<Chapter 33>
Felix gazed quietly at Erica.
Even though he knew the child was intimidated by him, he didn’t look away.
His tone was just as relaxed.
“I won’t be able to spare much time for you.”
“I-it’s alright,” Erica replied, her voice tense.
She swallowed dryly and forced a smile.
“I’m just grateful you agreed to meet me at all.”
“You’re sweet,” Felix replied, his red lips curling into a faint smile.
Though he was smiling at her, Erica couldn’t relax.
She had already realized that Felix was testing her.
Ever since Sebastian mentioned Felix wanted to meet her, she had rehearsed this meeting countless times in her head.
Where and how they’d meet.
What she’d say when greeting him for the first time.
But never, not once, had she prepared for a situation like this.
It felt like a surprise attack.
She hadn’t brought the flowers she had wanted to give him, or the card she had written…
Still, she did her best to appear calm.
Felix gave her an even deeper smile.
Erica thought he smiled more often than she had expected.
And yet, for some reason, he felt far colder than the usually blunt Sebastian.
“You’re as cute and pretty as I heard.”
Though it was probably just polite flattery, Erica couldn’t help but feel pleased.
With wide eyes, she looked up at him and asked carefully,
“Have you heard about me?”
Seeing the question in her eyes, Felix thought she was an easy child to read.
He began to understand, at least a little, why Sebastian was so generous with her.
‘She’s nothing like that sly fox, Jonathan.’
Felix reached for a cigarette out of habit—then realized his hands were empty and let out a sigh.
‘Am I reaching my limit?’
The fact that he could only endure for such a short time made him chuckle bitterly.
His insides burned, but he didn’t show it.
“My son couldn’t stop praising how pretty you are.”
“L-Lord Sebastian said that?”
Erica’s eyes widened even more.
It was hard to believe—Sebastian, who always seemed so stiff and cold around her, had said such a thing?
It felt unreal, but she was undeniably pleased.
Her round cheeks, still babyish, turned pink like peaches.
Parched, Felix drank some tea instead of lighting a cigarette.
But the lukewarm tea only made his thirst worse.
“Aren’t you curious why I haven’t met you until now?”
“Ah…”
Erica, who had taken a small sip of her own tea, trailed off and looked away.
“I figured… you must be busy.”
“Well, that’s part of it.”
Felix noticed her gaze shift toward the cane resting beside his chair.
“You’ve got a sharp eye,” he said lightly with a smile.
Erica flinched as if she had been caught doing something wrong and quickly looked away.
“Oh, there’s no need for that expression,” Felix said with a cold smile, pulling the cane in front of him.
He fiddled with it as he spoke calmly.
“My body is not in good condition.”
“……”
“Very few people in the family know this. It’s a secret.”
As he finished speaking, he extended his right hand to his left arm.
“You might be surprised. I’ll apologize in advance.”
With a single motion, he pulled up the robe covering his hand.
What appeared was skin that had turned black.
“Gasp!”
Erica froze, gasping involuntarily.
Felix continued as if nothing had happened.
“This is what I’ve become. Not very pleasant to look at, is it?”
But he didn’t stop there.
He picked up the teacup he had just been drinking from and poured the contents over his left arm.
“F-Father!”
Erica jumped up, her face pale.
“Oh no! Let me wipe it—!”
“Don’t worry. Fortunately or unfortunately, I can’t feel heat anymore because of this condition.”
At that moment, Vincent, who had been standing quietly in the distance, stepped forward with a sigh.
He pulled a handkerchief from his chest and gently wiped Felix’s arm.
Felix didn’t stop him. Instead, he kept his gaze fixed on the now deathly pale Erica.
“Now, make your choice, daughter-in-law.”
Erica looked at him, overwhelmed and frightened.
“Ch-choice?”
Felix’s red eyes curled wickedly.
With a deceptively kind voice, he said:
“Will you tell your father… or keep it a secret?”
“W-what do you mean…?”
Erica drew in a shaky breath.
Cracks formed in her golden eyes.
She had never had any ulterior motives.
Just like she had eventually grown closer with the awkward servants in the ducal estate, she had genuinely wanted to get along with Felix too.
That was all.
“I don’t think your father sent you all the way out here for no reason,” Felix said, no longer smiling.
Erica felt as though something enormous and invisible was pressing down on her.
She couldn’t breathe.
Her entire body seemed to go cold.
Something went wrong with her throat.
“Cough!”
Her small, delicate body jolted violently.
She doubled over, her face turning blue from lack of air.
“Cough! Cough!”
She clutched at her throat with her tiny hands.
“…!”
Felix’s red eyes widened in alarm.
“Vincent!”
“Lady Erica!”
Clatter.
Felix rose abruptly.
His chair fell back with a crash, but no one paid it any mind.
At the same time, Erica gasped roughly, struggling to breathe.
Her breathing was erratic and wouldn’t settle.
She tried to suppress it, pressing her small hands to her lips.
Then she felt something hot seeping through her fingers.
When she moved her trembling hands away from her mouth, she saw red.
Bright red blood, the same color as her hair, stained her small hands.
With a hoarse voice, Erica barely managed to whisper,
“I… I’m okay.”
In a voice so faint it could vanish at any moment, she repeated,
“I’m not like that… I’m not…”
That was as far as she got.
The frail girl finally collapsed after coughing up blood.
Felix’s face hardened.
“Vincent! Get a doctor! Now!”
“Yes, Your Grace!”
The butler moved swiftly, panicked.
“Damn it all…”
Felix, usually so composed, knelt on one knee and gently laid Erica flat on the ground.
“She’s coughing up blood…”
Curses slipped through his clenched teeth.
Capital City — Marquis Blanche’s Estate
In his office, Jonathan Blanche received a visit from his butler.
“Sir, a letter has arrived from the Duke of Ackliff’s estate.”
Jonathan’s brow furrowed instantly.
“What now? They just sent something recently.”
Not long ago, he had received news that the wet nurse’s daughter—now disguised as his own—had safely arrived at the Ackliff estate.
Along with that had come the side note that Bompiju, the head maid who accompanied her, had died due to an encounter—officially with bandits.
Though it surprised him slightly, that was the extent of his reaction.
He didn’t feel even a shred of sympathy.
He knew Bompiju had served him loyally for a long time, but in the end, she was just a subordinate—disposable.
Jonathan Blanche was not a warm or gentle master who concerned himself with such things.
He had simply ordered compensation be sent to her remaining family.
The monster-related incident was classified, so it had been covered up as a bandit attack.
So why another letter so soon?
‘Even if we’re in-laws now, the Ackliffs wouldn’t be so eager to get close this quickly…’
Noticing his master’s confusion, the butler added a brief explanation.
“It seems the young lady has collapsed.”
“…Tch.”
Jonathan’s face twisted in annoyance.
“She’s quite a handful.”
Already sharp, his features turned even more irritable.
He tore open the letter envelope roughly.
As he grasped the edge of the letter, the paper began to crumple under his grip.
Displeasure grew in his eyes.
The letter from the ducal house was polite.
It explained that Erica had collapsed.
Being young and unfamiliar with her surroundings, she was anxious—so they requested someone trustworthy be sent to her.
Jonathan clicked his tongue.
“Is that girl scheming already?”
He wasn’t pleased.
He suspected the letter hinted at Julia—his other daughter.
