Chapter 3

Chapter 3

It was a fleeting moment, but she couldn’t ignore it. In the past, he had been nothing more than a delicate young master who struggled to even grip a sword hilt, but the large palm that had just touched hers was undeniably a man’s, calloused and thick.

“Did you come alone?”

Eris glanced around, changing the subject.

“As you can see.”

“No way.”

Oh, come on. Eris shot Ciel a look, as if to say he shouldn’t joke, then scanned her surroundings again.

Truly, there was no one acting suspiciously.

Is he insane?

She couldn’t believe that the heir to one of the Terbanne Empire’s five great noble families had traveled to this kingdom alone, without a single bodyguard, just like that.

“Please tell me you’re joking.”

At Eris’s noticeably softer voice, Ciel burst into clear, bright laughter.

Ciel must be the only one who found this situation amusing. Did Prince Rakan know? If he did, he certainly wouldn’t be laughing.

Instead of answering, Ciel took a step closer to Eris and gently cupped her chin. The sudden proximity, and his inexplicable action, stiffened Eris’s thoughts.

‘Why? What is he doing? So suddenly? What should I do in a situation like this?’

While unanswered questions spun in her head, Ciel’s lips parted.

“I’m really looking forward to my trip to the Celis Kingdom.”

That was definitely not the answer Eris wanted.

Ciel and Eris were heading to an inn located not far from the harbor.

She had just managed to persuade Ciel, who wanted to explore the square immediately.

Ciel had grown into someone completely different from what Eris had often imagined. Not just his physique, but his personality as well.

‘How could he come here alone without any fear? Even if he can now protect himself, he’s still the official heir of the Silverion ducal family, for goodness sake!’

She had a lot of scolding she wanted to do about this, but since Ciel likely thought of her as a stranger, she had to suppress the words pouring out, fearing they would be seen as presumptuous meddling.

Still, a fortunate turn of events was that his subordinates, who would receive leave a few days later, would follow with his luggage. The only problem was that he mentioned it much later.

The once frail and timid boy had become sly, and his jokes were quite serious, giving him a knack for startling people.

“Is Miss Eris also staying at the same mansion?”

“…Of course. My mission is to escort Sir Ciel. The mansion has several rooms, so you won’t experience much inconvenience during your stay.”

“Inconvenience?”

Ciel turned his head and gazed at Eris. His blue eyes, shining transparently in the sunlight, seemed utterly unburdened.

“Rather, I’m looking forward to it.”

“What? Looking forward to what?”

“I’ll be traveling without revealing my identity, so there won’t be much risk to me.”

“…”

“But even so, what were you thinking when you agreed to come to my mansion and take on this escort duty, Miss Eris? I’m a little curious, and looking forward to the reason.”

Ciel, whom she had only thought of as kind, knew how to smile subtly and subtly mock others quite skillfully.

Eris understood the thorns hidden in his words, and she suppressed her growing irritation, instead she replied politely.

“Please don’t worry, it’s not for the reasons you’re thinking of.”

“Hmm, Miss Eris. What do you think I was thinking?”

Ciel’s blue eyes sparkled as he shrugged his shoulders. It was as if an invisible tail was wagging. Eris barely held onto her composure and stopped walking.

“To cut off any unnecessary misunderstandings, let me tell you first: Sir Ciel is not my type…”

Eris finally felt the need to acknowledge it.

Ciel was different from the boy she used to know; he was now a complete stranger.

“You can rest assured that I’m not trying to pull anything just because we’re living in the same house.”

Eris declared confidently, meeting Ciel’s gaze. She deliberately tensed her body and widened her eyes, fearing that averting her gaze would make it seem like a lie.

“Is that so?”

“Yes.”

Ciel stared intently into Eris’s bright green eyes, as if trying to gauge the truth.

Don’t waver. If this job ends well, retirement awaits!

Eris rekindled her resolve, reminding herself of her goal.

“Miss Eris, I don’t think my face is one that takes to specific tastes. Look closer again.”

In the meantime, Ciel had drawn closer. His blue pupils, meeting her gaze while half-bent at the waist, glowed mysteriously, like the deep reaches of a distant ocean.

Too close!

At the physically closer distance, Eris gasped, stumbling backward in a fluster.

Suddenly, Ciel’s eyes widened in surprise, and he grabbed her wrist, pulling her closer.

“Are you alright?”

Many things happened in that brief moment.

First, the sound of children laughing and running past her back drifted by, and a warm, comforting sensation spread through Eris’s body.

“Both the children and Miss Eris nearly got badly hurt.”

Unlike Eris, who was startled and flustered, Ciel’s voice remained calm.

“I-I’m fine… Thank you.”

Only after confirming Eris was alright did Ciel release the hand that had been wrapped around her waist.

“Perhaps my prank went too far. I apologize.”

It wasn’t a situation where Ciel needed to apologize, but Eris didn’t have the composure to say so.

She gathered her scattered thoughts and sharply turned her head to the left.

“… I, I received appropriate compensation for protecting Sir Ciel. I am merely fulfilling my assigned duty.”

The back of Eris’s hand was hot with a slight fever as she spoke.

In truth, Ciel’s appearance still sparkled. Saying he wasn’t her type was a clear lie. However, if she could, she planned to maintain her distance so her feelings wouldn’t be discovered.

From her position of needing to monitor Ciel and sell his information to her employer, such emotions were a luxury.

“If my staying at the mansion makes you uncomfortable, then let’s discuss it again after those who will protect Sir Ciel arrive. For now, this is simply an action to protect my escort target.”

Ciel replied in a graceful voice to Eris’s firm words.

“You’re right. I actually do need an escort. I was just testing you, Miss Eris.”

“Testing me?”

“…Because these things happen so often. Those who deliberately plant beautiful women as spies by my side to try and manipulate me.”

At the bitter smile that formed on his lips, Eris let out a small sigh.

“I apologize. I won’t treat you like those people again, Miss Eris.”

Eris composed her emotions and nodded shamelessly.

While it wasn’t true that she harbored no thoughts other than escorting him, she hadn’t actually intended to roll around in bed with him, so accepting the apology was probably appropriate.

For a distinguished guest from a grand empire, the mansion was excessively secluded.

Thick carpets in the corridors swallowed footsteps, and softly burning candles elongated shadows eerily.

Yet, Ciel himself liked it, finding it tranquil and quiet.

That was a relief, but…

“Of all people, why Ciel?”

Eris carefully walked down the long corridor, unable to shake her troubled expression.

Unless it was a prank by the gods, this couldn’t be happening.

To think the day would come again when she had to sell Silverion’s information.

Where… did things go wrong?

A sigh escaped Eris’s red lips as she pondered her past. There was no point lamenting her situation; it was irreversible anyway.

To back out now would be going back on her word to Prince Rakan.

Besides, she couldn’t bring herself to leave Ciel, who had truly come to the Celis Kingdom alone.

‘For now, I guess I have no choice but to go along with this.’

As she clearly sorted out the situation, she realized she was already in front of their destination. Eris took a deep breath before the young duke’s firmly closed door.

Knock, knock.

“Sir Ciel, it’s Eris.”

There was no answer. The silence was so awkward, given how much time she’d spent agonizing over what to say.

“I’ve brought you a change of clothes and something to eat.”

Still, no answer returned.

It’s the fault of whoever didn’t hear.

Avoiding Ciel as much as possible was better for Eris too. It was the right thing to do until she could clear her muddled thoughts from their sudden encounter and deal with Ciel rationally.

Just as Eris finished rationalizing, about to place the fruit and cheese platter and clothes outside the door—

‘How far can you go, Miss Eris?’

A suffocatingly authoritarian voice suddenly echoed in her mind. At the same time, an instinctive sense of alarm crawled up her spine.

Eris reminded herself again that she had entered this mansion to carry out a mission for a large sum of money.

If a distinguished guest’s life were lost within the kingdom, your life wouldn’t be safe either.

What was the probability that Ciel would be attacked by an assailant a day after setting foot in the kingdom?

Eris, considering all possible scenarios in her head, gathered her courage and pushed the door open.

“Sir Ciel?”

The room was empty. Eris quickly scanned the large room with her eyes.

The window, which filled one wall, was closed, showing no signs of intrusion, and the items in the room were immaculate, as if freshly cleaned.

Now, only one space remained suspect.

‘Let’s not go there.’

It was against all etiquette to not only enter his room without permission but also to peek into his bathroom.