Chapter 38

***

“Hmm.”

When she opened her eyes to the rising morning sun, she was lying on her bed in her room.

Cassia woke up in surprise. What happened? She was definitely with Michael yesterday.

She looked around in confusion and realized that her clothes were the same as yesterday.

Perhaps she went to the villa late at night, conversed with Michael, and fell asleep.

Scratching her head, she found something on the living room table.

As she got up from her seat and approached there, she noticed a simple sandwich and a glass of milk on the table.

There was a note next to it. It was in Michael’s handwriting.

[You must have been tired, so I brought you home yesterday.

I have sandwiches and milk ready, so make sure to eat them for breakfast and go to work.

I’ll go to the gallery tomorrow morning, too. 

– Michael]

“What’s that…?”

Looking at the note, she could feel a blushing smile on her face.

Cassia sat on the sofa and picked it up, looking at the carefully laid sandwiches and milk.

Her face grew hot as she took a bite.

* * *

After filling her stomach with sandwiches and milk, Cassia went to work at the gallery.

She woke up a little later than usual, so she was a few minutes behind the original rush hour, but she felt good. In addition, maybe because she was tired from horseback riding yesterday, she slept very deeply and felt refreshed. It’s been a while since she rode a horse, and her muscles were pulled here and there, but anyway.

Cassia went to work and cleaned the inside with a broom, and the door opened, and Michael came in.

“Oh, Michael?”

His coming to the gallery was expected because she saw it in the note.

But she opened her eyes wide because she didn’t know he would come this soon.

“You came early. I didn’t think you would come until the opening time.”

“Did you sleep well last night?”

“Oh.”

“You didn’t wake up until you went home. You must have been exhausted.”

At what he said, Cassia smiled gently and continued.

“I know. I was tired yesterday, but I lost my mind at the end because I rode a horse after a long time.”

“Do you remember what I said yesterday? Those were very important words.”

Suddenly Michael asked. She tilted her head as she looked at him.

“What are you talking about?”

“Don’t you remember?”

Michael’s eyes got bigger.

“You heard everything and answered.”

“Well, I don’t know. What did you mean…?”

When Cassia tilted her head once again as if she didn’t know, his expression was noticeably sullen.

She smiled at his expression. 

‘Why do I feel like teasing him?’ 

She approached him with a broomstick in hand.

“I ate the sandwich well in the morning.”

He was tall. 

She tiptoed and took her face close to his ear. She spoke as if she were reciting it.

“And you, you seemed like my husband.”

“…What?”

It was time for Michael, who looked blank for a moment, to look at her with a surprised face.

Peck!

Cassia put her lips on his cheek. 

His eyes widened. 

Cassia slowly came down to the floor.

“I think I need to sweep the front of the store, too. … I’ll go out.”

Speaking quietly, Cassia walked out of the store. 

Her cheeks were also red.

***

After Cassia left the store.

Michael, who had been standing for a while until the rattling sound disappeared, faltered at some point.

‘What just happened…?’

There was still a creepy soft feeling that touched his cheek.

He looked back slowly.

Casia, who was sweeping the front of the store with a broom with a shameless look, caught his eye.

“Wow, she’s really…”

His face turned red.

Michael lost his balance and collapsed.

* * *

In fact, Michael visited the store today for another reason.

It was to help Cassia, who was struggling to run the store alone.

“You’re going to help me today?”

“Yes.”

Michael, who had now calmed down a little, told her. Although there was still a soft red blush left on the cheeks.

“Looking at yesterday, I wanted to help because it seemed too much to run this alone.”

“…But it will be very hard. Because you won’t be able to use magic every time in front of people.”

“It’s just that I want to help you with your work. Because I don’t want to see you suffer.”

No matter how much he did, he had never done the dishes in the mansion.

Knowing that work was more challenging than she thought, she was worried if he could do well.

She was also afraid that it would cause him to suffer for no reason.

“…Okay. Then let’s do this. You are helping me temporarily just for one day.”

“Temporarily?”

“Yes. And if you think it’s doable in the future, you can continue, or you’d better just do it today and quit. Work is something you can save someone else, and I don’t want to bother you.”

Michael thought about his proposal for a while, but soon said he knew it.

Cassia briefly told Michael about the work, and Michael skillfully entered it in his head.

When the gallery opened soon, people lined up. They began to work hectic.

Michael did a pretty good job, even though he was clumsy because it was his first time. He didn’t feel as fast as Nick, but he used to handle what was given in front of him reliably and calmly.

His side profile, which she sometimes looked at while working, overflowed with meticulous and calm energy. Looking at him, Cassia kept smiling.

He looked like Diana. His personality and features were different, but he clearly had a brilliance that resembled Diana.

‘If Diana kept getting older, would she look the same now?’ That’s what Cassia thought.

Anyway, they were busy welcoming guests for a day. However, in the meantime, there was something that was overlooked.

“Please talk to me.”

It was the fact that a curious reporter was here.

* * *

Hannah Cooper’s visit to Cassia was ahead of the deadline.

After today’s last customer had just left and changed the sign to [CLOSED], Cassia was sharing what she had to do with Michael to just start the finishing work.

The closed-door opened and Hannah appeared. Looking at Cassia with a somewhat triumphant expression.

“Please talk to me, Duchess Whidrian.”

When Cassia heard ‘Duchess Whidrian’, she wiggled her eyebrows and looked at her. Hannah continued to talk.

“In fact, I thought I was seeing Madam for the first time. The atmosphere was so different for a commoner. Should I say that you are full of dignity?”

“What do you want to say?”

“Count Michael Allison, right?”

Cassia asked, but Hannah didn’t answer and said, looking at Michael standing next to Cassia.

Michael was looking at her with a calm but interesting gaze.

“Excuse me, but what’s your relationship?”

Hannah smiled and asked. They looked at her without answering. Hannah continued to talk.

“As much as the Third Prince’s past deeds, the scandal between Duchess Whidrian and Count Allison will be very tempting to people. Right?

Cassia thought she would know why Hannah came to her.

She smirked.

“What you’re saying is that I’m dating Count Alison here?”

“Of course.”

“So if I don’t respond to the interview you requested about the Third Prince, you are going to write an article about the two of us instead?”

“You know it well.”

Hannah nodded.

“I don’t know if you know it yourself, but Madam is quite famous in society. Count Allison is also quite famous in society for being unmarried up to this age. Your scandal will be a huge issue. I’m sure everyone will go crazy.”

“…”

“Of course, I can write out both articles, but I’m trying to trade for Madam.”

Cassia looked at Hannah. Hannah shrugged and only showed a proud attitude.

There was silence. 

How long has it been? Cassia sighed slowly.

Hannah’s gaze tilted, and she looked at Cassia. Michael was also silently watching this situation.

“What’s wrong?”

“Hannah… I’m sorry, but everything’s wrong.”

Cassia looked up at her. Hannah was wriggling her eyebrows.

“First of all, I’m a commoner like you now. I officially divorced the Duke of Whidrian.”

“Divorce?”

Hannah’s eyes got bigger.

“Is it true that you left your divorce papers in the mansion?”

“Yes. I left my divorce documents, and I ended my divorce after an agreement a while ago.”

“…”

“Well, after my divorce, I’m still the blood of the Bennette family, but I’ve been disconnected from my family since my parents passed away a long time ago. You’re interested in me, too. You know that much, right? I’m no different from a commoner than a commoner.”

“Divorce. Divorce…”

Hannah took out a notebook and began to write down what Cassia said.

“May I ask why you got divorced?”

“It’s a personal story, so I don’t want to talk about it. I am not responding to your inquiry.”

Hannah’s expression became vain. Her hand with a notebook trembled lightly. She continued to talk.

“Second, I’m not in a relationship with Count Alison.”

Michael’s gaze glanced at Cassia.

“I have been close with the former Duchess of Whidrian since childhood, and I have known Count Allison for many years. After the divorce, he visited the gallery for a while to see me after a long time, and helped me with my work.”

“…”

“If an article written with hasty guesses harms Count Allison, your neck may be cut off, Hannah.”

Hannah’s gaze glanced at Michael at Cassia’s words. Michael only looked at Hannah without saying a word.

He could see the weak agitation sprout in Hannah’s eyes. Finally, Cassia continued to talk.

“And I still have no intention of responding to an interview about the Third Prince. So, can you leave now?”

***