Chapter 4: Words Left Unsaid

“Thank you for inviting me, Count.”

“…”

‘He actually came…’

I stared blankly at Mikeron, who was extending his hand for a handshake, and reluctantly clasped it with a displeased expression.

Why on earth did he come here?

While we lightly shook hands, my mind grew complicated as I wondered what Mikeron was thinking when he accepted the invitation.

Even though the butler had written and sent a sincere invitation, there was no reason for Mikeron to accept it.

Why didn’t he refuse?

My expression hardened as I pulled my hand away first.

“Why did you come here?”

“If you ask me that, I am quite speechless. Was it not you who sent the invitation, Count?”

“I meant why didn’t you decline the invitation.”

“Ah, so you wished for me to decline?”

Mikeron clapped his hands with a playful tone.

Perhaps because I didn’t hide my dislike and displayed it without filter, my inner thoughts were quickly read.

Since what he said wasn’t wrong, I didn’t bother denying it and asked bluntly.

“I don’t know if this is accurate since I heard it while drunk, but didn’t you say you hated me, Duke Mikeron?”

“I never said I hated you. I said I didn’t like you.”

‘It’s practically the same thing.’

‘Is he playing word games with me right now?’

My forced smile trembled slightly.

“I don’t understand why you accepted an invitation sent by someone you don’t even like.”

“Even if you don’t like someone, you can still want to get to know them, can’t you?”

Mikeron narrowed his eyes, smiling as if peering right through my thoughts.

My face wrinkled automatically under his intense gaze.

A chilly atmosphere settled over us, and silence fell.

Though I was reluctant, I couldn’t keep him standing outside on such a cold day.

I let out a heavy sigh and guided him inside the mansion for now.

“Please come in first.”

“Thank you.”

I led Mikeron to the drawing room.

Mikeron looked around the drawing room before taking a seat.

The moment Mikeron and I sat down, a table of refreshments was promptly served as if they had been waiting.

Cakes, cookies, macarons—the table was overflowing with gorgeous and sweet-looking desserts.

‘I didn’t even want to serve a cup of tea to this bastard…’

‘No, I didn’t even want to offer him a single drop of dirty water.’

My face contorted at the sight of such an elaborate setup, but since I couldn’t kick him out now, I could only hope he would eat quickly and leave.

I gestured toward the sweets and urged Mikeron to dig in.

“Please eat. Help yourself, and if you don’t mind, could you leave as soon as possible?”

“So you won’t even bother with polite pleasantries now? How interesting.”

Mikeron chuckled softly and sipped his black tea.

Though I hated to admit it, even the way he drank tea looked perfectly sculpted.

I pouted in dissatisfaction at the sight.

“You did say you hated me, didn’t you, Count?”

He asked, lowering the teacup from his lips.

I merely glared at him with an displeased expression, offering no response.

“I can tell just by your expression.”

Mikeron chuckled dryly and set his teacup down.

“Is it because of Mariel that you are acting so hostile toward me when we’ve barely met?”

“Pardon?”

“I am asking if you hate me because I took it upon myself to protect Mariel, thinking I would stand in your way.”

When his already cold face hardened slightly, a wave of pressure washed over me.

Perhaps because I had openly shown my hostility, Mikeron didn’t hide his emotions either.

Before my regression, Mikeron Leilight had interfered with and thwarted me at every turn, yet he had effortlessly stolen Mariel’s heart all for himself.

Was that all? In the end, he had even killed me.

No matter how much I thought about it, there was absolutely no reason to like him.

Perhaps due to those painful memories, my body shuddered with rage just by facing Mikeron.

Even at this very moment, I only wished for Mikeron to vanish from my sight as quickly as possible.

I forced my lips to curl upward into a smile.

His intention behind asking such a thing was also deeply irritating.

“And what if I say yes? What are you going to do about it?”

Though I knew it was a statement ripe for misunderstanding, I blurted it out recklessly.

He didn’t trust me in the slightest anyway.

Even if my trust rating went from zero to negative, it wouldn’t make much of a difference.

“You won’t even offer sweet talk. Do you really despise me that much?”

He looked at me with an emotionless face.

As always, Mikeron’s gaze was directed right at my eyes.

Instantly, my stomach churned.

“Why? Since you hate me anyway, Duke, am I not allowed to hate you back?”

“Like I said, I never said I hated… Haa, never mind.”

Mikeron stopped mid-sentence, clicking his tongue and brushing back his bangs in annoyance.

“I cannot seem to communicate with you.”

“I agree. Why on earth did you accept the invitation then? It’s exhausting for both of us.”

As I scoffed and sneered, Mikeron’s eyes sank into darkness.

“Because I wanted to have a proper conversation with you. But it seems it was a waste of time. I made a useless trip.”

Warmth entirely vanished from Mikeron’s chilly face.

He gazed at me listlessly with dry eyes, from which all expectations had evaporated.

“I cannot trust you.”

“Is that so?”

“Therefore, I can only hope you do not break the promise you made on your honor.”

Mikeron emptied the remaining black tea in his cup and slowly rose from his seat.

While adjusting his clothes, he suddenly seemed to recall something and glanced at me.

“Come to think of it, there was something I wanted to ask you, but I forgot to ask.”

‘After asking all that, he has something else he’s curious about?’

‘I really wish he would just leave quickly.’

Sensing the conversation might drag on, an uncontrollable sigh escaped my lips in frustration.

Yet Mikeron asked anyway, paying my sigh no mind.

“Are you perhaps afraid of me?”

“Pardon?”

“When you were drunk, you whimpered and begged me not to kill you. I was curious about the reason.”

I couldn’t say anything for a moment.

‘Could he not have just pretended not to know? Did he really have to ask?’

No matter how much I thought about it, his goal in this life was definitely to make me die of sheer embarrassment.

‘I really wished he would just forget about that day…’

I clenched my fists so hard that my fingernails dug into my palms.

“I was just babbling nonsense because I was drunk. Please don’t read too deeply into it.”

“Is that so?”

Mikeron calmly accepted the answer and nodded.

It seemed all of his questions had finally been answered.

“Then, I shall take my leave now. Thank you indeed for the tea.”

“I will see you out.”

Even though he was an uninvited guest, I offered to escort him because it was proper etiquette, but Mikeron flatly waved his hand.

“No need. I have no desire to stay in your presence any longer.”

“If you say so.”

As for me, I didn’t regret it in the slightest.

Mikeron stepped out, and the drawing room door closed.

Once he was gone, a wave of relief rushed over me.

I slid down my chair, stretching my body out comfortably.

I felt like I could finally breathe.

“But didn’t that man look a bit disappointed?”

Mikeron neither trusted me nor harbored any expectations of me.

There was no reason for such a person to be disappointed in me.

Since disappointment was, after all, an emotion born from expectations.

“I must have imagined it.”

Muttering, I took a bite of a remaining cookie.

As my tension dissipated, the true flavor of the cookie came through.

It was crispy and sweet.

***

“Ah, Your Grace, you came out sooner than expected?”

When he reached the carriage, the coachman, who had been reading a book, welcomed Mikeron with a smile.

Mikeron climbed into the carriage and spoke.

“Let us leave at once, as I have no further business here. I have only wasted my time.”

“Yes. Understood.”

The carriage rattled and began to move.

Mikeron stared blankly at the Count’s estate through the window.

‘That invitation wasn’t sent by the Count himself.’

He could easily tell when he recalled how Leviat had openly shown hostility toward him.

It was likely a letter sent on his behalf by his butler or a servant.

Even as he thought he should absolutely ignore him from now on, Mikeron felt a strange stirring whenever he recalled Leviat’s crimson eyes.

Since returning to the capital after spending all his time in the Dukedom after the war ended, rumors about Leviat had reached Mikeron’s ears everywhere he went.

Those rumors about how he was stalking Mariel and that he possessed crimson eyes.

Mikeron had sought Leviat out, taking it upon himself to protect Mariel, who had come to him crying and begging for help.

But in truth, the rumor that Leviat had crimson eyes also played a major role in why Mikeron had gone to see him.

Because everyone around him called Leviat a madman, Mikeron had approached him with very low expectations, but the Leviat Kinesis he faced in person did not seem as crazy as the rumors suggested.

Above all, he possessed eyes that shone with a truly bright, crimson light.

The moment he saw those eyes, Mikeron felt the expectations he had abandoned begin to sprout once more.

However, before long, Leviat turned Mikeron’s expectations into a handful of dust.

An immense hatred toward Mikeron could be felt in Leviat’s tone, expression, and behavior.

The reason why a man he had met for less than five minutes showed such hostility toward Mikeron was solely due to one person.

Mariel Esgard.

It was a truly pathetic reason.

He felt foolish for having harbored any expectations.

Mikeron was only human, after all, so there was no way he could like someone who openly unleashed hostility toward him without holding back.

Even so, since an invitation had been sent this time, he had thought there might be some room for compromise, but it was purely Mikeron’s misunderstanding.

Leviat was still hostile toward Mikeron.

‘Come to think of it, I didn’t even hear a single word of thanks.’

He hadn’t helped him just to be thanked, so it shouldn’t have mattered, but it irritated his mind nonetheless.

Recalling Leviat’s eyes, which had felt mysterious and profound rather than chilling, Mikeron simply closed his eyes and turned his head away.

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