If he was dating Celly, the rumors about his extravagance should have disappeared. All I could remember was that Cedric’s name was always on people’s lips during the social season.

“He tells me not to worry, and then…”

Because I kept seeing him, my thoughts drifted towards the two of them without my realizing it.

Celly likes him, and I have no right to stop her. It’s none of my business.

“Your complexion doesn’t look good.”

As I turned to avoid Cedric Hilos, I came face to face with Laches who was behind me.

It was the first time we had met since I had spilled coffee on myself.

“Greetings, Lord.”

“How about stopping your walks for a while?”

“What?”

“You don’t look well. It could be a big problem.”

“There shouldn’t be anyone who would make a big deal out of me walking…”

“I told you to focus on your diet, but it doesn’t seem like there’s much of a change.”

Laches scanned me slowly and expressed his dissatisfaction. Seeing him mutter to himself, it seemed like he might scold the head chef again when he returned.

As I was thinking about Celly, I suddenly became curious about how this man would react if I said he was meddling.

“Lord, it’s about time you stopped meddling. There’s nothing wrong with it.”

“Uh…”

“If it’s meddling, then keep meddling. Is that okay?”

Laches stared straight at me, and I couldn’t say anything in response to his confidence.

“If it’s meddling, what’s wrong with that?”

“Um…”

“This is what meddling looks like, so just keep on meddling. Is that all right?”

Laches confidently laid down the law, saying, ‘Eat your meals properly. Otherwise, I’ll always check if you’ve eaten all three meals.’

I suddenly became curious about how he would react if I told him he was meddling.

“Lord, it’s meddling.”

Laches casually blocked the direction of the wind, and then moved his steps closer to me. He adjusted his pace to match mine.

“Why do you think that?”

“Up until now, you’ve never said that I meddle, but all of a sudden, you said it. And besides, it’s written all over your face that you’re worried.”

Since I was walking naturally beside him and Creamie, it felt so natural that even I and Creamie didn’t recognize it.

“…I think there’s someone I’m not close to.”

Maybe that’s why. Unconsciously, my thoughts flowed towards the two people.

“What’s that got to do with anything? We’re not friends.”

I realized that I had never actually said that Celly and I were friends.

“But I feel like I’m meeting a really unpleasant guy.”

“Are you saying that you like that guy?”
“Ne?”

Why is the story going like this? All of a sudden?

I stared at Laches with a bewildered look, but he seemed genuinely serious.

The fact that I had to respond seriously to this was amusing.

“Why would I suddenly like that guy? He’s not my type. He’s not even good-looking.”

“Right. You said external factors are important to you, didn’t you? Then you definitely won’t like him. Go on, keep talking.”

“Why is that person meeting that guy in the first place? He used to be like trash that no one cared about. It seems like that person is being deceived…”

“Is that why your face looked so bad earlier because you were worried about that?”

“Because he keeps talking in front of me, so it’s bothering me.”

Laches lightly brushed his chin.

“Is it possible that it’s not Lord Deverty…?”

“What?”

Laches seemed to mutter something, but I couldn’t hear it as I held Creamie, who was about to leap away.

“No, I didn’t say anything. Anyway, why are you so concerned about what’s in front of you?”

Laches’ casually thrown words hit me like a heavy blow.

“Anyway, he’s not a friend. But why are you bothering so much?”

Laches’ casual comment struck me heavily.

“It doesn’t matter anyway.”

“But still…”

Laches was right. If he’s not a friend, and he’s just someone in front of you, you can just ignore him.

But why can’t I do that?

“Is it bothering you?”

Laches asked with a raised corner of his mouth, smiling.

“What do you want to do?”

“I… I’m already worried. Are you worried that he might not like you? Are you worried that your relationship might turn sour?”

“…What?”

It was a question I had never considered.

Was Celly worried that I might not like her? That our relationship might turn sour?

“So you’re just trying to say nice things and leave her alone?”

“Well…”

I should have said no, but my lips moved without producing any sound.

Celly wasn’t a friend, but she was the first person who had stood by my side since I came to the North. The first person who said she wanted to take care of me because she felt sorry for me. The person who dared to stand up to Han Young-han on my behalf and received a harsh punishment in silence.

But I didn’t want to see her hating and despising me like Delia.

“…Yes, that’s what I thought.”

This newfound sanctuary that I had finally found began to tighten around my throat again, threatening to strangle me.

“If that’s what you were worried about, there’s no problem.”

Laches responded casually to my squeezed-out answer.

“Do whatever you want. If that’s what you’re worried about, it’s not a problem.”

“Really…?”

It was a truly unexpected solution. A solution that only Laches could provide.

“So there’s nothing to worry about?”

“What, using power for such trivial matters?”

“People strive to gain power to use it as they please.”

“Don’t do that.”
“It was a truly unexpected solution. A solution that only Laches could provide.”

“Then there’s nothing to worry about?”

“What, saying that so easily…”

“Right. It’s as easy as flicking a finger for me. So…”

As the wind gently brushed a strand of hair that touched my eyes, he spoke casually.

“So, you shouldn’t have dared to dislike you. Dared.”

Laches laughed lightly as if it was just a matter of removing a strand of hair.

“Do whatever you want. Your worries here are only about ‘Should I eat another spoonful when I’m already full?’ Nothing else is allowed by me.”

“Well…”

“Milord.”

As I was about to respond, the butler interrupted our conversation and approached us. He bowed slightly toward me, a mere servant.

I responded by bowing my head toward the butler.

“I received a reply to the letter I sent last time. He said he would organize his work and leave for the North immediately.”

“Is that so? That’s good. If you let me know the departure date without any trouble, I’ll send the carriage from here. Make sure to prepare so that you can arrive without any delay.”

Laches replied to the butler’s words and glanced at me. His thin, sharp eyes seemed to pierce through me.

‘Is he asking me to step aside?’

Thinking that the conversation was unrelated to me, I nodded and tried to move aside, but Laches grabbed me.

“Let’s stop the walk here.”

“…Yes?”

“The wind is chilly, and your complexion doesn’t look good. It’s better to go back now and rest.”

Anyone who saw us would think that I was Laches’ lover. The butler looked at me suspiciously. I quickly moved away from Laches and greeted him.

“I’ll excuse myself.”

Then I moved with Creamie.

I don’t know why he suddenly did that. Is my face really that bad?

Laches’s indifferent response gave me strength. Instead of returning to my room after finishing Creamie’s walk, I went to find Celly.

“Celly, can we talk?”

“Lea?”

Celly, who was cleaning, widened her eyes. I rarely initiated a conversation, so she seemed surprised.

Celly nodded and followed me obediently.

I took Celly to a secluded place. After looking around to make sure no one was eavesdropping on our conversation, I began.

“Celly, something’s wrong, right? Your face doesn’t look good. Are you in pain somewhere?”

Celly looked at me with concern.

Celly had to go to work, so we didn’t have much time to talk.

I had to tell her in detail about Cedric Helios, more than she already knew. To put it simply, Cedric Helios was a scoundrel.

There was no better or more fitting word than that.

“It’s Cedric Helios. He’s garbage.”

There was no better or more fitting word than that.