Akia placed both hands on the wall and looked down at Lea. The moment his unfathomable gaze met hers, her heart involuntarily tightened.

‘What?’

Trapped in his embrace, Lea froze at the sight of the Count quietly murmuring in a low voice.

What on earth happened last night to make him act like this?

“I don’t know what happened yesterday, Count, but this is too…”

She slightly averted her gaze from the Count’s.

“Close…”

“So?”

The Count chuckled, a scoff clearly evident on his face. Akia swallowed the words that had risen to his throat, ‘After going this far.’

But Lea was different.

‘So what? He means I should move my face away…!’

What happened last night to make the Count’s demeanor change so suddenly? Lea could only swallow the words she dared not utter.

As if unconcerned by Lea’s confusion, the man’s face gradually drew nearer. Just as their lips were about to touch

Lea clenched her eyes shut at the dizzying sensation that seemed to awaken her entire being.

Her heart began pounding irregularly. Loud enough, she feared, to be heard by the Count.

He had been drawing near as if about to touch her, but contrary to her expectations, nothing happened.

‘Huh?’

Finding it odd, Lea cautiously opened her eyes. As her vision gradually cleared, she found herself met with the Count’s face, staring intently at her.

“Lea.”

“…Yes?”

Something seemed to amuse him as he slightly curled one corner of his lips.

“Remember yesterday’s events for yourself.”

Alongside those enigmatic words, Akia lifted his arms that had entrapped Lea.

‘Remember for myself? What does he mean?’

Despite her heart pounding as if about to burst.

Lea’s face flushed in an instant. She soon began to fan herself with a flustered spirit.

Seeing the composed Count, an inexplicable sense of disappointment welled up in Lea.

‘Wait, disappointed? What was I expecting?’

Could it be… I was hoping to kiss the Count again?

Good heavens.

As Lea was trying to manage her turbulent emotions, a low voice pierced her ears once more.

“So why are you here? You’ve come earlier than mealtime today.”

Snapped back to reality by the Count’s question, Lea hurriedly fumbled through her medical bag.

“Ah, that’s because…”

Still dazed, Lea hastily pulled out a clinical trial report and handed it to the Count.

“It’s the progress report on the new antidote.”

“Progress report?”

A skeptical glance scanned the paper before the Count’s eyes abruptly hardened.

“This is…”

“I successfully made an antidote using spider venom. But I had to test it for any side effects and efficacy before administering it to you, Count.”

“So.”

His gaze met hers, colder than before.

“You took it yourself?”

The atmosphere around the Count changed instantly. A cold aura emanated from him, filling Lea with confusion.

‘Why does he seem angry? No, he’s been seeming angry.’

Could I have unwittingly made a mistake?

Facing the Count’s hardened expression, Lea brainstormed furiously but ultimately gave up. He was an inscrutable man from the start.

“Yes. I tested it on mice and there were no issues, but humans are different. So I ingested a high dose of Polarium and then took the newly developed drug…”

Akia raised his hand to interrupt her, as if her words were no longer worth hearing.

His expression had grown more malevolent than before, to the point of being eerie.

‘Why is he acting like this? What do I need to know to appease him? This is frustrat’

Still not understanding why the Count was angry, Lea felt stifled.

“Have you lost your mind?”
The Count seemed to brush his hair back as if trying to cool his boiling anger. A resolute light flickered in Lea’s gaze as she watched him.

“Why are you angry at me?”

“You’re asking that now?”

Why was he angry?

“Of course…!”

Akia barely closed his mouth, about to spit out the word ‘worry.’

‘Worry, huh.’

Had he mistaken their kiss for a lovers’ embrace? Akia had never spent his life worrying about someone else.

He had always been preoccupied with his own life. He had always considered himself to be the most important person in his life.

‘Am I worried about this woman’s wellbeing?’

Pride and other emotions intermingled as tension seeped onto Lea’s face from Akia’s expression.

‘What exactly is the problem?’

Lea was gauging the Count’s mood, which changed from moment to moment. For him, she had drunk poison and tested an experimental antidote that could have side effects.

Yet, all she received was not praise but blame. As she thought about it, her mood darkened.

“I… I was worried about you, Count.”

“…”

“I was concerned that you might recklessly take an antidote that could have unknown side effects…”

The Count remained silent, making Lea increasingly frustrated.

“Fine, just leave.”

His words were an outright dismissal. The Count turned his head as if he didn’t even want to look at her anymore.

Though she had spoken honestly, seeing the Count avoid her gaze stung her. Lea shut the door loudly behind her as she left.