The servants who rushed in opened the door and looked around the room. But Cesare, who had already left, was nowhere to be found.
“Damie, what’s wrong? What happened?”
Noella, who had just woken up, appeared with a slightly swollen face and asked. Although she was a stepmother, she seemed to have come out worried that something might have happened to Damie. She had come out in such a hurry that even her slippers were mismatched.
“Mother.”
Damie bit her lip as she looked at her face. Did Noella know that Cesare had returned? If she did, it would have been only right to tell her, so why hadn’t she said anything?
To hide her suspicion, Damie lowered her eyes and apologized politely as if it were nothing.
“I think I had a nightmare, Mother. It was so vivid that I thought someone had really broken into my room. I’m sorry for causing a commotion.”
Even though she had done nothing wrong, she felt like biting her tongue for having to say this. But there was no other choice at the moment.
The North was a small place. There were hardly any new faces, and everyone was somehow connected. If rumors spread that an intruder had entered the bedroom of an unmarried maiden, Damie’s reputation would be ruined.
‘Cesare probably aimed for this.’
Despite feeling resentful, Damie retreated for now. There were too many ears listening, including the servants. Conscious of this, she dismissed the servants who were still looking around the room as if nothing had happened.
“Sorry for the late-night disturbance. You can all go now.”
“Yes, my Lady. Have a good night.”
The servants, looking puzzled, withdrew. Now only Damie and Noella were left in the bedroom.
“I’m glad it’s nothing serious. I thought something had happened to you, Damie.”
Noella, knowing nothing, sighed in relief. It would have been troublesome if something had happened to her husband’s daughter while he was away. But it was just a nightmare, so it was a relief.
“You really are something. I thought you were such a mature young lady, but even you have nights like this.”
Noella covered her mouth and laughed as she was about to turn away. Damie reached out and grabbed her sleeve. Then she whispered quietly into Noella’s ear, who looked back in surprise.
“But it’s strange, Mother. When I woke up… I saw Brother Cesare. Right here in my bedroom.”
Noella’s eyes widened at Damie’s words. Damie didn’t take her eyes off Noella’s face, carefully observing her reaction. Noella, looking flustered, rolled her sunset-colored eyes around before finally responding.
“But Cesare hasn’t returned from the temple yet, dear. Besides, he’s not the kind of boy who would enter his grown sister’s bedroom without permission… You must have seen it wrong in your sleep.”
Damie lowered her eyes without expression. It was the expected answer. This was why Cesare had warned her before escaping, saying, ‘It’s useless to mention my name.’
After all, who would believe Damie’s words that someone who wasn’t supposed to be there had suddenly broken into her bedroom? They would just dismiss it as a dream she had.
A clever Cesare would have surely prepared an alibi to escape. Even if Damie seriously publicized this issue, the losses would outweigh the gains.
A stepbrother, not related by blood, sneaking into his sister’s bedroom at night. There would be no bigger scandal in the conservative northern social circles. Damie’s precious family would become the subject of malicious gossip.
Thinking of the honor of the Primula family, which would be tarnished and torn apart countless times, there was only one answer she could give.
“…I guess I must have seen it wrong in my sleep.”
But one day, she would make Cesare pay for what he had done. Damie smiled, suppressing the turmoil inside her.
When she had mentioned the Grand Temple and the ‘thing,’ Cesare had visibly wavered. It was the first time she had seen the cunning man, as sly as a black snake, so flustered.
‘It must be something important.’
Who should she gather more information from about that thing? Would Acard, who had overheard their conversation in the locker, know what it meant?
Damie recalled his hot hands that had roamed freely under her skirt even in the locker. She also remembered Cesare’s obsessive gaze as he pressed her neck and urged her to choose him. Naturally, a weary sigh escaped her lips.
“Hoo.”
Even though her body was of no value to the man she loved, there were too many who coveted it.
*** *** *** *** ***
“What?! Is that really true?”
Cecile clutched her cheeks in shock. She had been delighted to see Damie visiting the mansion even on a rainy day.
But now, her elegant face was deeply immersed in shock and fear. It was because of the warning Damie had given her.
“Louise Perilla is going to make me eat something?!”
“Yes, Cecile.”
Damie nodded. No matter how closely she tried to watch over Cecile, it couldn’t be better than Cecile being careful herself. Also, since this was Cecile’s business, it was right that she should know.
“I don’t know yet what Louise is trying to make you eat…”
“Poison! It must be poison! That Louise Perilla, she’s capable of that and more!”
Cecile jumped up from her seat, losing her usual haughtiness and becoming disheveled. Having been tormented by Louise for so long, she was completely neurotic.
“Calm down, Cecile. From what I saw, it doesn’t seem like she’s trying to poison you.”
“If not poison, then what? Surely you don’t think she’s going to make me drink red ginseng? For my health?!”
Cecile cried out, mentioning the name of the most popular health food recently imported from the Eastern Continent. There was one more reason why she was so disgusted with Louise.
“Damie, you know too. That our family has a business with the Perilla family!!”
That was right. Cecile’s family, the Evergreen Marquis family, was in the business of distributing minerals from the North to the capital. And unfortunately, the supplier and partner providing the minerals was none other than the Perilla family.
This made Cecile miserable. She couldn’t stand the sight of Louise, but she had to continue interacting with her for the sake of the family business, which only made her dislike Louise even more.
“It’s just that we’re due to renew the annual contract, so we’re supposed to meet next week! She’ll surely try to poison me then, what should I do? What am I going to do?!”
Cecile paced back and forth in the room with anxious steps, not knowing what to do. Watching this, Damie sighed and pulled her hand.
“You’re making me dizzy, Cecile! Sit down for a moment. Let’s think together.”
Damie’s suggestion to think ‘together’ had some effect. When feeling anxious, it was indeed best to consult with a close friend.
Cecile, tightly gripping Damie’s hand, plopped down on the sofa. Then she muttered.
“Whether it’s poison or not, why is Louise trying to make me eat it? What is she aiming for?”
She must be after the black pearl brooch I’ve secretly stashed away, Cecile said seriously. Just from these words, it was clear that she wasn’t in her right mind due to anxiety.
“Well…”
Damie shook her head with a bitter smile. Then she thought of a few possibilities that Louise or Cesare might be aiming for.
Cecile’s family, the Evergreen family, was one of the most prestigious families in the North. Therefore, they had great influence both in business and connections.
‘So they’re trying to recruit Cecile, the only daughter.’
Damie sighed. It was better when she thought it was just Louise Perilla’s personal grudge. She never imagined there would be a complex conspiracy involving the Grand Temple and even Cesare.
“I’m really sorry, Cecile. I’m sure Cesare has returned from the Grand Temple… but I don’t know where he’s hiding.”
If only she could find him, she might be able to get some clues. Damie sighed as she brushed up her long hair. Then Cecile, who had calmed down a bit, responded half-heartedly.
“It’s fine. I always knew your stepbrother would do something like this someday.”
“How did you know that?”
“Just… a feeling.”
…As if. Damie looked at Cecile with an incredulous gaze. However, Cecile seemed quite serious in her own way.
“Do you remember? When Kael received his acceptance letter for the Holy Knight entrance exam.”
“Yes.”
Damie nodded. How could she forget that day? It was the day when the glass-like world of her ten-year-long, tender one-sided love shattered with a crash.
That day was Cecile’s birthday. Therefore, many guests, including Damie, were present. So the protagonist of that day should have rightfully been Cecile.
Kael’s father, Marquis Reusten, wasn’t a bad person. But he was a bit tactless, which was his flaw. Just as he was about to leave home to attend the Evergreen family’s party, coincidentally, the acceptance letter from the Grand Temple arrived.
Marquis Reusten was overjoyed at the news of his second son’s acceptance. He ended up bringing the letter all the way to Cecile’s birthday party. And he proudly showed it off to everyone present, including Kael himself.
For a northern nobleman, being able to serve the Grand Temple was an honor. Everyone congratulated Kael Reusten on his acceptance as a Holy Knight.
Except for Damie and her friend, Cecile Evergreen.
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