Chapter 45: 24.1

Darkness obscured Cassian’s crumpled face.

Yernia, who wasn’t aware of it, merely laughed out loud as if she had forgotten everything.

Instead of nodding in agreement, Cassian exploded.

He had wanted to ask her this a while ago.

“Why did you cry earlier?”

“What?”

“You cried on the boat earlier. Because of me.”

Before they knew it, their eyes were now accustomed to the darkness.

Yernia was worried that the little duke would get angry at her like before, but she still nodded.

“You were mean.”

“What did I do?”

“You don’t like me. No one hates me but you.”

Once again, Yernia’s shoulders drooped as if dark clouds were weighing heavily on her.

Cassian was annoyed.

No, it wasn’t irritation.

He felt something drop at the pit of his stomach.

Yernia would still bother him every day no matter how often he told her to scram.

She kept calling him ‘Little Duke’ once he appeared in her line of sight.

She was so energetic and lively that the beautiful sound of her laughter would keep echoing in his mind before falling asleep.

But that moment at the boat was the first time Yernia couldn’t look him in the eye.

“I don’t hate you.”

“Really?”

“But I do hate you in the past. Plus, you splashed water on my face on the boat. Nobody had done that before, so I didn’t know how to react.” Cassian said calmly, in contrast to the loud thoughts he had.

Yernia’s face brightened up like candlelight.

“I thought you hated me, and it made me sad. I’m so glad you didn’t.”

It was dark in the kitchen, but when Yernia laughed, it felt like his entire world lit up.

Or maybe, it was because of the moonlight shining from the kitchen window.

Yernia’s fearful countenance looked like she wanted to leave the kitchen now, but Cassian stopped her by grabbing her hand.

He wasn’t thinking at all.

Yernia looked back at Cassian in wonder, and at that moment, Cassian uttered his name.

“Cassian.”

“What?”

“Cassian Lecardo.”

‘Tell me your name.’ He heard Yernia’s voice in his head.

Cassian was planning to tell her his name at the lake, but she didn’t even give him a chance.

Still, it wasn’t his intention to reveal it in a dark kitchen like this.

Cassian had even surprised himself by saying it while holding Yernia’s hand.

***

“If you return to your room, the maid who will bring you the wash this morning will catch you.”

That was why Cassian brought Yernia to his room.

He had no idea where Yernia’s room was located, so he dragged her into his room for now.

After turning on the magic lamp, Cassian pulled a handkerchief from the table drawer beside his bed.

“Do you carry a handkerchief around?”

“You don’t have it? Why don’t you buy one?”

It was surprising how Yernia had given his handkerchief a curious stare.

The Count didn’t look poor, making him wonder why Yernia wasn’t carrying the same thing around.

“I don’t have it around because I forget. My Mama does carry it around.”

Did he intrigue her for merely carrying a handkerchief around like the Countess?

He didn’t respond.

He lifted Yernia off the ground and put her on the bed.

“Your face is a sight to behold.”

How could such a small face eat chocolate while involving her lips, nose, cheeks, and eyelids?

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“Your face. Your hands—-”

Even if Cassian felt sorry for Yernia as he wiped her chocolate-covered hands, his eyebrows still furrowed at how dirty she looked.

“Ugh.”

This time, he folded his handkerchief and wiped Yernia’s chubby cheeks with the cleaner side.

Frowning, Yernia had pulled her head back from how savage he wiped her face.

“It hurts. Let me wipe it myself.”

At Yernia’s refusal, Cassian flicked the handkerchief at her.

“Whatever.”

Why was he wiping the mess himself when he could just give the handkerchief to her?

“Come on! Give it to me!”

Yernia wiped her face carefully, but the dirt wasn’t wholly erased yet.

“It’s not erased yet.”

Cassian pointed a finger to her cheek and polished the spot clean.

“Not there, Yernia. Move a little lower.”

“Here?”

“No. Lower.”

“Here?”

“The stomach.”

“Here?”

“Tch.”

Frustrated, Cassia stole the handkerchief and wiped it off.

Yernia’s face was clean.

Almost.

“Take this.”

Cassian returned the handkerchief to Yernia’s hand.

“Why? It’s yours.”

“It’s already dirty.”

“But, we can still wash this, though. Do you want me to wash it?”

“I’ve never used anything twice, so just keep it. I’ll throw it away even if you wash it.”

Yernia folded and clutched his handkerchief tightly.

‘How unique of him!’ Yernia thought.

She felt glad that Cassian had finally given her his true name.

They were friends now.

“Then I’ll go. Good night!”

“Yes.”

Cassian closed the door after giving her the magic lamp.

But then he heard a sudden knock.

When he opened the door, Yernia was still standing there.

“What?”

“Kashian!” Yernia called him in a sing-song voice.

Her cheeks were slightly flushed as she waved at him.

“Good night, Cassian!”

“Yes. You, too.”

Yernia stood there on the other side of the door while she called his name multiple times.

Cassian couldn’t understand Yernia for repeating such meaningless behavior.

He realized that as he looked at her back once she left.

She kept calling out the name he told her.

“Strange girl.” Cassian thought with a grin as he lay in his bed.

No wonder he slept well.

But then, he remembered something that he had overlooked.

The chocolate had stained Yernia’s clothes, too.

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