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chapter 78
The carriage stopped in front of the Muzshu Theater. Yuan hesitated for a long moment before stepping out.
What kind of face should he wear in front of a wife waiting for another man? Yuan brushed his face with his hand and let out a sigh.
After all, Jack had left, and he could never appear in front of Cerret again. Having sent him to a place where even a proper letter couldn’t reach, Cerret would never know his news.
Did he really need to bring back a wife who had fallen in love with another man with his own hands? Whether she got hurt or wandered around searching for Jack all night, it didn’t matter, did it?
Yet, in the end, Yuan stepped out of the carriage. He could not bear to see Cerret, anxiously waiting for another man.
With a deeply furrowed brow, Yuan got out of the carriage and headed toward the theater. Then, a familiar voice reached him.
“Yuan!”
Hearing Lydia’s voice calling out as if happy to see him, Yuan turned around.
Lydia was approaching with a bright smile.
“Miss Elliot.”
Yuan’s face stiffened at her appearance.
Ever since Lydia had learned about his condition, Yuan had felt guilty toward her. This made the meeting somewhat awkward.
Contrary to Yuan’s concerns, Lydia looked at him with a cheerful expression.
“Here to watch the play?”
“Yes.”
“With Cerret?”
A peculiar smile appeared on Lydia’s face as she asked if he had come with Cerret.
Yuan’s presence here could only mean he suspected something between Cerret and Jack. He must be very angry with Cerret. Lydia looked at him with a bright smile.
“…Yes.”
Yuan’s answer tasted bitter. If he were here to leisurely watch a play with Cerret, it would have been much easier.
“But why are you watching a play all of a sudden? Oh, I see! Cerret asked you to come, didn’t she? This is the play Mr. Clark wrote. You met him last time, right? At the 30th anniversary celebration.”
Chattering like a sparrow, Lydia scrutinized Yuan’s face. Her mouth smiled, but her eyes busied themselves reading his expression.
“…….”
“Cerret seems to have gotten quite close with Mr. Clark. Last time, I saw them together in the park. I wanted to say hello, but…”
Lydia trailed off.
Of course, it was a lie. Lydia deliberately left parts unsaid to deepen Yuan’s misunderstanding.
But Yuan was the kind of man who could perceive what was implied in the omissions. Lydia glanced up at his impassive face and smiled inwardly.
Just then, someone approached them in quick steps.
“Your Grace.”
At the familiar voice, Yuan turned toward the sound.
Eve, Cerret’s attendant, stood holding two theater tickets. She greeted Yuan and Lydia in turn and continued.
“Your Grace, the Duchess asked me to give these to Miss Elliot.”
Eve handed two tickets to Lydia in front of Yuan.
Receiving the tickets, Lydia looked flustered and hurriedly led Eve aside.
Eve continued speaking, pulled along by Lydia’s hand.
“The Duchess said her headache is too severe, so she won’t be able to watch the play. She asked me to apologize on her behalf.”
“Cerret?”
Lydia’s sharp voice questioned.
If Cerret had appeared, Yuan would suspect her and Jack even more. Lydia was frustrated at Cerret for breaking their “promise.”
At that moment, Yuan called out to Eve and approached.
“Miss Lashing.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
“Is Cerret ill?”
Yuan had only heard about Cerret’s severe headache. He didn’t know the rest, but it didn’t matter.
He was too concerned about Cerret’s headache to care about anything else.
“Eh? Oh, that…”
Eve glanced at Lydia.
In fact, Cerret wasn’t really ill. She just didn’t want to watch the play with Lydia, so she asked Eve to refuse on her behalf. That was why Eve came to the theater instead.
Without waiting for Eve’s answer, Yuan turned and headed for the carriage.
Had he grown disheartened knowing Jack had left? His expression must be quite a sight. As her husband, he had to see it. The face of the wife who had ended her great love. Yuan’s expression was cold.
“Yuan!”
Lydia called from behind, but Yuan got into the carriage and ignored her. His mind was entirely occupied with Cerret, and he heard nothing else.
Meanwhile, Cerret, having sent Eve to the theater on her behalf, sipped herbal tea in the tea room with a light heart. Going to the meeting place without understanding Lydia’s intentions was too risky.
She’d rather avoid it, so she used her headache as an excuse not to attend. She felt relieved knowing Eve would watch the play with Lydia instead.
Knock, knock.
“Come in.”
Cerret responded while flipping through a magazine.
The door opened, and a servant announced that Duke Popplewell had come to visit.
“The Duke?”
“Yes, he is in the parlor now.”
“Understood.”
Cerret nodded and stood.
Cerret was pleased by Regan’s visit. She wondered what he had brought today. Surely, there would be some sweet dessert, and she looked forward to it as she went to the parlor.
When she entered, Regan greeted her with a broad smile, lightly shaking a small box.
“Dessert has arrived.”
With a playful smile, Regan looked at Cerret.
Cerret returned the greeting cheerfully and sat across from him. The servants entered, placing the dessert Regan had brought onto their plates.
Watching the servant pour tea into Regan’s cup, Cerret spoke.
“It’s so pretty. I can’t bring myself to eat it.”
The dessert Regan brought was a cupcake topped with colorful cream, almost rainbow-like, making it too pretty to eat.
“I made it just for you.”
Admiring the cupcake, Cerret’s delight caused Regan’s true feelings to slip out. More beautiful than the cupcake, more beautiful than the flowers on the table, was Cerret herself.
Lately, unfinished sketches of Cerret had been piling up in Regan’s studio. He told himself it was natural for an artist to want to draw beautiful things, yet his heart felt uneasy.
That unease only left him with incomplete works. He reassured himself that he was merely drawing what he found beautiful as an artist, not from romantic interest, but he feared crossing the line.
“Thank you for the compliment.”
Cerret smiled brightly at Regan’s words.
She seemed to take his words as the polite flattery of a gentleman, showing no trace of embarrassment, which made Regan smile bitterly.
Regan watched Cerret cut her cupcake. As she ate, she smiled and spoke.
“It’s really delicious. The cream is so soft, and it goes perfectly with the moist cake. Your Grace, please try it.”
“Yes.”
Regan cut a piece and put it in his mouth. He had cut too big a piece, and the cream smeared around his mouth.
Cerret giggled and pointed to his mouth with her finger.
“You’ve got some here, Your Grace.”
“Oh.”
Regan’s ears turned red at his clumsy appearance. He hastily pulled out a handkerchief to wipe it, but dropped it and quickly picked it up.
Cerret’s laughter made his ears even redder. He felt embarrassed and wished he could escape.
Clearing his throat to compose himself, Regan tried to act properly, but Cerret continued laughing. As he blinked nervously at her, she pointed at his nose.
“Some cream is on your nose too.”
“Yes….”
Regan hurriedly wiped his nose. He had eaten with his mouth, so why the cream was on his nose puzzled him. Beads of sweat ran down his face from embarrassment.
“Also on your cheek.”
Cerret now pointed to his cheek.
“Cheek?”
Regan, thinking he might as well run away, scrubbed his cheek with the handkerchief. Why the cream was on his face was beyond him.
“Forehead. Some cream on your forehead too.”
“Forehead?”
Regan, flustered, lowered the handkerchief. Something felt off, and when he looked at Cerret suspiciously, she laughed like a child.
“Your Grace, aren’t you too naive? How can you be so easily fooled?”
“Was that a joke?”
Though he sounded incredulous, a smile lingered on Regan’s face. Though he had been tricked, he didn’t dislike Cerret’s playfulness. It made him happy to feel so at ease with her.
“Oh? Cream on your shoulder too.”
Cerret pointed at Regan’s shoulder, eyes wide.
Assuming it was a joke, Regan quickly checked his shoulder. Of course, there was no cream, only Cerret’s peals of laughter.
“Cerret!”
Having fallen for it again, Regan unconsciously called her name, then immediately apologized.
“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to.”
He had repeated her name in his mind countless times before, never saying it aloud, but thinking so much made it slip out unintentionally.
Cerret smiled gently at his apology.
“It felt nice, like a friend.”
“Eh?”
“You called my name.”
“A friend! Yes, I consider you a friend. If anything happens or Yuan upsets you, tell me. I’ll be your friend.”
Regan felt as if he had found a word to define his relationship with Cerret: friend. Yes, becoming friends would be enough.
Cerret nodded with a smile.
He probably didn’t know that in her past life, he had already been a good friend to her, for which she was very grateful.
“We promise to be friends, Cerret.”
Regan spoke her name again.
As Cerret was about to respond, the door suddenly swung open, and Yuan entered. His cold, hard eyes fixed on Cerret.
