47
I unconsciously looked back and met eyes with Cedric. I felt like I was seeing those eyes… for the first time in a very long while.
“…Ah. He said there’s some divine word cast on me and that made him interested. So he chose me to keep me close and observe.”
I answered hesitantly and subtly turned my gaze away.
“Divine word?”
Riette continued questioning.
“Yeah. I don’t know the details either.”
“Who on earth would cast such a thing on you?”
“I only heard that a god called Chronos did it.”
“Chronos? I see.”
Riette also didn’t seem to know much about him, showing a lukewarm reaction. I was curious what reaction Cedric would show since he had mentioned that name directly before, but he too was just silently lost in thought without saying anything.
Why had Cedric shown interest by bringing up Chronos’s name back then? Was it just a coincidence? I was secretly watching Cedric’s profile when Riette asked worriedly.
“Something… bad won’t happen, will it?”
“Ah, yeah. It probably won’t be anything like that.”
If the divine word cast on me was something like a curse, wouldn’t Prometil have mentioned it right away? To begin with, he also said I was walking a very different path from my original fate… so at least I must have avoided the fate of tragedy like in the novel.
“Oh, by the way, Eddie.”
Riette suddenly brought up a different topic.
“Do you know about the social gathering being held by the Berger family?”
“Social gathering?”
“Yeah. It’s being held this weekend.”
“I see. I didn’t know since I didn’t receive an invitation.”
“You can enter if you go with me, what do you think? Let’s go together after a long time!”
I was a bit surprised by that. It was the first time Riette had actively coaxed me to go together to a social gathering… a place where you have to meet many new people.
Since she knows I’m shy around strangers, she had never persuaded me like this even once.
“Uh, hmm. Should I think about it…”
“Don’t just think about it, okay?”
At that point, I wondered if she had some ulterior motive. When I stared at her and gave silent pressure, Riette smiled awkwardly. Then she brought up a story that revealed her true intentions.
“Actually, I’m supposed to meet Gareth at the gathering.”
“At the social gathering?”
“Yeah. There won’t be anyone to take care of Cedy then…”
Ah. It seems Cedric is also attending the social gathering.
“If he’s left alone, he just stays there blankly, only giving perfunctory smiles to people who approach him without even talking.”
I’ve never attended a banquet alone with just him, but Riette has had such occasions several times.
Riette originally liked meeting people, and since Cedric is the son of a Grand Duke family, he gets invited much more often than me.
And since Riette wouldn’t always be attached to his side, she seemed to know aspects of Cedric that I didn’t know, which appeared in that process.
So in short, she wants me to play with Cedric who will be left alone while she’s playing with Gareth.
Riette seemed to be making this request because she didn’t know about what happened between Cedric and me recently.
‘Hmm.’
Since not attending a gathering you’ve already promised to attend without a particular reason is impolite behavior, Cedric will attend that social gathering whether I go with him or not.
I imagined Cedric being left alone.
My heart doesn’t feel very comfortable.
Although it would be quite uncomfortable to be left alone with this guy right now… I’m not doing this because I want to cut ties with him. I couldn’t heartlessly abandon him like before.
“Alright. I’ll go with you.”
At my answer, Riette was greatly pleased and grateful. But there was no particular reaction from Cedric, who was actually the person involved in this story.
“……”
Whether he dislikes going together, likes it, or doesn’t care either way. It was completely difficult to read his attitude.
‘He’s really difficult to deal with.’
I grumbled inwardly for no reason.
Honestly, if I had my way, I’d want to confront him right now asking what’s so unpleasant, whether my words asking him to remain as a friend were so hateful.
I wanted to grab the collar of this guy who’s showing obvious discomfort with his mouth tightly shut and angrily tell him to speak up if he has complaints.
But I was afraid that if I did that, I’d suddenly hear an answer I wasn’t prepared to hear…
The current relationship between Cedric and me felt like it was forcibly patched together haphazardly, and if even one thing came undone, it would all collapse.
‘Sigh.’
I’m in a truly heavy mood.
I quietly swallowed a sigh without the two of them knowing.
* * *
A few days later.
Following Riette to attend the Berger family’s social gathering, I met Gareth once again through her introduction.
“It’s been a while, friends of Miss Riette.”
He seemed unchanged. His eyes looking at Riette were still full of devoted love and trust.
‘They’re in their honeymoon phase.’
The two soon moved to another spot while being lovey-dovey. It seemed they planned to greet people appropriately while going around, then have time just for themselves.
Watching the back of my heartless friend who quickly left after meeting her love… I glanced back at Cedric.
He was also unchanged.
Not opening his mouth even once beside me.
‘Ugh.’
I want to start a conversation, but what should I talk about and how should I bring it up?
‘Those two. They’re in their honeymoon phase, right?’
…No, this won’t work.
Let’s avoid romance-related topics if possible.
‘The god dwelling in this divine artifact. It’s a god called Prometil.’
…Out of nowhere?
He wasn’t even curious about it.
‘Why are you being so quiet?’
…Would this be a situation to talk much?
We’ve been in a cold war ever since our argument.
“……”
After excluding this and that, there’s nothing to say. But if I continue this awkward silence, the situation seems like it would get worse than now, so I was inwardly struggling with a headache.
That’s when it happened.
“Eddie.”
I heard Cedric call and quickly turned my head.
“Uh, yeah?”
I was happy that he called me… but apparently Cedric wasn’t thinking of reconciling halfheartedly as if nothing had happened between us.
He said without even looking at me.
“You don’t have to force yourself to stick by my side.”
…he said.
For a moment, why does something well up inside me?
“I’m not forcing myself to stick around.”
A blunt retort came out without me knowing. But I couldn’t even find words to respond to the answer that came back.
“It’s not like you’re sticking around because you want to either.”
That murmur that fell softly like a soliloquy felt like it was gripping my throat.
A desolate silence hung in the air.
After a moment, Cedric turned around first.
‘Ah.’
Without a single word about going somewhere or leaving his seat, he just goes somewhere like that. Since he left the salon entirely, I considered following him, but my steps wouldn’t come easily.
Suddenly, among this crowd of people, the one left alone wasn’t Cedric but me.
‘…What would Ret think if she knew about this situation?’
She’d definitely worry, asking if something happened.
Just when things seemed to be getting a bit friendlier, she’d say.
After swallowing a sigh, I casually brushed one cheek and headed toward the terrace to get some air.
The terrace was better for being alone.
* * *
‘What the hell?’
Riette was flustered.
While being lovey-dovey with Gareth, she was also subtly keeping an eye on Cedric and Edgar… but during a moment when she looked away, she saw Edgar alone on the terrace.
‘Cedy, that bastard.’
As she was suppressing a sigh with a frustrated heart, Gareth asked with a very affectionate and worried face if something was wrong.
Riette relaxed her expression and smiled.
“No. More than that, I have somewhere to go for a moment.”
“Is it something you have to do alone?”
“Yes… I’m sorry. I’ll be right back.”
At that, Gareth kissed the back of Riette’s hand and smiled gently.
“It’s fine, so be careful, my love.”
And Riette truly loved that blind gaze looking at her. Feeling warmth in one corner of her heart, Riette smiled shyly, made eye contact with him for a moment, then turned her steps to find Cedric.
Somehow feeling he wouldn’t be in the salon, she went out to the corridor, and sure enough, Cedric was sitting on the central staircase in the lobby.
“Cedy!”
Riette approached and scolded him.
Of course, Cedric only rolled his eyes to glance at her while clearly showing he wasn’t in the mood to talk and wondering why she was calling him.
Riette checked that there were no listening ears around and lowered her voice.
“I put you two together so you could have a conversation…”
“……”
“This isn’t the time for you to be sitting here like this.”
Cedric turned his head without responding. Seeing his dispirited appearance, Riette’s heart, which had been ready to scold him thoroughly, also softened.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
