Deflower 117

Bliss just blinked blankly. He had clearly heard Cassian’s words, but he didn’t understand what they meant. Was it because it was British English?

Seeing Bliss just staring at him vacantly, Cassian felt a wave of bitterness. He should have just stayed quiet, he thought, turning his head away. But that small movement was enough to snap Bliss back to his senses.

“Wa-wait a minute. What do you mean by that? A world-view where you like me? I don’t understand. What on earth are you talking about with ‘world-views’ and all that?”

Bliss urgently grabbed Cassian and asked repeatedly, but then he realized it—the meaning of what had been said. Surely, it couldn’t be. …Surely, there’s no way.

“Then, that means…”

His feeble voice trembled thinly. Bliss bit his lower lip, then looked up at him with determination.

“You’re saying you don’t like me?”

Ah, Cassian let out a small sigh. Seeing the wavering pupils of Bliss’s eyes as he looked at him, regret washed over stolen contenthim. Why did he have to push [visit our site]acity:0;font-size:0;">unauthorized copyso hard for an answer? Blaming Bliss for no reason, he opened his mouth.

“That’s why I told you, let’s stick to the world-view.”

“I’m asking what that means, for heaven’s sake!”

Bliss shouted vehemently, his face completely distorted. Looking down at him, who looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment, Cassian spoke in a voice as dry as a machine.

“You are Bliblair, a distant relative of Penelope. You’ve come here briefly to learn the ropes, and I like you for that. That is the world-view we’ve set right now, understand?”

“B-but I am, Bliss—”

“No, you are Bliblair.”

Cassian cut him off ruthlessly. To Bliss, who flinched and stopped, Cassian repeated the words as if drilling them into him.

“And I like you, Bliblair. Right?”

The last part sounded almost like a demand. Accept this setting now, it seemed to say. While it was still an unbelievable story, Bliss could tell the meaning of the man’s words with absolute certainty.

“Then.”

Bliss stared at Cassian with hollow eyes and murmured to himself.

“So, you really don’t like me.”

He was spouting nonsense, but there was only one truth. It was all a lie. Cassian was simply acting ‘as if.’ Without a single shred of sincerity.

At Bliss’s murmur, Cassian looked away and answered coldly.

“Don’t overthink it. Just maintain this world-view.”

Then I’ll keep pretending to like you, too.

That was how Bliss interpreted Cassian’s words. The hand that had been tightly gripping Cassian’s clothes slowly lost its strength, and his head slumped forward.

‘I don’t like you.’

“I see,” Bliss whispered.

Cassian had denied it several times. It was Bliss who hadn’t believed him. Yes, Cassian had been sincere all along. Sincere about me.

He had never liked me once.

“…It was all a lie.”

Seeing Bliss repeat the same words, Cassian hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to react. Since Bliss’s head was down, he couldn’t see his exact expression, but he was certain it wasn’t a bright one.

“Ahem.”

Cassian cleared his throat to get his attention and spoke as if nothing had happened.

“You must be tired, so sit and rest, Bli—Blair. Penelope will bring tea and refreshments soon…”

“No, I’m fine.”

Bliss rejected the offer—a rare one from Cassian—without even hearing it to the end. As Cassian paused, Bliss continued, his head still lowered.

“I’m going to my room to rest. …That would be best.”

There was no strength left in his receding voice. As he walked away, shoulders slumped and feet dragging, Cassian belatedly panicked and reached out.

“Bli—Blair, wait…”

He tried to catch Bliss in a hurry, but just then, a knock sounded and the door opened.

“I’ve brought the tea, Count… Bli—Blair? What’s wrong?”

Penelope, who had arrived pushing a cart with tea and snacks, spoke with a bright face. She was startled to see Bliss standing a few paces away. However, Bliss silently passed her with his head bowed and walked outside.

“Bli—Blair. Blair? Blair!”

She called his name repeatedly, but Bliss did not look back. Unable to chase after him, Penelope watched his receding figure in distress and turned to Cassian with wide eyes.

“Did something happen? Why is Ble—no, why is Bliss acting like that?”

Her voice, higher than usual, showed how flustered she was. Cassian, who had been awkwardly holding his hand out, lowered his arm but struggled to find the words. He confessed with a bitter face.

“Bli—Ble—no, Bliss… found out everything.”

After twisting his tongue and shaking his head violently stolen stolen content[unauthorized copy]contentonce, he finished his sentence. Penelope asked with a confused face.

“Found out what? What on earth did Bliss find out?”

She asked again, impatient and frustrated. Cassian hesitated and murmured as if making an excuse.

“I had no choice. He made such a fuss, demanding I tell him the truth.”

“So what happened! Hurry up, this old woman is about to die of frustration!”

Penelope urged him, thumping her chest with her fist. Eventually, Cassian confessed what had happened.

“I told him we’re putting on a play. That Bliss came here as Penelope’s relative, Blair, and that I’m pretending to be fallen for that Blair.”

“What? My goodness, how could you do such a terrible thing!”

Penelope let out a shriek and jumped. It was [stolen content]the first time Cassian had seen the butler Read on Read BL Novelshe’d known for so long scream so loudly, and he flinched, instinctively stepping back. But it didn’t end there.

“How could you say such a thing! Even if it wasn’t true, you should have said it was! To Bliss, who came all this way looking only at you, you basically told him, ‘Actually, I don’t like you at all, but I need to sleep, so just obediently do as I say’—that’s what you’ve done!”

“I didn’t put it that way.”

“How is that any different? Tell me, exactly where and how is it different!”

Penelope pressed him, following closely as Cassian tried to step back. When the usually loyal and quiet butler became surprisingly passionately angry, Cassian became visibly flustered.

“I just… told him that I’ll keep pretending to like him, so he should just keep that in mind.”

“Good heavens, good heavens! What to do, to hear such cruel words! My heart breaks for poor Bliss!”

Penelope eventually pulled out a handkerchief, buried her face in it, and began to sob loudly. At the elderly butler’s extreme reaction, Cassian broke into a cold sweat, not knowing what to do. He thought Bliss’s reaction was unusual, but with Penelope acting like this too, he wondered, Did I commit an irreversible mistake?

What nonsense.

“Calm down, Penelope. There’s no need to think so extremely.”

“Extremely? Count, you have absolutely no idea how serious this situation is!”

“Penelope, I’m telling you, it’s not.”

Cassian coldly denied her words.

“Bliss might be shocked and disappointed right now, but it won’t last long. That fellow forgets everything quickly. By tomorrow, he’ll probably be fooling around in front of me again as if nothing happened.”

Half of that was sincere, and the other half was a hope. Cassian trusted Bliss’s simple brain. He’d forget it all after a night’s sleep.

But Penelope’s thoughts were entirely different.

“You really have no clue. You have no idea what is going to happen from now on, Count.”

“What do I—”

Cassian tried to protest again, but Penelope beat him to it, pouring out her words rapidly.

“Listen carefully, Count. Bliss will never trust you again. Even if you sincerely confess your love to Bliss later, he will be distrustful. Do you know how terrifying that is? No, you probably don’t; if you did, you wouldn’t be able to tell me with such a brazen face that Bliss forgets things quickly.”

What? Brazen face?

Cassian frowned and asked.

“Don’t you think you’re being too harsh?”

Penelope answered firmly.

“Compared to what you said to Bliss, this is as sweet and soft as cotton candy.”