By Zephyria 
Bliss chewed on a mushroom, desperately avoiding Cassian’s gaze. It wasn’t easy to ignore the persistent stare directed at him throughout the entire meal. Even though he was focusing all his attention on eating, he felt as if his stomach were starting to ache.
Does he act like this because he knows my identity?
He paused at the sudden thought. He wanted to check Cassian’s expression, but he felt that doing so would make his inner thoughts transparent.
He might figure out why I came all the way here.
It was an absurd thought, but perhaps because he had a guilty conscience, he couldn’t bring himself to look away. While pretending to be nonchalant as he moved food into his mouth, his mind was racing furiously.
What if that bastard knew about me from the very beginning…
‘Get out, get out! Get out right now, you XXXX XXX XXXX XXX X XXXXXX…’
The unpleasant moment of their reunion suddenly flashed back in his mind. Wait, did he know who I was when he poured out all those curses?
Anger surged alongside the question. What on earth did I do? I’m the one who should be angry and cursing. You’re the one who talked shit behind my back!
In a moment of sudden rage, he whipped his head around, only to lock eyes with Cassian immediately. Gasp. Bliss swallowed hard, realizing his mistake. Oops, this wasn’t the plan.
Unable to summon the courage to look again, he broke into a cold sweat down his back. Cassian, who had been staring at Bliss until then, furrowed his brow and spoke.
“What is it? Do you have something to say?”
At those words, Bliss let out another internal scream.
“N-no, nooo…”
Shaking his head urgently, Bliss quickly looked down and scrubbed his empty plate with his fork. Seeing him suck the sauce off the tip of the fork for no reason, Cassian narrowed his eyes.
As expected, he’s nervous because it’s just the two of us.
Until now, he had thought of him as nothing more than a snot-nosed brat, but looking at him now, he had certainly become an adult. The peach fuzz on those soft cheeks seemed to scream that he was still a child, but even that wouldn’t last much longer. Yes, soon.
Once that boy becomes a man…
‘Cassian.’
The image of a mature Bliss calling his name inadvertently crossed his mind, causing him to pause for a moment. Just then, an unpleasant creaking sound echoed, as if telling him to snap out of it. It was the sound of Bliss scraping the plate with his fork. Seeing him quickly lower his hand and pretend nothing happened, Cassian swallowed a sigh, thinking, Of course.
Regardless, he’s not a child anymore.
While a servant quickly approached to take the empty plate, Cassian continued to gaze at Bliss. The fact that Bliss couldn’t bring himself to look at his face, the way he stuttered and did random things without being able to say a single word properly, and above all, the reason his face was flushed red—Cassian could only think of one cause.
‘Bliss likes the Count.’
Penelope’s words echoed vividly in his ears. He suddenly realized that the corners of his mouth were softening, but he had no intention of hiding his expression. Just as a servant placed the next dish and withdrew, Cassian picked up his fork and knife, cut the meat into appropriate sizes, and brought it to his mouth. He thought to himself that children really are hopeless.
That mood persisted until the meal ended and he returned to the bedroom. Even when he had a light glass of wine before bed, he was still in a good mood. Until the impudent peanut crumb staged a revolution—no, a coup.
“I think it would be better if we slept separately today.”
Cassian, who was just about to get into bed, froze in his tracks at the sight of the peanut crumb standing firmly in the middle of the room, making a resolute declaration.
“What… are you talking about all of a sudden?”
After barely swallowing the words ‘you damn,’ he asked. Bliss flinched, but commendably, he didn’t back down and said his piece.
“I’m saying I’ll sleep in my room. Alone.”
“So I’m asking what the hell—peanut—you’re talking about.”
Replacing ‘fuck’ with ‘peanut’ to hold back the curse again, Cassian spat the words out through gritted teeth. Overwhelmed by the pressure, Bliss shrugged his shoulders and slowly stepped backward.
“I-I can’t sleep with the C-Count.”
“Why the fuck can’t you?!”
Eventually, Cassian let the word slip. Bliss’s eyes widened at the crude curse that flew from the mouth of the refined Count. However, what followed the surprise was anger. That bastard is cursing at me again?
“Because your sleeping habits are disgusting!”
At the shout, delivered with clenched fists, it was Cassian’s turn to freeze.
“Your… what?”
Seeing the bewildered expression, Bliss felt a surge of courage. He glared at Cassian with wide eyes and shouted again.
“Your sleeping habits are disgusting! You always hold me tight while you sleep! It’s unpleasant, so I won’t sleep with you anymore! I’m going to my room, bye!”
“Sleep…”
Having poured out his words as he pleased, Bliss turned sharply and left the room. Before he could even grab him, the peanut crumb slammed the door shut and vanished, leaving Cassian to stare blankly. By the time he came to his senses, Cassian was left alone in the room.
Trickle. The sound of water falling into a teacup could be heard. Along with it, a fragrant tea aroma spread. Birdsong echoed outside the window, and for the first time in a while, a clear sky illuminated the world brightly. It should have been a peaceful morning that anyone would be happy with…
“Dammit.”
Because the Count, with his face heavily distorted, buried his face in one hand and muttered curses in a low voice, Penelope, who was serving him, almost spilled the tea on the table. Having avoided the crisis by a hair’s breadth, she placed the pot down with an expressionless face and slid the honey toward Cassian.
Cassian’s complexion was a complete mess for the first time in a while. Perhaps because he had slept deeply for a period, the return of insomnia made him suffer even more.
“…That brat.”
“Pardon?”
Cassian, who was about to ask if that damn peanut had slept well, shut his mouth. When Penelope looked down at him inquisitively, he shook his head.
“Nothing, it’s nothing.”
Then, Cassian brought the hot black tea to his lips but paused. Penelope, immediately noticing the reason, slid the honey closer. Cassian let out a deep groan with a distorted face, roughly added the honey, and drained the rest of the tea in one go.
What? My sleeping habits are disgusting?
The more he thought about it, the more absurd it felt. Who was the one who slept with their arms and legs draped all over the other?
Fine, let him do whatever he wants. It’s not like I’m missing out. This kind of insomnia isn’t a new thing.
Thinking this, he left the room with violent strides and climbed into the carriage. A tedious migraine was slowly creeping in, but Cassian grit his teeth and endured it.
“Huuu.”
Having finished breakfast with the servants, Bliss stroked his stomach and let out a satisfied sigh.
“Thank you for the meal. It was delicious!”
“Really? That’s a relief.”
The servant who had eaten with him replied with a smile. As Bliss stood up to put away his finished plate, another servant hurried over and stacked Bliss’s dishes with their own.
“It’s fine, just stay seated. It’s time for dessert.”
Another servant, who immediately brought tea and cake, spoke.
“The Count has likely gone out by now, so let’s have a tea time for about 30 minutes before we start working in earnest. Blair, join us too.”
“Thank you, I’ll enjoy it!”
As he shouted excitedly in front of the slice of cake cut for him, they exchanged a glance and tentatively started a conversation.
“You said you’re Penelope’s relative, right? I’ve wanted to get closer to you, but there hasn’t been an opportunity.”
“You must be busy learning from Penelope, but please get close to us too. Let’s have tea together like this often.”
“It’s my first time meeting an American. You’re a Beta, right? How fascinating; usually, someone this pretty would be an Alpha or an Omega.”
As a flood of curiosity-filled words poured out, Bliss became completely overwhelmed. He could barely manage reactions like “Hahaha,” “Yes,” and “That’s right,” when someone suddenly spoke up.
“But it’s strange. As far as I know, Penelope only has one younger sister, and I heard she lives in London. What exactly is your relationship?”
At those words, Bliss flinched and his eyes grew round. Suddenly, the surroundings went quiet, and everyone waited for his answer with their mouths shut.
“Ha, haha… ha…”
Bliss forced out a laugh and frantically racked his brain. What do I do? If I say something nonsense, I’ll be caught immediately. I don’t know what Penelope said. If our stories clash…
No one spoke. Bliss, who was at a loss while receiving the full attention of the servants, made a decision and jumped up.
“…Um!”
While the surprised servants blinked in shock, Bliss shouted boldly.
“I just remembered something I have to do, so I have to go. Bye!”
And exit! Narrating to himself, he hurried away from the spot. The servants watched silently as Bliss’s back disappeared as he ran away in haste.