Chapter 20
Despite everything, Cecenia showed no sign of worry. It was as if she knew someone would come. Time passed slowly. Then, Cecenia turned her head and looked at Ted.
“Ted.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“Why do you follow me so closely? Because I saved you?”
“Ah…”
Ted pressed his lips tightly together at her words.
‘Is it just my misunderstanding that he follows me?’
Seeing his reaction, Cecenia smiled as if she felt relieved.
“It’s okay. You don’t have to follow me. That’s not why I brought you. I was just… curious.”
“I…”
At that moment, a strong wind blew into the carriage. At the same time, the entire carriage shook violently.
Instinctively, Ted stepped in front of Cecenia as if to shield her. Lisbet, who was a bit slower to grasp the situation, widened her eyes in surprise.
“W-what’s happening? I’ll check it out.”
But Cecenia firmly shook her head.
“No need. Just close the door and let’s depart.”
“What? But I thought we were expecting a guest…”
“The guest has already boarded. Let’s go.”
Lisbet tilted her head, looking completely confused.
No matter how much she looked around, there was no sign of anyone getting on. The carriage had just shaken a little. Even so, Cecenia was firm in her decision. As a servant, Lisbet had no choice but to knock on the driver’s window. The carriage door closed.
Though she was still full of questions, the carriage started moving.
“But… why is Teddy still like that, my lady?”
Only Teddy remained in the same protective stance in front of Cecenia.
“Who knows.”
“I smell something unpleasant.”
“Something unpleasant, huh? It’s fine.”
“No, it’s not fine for me. Anything that threatens my lady is absolutely unacceptable. Absolutely.”
At times like this, he was quite firm. Teddy emitted an ominous aura as he stood guard in front of Cecenia, refusing to back down.
“I don’t think anything here is more dangerous than you.”
At that moment, someone hidden in the darkness revealed themselves, as if irritated by Teddy’s words.
The childish appearance from earlier was gone. Now, the man looked no different from Ted—an adult. Even his voice was different from before, but Cecenia immediately recognized him as Silian, the older twin.
“W-who are you?!”
Lisbet, her eyes wide, shrank back in fear. But besides her, no one else seemed surprised.
“As expected. I knew there was someone giving off a nasty smell.”
“And you. You can’t even control the fierce energy inside you, like a wild beast.”
As if drawn by instinct, the two instantly became hostile toward each other.
“Enough. You’ll be living together from now on, so try to get along. And since we’re helping you, at least say hello. Otherwise, my maid will be frightened. Orphan boy.”
“I thought you already knew I wasn’t just some orphan.”
Silian’s cold gaze locked onto Cecenia. She already knew the names and circumstances of the Salmond Kingdom’s royal twins at the orphanage. But there was no need to reveal more information than necessary.
Knowing too much could be useful at times, but it could also provoke hostility.
This was one of those moments. Since they were runaway royals, their wariness was bound to be extreme. So Cecenia remained silent.
“I see.”
“…Fine. Since I was told to introduce myself… I’ll do it. I’m Silian.”
Even as he introduced himself, Silian’s sharp gaze stayed fixed on Cecenia, as if wary of what else she might say.
“This is Tedel. You can call him Teddy. This is my maid, Lisbet. And I am Cecenia Vestel.”
“So, will you keep your promise?”
“Don’t worry. I always keep my promises.”
“My lady, who is this man…? He feels…”
“The guest I mentioned.”
Cecenia took Ted’s wrist and guided him to sit beside her. Like a frozen statue, Teddy sat down, deflating like a windless doll.
“A guest? But I didn’t even notice him getting in.”
“From now on, he’ll be the kind of guest you don’t notice. Someone who is neither seen nor heard.”
“Ah… So you took someone in without a reason again? Haah. Your brother always says you’re too…”
“Don’t worry, Lisbet. This time, it may be another act of charity from the rich, but there’s something I need to gain from it.”
Unlike Cecenia, who smiled, Silian’s expression hardened.
“So, in the end, you do want something.”
“Yes. Protect me. When you run a merchant group, you make many enemies. If you do that for me, I’ll protect you. Follow me. No one else will help you as much as I will.”
“That’s not a problem. But we need to be clear about one thing. If not, I might end up killing you.”
At the word ‘kill,’ Teddy, who had been lounging like a relaxed cat, immediately stood up.
“No need to act like a bristling cat, Teddy. People who talk about killing all the time are usually the ones who can’t kill anyone.”
“You think I can’t kill you?”
“If you kill me, you’ll become a fugitive again. Are you okay with that? You might be fine, but what about ‘that child’?”
“…”
“So, swear on your name and make a promise with me.”
A faint dimple appeared on Cecenia’s cheek as she smiled.
“This is a very unfair contract.”
“And yet, you’ll still take my hand. Won’t you?”
“That’s what’s so irritating about you. Acting like you know everything.”
“Not ‘you.’ Say ‘my lady.’ Speak properly.”
Unable to hold back, Teddy snapped at Silian. His words were filled with thorns.
“She’s not my lady. And I should be the one upset.”
Silian turned to Cecenia, looking utterly baffled.
“You know who I am. So why do you keep speaking to me so informally?”
“Because I don’t feel like being polite to someone who speaks informally to me first. If you want respect, give it first. Silian.”
There was no hesitation. To Silian, there were only two types of people: those who feared him and those who ignored him. As a royal of Salmond, the next in line for the throne, no one had ever dared to ignore him.
He was born to be above others.
His circumstances made him special.
But now, it was different. Anyone who knew his lineage would never dismiss him—except for this woman.
‘No one has ever treated me like this before.’
It was a new feeling. He had expected to be irritated, but instead, it sparked a strange curiosity in him.
“If you ever feel like it, let me know. I can speak formally anytime.”
A strange tension tugged at his heart. A curiosity he had never felt before.
“Let’s make a contract. But do you understand what it means to make a contract with me?”
Cecenia had researched the rumors about the Salmond royal twins hidden in the Imperial Temple.
She knew what they were.
She knew their power.
“I know. Words become swords, swords pierce hearts, and death seals the promise.”
“M-my lady!”
“My lady, that’s…!”
“That’s exactly why I’m doing this. I give you my life, Silian.”
Unlike Cecenia, who smirked, Silian’s eyes gleamed sharply.
