Chapter 74
Dyke’s Assault (3)
“It was my father’s accident.”
“……”
“There were many strange points about the accident, but nobody other than me tried to investigate it. And I couldn’t, because there was no one to help me. But now it’s different.”
Riena stepped closer to the Countess and spoke firmly, pressing each word.
“I will uncover the entire truth together with Duke Winkler. Can you still hold your head high then?”
“What nonsense are you saying now? Are you implying that I killed my husband?”
She tried to sound composed, but the Countess’s voice trembled faintly.
“I never said that. Unless… something comes to mind for you?”
“You—you ungrateful girl, after all I’ve done for you…!”
Unable to contain her fury, the Countess of Dyke raised her right hand high into the air.
And then—
Smack!
Just like she used to at the Dyke estate, she struck Riena’s cheek with all her strength. Holding her burning face, Riena looked dazed, but her eyes met the Countess’s glare. Riena stared right back.
This was not the Count’s estate. Back then, she let it pass to avoid scandal, but here, she could not. This wasn’t just about her—it concerned the honor of House Winkler.
But before Riena could respond—
“What on earth do you think you’re doing?”
A voice that should not have been audible in this room rang out. Cassel strode quickly toward Riena.
“Cassel?”
“Your Grace, it’s not what it looks like—”
“Are you all right?”
He didn’t even spare a glance for the Countess or Bianca. His eyes were only on Riena.
“I’m fine… it’s nothing.”
Riena lowered her head to hide her reddened cheek. The blow itself was nothing—if she iced it quickly, the swelling would fade soon enough.
But her heart hurt more than her cheek. She felt humiliated, miserable. She only ever wanted Cassel to see her at her best…
“Please wait outside. Our talk isn’t over yet.”
Barely holding back her tears, Riena pressed her hands against Cassel’s chest to push him away. But he didn’t budge. Instead, he stepped closer, lowering his head just to catch a glimpse of her face.
“How can you say this is nothing?”
He saw the mark she couldn’t quite cover with her hand, and anger flashed in his voice.
“Do you consider this nothing? Or is it that…”
His sharp gaze turned toward the restless Countess.
“…you’ve lived your whole life enduring this kind of contempt?”
Strictly speaking, the latter was true. But Riena had a bad feeling that admitting it would only make matters worse.
Cassel seemed to read the truth in her silence. He turned to the butler standing outside the door and commanded:
“What are you waiting for? Escort these people out at once.”
His voice wasn’t loud, but it carried the force of a shout.
The butler entered with servants and began forcing the Countess and Bianca out.
“Your Grace, it’s a misunderstanding! It’s not like that—”
Cassel dismissed the Countess’s frantic protests with ice-cold words.
“Lady Dyke already belongs to me. Any treatment toward her is the same as toward me.”
“But…”
“Because you are her family, I will overlook this offense just this once. Do not test my patience again.”
The moment Cassel spoke his warning, the servants shoved the Countess and Bianca out of the reception room without waiting further.
“Your Grace, please, listen to me!”
The two women resisted as much as they could, but in the end, they were expelled.
“I apologize. Such a thing will never happen again.”
“……”
After gauging Cassel’s mood, the butler withdrew. With the door shut tight, only Cassel and Riena remained.
Cassel guided Riena to the sofa and knelt down on one knee in front of her.
His eyes were rimmed red with an emotion that was somewhere between anger and sorrow.
“Ah…”
It was the very image she’d seen in her dreams—the expression of a man pained by her wounds, whose hands trembled even to touch a single finger of hers.
A man who seemed fearless in all the world, now fretting helplessly over a mere scratch on her.
Riena felt both a strange joy and a wistful ache. It made her realize just how deeply she mattered in his life.
If—if she ever left his side, would this man be able to endure?
Until recently, she thought he could.
〈I was happy because of you, and unhappy without you. I cannot endure that pain again.〉
But after hearing those words, Riena began to fear Cassel might not be able to survive if he were left alone.
Unlike in her dreams, she could move freely now. Almost without thinking, she lifted her hand and brushed her thumb across his eyes.
Though no tears fell, his cheeks felt as though he had been crying. She stroked them softly with her palm. Cassel carefully caught her hand then, pressing his lips firmly against her palm.
“I don’t ever want to see you hurt again.”
His breath burned against her skin. Entranced, Riena missed the hidden weight in his words.
“I kept you by my side to protect you, and yet…”
“But you already have.”
Riena stroked his hair with her free hand. Pushing back the dark strands from his forehead, she saw his eyes more clearly.
“If it weren’t for you, I’d already be trapped as Viscountess Rotman. Or worse…”
She gave a bitter smile, thinking of Johannes’s face.
“…I might even have been betrothed to Sir Beliar.”
Perhaps it was her imagination, but Cassel seemed more shaken at Johannes’s name than Rotman’s. His throat bobbed visibly as he swallowed.
“You’ve already changed my entire life.”
Riena gently cupped his face with both hands and locked eyes with him up close.
“So don’t make that face.”
“……”
“Don’t be sad over something like this.”
Cassel said nothing more. He squeezed his eyes shut, steadying his breath.
Riena waited patiently, silently, until he calmed his emotions. With him, she could wait forever.
At last, Cassel opened his eyes and asked,
“What exactly did you and the Countess talk about?”
Riena answered honestly.
“It’s obvious. The Dyke finances aren’t in good shape. My mother said since she didn’t receive a dowry from House Winkler, she wants money.”
“……”
“You’ve already paid off Dyke’s debts once. And yet she shamelessly asked for more. I would’ve ignored her nonsense—if not for Aaron.”
Her throat tightened. Cassel stroked the back of her hand reassuringly.
She forced herself to continue.
“She said Aaron is ill. I don’t know if it’s true, but according to her, he’s quite sick. She even claimed they can’t afford to see a physician, so she begged me to at least save Aaron.”
It hurt. Not only Aaron’s possible illness, but also having to explain all this miserably to Cassel.
She wanted him to see only her best, yet why did she always end up showing him only this?
Unable to meet his gaze, she lowered her head.
“I don’t want to give her money. Who knows what she’ll use it for. But if Aaron really is sick, I can’t ignore it. He may not have been close to me, but he’s still my precious brother.”
“I understand. I feel something similar for Noah.”
“……”
“So, what do you wish to do? I’ll follow your will.”
Still bowing her head, Riena murmured,
“If it’s possible, I’d like to send House Winkler’s physician. And have medicine provided until Aaron recovers.”
Cassel replied without the slightest hesitation.
“Very well. I’ll send him at once.”
“And… could I go with him, just once, to see Aaron myself?”
“Of course. But I’ll go with you.”
“…Thank you.”
“It’s only right.”
“Still… thank you.”
Instead of answering, Cassel pressed his lips firmly against her hand once more before rising.
“On another note, we’ll need to hurry with the wedding.”
