In that moment, as the blanket slid away, her ankle appeared so thin, Kyan’s eyes narrowed momentarily. It seemed to be thinner than his wrist, a stark contrast to what he had felt in the darkness and what he was seeing now.
“What brings you here?”
He didn’t expect a warm welcome. Looking at Clodel shrinking in fear, Kyan realized that his week-long deliberation on how to approach her had been in vain.
“Did you intend to just lounge and eat in Roen Castle?”
He tossed the list and invitation draft he brought onto her bed.
“The butler has sorted it out, so write on the invitation to make sure they come and sign it. Organize it by tomorrow and bring it to my office. Or give it to the butler.”
He left her room, slamming the door, and immediately regretted it.
“……Am I insane?”
Bermonte had always been sly and cunning, manipulating people with their words and causing trouble.
But Clodel showed none of that venom.
Yet, why did Kyan keep spouting nonsense? It was frustrating.
“This wasn’t my intention.”
His usually sharp mind replayed the recent events.
He had lost his composure at the sight of Clodel’s frail, bare legs as she moved to get out of bed, and left the room mindlessly blurting out whatever came to mind.
“Why did I do that? Why?”
Suddenly, Clodel turned towards where Kyan was sitting.
Kyan, thinking she had woken up, abruptly stood up, but it appeared to be just a sleeping habit. Settling back down, he leaned on his chin and resumed observing her as she lay asleep.
That’s when something caught his attention.
The button ornament, the cause of the whole debacle, was still on her finger.
A considerable amount of time had passed since the incident. ‘Why?’, he wondered. Even now, it looked just like a slender ring on her finger, perfectly suiting Clodel if not for the surrounding circumstances.
‘Does she like rings?’
Looking at it now, he realized that the blue diamond ring his mother had would be ridiculously large on Clodel’s slender fingers, probably spinning even on her thumb.
It dawned on him that people have different finger sizes, and as someone who had never thought of gifting a ring, Kyan had no idea about adjusting ring sizes before presenting them.
But seeing Clodel still wearing the button ornament, his mood deflated.
‘I’ll give her another ring, so let’s remove this one.’
He reached out gently to remove the ring from her finger when suddenly the door clicked open.
Hanna, carrying a large vase filled with thick-stemmed white freesia flowers, entered and was startled to see Kyan.
“Duke.”
Quickly setting the vase down and bowing her head, Clodel woke up to Hanna’s voice.
Freshly awakened, Clodel’s expression was sharp and alert. Her round, golden eyes immediately filled with apprehension.
Seeing this, Kyan felt offended. What had he done to receive such a look?
He stood up abruptly, scolding her.
“You seem to have no interest in maintaining the dignity of a lady of the house.”
“……Duke.”
Clodel quickly rose from the bed, bowing her head.
In the process, her ankle, appearing thinner than his wrist, caught Kyan’s attention, causing him to frown momentarily.
It seemed even thinner than when he had felt it in the darkness.
“Why are you here?”
He hadn’t expected a warm reception. Seeing Clodel shrinking in fear, Kyan realized his week-long contemplation on how to approach her was now futile.
“Did you plan to just lounge and eat at Roen Castle?”
He threw the list and draft invitations he had brought onto her bed.
“The butler has organized it, so write on the invitations to ensure attendance and sign them. Have them organized by tomorrow and bring them to my office, or give them to the butler.”
Exiting her room, he slammed the door behind him, and instantly regretted it.
“……Am I insane?”
Bermonte had always been cunning, manipulating people with their words and creating trouble.
But Clodel showed none of that venom.
Yet, why did he keep speaking out of turn? It frustrated Kyan.
“This wasn’t my intention.”
His normally astute mind replayed the situation.
He had lost his composure at the sight of Clodel’s frail, bare legs as she moved to get out of bed, and left the room mindlessly blurting out whatever came to mind.
“Why did I do that? Why.”
Standing beside him, Clodel suddenly pushed him, and he fell off the platform, tumbling down to the lower level where the hunting participants were.
“What in the world…”
As Kyan got up, his eyes caught sight of a massive crocodile, its jaws wide open, in the exact spot he had been standing moments before.
The beast’s eyes fixed on Clodel, its ferocious mouth opening brutally.
“No!”
The hunting ground instantly turned into chaos, filled with screams.
My Step-brother Is Obsessed With Me (Female-dominant)
A gentle female protagonist vs pitiful in the early stage, and a sick male protagonist in the later stage
Cheng Songer transmigrated into the body of a vicious cannon fodder female supporting character with the same name as her in a female-dominant novel.
In the original story, the cannon fodder female supporting character was inhumane, committing domestic violence, gambling excessively, being lustful, and even wanting to sell her stepbrother to a brothel for money.
As luck would have it, she just happened to transmigrate at this time.
Seeing Cheng Qingzhi biting his lip, enduring the tears in his eyes, looking pitiful, her heart softened.
She stuffed the money back into the Madam’s hand and reached out to him.
“Brother, come home with me.”
