Chapter 09
So Odelite continued calmly.
“I’m sorry, but Lady Spencer committed the breach of etiquette first, and I didn’t particularly reprimand that rudeness. She was blocking the way, so I asked her to move aside, and it was Lady Spencer who stumbled backward and fell. I even supported her when she was falling, so what’s the problem?”
“Hmph.”
The man, seemingly having nothing to say, just carefully supported Lilia. The way he acted made it seem like he was someone important to Lilia, so Odelite narrowed her brow.
Then a woman who appeared to be Lilia’s maid whispered quietly.
“I apologize, Lady Seidwin. Our secretary is particularly fond of the young lady.”
“It’s fine.”
Odelite was somewhat upset but just nodded calmly.
That’s when it happened. Suddenly, a commotion arose from far away. Odelite turned her head, wondering what was happening now.
In that moment, the silhouette of a man she absolutely didn’t want to see right now entered her vision. Odelite unconsciously murmured with a surprised face at his sudden appearance.
“Duke Adelgart?”
“Your Grace.”
Cherdian’s appearance made even people coming and going through the theater company stop in their tracks.
Lilia, who’d been touching her bottom and whining about how much it hurt, saw Cherdian and her face immediately brightened into a wide smile. Conversely, Odelite looked surprised.
She hadn’t expected him to appear here.
At Cherdian’s appearance, people in the theater company bowed one after another.
Crossing between them, he was, as always, noticeably robust among everyone and had an intimidating face that made people naturally bow their heads.
But his steps were somewhat hurried, unlike usual. And those steps finally stopped in front of Lilia and Odelite on the stairs.
That’s when it happened. Like she’d been waiting for his appearance, Lilia spoke with a pouty face.
“What’s going on? Telling me not to come near the theater company—your whims really are something else.”
Lilia’s voice was full of irritation, but it wasn’t so much genuine anger as it was similar to grumbling. Even at Lilia’s words, Cherdian showed no reaction.
Just as Lilia was about to speak again, Cherdian, who’d glanced at Lilia with a frown, spoke in a low, subdued voice.
“Did you forget what I said was your greatest strength?”
His cold voice instantly enveloped the hall in silence. Lilia, who’d been grumbling and brushing off her dress, looked shocked. Her expression seemed to ask if this was really such a big deal.
At this, Odelite composed her expression and stood calmly again. Since she’d done nothing wrong, there was no need to show emotion in this situation.
She just stood with her back straight. She didn’t know why he’d suddenly appeared here, but she had some idea of how he’d act going forward.
At least she thought she could predict his behavior.
Cherdian turned his gaze from the stunned Lilia and stared at Odelite. But unlike his cold eyes from just before, his gaze was extremely cautious.
The icy look that seemed ready to kill Lilia vanished in an instant. It was so blatant that even those watching with curious eyes could notice.
Odelite herself had no interest whatsoever in Cherdian’s gaze. Either way, Lilia was his lover, and she was now just his former fiancée who’d broken off their engagement. She could accept it calmly even if Cherdian reprimanded her.
Contrary to Odelite’s expectations, Cherdian stared at her and carefully spoke.
“Are you hurt anywhere?”
Everyone around instantly looked shocked.
They were seeing Duke Adelgart worry about someone for the first time in their lives. Was that man really the war’s murderous demon?
They’d heard he was a man who wouldn’t be excessive to call a devil, yet he was worried about the wellbeing of some young country bumpkin girl who looked two spans shorter than him?
Odelite was also surprised by Cherdian’s attitude. She’d at least thought he’d quickly settle this situation and take Lilia away. His question was directed at Odelite—at herself.
She looked somewhat puzzled but answered elegantly again.
“I’m fine, Your Grace. If anything, it’s Lady Spencer who was startled.”
“Is that so?”
“…?”
“That’s a relief.”
Cherdian looked genuinely relieved. Odelite glanced at him, then convinced herself that he was doing this ultimately to protect Lilia. Because no matter how she looked at it, Lilia’s attitude was that of someone acting cute or throwing a tantrum toward someone close.
‘Maybe he’s doing this because taking Lilia’s side might put her name on people’s tongues later.’
Thinking that far, she added.
“It’s fine. Actually, nothing really happened. I just asked her to move aside, and Lady Spencer stepped back and missed her footing, so it’s neither my fault nor hers—”
“That’s nonsense! I clearly saw this woman threaten our, no, our Lilia with her eyes. Lilia was startled and stepped back, missing her footing. As Your Grace knows, Lilia is precious, and she’s not someone a mere playwright who hasn’t even debuted yet can treat carelessly.”
The excited man’s voice drowned out Odelite’s calm words. But at his words, the people around made annoyed faces instead.
They disliked the man trying to escalate a problem that could be easily resolved. And as long as they had eyes, everyone knew Odelite had done nothing.
They didn’t step forward in this situation. Either way, it was true that Lilia received treatment beyond her status, and they suspected Duke Adelgart was behind it.
Though everyone kept their mouths shut, worried their heads might roll.
Odelite lightly touched her forehead at the man’s words.
She’d often seen this kind of case from high society ladies’ maids. And just then, right on cue, Lilia’s eyes suddenly welled up with tears and she spoke.
“This is annoying. What’s this theater company anyway? I have plenty of other places to go besides here.”
When Lilia cried, people became flustered. Her tears, fragile like a fairy’s, had an aspect that stimulated people’s guilt.
Watching this, Odelite could too easily predict the next situation. Now he would truly take Lilia’s side. Though cold and ruthless, as a well-educated noble, he showed at least minimal courtesy even to women he disliked.
So in her previous life, when she cried, Cherdian would look quite flustered and offer a handkerchief, or if he didn’t have one, he’d roughly offer even a cloth.
Even after Odelite avoided contact with him, he’d look somewhat flustered when she cried or was in pain. Of course, Odelite had taken his expression as mere annoyance at a woman crying.
‘He did that even for me, so his heart must be tearing for the woman he loves.’
Odelite almost let out a hollow laugh, imagining the cliché scene of Cherdian scolding her or giving her a warning. Wasn’t it just like a third-rate romance play?
Murmuring inwardly like that, Odelite glanced at Cherdian’s face and froze.
‘Huh—’
He was looking at the crying Lilia with an utterly cold gaze. And that gaze was something even Odelite, whom she’d thought he despised most, had never received, so even she flinched for a moment.
Lilia, wiping her tears with the back of her hand, seemed to realize something had gone wrong.
She slightly raised her gaze to look at Cherdian and raised an eyebrow. And like all her crying until just now had been fake, she dropped her hand and muttered primly.
“Tch, you’re not fooled.”
“Get out.”
“No, why are you telling me not to come here? I—”
Lilia, who’d been making an aggrieved expression, glanced at Cherdian’s eyes and closed her mouth.
He was genuinely angry. If she said anything more, it seemed like he’d eliminate her immediately without a trace.
And it wasn’t just Lilia who was surprised by his attitude. Why was he suddenly like this?
Odelite, who’d been pondering and pondering inwardly, suddenly hesitated at a hypothesis flashing through her mind.
‘Could it be…’
Without even realizing it herself, she forgot to breathe. But then, Lilia, who’d been looking between the two, suddenly rolled her eyes around and spoke to Odelite with an extremely pitiful face.
“Lady Seidwin, I’m sorry.”
Lilia’s suddenly polite attitude flustered Odelite. But she responded calmly without showing it.
“It’s fine. However, I’d suggest Lady Spencer reconsider, as the person who is your secretary is prone to making enemies for you easily.”
“Yes. I’ll definitely reconsider.”
“And going forward, I’d appreciate it if you’d refrain from evaluating strangers’ faces as much as possible. What you think inwardly and what you say aloud have distinctly different meanings.”
Odelite was more firm than expected. Lilia somehow thought she resembled the countess who’d reprimanded her frivolity at the salon yesterday. Since Odelite had been a model for countless noblewomen in her previous life, Lilia’s sense wasn’t wrong.
Lilia stared at Odelite intently. At first, she’d thought she was a new actress joining the company.
She was beautiful enough to catch the eye among all these people. Though plainly dressed, her sweet cream-colored hair was softer than common blonde, and her elegant jade eyes were like a lake.
She was like a noble, elegant swan. Her slender height, long thin neck, and straight back added even more refinement to her noble atmosphere like a dancer.
“I’m sorry. But you’re truly so beautiful, that’s why.”
Lilia made a face like a pitiful child. Odelite couldn’t gauge whether it was sincere or not, so she just remained silent.
Eventually, with an apology, Lilia left the building. Watching her retreating figure, Odelite let out a faint sigh. Soon, people who’d been sneaking glances at them withdrew one by one. Odelite closed her mouth slightly.
Then suddenly Cherdian’s voice was heard. Odelite’s eyes trembled again.
“I apologize. I came to see you since you were coming to the capital today. But for something like this to happen—I’m sorry I didn’t come earlier.”
The moment Odelite learned that Cherdian’s reason for coming to the theater was herself, her feelings became complicated. No matter how she thought about it, his behavior was too strange.
She opened her mouth slightly. Could it be—. The hypothesis she’d denied so many times inwardly came to mind once more.
‘Could it really be… did he also return to the past?’
But she couldn’t bring herself to voice this hypothesis. And even if this hypothesis was correct, she couldn’t understand even more why he kept approaching her like this.
Eventually, she decided it wasn’t quite appropriate to voice her thoughts aloud and closed her mouth. Completely ignoring Cherdian’s words that he’d deliberately visited the theater for her, she just spoke calmly.
“Not at all. It’s not something Your Grace should apologize for. Then I’ll excuse myself. Marien, let’s go to my room now. Thank you for today.”
Finishing her words, she walked away, leaving behind Marien’s flustered face.
Cherdian didn’t particularly try to stop her. But his gaze continued until the very moment she disappeared from the hall.
