Chapter 32
Cold sweat trickled down her back.
Isabella subtly signaled to Baal, who was standing discreetly beside her. But Baal shook his head slightly, as if to say everything was already ruined. Then, he pointed out something she had completely overlooked.
Tapping his face with his fingers, he drew an X. Only then did Isabella realize she was bare-faced. It wasn’t about whether she had makeup on.
Because it was the middle of the night and there was no sunlight, she hadn’t worn her veil. As a result, her unguarded expression had been fully exposed. She hastily covered her face with her hands.
‘Of all times! What kind of face was I making? Did I blush? Or make some ridiculous expression?’
The thought that her emotions had been on full display throughout the conversation filled her with embarrassment. What bothered her most was how she must have looked in Cedric’s eyes.
Realizing where her thoughts were going, she whipped her head to the side.
‘What’s wrong with me? Why am I even worrying about this?’
The unfamiliar swirl of emotions was completely foreign to her, hard to understand even by her own logic. Maybe that’s why, like a reflexive rejection of what she was feeling, her brain defaulted to a faulty conclusion.
‘Yes, that’s it! This is just new to me, and I’m flustered, that’s all. Yes, that must be it!’
It was a convenient misjudgment for someone like Isabella, who hadn’t shown her face to outsiders since coming of age. Trying to calm her fluster, Isabella cleared her throat and met Cedric’s gaze again as she spoke.
“Ahem, I couldn’t sleep, so I came out for a walk. I thought moving around a bit might help tire me out.”
“…”
Cedric didn’t respond. He simply continued staring at her, unwaveringly.
Being under his gaze felt like standing there completely naked. Yet if she looked away now, it would feel like an admission of guilt, so she found herself frozen.
Just then, Cedric’s previously stiff demeanor softened.
“I see. You enjoy nighttime walks as well?”
“Ah, yes! The night has its own kind of charm, different from the day.”
Was he buying it?
Relieved, Isabella quickly matched his tone and rushed to agree. But she couldn’t let her guard down yet.
Cedric continued.
“I suppose that’s true. The night does reveal things that can’t be seen in the daylight.”
“Yes, exactly! There are flowers that only bloom at night, and moonlight reflected on dewdrops is beautiful, too. The quiet serenity of night has its own appeal! And also…”
“You might run into people sneaking over the walls, as well.”
“Yes, people who sneak…”
Isabella cut herself off. She looked up at Cedric with a trembling gaze, only to see a distinct glint in his teal eyes.
Biting her lower lip hard, she cursed herself inwardly.
‘My mouth is the enemy. My stupid mouth!’
Whenever she lied, she had a habit of blurting out things that didn’t need to be said as if preemptively confessing. But to make such a slip-up in front of him, of all people.
“Uh, I, um, that is…”
Her mind blanked out, like stone, no excuse came to her. She almost wished he would just interrogate her outright. But, as expected, Cedric remained silent. And she realized, painfully, that sometimes silence was even more terrifying.
‘What do I do?’
The question echoed endlessly in her mind. And then, Isabella made a decision.
‘I… I’ll run!’
She didn’t know why she came to that conclusion. All she knew was that she desperately needed to escape this situation.
“S-sorry!”
Leaving behind only a quick apology, Isabella turned and fled. Or tried to flee.
Thud!
If only her feet hadn’t tangled.
‘It’s over for me…’
Having executed a dramatic fall, Isabella lay sprawled on the cool, earthy grass, abandoning any thought of getting up. She was too mortified to move.
At that moment, Cedric’s voice came from right beside her.
“Are you all right?”
‘No… not at all…’
The words reached her throat, but she couldn’t bring herself to say them aloud. Not just because of the humiliation.
Cedric never raised his voice, ever. And yet now, she heard emotion in it. Was it surprise? Concern? She couldn’t say for sure. But one thing was clear: for the first time, he was shaken.
Was my fall really that ugly? she wondered. She hesitated for a moment.
‘Should I pretend to faint?’
But that hope was short-lived. Before she could even attempt it, Cedric scooped her up into his arms.
“Eek!”
As her body was suddenly lifted into the air and her view flipped upside down, a scream escaped her lips. Her wide, startled eyes met Cedric’s face up close.
“Ah!”
This time, she gasped for a different reason. It was as if he had some sort of exclusive magical effect applied only to him.
His silver hair fluttered in the night breeze, catching the moonlight, so dazzlingly beautiful, it felt almost unreal. Though, of course, he was still frowning.
Their faces were so close, she only had to lean in slightly to touch him. The intensity in his gaze stole her breath away. But when Isabella’s soft whimper reached his ears, Cedric’s brow furrowed even deeper.
He asked, “Are you hurt?”
“N-no, I…”
She tried to say she was fine, but Cedric moved faster.
Supporting her effortlessly with one arm, he used his other hand to check her foot. It was the same ankle she had twisted a few days ago.
His rough hand brushed against her bare skin and it felt like the spot had been scorched. Mortified, Isabella clutched his coat tightly and murmured into his shoulder.
“I’m really fine…”
She didn’t want him to see her face, flushed as red as a beet. Then, a question arose.
‘Why?’
Why was she acting like this?
The thought consumed her mind. She was beginning to realize, however faintly, that she was being shaken, deeply, by Cedric’s every word and action.
Why?
Without knowing the answer, she timidly looked up at him. He was staring at her with a strangely rigid expression, eyes unwavering.
“…”
“…”
Silence fell between them. They simply looked into each other’s eyes.
After a moment, Isabella’s hand, still gripping his collar, slowly rose, almost as if drawn by something. Her fingers reached out and gently touched the deep crease between his brows.
She stroked it softly, thinking: ‘Why is he always frowning? Does he hate me?’
But she soon denied the thought.
‘No, that can’t be it.’
If he truly disliked her, he wouldn’t have allowed her into the Ducal House to begin with. And by now, she knew Cedric was far more thoughtful and considerate than he appeared.
He always frowned when they met, yet whenever she was in trouble, he was the first to offer help.
‘He’s really hard to figure out.’
Without realizing it, Isabella let out a quiet chuckle and withdrew her hand from his now-smoothed brow. At that moment, their eyes met again.
“…!”
Only then did Isabella become conscious of what she’d just done. Her face flared with heat, and she quickly turned her head. And locked eyes with Baal, who had been standing silently nearby. Desperately, she shot him a pleading look.
‘Help!’
But Baal, observing with a faintly disgruntled expression, simply looked away.
‘That traitor…!’
Shocked by Baal’s cold betrayal, Isabella gave a little shiver.
Then, resigning herself, she said, “Your Grace, I must be heavy. Please, put me down.”
At that, Cedric’s arm twitched, so briefly it might’ve been a trick of the light. Then, with surprising care, he gently lowered her to the ground. As if chivalry were second nature to him.
Back on her feet, Isabella cast a sideways glance at the outer wall.
‘I guess tonight’s not the night. I’ll try again tomorrow.’
Realizing the timing wasn’t right to accomplish her original goal, she bent her knees in a slight curtsy.
“It’s getting late, so I’ll head in for the night.”
She turned decisively toward the garden entrance. That’s when it happened.
“You weren’t trying to go somewhere?”
He didn’t expect an answer. After all, this was the longest conversation she’d had with Cedric since entering the Ducal household. But surprisingly, instead of bidding her goodnight, he asked her a question.
Isabella turned back to him, wide-eyed. Cedric didn’t say anything more. He simply waited, as if expecting a response.
‘What’s gotten into him tonight?’
She couldn’t wrap her head around it.
‘Is he genuinely curious? Or does he have some other motive?’
Her thoughts spiraled. This was someone whose voice she barely heard most days. The only thing different now was that they were alone. The faint possibility of something else crossed her mind, but she quickly dismissed it and shook her head to clear the fantasy.
Just in case, Isabella offered a casual denial.
“Where would I be going at this hour?”
“…”
“I really did just come out for a walk.”
“…”
It wasn’t a total lie. She had intended to take a walk, just a very long one.
Cedric remained silent. It was as though he could already see straight through her and was simply waiting for the truth.
The longer the silence stretched, the more beads of sweat formed on Isabella’s forehead.
“I, I swear… I mean, really…”
She stammered, constantly gauging his unreadable expression. Meeting his calm, unwavering gaze, she felt like a creature caught in a snare.
In the end, under the pressure of his quiet insistence, Isabella gave in and confessed.
“The truth is…”
She told him everything. About Diana’s necklace, the strange symptoms, and the odd sensation she had felt. As she finished, Cedric glanced toward the outer wall she had been watching and suddenly said something entirely unexpected.
“Let’s go together.”
……
T/N: Smooth hahahaha
