CATBP~14

Chapter 14

“……Why would Young Master…….”

Bel bit her lip, unable to finish her sentence.

Her trembling pupils were still fixed on the object at Faye’s feet.

A golden key, faintly reflecting an orange glow.

It was the key to the late Duke’s jewelry box—the very same one she had hidden under Helen’s bed.

“……Then it wasn’t Miss Helen who discovered it beforehand, but Young Master, y-you, how…….”

Bel began to ramble incoherently.

In haste, she had used a nearly colorless and odorless sleeping drug.

Since Faye was still young, she was certain he would drink it without suspicion.

She had even confirmed that some of the drink was gone… and yet—

“I didn’t sleep back then.”

“But I clearly put it in the drink… oh!”

She almost blurted out something she should never reveal and quickly covered her mouth.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

It felt like her eardrums would burst any moment.

Bel slowly lowered her hand from her lips, watching Faye’s reaction.

His golden eyes were simply subdued—neither curious nor shaken.

“The orange juice smelled weird. And it didn’t taste like usual.”

“……”

“So I only drank a little, then secretly spat it out.”

With his childlike voice, Faye continued calmly.

“I felt a little drowsy, so I pretended to sleep just in case. When Nanny went outside, I followed her… and saw everything.”

Ah…… you saw everything.

The wrinkles on Bel’s face visibly twitched.

“You promised not to disappoint me.”

“I am deeply sorry for doing something unforgivable to my master. But Miss Helen is a danger to you, Young Master.”

Under the lantern light, their shadows stretched, bristling like a hedgehog’s spines.

Hostility radiated in every direction.

“As your nanny, commanded by the late Duke himself to look after you until you grow into a fine Duke, how could I possibly sit by and do nothing when such a woman threatens you!”

“Nanny.”

“Young Master, you must not blindly believe Miss Helen just because she treats you kindly on the surface! The reality is otherwise.”

Though he called to her, she couldn’t stop.

It was true she had disobeyed, but she wanted the reasons known.

That it wasn’t entirely her fault. That Helen was the true culprit.

That she had only ever—

“Only ever acted for your sake……!”

“Nanny. That’s enough.”

A small, tender hand caught her fingers.

“……I had no choice but to disobey!”

But Bel would not stop—she poured out her indignation to the very end.

Without even realizing who it was her sharpened hostility was piercing.

“……”

Faye lowered his eyelids, his long lashes brushing against the redness swollen beneath his eyes.

When he opened them again, his once-round pupils had shifted into a diamond shape, gleaming like the moon.

“Y-young Master.”

“Bel. You keep disappointing me.”

Suddenly exposed to the divine beast’s killing aura, Bel staggered and dropped to her knees.

By the time she realized her mistake, the water had already been spilled.

I woke early despite going to bed late.

Partly because the matter with Bel lingered in my mind, keeping me restless, but mostly because today was the day we would leave the villa.

‘Since becoming Helen, I’ve been living here nonstop… feels strange to leave.’

As usual, I finished my awkward routine of dressing up in front of the mirror.

‘Ugh! I’m already suffering from withdrawal from my favorite!’

Every part of me wanted to rush to my beloved, kiss those soft cheeks.

‘Hold it in.’

I drew a deep breath, summoning my life’s greatest patience.

‘First, I need to see Bel.’

I would try persuading her again.

If I couldn’t, I was even prepared to reveal that my marriage with the Duke was only a contract.

But when I arrived at Bel’s room, it was already empty, with no trace of her presence.

“…She went to Faye already?”

Since today was our departure for the capital, that was possible.

But when I checked my beloved’s room, he was already awake. Only, instead of his nanny, another maid was attending to him.

“Where’s Nanny?”

The maid answered.

“Miss Bel left last night.”

Her whisper almost made me exclaim aloud, but I quickly hushed my voice.

“Left?”

“Yes. The Young Master found a letter of resignation on his desk.”

……My beloved found it?

I turned to Faye.

With his tiny hands, he was fastening his buttons.

“Faye.”

I crouched beside him.

As I undid the mismatched buttons, his cheeks flushed bright red.

“You misbuttoned them… didn’t notice, huh?”

“Was it that bad?”

“You did really well.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

As I rebuttoned them, I carefully watched his expression.

He tried to hide his embarrassment, cupping his chubby cheeks.

At moments like this, he was the same beloved I saw every day.

But still……

“Faye, are you okay?”

“Mm. It’s just buttons, right?”

“I meant about Nanny leaving.”

“…That’s fine too.”

I quietly held his gaze.

When our eyes met in the air, he glanced away to the side.

“If she decided to leave because of last night, I’ll call her back. When I brought out the key, it was only us there—she might’ve suspected me.”

“But……”

“I just care more that you’re not sad.”

His long lashes quivered, and his golden eyes widened.

“I’m not sad at all!”

“I see.”

I brushed my thumb softly beneath his eyes.

His swollen under-eyes looked too sore to touch directly.

For a moment, his shoulders tensed, then slowly relaxed.

“…Is it that obvious?”

I deliberately didn’t answer.

“…I didn’t realize it showed.”

He lowered his hands from his bun-like cheeks and smiled faintly.

It was the kind of smile that looked ready to break into tears any second.

“No one can tell you were crying.”

“…Aunt, you’re really bad at lying.”

He muttered, gaze fixed on the floor.

“But Nanny, I’m really fine with her being gone.”

“Are you truly okay?”

“Mm! Because……”

He straightened his back, hands on his waist, ears perked, even his tail standing stiff.

“I told you—I’ll protect you! I don’t like a nanny who hurt you!”

He declared firmly, puffing his cheeks.

“…Alright then.”

Seeing his brow scrunched so tightly, I found it hard to say more about Nanny.

“I’ll go finish packing now. See you later, Faye.”

“Mm! See you!”

I waved goodbye and stepped into the corridor.

‘He looked like he didn’t want me to bring up Nanny again… but still.’

I raised my chin, remembering his swollen eyes.

I had made up my mind and headed to the Duke’s study. But he wasn’t there; the room was empty.

‘Guess it’s still early.’

I had gotten used to finding him in the study, so I’d assumed he would be there.

I asked a servant to guide me to his chamber instead.

After knocking, the door soon opened.

And I froze.

Because right in front of me was his broad chest, exposed through the parted robe.

Good lord. Look at those muscles.

“What is it?”

His cool voice brushed past my ear, snapping me back.

I tilted my head up.

A white towel rested on his damp hair as he narrowed his eyes down at me.

Droplets trailed from his hair, along his sharp jawline—like some piece of art in motion.

“Are you unwell? Speak if you’ve come to find me.”

“You’re a statue.”

“What?”

“Ah, no. I said, good morning.”

Wow… I almost lost control of myself.

I wiped the corners of my lips and forced a harmless smile.

“…Your business.”

“About Bel’s resignation—what did you do with it? If you haven’t processed it yet, I’d like you to reinstate her as Faye’s nanny.”

One of his brows rose.

His half-hidden eyes looked displeased, so I hurried to add:

“I know it might sound presumptuous of me to ask. But aside from sharing your bed, you said I’d have everything as Duchess, didn’t you?”

I carefully tested the waters as I spoke the last line.

“…So, as Duchess, this kind of request isn’t crossing the line, right?”

“Not really. Household staff are under the Duchess’s authority—you didn’t need to come to me at all.”

He removed the towel from his head, watching me impassively.

“Wouldn’t you be better off without Bel? She even tried to frame you.”

“How did you know?”

“There was a letter inside her resignation.”

I blinked wide. Judging from the circumstances, she must have confessed her actions in writing.

His cold gaze seemed to ask me—would I still say the same, even if things had gone according to her plan?

If I hadn’t run into her then… if the key really had been under the bed… if I hadn’t caught her suspicious behavior… I might’ve fallen into her trap.

Even so.

My answer didn’t change.

“Yes. I still want Bel to remain by Faye’s side.”