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Chapter 08
“If you’re really thirteen, then…”
“W-what about me?”
“Compared to how I was at that age, you’re much smaller.”
“…Huh? That’s what you meant?”
It wasn’t something she had expected, but at least it didn’t seem like he suspected anything else.
Damia let out a sigh of relief.
“You’re only two years older than me anyway, Young Duke.”
“Two years is an enormous gap that can never be closed.”
Cassian raised one eyebrow as if he alone were the adult here.
“I really am thirteen. As you can see, I just didn’t grow properly because my family’s finances were bad.”
“You…”
The boy, who had been about to argue, pressed his lips together. It had been a joke, but his expression turned serious.
After moving his lips wordlessly for a while, Cassian finally pushed the plate of cookies toward Damia.
“At your age, you should eat a lot. They’re expensive, so hurry and eat.”
“Wow, I was curious about these!”
Damia bit into one of the cookies Cassian had brought as a gift that day.
It crumbled crisply and melted in her mouth.
“Young Duke…!”
“…What?”
“It’s so delicious!”
It was sweet enough to make her eyes widen. Without realizing it, Damia broke into a bright, happy smile.
In truth, she loved sweets. In her previous life, she had never been able to eat them freely.
When she was young, the baron’s household had struggled financially. After marrying the old count, he had despised women who indulged their appetites.
“…That’s good.”
Cassian cleared his throat stiffly.
The corners of his firm mouth seemed to twitch slightly.
‘Huh? He looks kind of proud.’
Even this precocious young duke seemed to have a bit of childishness left.
“Anyway, if you’re thirteen, there shouldn’t be much difficulty in reading, understanding, and signing a contract.”
Having quickly regained composure, Cassian brought up his original point.
“What? Isn’t that still a bit young for something like that?”
“No matter how I think about it, it’s strange.”
“What is now?”
“You. For someone who’s thirteen, you’re too small and thin—but your way of speaking is suspiciously mature.”
So he had noticed her manner of speaking.
“I don’t have friends, so I read a lot of books instead. That’s probably why.”
“You… don’t have friends?”
At her quick excuse, the boy’s handsome face clouded with shock.
“Well, not to the point that you need to worry… Ah, if it bothers you that your fiancée has no friends, I’ll make some from now on.”
“Hah. Do you think friends grow if you plant them in the ground? Just because you want them doesn’t mean they’ll appear instantly.”
“You don’t seem like you have many friends either, Young Duke.”
“What? You really…”
“So what kind of contract are you trying to write?”
Cassian blinked slowly, as if hesitating.
Soon, he opened his mouth with a sigh.
“I have more money than I can possibly spend.”
“Ah, I suppose that’s… true?”
“I’m not trying to brag. I mean that there’s a lot I can give you in exchange for that medicine.”
“Wow, can I look forward to it then?”
“It would be best to put all those benefits into writing. To make it clear that this is compensation for a transaction, not goodwill.”
“Do we really need to go that far? I won’t misunderstand.”
“I have no choice. It would be troublesome if you suddenly changed your stance.”
That again? Is my unrequited-love act really that convincing?
“Remember this. Even if I can talk comfortably with you, and even if the medicine you gave me was extremely effective, our relationship won’t change.”
“Yes…”
Is he trying to compliment me or warn me?
“I’m simply trying to fulfill my duty as a decent person toward my benefactor.”
“Alright, alright. If that’s what the contract is for, I’ll sign it.”
“You…”
“As you know, I’m hopelessly in love with you, Young Duke. Since it’s something you want, I’ll make sure not to harbor any false hopes.”
Cassian’s handsome face twisted awkwardly.
“…Can’t you put a little soul into your words?”
“Pardon?”
“It feels like you’re mocking me somehow.”
His instincts were annoyingly sharp.
“That can’t be, Young Duke. I’m completely sincere.”
“Your tone sounds indifferent.”
“It’s not. Aren’t you being overly suspicious?”
When the doubt didn’t leave his eyes, Damia decided it would be better to change the subject.
“By the way, why are you so worried that I’ll cling to you? Do you perhaps have another young lady in mind?”
“What?”
“You can tell me. I’m good at giving romantic advice.”
“It’s not like that, so don’t jump to conclusions.”
‘It sounds like it is.’
In her previous life, Cassian had had a fiancée.
Drury Soro—the beloved youngest daughter of the most prestigious marquess family in the West.
The moment she recalled that perfect girl, the weak tea she had been drinking suddenly tasted bitter.
‘I thought maybe even his engagement to Drury in my past life hadn’t involved real feelings.’
But seeing how desperately he insisted she must never like him, perhaps he had been sincere about Drury.
After all, it might be quite difficult not to fall for someone as perfect as Drury Soro.
“You can tell me honestly. I won’t interfere.”
“I told you, it’s not…!”
“Yes, yes. I understand. Anyway, these cookies are really delicious.”
Damia calmly crunched on the cookie, making a crisp sound as she chewed.
She didn’t know the exact reason, but it seemed like some embarrassing inner turmoil of an adolescent boy.
“You really…”
Unlike his usual languid composure that bordered on indifference, Cassian seemed shaken.
Perhaps her nonchalant attitude had provoked him instead; his jaw tightened sharply.
“Here, calm down and have one too, Young Duke.”
Just as Damia was about to hand the cookie plate to him—
“…Ugh!”
Suddenly, Cassian clutched at his chest and doubled over.
“…Young Duke?”
Startled, Damia jumped to her feet and rushed to him.
The boy barely managed to lift his head at her approach; his face was deathly pale.
“Are you alright?!”
“Hah… ngh…”
“Sh-should I call someone?”
“…I’m fine.”
He forced out a few words, then immediately began coughing repeatedly.
His beautiful face twisted horribly from intense pain.
“What do you mean you’re fine?! I’ll call a physician right now!”
Damia cried out anxiously, nearly hopping in panic.
But Cassian stopped her.
“No. Do you intend to… spread rumors that I’m terminally ill?”
“Th-then…”
At a loss, Damia suddenly noticed the teacup on the table.
The purple medicine was still half-full.
“Young Duke, then at least finish your medicine!”
She picked up the teacup and pressed it into his hands.
She didn’t know when he had removed his usual gloves, but the bare hand that touched hers was ice-cold.
Cassian swallowed the remaining medicine little by little.
Damia clasped his trembling hand tightly, her heart pounding with anxiety.
How much time passed?
After setting down the teacup, Cassian’s gaze fell on his bare hand still touching Damia’s.
“…Wait.”
“How do you feel? Are you alright?”
As a question spread across his sharp eyes, dark red blood suddenly spilled from his lips.
“Y-Young Duke!”
Damia’s usually half-indifferent face was overtaken by shock.
Could there be side effects from the medicine she had given him?
“Hah… why are you… so startled?”
“You’re… coughing up blood right now…”
She had known intellectually that he was terminally ill, but she hadn’t truly felt it.
Because Cassian normally appeared perfectly calm and healthy.
“This is nothing. I’m already used to it.”
He bent over briefly to catch his breath, then wiped the blood from his mouth.
“The engagement contract… ngh.”
“Is that really important right now?”
“I’ll send the contract later. So wait for it.”
With a face that still carried traces of boyish youth, Cassian calmly tried to settle the situation.
“Young Duke!”
If not for the faint tremor in his straight shoulders, she might have truly believed he was fine.
For the first time witnessing the pain he endured as someone with only limited time left, Damia felt a complicated weight settle in her heart.
