RCHR 26

Chapter 26

“Poor thing. Aren’t all men like that? We just have to understand them. But don’t worry. The only real countess is you. That much I can guarantee.”
Rebecca frowned slightly, displeased by the clammy hand of Fabiola, who was holding hers.
But she quickly put on an innocuous expression.
“Hearing you say that puts my mind at ease, Mother. By the way, what is this tea? Drinking it makes me feel so calm. You brought it, didn’t you?”
When Rebecca mentioned the tea, Fabiola brightened and replied,
“Exactly! It’s a special blend I prepared myself. Would you like me to set aside some for you? There’s still plenty.”
Rebecca beamed.
“Then please, give me a lot.”

Left alone in her room, Rebecca toyed with the glass bottle of tea she’d received from Fabiola.
Fabiola had even kindly written a note with instructions on how to draw out the aroma better.
Rebecca smirked faintly at the note, then carefully folded it and stored it away with the bottle in her dresser.
‘I hope I never have to use this…’

Her whole body ached. It must have been from the nerves she’d been on edge with all afternoon.
Rubbing her shoulders, Rebecca headed toward her bed.
That was when she noticed Leo standing by the window.

“Leo!”
She hurried to open the window, and Leo slipped inside as though he’d been waiting.
Rebecca, curious about what was going on at the estate, bustled about happily.
“I thought you might come, so I prepared some milk. Kanna said cats really like this kind. I hope you’ll enjoy it.”
Rebecca poured the milk into a small dish, then turned around—and froze on the spot.

“Re…becca?”
Julian stood before her, his eyes half unfocused.

< Brother! Happy birthday. >

Julian stared for a long time at the birthday card scrawled in messy handwriting.
Though he had said countless times that he hated birthdays, Lily never failed to celebrate his every year.

Croa spoke cautiously.
“Shall we send the gift back again this year?”

This time, the gift was a drawing—Lily and Julian enjoying a picnic with cats, a scene of peaceful happiness.
Normally, Julian would have returned it without a glance. But this time, he didn’t feel like doing so.

It was all because of that woman Rebecca, who had planted useless hope in him.
Hope taken too far becomes poison. Julian knew that well, yet he still couldn’t control the way his heart kept wanting to change.

“Forget it. Leave me.”

Croa was inwardly elated.
It had always been torture, having to tell Lily every year that her brother had sent her gift back.

‘So that’s how it was…’

Seeing the little girl’s eyes fill with tears as she bowed her head always tore his heart apart.
Eager to deliver the joyful news, Croa quickly left the room.

Lily’s nanny was pacing outside and caught him at once.
“How did it go?”
“His Grace accepted the gift!”
“Oh, I knew he would—wait, what? Truly?”
“Yes! He must have liked it. He even carefully rewrapped it himself.”
“My goodness… Lily will be so delighted when she hears.”
“Indeed. But I wonder what changed his mind.”
“Perhaps he’s finally feeling guilty toward her. Every birthday, the house feels like a funeral…”
“Either way, let’s hurry before His Grace changes his mind.”

Leo, overhearing part of the exchange from a corner, slipped back into Julian’s room.
He saw the empty bottles scattered on the floor and sighed.

“Ah, Leo, you’re here. Want a drink too? Ah, but you don’t consume anything, do you? Except my holy power. Sorry… I’d love to let you taste this, it’s so good.”
‘He’s completely gone. Does he have to wallow like this every birthday?’
“Wallow? That hurts. You, of all beings, should understand me. You should comfort me, my soul’s twin.”

Leo stared silently at the drunken Julian.
Of course he understood. He couldn’t help but understand.
Ever since Julian had realized his fate, it felt like a heavy stone pressed endlessly against his chest.
And that weight grew heavier on his birthday.

A child born only to produce heirs.
And an immortal being forced to watch those children die, over and over.
The gods were cruel.

Leo had watched every Duke Johannes be born and die throughout history. Each had lived tragic lives.
Watching them die, Leo could never shake the feeling that he was just a parasite surviving off their lives.
And they, in turn, treated him accordingly—with fear or disgust, nothing in between.

But Julian was different.

‘You, too, live such a pitiful life.’

Though he despised his fate, Julian never blamed Leo for it.

Julian’s unsteady voice broke into Leo’s tangled thoughts.
“Leo. If this curse were broken, what would I be? Everything I have wasn’t earned by me. Without being the sacred Duke Johannes, what am I?”

Leo glanced sidelong at him, his hollow laughter echoing. He could feel the same terrible chains of emotion—and the lingering image of someone else that flickered constantly in Julian’s heart.

‘That’s your birthday gift, kiddo.’

Leo leapt silently onto the window sill and slipped out into the night air.

“Julian! What are you doing here!”

Julian blinked slowly, as though trying to grasp the situation.
Rebecca grabbed his arm, and he flinched at her warmth, stumbling back.

“Re, Rebe…”

When he tried to shout, Rebecca quickly covered his mouth with her hand.
A tense silence hung between them.

Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone outside the door.
Rebecca let out a breath of relief and whispered,
“What are you doing here at this hour? And just now—Leo was here…”
“Leo was here?”

The alcohol instantly burned away from Julian’s mind. He thought for a moment, then laughed incredulously.
“Ha. So that’s how it is. That bastard Leo…”

“Quiet! What if someone hears?”
“Fine, fine. But what’s that?”

Julian pointed at the dish on the table.
“Milk. I left it for Leo.”
“Ah, perfect.”

Without even waiting for her reply, Julian gulped down the milk in one go.
Rebecca was speechless as she watched his throat bob.

“What? You said it was for Leo. If I drink it, it’s the same as him drinking it.”
“Well, even so… Just how did you get here? Where’s Leo?”
“Ah, so the almighty Lady Rebecca doesn’t know that much.”
“Are you mocking me right now?”

Rebecca glared, and Julian faltered.
He sighed and collapsed onto the bed.
“That’s not it. Ha… I don’t know why I keep speaking like this.”

‘Is he drunk?’

Or maybe he was just naturally talkative. Rebecca stared at his string of excuses, finding him strangely unfamiliar.

“What’s with that look? Like you’re staring at some insolent brat. I suppose that’s how I must look to you.”

Rebecca gently sat beside him. The bed felt cramped with his large frame taking up space.
“Why would I think that? I was just looking at you.”
“Everyone looks at me that way. It’s not that I don’t know manners—I just learned they’re pointless. Using honorifics and politeness is hard. I have to push myself to do it.”

‘And you had to barge into my room at night to tell me this?’

Rebecca was tired enough to want to throw him out, but for some reason, he looked so lonely that she stayed quiet and listened.

“So the point is—you should treat me the same way.”
“What?”
“Just speak casually with me. We’re going to be married anyway, shouldn’t we be comfortable? I don’t know how to do this ‘respectful husband’ act.”
“Alright, fine.”

Rebecca agreed without a moment’s hesitation.
Before her regression, she’d lived among commoners where speech changed depending on age, so casual speech was more natural to her.

Julian blinked blankly, then burst into laughter.
Rebecca gave him a puzzled look.
“You told me to do it. Why are you laughing? Should I go back to formal speech?”
“No, it’s just… your reaction is so different from what I expected. Usually people either freak out or flatly refuse.”
“Did you want me to?”
“No. You really are fascinating.”

“Stop changing the subject. How did you get in here? And where’s Leo?”
“We can switch places.”

Rebecca stifled a scream, covering her mouth.
She asked carefully,
“Then… you’re saying you’re Leo?”

Julian chuckled, amused by her reaction.
He twitched his cheek and said,
“Not exactly. We can switch locations. Think of it as teleportation.”
“That’s… amazing.”
“Funny. You’re less surprised than I thought. Only Leo and I know about this.”
“Well, life is full of strange things.”

She had died and come back to life—teleportation hardly shocked her anymore.
Julian gazed steadily at her unchanging expression.
“Sometimes you really seem like someone who’s lived twice.”

Rebecca flinched at the words and quickly changed the subject.
“If you can teleport, then go home right now. It’s too dangerous here.”
“That’s a bit of a problem.”
“Why?”
“Teleportation consumes a lot of holy power. I need at least three hours to recover.”
“Three hours?”

Rebecca frowned, troubled.

Julian smiled faintly as he watched her. In truth, it only took him thirty minutes.
But he didn’t want to return to that lonely room.
At least for tonight, he wanted to keep looking into Rebecca’s wavering, wave-like eyes.

‘You don’t want to go back?’

The thought startled Julian.
This place was foreign to him—the home of the Devonshire Count he loathed.
And yet, he felt more at ease here than ever before.

Moonlight poured into the darkened room.
Julian gazed at Rebecca’s pale face shining in the silver light, as if etching it into his heart.