Chapter 45:
Layla honestly hadn’t expected much.
At first, she had planned to wait a bit and then open the door.
But no matter how long she waited, there was no sign that Sonnet or Siever would get up.
On top of that, Siever’s room was terribly uncomfortable, and it was awkward to keep watching Rainier looking so crestfallen.
So she decided to open the door first and step inside.
“Oh my.”
She realized that the person standing behind her with his arms crossed and a faint smile was Rainier.
“What is going on here?”
Layla tried hard to keep from smiling back at him and instead turned a grim expression toward Sonnet.
If anything, it was Sonnet who seemed unable to comprehend this wretched situation, staring at her in stunned confusion.
But he quickly regained his senses and opened his mouth.
Seeing her hurt expression, he seemed about to explain himself.
That was when—
“Why did you open the door without permission?”
“…Huh?”
Layla was the one who was thrown off this time by Siever’s sudden interruption.
“This is my room.”
“Then where were you coming from, Layla?”
Siever had been awake even when Sonnet had mumbled in his sleep while holding her.
If the door hadn’t opened, she might have finally gotten him completely in her grasp.
“I came from my sister’s room.”
“Why? You left just me and Sonnet here?”
“The young lady wasn’t feeling well at dawn. So I took her elsewhere for a checkup.”
“Was it just the two of you doing the checkup in my room?”
“No. The maid Catherine was with us as well.”
Rainier lied without batting an eye.
Layla was once again reminded that the reason this quack could still pass himself off as a doctor was because he was so good at lying.
“Layla, are you sure you weren’t alone with that doctor?”
Sonnet was asking her too. He hated how close Rainier was to her.
And maybe because the alcohol was still in his system, he wasn’t thinking clearly.
“Sonnet, is that really important right now?”
“Yeah, it is to me. Remember our promise—that once we were married, you wouldn’t have a lover.”
For a moment, she wondered if he was saying this just to get out of trouble.
“Sonnet, you were sleeping while hugging my sister when I wasn’t even here, and that doesn’t bother you? I was sick at dawn, and Rain gave me a checkup, that’s all.”
“Then why did you have to go to Lady Siever’s room?”
Layla didn’t know how to answer that and glanced at Rainier.
“What, should I have treated her right next to two drunkards?”
Rainier shot back sarcastically.
Maybe it was the alcohol, but Sonnet was getting heated.
Yet when he met Rainier’s eyes, he suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of fear—
Like something that wasn’t human, a higher predator, had set its sights on his throat.
He’d never felt this even on the battlefield, and the unfamiliar terror made his skin crawl.
“…What are you?”
Sonnet asked, forcing himself past the fear as he grabbed Layla’s arm.
“I’m a doctor, Lord Bruce.”
Rainier narrowed his eyes at him.
Layla saw his false smile again and felt a strange sensation.
“Let go, Sonnet. And could you leave now?”
“Layla… It’s a misunderstanding.”
“I’m too tired right now. Let’s talk later.”
“I’ve got it all wrong… Sorry. I don’t know why I…”
Sonnet’s grip tightened on her hand as if he was afraid she would slip away from him.
The pressure made her tremble without realizing it.
“You’re hurting me.”
“Sorry!”
He finally loosened his hold, leaving a bright red mark where his hand had been.
“Your wounds already heal poorly, and now you’re going to have bruises on your wrist too.”
Rainier spoke irritably as he pulled Layla behind his back, shielding her from Sonnet.
“My, my. The doctor really is fond of you, Layla.”
Siever’s mocking voice came as she smirked, straightened her posture, then, after glancing at Sonnet’s devastated face, walked away cheerfully to her own room.
“Sonnet, you should go too.”
“Please… I’d like you to accept my apology.”
“Later.”
With a sigh from Layla, Sonnet nodded and finally left for the Bruce Marquisate.
“It’s thanks to me, you know.”
“What is?”
Layla was watching Catherine and the maids tidy up the room.
Fresh from washing up, she noticed Rainier sitting near her bed, reading the same red-covered book in that Balkan language again.
“This.”
He tapped his lips with his finger.
At that, Layla remembered she had nearly kissed Sonnet for the first time earlier and responded, “Ah, that.”
Right, today had been the rehearsal for the engagement ceremony, and she had almost kissed him then.
If she could use this kind of excuse, she could postpone it for days—indefinitely even.
“Once the cleaning’s done, could you all leave?”
“Yes, my lady.”
“You too, Catherine.”
“Then… your hair—”
Catherine looked at Layla’s damp hair.
“I’ll handle it.”
Rainier picked up two dry towels nearby and approached.
Sensing the hint, Layla sat down in front of the vanity, and the other servants slipped out.
“Make sure to dry it completely to the tips, so you don’t catch a cold.”
“Yes.”
“Start from the scalp when you dry. And since the inner layers are wavy, be careful when combing.”
“Yes.”
“Oh, and wrap a towel around her shoulders so the negligee doesn’t get wet.”
“Yes.”
Rainier replied half-heartedly but still followed Catherine’s instructions—draping a towel over Layla’s shoulders, then using the other to blot the moisture from her hair.
“Thank you, Catherine. I’ll see you later.”
Realizing she’d overstepped, Catherine hurried to leave.
“Catherine.”
“Yes, my lady?”
“I like how much you care for me. Thank you.”
Her words made Catherine realize she had been treating Layla like her late daughter again.
“…It’s nothing.”
Catherine was supposed to be watching Layla on the Countess of Avier’s orders, in exchange for a large sum of money.
That had been her duty.
But every time she saw Layla sick, she kept thinking of her own daughter, who had also been bedridden every day until she died.
It was that daughter’s medical debt that had driven Catherine to serve the Avier family in the first place.
Maybe that was why she kept helping Layla from the heart, despite knowing she shouldn’t.
With that thought, she quickly left the room.
Rainier, watching her go, let out a soft hum before turning back to Layla.
“It’s thanks to me that you avoided that kiss.”
Her eyes widened at him.
“Do people kiss during engagement ceremonies? I always thought it was just holding hands and walking together.”
“You already know the answer, so you’re just testing me, aren’t you?”
Seeing him speak so casually again made her feel oddly relieved.
“How’s the business going?”
She asked, avoiding his eyes in the mirror as he dried her hair—it felt strangely awkward each time their gazes met.
“We’re waiting for a ship to arrive with supplies. Two days at most.”
“And the shop’s location?”
“Already under renovation. We could probably open tomorrow if we wanted.”
“That’s fast.”
“I prepare for everything in advance.”
His ridiculous claim made her wonder if he was bluffing again, but he seemed calm, not flustered.
“You’re hungover, aren’t you? I can smell the alcohol every time you breathe.”
She found herself chuckling at his teasing tone.
“Next time, will you drink with me? Are you good with alcohol?”
“Yes, I’m very good.”
He looked oddly pleased, and she kept watching him in the mirror until their eyes met again.
Then she changed the subject.
“Here’s my plan.”
When he paused and looked at her, she continued.
“Once we open the shop, we’ll steal Hugo’s customers. Then I’ll spread a rumor that you’re the owner. That will lure Crown Prince Anasis to you.”
“Yes, it would.”
“Then I can put him at ease, and you can strike back.”
“How?”
“He won’t think I called him for nothing. I’ll make it seem like I begged you to come.”
“And then?”
“You use that chance to attack.”
He gave a small laugh.
“And if I can’t?”
He was close enough that she could almost feel his breath at her ear when he smiled.
“With the location set up in our favor, why wouldn’t you be able to? He said he’d be waiting with others in the plaza.”
“Yes, he did.”
“You’ll be the bait to draw him in. Once we trap him, it’ll be a major blow.”
“And what about the shop?”
She looked him straight in the eye and said confidently,
“Then we’ll just say someone else owns it.”
Rainier stared at her blankly for a moment. She had turned to look at him as well, since his lips were close enough to brush her cheek.
He gazed into her eyes for a long moment before speaking in a voice thick with restraint.
“Can we fulfill our contract now?”
Layla slowly closed her eyes in silent permission.
