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Chapter 22
Late at night.
For some reason, I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk in the garden for the first time.
‘Hmm. The night air is so cool and refreshing.’
It felt like everything was happening all at once since arriving at the Duke’s mansion—I barely had a moment to catch my breath.
‘Even earlier with Melody…’
In the evening, Melody had run up to me, pouting unusually, and hugged me tightly.
“Melody, what’s the matter? Are you okay?”
I asked, worried, and the child planted her hands on her waist and snorted proudly.
“Hmph! Woo! (I won!)”
Her triumphant expression left me confused, so I tilted my head, unsure of what had happened. Mari and Becky, who had followed behind, explained the situation.
Apparently, they had run into Miss Dorn—Celia—on their way.
“It was a bit troublesome, but luckily Conrad helped us. You don’t need to worry!”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
I felt somewhat reassured, but my concern didn’t fully go away.
‘Even Melody… she had to deal with that?’
Seeing my concern, Becky quickly added that they would be extra careful to avoid running into Celia again.
“Thank you. If anything like that happens again, can you let me know?”
“Of course!”
The matter was settled for now, but Melody herself still seemed too excited to calm down, bouncing around energetically for a long time.
After playing with her for a bit, she finally wore herself out and fell asleep earlier than usual.
Thus, for the first time in a while, I had a moment of peace to myself.
Not wanting to waste the opportunity, I went straight to the quiet garden, finally feeling a sense of calm.
I stood still, taking in the garden.
In the daytime, when I had seen the garden from Cain’s office, it had been dazzlingly beautiful.
But at night, it felt quiet and serene—something I found particularly appealing tonight.
As I walked slowly, a voice suddenly spoke from behind.
“You’re awake at this hour too.”
I stopped immediately. The low, smooth voice could only belong to Cain.
Turning around, I saw him walking toward me.
“Oh! Yes! For some reason, I just couldn’t sleep tonight.”
Hiding my slight surprise, I smiled awkwardly.
“I never imagined I’d see you here.”
“That’s what I was going to say.”
“Do you usually take walks at this hour?”
“Sometimes, yes.”
I naturally wanted to ask more but paused.
Would I be disturbing him while he was quietly strolling?
But my worry was unnecessary—Cain instead came to walk alongside me.
“How do you like living in the mansion?”
“I really like it. Everyone’s kind, the food is delicious, and the bed is comfortable…”
If I listed everything, it would never end. But I truly meant it.
Originally, my goal had only been to protect Melody, yet life here had become more than I could have hoped.
And what I liked most, above all, was this.
“Actually, I’ve become pretty close with Young Master Jaden too!”
I boasted proudly, though I immediately felt a little regret.
Right? I’m not the only one who thinks we’re close, right?
Hmm, no, I must be right—he even let me pinch his cheeks.
Cain, who usually had such a stoic expression, seemed slightly surprised at that moment.
“With him?”
“Yes! Young Master Jaden. He’s really kind. He even apologized first for the other day!”
Hah. Cain let out a small laugh as if he found that amusing.
“I’ve never seen anyone speak to that picky boy like that. Usually, people are too scared of him.”
“Even Jaden said something similar. I don’t understand. He seems really cute to me.”
“Cute?”
“Yes! Like a baby kitten.”
Cain seemed to think of his nephew for a moment, then muttered softly while looking at me.
“Indeed. If it’s you… it makes sense.”
“Huh? What do you mean?”
I tilted my head in confusion, but Cain didn’t elaborate. He just shrugged lightly and left it at that.
Bathed in soft moonlight, we walked slowly through the garden.
Was this the first time I’d walked with someone alone so late at night?
A gentle night breeze caressed my skin.
Though we were silent, the quiet didn’t feel awkward—it was comfortable.
Perhaps it was because he was subtly matching his pace with mine.
Pretending to admire the garden, I stole a glance at him.
Even in the faint moonlight, Cain’s face looked startlingly clear.
‘…Life really is unfair.’
Even in the shadows, his features didn’t lose their sharp elegance.
The smooth line of his forehead led to a perfectly straight nose. His firmly set jawline was masculine yet refined.
I found myself mesmerized, secretly studying his face for a while.
‘Have I been staring too long?’
Hmph. There was no way such a perceptive man hadn’t noticed my gaze.
Embarrassment suddenly washed over me, creating a strange awkwardness.
I had no idea what to say to break the tension, yet opened my mouth anyway.
“By the way—”
“And the child—”
Our words collided in midair. We both stopped and stared at each other, awkwardly frozen.
The embarrassment lingered, and I noticed slight surprise and discomfort in Cain’s red eyes as well.
We both wondered what on earth we were doing.
A small laugh escaped me, easing the tension.
“Ahaha! Our timing overlapped. You go ahead.”
“You go first.”
Cain gestured for me to speak, but I shook my head.
“No, I want to hear from you, Duke. I’m curious.”
I looked up at him expectantly, and he hesitated before moving his lips.
Then, averting his gaze slightly, he spoke slowly.
“…Has the child settled in well? I mean, Melody.”
Surprised by the topic, I clapped my hands lightly without making a sound.
“Of course! She’s thriving!”
“I see.”
“Yes, all thanks to everyone here caring for her.”
Excited, I chatted about everything that had happened so far.
“There are maids, Mari and Becky, who take really good care of Melody. She loves them.”
“Mm.”
“Conrad also dotes on Melody…”
As I talked, Cain murmured softly.
“That’s good.”
“Yes, really good.”
Even on the day I realized I had been reincarnated, I never imagined things could settle so quickly.
I had forced myself to smile, though I had been anxious inside.
But now, I could truly smile for real…
Walking slightly ahead, I turned toward him lightly.
Behind the fountain, I looked at him with a smile full of gratitude.
“Meeting you that day, Duke, was truly a great fortune in my life.”
Watching Viola smile so brightly, Cain felt a strange emotion stir within him.
How could she say something like that so casually?
‘No wonder Jaden couldn’t resist her.’
Neither Cain nor Jaden had any immunity to such kindness. It was entirely unfamiliar.
Like throwing a stone into a calm lake, she created ripples, yet walked lightly forward without a care.
Cain silently observed her cherry blossom-like hair fluttering in the moonlight.
‘She really is strange.’
Cain usually preferred nighttime walks—but only when alone.
A time when the mind and body, exhausted from a day of stimuli, could finally find calm. Having someone nearby usually would only disturb that peace.
But tonight was different.
Even with this chattering “squirrel” beside him, he didn’t feel disturbed…
Instead, he found himself naturally falling into step beside her.
Why are you the only one who’s different?
“Viola.”
Cain, without realizing it, spoke her name.
“Yes?”
She smiled widely, and Cain felt a strange resonance. His chest throbbed inexplicably.
His throat tightened.
Why had he said her name?
The sudden impulse felt unfamiliar.
At that exact moment, she gasped like a squirrel discovering an acorn, then hurried toward a flower bed. Her ears seemed to twitch—an illusion, perhaps.
“Wow! This flower is so rare!”
Her light green eyes sparkled.
“It’s a Bocineus flower. I’ve never seen it before!”
Cain took a couple of steps toward her, standing beside her.
“This is it! This is the Bocineus flower.”
Excitedly, she pointed to a small, deep purple flower.
Though he had lived in the mansion for a long time, Cain hadn’t even known it existed.
A trivial little flower to him—but to Viola, it brought such happiness.
“You know the flower’s name. Do you like flowers?”
Gently touching the petals, Viola stood and looked at him, smiling sweetly.
“Yes, I do.”
Her eyes curved warmly, and she smiled, utterly charming.
