Deflower 118

“Hah.”

Cassian let out a scoff of disbelief. To her master, Penelope added in a stern tone:

“Please remember my words when that day comes, Count.”

It was an outright warning, but Cassian merely snorted.

“Don’t worry, that day will never come. There is absolutely no way I’ll ever grow fond of that little peanut crumb.”

In the face of his confidence, Penelope tilted her chin up with even greater certainty.

“Yes, with those words, you have essentially declared that it will happen. It will be too late to regret it then. I only hope that kind Bliss forgives you quickly.”

“What nonsense are you… where are you going?”

Cassian asked with a frown as he watched the butler’s retreating back after hurriedly wheeling the cart into the room. Penelope glanced back and replied:

“Bliss is obviously crying alone. Poor thing, I must go comfort him.”

Cassian was so dumbfounded that he was left speechless. Penelope went a step further, swiftly grabbing the plate [unauthorized copy]<[Read on Read BL Novels]!-- wm: unauthorized copy -->of refreshments from the cart and saying:

“I’ll be taking this. These were for Bliss anyway.”

“Wait, Penelope. Are you serious?”

She was just leaving without even pouring the tea? Cassian asked as if to double-check, but this time Penelope didn’t stop and quickly disappeared into the distance. Left alone at last, Cassian pressed a hand to his forehead and took a deep breath in disbelief.

Truly absurd.

A sudden wave of fatigue washed over him. His entire body felt heavy, as if he were exhausted, to the point where he couldn’t even feel angry. He poured tea into the cup on the cart and drank it while still standing. After gulping down the tea, which had already cooled to a lukewarm temperature, and setting the empty cup down, he felt his agitation finally settle.

Me, growing fond of that brat?

A hollow laugh escaped him again as he recalled the butler’s final words. Penelope has definitely gone senile. I should tell her to get a thorough examination.

Leaving the cart as it was, he made his way to the bathroom. He figured his mood would improve after relaxing his body in hot water. Of course, since the butler who should have drawn the bath had vanished after hurling curses, that task now fell to Cassian.

“Ridiculous.”

Muttering to himself in a sighing voice, he turned the faucet and adjusted the temperature. While sitting on the edge of the tub waiting for it to fill, Cassian’s gaze drifted as he blankly watched the water’s surface. Then, his eyes locked onto a specific spot. The image of himself lying in the tub, caught up in Bliss’s drunken rambling that day, and the boy perched atop him, overlapped in his mind.

‘Cassian.’

Along with the softly whispered voice, a forgotten memory resurfaced. Simultaneously, his ears burned, and he hurriedly covered his face with one hand. That damn brat, just gulping down whatever he was given and getting completely wasted.

‘I like you, Count.’

Penelope’s words followed in his mind. The kiss Bliss had given him then was likely an unconscious impulse. Since he liked Cassian, such an action must have come naturally.

“He really is eccentric.”

Even as he said this, the corners of his mouth relaxed. As Cassian aimlessly stirred the water with his hand, the image of the pale Bliss from earlier suddenly flashed through his mind. At that, his lips, which had been curving into a soft arc, froze.

…He seemed very shocked.

Bliss’s face shimmered vividly as if he were right in front of him, and soon, Cassian’s heart grew heavy. He felt a pang of regret, wondering if he should have soothed him properly, but it was already too late. Nor had it been the right situation for it.

He’ll accept it, the brat will.

It was a fact that had to be revealed eventually. Wasn’t this for the best? He could use this opportunity to clearly find out about the trait and then continue with the world-building.

Thinking this way made his heart feel much lighter. Subsequently, his brain began a full-scale rationalization. The brat came this far because he likes me. So, if I just pretend to like him back, wouldn’t that be enough?

It seemed perfectly reasonable. Cassian nodded to himself, settling his mind. If he just played along a bit, the boy would cheer up in no time. He’s Read on Read BL Novelsstill a child, after all. Or if he stolen contentfed him stolen contentsomething delicious or pretended to surrender, the brat would get cocky and act like he used to.

Simple creature.

Cassian smiled again and took off his clothes. As he lowered himself into the moderately filled water, he felt the accumulated fatigue melting away. Let’s just leave him be for today. Should I take Bliss out for lunch tomorrow? If we eat at that chef’s restaurant that’s been famous lately and I buy him something he wants, his mood will brighten instantly.

‘Cassian, I love it!’

Imagining Bliss’s beaming face, he leaned deep into the tub with a satisfied sigh.

Cassian Strickland, you absolute idiot.

However, the next morning, Cassian would end up hurling these very insults at himself.

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Good heavens, what on earth is that sight?

Having arrived first and waited in the breakfast room, Cassian turned pale the moment he saw Bliss’s face as he appeared late. His eyes were so swollen from crying that he could barely open them, his nose was bright red, and his hair was a complete mess. Looking as though he had just come from sobbing face-down on his bed, Cassian was left speechless.

No, that is definitely the look of someone who cried all night.

The cause was obvious. It was because of the words Cassian himself had uttered. Cassian found himself swallowing hard, his Adam’s apple bobbing.

While Penelope supported him and guided him to his seat, Bliss spent the entire time waving one hand in front of him, checking to see if there was anything in his path. [visit our site]our site -->Cassian watched without even blinking until the boy found his chair and sat down. Once Bliss was finally seated, Cassian let out an involuntary sigh of relief.

“Are you alright, Bli—Blair? Is the seat comfortable?”

Just as Bliss opened his mouth to answer Penelope’s worried question—

“Hic.”

Seeing him hiccup, his shoulders shaking as if some of the sobbing still remained, Cassian suddenly felt the urge to slap his own cheek hard.

Cassian Strickland, you absolute idiot. What do you mean ‘cheer up,’ you moron? He’s in worse shape!

As he cursed himself and bit his lower lip, his eyes accidentally met Penelope’s. At that moment, the butler—most insolently—widened his eyes and glared at his master. All while pointing one hand toward Bliss.

Now what are you going to do?

It was as if he were asking that. Cassian slyly avoided the butler’s piercing gaze by pretending to drink water. As if sensing his master’s inner thoughts, Penelope shook her head and spoke tenderly to Bliss.

“Bli—Blair, I’ll bring you a cold towel to cool your face. For now, please eat. Here, start with the juice.”

After pouring the fruit juice Bliss always drank into a glass and placing it in his hand, Penelope left. As soon as he was left alone with Bliss, an awkward silence descended. While Cassian agonized over what to say first, he opened his mouth when he saw Bliss simply set the glass back down on the table.

“What’s wrong? Don’t you like it? Should I give you something else?”

This is simply consideration for another person, Cassian thought. Anyone would feel concerned seeing someone sitting there in such a state. Especially since the cause was… Hesitating for a moment, Cassian was forced to admit, …if it were me, of course I would.

But Bliss didn’t answer at all. Seeing him merely poking at the salad in front of him with a fork, Cassian’s heart sank.

He’s not usually a boy lacking in motivation.

Recalling how Bliss always cleared his plate, Cassian became even more anxious. He had to feed him something. He had cried so much that if he didn’t hydrate properly, he might collapse.

Thinking this far, Cassian stood up abruptly and poured water into the glass himself.

“Here, Bli—Blair. If you don’t like the fruit juice, at least drink some water. That’s how you’ll get your strength back.”

He offered it, barely suppressing the urge to tell him to hurry up. While waiting for Bliss to pick up the glass, Cassian experienced the feeling of ‘being on pins and needles’ for the first time.