TPOTLPIM Chapter 11

Teros unexpectedly nodded at Asen as if telling her to continue.

"Tell me about those preferences."

At his commanding tone, Asen had no choice but to open her mouth immediately. Her thoughts were slow, but for some reason, the atmosphere made it feel like she had to answer quickly, causing words to spill out before her thoughts could catch up.

"Uh, um, well then. Lady Cecilia likes gentle people, she says. And, and she wants someone who's emotionally rich and delicate."

For example, someone like Lord Dmitri. This was the one thing she absolutely couldn't say in front of Teros, so Asen just drew in a breath.

"What kind of ridiculous talk is that, Asen? What kind of man is that supposed to be? You'd have to be as beautifully made as I am for such a personality to be worth overlooking. Someone like the Marquis has the truly popular personality among young ladies, that's for certain."

Hadel, who had been watching his younger sister precariously as she listed preferences completely opposite to Teros's nature, jumped in and started fluttering about.

Teros raised one hand to cut off Hadel's words.

"Tell me more."

"She likes people who smile often, and whose smiling faces look warm."

Asen explained earnestly while desperately trying to picture Dmitri's image in her mind.

Teros stood there in a daze, running his large hand over his own face. Warm? Smiles often? How exactly was one supposed to do such things?

Without even needing to feel around with his hand, he could sense through his palm the outline of a face devoid of expression.

Now that he thought about it, all this time he had only been thinking about keeping Cecilia close by his side, but strangely enough, he had never once considered that he needed to win her heart.

"I see. Lady Odik should continue to frequently relay such information from now on. Well then, guide me to the grand library."

At the end of his words, Teros tacked on an awkward smile that looked broken before stepping out of the reception room first.

When the doors to the grand library opened, the young ladies who had been chattering were startled by the appearance of a new figure.

"Lord Teros!"

Lady Catherine, who had her orange hair braided up, was the first to recognize him and shot up from her seat. With that as the starting signal, the young ladies who had been sitting around the desk began standing up one after another like dominoes.

"Haha, please sit. You move as swiftly as knights."

The young ladies cocked their heads at Teros's reaction. Usually, Teros would have just given a curt nod with his eyes and stated his business briefly, so it felt awkward for him to deliver such a lengthy greeting.

And what on earth was that smile? Teros was forcing an uncomfortable smile, curling up only the corners of his mouth while his eyes weren't laughing at all.

With that cold gaze while only his mouth smiled, it created an oddly unsettling feeling.

The young ladies didn't know whether they should respond to his greeting with cheerful laughter or apologize for having jumped up so abruptly, and found themselves fidgeting anxiously despite having done nothing wrong.

"Haha, we were a bit over the top, weren't we? We were just so surprised to encounter an unexpected person at Odik Castle... But what brings Lord Teros here?"

At Lady Catherine's question, which finally managed to rescue the atmosphere, Teros's gaze naturally sought out Cecilia, who was blended in among the young ladies.

Seeing her fidgeting nervously with her small hands, a natural smile rose to his face.

Just as he was about to call her name, Cecilia, who had been deliberately keeping her gaze turned away, swiveled her head toward him.

'Don't do it, please.'

Cecilia conveyed her heart as much as possible through her expression. She let her already large eyes droop like a puppy's and put on the most pitiful look she could muster.

If Teros brought up marriage or fiancé in front of the young ladies, she had no clue how she would manage to salvage that atmosphere. Moreover, she felt utterly drained, as if she had already used up the total quota of misfortune she could bear in a single day from her earlier confrontation with Rosein.

Teros caught her gaze and faltered for a moment, then opened his mouth with rigidly set features.

"I've come to fetch someone who will become family."

Ah. Cecilia felt all her strength seep away and now shot him a resentful look. It seemed Teros didn't have even a fingernail's worth of consideration for sparing her feelings.

The young ladies of the reading club began to rustle quietly, trading glances with one another. Some even covered their mouths and whispered to their neighbors.

"Just as we thought, the rumors were true."

"I told you those two looked anything but ordinary at the engagement ceremony."

Then Teros's voice, heavy as it sank low, swept away the young ladies' commotion in one stroke.

"Let's go, future sister-in-law."

The direction where Teros extended his hand was toward Rosein.

Rosein also hadn't seemed to anticipate this turn of events, as astonishment was painted clearly across her entire face.

The murmuring of the young ladies ceased for a moment, and then Catherine let out an awkward laugh to ease the atmosphere.

"Ah, of course it would be Lady Rosein when you mentioned someone who will become family. Lady Rosein is already receiving abundant love from the Jeminick family."

"How deeply must Lord Dmitri treasure his fiancée for Lord Teros to come personally to fetch her?"

At the envious words of the young ladies, Rosein also quickly snapped back to her senses and displayed a blissful smile befitting a cherished daughter-in-law.

"Ah, my dear must have instructed him to come get me. Truth is, he wanted to come here with me, but he had pressing governmental duties and was so regretful about it. I told him it was perfectly fine, but I had no idea he would go and trouble Lord Teros."

The young ladies of the reading club directed covetous looks toward Rosein. Though they had always been the sort with contrived sweetness embedded in their very bones, ever since Rosein's engagement to Dmitri, they had been striving even more earnestly to curry favor with her.

Rosein placed her hand atop Teros's large extended hand as he offered his escort, wearing a triumphant expression.

"Well, since the gathering has ended, let's all take our leave."

The young ladies began flowing out of the grand library, and Cecilia also slipped in among them, gathering up her dress to make a swift exit.

"Please go on ahead. I have more matters to discuss with my sister-in-law. And Lady Serin should ride in our carriage as well. The Serin estate lies along the route to DeNeuve Street."

Cecilia froze in shock when her name was suddenly called out.

"Oh, I'm perfectly fine. Family members should have their private conversation together."

"I must insist you don't decline."

Toward Cecilia, who was offering an awkward smile as she refused, Teros also flashed a cheerful smile—yet one that somehow carried force and menace.

"Yes..."

Cecilia ultimately had no choice but to be caught by Teros like a rabbit seized by the scruff of its neck.

After all the young ladies had departed and the doors to the grand library shut, an uncomfortable silence settled between Rosein, Teros, and Cecilia.

"Have you been well?"

Teros's gaze was pinned on Cecilia. At his voice, tinged with something almost tender, Cecilia looked up at Teros. Why did those few short words feel so achingly wistful? When she remained standing there without reply, another question followed.

"How is your health?"

"Yes, thanks to your kind concern, I recovered completely by the weekend."

"Oh my, Cecilia. Where were you unwell? I'm so sorry. I didn't even realize."

Looking at Rosein, who was studying her with anxious eyes from beside her, Cecilia's expression instantly turned rigid. So this was the sort of duplicitous manner she'd been maintaining while playing at friendship for the past year.

Rosein addressed Teros with a face brimming with concern.

"But, Lord Teros. Cecilia must have come in a carriage from the Serin estate, so wouldn't it be more comfortable for her to take her usual carriage?"

"Now that you mention it, that's true. Sister-in-law, please take the DeNeuve carriage and go ahead."

"What?"

"Lady Cecilia rode in the carriage I came in last weekend. Since this is sister-in-law's first time in my carriage, it might be uncomfortable. I didn't think of that."

Watching Rosein's face turn as red as her hair, Cecilia felt a subtle sense of satisfaction. Rosein's pretty lips moved busily.

"I'm the accommodating type who doesn't mind changing seats, but since Cecilia was recently sick, I was worried she might be uncomfortable being squeezed between us."

"Sister-in-law."

Teros coolly cut off Rosein's continued protests. He truly was a man who didn't know how to speak indirectly.

"I've preserved your face in front of the young ladies, so please take your leave now."

When Cecilia and Teros emerged into the garden of Odik Castle, all the young ladies had already departed.

'Did Rosein make it home safely? No, what concern is that of mine?'

Rosein, whose face had flushed red and blue with indignation at Teros's cold treatment, had left the grand library first, abandoning the two of them.

Before climbing into the carriage, Cecilia also frantically cast her eyes about, hoping to use the Serin coachman as an excuse to decline Teros, but,

"I've already sent the coachman back, so don't trouble yourself about it."

"Ah, yes."

With that single statement from Teros, Cecilia had no choice but to board his carriage.

Seated across from her, beneath Teros's gaze as he observed her, Cecilia offered a tardy greeting.

"Lord Teros, there haven't been any troubles for you, have there?"

"Troubles, certainly. Given that you haven't sent me so much as a single letter."

He turned his head to the side and slightly lowered his eyes. It was a pitiful gesture that didn't suit him, something Hadel might do.

"I wanted to send letters every day. But I held back because you might be uncomfortable."

It was true. If Teros's letters had come to the count's estate every day, Cecilia would have been quite troubled.

"That's why I came to see you directly like this."

Oh, is that so? You came to kidnap me directly so I wouldn't be uncomfortable?

Flabbergasted, Cecilia found herself shooting daggers at Teros without realizing it. Teros was smiling as if he found even that look in her eyes delightful.

"Originally, I was going to look at the dress you'll wear today together, but you seem to be in a very foul mood."

Teros's eyes scrutinized Cecilia's expression with piercing intensity.

His eyes were spot-on. The conversation with Rosein at Odik Castle had dragged Cecilia's spirits down to rock bottom and was more than enough to cast a pall over the rest of her weekend.

"Let's look at the dress another time and have dinner today."

At the sudden dinner proposal, Cecilia quickly racked her brain to find words of refusal.

"Do you know 'Le Stouef'? It's a new restaurant that opened in Gerard Square."

"What, Le Stouef? That place takes a month just to make a reservation!"

After asking back in surprise without thinking, Cecilia belatedly covered her mouth.

Seeing her reaction, Teros wore a long smile on his lips.

"I'm someone who usually doesn't have things that can't be done."

Le Stouef was a place opened by a retired imperial chef who had been loved by the Emperor. It only accepted a small number of guests per day, and all the nobles of the capital lined up to go to that restaurant, so it took a month just to make a reservation, and even after making a reservation, you had to wait three months.

A young lady from the reading club who had been lucky enough to go there in the early days of its opening had bragged so much about how delicious the food was! For Cecilia, who liked to seek out delicious food, Le Stouef was her number one restaurant she wanted to visit.

"I knew you would like it too."

Looking at Teros smiling contentedly, Cecilia experienced serious internal conflict. Should I refuse this or not?

"Remember that this isn't a proposal but your duty."

As if seeing through her heart, Teros said with emphasis.

"Huu... So, do you know what Rosein said to me?"

The closing time of Le Stouef was approaching.

Cecilia couldn't wait for the waiter to pour the wine and directly lifted the wine bottle to tilt it into her own glass.

Across from her, Teros hastily reached out to grab and lower the wine bottle she had tilted.

"Let's stop drinking wine now."

"Haah... Evil wench."

Cecilia collapsed and buried her face in the table.

Teros, who let out a small sigh, silently watched her small back as she lay prone.

The start of dinner had been fresh and pleasant. Until she got this drunk.

The orange sauce salad brought out directly by the retired imperial chef, the herb-seasoned lamb steak—eating these, both of Cecilia's cheeks had been tinted with a pleasant flush.

Watching her admiring the delicious food, Teros recalled the moment he had felt special emotions toward Cecilia on the day of the engagement ceremony.

Even when they first greeted each other through Dmitri's introduction, Cecilia had been someone whose name wasn't even worth remembering to him. But after drinking that damned cocktail, when he encountered her again in front of the food table exclaiming in admiration, he couldn't bear not approaching her and speaking to her.

She had smiled softly at his awkward words. Not only that. The clear eyes visible beneath her eyelashes had approached him with special meaning, and the soft-looking blonde hair curling below her shoulders made him want to reach out and take hold of it. An unfamiliar desire to possess the being before his eyes had stormed within him. He had tried to hide that bewildering emotion with the cold expression and tone he had always maintained, but the emotion that had taken up residence in a corner of his heart expanded its territory day by day. Enough to completely erase even the suspicion he had initially harbored toward her.

Now before his eyes, seeing her clear her plate with the same smile as the first day he saw her was moving beyond gratifying.

So had he missed it? From the start of the meal, he failed to notice that she had been steadily sipping wine, one glass, two glasses.

He realized something was a bit off about her around the time they were eating dessert.

When macaroon cream got on her hair while she was eating the mini cake and macaroon set on her plate, Teros didn't hesitate for a moment before caressing her hair with his fingertips.

Her hair, touched for the first time, was as soft as he had imagined. Golden threads gathered and scattered, sparkling at his fingertips.

["Heh, hehe. Thank you, Lord Teros."]

Instead of the surprised, snail-like recoiling he had expected, she showed him a slack-looking smile.

Seeing her smile, Teros's eyes widened greatly. Heat rose to his face and his expression also crumbled slackly.

Was she finally accepting me? His heart began to surge violently as she, who had always defended and reluctantly responded whenever he approached, smiled back at him.

Her face was flushed red like his. Teros struggled to suppress the impulse to cup those heated cheeks and feel their warmth.

Then her head dropped forward weakly, and Teros quickly raised his hand to carefully catch her falling chin.

If it had been the usual Cecilia, she should have been startled and straightened her back apologetically, but instead she rubbed her chin against his palm and let out a strange laugh.

["Heu, heu-eung..."]

Only then did Teros realize she had gotten drunk.

From then until now, Cecilia had been repeating only incomprehensible chatter.

Teros gave up entirely and just listened to her mumbling while propping his chin up, faithfully repeating only the task of taking away the wine bottle whenever she tried to drink.

Watching Cecilia, whose posture had gradually deteriorated and who was now lying face-down on the table, Teros asked a question that wouldn't reach her.

"Did you drink like this because you were angry at sister-in-law Rosein?"

She just rubbed her forehead against the table without answering.