By Zephyria 
“You heard from the Duke’s estate?”
Cassian paused for a moment at the words Penelope relayed the instant he arrived at the castle. Then, he remembered a fact he had forgotten.
Right, it’s almost Mother’s birthday.
Pressing a hand to his forehead, he let out a deep, heavy sigh and glanced downward. Inside the car he had just stepped out of, Bliss was fast asleep, snoring away.
After losing consciousness as if he had simply fainted, Bliss woke up to find the plane inside a hangar. Once the Count had fallen asleep, the captain had made a difficult decision and changed course from Switzerland to England. Thanks to that, Cassian had been able to rest deeply without any interruptions until he woke up on his own.
After praising the captain and the crew, Bliss had remained in a deep slumber even as they returned to the castle in a waiting car. It was almost enough to make Cassian suspect he had actually fainted. Of course, since he was snoring loudly, it was certain that he was merely asleep.
The problem was what to do next. With the feeling of selling his soul to the devil, he had lied to the “peanut,” telling him he liked him—but now that he had slept and woken up, he realized he had caused a massive disaster.
This little peanut crumb is definitely going to get cocky.
Just imagining how much more the already reckless brat would run wild made his vision go dark. However, he had arrived at the castle without coming up with any clever solution, only to receive this unexpected news.
I forgot her birthday. If the invitation hadn’t arrived, I would have just let it pass.
Of course, if that had happened, it was obvious that his Father would be more enraged than his Mother. He could almost hear him shouting, ‘How dare you forget my precious Duchess’s birthday! Do you not even appreciate the grace of being born!’
Shaking his head in shuddering dread, he sank into serious thought. Since becoming independent, he had been lucky enough to avoid such unpleasant situations thanks to the family butler who informed him of the Duke’s estate’s various events, but… there was another problem.
Namely, that guy.
“Snoooore, snoooore.”
Looking down at the sleeping capybara with a frown, Cassian fell back into contemplation. Whenever there was an event at the Duke’s estate, Cassian, as the sole heir of the house, would visit in advance to help prepare for the parties and receptions. Since the invitations had been sent, the guest list must already be set; he would find out what else remained once he arrived.
Following previous precedent, he would stay at the Duke’s estate for as little as two weeks or as long as a month. If he left this capybara here alone during that time…
No, there’s no telling what kind of accident he’ll cause.
If he wasn’t kept under supervision, there was no knowing what he might do. Furthermore, since Cassian had told him he liked him, the brat would surely spread the rumor everywhere.
That bastard’s mouth is lighter than a sheet of paper.
Recalling a young Bliss, who had blabbed everything to Daddy less than five minutes after being told it was a ‘secret,’ a chill ran down Cassian’s spine. It was 100%. This bastard would definitely blab—no, 1,000%. Within three days, the whole world would know. No, he had to stop that at all costs.
…In the end, was that the only answer?
No matter how much he racked his brain, there was only one solution. Cassian looked down at Bliss with a reluctant gaze and let out a sigh so deep it felt as if the ground were collapsing.
“What? To the Duke’s estate? Me?”
Bliss asked in surprise after waking up and hearing the news from Penelope. Penelope nodded with a bright smile.
“Yes, that’s right. The Duchess’s birthday party is coming up soon. The Count always goes early to help with the preparations. He said he wants Bliss to accompany him. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Then, as if sharing a secret, she leaned in and whispered to Bliss, who was sitting on the bed.
“Something happened between you two, didn’t it? I can tell by the atmosphere. Tell me quickly. Hurry! What happened?”
Penelope asked anxiously. Seeing her eyes sparkling and her cheeks flushed with anticipation, Bliss scratched his cheek, saying, “Uh, well…”
“Um, the Count confessed that he likes me.”
“I knew it!”
Penelope leaped up and began to dance in circles. Unable to contain her joy, she screamed repeatedly, spun around the room, returned to her spot, and performed a tap dance.
“Finally, finally! Just as I expected. Is all that’s left now the wedding? No, Bliss’s annulment must come first, right? Oh, I’m so busy, so busy! Bliss, leave the wedding preparations to me. I have endless ideas I’ve been preparing since I was ten. I’ll show you my secret notebook. I’ve even thought of 101 different bouquets. For the ring design, let’s look into the brands the Count’s family usually orders from to stay on trend. As for the heirloom jewels passed down through the family, the Duchess will probably give them to you one by one…”
Penelope, who had been chatting excitedly, stopped abruptly upon noticing Bliss’s expression. The loud thumping of her feet vanished, and silence instantly filled the room.
“Bliss, what’s wrong? Is there a problem?”
It was strange. He and the Count were on the same page, so why that expression? Was he perhaps too happy to the point of anxiety? As she tilted her head and looked at him, Bliss replied with an awkward smile.
“Oh, no. It’s just, uh, I still can’t believe it.”
“Oh, honestly, Bliss. Believe it! I can clearly see how much you two love each other. So you don’t have to worry. Besides, look—he’s taking you to the Duke’s estate. What do you think that means? It means he’s going to introduce you to the Duke and Duchess!”
Clasping her hands together as if in prayer, Penelope let out a squeal of delight and looked down at Bliss again.
“Have confidence, Bliss. The Count’s heart is already decided. It’s as if a wedding road is now stretched out before you, for you to walk together with the Count.”
Penelope pointed far off with one arm for emphasis. Unlike the confident girl, Bliss still wore an ambiguous smile when the ringtone of a mobile phone suddenly echoed through the room.
“Oh, it’s the kitchen. I wonder what it is?”
Checking the caller, Penelope tilted her head and answered the phone. After listening for a moment, she seemed to decide she had to go and whispered to Bliss using only her lips.
‘I’ll be right back.’
Bliss nodded in acknowledgment. After Penelope hurried out, Bliss, left alone, took a deep breath as if releasing a breath he had been holding.
Why do I feel so empty?
He had felt this way ever since he woke up. Seeing that he was already lying in bed, it was certain he had returned here while asleep. He had been purely thrilled when Cassian admitted he liked him, but now that he had woken up and realized it was reality, he felt strangely restless.
And to think he was being introduced to the Duke and Duchess.
The thought that Cassian was truly sincere made his heart even more complicated. Now all he had to do was dump Cassian and go back, but the thought of leaving this place made him feel hollow.
I’ll probably never see Penelope again, either.
Even though he no longer considered her his soulmate, the memories he shared with her remained unchanged, and he suddenly felt lonely. Of course, he missed Daddy, Papa, and his other siblings, but he felt a similar regret about parting from this place.
Penelope will be so surprised when she finds out why I came here.
But… there was nothing he could do now. The time had come. With Cassian even offering to introduce him to the Duke and Duchess, it was no time to hesitate. It was time to settle this once and for all!
Bliss clenched his fists and stood up. He intended to stop stalling and barge straight into Cassian’s room to demand an apology. Even if he begged and cried, he wouldn’t forgive him.
As he practically ran down the long hallway, countless scenarios played out in his head. A crestfallen Cassian apologizing, a sobbing Cassian clinging to him, a shocked Cassian fainting…
“Count!”
Imagining a crying Cassian chasing after the plane Bliss had taken, he flung the door open. Cassian, who had just finished a call, pulled the phone away from his ear and looked back at him. As their eyes met—Bliss standing there triumphantly—Cassian’s brow furrowed into a deep crease.
“What now?”
…Eh?
Bliss paused and blinked. An awkward silence settled between the two.