Tap, tap. Perhaps unbuttoning the back neck buttons of the dress down to below the shoulder blades. A blindingly white back was exposed to the outside.
“Of course.”
Pfft. A short laugh was spat out as if he had expected it. The fire marks see only one truth with the ‘Blessing of the Flower’.
After using that ability, a flower blooms like a picture above the wing bones. But there was no trace of the blessing anywhere on her body.
“What to do.”
Cartel tapped the smooth back with his fingertips. He didn’t know how she found out his name, nor why the seal only reacted to her magic.
He intended to be deceived by the flower. And he had the confidence to deceive as much as he was deceived. The magic she poured was accumulated intact in the seal. In the process of him using it again, the gap in the seal widened. If this process is repeated for a long time… the seal will eventually break. He smiled chillingly.
“Marriage…”
I didn’t know she would mention marriage even after seeing the beast’s form. Even if it was a lie. But…
‘We’ll see about that.’
Letting go of captured prey was something only fools did. He kissed the red hair. Among all scents, the most fragrant was the flower. It was time to savor it fully. Someone was coming down to the cave.
“Hmm.”
The bright golden pupils stared at the intruder. The man being glared at did not avoid the gaze. Strength went into the arm holding Floria. Cartel smiled darkly like a beast.
*** *** *** *** ***
‘What on earth was I thinking.’
Inside the carriage heading to Duke Edbel’s family, I gazed out the window in a perfectly adorned state.
When I opened my eyes and left the cave, it was already dawn. No matter that I had made a deal with him, it was wrong to sleep so defenselessly. Even thinking back, there was no countermeasure. But…
‘I saw him sleeping for the first time.’
They say even a large beast looks cute when sleeping.
When I woke up, he had fallen asleep holding me in his arms. The sight of his black belly, surrounded by soft fur, rising and falling was something that could only come out of a fairy tale. Even as I hurriedly escaped the cave, that image kept coming to mind.
‘Anyway, this is a big problem.’
The reason I had fallen asleep like that was because I had exhausted all my energy. Nevertheless, the fact that he couldn’t transform into a human bothered me.
‘I wonder why.’
If it had been impossible from the beginning, that would be one thing, but suddenly being blocked like this was strange. My magic was the same as usual. So, the probability was high that something had happened to Cartel.
“Um, my Lady.”
I must have been lost in thought for a while. I turned my head at the cautious voice.
I wasn’t alone in the carriage. There was one coachman driving the horses, guards on either side, and inside, a maid to attend to me was accompanying.
“What is it?”
I asked back, hiding my puzzlement. It was rare for Shirel, my maid, to speak to me first.
“Well… I was worried if you were uncomfortable anywhere.”
Her hesitant attitude was tinged with concern. It seemed my expression wasn’t good to that extent.
A maid is different from a servant. A maid is originally a companion for a high-ranking noble lady, often staying by her side at all times. But Shirel and I were not like that.
“I didn’t permit you to speak to me first. And if I were uncomfortable, I would have dismissed you immediately.”
At my cold remark, Shirel’s shoulders stiffened. She apologized in a crawling voice and lowered her eyes. I didn’t reprimand her further and turned my head back to the window.
She was originally a child with a kind disposition. That worry was probably sincere too. But I shouldn’t give her more affection than necessary.
My maids had changed three times so far. It’s not common for well-educated maids from noble families, not even commoner servants, to be replaced like that. Two maids were dismissed by the butler, and the last one by me. Among them, the only one who survived was the child I dismissed with my own hands.
“We have arrived.”
I was on the verge of being caught in past guilt. The carriage, which had been slowing down gradually, stopped, and soon the door opened. I stepped down from the carriage using the back of the guard who opened the door. Shirel got down with me and followed behind.
Before I knew it, we had passed through the Duke’s main gate, and a large mansion and the characteristic noble garden came into view.
‘First, let’s solve the things right in front of me.’
I followed the guide and steeled my mind. First, it was important to carry out the order given by Rikael.
This was the first time I had received an invitation from the Edbel family. Moreover, I couldn’t predict what would happen inside. I composed myself a bit.
“Please enter inside.”
The guide bowed and opened the door. The place we arrived at was a huge greenhouse made of glass. Siena’s glass greenhouse was famous even in high society. Exotic flowers that could only be seen in books, and under the tall trees, rare orchids bloomed profusely.
As expected, it was a place of tremendous luxury and beauty, matching the rumors.
In the center of the elegant greenhouse, several young ladies were already seated around a long table. Among them, the blonde beauty in the head seat saw me and smiled brightly.
“Oh my, Lady Floria.”
Siena Edbel, the hostess of the tea party, acknowledged me. At the same time, the gazes of the other young ladies turned toward me.
“It’s been a while, Lady Siena.”
I replied appropriately and sat in an empty seat. Since my status was the highest among the gathered young ladies, I had no choice but to sit right next to Siena.
“You really came. I can’t tell you how pleased I am.”
She said, haughtily lifting her chin. It was more arrogant than joyful.
“To meet Lady Floria here. It’s truly an honor.”
“I always wanted to meet you too.”
The other young ladies chimed in with smiles. It was a bright smile, but the inside was obvious. To them, I was an alien existence, and at the same time, a woman they dared not touch.
“I was also pleased to receive Lady Siena’s invitation. As expected, the greenhouse is more beautiful than the rumors.”
I smiled faintly and praised the greenhouse. It wasn’t empty words, the surroundings were filled with vibrant flowers. I could feel the greetings from the flowers.
“Of course. It’s a place I put a lot of effort into.”
Siena lifted her chin, seemingly very satisfied with my praise.
Blonde with blue eyes. She was undoubtedly a great beauty, but in high society, she was always overshadowed by my shadow and couldn’t shine. So, her current satisfaction seemed immense.
“Hoho, the lady too.”
“So that young lord, well…!”
The conversation continued with tea. Jewels, men, scandals of others.
None of them caught my interest. Instead, my gaze lingered elsewhere.
‘Non-human.’
Behind the young ladies, their respective maids stood. Of course, there was a woman in maid attire standing behind Siena as well. But she looked different from an ordinary human.
“Do you like Lili?”
As if noticing my gaze, Siena twisted her lips. The maid called Lili had cat ears and a tail.
“You’ve taken in a cat-person.”
“Yes, she follows my words very well.”
It was an attitude as if handling a pet cat. Cat-people had appearances mixed between cats and humans, a race with intelligence similar to humans. They were rumored to have high pride, yet she just stood there like a doll.
‘She’s using a mind control orb.’
There was a choker around the woman’s neck. The gem attached to the strap was a mind control orb made of magic stone. It couldn’t be used on top-tier non-humans like Cartel, but it could dominate the minds of lower or mid-level non-humans. Thanks to that, the woman’s eyes were blankly empty. I openly furrowed my brows.
“It doesn’t seem tamed yet, though.”
“Her temperament is a bit fierce. It’s all for safety.”
A crack appeared in Siena’s smile for a moment. Nevertheless, I didn’t back down.
The mind control orb was a horrific item. It was no different from completely ruining the wearer’s mind, to the extent that its use was prohibited even on human slaves.
“What a cute animal!”
“A pet non-human, I’m so jealous.”
The other young ladies just seemed intrigued by Lili. Some even asked where she bought her. As if looking at a monkey trapped in a cage.
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