike.

Even Sheila, kind as a saint, would never touch Popo.

Meanwhile, a maid brought a box containing medicine. Evelyn, hurriedly rummaging through the medicine container, found and pulled out the familiar ointment she applied every other day.

“I’ll apply medicine for you. Come closer.”

“You’ll do it yourself, my lady?”

“Yes, give me your hand quickly.”

Looking at the slender, pale fingers extended toward him, Elkas’s fine face momentarily stiffened. After standing still for a moment, he stepped back.

What’s he doing?

When she took a step closer following him as he suddenly created distance, he stepped back exactly the width of the narrowed stride. 

After this situation repeated several times as she approached, only after Evelyn stopped did his strange behavior end.

Does he dislike having medicine applied?

The question that arose disappeared at the sight of him bowing politely.

“I’ve been very rude. I’ll take my leave first.”

“Uh… wait a moment. What about the medicine? No, more than that, you’re leaving like that?”

When she gestured at Popo still clinging to the Duke’s hand as he turned, he stretched his lips refreshingly.

“It seems it doesn’t want to part from me.”

That smile resembled a pure boy without a speck of dirt so much that Evelyn could only blink blankly. Forgetting all the questions that had risen just moments ago.

* * *

Elkas, who had turned politely and gentlemanly only in front of Evelyn, soon moved his legs in long strides. He’d hurried to leave because he’d noticed the sensation of his lower body becoming stiff the moment he saw her worried eyes.

Thinking it fortunate he’d left in time, he was walking when a familiar call from afar stopped him.

“Elkas! You…”

Aiden, who had been pacing in front of the carriage, covered his eyes with a face that couldn’t bear to watch, seeing his friend return dangling a cat from his hand.

He never thought the day would come when he’d have this thought. That the day would come when he’d be ashamed of the friend he’d thought he could give his life for…

Elkas, who had been drooping, opened his mouth with the most refreshing smile in recent days.

“I think it went well.”

What was so good that it went well? Even at Elkas’s bright expression, Aiden thought vaguely. Probably not.

Aiden, who had sent him in saying to forget such etiquette since clearing up the misunderstanding was urgent, to the friend who said he should give prior notice, couldn’t help but ask.

“Don’t tell me you were in that state in front of the lady?”

“It’s Evelyn’s cat. Look. Isn’t it cute, resembling Evelyn?”

Cute, my foot. 

The cat was growling fiercely, its teeth embedded in flesh, looking ready to devour.

Wait, a cat?

Aiden, who had been approaching, recoiled in horror, his spine suddenly chilling.

“Elkas, are you crazy? That’s a cat.”

“It’s the cat Evelyn cherishes most… I think it likes me.”

Aiden, who had been waving his hand saying that wasn’t what he meant, hastily covered his mouth.

“Ugh! Elkas… you know your hand is bleeding, right?”

“Evelyn was worried about me. Seeing how she offered to apply medicine, I don’t think she dislikes me.”

Aiden clicked his tongue at Elkas’s face, rarely lifting the corners of his mouth, seemingly in a good mood just from not being treated like a pervert.

Is he an idiot? Aiden didn’t bother to say that anyone passing by would worry if they were bitten.

No, that’s not it. Aiden, coming to his senses, opened his mouth foaming.

“Not that—it’s a cat! The start of the great plague! Have you already forgotten?”

At his friend’s loud cry, Elkas’s complexion momentarily turned cold. Eyes that seemed to understand soon sank into complexity.

“Ha… You believe that false rumor that it was because of cats too? That’s just an excuse the elders made up because they couldn’t find the cause.”

“N-no… but there’s no solid evidence that cats weren’t the cause either. Get rid of it right now. If you’re not careful, you’ll catch the disease and die.”

Even at Aiden’s question, shouted like a fit, Elkas didn’t shake off the cat biting his hand without much disturbance.

Aiden looked at Elkas with eyes that couldn’t believe it. He’d thought Elkas, who lost the previous Duke and his wife to that plague, would detest cats more than anyone.

But thinking carefully, Elkas’s words were more trustworthy than the Elder Council’s, which always spouted proper lies. Aiden, belatedly embarrassed that he’d overreacted to such false rumors that only ignorant citizens believed, cleared his throat and collected his startled heart.

“But why is that cat biting you for dear life?”

“It must. Like me. It won’t let go.”

Aiden furrowed his brow at how being bitten could transform into such meaning, but at least for Elkas, there was an extremely valid reason.

Elkas knew well how carefully Evelyn looked after cats. She didn’t stop him from touching the cat she cherished, and even permitted him to take it.

What this meant was that at least she didn’t treat him with hostility alone.

That alone felt like the anxiety that had been rising inside him until coming here was instantly resolved.

“Even so. Get treatment. More than that, you’re not actually taking it, are you?”

“I have to return it. She’s raised it for nearly 10 years, so she’ll be worried by now.”

“10 years? Is that why it’s so big? Eating for 10 years worth… Ack!”

At that moment, the cat leaped at Aiden, who had been bending down to examine it closely. 

Thanks to that, while the startled Aiden stumbled, the cat kicked his head with its hind legs and quickly disappeared back the way it came.

Aiden, suddenly struck on the back of the head by a small beast, made a dumbfounded expression, then turned pale.

“Argh… D*mn it! I wasn’t bitten anywhere, was I?”

At Aiden’s ridiculous appearance, waving his arms stretched into the air, Elkas placed his hand on his sword sheath.

“If you’re scared, should I cut off your arm?”

“No, I’m fine. You crazy bastard.”

When Elkas showed signs of drawing his sword from his waist, Aiden, horrified again, quickly hid inside the carriage.

Elkas chuckled and returned his sword to its place, looking back with regret. Along with the reward of visiting despite the discourtesy, he felt like a proper signpost had been established for what to do going forward.