CLWE 21

Chapter 21

When I blinked and looked at Kamin, a plate was set down in front of me—eggs and sausages clumsily fried, along with tomatoes that looked like they’d been picked just this morning.

Kamin took off his apron, sat down across from me, brushed his hair back, and asked,

“So, where are you planning to go?”

“……Did I really say something like that while I had a fever?”

The way Kamin went straight to the point made it feel like my breath caught in my throat.

When I looked flustered, Kamin cut my portion of sausage into small pieces with his knife and said,

“I figured it out when I saw the bag.”

“Ah.”

Honestly. With such a huge bag stuffed full of clothes and medicine, it was only natural to assume I was going somewhere.

I replied with an awkward smile.

“Haha. I’m not leaving Faustine for good. I’m just going to be away for a while. Until my father gives up.”

“So where are you going?”

“……Why do you want to know?”

It wasn’t that I was offended. Of course he could ask. The real reason I answered with a question was because I myself hadn’t decided where I was going yet. But his reply came back clean and simple.

“Because I’m going too. I should at least know where we’re headed.”

“Ah, right. ……Wait, what?”

I wondered if I’d heard him correctly. Kamin spoke calmly.

“I’m coming with you.”

My mouth fell open.

No, why is this man suddenly flooring the accelerator like this? Did he confuse the brake and the gas?

“Why would you come with me? Aren’t you supposed to stay in Faustine?”

“By that logic, Faustine isn’t my home either. The Ego Sword is with you.”

“Oh. The Ego Sword.”

Right. Kamin’s goal had always been Louie. He’d come here looking for Louie and ended up meeting me instead.

I’d completely forgotten about Louie.

If a handsome man follows you around for no reason, you should suspect a scam. But once I realized his actual motive, my mouth tasted bitter.

Well… I guess that’s only natural.

Just as I shoved a fried egg into my mouth to hide my disappointment, Kamin met my gaze with a serious expression and said,

“But the Ego Sword isn’t the main reason. I’m worried about you.”

“Huh?”

This man really knew how to blindside someone. His timing was so unpredictable that my heart didn’t even have time to brace itself.

“What if something serious happens when you’re sick and alone like yesterday? When you cry alone, you need someone to wipe your tears. When you have a nightmare, you need someone to wake you up.”

As I swallowed the fried egg—shells crunching unpleasantly between my teeth—Kamin smiled softly with his eyes and held out a cup of water.

His gently curved eyes made my heart pound mercilessly. I took the cup with both hands, stared down at the timidly rippling surface, and muttered,

“Louie could do that too.”

“…….”

Ahem!

A crack appeared in Kamin’s smile at my answer, while Louie gleamed brightly all over, puffing himself up.

Louie poked Kamin in the side with his tip, teasingly. Kamin brushed him away as if shooing a fly, then looked back at me.

“Anyway, I’ll go with you. If bad guys show up, I’ll beat them up for you.”

“Don’t. If you hit someone, they’ll go flying.”

Just look at those solid arms. My anchovy-thin father would definitely be sent soaring.

Though I kind of want to see that.

That would just cause trouble for Kamin, though. I shrugged.

“Thank you. That really snapped me out of it.”

I was honestly touched. By the fried egg with crunchy shells, and the sausages slightly burnt at the ends. Anyone could tell it was his first time cooking—clumsy through and through.

It means he tried, for me.

When I imagined Kamin wandering around looking for a frying pan he didn’t even know the location of, my chest tightened.

That was when it happened.

Kamin stood up and braced both arms on the table.

His handsome face suddenly came very close to mine.

“I’m not saying this lightly. And I’m not joking.”

I blinked blankly. In his sea-blue eyes, I was reflected completely.

“If you haven’t decided where to go, come to my home.”

Your home?

I parted my lips. So this was…—

“Are you proposing to me right now?”

“Proposing.”

At my question, Kamin’s eyes widened slightly. He mouthed the word proposing in a low voice, then seemed to realize something and took a step back.

Then he stepped forward again, knelt properly in front of me, and said solemnly,

“Will you become my wife, Lady Riena?”

“Huh?”

His neat lips slowly brushed a kiss over the back of my hand before he pulled away. The lukewarm touch lingered softly, then disappeared. A ticklish sensation spread from my palm through my entire body.

My face burning red, I stammered,

“Y-you’re serious?”

“I am.”

“No, I mean……”

Why did me packing up to leave Faustine suddenly turn into a marriage proposal?

And we haven’t even known each other that long.

But unlike the first proposal, which I’d rejected without hesitation, this time my lips wouldn’t open easily.

Instead, it felt like if I did open my mouth, the sound of my heart pounding would spill out. I clamped my mouth shut.

Beside me, Louie shimmered and whispered,

—It’s true, Master. When he heard you were sick, this man ran here without a moment’s hesitation.

What? Really? When I widened my eyes in surprise, Louie chuckled like a villain and added,

—Hurry up and nod, Master. He may look shabby, but he’s got plenty of money and plenty of land.

Oh. Really?

My heart was already shaking violently, and with Louie adding fuel to the fire, the scale tipped in an instant.

I nearly nodded on the spot, but forced myself to come to my senses and squeezed my eyes shut.

Ugh, I really want to nod. But this situation makes it hard.

Because I still hadn’t told Kamin anything.

About who I really was. About my situation.

David might come after me.

David was like a child who threw tantrums whenever things didn’t go his way. If he heard I’d found someone new after leaving him, he’d surely go berserk—even if he didn’t actually love me.

So what I had to say in this moment was already decided.

That things were bad right now, and I couldn’t accept his proposal.

“Kamin, I……”

I started to speak, then bit my lip hard. My voice wouldn’t come out, like there was a stone lodged in my throat. I cleared my throat awkwardly.

“So, Kamin.”

But my second attempt failed too.

The longer he held my hand, the longer his blue eyes stayed fixed on me, the redder my face grew, completely helpless.

What am I supposed to do?!

No matter how much I parted my lips, I couldn’t bring myself to say the words of refusal. Stamping my feet in frustration, I bit my lip hard.

I think… I really like Kamin!

This is love! Love has come for me!

Hormones were bouncing wildly around my head.

And to make things worse, Kamin was my ideal type in every way—handsome, kind, well-mannered, respectful.

My perfect man had finally come all the way to this backwater of Faustine, and now I had to leave him behind?

That’s so unfair!

I clenched my fist tightly. Until yesterday, all I’d been thinking about was leaving this place for a while. But now, my mind cleared sharply.

Why should I leave? I didn’t do anything wrong. And my blood-and-sweat farm, and my beautiful house, are all here.

Of course, I hadn’t planned to abandon them. I’d only meant to stay away until my father stopped watching.

But who knows when that’ll be? It’s grape and watermelon harvest season right now. Soon I’ll have to switch crops too.

And wherever the owner is absent, it always shows.

Honestly, I don’t want to leave. If I could, I’d like to stay here leisurely, teaching Kamin this and that.

More than anything, I’d even decided to expand into a meal-kit business! I hadn’t even properly started yet—if I ran away now, when would I ever do it?

My money… my farm…

As I stammered, unable to speak with so many things flashing through my mind, Kamin’s face darkened. In a low voice, he asked,

“Why? Is it a rejection again?”

“N-no, that’s not it.”

Before I knew it, the words not a rejection slipped out. Honestly, I wanted nothing more than to nod quickly and cling to Kamin. A man this handsome liked me enough to propose himself!

And according to Louie, he’s rich and owns lots of land too?

There was not a single reason to refuse. And yet, I still couldn’t bring myself to nod.

What would happen if I suddenly had a husband, with my father showing up and Crown Prince David looking for me?

I could have everything right here.

All I had to do was reach out, and I could hold on to Kamin.

So… it’s my secret that’s the problem.

But is it really a secret?

I just never got around to saying that I’m a daughter of Duke Pond. I’m practically estranged from my family anyway.

“The situation makes it hard to answer right now.”

“What situation?”

“That’s……”

To hell with it.

I squeezed my eyes shut and said,

“My name is Riena Pond. I’m one of the five daughters of the Duke of Pond.”

I thought that would be enough for Kamin to understand. My broken engagement to David had been quite famous.

But instead of realizing anything, Kamin didn’t even seem surprised that I was a duke’s daughter. He simply looked at me with his usual steady eyes.

“So?”