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CHAPTER 33
‘…….’
For some reason, a heaviness pressed on Kayen’s chest.
“Um… Your Grace. Do you not like the gift?”
Ethisha asked cautiously. Kayen slowly shook his head.
“No. Not at all. I like it very much.”
“Oh…”
“Thank you, Miss Ethisha.”
Kayen’s reflection shimmered in the glass bowl that held the water lilies. The clear water sparkled and rippled, as if it were reflecting his thoughts without filter.
“I’m glad you like it. I really wanted to repay you, Your Grace. Even if it was something small, I wanted to give you a gift.”
Ethisha smiled brightly, her blue eyes gently curving with joy she made no effort to hide. Kayen blinked slowly, gazing at Ethisha as she laughed like a child.
In the future he had once envisioned, Ethisha’s pained expression overlapped with the smiling face in front of him now.
“I actually spent a lot of time thinking about what to get you. I’ve only ever given gifts to Sister Larienne before… Though those probably didn’t even count as proper gifts.”
“…Pardon?”
“Oh, it’s nothing! Anyway… Your Grace, are you very busy today as well?”
Ethisha smiled sheepishly as she got up. Now that she had given him the gift, she just wanted to have a normal conversation.
“I saw before that the Wintel estate’s library had so many books—ugh!”
Then, suddenly.
A violent spasm surged through Ethisha’s chest.
“Hrk!”
A sensation both scorching and freezing shot up from her heart like molten lava. Something trapped inside her body seemed to swell, as if it were trying to tear its way out.
The symptoms of her dormant quama disease had flared up again.
“Agh, ugh…!”
Ethisha gagged, her body trembling. Kayen hurriedly supported her and helped her sit down.
“Miss Ethisha!”
Clatter!
The fishbowl Ethisha had gifted him fell to the floor and shattered. Water spilled everywhere, soaking Kayen’s clothes, but neither of them had time to care.
Kayen held Ethisha in his arms, patting her back and rubbing her lower back to soothe her.
“Haa… I-it’s okay…”
Clutching her chest with one hand, Ethisha trembled.
It’s still okay. This is only the second flare-up…
She took deep breaths, trying to reassure Kayen. Fortunately, the surge of magic began to settle after several attempts.
Yes, it’s still okay.
For now…
Ethisha wiped the sweat from her forehead and looked up at Kayen. Only then did she notice how soaked he was.
Her gaze dropped to the floor, where shattered pieces of the fishbowl had made a mess of the carpet.
“Oh no…”
Ethisha hastily tried to get up despite her shaking body. But she was still cradled in Kayen’s arms, now sitting on his lap.
“I’m so sorry, Your Grace. You’re soaked because of me. And the bowl is completely broken…”
“It’s fine. The image stone and the water lily should be intact. I can just get a new bowl.”
“But you’re wet. If you stay like this, you’ll catch a cold.”
Ethisha, forgetting her own suffering just moments ago, worried more about Kayen.
“I’ll dry you off.”
She picked up a napkin from the table and gently pressed it against Kayen’s shirt, carefully dabbing until the moisture was gone. Her touch was tender, almost affectionate.
“Miss Ethisha…”
“It’s a good thing no one saw this. Really, thank goodness…”
Creeeak…
The moment she said that, the door to the dining hall swung open.
Standing outside was Dité, her expression frozen in shock.
“……”
The eyes of all three met.
A cold silence fell.
After Marquess Hexion left, Dité remained alone in the Tower of Stars. She curled up in the corner of the bed, hugging her knees.
“So bored…”
Though the Tower was part of the Wintel estate, it was isolated and rarely visited.
Usually, Lady Cyrileze would invite her for tea, but ever since Ethisha arrived, even that had become rare.
“Wedding prep or whatever—what could be taking so much time…”
Muttering, Dité glanced at the dress laid out beside her. The sun was setting, and boredom gnawed at her. On a whim, she decided to try the dress on.
“Yeah, let’s try it! It’s a gift for me after all—why not?”
She leapt to her feet and began changing. It was a bit of a struggle to wear the pannier and dress alone, but the result was satisfying.
“Wow…”
The pale green dress Lady Cyrileze had given her had made her look like a wildflower. But this red dress? She looked like the star of a grand ball.
Dité brushed her golden curls into elegant waves and twirled in the room. The dress showed some skin at the chest and had a deep back, but the attention it drew made her like it even more.
She admired herself in the mirror for a while, then suddenly glanced at the door.
‘What would Kayen say if he saw me in this?’
Dité wanted to show herself in the dress to Kayen.
‘He’d definitely say it suits me. And then ask where I got it from. Then I’ll say Countess Monmade gave it to me!’
Excited, Dité left the tower and ran along the wall toward the main keep.
Eventually arriving, she caught a maid and asked:
“Where’s Kayen?”
“His Grace is dining in the banquet hall. Please don’t disturb him.”
“Okay! I’ll wait outside!”
The maids glanced at her outfit in confusion but didn’t stop her. Dité simply wasn’t important enough to warrant much concern from the Wintel staff.
She descended the stairs quickly and stood in front of the banquet hall door.
Huff, huff…
She was breathless from running.
As she rested her hand on the cold door, voices from inside reached her.
“But Your Grace is all wet. You’ll catch a cold like this. I’ll dry you.”
“Miss Ethisha…”
“It’s a relief no one saw us again…”
Dité’s eyes narrowed.
‘What was that?’
Instinctively, she peeked through the crack in the door.
First, she saw Kayen sitting in his chair. Then she saw Ethisha, sitting on his lap, nestled in his arms.
Ethisha’s hand was on his chest, and she was breathing heavily.
‘What… the…’
In her shock, Dité didn’t even notice the napkin in Ethisha’s hand. What she saw looked only like a private, intimate moment.
‘What are they doing…?’
Her golden eyes trembled violently.
When she heard rumors from the maids that Kayen had torn Ethisha’s dress, she had only felt a twinge of annoyance. But seeing this—seeing it with her own eyes—made her stomach churn.
Just then, Ethisha whispered to Kayen with a smile:
“I’m so glad no one saw…”
Jealousy exploded like a flame.
Dité’s hand trembled, and the door creaked open under her shaking touch.
“……”
Their eyes met.
A deathly silence.
“Dité, what is it?”
Kayen quickly shielded Ethisha from view, observing Dité with wary eyes—to see if she’d noticed Ethisha’s symptoms.
“Ah… I heard you were in the dining hall…”
“……”
“I… I wanted to show you this dress… Countess Monmade gave it to me as a… a gift…”
Dité backed away, stammering.
At that moment, a small orb rolled to her feet.
When she glanced down, she saw the glowing image stone, reflecting Ethisha’s face and voice.
[“Happy birthday, Duke Kayen. I hope this year brings you happiness. Thank you, always.”]
Dité’s expression twisted in wretched despair.
‘Birthday…?’
Kayen’s birthday?
Only now did she remember the date. 5 Gods, 7 Stars—Kayen’s birthday.
‘No way. Kayen never celebrates his birthday. Never! He’s never held a party or accepted gifts before…!’
Her lips turned pale as she bit them.
She had tried to deny it over and over—but now, she could no longer avoid the truth.
Ethisha El. The one and only special woman to Kayen.
<Don’t be too heartbroken. No one can truly have Kayen.>
Somewhere, the sound of shattering glass echoed.
It was the sound of Dité’s long-held belief finally breaking.
‘I don’t want this.’
No!
She kicked the image stone away and ran.
Up the stairs. Across the wall path to the Tower of Stars.
The red dress she had been so excited to show him now only felt like a burden.
‘That’s enough. From now on, I won’t hesitate. Whatever Marquess Hexion asks—I’ll do everything!’
If she hesitated again, she’d lose everything to that woman, Ethisha.
Dité slammed the door shut behind her and collapsed to the floor.
Through her disheveled golden hair, tears streamed down her face.
‘I’ll become Kayen’s mistress…’
She believed she knew Kayen better than Ethisha ever could. She’d seen him longer, thought about him more.
So, if someone was to become his woman—it had to be Dité.
No one else.
‘No… I…’
It had to be Dité who received Lady Cyrileze’s care.
It had to be Dité who earned Kayen’s love.
It had to be Dité who was adored by maids and attendants alike.
‘I’ll become what Ethisha can’t be…’
Dité suddenly looked up, her tear-filled golden eyes full of bitter realization.
