By Zephyria 
“M-me?”
Bliss asked loudly, his face turning pale, to which Penelope once again nodded and replied, “Yes.” Good heavens, I must be crazy! How could I do such a thing to my enemy! Bliss was horrified, but Penelope’s interest lay elsewhere entirely.
“And yet, that sensitive Count actually fell fast asleep, completely oblivious to the world. Do you realize how incredible this is!”
Is it?
Even in his state of shock, Bliss tilted his head. Doesn’t everyone usually sleep through whatever happens or whatever sounds they hear when they’re asleep? It didn’t make any sense to him, but seeing how happy Penelope was, it seemed to be a momentous occasion.
I guess that’s how it is for people with insomnia.
Since Bliss was someone who could never understand the phrase ‘I can’t sleep’ in the first place, he had no choice but to accept it and move on. Regardless, that wasn’t what was important right now. Not being the type to dwell on things for long, he immediately returned to reality.
“So, the conclusion is that our plan is progressing very well, right?”
At Bliss’s question, Penelope nodded vigorously again, saying, “Exactly.” But she wasn’t finished.
“It’s not just progressing well. It’s more than that! Oh my, Bliss!”
Before speaking further, she seemed unable to calm her excitement; she placed both hands on her chest and took a deep breath. Just as he was inwardly tensing up, wondering what on earth she was about to say—whooo—Penelope let out a long exhale and looked down at Bliss with sparkling eyes. Then, she dropped a bombshell.
“I think the Count fell in love with Bliss at first sight!”
“Hieeeek!”
This time, a loud scream escaped his lips.
15.
Good heavens, Penelope. She must have gone senile!
Countless thoughts raced through Bliss’s mind. He thought he had finally met his soulmate, but they had met too late. If only they had met a year—no, six months—sooner. No, he should have chased after her the moment he remembered about Cassian!
Could there be any tragedy greater than this? For a moment, his nose tingled and tears welled up in his eyes.
“Penelopeee….”
As he called her name tearfully, Penelope hugged him tenderly.
“Yes, I know. Oh, you’re just so soft-hearted.”
Bliss sniffled at the touch of her hand patting his back and opened his mouth. Just as he was about to suggest they go to a hospital right now, Penelope suddenly pulled away, her eyes sparkling.
“Now, this is the important part. The Count is by no means an easy opponent. So from now on, you must act very, very delicately, very, very carefully….”
Bliss looked at Penelope, who continued to chatter excitedly, with a look of doubt. …Is she serious? She hasn’t actually gone senile?
“Um, Penelope.”
“Yes, yes.”
To Penelope, who answered as if singing, Bliss spoke with a still-suspicious expression.
“Do you really think the Count fell in love with me at first sight? Sincerely?”
“Of course. Don’t you trust me?”
Penelope frowned and crossed her arms. Seeing this, Bliss’s heart wavered further. Right, there’s no way Penelope could be wrong. …Or so he thought, but.
“But the Count didn’t seem to like me at all?”
Didn’t he just act grumpy? Recalling the events since last night, Bliss unconsciously pouted, and Penelope covered her mouth with one hand and let out a little giggle.
“Bliss, there is still so much you don’t know. Well, I suppose that’s natural, since you’re at an age where you have much to learn.”
“What?”
What on earth did she mean? To Bliss, who was merely blinking, Penelope said with a wide smile on her lips.
“You see, that is the ‘denial stage,’ an essential element for the protagonists of a romance.”
“The denial stage?”
When Bliss unconsciously repeated her words, Penelope nodded deeply. “Exactly.”
“Think about it, Bliss. Think of the many dramas you’ve watched. What is the next thing a protagonist does after falling in love at first sight?”
“Hmm.”
As Bliss narrowed his eyes and searched his memory, Penelope shouted.
“『Love with You is Like War』!”
“Ah!”
The moment he heard the title of the drama, Bliss realized. Penelope then smiled gratifiedly and said,
“Yes, that’s the one.”
That’s right, exactly. In that one, the protagonist falls in love at first sight but doesn’t admit it until episode 70.
“I just thought they did that to increase the number of episodes.”
“Oh, that’s not it. Not at all.”
Penelope shook her head with a stern expression.
“Dramas are the result of very deep research into human psychology. Therefore, they naturally reflect reality.”
“I see.”
Only then did Bliss fully believe Penelope’s words. Furthermore, feeling guilty for doubting her mental state, he spoke cautiously.
“So, the Count fell in love with me at first sight, but because he’s currently denying it, he’s treating me poorly…!”
“Exactly. As expected of Bliss, that’s it. I knew you could deduce it well. Good boy, good boy.”
As Penelope showered him with praise once again, the corners of Bliss’s mouth curled up with pride. As expected of my soulmate, Penelope. My eyes weren’t wrong.
“Cass—I mean, the Count definitely didn’t recognize me, right?”
To Bliss’s excited question, Penelope nodded vigorously once more.
“Of course. Trust me, Bliss. The Count knows absolutely nothing. Absolutely!”
“Hehehe.”
Bliss covered his mouth with both hands and giggled. Of course, that’s how it is. Penelope and I have to act meticulously. How surprised will he be when I reveal my identity later? He might even faint. Hmph, serves him right. With a wide, gaping grin of satisfaction, he asked,
“What should we do next? What would be best?”
He could leave everything to Penelope. As he looked up at her with great anticipation, she confidently thumped her own chest.
“Just trust me.”
Then, with an ambitious glint in her eyes, she declared,
“I will make the Count admit his feelings as soon as possible!”
Sigh.
A deep sigh escaped his lips as the mansion came into view in the distance. Cassian gazed at the estate with complicated emotions. Usually, around this time, the fatigue of the day would wash over him and leave him exhausted, but today was different. Perhaps because he had rested well, he had been in good condition all day, but the moment he saw the mansion, his head began to ache. There was, of course, only one cause.
That peanut crumb.
Cassian closed his eyes and gnashed his teeth. Was it really thanks to that brat? That he was able to sleep so soundly.
Surely, it was a coincidence.
But for insomnia that had lasted nearly ten years to vanish specifically yesterday… it was too much to be a coincidence.
“It’s a coincidence, a coincidence.”
While he was concluding this as if brainwashing himself, the car slowly decelerated. Cassian looked at Penelope standing in front of the mansion entrance and muttered again in a low voice.
“It has to be a coincidence.”
As soon as the car stopped, Penelope scurried over and opened the door, greeting him with a bright smile.
“Welcome back, Count.”
Cassian cast a fleeting glance at her but immediately looked straight ahead and began to stride forward. Penelope quickly caught up to him and spoke.
“Count, you’ve had dinner, right? I’ve prepared everything for you to go straight to sleep; how does that sound?”
It was already approaching midnight. Cassian answered without even looking her way.
“Fine, then. Go rest.”
“Yes, I understand. Please rest well, Count.”
Penelope answered as if she had been waiting for that, then immediately turned around and walked away. As he climbed the stairs, Cassian stopped in his tracks for a moment, bewildered, and stared at her. What is with that excited stride?
He had an ominous feeling, but nothing specific came to mind. Cassian clicked his tongue and resumed climbing the stairs. The castle was merely silent. He strode through the quiet hallway where only the sound of his own footsteps echoed. Thinking that he should wash up and sleep quickly, Cassian grabbed the doorknob and turned it. When he looked into the room without thinking…
…What on earth.
For a moment, he stood frozen with his mouth agape in sheer absurdity. The curtains, the sofa, the bed, the canopy, even the walls. In a room completely plastered in pink, Bliss was standing in front of the bed, wearing light blue pajamas.