I turned my body and pushed Cerden's face away with my palm. My heart was racing. Looking at his squished face was somehow easing my tension.
“Y-you scared me!”
“Haha. I surprised you, huh? I’m really sorry about that.”
Cerden mumbled with a face that didn’t look the least bit apologetic. He snatched the book from my hands and opened it.
“Is this about a blonde princess?”
This was the first time I saw Cerden dressed so casually. He looked good in anything he wore.
I had to constantly try not to focus on the things peeking out from between his unbuttoned shirt. Especially his eyes, which looked particularly moist, and his lips.
Today, Cerden was quite charming.
I quickly answered, keeping an eye on him.
“Yeah! She’s a princess with really long hair!”
“You’re going to read this book to me? Wasn’t it supposed to be me reading to you?”
“No, I’ll read it!”
“Why?”
“Because I’m scared of my husband!”
I said this with wide eyes and clear enunciation. Then I hugged the book and smiled brightly. Cerden raised his lips in a smirk.
“Me?”
“Yeah, my husband! So let’s sleep together…”
At that moment, thunder struck. It was a deafening sound that felt like the sky was tearing apart. I flinched without realizing it. No, I was really startled.
As I swallowed, an uncontrollable hiccup escaped me.
“Hi, hic!”
Cerden covered his mouth with the back of his hand and chuckled softly. While I was distracted by his smiling face, he swiftly took the book from me.
Cerden leisurely shook the book.
There was no tension in his gaze as he looked at me. It was so relaxed that I felt my guard completely drop. I was still the only one conscious of Cerden.
Of course, that was to be expected.
Even though I knew, it was still annoying.
“Scary isn’t me, but someone like Evelyn. I think I should read this book to you.”
I stared blankly at Cerden.
Ugh, why did I have to hiccup at such a time?
It felt like all my embarrassing moments were visible to Cerden. It was as if my entire history of shame was unfolding right before my eyes.
Cerden took my arm and led me.
“What, what are you doing?”
“Aren’t you going to sleep? I’m tired. It’s bedtime, Evelyn.”
“Yeah?”
Cerden laid me down on the bed and wrapped me up in the blanket. He pushed me against the wall like a rolled-up gimbap and leaned beside me, propping his head on his arm.
I looked like a caterpillar with only my face sticking out. All the random thoughts I had while coming here vanished.
I felt a sense of reverence.
Cerden turned off the light. It wouldn’t be easy to feel this reverent while lying in bed with a man, especially one who was more handsome than my ideal type.
As a caterpillar, I could only move my head.
A dim light was placed on the bedside, barely illuminating the words in the book. I locked eyes with Cerden. The light cast over his contoured face made him appear even more profound.
I swallowed hard. Looking at that face made me feel like I was gazing at a piece of art. Was I the only one thinking this way? Just me.
Cerden placed the book on the bed and began to read.
His voice was low and pleasant to hear.
Is this what they call the male lead buff? His voice was nice too. They say that usually, if someone is good-looking, their voice isn’t great. God must have poured all his blessings into his looks.
I was wrapped up in the blanket, and listening to him read… I felt myself drifting off to sleep.
Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. This is crazy, really. I’m not a child anymore.
Cerden poked Evelyn’s cheek while she was sound asleep.
He never expected he would actually read to her, nor did he think she would fall asleep to the sound of him reading.
Cerden pushed the book aside and gazed at Evelyn.
The analysis came quickly.
What was left in the cup was a poison that slowly intoxicates a person, ultimately causing them to vomit blood and die.
When dying, the symptoms resembled pneumonia so closely that there were hardly any doctors who could distinguish between the two.
“...You knew, didn’t you?”
Of course, Evelyn didn’t respond. She was lost in a deep sleep, her lips moving slightly.
Cerden asked in a low voice.
“You drank it without any fear, knowing everything.”
When she drank the wine, Evelyn showed no hesitation. It was as if she was drinking a regular beverage. She didn’t show a hint of fear.
Her sleeping face was incredibly peaceful. As if she had never drunk poison at all. Perhaps the amount was so small that it didn’t cause any intoxication.
Seeing her so calm made him wonder…
‘Does it have no effect on her?’
He had heard of people with unique constitutions that were unaffected by poison. Was Duke Spelman trying to use that to his advantage?
He couldn’t guess what purpose Evelyn was moving for. If she were on Spelman’s side, Veronica would have simply let her drink the potion.
But she had snatched the cup away and drank it herself, even throwing the cup away.
No one suspected Evelyn. Not even Spelman.
“What on earth are you?”
Cerden pressed Evelyn’s cheek again. The soft flesh of her cheeks wrapped around his fingers like whipped cream.
Evelyn’s eyelashes fluttered.
She moved her lips slightly.
“Candy… I don’t like it.”
Cerden, who had been holding his breath thinking she was waking up, covered his mouth as he stared blankly at Evelyn, who was drifting back to sleep.
“Ugh.”
A laugh escaped him without him realizing it.
Morning came quickly. Last night vanished without a trace. Cerden left the still-sleeping Evelyn and exited the bedroom.
Last night, Evelyn showed no reaction to the poison.
Lost in thought, Mortega asked.
“Where did that cup come from? It must be Spelman’s doing, right?”
Mortega followed Cerden closely with a face that showed he would never back down. Just like back in the day when he stubbornly clung to Cerden, pushing him away.
Cerden glanced back at Mortega and replied vaguely.
“Well.”
“Are you absolutely sure you didn’t drink what was in the cup?”
“Yeah.”
“Ha, really. We must find out who the culprit is. You’re not just going to let this go, are you?”
Cerden smiled coldly at Mortega’s words.
He had already sent out secret informants to investigate. The maid who brought the cup had mixed the poison.
When hosting such a masquerade ball, they temporarily hire people, so all sorts of riffraff come together.
He had followed the maid, but she had already become a cold corpse.
Spelman was cruel and left no traces behind.
Cerden’s uncle wouldn’t be able to handle things so neatly.
The problem was how Evelyn was involved in this matter.
He recalled the woman who had fallen asleep in her bed with an innocent, childlike face.
“The evidence has already been erased.”
Mortega cursed under his breath. He couldn’t curse in front of Cerden, so he was suppressing it internally. Despite that, he was honest enough that everything was revealed.
The only reason he kept Mortega around was that. The honesty that showed on his face. Since he was surrounded by those who were deceitful and good at hiding their true intentions, Mortega was a relief.
Of course, he was easily deceived, and if it were Rozalina, she would act like a puppy chasing after a treat.
In that sense, Evelyn was the complete opposite.
She had many secrets and was even more suspicious.
“What should we do then? Should we endure this again?”
Mortega asked with a wronged expression.
“Well.”
Cerden raised his lips coldly. With his eyes narrowed, Cerden moved his lips.
“Didn’t you say Duke Roger would be back soon?”
Mortega was startled by the sudden question and answered.
“Y-yes? Yes. He should have passed through the imperial city by now. He might report on the situation at the border tomorrow, right?”
“Let’s invite Duke Roger and his son to dinner tomorrow. As a token of appreciation for their hard work.”
While Cerden was on the battlefield, Duke Roger had been guarding the northern border and its vicinity. This was to prepare for an ambush, in case they were attacked from two places at once.
Roger was also a renowned knight and a war hero, so he was someone Cerden could trust completely.
He could say that Roger was his only friend, having trained under the same master since childhood.
And Roger had a six-year-old son.
Roger had had his son when he was nineteen, and now was the perfect age to be paired with Evelyn.
Cerden was curious about how Evelyn would react upon seeing Roger. He wondered when Evelyn would reveal her true identity.
Having calculated all this, Cerden raised his lips slightly.
“Y-you scared me!”
“Haha. I surprised you, huh? I’m really sorry about that.”
Cerden mumbled with a face that didn’t look the least bit apologetic. He snatched the book from my hands and opened it.
“Is this about a blonde princess?”
This was the first time I saw Cerden dressed so casually. He looked good in anything he wore.
I had to constantly try not to focus on the things peeking out from between his unbuttoned shirt. Especially his eyes, which looked particularly moist, and his lips.
Today, Cerden was quite charming.
I quickly answered, keeping an eye on him.
“Yeah! She’s a princess with really long hair!”
“You’re going to read this book to me? Wasn’t it supposed to be me reading to you?”
“No, I’ll read it!”
“Why?”
“Because I’m scared of my husband!”
I said this with wide eyes and clear enunciation. Then I hugged the book and smiled brightly. Cerden raised his lips in a smirk.
“Me?”
“Yeah, my husband! So let’s sleep together…”
At that moment, thunder struck. It was a deafening sound that felt like the sky was tearing apart. I flinched without realizing it. No, I was really startled.
As I swallowed, an uncontrollable hiccup escaped me.
“Hi, hic!”
Cerden covered his mouth with the back of his hand and chuckled softly. While I was distracted by his smiling face, he swiftly took the book from me.
Cerden leisurely shook the book.
There was no tension in his gaze as he looked at me. It was so relaxed that I felt my guard completely drop. I was still the only one conscious of Cerden.
Of course, that was to be expected.
Even though I knew, it was still annoying.
“Scary isn’t me, but someone like Evelyn. I think I should read this book to you.”
I stared blankly at Cerden.
Ugh, why did I have to hiccup at such a time?
It felt like all my embarrassing moments were visible to Cerden. It was as if my entire history of shame was unfolding right before my eyes.
Cerden took my arm and led me.
“What, what are you doing?”
“Aren’t you going to sleep? I’m tired. It’s bedtime, Evelyn.”
“Yeah?”
Cerden laid me down on the bed and wrapped me up in the blanket. He pushed me against the wall like a rolled-up gimbap and leaned beside me, propping his head on his arm.
I looked like a caterpillar with only my face sticking out. All the random thoughts I had while coming here vanished.
I felt a sense of reverence.
Cerden turned off the light. It wouldn’t be easy to feel this reverent while lying in bed with a man, especially one who was more handsome than my ideal type.
As a caterpillar, I could only move my head.
A dim light was placed on the bedside, barely illuminating the words in the book. I locked eyes with Cerden. The light cast over his contoured face made him appear even more profound.
I swallowed hard. Looking at that face made me feel like I was gazing at a piece of art. Was I the only one thinking this way? Just me.
Cerden placed the book on the bed and began to read.
His voice was low and pleasant to hear.
Is this what they call the male lead buff? His voice was nice too. They say that usually, if someone is good-looking, their voice isn’t great. God must have poured all his blessings into his looks.
I was wrapped up in the blanket, and listening to him read… I felt myself drifting off to sleep.
Before I knew it, I had fallen asleep. This is crazy, really. I’m not a child anymore.
Cerden poked Evelyn’s cheek while she was sound asleep.
He never expected he would actually read to her, nor did he think she would fall asleep to the sound of him reading.
Cerden pushed the book aside and gazed at Evelyn.
The analysis came quickly.
What was left in the cup was a poison that slowly intoxicates a person, ultimately causing them to vomit blood and die.
When dying, the symptoms resembled pneumonia so closely that there were hardly any doctors who could distinguish between the two.
“...You knew, didn’t you?”
Of course, Evelyn didn’t respond. She was lost in a deep sleep, her lips moving slightly.
Cerden asked in a low voice.
“You drank it without any fear, knowing everything.”
When she drank the wine, Evelyn showed no hesitation. It was as if she was drinking a regular beverage. She didn’t show a hint of fear.
Her sleeping face was incredibly peaceful. As if she had never drunk poison at all. Perhaps the amount was so small that it didn’t cause any intoxication.
Seeing her so calm made him wonder…
‘Does it have no effect on her?’
He had heard of people with unique constitutions that were unaffected by poison. Was Duke Spelman trying to use that to his advantage?
He couldn’t guess what purpose Evelyn was moving for. If she were on Spelman’s side, Veronica would have simply let her drink the potion.
But she had snatched the cup away and drank it herself, even throwing the cup away.
No one suspected Evelyn. Not even Spelman.
“What on earth are you?”
Cerden pressed Evelyn’s cheek again. The soft flesh of her cheeks wrapped around his fingers like whipped cream.
Evelyn’s eyelashes fluttered.
She moved her lips slightly.
“Candy… I don’t like it.”
Cerden, who had been holding his breath thinking she was waking up, covered his mouth as he stared blankly at Evelyn, who was drifting back to sleep.
“Ugh.”
A laugh escaped him without him realizing it.
Morning came quickly. Last night vanished without a trace. Cerden left the still-sleeping Evelyn and exited the bedroom.
Last night, Evelyn showed no reaction to the poison.
Lost in thought, Mortega asked.
“Where did that cup come from? It must be Spelman’s doing, right?”
Mortega followed Cerden closely with a face that showed he would never back down. Just like back in the day when he stubbornly clung to Cerden, pushing him away.
Cerden glanced back at Mortega and replied vaguely.
“Well.”
“Are you absolutely sure you didn’t drink what was in the cup?”
“Yeah.”
“Ha, really. We must find out who the culprit is. You’re not just going to let this go, are you?”
Cerden smiled coldly at Mortega’s words.
He had already sent out secret informants to investigate. The maid who brought the cup had mixed the poison.
When hosting such a masquerade ball, they temporarily hire people, so all sorts of riffraff come together.
He had followed the maid, but she had already become a cold corpse.
Spelman was cruel and left no traces behind.
Cerden’s uncle wouldn’t be able to handle things so neatly.
The problem was how Evelyn was involved in this matter.
He recalled the woman who had fallen asleep in her bed with an innocent, childlike face.
“The evidence has already been erased.”
Mortega cursed under his breath. He couldn’t curse in front of Cerden, so he was suppressing it internally. Despite that, he was honest enough that everything was revealed.
The only reason he kept Mortega around was that. The honesty that showed on his face. Since he was surrounded by those who were deceitful and good at hiding their true intentions, Mortega was a relief.
Of course, he was easily deceived, and if it were Rozalina, she would act like a puppy chasing after a treat.
In that sense, Evelyn was the complete opposite.
She had many secrets and was even more suspicious.
“What should we do then? Should we endure this again?”
Mortega asked with a wronged expression.
“Well.”
Cerden raised his lips coldly. With his eyes narrowed, Cerden moved his lips.
“Didn’t you say Duke Roger would be back soon?”
Mortega was startled by the sudden question and answered.
“Y-yes? Yes. He should have passed through the imperial city by now. He might report on the situation at the border tomorrow, right?”
“Let’s invite Duke Roger and his son to dinner tomorrow. As a token of appreciation for their hard work.”
While Cerden was on the battlefield, Duke Roger had been guarding the northern border and its vicinity. This was to prepare for an ambush, in case they were attacked from two places at once.
Roger was also a renowned knight and a war hero, so he was someone Cerden could trust completely.
He could say that Roger was his only friend, having trained under the same master since childhood.
And Roger had a six-year-old son.
Roger had had his son when he was nineteen, and now was the perfect age to be paired with Evelyn.
Cerden was curious about how Evelyn would react upon seeing Roger. He wondered when Evelyn would reveal her true identity.
Having calculated all this, Cerden raised his lips slightly.
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