Chapter 36
20 minutes.
It was Fiorentia’s walking time. Originally, she had planned to wander for 30 minutes without purpose, but her mind felt restless, so she cut it short by ten.
Even then, the walk seemed long.
When she arrived in front of the room in an instant, Fiorentia hesitated at the doorknob, unable to open it.
Should I have just come back and given it to him after the walk? This is bothering me too much.
If she had been beside him, she could have keenly observed every reaction Theodore made while she read the rules.
She regretted not doing so, but the water had already been spilled.
Sigh… no. Worrying about it won’t solve anything. I’ll just have to face it directly.
Letting out a thin sigh, she braced herself and gripped the doorknob.
Technically, she was supposed to be taking care of him, but Fiorentia didn’t forget that she needed to make a good impression on Theodore. She couldn’t just act condescendingly toward him.
Stepping inside, she noticed Theodore wasn’t lying down like before—he was sitting up.
“Ah, you’re back. Sooner than I expected.”
“…Yeah. It was a bit tiring.”
“Just from that walk?”
“You were watching?”
“I don’t really have anything to do in this room.”
On the table in front of the sofa where Theodore was sitting lay the sheet of rules Fiorentia had given him, neatly placed.
Fiorentia removed her shawl and sat directly across from him.
“Have you read it?”
“Yeah. I read it all. It wasn’t very long anyway.”
He picked up the paper again and quickly scanned the items with a detached expression.
“Impressive.”
His eyes returned to the first line, and he began reading them aloud, one by one.
-
Fiorentia will do her best to help Theodore escape from the Marcella Ducal House.
-
Fiorentia is responsible for Theodore’s safety until he escapes. Therefore, Theodore must cooperate with her as much as possible.
After reading the second item, Theodore chuckled and rubbed his eyebrows roughly. A rather mischievous smile tugged at his lips.
Fiorentia’s red eyes followed his reaction.
“Why? Is there a problem?”
Her voice was calm, but her mind was not.
She worried he might notice the little traps she had set like a word game and fly into a rage.
Her dry laughter lingered, then finally faded.
He seemed to have known from the start that she was watching him with curiosity, and he chose his words carefully.
“No. I’m just… really impressed.”
“Impressed by what?”
“Well… think about it. You didn’t hold back just now.”
“What do you mean?”
“When your half-sister tried to hit me…”
“….”
“Why did you step in front of me?”
“That’s…”
Fiorentia found herself at a loss for words. She couldn’t tell the truth.
Her body had moved before her mind could react, which had startled her too.
But she quickly concocted plausible reasons for her actions.
I’m supposed to protect him until he escapes. I can’t just stand by and watch Desdemona hit him.
Another thought quietly surfaced—this was a chance to show Theodore that someone in the Marcella Ducal House prioritized and protected him.
It’s more effective to act at least once than just talk endlessly.
So, in truth, Fiorentia hadn’t lost anything.
But she couldn’t reveal all that.
Seeing her struggle to answer, Theodore’s face darkened slightly, perhaps interpreting her silence in some way.
“Why can’t you explain?”
Fiorentia finally looked away. Even she knew it was a weak, evasive response.
Still, Theodore didn’t avert his gaze. Fiorentia swallowed and offered a vague reply to buy herself some room.
“I don’t know… my body just moved first.”
Theodore’s jaw tensed slightly, as if he were gritting his teeth.
“That’s a foolish answer, uncharacteristic of you.”
“Foolish…? Being called foolish by someone…”
Fiorentia flared up, ready to retort, but the timing was off—Theodore had already returned his gaze to the paper.
He began reading the next item aloud.
‘Your voice is quite nice.’
-
Theodore must appear soulless in front of others.
-
Theodore must never forcibly remove Fiorentia’s mask under any circumstances.
-
If Theodore escapes from the Marcella Ducal House, he must clearly distinguish ‘debts’ from obligations.
“Fiorentia. Are these all the rules you thought of?”
“Yes. That’s everything.”
She nodded without hesitation.
A low, muffled sound escaped his tightly pressed lips—was he pleased or displeased? Fiorentia couldn’t tell.
His eyes were fixed on the paper, dissecting every word with a sharp, relentless gaze.
“Is there a problem?”
Unable to suppress her anxiety, Fiorentia asked again.
“Problem? No, not at all.”
Theodore tilted the corners of his lips in a formal smile and shook his head.
His black hair partially covered his eyes. When he took a deep breath, his chest expanded, revealing muscles under his white shirt that gave off a commanding presence.
Fiorentia felt her heart tighten involuntarily.
He said there’s no problem… so why does the atmosphere feel so tense?
She swallowed dryly, feeling the pressure in her chest.
Finally, Theodore’s lips parted, and his blue gaze met hers again.
“To be honest, the rules mostly work in your favor.”
He tapped the paper with his finger as he shared his thoughts.
“Other than pretending to be a doll, I don’t lose anything.”
Could this… be a friendly signal?
Did he not notice at all?
Fiorentia was slightly taken aback that he didn’t challenge anything she expected him to.
She decided she wouldn’t correct him either.
“Then there’s no need to argue.”
“Exactly.”
Still, Theodore hesitated slightly, as if he had more to say, but he swallowed his words.
Something… has changed.
Fiorentia noticed his attitude toward her had softened.
Maybe a little… gentler?
Had it been because she had stepped in for him earlier?
The wall he had built around himself seemed to have crumbled a little.
“Theo, is there anything you want to add?”
She was willing to accommodate reasonable requests.
“My wishes…”
Theodore murmured in a low voice. The chill in his tone made Fiorentia shiver, and she instinctively ran her hand along her arm to soothe the goosebumps.
