‘But this time, she vomited blood. Could it really be aftereffects from the poison?’
The Duke’s purple eyes darkened ominously.
“…Was it your idea to give her holy water?”
“It was the young lady’s request. It seems the uncertainty of her condition made her anxious, so she asked for it herself.”
“Isn’t overconsumption of holy water dangerous?”
“I’ve heard the purpose of holy water is to fuse divine power with purification. While it’s good for internal injuries, excessive intake could weaken the immune system, so it’s best to use it sparingly.”
“She’s been given thirteen bottles. Make sure that’s safe first.”
“Yes, Your Grace.”
The physician bowed deeply, silenced by the duke’s commanding presence.
The duke then quietly gazed out the window at the Blake family’s carriage pulling up in front of the mansion under the bright sunlight.
He saw Damian rushing over to open the carriage door.
Louisa stepped down, taking Damian’s hand. She brushed back her hair, fluttering in the breeze, and smiled faintly.
It was a fragile smile, as though it might shatter in the sunlight.
“…Find the cause and the cure—no matter what.”
As Louisa and Damian disappeared into the mansion, the duke turned his eyes to a potted plant in the corner of his office.
Brown had once asked if it could be discarded, as the leaves were withering from overwatering by a servant—but the duke had told him to leave it.
Now, only a single leaf remained. His gaze settled on it just as it finally let go and fell.
The duke abruptly covered his eyes with one hand.
It was the last leaf.
It was a sunny day, just like the one before. As Louisa followed Damian into the garden at his suggestion for tea, a vague smile crept across her face.
‘Wait… is all of that dessert?’
She was speechless at the sight of the servants opening dozens of boxes and setting them all on the table.
“Louisa, would you like to sit here?”
“…Are we seriously supposed to eat all this?”
“Of course not. How could we? I just didn’t know what you’d like, so I got a variety.”
Louisa gave a dry laugh, unamused by Damian’s carefree tone.
She recalled yesterday’s events, thinking she couldn’t even joke freely around someone born with a golden spoon in his mouth.
“Louisa, are you okay? You should’ve rested a few more days if you’re still unwell.”
Yesterday, after returning from her meeting with Raphael, Damian had greeted her at the door.
His worried face and flustered demeanor made Louisa feel slightly guilty.
She had only vomited to expel something bad from her system, but Damian, unaware of the circumstances, was surely imagining all kinds of worst-case scenarios.
It was understandable. Even if it only happened once, coughing up blood was no trivial matter.
“I’m really fine. Actually, I think I feel even better now!”
“Louisa…”
“Yes?”
“Why are you being so formal? Did I do something wrong?”
“…Of course I’m joking.”
“Oh! A joke? You really scared me. Wait… isn’t it more surprising that it was a joke? Our Louisa made a joke with me…!”
Louisa sighed inwardly at Damian, who looked like he was about to cry again.
Even if he was devastatingly handsome, he was still her older brother. His mix of helplessness and genuine care made her feel both affectionate and exasperated.
‘How did such a soft-hearted noble come from a ruthless duke?’
Their genes were truly miraculous.
Louisa nodded vaguely and headed inside.
Damian followed close behind, clearly wanting to say something. When she glanced at him, he finally spoke cautiously.
“…Do you like His Highness, the First Prince, that much?”
“Well, I guess…”
Louisa replied half-heartedly. It was hard to deny outright when she had previously made a big deal out of liking Raphael, so she could only deflect.
The problem was, her vague answer made her look like someone nursing a broken heart in Damian’s eyes.
Damian already knew Raphael disliked the engagement, and Louisa’s face only made it look worse.
He had resolved to stay quiet out of respect for her feelings, but seeing her like this made him want to challenge the prince to a duel.
She’d apparently met Raphael again yesterday despite her condition, so he’d asked out of concern—but her reaction made it clear she’d probably been coldly rejected and was feeling down.
Grinding his teeth inwardly, Damian forced a smile and changed the subject.
“I see. Well, is there anything else you need? I heard you received holy water yesterday, but if there’s anything else you want, just say the word.”
“Something I want?”
Louisa wanted to ask for more holy water, but she held back. Instead, she recalled the one thing that had been nagging her.
“I want dessert.”
A proper meal always called for dessert, but Raphael had ended their meeting immediately after the steak.
If he was going to leave, he could’ve just left by himself. But no—he had to stubbornly escort her back by carriage, and Louisa pitied whatever woman ended up marrying such a rigid man.
“Dessert? I’ll have some made. No, better—I’ll go buy some myself.”
“Now?”
“Yeah, right now! I’ll be back soon!”
“You’re seriously going now? Huh…?”
Before Louisa could stop him, Damian had already dashed off.
The problem was that the place he’d planned to go was extremely popular and already sold out. So, early this morning, he had personally gone out and bought everything he could.
As she recalled the great dessert fiasco, Louisa chuckled.
“I don’t think I’ll be able to pick today. I’ll just try a few.”
“Just five?”
She gave Damian an incredulous look as he asked, as if five wasn’t enough.
“That is a lot, okay? Honestly, I’d love to eat them all, but I’d probably end up with sugar for blood, so I’m restraining myself.”
“Haha, of course. That’s our Louisa. I just couldn’t hold back—I was too happy. Next time, I’ll bring different ones you haven’t tried yet.”
“Okay. But next time, just bring three or four. And instead of buying a ton, just have tea with me more often. It’s boring eating alone.”
Knowing he’d only worry more if she refused him, Louisa figured it was better to gently redirect his energy.
But instead of brightening, Damian gave her a strangely sentimental smile.
“…Being alone is lonely. You’re right. I should’ve thought of that. Let’s spend more time together.”
Louisa stared at him with a puzzled expression.
‘Wait, is he saying he was lonely?’
She tilted her head slightly, then shrugged it off and turned her eyes to the unchosen desserts.
At that moment—
“By the way, was there any trouble at Le Jardin?”
As he took a seat across from her, Damian asked casually.
“Le Jardin? You mean the restaurant? Why?”
“Oh, nothing major. Just heard a few nobles got arrested for insulting a member of the royal family.”
‘That doesn’t sound minor…’
Louisa blinked, unable to make sense of it.
She had visited the restaurant with Raphael the day before, but all she remembered was some nobles cautiously tiptoeing around him.
“I don’t know. If something happened, I missed it.”
“I see. That’s good then. I just asked because it happened on the same day you went out. If you didn’t see anything, that’s fine.”
Damian gave her a gentle smile as she fell into deep thought, trying to recall. It was the kindest smile imaginable.
Facing that unexpected warmth, Louisa found her expression faltering awkwardly.
“Oh, right. The Count of Dallio is hosting a garden party next week. Want to come?”
Damian naturally changed the subject.
“A party?”
“Yeah. It’s been a month since the mansion was completed, and now that the interior’s finished, they’re celebrating with a garden party.”
Louisa looked mildly curious.
She was interested—but also too lazy. And crowds usually drained her, so she didn’t answer right away.
Still, something tugged at her gut, like she was about to miss an opportunity.
“Hmm… But I probably shouldn’t drink yet, right? I heard Count Dallio is a wine enthusiast, so there’ll be more wine than tea. Maybe we should skip this one…”
Wine? Oh… oh!!
She suddenly remembered—a money-making opportunity!
“I’m going!”
“…Huh?”
“I’m really into wine lately. I want to go.”
To be precise, she wasn’t interested in wine—but in the future tycoon who would develop a new wine after a failure and export it globally.
‘If I remember right, this is when he’s still struggling to find investors. With a party this big, he’s bound to show up.’
Louisa smirked to herself, already envisioning who she would meet.
“But your body isn’t fully recovered. Drinking might not be good…”
“One glass a day is good for your health. I’ll be fine.”
Her firm tone made Damian sigh and nod in resignation.
Worried he might change his mind, Louisa quickly turned her gaze to the pile of desserts again.
“Be sure to tell me the time the day before. Anyway, what do we do with the rest of this dessert? Can we give it to the servants?”
“It’s yours—you can do whatever you want with it.”
Louisa looked speechless at the way Damian’s eyes sparkled with admiration.
‘Anyone would think I’m eleven. I’m twenty-one for crying out loud…’
A moment later, she awkwardly furrowed her brow and mumbled,
“…Thanks.
