Chapter 78.1

He spoke as if proud of it.

“You found me and sponsored me. You can be proud of that alone.”

What will Reynard think when he finds out I found him on purpose? Yurina swallowed those words.

“I’m no longer the incompetent, bad-tempered kid you brought into your home. I can do anything for you. So there’s nothing for you to worry about. After all, it is thanks to you that I’m now here, in front of you.”

“…”

“So don’t worry about anything.”

“Then promise me one thing.”

Yurina held out her little finger to him.

Raynard asked carefully, touching his finger reflexively.

“What promise?”

“Promise you’ll never do anything like that in the future.”

“Anything like that?”

“Put your life on the line for me.”

His face tightened slightly. Yurina spoke again with a firm voice, as if she was pounding a wedge.

“Promise me now. I no longer want to suffer thoughts of your death.”

“…I will try.”

“It should be a promise, not an attempt.”

But Reynard ignored it. He silently looked at Yurina’s white little finger, then gently grabbed her hand and kissed it.

“I will try. But I can’t promise that.”

“Ray.”

“If something like this happens again, I have no other choice but to choose you. And you already know it. And why do you insist knowing?”

“Ray.”

“Yes, I love you too.”

He laughed happily, as if he heard a declaration of love from Yurina in those words.

Yurina couldn’t help but laugh at his cheeky remark.

“Do you know how stupid you look right now?”

“Yes, I know.”

“Do you know how ridiculous this is?”

“I know that too.”

“Do you know how stubborn you’re?”

“I have been like this since childhood.”

“Do you know that I like you too?”

“…”

Although it wasn’t the first time he heard it, he blinked in puzzlement. Yurina cupped his cold cheeks from the night wind and kissed him first.

Obviously, it was a confession made out of selfishness, like:

“I like you, so if you like me too, then do as I say.”

However, Yurina already knew that he wouldn’t change his mind even after hearing that she loved him.

He was just that kind of person. He was the kind of man who would put her above him at a crucial moment.

Yurina already knew that even if she confessed to him, nothing would change.

So, presumably, this wasn’t selfishness at all, but simply a sincere confession, covered with imaginary selfishness. If not for that excuse, Yurina wouldn’t be able to say anything due to the pressure of guilt.

10. Sea travel

Marquis Carthia, as if taking Yurina’s words seriously, kept a close eye on Marquis De Flon’s house after that night. But, from that moment until now, he couldn’t find anything reprehensible. There was no trace of the connection between the Marquis and the guilty count.

‘Then maybe they are not related?’

Yurina had no choice but to brush off her doubts.

And after that, peaceful days continued. All the turmoil around the Carthia family was cleared up and nothing much happened.

However, Yurina continued to suffer from inexplicable anxiety. She often skipped meals because she had no appetite, and when she did, she ate less than half of her usual amount.

At night, she couldn’t sleep soundly, and couldn’t sleep normally, waking up every now and then, and then the whole day was like a fog.

‘I’m like a weak chicken.’

Yurina was currently looking at the handkerchief she was embroidering. The embroidery didn’t have a special meaning, and was rather just geometric. Yurina couldn’t even recognize what the pattern was.

Yurina sighed as she looked at the colored handkerchief.

‘It’s boring.’

She didn’t really like embroidery, so quickly lost interest. She wanted to go out for a walk, but she didn’t feel like it.

Yurina threw her handkerchief on the table and looked around the room, where it was empty. She missed Reynard’s presence.

Unlike their childhood, when he lived in a room on the fourth floor, where only the people of the Carthia family lived, upon returning to the capital, Raynard moved to the guest room on the third floor. This was done to avoid possible gossip.

The two were children before. Now, even if Yurina and Reynard lived as one family, they couldn’t help it since they became adults.

Perhaps, if he’s knighted, he will have to acquire his own mansion altogether.

As a result, Yurina and Reynard couldn’t be together all day long like before. They refrained from visiting unless it was a special occasion.

There was nothing shameful to stay there, as before. But a the problem was in the fact that they kept their relationship a secret even from the Carthia family.

There was no particular reason to keep it a secret. Although they were sure in their feelings, this is because their hearts weren’t yet ready to be called a couple.

‘Even if we become a couple, things will be a little difficult.’