Chapter 49
She didn’t want to inconvenience Ash if she could help it. But she couldn’t stop worrying about what might happen if Aria were ever in danger again. Until they found a proper place to stay, wouldn’t it be best to remain in the lord’s castle? With that thought, she agreed for the time being.
Ash brought along one large carriage and two wagons to carry their belongings.
When she had sent word ahead, she had emphasized that it would only be for a “short while.” She hadn’t planned to stay long, so she was caught off guard. Ash approached as she stood there flustered. For the first time in a long while, his face was free from the curse, restored to its original state.
But the moment their eyes met, Ash instantly turned his head halfway aside. Charlotte took a step closer. As the distance between them closed, his shoulders twitched.
“It hasn’t been long since the curse subsided, so you need not worry.”
“Then… it will improve with time?”
“Yes.”
Ash closed his eyes briefly, then turned back toward her. His gaze wavered, but soon steadied. The curse had only hidden itself—never truly gone—forever lingering around him. It was terrifying.
“How do you know when the curse has lifted?”
“There are several ways… but usually, I check people’s eyes.”
“Their eyes?”
“There are no mirrors inside the castle. No glassware either. Even the windows are sealed. So, when the scales disappear and my hair turns ash-gray again, I summon a subordinate and look into their eyes—to see if my reflection appears in their pupils.”
Ash rubbed the back of his hand where scales once grew and gave a faint, wry smile.
“But even that method can’t be fully trusted.”
“……”
“Once, I thought I saw my reflection in a subordinate’s eyes, so I rushed out to resume work… but it turned out it wasn’t me reflected at all, but someone standing behind me. After that, I stayed shut away in my office and study for quite a while, even after the curse had already receded.”
The way his fingers pressed against his skin revealed his tension. Charlotte regretted ever being upset when he’d lied to her. She shouldn’t have taken it personally. If he couldn’t even use a glass cup, the curse was far more overwhelming and psychologically tormenting than she had imagined.
She wondered if there was any way she could help. She couldn’t dispel the curse—but at least she wanted to ease his unease.
“Your Grace, do you still feel uncertain now?”
“…A little. Pupils aren’t as large as mirrors, after all. I could be mistaken.”
“What about looking from up close?”
“I’ve no wish to stare closely into the eyes of grown men.”
He chuckled faintly as he said it, but the smile soon vanished, and his hand drifted once again over the spot where scales had once grown.
Meeting people’s eyes was already difficult when the curse had only just lifted. To suggest that he scrutinize another’s pupils at close range—it did sound foolish.
She noticed how Ash had grown unusually quiet, his complexion darkening.
“Your scales…”
“…Pardon?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Scales? Charlotte quickly scanned his face. There were none—not even the hint of new ones forming. He must have been overly sensitive, mistaking it because of his fear of the curse. Likely, he had almost asked, ‘Are there scales on my face?’
When Charlotte gently shook her head, Ash exhaled softly. As if confirming his suspicion, he covered half his face with one hand. Charlotte stepped closer.
“…If you don’t mind, would you like to look into my eyes?”
“!”
“If it makes you uncomfortable, you don’t have to.”
It was the only thing she could offer—the use of her eyes. Perhaps it was a small thing, but it was something. Still, she worried that she might only be making him uneasy. But easing fear sooner rather than later was always better for one’s spirit. She knew that well.
Ash widened his eyes in surprise at her offer, then narrowed them, chuckling softly. Charlotte startled when he leaned closer, bending at the waist until their faces were only a finger’s breadth apart. She clasped her hands tightly.
“…Gladly.”
Their gazes locked, so close they seemed to intertwine. Charlotte’s heart raced, but she didn’t flinch or pull back. For a moment, she forgot everything—his silver eyes shimmered like swirling mist, beautiful as glass orbs.
Perhaps this was what “like crystal” was meant to describe. She couldn’t help but stare in wonder.
The longer their eyes held, the more Ash’s gaze trembled, his blinks growing slower, his lashes still. He felt every heavy thump of his heartbeat resound through his chest.
As always, Charlotte was beautiful. His hand twitched, reaching toward her, only to draw back again.
“When we were children, you often sat by my door playing with a teddy bear, hoping I would come out and join you.”
“!”
“I’ll never forget the first time I opened that door and saw you.”
It was a sudden recollection for Charlotte, but not for Ash. Through the years of leaving the Blanche Marquisate, returning north, and bearing the burdens of a young duke, he had never forgotten her.
He hadn’t thought of her constantly—it would be a lie to claim that. His duties, the endless flood of work, often pushed such memories aside.
But he had never truly forgotten.
“Your eyes were so lovely then. Sparkling, like a night sky full of stars…”
If Ronan had given him life by saving him, then Charlotte had breathed color into an existence that was otherwise all but dead.
“…And they’re still just as beautiful.”
He remembered everything—the way her face lit up when their eyes met, the rosy blush on her pale cheeks, the gentle curve of her gaze, the navy-blue eyes that seemed to shine only for him. From that moment, a ray of light had pierced his curse-stained, miserable life.
The gnawing anxiety and dread that clung to him began to ease.
“…I’ve spoken too much. Thank you, for your kindness.”
With some reluctance, Ash finally stepped back. Charlotte belatedly looked away, cheeks warming. She worried she might have stared too long. His eyes had been like pearls, mesmerizing her. His mention of childhood memories had only deepened the spell.
She hoped she hadn’t offended him. But contrary to her fears, Ash was smiling—not a polite formality, but a genuine smile. Warmth returned to his pale features, his worries and gloom vanished, and Charlotte felt relieved.
“I’ve always been the one to receive Your Grace’s help, so I wondered what I could ever do in return. I’m glad it helped, even in some small way.”
Charlotte smiled gently back.
“I’d like to be of help to you again. If something like this happens in the future, please, come to me.”
Ash nodded.
But he resolved never again to let her mention his curse. He would be more cautious, so she wouldn’t even need to worry. After all, his curse was ominous, deadly—innocent people had once lost their lives to it. He would not let Charlotte be entangled in it.
Still, even just her warm words had helped more than enough. That alone was sufficient.
Then something cold brushed his cheek. Ash, like Charlotte, tilted his head upward. Snow had begun to fall, heavy flakes swirling thickly, heralding an oncoming storm.
A sweet, birdlike voice rang from behind. It was Aria.
“Mom! Anna said all the luggage is packed!”
“Really? Then shall we ride together in the carriage, Aria?”
Charlotte spread her arms to catch her daughter as she hopped like a rabbit—but unusually, Aria didn’t leap straight into her embrace. Instead, she gazed up at Ash.
Fingering the fur of her round little cape, she tilted her head curiously. Having learned to read her thoughts somewhat, Ash scooped her into his arms.
As he patted her back, Aria broke into a bright smile, nestling against him.
“Your Grace, you can give Aria to me.”
“It’s fine. She’s grown heavier. I used to worry she was too light.”
“Aria’s heavy?”
“Even so, you’re still below the normal weight for your age. You’ll need to eat more, Aria.”
“I eat a lot! Bread with jam, fluffy cake, and then—”
Each time she bent a finger to count, Ash hummed, “I see. And then?” nodding in rhythm.
“Aria eats sooo, sooo much!”
“Then that’s good.”
“But Mommy doesn’t eat much.”
“…Hm?”
Charlotte, smiling fondly, froze as her name was suddenly dragged into it. Ash turned silently toward her.
“She always gives the tasty meat to me.”
“Aria! Didn’t I eat with you this morning?”
“You only had the soup pieces…”
“No, I ate plenty too.”
It wasn’t that she refused to eat—she had simply been too busy checking everything before leaving Steria Castle. True, she ate lightly compared to most, but still…
“Don’t worry. From now on, at every mealtime, I’ll personally escort both you and Aria to the dining hall.”
“Then Your Grace will eat with us too?”
“I…”
Ash hesitated, then nodded. Aria beamed, wrapping her arms around his neck.
“Pinky promise, okay?”
“…Yes. I promise.”
“I’ve always wanted to eat together as a family!”
Charlotte, suddenly branded as a woman who hardly ate, froze at her daughter’s next words.
“My wish was to eat a family meal together.”
