Chapter 69
The sun was slowly setting.
A brief silence hung over the sitting room, bathed in the reddish glow of the sunset.
Rebecca, who had been quietly watching Julian, was the first to speak.
“How have you been? I heard you were unwell.”
“Ah, I’m fine now. You must have been waiting for a reply without knowing the reason. Sorry about that.”
“I waited a little, but I understand since you were unwell.”
“If you’re not angry, then why won’t you meet my eyes?”
“Huh?”
At those words, Rebecca looked at Julian.
Unlike the plain appearance she had glimpsed before, he was now fully dressed and adorned.
Julian had pushed his bangs back, revealing his well-proportioned forehead.
He wore a suit that perfectly highlighted his stylish physique.
Rebecca’s gaze swept down his long legs.
Unlike his smooth calves, his thighs were full of bulging muscles.
It was a sight that made one swallow involuntarily.
“Oh, so you’re not avoiding me—it’s just that you’re so handsome you don’t know where to look?”
“What!”
Rebecca looked at him in bewilderment.
His golden eyes sparkled as he looked at her.
“Then I’ll give you time to appreciate it. You can look a bit more.”
Julian smoothed the wrinkles in his vest and sat up straight.
He genuinely seemed to enjoy Rebecca’s gaze.
Feeling as if her inner thoughts had been read, Rebecca frowned and glared at him.
“Too much confidence can be dangerous, Julian.”
“It’s strange to hide it when you have it.”
Seeing Rebecca pout at his words, Julian quietly rejoiced inside.
Her reaction made him glad he had hurriedly dressed up.
Since he was a child, his mother had always told him:
“Julian, a man’s appearance is everything. I endure your father because of his handsome looks. Fortunately, you inherited his good looks. But don’t let your guard down—always strive to maintain your appearance.”
With those words, his mother had handed him a small mirror.
Though he didn’t particularly long for his mother, Julian always carried that mirror with him.
His dedication to grooming himself wasn’t only because of his mother’s strict philosophy.
The House of Duke Johannes was like a symbol of the temple and empire.
Having to appear at official ceremonies, he had to always present himself beautifully.
So, like a peacock tending its feathers, it was natural for him to groom himself meticulously.
In fact, showing his raw, unpolished self felt uncomfortable.
Moreover, if Rebecca could steal glances at him like she was now, he could imagine spending his life fully dressed from head to toe, even to bed.
Watching him strut so confidently, Rebecca couldn’t help but smile.
He still made her laugh.
“Well… he is handsome.”
“Huh?”
At Rebecca’s honest reply, Julian blinked.
“You are handsome. Every time you walk by, everyone—men and women alike—can’t take their eyes off you. And it looks like you use that to your advantage, which I think is good.”
“Good…?”
“Yes.”
Rebecca finished her sentence with a sip of tea.
Then she glanced at Julian, who was covering his flushed face with the back of his hand.
A mischievous urge to tease him slowly rose within her.
But Rebecca restrained herself. She needed to maintain a proper distance from him.
“Shall we talk about the plan from here on out?”
Rebecca turned her gaze to the briefcase she had brought.
She placed the bag in front of her and pulled out a scroll of paper.
Julian looked at the scroll with a slightly uninterested expression.
“What’s that?”
Instead of answering, Rebecca moved all the teacups and plates on the table onto a trolley.
She then spread the scroll across the tea table. It was large enough to nearly cover the whole table.
“It’s a bird’s-eye view. I drew the structure of the Devonshire mansion as far as I know. There may be other secret passages, though.”
“How does that relate to the plan?”
“Of course it does. We need to uncover the Devonshire Count’s secrets. We have to infiltrate this place.”
Rebecca tapped on the library area with her finger.
“Zeppelin’s library is off-limits to anyone not authorized. Even a hound can’t enter. So there must be something here.”
Julian examined the bird’s-eye view in detail. It wasn’t perfect, but it was good enough for a craftsman’s apprentice.
He almost let out a sound of admiration.
‘What is there that this woman can’t do?’
She seemed capable of succeeding at anything.
Anger rose in him toward Zeppelin, who had imprisoned Rebecca.
‘Should I have smashed his face back then…?’
Julian recalled the time he had broken into the Emperor’s villa and struck Zeppelin’s face.
He felt he had been too lenient back then.
As he clenched and unclenched his fist, Rebecca pulled out another scroll.
“This one shows the layout from the entrance to the backyard. I marked the holes and secret passages the hounds I bribed told me about. And here—The Hall of Light. This is the most important.”
“The Hall of Light? Oh, I’ve been there once. It just seemed like a normal exhibition hall. Is there more?”
“There’s a torture chamber underground.”
“What?”
“Why are you surprised? Most nobles have private prisons or torture chambers. But that’s not the issue. Robert Marlow said there’s another door inside.”
“Rebecca, just so you don’t misunderstand, the Duke’s mansion doesn’t have a torture chamber. He has no such hobbies.”
Julian said firmly.
Rumors about his womanizing had somehow been twisted to suggest he had a sadistic streak.
People from clubs catering to that preference had even contacted him secretly.
No matter how much he refused, they persisted, giving him chills to this day.
Rebecca, seeing Julian tense, smiled faintly.
“I think I mentioned before, right? I know better than anyone that you’re purer than any lily. No need to worry. I won’t make such strange assumptions. And I have no intention of learning about your tastes.”
“How can you guarantee that…?”
“I’ll tell you the plan properly now.”
Rebecca cut Julian off before he could speak further.
Julian paused, staring intently at her.
Until now, he had dismissed it as his imagination, but now he was certain. Rebecca was avoiding him.
A complicated feeling settled in his chest.
Regardless of the reason, the fact that she was avoiding him made his heart tighten.
‘Damn.’
Sometimes, when talking to her, it felt as if an invisible wall stood before him.
Rebecca often looked as if she were staring into a distant future he couldn’t read.
And instinctively, he felt he wasn’t part of that future.
He wanted desperately to ask why, but he didn’t speak rashly.
He decided to wait.
Wait until Rebecca voluntarily revealed it to him.
Even a simple question could shatter someone’s heart.
Julian had been haunted by such questions his whole life.
Being in the spotlight meant enduring these inevitably invasive queries that dredged up memories and thoughts one would rather forget.
Repeatedly repairing a broken heart made him shut himself off.
He assumed Rebecca wasn’t any different.
So he thought, if he knocked on the door patiently, like Rebecca had done with him, her heart would open someday.
“Let’s get engaged.”
Rebecca blinked, then said firmly.
Her words were romantic, but her expression was resolute.
“What…?”
“Did you hear me properly? Let’s get engaged.”
“Right.”
Julian grabbed her hand tightly. He felt as if he couldn’t let go.
Rebecca raised her eyebrows in disbelief and withdrew her hand from his.
Julian stared at his empty hand in shock.
“You weren’t listening properly. Listen closely. We’ll attend the Devonshire Count’s autumn ball and announce our engagement there. And a few weeks later, we’ll have the wedding.”
“The autumn ball?”
“Yes. The Devonshires hold an annual autumn ball to showcase the exhibits in the Hall of Light. Zeppelin, who loves attention, enjoys this the most. So we’ll go there and steal the spotlight.”
“Ball… huh.”
Julian had attended the Devonshire autumn ball several times.
It was always a masquerade, which meant he could enjoy the event without being bothered by acquaintances.
“Oh, so that’s why you said I needed to recover by autumn.”
“Right. There’s no better chance for infiltration than the autumn ball. All staff will be focused on the banquet hall.”
“Oh, I heard the Devonshire Count lost his memory. Ironically, he banged his head on my castle gate on the day you divorced him, trying to find you. He’s smart enough to have figured out your relationship quickly.”
“I know.”
Rebecca smiled subtly.
“I expected as much, but how did you know?”
“Thanks to you. You gave me the opportunity, so most of the hounds came under my control. Knowing I safely divorced the Count seems to have solidified their resolve. Oh, and that kid Colin, he’s yours, right?”
Julian shrugged at Rebecca’s sharp observation.
“I can’t beat you.”
“A newly arrived unidentified hound. He didn’t seem completely on Zeppelin’s side and didn’t take my hand. But from what he’s done, he seemed to help my plan. Then who else could it be? Julian, that’s you.”
“Now I’m getting a bit creeped out. I’d better not do anything that would make you dislike me.”
“Good thinking. I return as much as I receive.”
“I’ll engrave that in my heart.”
Julian made an X over his chest, a mark to remember until his heart stopped.
