Chapter 09
Rough Thoughts, Uneasy Eyes, and Me Watching It All
It was natural that Kai disliked me. After all, his first love had become his little sister, and I was probably the one to blame for that. Kai would never easily accept this marriage. If he were the type to easily give up his love for Coral, he wouldn’t be the male lead. Macaron might just think of him as a son who has conflicts with his stepmother, but I added that thought just in case, worried he might try to win Kai over.
“You don’t have to push yourself too hard. This was expected.”
After finishing his greeting and turning away, he wore a dazed expression, as if he’d been conned.
Since Calypso left, Macaron had been thrown into confusion. The cube was so twisted out of place that even his own heart was in turmoil. Though she was his contractual wife, Macaron knew everything about Calypso. She lost her mother at birth, then was raised by a stepmother’s hand. There were rumors of her being a villainess in the social circles, and her ex-husband was a fool who ran around gambling and cheating… She had a past of abusing a daughter who wasn’t even her own. From the first meeting, Calypso had seemed strange in Macaron’s eyes.
“Why would she bother to bring a child that isn’t even hers? What’s her reason?”
When he first spotted Coral playing in the garden, Calypso was right by her side. Was it some kind of act for him to see?
The garden was in direct view of Macaron’s office, so if it were deliberate, it was quite possible.
“How much practice did she have to do to fake that bright smile so perfectly?”
Though Macaron didn’t particularly like children, Coral kept catching his attention. Since then, Macaron had noticed several odd behaviors from Calypso. She turned stacks of dusty paperwork into perfectly organized ledgers and reports. With a little training, she could be the imperial palace’s top secretary — an outstanding talent. Her plans and finances for the Crade territory even included things Macaron hadn’t considered. Now, he was curious about what document she’d write next. Her excessive effort was, of course, suspicious.
“Touching personnel and territory issues… is she trying to steal something big?”
Then today was even more ridiculous.
“She wants to teach Kai swordsmanship?”
Among educational issues, pinpointing sword training showed she had thought about this a lot. Kai also knew timing was important for sword lessons, so this was a decision made after long consideration. But all her words today hit Macaron right where it hurt and were undeniable. In fact, Macaron hadn’t left Kai untrained because he didn’t want to teach him, but because he didn’t want to force something the boy didn’t want.
“But… she says she’ll be the one to convince Kai?”
What Macaron, Kai’s own father, hadn’t been able to do, she boldly volunteered to do. Macaron chuckled to himself, caught sight of his reflection in the mirror, and his expression hardened.
“No matter what, convincing Kai will fail.”
Kai had recently told Macaron that Calypso was a no-go, and that still echoed vividly in his mind. For the ‘her’ who was hostile to Kai to convince him was impossible at this moment.
“Why go to such lengths for someone who’ll be gone in just a year?”
From morning, a familiar shadow was seen at the east annex. Macaron was right. Looking pale and bleary-eyed as if he hadn’t slept well, he spotted me and came closer. His tall figure cast a deep shadow that overwhelmed me, making me flinch momentarily. Unbothered by it, he just bluntly said what he wanted to say.
“Let’s have breakfast together this morning.”
“…Just the two of us?”
He laughed as if my question was ridiculous.
“No. I meant a family meal.”
Honestly, I hadn’t expected a family meal.
“Did Kai say he wanted this?”
“Kai suggested it first.”
Had he somehow won Kai over in a day?
“Has Kai’s heart changed?”
Though his bleary eyes looked suspicious, there was no reason to care.
“That’s good Kai suggested it. I’ll bring Coral, too.”
“Then I’ll wait.”
Since it was the first family meal, I returned to my room and prepared excitedly. I’d never felt the meaning of ‘family’ before, even in my past life, so the idea of a family meal lifted my spirits somewhat. It would still be awkward… but at least it was a start. After putting on a slightly softer makeup than usual, I took Coral and headed to the dining room. Kai, who was already there for some reason, greeted me awkwardly with a nod. His brilliant black hair and sparkling black eyes shone dazzlingly. Truly, he was a perfect face worthy of the male lead role, good enough to marry our Coral.
“He’ll grow up handsome like Macaron.”
He no longer looked pale… but Coral seemed a bit awkward around Kai. There was no conversation between them.
“Has their love battle not ended yet? Cute.”
While thinking about this, Macaron finally entered. Soon, a table laden with delicious-looking dishes was placed before us. I noticed the appetizers and dishes were slightly different for each person. Coral, who disliked mushrooms, had corn soup, and I had cream soup… The food was subtly customized by person.
“Did Macaron really pay attention to this? No wonder his eyes looked like that…”
His personality was naturally meticulous, but this would have been impossible without genuine consideration.
“Please eat.”
Watching Kai happily eat, I took a generous spoonful of soup. The savory, smooth flavor spread warmly through my mouth, filling me with happiness. Looking to the side, Macaron was watching Coral with a soft smile.
“I thought he only made gruff expressions.”
“Eat a lot, Coral. I prepared a small selection of your favorites… not sure if you’ll like it.”
That enormous table being called ‘small’ was so Macaron. But for some reason, Coral was unusually hesitant.
“Um…”
“Speak freely.”
Macaron said kindly, but to my ears, his voice sounded like it echoed from a cave.
“Can I swap dishes?”
Coral’s eyes were fixed on Macaron’s soup. His soup had king oyster mushrooms, which Coral didn’t like.
“Coral, that’s king oyster mushroom soup. Are you okay with mushrooms?”
Macaron looked puzzled, but Coral nodded.
“Yes. I like mushrooms now.”
It’s common for tastes to change from childhood to adulthood, but not so quickly in just a few months. And Coral wasn’t the type to ask to swap food no matter how good others looked… I tilted my head but cheered for Coral’s stopping mushroom aversion. Above all, I was thrilled she was starting to express her own opinions.
“Has our Coral stopped being so cautious?”
Macaron readily swapped the soups. But Coral didn’t take a spoonful right away. Only after making eye contact did she start eating the soup, like a child worried about being watched.
“Is it to your taste?”
Coral suddenly looked up with a smile.
“Yes. It’s very delicious.”
Her voice was unusually high-pitched, as if embarrassed. I, who had been with Coral all this time, noticed the subtle change.
“Why does her smile look like a forced one?”
A strange uneasiness swept over me. But watching Coral tuck into the soup repeatedly, she did seem to enjoy it.
“Maybe I’m worrying for nothing.”
Macaron seemed to think the same, finally starting to eat his soup in relief. But it wasn’t just Coral acting oddly.
“Why is Kai acting like that?”
Kai had stopped eating and stared blankly at Coral. His face was so pale it looked translucent, making me wonder if he was sick.
“Kai, are you okay?”
Startled by my calling his name, Kai bowed his head and muttered.
“…Yes? Yes.”
Afterward, Kai buried his head in his plate and focused solely on eating.
“Was I too sensitive about our first family meal?”
In the quiet room, the only sounds were the clinking of utensils on plates. After a while, the tension was gone and comfort replaced it. The delicious aroma teased my nose, and the sizzling steak melted in my mouth. This was the first proper family meal. I had never even dreamed of family in my past life, and the same was true now. Even if the family meal wouldn’t last long, I wanted to remember this moment well. Feeling relaxed, I finished the steak and was served dessert. One bite of ice cream melted sweetly in my mouth. Then Coral’s sharp voice echoed in the room.
“Stop smacking while you eat.”
Coral’s sharp glare was aimed at Kai.
“Are you a baby? So annoying.”
Kai had never made smacking sounds. Did he do something wrong? But if it were Coral, Kai would even pretend to die rather than disobey her. No, Coral wasn’t the kind to be rude at a family meal. Kai looked like he might cry. Coral didn’t stop the harsh words.
“Why is your fringe like that? Do you think you’re the cool internet brother or something?”
“…?”
“I’m ashamed that you’re my brother.”
Kai’s face turned even paler than before. Should I comfort Kai or stop Coral? Or… My mind went blank, unable to function. Flustered, I looked at Macaron, who seemed surprised and was staring at me. I signaled for help with my eyes, and he seemed to notice, lightly squeezing my arm. His usual calm and composed look calmed my pounding heart.
“But… why are his eyes so wide open like that?”
It was too seductive a gaze to explain as simple carefreeness. If it had been anyone else, I would have been hypnotized by such a shameless gaze. The raw look, as if he could see through me, was like clairvoyance. Swallowing my saliva, he grabbed me, lightly scratching my palm with his hand as he pulled me close and whispered provocatively into my ear.
“I can’t open my eyes, madam.”
“…What?”
In the middle of this chaos, what was he doing now?
“Should I not have suggested a family meal? Was there something wrong with Coral’s soup? Does she have a mushroom allergy?”
Countless thoughts flashed through my mind in an instant. Worried, I examined the area around Macaron’s eyes.
“Are your eyes hurting?”
At that moment, Macaron lowered his head and met my red eyes straight on. Not averting his gaze, he whispered again in a desperate voice.
