Chapter 10~
“What is this?”
Theros, who had been examining the vial, questioned Hadel with a sharp tone as sweat beaded on Hadel’s forehead.
“Th-this… it’s an antidote.”
At the word antidote, Theros’s expression subtly changed. He dismissed the maid in the room with a gesture.
As soon as the maid hurried out, Theros tilted his chin, signaling Hadel to continue.
“I was aware that Your Lordship had been suffering because of the potion my younger sibling made. Feeling sorry about it, I created an antidote to nullify its effects. I was wondering when to deliver it, and just then, Your Lordship summoned me here.”
Cecilia’s blue eyes glared sharply at Hadel. That man is lying without even changing his expression! He had clearly told her he wouldn’t be able to make an antidote until next spring—and that brown bottle was the one he said contained a memory-erasing drug.
Theros turned the vial over in his hand, carefully inspecting its contents, before placing it on the table with a firm thud.
“An antidote, how convenient. To stir up a person’s emotions and then fix it all with another drug. So, were you planning to secretly make me take this like last time?”
As Theros’s cold gaze fell on him, Hadel hurriedly defended himself.
“N-no, of course not! I would never dare. I intended to tell you directly and recommend that you take it. I was just waiting for the right timing, but then that—damn it, what was it called? Rocks? Anyway, it suddenly attacked, so…”
Cecilia inwardly clicked her tongue at how smoothly the lies rolled off Hadel’s tongue.
At that moment, Theros turned his gaze to Cecilia, as if seeking her answer.
“What should we do with the antidote? I will follow your will.”
Cecilia’s eyes widened at the unexpected question.
He’s asking me what to do with it? Is it really okay to entrust something this important to me?
“If you tell me to take it now, I will. If you tell me to get rid of it, I will.”
Cecilia studied his expression, trying to discern his true intent, but his face revealed nothing. It was hard to find any meaning beyond his words—he would truly follow her choice.
In that brief moment, countless thoughts swirled in her mind.
If he drank it, he would lose all memory of the potion. Then he would no longer pressure her with a court-martial, and he would lose any justification for pushing the marriage forward.
But for half a year, he would still love her—without knowing why.
The thought of deceiving him made a strange sense of guilt coil around her heart like a snake.
No, think carefully. Once the potion’s effects wore off in six months, Theros would likely laugh it off like a midsummer dream.
A marriage formed while he was not in his right mind could shackle not only Cecilia, but Theros as well.
Though she felt sorry for him, perhaps the best way to keep this already tangled situation from becoming worse through marriage was for him not to remember the potion at all.
Across from her, Hadel stared persistently, his expression practically shouting: If you hate the marriage that much, tell him to take the antidote.
As Cecilia’s silence dragged on, Theros lowered his head to meet her eyes.
“What should I do?”
At his repeated question, Cecilia briefly held her breath and shut her eyes tightly. Without realizing it, she clenched the fabric of her dress in her fists, wrinkling it.
“I—I don’t want to solve this problem with a drug!”
She blurted it out.
When she cautiously opened her eyes, she saw Hadel’s face flushed with anger.
Beside her, however, Theros’s face had brightened as if moved. The icy mask he always wore seemed to melt away.
The moment she saw that expression, Cecilia became certain her choice was right. She remembered the way he had shown all his emotions when he thought she had lost her memory at the lake.
She couldn’t make him drink something that would take his memories away.
“If that is your will, then gladly.”
Theros opened the vial and slowly poured its contents onto the floor.
As the liquid dripped down with a soft trickling sound, Cecilia couldn’t help but feel a faint sense of regret.
She reassured herself—it had been the right choice.
As he poured it out, Theros watched Hadel with a faint, crooked smile, as if this act was meant to be seen.
He could have ordered a servant to throw the vial away or told Hadel to take it back, but instead he chose to discard it himself in front of everyone.
It was both a humiliation for Hadel and a warning never to attempt such a thing again.
Watching the liquid drip away, Hadel’s expression twisted with humiliation.
Unbothered, Theros spoke clearly.
“As you saw, my fiancée does not wish for me to take the antidote. It’s unfortunate that the medicine you worked so hard to make will go unused.”
Though Hadel’s face flushed with insult, he soon replied in his usual polite tone.
“Not at all. If that is the will of the two of you, how could I object? My shallow thinking nearly caused trouble between you.”
“Then, though it was a bit noisy, let’s finish the tea we couldn’t drink earlier.”
With a calm expression, Theros offered tea, and the three of them drank in awkward silence.
Hadel, as if having no further business, merely wet his lips before standing up.
“You’re leaving already? I won’t see you out far. I’d like to spend some time alone with my fiancée.”
Though his pride seemed wounded, Hadel put on his usual bright smile.
“Of course. I hope the two of you have a good time.”
Though his lips smiled, his eyes did not. He cast one firm look at Cecilia before leaving.
Once Hadel was gone, only Cecilia and Theros remained in the reception room.
With just one person gone, the air in the room already felt heavy. Cecilia fiddled with her teacup to ease the awkwardness.
“Ah, then since Lord Hadel has left, I’ll move to the seat across from you.”
Feeling awkward sitting beside Theros on the same sofa, she quickly stood up with her cup.
At that moment, Theros’s large hand caught her arm and pulled her back down.
“Don’t go. I like it like this.”
Well, I’m uncomfortable… Cecilia swallowed her thoughts and forced a smile.
Theros turned his body toward her, leaving them face-to-face.
After a few seconds of silent eye contact, she began to break into a nervous sweat.
Then Theros leaned toward her.
W-what is he doing? Cecilia instinctively leaned back, but he was faster.
He gently pulled her into his arms. Her small frame fit snugly against his broad shoulders, and his large hands wrapped warmly around her.
He rested his chin on top of her head.
“You smell nice.”
As she felt his breath against her, it made her flustered—and strangely ticklish inside.
Theros tightened his arms around her, holding her more firmly. What had started as a gentle embrace now carried a deeper, more intense desire.
Over her frozen head came his low voice.
“Thank you. I’ll do better from now on.”
Do better at what?
Startled back to her senses, Cecilia lifted her head.
Peck.
At that moment, Theros pressed his lips against her neat forehead.
W-what?!
Cecilia, who had frozen momentarily, suddenly flailed as if released from a spell.
“L-Lord Theros! What do you mean, you’ll do better?!”
“It means I’ll become a good husband.”
Theros calmly released her from his arms.
“I have no intention of marrying you!”
“You told me not to take the antidote. Didn’t that mean you were also prepared to take responsibility for me?”
“Th-that’s—!”
Cecilia stopped herself.
She couldn’t bring herself to say that it wasn’t an antidote but a different drug. She feared the consequences—and that she might be suspected of colluding with Hadel.
Ugh, those Odic siblings really tangled everything up until the very end!
Suppressing her anger, Cecilia tried to speak as calmly and clearly as possible.
“L-Lord Theros, I simply didn’t want to resolve this with a drug. That doesn’t mean I’ve accepted marrying you.”
“Then you will accept it from now on.”
“…What?”
Theros intertwined his fingers with hers.
“I told you—marriage is not a proposal, but your duty. As long as I don’t take the antidote and regain my senses, the marriage will proceed. And this was clearly your choice.”
Cecilia barely held back the urge to scream. At this rate, she would inevitably end up marrying him.
“You must be tired, so go and rest. It’s a shame to part, but let’s have breakfast together tomorrow.”
There was a faint longing in Theros’s eyes as he looked at her intently. Was it affection? Obsession? Or something else entirely? Feeling like a guilty sinner, Cecilia avoided his gaze and hurriedly stood.
As she tried to leave the reception room, Theros turned her back.
“Please say goodbye, Cecilia.”
As he gently pulled her into another embrace, she found herself unable to resist.
Resigned, she trudged back to her guest room.
That night, Cecilia couldn’t fall asleep. The white moon outside the window seemed already far away. She had no idea how much time passed as she lay awake.
“Of course I can’t sleep.”
Unable to bear it, she jumped up and began pacing the room.
This tangled situation… Should she accept marrying Theros? Even if not for this incident, she would one day have entered a political marriage like any other noble. Something she would do eventually—perhaps doing it now wouldn’t be so bad.
What troubled her was how Theros would change once the potion’s effects wore off.
From a beloved wife to a sworn enemy in an instant.
And becoming family with Damitri, watching him and Roseine acting lovey-dovey up close—that was still hard to accept.
Above all—
It feels like I’m deceiving Lord Theros.
That thought weighed heavily on her chest.
Just then, a strange sound came from somewhere in the room.
Crackle— crackle—
“My lady, if you can hear me, please respond.”
Startled like a frightened rabbit, Cecilia looked around. For a moment, she thought someone had snuck into her room.
After calming her pounding heart, she remembered the small round orb Hadel had given her.
A magic communication device!
She took it out of her handbag—she hadn’t thrown it away because he had forced it on her.
Hadel’s voice continued to come from the orb.
