Chapter 10
Such a nuisance.
Everything about it irritated him—how she kept lingering around him, how she constantly managed to occupy his thoughts.
She had been the one to say they should live without taking an interest in each other.
So he’d done exactly that.
Had she suddenly changed her mind?
“Leak the information to one of our business partners.”
“Observe carefully how they react.”
“…Pardon?”
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“I’m telling you to test them.”
I thought she was a useless child…
Yet she has remarkably sharp instincts for these things.
“But how does that child know about all of our businesses?”
“I… don’t know either.”
It made no sense.
These were operations that had been conducted in complete secrecy.
How had she seen through every single one?
Rion Davis.
Could that child be a spy sent by the Imperial Family…
Or someone else?
“I’ve heard those two have become rather close lately.”
“Not just close, my lord.”
“They’re practically together every day.”
“Keep watching.”
At seven years old, it wouldn’t have mattered.
But he was already ten.
His growth spurt would come soon.
Even now, Rion was already taller than Elle.
Who knew how much larger the gap would become?
“He only recognizes Elle, doesn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“It seems he identifies her by her distinguishing features.”
“What a strange boy.”
“It’s not as though she has anything particularly distinctive.”
“Well, what could possibly happen?”
“He’ll leave once he reaches adulthood.”
“You could simply think of it as sponsorship.”
Supporting him wasn’t difficult.
The concern was whether the boy might be harboring other intentions.
They’re still children now.
Neither of them understands.
But once their soulmate marks appear…
Whether they want it or not…
They’ll drift apart.
Even if they loved each other…
Those feelings would mean nothing before the soulmate mark.
Perhaps it was better if they never developed such feelings in the first place.
“If he shows even the slightest sign of suspicious behavior…”
“You may kill him.”
“…My lord?”
“But—”
“If he becomes a threat to House Bellois…”
“Remove him.”
“…Even if that’s true…”
“Young Miss will be devastated if she finds out.”
Edgar let out a quiet laugh.
Wasn’t she the daughter who already treated him like her greatest enemy?
Becoming an even worse man…
Wouldn’t change anything.
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Kill him.”
“…”
“What are you hesitating for?”
“It’s no different from everything we’ve done until now.”
“Or have you suddenly discovered a conscience?”
At Edgar’s icy voice, the head butler hurriedly bowed.
“As you command.”
Even among children…
There were those trained to become perfect spies.
It wasn’t an unreasonable suspicion.
Perhaps…
Blood would soon be spilled in the Count’s estate once again.
* * *
“Hmm…”
Rion frowned as he looked down at the book lying open before him.
He slowly closed the cover.
<Ten Ways to Win a Lady’s Heart>
“What a complete lie.”
He had stumbled across it in the Count family’s library and secretly borrowed it.
He hadn’t fully believed it…
But he had thought it wouldn’t hurt to try.
“Instead…”
“I just got smacked on the hand.”
Remembering the sting on the back of his hand, Rion collapsed backward onto his bed.
Rather than seeing him as charming…
Elle had simply scolded him like an older sister correcting her mischievous little brother.
He suddenly sat upright and walked over to the mirror.
Pitch-black hair.
Large eyes.
Crimson irises that only Elle ever saw.
Snow-white skin.
Full lips.
Wasn’t Elle always telling him how beautiful he was?
Yet every time he looked at his own face…
It felt unfamiliar.
To recognize people…
He memorized their habits.
Their voices.
Their scents.
Anything except their faces.
“Is this really me?”
“…It doesn’t feel like me.”
Covering his face, Rion doubled over in pain.
Being unable to recognize even his own face…
Felt like living in hell.
“I’m exhausted.”
It had taken him years just to memorize the handful of servants living in the Count’s estate.
It had only been possible because so few people attended Elle.
Even then…
He merely managed to identify them roughly.
If someone changed even a little—
A different hairstyle…
Different clothes…
He immediately lost track of who they were.
Staring into the mirror, he muttered,
“That’s strange…”
“The book said handsome men succeed every time.”
It wasn’t simply because he believed Elle whenever she called him handsome.
Perhaps…
She only said those things to make him feel better.
I never should’ve trusted that book.
Lowering his head, he remembered something Elle had once said.
“When we become adults…”
We’ll have to separate.
He didn’t want to leave her.
He wanted to stay beside her forever.
He wanted to watch her grow older.
He wanted to know what expression she’d wear in front of the person she loved.
He wanted to see what Elle would look like as the years passed.
The emptiness inside him…
Only grew stronger.
“If I never become an adult…”
“…Would I never have to leave?”
No…
If that happened…
The Count would probably send him away to be adopted somewhere else.
If a fully grown child suddenly became an infant again…
Everyone would truly believe he was cursed.
“Then what should I…”
Suddenly…
He remembered something else Elle had once said.
Marriage.
Wasn’t marriage the only way for two people to stay together forever?
Once I become an adult… my soulmate mark will appear.
Elle belonged to the rare group of people who would never develop a soulmate mark.
Which meant…
The moment his own mark appeared…
He would inevitably fall in love with someone else.
Would he even recognize her face?
No…
He wouldn’t even recognize the face of the person he was destined to love.
Rion recognized Elle.
But he continued pretending that he couldn’t.
If his greatest weakness disappeared…
Elle might throw him out.
“I can’t allow that.”
He couldn’t imagine loving anyone except Elle.
Those feelings wouldn’t be his own.
They wouldn’t be genuine.
And so…
He made a decision.
If anyone ever became the owner of his soulmate mark…
He would kill them…
Before the mark ever had a chance to awaken.
* * *
I spotted Rion resting in the garden after finishing his training.
He must be tired.
Quietly, I walked toward him as he leaned against a tree with his eyes closed.
“You’re so pretty.”
Even with his eyes shut…
He looked flawless.
I could probably spend an entire day just staring at him without getting bored.
“Elle?”
“Did I wake you?”
Maybe I’d been staring too intensely.
Rion slowly called my name.
“How did you know it was me?”
“Because…”
“You’re the only person who stares at me like that.”
I couldn’t help laughing.
“True.”
“That’s definitely true.”
Long eyelashes cast soft shadows across his cheeks.
His eyes slowly opened…
And our gazes met.
It’s been a while…
Since I last saw those red eyes.
Without realizing it, I let out a quiet breath of admiration.
“Rion.”
“Your eyes are really beautiful.”
“…You’re the only one who says that.”
People always claimed…
That because of those crimson eyes…
He couldn’t even recognize his own family.
And it was true.
He couldn’t remember anyone’s face.
That was precisely why I’d been able to bring him here without worry.
It would be troublesome…
If he ever remembered me.
“That’s why I taught you the trick.”
“Memorize people’s distinguishing features.”
I gently brushed his pale cheek.
His skin was smooth and flawless…
But the scattered scars across it still made my heart ache.
“But…”
“It’s hard to remember people who don’t have any special features.”
“And I can’t exactly hide my black hair.”
“The ones making fun of your hair are the foolish ones.”
“It’s more beautiful than the darkness itself.”
“They’re only jealous because you’re so beautiful.”
Sunlight filtered through the branches, scattering across Rion’s black hair.
It looked…
Like stars shining across the night sky.
“Jealous…”
“Elle…”
“You always say things I’d never think of myself.”
His crimson eyes grew distant.
“…Elle.”
“I’m a monster.”
At his words, I quietly pressed my lips together.
Whenever he spoke like this…
It was because memories of his past were tormenting him again.
The family who had died by his own hands.
Of course…
To Rion…
They had never really been family.
He had merely been…
The child they couldn’t get rid of.
The cursed child.
The disgrace of the family.
The terrifying existence no one dared kill.
I could easily imagine…
The way they must have looked at him.
“Rion.”
“To me…”
“You’re simply precious family.”
Others might not understand.
But I knew.
He had only been a lonely child yearning for a family’s love.
“You don’t know…”
“You don’t know what…”
“…what I’ve done.”
Rion covered his face with trembling hands.
He had no idea…
That I already knew everything.
But it didn’t matter.
None of it had been his choice.
After all…
Who could willingly kill their own family?
Rion only learned the truth much later.
Perhaps those memories…
Were the ones he wished to erase most.
He couldn’t recognize faces.
Not even the faces of his dying family members.
He hadn’t even known who they were.
What had he felt back then?
I couldn’t even begin to imagine.
That day…
His cursed power had first awakened.
It had been the beginning of all his misfortune.
Yet after becoming an adult…
The soulmate mark appearing on his body would force him into a destined love.
The curse would only be broken…
The moment he fell in love with the heroine.
Just like magic…
From a fairy tale.
“…Am I really beautiful?”
Rion suddenly leaned closer…
His face only inches from mine as he quietly asked.
