The next day, Zen woke up at 8 AM.

‘……’

Although there was a lot of work piled up, there was no morning appointment to meet anyone, nor any urgent tasks that needed to be handled immediately.

Yet Zen felt as if he had been lazy.

‘Why didn’t you wake me up?’

As soon as he arrived at the office, Zen called for Cedric. Cedric came to Zen with a neat face.

“Did you call for me?”

“For someone who even prepared a gun, you don’t seem to have been worried at all.”

“What? What are you saying? I even prayed.”

Cedric closed his eyes, clasped his hands together, and said,

“Our master who has suffered since childhood, please let him return safely and take revenge satisfyingly.”

“You prayed for such a thing to God?”

Zen raised one eyebrow and sneered. Cedric replied nonchalantly.

“God knows everything, doesn’t He? So it’s better to confess honestly. Wouldn’t it be displeasing to wrap it up in fancy words?”

“You speak well.”

Zen chuckled.

“It’s my specialty. By the way, why did you think I wasn’t worried? Surely, you’re not saying this because I didn’t come to greet you?”

At Cedric’s playful voice, Zen frowned.

“I’m not saying this because you didn’t wake me up.”

“Don’t you usually wake up well on your own?”

“If I didn’t wake up at the usual time, you should have woken me.”

Zen expressed his dissatisfaction, wrinkling his handsome face.

Cedric recalled Zen’s face when he met him in Astrian.

Back then and now, he thought about why such a handsome face was frowning like that…

‘At least now he looks more human.’

In the past, Cedric had been curious. How would Zen succeed in this revenge?

Would he be able to find the person he longed for so much?

What would happen if he failed in his revenge, if he couldn’t find the person he longed for? It was all due to perfect curiosity.

But if Zen hadn’t resembled that child, he wouldn’t have felt such curiosity.

‘And I wouldn’t have had these feelings either.’

Zen frowned, finding it strange that Cedric was quietly observing him.

“What is it? Is something wrong with you?”

“What? Of course not. You’re being too harsh just because I was lost in thought for a moment.”

Cedric shrugged and continued,

“I intentionally didn’t wake you out of consideration. It’s rare for you to sleep so deeply, isn’t it?”

“Wake me up next time.”

Zen frowned and shifted his gaze from Cedric to the documents.

“Then if you need anything, please call for me anytime.”

Cedric, who naturally left the office, walked slowly down the corridor, recalling the events of the previous dawn.

Cedric had waited for Zen.

‘Perhaps I should have followed after all.’

Cedric knew all too well that there were all sorts of crazy people in the world, and among the crazy ones, there were many with low intelligence.

‘There are crazy people who go off the rails even when raised in good environments. My birth father was like that.’

But Duke Buin wasn’t someone who lacked that much thought.

‘I don’t know if I should call it fortunate.’

Ugh, Cedric frowned and looked out the window. Yesterday too, Cedric had been looking out the window from his office.

When Zen got out of the carriage and turned his steps towards the garden instead of coming straight into the mansion, Cedric sighed.

‘His body seems fine, but his mind doesn’t seem to be, huh?’

Cedric had intended to let Zen sort out his thoughts alone. But when he didn’t come up for a long time, he became worried.

‘Does he think his body is made of iron?’

Despite disliking the cold more than others, how long did he intend to stand in the snow?

Scratching the back of his head, Cedric eventually went out to fetch Zen. But someone had found Zen before Cedric did.

Even though it was night and she had her back turned, Cedric could instantly recognize the woman standing there in a warm-colored coat.

How could he not know? Anyone in this mansion would recognize her.

‘It’s not like I recognized her in any special way.’

Was it because he was at a distance, or because the falling snow isolated the two people’s world, or was it because the two couldn’t take their eyes off each other?

In any case, the two didn’t turn to look at Cedric.

Cedric thought that even if he stood here for the rest of his life, the two wouldn’t notice him, but thinking of possibilities, he hurriedly turned back.

‘Anyway, it’s fortunate. If Deborah is there, Zen Baker will be fine.’

Deborah was an amazing person. With that neat face, she acted surprisingly cheerfully.

A person who seems to strictly keep boundaries, but sometimes leaps over them.

‘She’s mature enough not to act childishly, but not someone who avoids danger out of cowardice.’

So Deborah would pretend not to see Zen’s current anguish, and offer comfort casually as if just greeting him.

‘Really. How can such a small person be so solid?’

Cedric chuckled. He remembered when they danced before. Deborah’s hands were so small.

So small and thin that Cedric felt he might hurt her if he applied even a little force wrongly.

Maybe that’s why, he didn’t even mind that her hands were rough.

‘Not just her hands. Her body was so small too, I felt like I could cover her entire back with my hand.’

He was so worried about various things that he even made a foolish mistake. Even though he had boasted about dancing well.

‘Really pathetically……’

Cedric could still vividly recall Deborah’s face as she worried about him then.

‘It’s not that long ago, but why do I remember it so clearly?’

Returning to his office with a bitter smile, Cedric suddenly brought his now-frozen hand to his mouth at the thought that struck him.

“Ah.”

A cold single syllable escaped through the gaps between his fingers.

‘What am I thinking right now?’

The reason Zen was fine with Deborah wasn’t because Deborah was an exceptionally good person.

It was because Zen loved Deborah.

Cedric only needed to recall that one reason.

He didn’t need to recall how good a person Deborah was, or how small her hands were.

There was no need to feel this bitter.

“Sigh, I’m ruined.”

Cedric slumped down against the door. Heat rose to his face. Why realize such emotions at this age?

And of all people, towards the woman Zen loves…

Bellus visited the Duke Buin’s house.

He didn’t come of his own accord, but because Duke Buin urgently sought him out, he had no choice but to come.

‘Why is he looking for me like this? Don’t tell me that woman talked about the investment deal? That would be troublesome.’

Bellus tried hard to hide his displeasure and asked with an affectionate smile.

“I heard you were looking for me.”

Bellus thought Duke Buin would first make a sarcastic remark as he usually did. But today, Duke Buin got straight to the point.

“A nobleman mingling with the bourgeoisie. What a disgrace.”

Bellus widened his eyes while maintaining his smile.

He thought Duke Buin would disapprove, but he didn’t expect to be called for this reason.

“Do you really not know why those people haven’t been able to set foot in high society until now?”

Bellus smiled gently. As if he wouldn’t know.

Wasn’t it because of the childish tricks of the nobles who didn’t want to break down the wall between them, even though they had shared a part of their power?

“Since you’ve opened the door, from now on, those bourgeois fellows will covet our positions without knowing their place.”

“Well, Zen Baker is special among the bourgeoisie. Even they will know it was possible because it was Zen Baker, so I don’t think much will change……”

“Special, nonsense! He’s still a commoner, and even a foreigner at that!”

Before Bellus could finish speaking, Duke Buin slammed the desk and shouted. Bellus replied with an indifferent attitude.

“You might think so, Duke, but the world doesn’t. Honestly, isn’t it right to embrace a man like Zen Baker as one of our own? That’s what ability is.”

Bellus’s words sounded as if the problem lay with Duke Buin for not being able to embrace such a capable talent. Duke Buin’s clenched fist trembled.

“And you seem to have forgotten something, but that party was hosted by my grandfather, and he also approved of it. I don’t understand why Duke Buin is getting so excited about this.”

‘Impudent brat.’

A guy who would be nothing without the background of the Delta Marquis family, living off his own conceit.

Duke Buin disliked this future son-in-law of his, very much so.

But Margaret needed Delta.

For Margaret, who knew nothing about business or family management, Delta would provide a solid foundation.

“So you’re saying you’ll continue to associate with mere commoners?”

“I have my position, so I won’t go as far as associating with them. But I should use them when necessary.”

“What use could a Delta have for such a fellow? Or what? Is your position such that you need to use such a person?”

For a moment, Bellus’s expression turned cold. But soon he wore a relaxed smile.

“Perhaps that might be the case. You must be very worried about entrusting your daughter to someone like me.”

It was clearly sarcasm. Duke Buin wanted to slap his cheek. But behind Bellus was not only the Delta Marquis, but also his flower-like daughter who loved this worthless man.

Margaret, who resembled her mother, a kind and virtuous lady, had loved only Bellus since meeting him.

If she couldn’t marry Bellus, Margaret would surely fall into deep sorrow.

Moreover, because of Bellus, who had delayed the marriage like a sly snake, Margaret’s age had long passed the suitable age for marriage, making it difficult to find a new marriage partner.

Most of the unmarried gentlemen of Margaret’s age either had flaws in their family or physical defects.

‘If not that, then they’re men with dirty rumors.’

No matter how arrogant, Bellus remained the best marriage partner.