By Zephyria 
“Pardon?”
Bliss, momentarily flustered by the sudden words, blinked and asked back. Penelope continued in a firm tone.
“For now, I think it’s best if we both get some rest. It’s late, and we’ll have to start early tomorrow. Let’s cool our heads first.”
She then added, her eyes gleaming sharply.
“Let’s try to make an impression on the Count once more when he leaves tomorrow morning. We’ll observe his reaction then.”
“Yes…”
Surely he didn’t actually pour all those terrible insults on me.
“No, absolutely not. Trust me.”
As if she could see right through Bliss’s inner thoughts, Penelope spoke and gave his back a reassuring pat.
“Don’t worry and go to sleep; I’ll take responsibility. Everything will be fine.”
If you say so, then that’s a relief…
The aftereffects of the unimaginable incident were significant. A sense of being completely worn out, coupled with extreme fatigue, washed over him. As he let out a long sigh, Penelope asked with a smile.
“How do you feel after finally seeing the Count you admired so much?”
“Ha… haha, ha.”
As he laughed awkwardly, Penelope nodded as if she had expected as much.
“You must be tired today, so go rest. Wake-up call tomorrow is at 9:00 AM. The Count has breakfast at 8:00 and is scheduled to leave at 9:00. Since you couldn’t see him properly in the dark, let’s exchange formal greetings under the bright sun.”
She already had a lavish and detailed plan laid out. The Count’s strange reaction was not a problem at all. It was just a small, very minor happening.
“Then, Penelope, thank you for today.”
“Sweet dreams, Bliss.”
After saying goodbye to Penelope, Bliss headed to his room. In the ridiculously small room—the likes of which he had never lived in before—there was only a single bed, a wardrobe for his belongings, and a desk. Reaching the bed in just a couple of steps, he flopped down and stared up at the ceiling.
Sigh.
Now that he was alone, a sigh of relief finally escaped him. As the tension released, he felt strange again.
What on earth was that, really?
No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand. As Penelope said, it didn’t seem like the man recognized him, so what was it? That feeling.
So different from before…
‘Bliss.’
A corner of his chest throbbed again. As he slowly placed his hand over his heart, Bliss realized: Ah, that pounding heart back then… perhaps it was anticipation.
11.
Perhaps because he had tossed and turned the previous night, Bliss barely managed to wake up on time. Having turned off his alarm twice, he had to scramble into his clothes and run out like a madman.
“Bli—Blair! You’re here!”
Penelope, who happened to be pacing by the entrance, waved her arm happily upon seeing him.
“S-sorry I’m late.”
As he apologized while panting, she shook her head and replied.
“Fortunately, you’re safe. The Duke is all ready, but he said he’ll be down in ten minutes.”
Only then did Bliss relax.
“Thank goodness, really…!”
Phew. Just as he breathed a sigh of relief, he felt a strange presence behind him. Startled, he froze as Penelope whispered in a hushed voice.
“Shh, the Count is coming down.”
It was likely a warning to watch his words, just in case. Bliss hesitated before cautiously looking back. Just as she said, Cassian was descending the stairs.
Seeing him under the bright morning sunlight, he looked completely different from the night before. The man who had seemed so empty now felt like an arrogant creature who knew exactly what he possessed.
The leisurely, steady pace of his steps, the disciplined movement of his body to ensure he didn’t sway too much with each stride, and even the long, elegant fingers fastening the buttons of his jacket—everything seemed calculated, without a single flaw.
Bliss stood there for a moment, entranced, watching the man walk toward him.
His hair was neatly combed back, and beneath it, silver-grey eyes peered through glasses. Bliss felt a strange sense of dissonance toward the color of the eyes, which he hadn’t been able to see clearly in the dark the previous night. He had thought they looked very similar to his own kin, but it was a mistake. The only similarity was that he was just as tall; his kin did not have a face as cold as that man’s.
Of course not, Bliss thought. My family is kind and cares for one another. Only people who know nothing call them devils, degenerates, perverts, or mad dogs.
Yes, I’m talking about you. Cassian Strickland.
“You’ve come down, Count.”
Cassian brushed right past Penelope, who had greeted him politely. Of course. Why would he care about someone like me? A spark of defiance flared within Bliss. This guy, his act of playing superior won’t last much longer.
“What are you?”
…However, Bliss was well aware that it was far too early to let that show. Standing behind Penelope, Bliss jumped at the sound of Cassian’s voice, who had stopped a couple of steps away from him. Hesitantly, he cautiously lifted his eyelids, and as expected, his gaze met Cassian’s eyes looking down at him.
Hieek.
For a moment, he almost let out a scream. The gaze glaring at him with a furrowed brow seemed to say, ‘If you say something stupid, I’ll twist your neck.’ Of course, such a thing wouldn’t actually happen.
…But what if it does?
“Bli—Blair Carlton. I’m a distant relative of Ms. Penelope…!”
Bliss hurriedly bowed his head and recited the pre-planned scenario exactly. Did he forget that they had greeted each other the night before? Or was he testing him on purpose?
Anxious, he kept his head bowed and shifted only his eyes upward to check; Cassian was still looking at him with a scowl. Did he think there were too many outsiders now? Why on earth was he acting like this?
Though he felt frustrated inside, smiling was his only option. Bliss forced the corners of his mouth up, trying to manage a smile as he spoke.
“I greeted you yesterday. I wonder if you remember…”
“You.”
“Yes.”
Bliss answered hastily to the first word spoken. In front of a nervous Penelope, Cassian muttered through gritted teeth.
“If I see your face when I return today, know that I’ll grind you to dust.”
Hieeeek!
Kyaaaaak!
Bliss and Penelope screamed simultaneously in their hearts. However, completely indifferent to their reactions, Cassian turned around and got straight into the car.
The driver closed the car door and hurried to his seat, and Penelope and Bliss simply stood there watching the car drive away. Only after the car had completely vanished from sight did Bliss cry out urgently.
“W-what? What just happened?”
She was the only one who could give him an answer. However, Penelope also only shook her head with a bewildered expression.
“I have no idea either.”
After clutching her head and pondering with a hum, the only conclusion the two reached was that ‘something went wrong.’
“Was it something wrong with the introduction?”
At Bliss’s question, Penelope stroked her chin and said.
“Probably? Because he suddenly got angry right after.”
But that was the end of it. It wasn’t the first time a new employee had been introduced, so such a reaction was strange. Moreover, considering what happened this morning…
The Count usually has absolutely no interest in the employees, so what happened?
“Um, Penelope.”
Bliss spoke cautiously to the butler, who was lost in serious thought.
“Um, should I… should I quit? The Count, to me…”
As he spoke, his nose began to sting and tears welled up in his eyes. That jerk, why does he suddenly insult people and tell them to leave?
“Oh, Bliss.”
Bliss, now sniffing from sorrow, hurriedly rubbed his eyes with his arm. Penelope quickly comforted him, patting his arm.
“Don’t let it get to you too much. He’s probably just in a bad mood. He’ll feel better by the time he returns in the afternoon, so let’s check the atmosphere then. Alright? It’s okay, it’s okay.”