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Chapter 44
“Count Pavron won’t be coming today. Originally, he said he’d attend at least to see my father.”
“Then I should get going.”
“Wait! He said he suddenly can’t come because of some urgent matter.”
“What kind of matter?”
Vivian tugged Cassian’s sleeve toward her.
“I overheard my parents’ conversation… There’s a high possibility of a gold mine in the Ortiga Mountains.”
Cassian paused, hand frozen mid-motion as he was about to pull away from Vivian.
A gold mine? He had only expected maybe a copper mine.
“He was confident he could make a lot of money just by investing. I don’t know the details, but it seems he has solid reasons.”
“Ah, really? In that case, I can’t just stand idly by.”
“Young Viscount?”
Cassian removed Vivian’s hand with his gloved hand.
“I need to go and check it out in detail. I can’t miss a chance for a gold mine.”
“You really mean to go?”
“Thank you, Miss Rosen.”
Vivian looked crestfallen, but Cassian just smiled faintly.
There was no reason to mingle with her since Count Pavron, his target, wasn’t even present.
Still, learning that the suspicious mining project might involve a gold mine was a small gain.
“Oh, please give my regards to Countess Rosen.”
As Cassian finished preparing to leave, he suddenly paused, a thought striking him.
“I’m not particularly fond of anything from the Kingdom of Rodion.”
“Eh? You mean the dessert?”
Cassian only smirked instead of answering.
He felt no need to correct Vivian’s misunderstanding.
Until Damia’s sly childhood friend—whether through marriage or military service—was gone, his tastes would remain the same.
“Shall we return to the Duke’s residence?”
“No, to the Fonti residence.”
It was a sudden change of destination, driven by impulse.
“Cassian…!”
“I’ll see you again when there’s a chance, Miss Rosen. Not that I expect there will be one.”
Vivian almost clung to the carriage window in protest.
Cassian gave a faint smile, then mercilessly drew the curtain.
Once out of sight of everyone, he closed his eyes.
The headache that had always accompanied him due to the curse of the Radiant Dragon had been growing worse lately.
It seemed that only someone close, like Damia, could notice, but his condition was clearly deteriorating day by day.
Even pretending to be the perfect Young Viscount was becoming increasingly difficult.
‘What am I going to do even if I go to the Fonti residence now?’
As soon as he started riding, regret flooded him.
He had just kicked Damia out so harshly, and now he was heading over on his own whim.
Damia, who adored him so much, would undoubtedly welcome him, but still…
‘“Hold hands with other young ladies?”’
That unpleasant suggestion kept popping into his mind.
‘Even when I supposedly held hands with other young ladies, she didn’t seem to mind.’
His dissatisfaction with his fiancée’s excessive consideration was starting to grow.
Damia had never demanded it, but he had never once escorted another girl before. He always wore gloves to events.
He knew he had to maintain distance from Damia. But that didn’t mean he had to endure uncomfortable misunderstandings as well.
He decided it was time to have a proper conversation. Today seemed like the right opportunity, Cassian resolved.
He had no idea who he might encounter at the Fonti residence.
Upon arriving at the Fonti residence, Cassian immediately sensed that something was off.
The new butler Cassian had installed looked nervous, glancing anxiously at him.
“Y-Young Viscount, arriving so suddenly…”
“Why are you so surprised? I don’t think I came somewhere I shouldn’t have.”
This was the same butler who always greeted him warmly when he visited. Cassian tilted his head, perplexed.
Had Damia gone out? Or maybe she hadn’t returned from the Duke’s residence yet.
Could she still be waiting there for him?
The thought sent a sharp pang through his chest.
“Th-that… a friend of the young lady has come to visit.”
Damia had returned home—unexpected, but a relief.
“A friend? She’s usually holed up in the study. I doubt anyone is close enough to come visit her at home.”
The sly childhood friend who had even traveled to the empire for her birthday hadn’t arrived yet.
“I see…”
“Well, I can just see for myself. If they’re inside, that’s enough.”
Cassian dismissed the butler’s flustered expression.
Damia was exceedingly generous as a fiancée. She even encouraged his romantic pursuits, going beyond merely respecting the terms of the contract and not interfering in his private life.
All for the chance it might work on his curse.
“I-I’ll go inform the young lady of your visit first.”
“No need. I came without warning to surprise her.”
Damia would surely be pleased with this unexpected visit.
“Young Viscount! I’ll have Romi prepare some tea. She’s in the garden tending the herbs…”
“No need for formalities. Step aside.”
The butler seemed odd today, but Cassian ignored it.
As a conscientious terminally ill man, he knew he should maintain distance—but that resolve kept faltering.
Even sensing danger, the thought of seeing Damia’s face again lifted the corners of his mouth.
“The young lady will need some time to prepare before meeting you!”
“Come on. I’ve seen you covered in dirt from the herb garden plenty of times already.”
Cassian had reached Damia’s room. The door was half-open.
“…Okay… wait…”
Just as he was about to knock, he heard an unfamiliar voice from inside.
He could peek in, but for some reason, he couldn’t move.
Frozen, he stood and listened intently.
Was the butler’s extreme nervousness due to this unknown guest visiting Damia?
“Damia.”
“Huh?”
“Do you know how much I’ve missed you?”
“I know, I’ve already said it several times. So stop the unnecessary talk and give me the cards quickly.”
A girl was talking with some boy—just the two of them.
Even this trivial conversation ignited a fire in Cassian.
“I never imagined you’d be engaged while I was away.”
The voice carried regret—or at least, that’s how it sounded to Cassian.
“You didn’t even tell your childhood friend until much later.”
“There were circumstances.”
His clenched fist trembled slightly.
It had to be that sly childhood friend of Damia who moved to the Kingdom of Rodion.
‘What is he planning to do with someone else’s fiancée?’
Rage boiled up to the top of Cassian’s head. He wanted to burst into the room immediately.
He had completely forgotten about the non-interference clause he had personally added to the temporary engagement contract.
The butler stomped his feet beside him, but he paid no attention.
“What circumstances? Why did you suddenly decide to get engaged?”
“I told you. My mother and the Duchess of Sarkis are acquainted…”
“That’s all? You just followed the adults’ decision?”
“Um…”
“And your feelings?”
Cassian hesitated at the question.
In truth, Damia’s answer was obvious.
She had passionately loved him from the moment they first met; surely she would confess the same to her childhood friend without hesitation.
Cassian’s usually tense mouth softened slightly. He clenched his handsome face to avoid smiling.
“Think about it, Arsen. Who would dislike being engaged to the Young Viscount of Sarkis?”
Huh? What?
The girl’s reaction was strangely lukewarm, unlike he expected.
Cold sweat seeped from Cassian’s palms.
“I’m just like the other girls. Being engaged to the Young Viscount is my luck, isn’t it?”
“I wasn’t asking that, Damia. So… do you truly like him?”
Silence filled the room. Cassian unconsciously held his breath.
