By Zephyria 
The view above his closed eyes was dazzlingly bright. When he forced his heavy eyelids open, the sunlight streaming through the chiffon curtains was unbelievably refreshing and bright. Chirp, chirp, chirp, although he couldn’t actually hear it, it was such a clear morning that such a cliché bird song should have been playing.
“…Ah.”
Why did I do that? Was I possessed by something? I’m crazy, I’m crazy, Noah Hamilton…
His body was languid, but his mind was full of sharp thorns. His limbs were drooping like waterlogged cotton, but his heart wanted to jump up and scream.
The heavy scent of agarwood that lingered only faintly on his still-tingling lower body and the tip of his nose, which had been open for a long time, reminded him that what happened last night was a real event.
Andrew’s voice, which had been pouring out persistent confessions that he loved me every time I shuddered and cried, rang in my ears. His voice, which seemed calm at first glance, was engraved in me as a slow but clear wave.
So, do you regret it? If someone asked me, I could answer with certainty. My feelings aren’t completely sorted out yet… I’m still confused… but I don’t regret deciding to cross the line at his plea. Because Andrew was the first person to purely love only the thirteenth life’s ‘me’, who was reborn as a completely different person from the first life’s ‘Noah Hamilton’.
Allen muttered that it was interesting several times. Andrew hadn’t even expected that, and the reason why the tastes of the other guys were so twisted was because they were influenced by the first life’s me.
I regained all the memories of my first life. But that’s all. I won’t repeat the futile path of deceiving Carlisle and stabbing my own chest with the weapon I obtained. The current me was, after all, only the current ‘me’.
‘Ugh… Andrew?’
‘Ah, did I wake you up? I’m sorry.’
This morning at dawn. I suddenly woke up to the cold sensation on my forehead. When I opened my eyes, Andrew, who had already finished preparing to leave, was stroking my hair. The sun hadn’t risen outside the window yet, so I could quickly tell that he had only slept for a couple of hours.
‘Are you leaving already? I heard the Great Service is around noon, so why don’t you rest a little more…’
‘Once you have the Royal Wedding, I will also formally inherit the title of Count.’
It was a sudden declaration that was completely off-topic. It was also an unlike thing to say for someone who was about to collapse pathetically just by seeing me have an engagement ceremony.
‘Of course, I’m sure you’ll do well on your own… but to become a loyal servant of the newly enthroned Empress, you’ll have to move diligently in advance.’
I wondered if the subject of the sentence “I’m sure you’ll do well on your own” was me or Adrian, but I didn’t bother asking. According to Andrew, he had to move around this time to make an impression on the old men who didn’t sleep in the morning.
Was it because I was still sleepy? I felt strangely at ease. I didn’t feel sorry for Adrian, nor did I feel sorry for Andrew. The time itself was just so peaceful. It felt as natural as if everything had to be that way.
‘I’ve instructed no one to enter until you wake up and look for me first, so rest assured and sleep more.’
‘……Yes.’
His wings weren’t very wide compared to the Crown Prince Adrian or Carlisle, who would become the Grand Duke in the future, but when I buried my head in the shadow cast under those wings, my heart became calm for some reason. Was it because I didn’t have to pretend to be this or that and I didn’t have to feel sorry for that reason?
‘Then I’ll be off.’
Andrew finished his farewell in a gentle voice and quietly kissed my forehead. The cozy blanket wrapped comfortably around my shoulders, and I closed my eyes as if I was falling asleep again.
And now I finally woke up.
“Hmm…”
When I slowly rolled the events of dawn in my head, I felt a little calmer. The weather outside the window was still sunny and bright. Still, it was hard to believe that it was the first day of the proper funeral.
The sunlight streaming through the large window had already overflowed onto the bed. I wriggled my arm out of the blanket and basked in the sunlight. The moderately warm sensation felt just right. Thanks to Andrew, who knew the structure and facilities of this room and the surrounding area better than I did, and who had taken care of wiping my body and changing my clothes before I fell asleep, my body and mind were refreshed and light.
I rolled around on the bed unnecessarily, as if I was trying to be as lazy as I hadn’t been able to be for a long time, and only when my stomach finally growled did I pull the long cord hanging next to the bed.
“You’re finally awake? You’re such a sleepyhead.”
Nicole opened the door right away, as if he had been waiting nearby. The trolley he was pushing had a washbasin and a simple meal on it.
“I heard you were talking until late last night? With the eldest young master.”
“Huh? Uh-huh.”
Wow, is this what it feels like for a thief to be caught red-handed? I almost bit my tongue at Nicole’s casual words as he gently wiped my face and neck with a towel soaked in warm water.
“He told me not to wake you up under any circumstances because he had a lot to discuss about the future, my goodness. But you should have eaten before you went to bed!”
Nicole’s tone was subtly asking me to take his side instead of Andrew’s. I matched his tone and nodded, saying, “Yeah, yeah, that’s right, you’re right.”
“Huh? Young master. But your pajamas… I don’t think this is what I dressed you in yesterday…”
I flinched again. I just woke up from sleeping and said that I changed my clothes because I was uncomfortable with sweating a lot. Nicole seemed a little disappointed that I didn’t call him, but this time I desperately pretended not to notice. He had always taken care of my every move to the point where I felt sorry for comparing him to the other servants, but after he went missing (?) and returned, it became even worse.
I quickly filled my stomach by dipping a soft morning bun in warm tomato stew. Once my stomach was full, my already languid body was about to relax again, but Nicole immediately prepared a bath. He said that if I sweated enough to change my pajamas, it would be better to wash up completely. I immediately lifted my pajamas and checked my body first. As expected. There wasn’t even a faint handprint, let alone a bruise. It was just like Andrew to maintain his thoroughness to the end, even though he knew that Adrian and I would not officially meet during the funeral period.
I languidly sat in the bathtub, and the calm and heavy scent of the bath salts and essential oils that I had always smelled seemed to relieve my fatigue.
…Hmm.
“What’s wrong, young master? Is there something uncomfortable?”
“No, it’s nothing.”
Why did I only realize it now? The bath salts and essential oils that I had been using for so long that I didn’t even realize when I started using them all had a subtle scent of agarwood. …It was surprisingly similar to Andrew’s pheromones.
It must have been Andrew Hamilton’s trick, who had been involved in the affairs of the mansion since early on.
It made me feel embarrassed and my face flushed, so I kept clearing my throat while getting ready after the bath. Nicole, who said I was sweating, immediately fussed, asking if I actually had a cold.
“Ah, it’s nothing like that. Really, don’t worry.”
“I heard you were sleeping again. It seems like you’re just tired?”
“That’s… no. I’m not sleeping. I won’t sleep, so could you prepare some tea and cookies in the garden? I should read a book for the first time in a while.”
“That’s a great idea! The weather is so nice today. I think we still have some good tea leaves from the Imperial Palace here…”
Outside, all was filled with loud wailing, but inside the mansion, just over the fence, it was so peaceful. I watched Nicole humming and choosing tea leaves for a moment, then headed out to the garden first. Not forgetting to take the letter from Adrian that Andrew had delivered yesterday.
“……”
“……”
I should have told Nicole to bring out two teacups. As soon as I got to the garden, the back of my head tingled. Pretending not to notice, I was about to read the letter when a white hand suddenly popped out from behind me and snatched the letter away.
“Ugh. It’s you again?”
I’m so tired of this, really… I sighed annoyedly, but suddenly, my vision darkened. It was because a tall shadow blocked the sunlight and stood in front of me.
“If you have nothing to say, can you just leave? And give me back that letter.”
“…Did you sleep with him?”
“Why is it any of your business?”
“Answer me. Did you sleep with Andrew Hamilton? I’m asking you now.”
Andrew Hamilton has nothing to do with our bet, so why did you sleep with Andrew? I can’t understand it at all. The conditions of the bet are Carlisle, Kyle, Lennox, and even Adrian. Pale, bloodless lips poured out words quickly without taking a breath.
“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen in love now? No, right? You just felt sorry for him, so you slept with him once?”
God, now consumed by jealousy that’s late, far too late, still looked beautiful, and that made him even more pathetic. I didn’t answer and just snatched back Adrian’s letter that he was holding tightly as if he would crush it.
Ah… No! The black area inside me is awakening!