Sunlight pierced through the glass window, and though I knew it was morning, I still wanted to keep my eyes shut. Just a little more time to sleep, please. But the rays seemed determined, penetrating right through my eyelids. I shifted, trying to find a comfortable position to drift back into slumber.
Suddenly, I felt something next to me. What was that? It felt like ... a human body, larger than mine. Slowly, I opened my eyes and—
"WHAT THE—" I sprang upright, my shock causing me to tumble right off the bed.
I barely managed to stop myself from cursing.
There he was—Cedric—sitting and staring at me as if nothing had happened. "What are you doing over there?" he asked, completely oblivious to the fact that he was the reason I fell off the bed in the first place.
Glancing around, I realized this wasn't my usual room. "Your room?" I asked, my eyes scanning the surroundings.
"Yes."
Memories of last night came rushing back. I must've fallen asleep in the carriage, and somehow ended up here—with Cedric carrying me to his room. It was embarrassing, yet it felt like progress. Maybe things between Cathleen and Cedric were finally improving.
As I tried to stand, a sharp pain shot through my lower back, making me wince. Then, I noticed my gown had been swapped for a nightdress—short-sleeved and ending just above my knees.
Awkwardly, I chuckled. "Don't tell me you're the one who changed my clothes."
"The maids handled that," he replied, and I sighed in relief. For a moment there, I had thought ... never mind.
I perched myself on the edge of the bed while Cedric continued to watch my every move. His gaze made me restless. "Could you call for a maid? The bell is beside you," I said, pointing to the small bell on the bedside table near him.
My heart was pounding. Being alone with Cedric in this setting was making me incredibly nervous. Cedric rang the bell, but even after a few minutes of us staring expectantly at the large door, no one came.
"Try ringing it again," I suggested, watching as Cedric gave the bell a feeble shake, producing only the faintest sound.
"Could you ring it louder?"
"I can't."
"Why not?"
"My arm hurts from carrying you yesterday."
Indirectly, Cedric was calling me heavy. That's the one thing you should never say in front of a woman—it's practically a golden rule.
"So, are you saying I'm heavy?"
Cedric seemed to think for a moment. "Maybe. Maybe not."
I let out an exasperated sigh. "Just hand me the bell. I'll ring it myself." Leaning forward to grab the bell, I noticed Cedric deliberately moving it out of my reach.
"Hey, give it to me," I protested, moving closer to him to snatch it.
In my effort to retrieve the bell, I accidentally leaned on his right arm. He winced in pain and muttered that I'd made it worse.
"Is it really that bad? I thought you were faking," I said, softly massaging his arm. "Am I really that heavy?" I looked at him, genuinely puzzled. It seemed odd that someone as strong as Cedric—a man who had fought in battles—would complain about carrying someone like me.
Cedric leaned closer, his face mere inches from mine. I held my breath, my heart thundering in my chest.
"You're too close," I stammered, quickly raising my hands to block his intense gaze. Slowly, I retreated, desperate to steady my racing heart.
"You look cute when you're flustered," Cedric said with a faint smirk, finally backing off.
At last, he rang the bell properly, and the maids arrived to help me prepare for the day. Yet, the memory of my pounding heartbeat lingered, refusing to fade. Sometimes, I felt confident enough to approach Cedric. But when faced with moments like this—just the two of us—my confidence seemed to vanish into thin air.
These situations felt dangerous as if they could spiral out of control. And honestly, I wasn't sure I was ready to find out what might happen next.
***
I finally got to see Cedric again during breakfast. Today's breakfast was a bit delayed since both of us seemed to have woken up later than usual. I also had to take a bath and do a lot of things just to get ready to sit here.
This was the perfect time to invite Cedric to the festival. Zoya was also here, along with a few maids standing nearby in case either of us needed something. That meant I could spark Zoya's jealousy by asking Cedric to go to the festival with me.
"Do you have free time this afternoon?" I asked, breaking the calmness of the meal.
"I'm not sure. I don't know how long my work will take. Why?"
"There's a festival at the town hall, and I want to invite you to go. But if you're too busy, I can go by myself." I tried to bait him with my words. "Or maybe I'll go with some of the knights. Perhaps I'll ask Hugo to accompany me."
"No," Cedric said firmly.
"No, what?"
"I have no work this afternoon. Let's go."
I nodded enthusiastically, catching a glimpse of Zoya's gaze from the corner of my eye. If she kept staring at me like that, I was sure my head would burst from the intensity of her glare. It seemed that provoking Zoya's anger had become my new hobby. I couldn't help but enjoy seeing her forced to remain composed while probably cursing me in her mind.
After breakfast, Cedric hurried off to his office. It looked like he was eager to finish his work quickly. Meanwhile, I busied myself to ensure Zoya wouldn't have the chance to talk to me. She had tried multiple times to have a private conversation, but the maids were always by my side.
Zoya stood behind me, waiting as I discussed the new garden arrangement with the gardener. Then I wandered around, finding little tasks to occupy myself, with the maids dutifully following. They paid close attention to everything I said. Well, I was in the mood to make some changes around the house anyway.
"My Lady, could I have a word with you privately?" Zoya asked for the fourth time in two hours.
Honestly, I started to feel a bit sorry for her.
"Just a moment, Zoya. I need to pick an outfit to wear with Cedric later."
The maids began showing me dresses that fit my request. I wanted something modest and not overly fancy. I didn't want to look extravagant at the town hall; I wanted to blend in with the locals.
Even so, despite instructing them to find the simplest dress I owned, all of them still clearly looked like noble attire. Then Ellie arrived with a dress that matched my expectations. "Wow, where did you find this, Ellie?"
"I got it from the wardrobe where My Lady keeps old, unused dresses," Ellie said as she handed it to me. "Even though it's old, I can assure you it's clean. We have staff responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of such clothing."
"I'll wear this. Help me get ready."
"Certainly, My Lady." And so, I remained surrounded by the maids, leaving Zoya no chance to speak to me.
Keep trying, Zoya. I'm curious to see how long you can last in this house.