“If anyone from high society says bad things about you, please tell me. Anyone who talks badly about you is also insulting me.”
It felt a little overwhelming for Cedric to say that so directly. He must already be busy with other things.
When I hesitated, Cedric spoke again.
“Revril.”
When I looked up, Cedric was calmly looking at me.
“I know people in high society talk a lot about your family. I know what kind of people they are—they just talk.”
I looked at Cedric, slightly surprised. He gave a faint smile and said,
“So, what should I do?”
His tone was soft, but I could feel a subtle hint of threat. I paused for a moment before opening my mouth.
“You don’t have to worry about it. If you care too much, it’ll only tire you out.”
High society was full of all kinds of people. If Cedric stepped up for something like this, it would just make more noise. I didn’t want to be the center of gossip again. As long as I didn’t meet them often, it didn’t matter.
While I was quietly looking at my food, Cedric said,
“Revril, still, if anything bothers you, please tell me anytime.”
He smiled. I was grateful that Cedric was thinking of me. It felt like I had something strong to rely on, and I felt a bit calmer. I had still been thinking about what I heard in Lady Jenkins’s drawing room.
I nodded unconsciously.
Cedric looked at me for a moment, then started eating. I couldn’t focus on my food and glanced at Cedric. The way people in society talked about Cedric was very different from how I saw him.
Come to think of it, Cedric had always done his best for me. That’s probably why I still liked him. There was no reason to doubt him anymore. Even if there were, I just wanted to trust him. Cedric was the only person who treated me well.
My eyes moved to Cedric’s hand without thinking, then to his wrist. I suddenly saw a red mark. It was faint but clearly red. When I stopped and looked, Cedric slowly turned his gaze toward me. His sharp eyes softened instantly.
I hesitated for a moment and asked,
“Cedric, I think there’s blood on your wrist.”
Cedric slowly turned his wrist and said casually,
“Looks like I got a cut.”
“Then you should put some medicine on it right away.”
“It’s okay. These kinds of cuts heal quickly.”
“Still…”
When I looked at him with worry, Cedric called for the butler. The butler quickly brought a bandage. Cedric held out his arm, and the butler treated the wound simply before stepping back. Cedric lifted his bandaged wrist and smiled.
“Is it okay now?”
I was relieved that he wasn’t hurt badly and nodded.
“By the way, does your job involve a lot of danger?”
“There are some places around the mine that don’t have proper roads.”
“I hope your job isn’t too dangerous. Well… maybe it’s not my place to say.”
I felt like I had crossed a line, so I trailed off. Cedric didn’t answer for a moment. I looked up, worried I said something wrong, but Cedric was smiling at me.
He spoke as if he’d been waiting for me to look at him.
“I won’t get hurt anymore. Since you’re so worried.”
I nodded. I felt his gaze on me, and my cheeks burned, but I forced myself to eat. The atmosphere was quiet and a bit unfamiliar, but it wasn’t bad. Just knowing that Cedric was thinking of me made me feel happy.
After the meal, we went up the stairs. Cedric said he had some work and went to the study for a while. The construction in the room was almost finished. I peeked into the still-under-construction room.
It was much bigger than the previous room. The furniture wasn’t fully placed yet, but the decorations around the room looked antique, probably because a lot of money was spent.
I was unconsciously touching the wooden decoration on the wall when I heard a strange noise. I flinched and walked toward the window, but nothing looked unusual outside.
‘Did I hear it wrong?’
Feeling a bit uneasy, I left the room quickly. Then I heard someone coming up the stairs. A shadow flickered on the wall like a monster. Soon, Cedric appeared at the top of the stairs. As he turned, he saw me. He naturally put his hand in his pocket and smiled.
“Revril, you’re still awake.”
“Yes, I was just looking around this room. By the way, did you hear any strange noise earlier?”
Cedric shook his head.
‘So I really did hear wrong.’
While I was thinking that, Cedric walked over to me in an instant. The smell of deep forest hit me all at once. My heart skipped a beat. Cedric stood beside me and looked around the room.
“It’s almost finished. In a few days, we’ll be using this room together.”
I gave an awkward smile. Sharing a room meant we would sleep together. Of course, we wouldn’t go further than that.
Cedric looked around as if it was nothing and naturally put his arm around my shoulder.
When I flinched, Cedric looked down at me.
“Was I being rude?”
“No.”
He smiled gently and led me to a wall. There was a small mark on the wall, almost like a door.
“I told them to clean the room next door too. We’ll make it a room for our child.”
At the word “child,” I blinked in surprise. Cedric smiled and explained.
“I told them to do it secretly. It wouldn’t be fun if you knew in advance.”
I was so surprised that I couldn’t say anything. While I blinked, Cedric kissed my forehead.
“Someday, your illness will be cured.”
He was right. I nodded, and Cedric calmly looked into my eyes.
“So, we’ll need that room.”
I barely swallowed and said,
“I thought… you didn’t want children.”
Cedric slightly frowned.
“Me?”
“You always avoided me when I got close, and you never came to me again. So I thought you…”
Cedric gently cupped my cheek. The warmth made me stop speaking. My eyes naturally looked up. His deep blue eyes stared at me with full attention.
“From now on, I’ll match what you want.”
“You don’t have to…”
I couldn’t finish my sentence. Cedric’s lips came close. His breath felt warm. His gaze lingered on my lips. As our breaths mixed, he slowly looked up and said,
“If you don’t like it, tell me right away.”
His soft lips touched mine. Our breaths mingled, and my back leaned against the wall. I didn’t even have time to be flustered—my mind was just focused on accepting him.
Cedric didn’t stop kissing. Our mixed breaths spread heat, and our bodies got closer. My heart beat wildly, not knowing its place.
Cedric’s hand pulled my waist with some force. I flinched and gently pushed his shoulder. Cedric paused, let out a breath, and stepped back. He looked at me with dark, quiet eyes.
“I’m sorry.”
His voice was low. He didn’t need to apologize, but he did. That made me feel even more sorry.
“It’s okay.”
Even as I said that, my face was still red. It didn’t feel real. My lips, which had touched his, were still warm.
Cedric just stared at me silently, without saying more.
To break the awkward mood, I stepped back. He still looked at me without a word.
I hesitated, then quickly bowed to Cedric and left the large room.
The awkward feeling seemed to fade a little. When I returned to my room, I leaned against the door and touched my lips.
I still felt Cedric’s warmth. My cheeks burned. I pinched my arm to check if it was a dream. The pain was real.
‘It’s definitely not a dream.’
But it didn’t feel real. After Cedric kissed me, everything felt dreamlike. But it was clearly real. What he said was also true.
I slowly walked to the bed and threw myself onto it. My hair spread out messily, but I didn’t bother to fix it.
Cedric wanted a child. And he kissed me like he wanted me too. I touched my lips in a daze and closed my eyes.
Now, I finally felt alive.
