IFAHWIPUTML Chapter 38

Chayston was pacing the corridor after receiving news that Kaysis was chatting with Verasielle.

His desire to see Verasielle's face was strong, but he was anxious that Kaysis might badmouth him.

He was already worried that Verasielle's impression of him wasn't good—what if she thought even worse of him?

He walked back and forth along the long corridor, chewing his lips, trying desperately to think of something.

A natural reason to visit her room.

Even he found his behavior pathetic, but what could he do—it bothered him.

After pacing the corridor for a while, Rohan appeared before Chayston holding a small glass vial.

"My lord. The mage found one of the antidote samples he'd made and sent it ahead."

"The antidote?"

"Yes. Shall I call for Young Master Raphaleon and Lady Verasielle?"

Chayston, who'd been desperate to know the truth as soon as possible, brightened.

Finally, he could find out if Raphel was truly his nephew.

If that child really was his nephew, it meant Verasielle had never lied to him, and he just needed to apologize for misunderstanding her.

He wouldn't have to agonize anymore over whether she'd lied to him.

And if he compensated her with the reward money as agreed, Verasielle would leave this estate and head to her family home...

"Wait."

Chayston urgently called Rohan to a halt.

"Yes, my lord."

Rohan quickly turned toward Chayston.

"She's leaving just like that...?"

The moment the truth was revealed, she would leave this estate.

After all this time misunderstanding and only suspecting her, she was going back with things twisted like this? Without him properly expressing his feelings even once?

If she returned to her family home, it would definitely be harder to see her than now, living under the same roof.

Whether Verasielle would even meet him after returning home was uncertain.

He could use Raphel as an excuse to see her, but that would only work once or twice—he didn't have a decent excuse to meet her.

Chayston's face hardened.

Since becoming aware of his feelings, he'd been losing sleep regularly.

That gentle smile that kept surfacing in his mind tormented his heart and head constantly.

But send her away? Would he really be okay sending her away like this?

Could he endure this fever-like emotion he was experiencing for the first time?

"How long until the newly made antidote arrives?"

"You said it would take a month initially, so about five days left now."

Five days. He needed even that much time.

Time to keep her by his side. Time to open her heart.

"I'll bring Raphel."

"Sir?"

"Tell the lady the antidote will arrive in five days. Understood?"

"My lord, what do you mean..."

"Only you and I know the antidote came today."

It wasn't a lie.

The antidote was originally supposed to arrive in a month—it had just come a bit early.

Verasielle surely thought she'd be living at the ducal estate for a month, so there would be no problem.

Rohan's mouth fell open at his master's incredible scheme.

He'd figured out exactly what his master was thinking.

To go this far. To want to hold onto Verasielle this desperately.

Rohan could tell that his master's feelings toward Lady Verasielle were deepening day by day.

"Understood."

Chayston instructed him to prepare a drink for Raphel, then headed toward Verasielle's room.

Arriving at the door in one go, Chayston cleared his throat and spoke.

"It's Chayston."

"Come in."

At the immediate permission, he opened the door and entered the room.

"Unkie!"

Raphel came running thud thud thud and hugged Chayston's legs.

He smiled faintly and stroked Raphel's head with his large, firm hand.

"Your Grace. What brings you here?"

Kaysis's voice.

Chayston raised his head to look at Verasielle and Kaysis. Then he witnessed an unexpected scene.

"That cat."

A white cat lying on Verasielle's lap was receiving her touch with its eyes closed. A cat he'd never seen before.

"It seems to have lost its owner. It came in through the window while wandering around."

"This room's window?"

"Yes."

It jumped up this height? Chayston examined the cat with narrowed, sharp eyes.

But he didn't sense anything particularly strange.

He just didn't like the cat sprawled out languidly while receiving her touch.

"It's not a cat the estate keeps."

He'd never received a report that anyone in the estate was keeping a cat.

It must have lost its owner outside and wandered all the way to the estate.

"Really? Then should I take care of it while it's here..."

"That won't do. Rohan is allergic to cats."

A lie. He was just being petty, watching Verasielle not even glance his way because she was absorbed in petting the cat.

He also disliked the cat monopolizing her touch.

Rohan, who'd been preparing the antidote, found himself suddenly afflicted with a cat allergy he'd never known he had.

"Huh? Rohan?"

Kaysis tilted her head at this news she was hearing for the first time.

Chayston felt a pang internally but said nothing more.

"Ah, really? Then keeping it would be difficult after all."

Verasielle's voice held a hint of disappointment.

The soft fur was so nice that she'd briefly considered keeping it herself if they couldn't find the owner, but it seemed impossible here after all.

"Myaa."

The cat, which had been feeling her touch with a purr purr, looked up at Verasielle with sparkling eyes.

Those transparent eyes like they held the Milky Way seemed to plead for her to keep it.

She'd thought it was a temperamental cat, but it was too cute.

Cuteness that put a strain on her heart.

"Should I take it to my family home..."

Hearing Verasielle's murmur, Chayston hastily called out.

"Leave it to Rohan. He'll find the owner."

"Didn't you just say the butler has allergies?"

Verasielle looked at Chayston with puzzled eyes.

"Ah..."

Oops. He'd forgotten the lie he'd just told while trying to prevent her from taking it home.

Chayston hid his fluster and continued smoothly.

"It's fine as long as he doesn't touch it directly."

At that, Verasielle nodded.

Fortunately, she seemed convinced without suspicion, so Chayston felt relieved internally while simultaneously feeling self-loathing.

Now I'm jealous of even a cat...

He couldn't gauge how long this pathetic version of himself would continue.

"I have something to give Raphel, so I'll take him for a moment."

"Hmm."

Kaysis, who'd been staring intently at Chayston, raised the corners of her mouth as if she'd discovered something delightful.

That comment about Rohan having a cat allergy, and why would her brother come personally when he could just send a servant to bring Raphel?

Continuing her thoughts, Kaysis recalled Chayston agreeing when she'd said Jelly was pretty last time.

She'd thought she'd heard wrong then, but looking at it now, she hadn't.

Kaysis grinned wickedly at the feeling of discovering at least five years' worth of teasing material.

"..."

Chayston ignored Kaysis, who was going heh heh heh.

From long experience watching her, he was certain she'd figured something out. His back grew hot with embarrassment and shame.

"Raphel, have a good time."

Verasielle waved at Raphel, who was being swooped up into Chayston's arms.

The fresh smile was directed at Raphel, but he coughed unnecessarily and quickly left the room.

In case Kaysis said something ridiculous.

Watching Chayston flee the room like someone being chased, Kaysis burst out laughing.

"Puahahahahaha!"

"Huh? What's wrong?"

Finding it hilarious to death, Kaysis clutched her stomach, laughing hahaha and wiping tears.

Verasielle looked with a puzzled face at Kaysis suddenly laughing.

Her hearty laughter conjured the image of a jovial middle-aged man rather than a noble's daughter.

At Kaysis's laughter echoing all the way to the corridor, Chayston scrunched his face.

His ears were ripening bright red.

"Heehee, kekeke..."

After laughing alone for quite a while, Kaysis finally seemed to calm down and opened her mouth, still holding back a smile.

"What do you think of His Grace, Jelly?"

"Think of him?"

"What kind of person does he seem like to you?"

What did laughing herself sick have to do with that question?

Verasielle found Kaysis's incomprehensible words and actions strange.

Verasielle gently petted the cat in her arms and answered without much thought.

"Just, someone with a lot of money."

Having never thought deeply about the person called Chayston, she answered without pondering.

"That's it?"

"I've never thought about it."

At that answer, Kaysis nodded, forcibly swallowing the laughter trying to burst out again.

"How unfortunate."

She could clearly see her brother's future of emotional hardship laid out before her.

Kaysis chatted with Verasielle again, thoroughly enjoying herself.