Whether she was a royal impostor or a fraud was no longer the point.
Celia simply couldn’t understand it.
That lowly unwed mother, that woman raising a child whose own father was unknown!
Celia’s hands were trembling.
That she might be punished simply for laying a hand on a woman like that—she could not accept this fact.
No.
This lady’s-maid position was one she’d only barely secured with her father’s influence. A position she’d gone to every length to get, just to catch Cain’s eye.
Judging from the Duke’s mood earlier, this wasn’t going to blow over quietly. She had no idea what punishment might fall on her at any moment.
Father is in the capital.
In this remote fief, she had no reliable father to protect her.
She’d realized it clearly just now. Cain was a merciless Dragonblood. And she had touched something precious to that Dragonblood.
If she stayed here like this, she might vanish without a trace.
Celia’s eyes trembled with unease.
“Lady Celia. Please stay here for now, until His Grace decides how to…”
A servant blocked her path and spoke, but Celia paid no attention.
Wait quietly here and take whatever punishment the Duke decides to hand down? Don’t make me laugh. Do you know who I am?
“Move!”
She roughly shoved the servants aside and dashed straight for the third floor of the main building.
Jayden. That creepy brat. Right now, Jayden was the only lifeline that could pull her out of this hopeless situation.
Bang!
She flung open Jayden’s bedroom door without warning and burst inside.
Before the startled Jayden could even sit up in bed, Celia dropped to her knees on the floor and began pleading.
“Young Master! Please help me. Please, I’m begging you!”
“…?”
“You know, don’t you? How devotedly I’ve looked after you all this time!”
Jayden frowned, unable to make sense of the situation.
Has she forgotten every bit of care I’ve given her all this time? What was this ungrateful attitude supposed to be?
If someone was crying and begging, shouldn’t you at least ask what was wrong first!
Swallowing her curses inwardly, Celia decided to make an urgent appeal to his sympathy.
“I’ve been so wronged, sob. It’s just… that woman, Viola, tried to feed you poison…!”
She went on, tears streaming down her face.
“I only asked her to eat that poisonous herb to protect you…! And now, sob, I’m about to be thrown out unjustly.”
It was then. Jayden’s expression, which had been listening with total indifference, changed in an instant.
“What about Viola?”
Ah, I knew it. Coming to Jayden had been the right move after all.
He hasn’t completely forgotten all the kindness I’ve shown him! Of course. A person shouldn’t be like that!
For the first time, someone was starting to actually listen to her. Sensing her chance, Celia raised her voice.
“Th-that woman tried to feed you gamjong herb, do you understand? Lying that it was medicine, that it was safe!”
She rushed on, spittle flying.
“So I told her to prove it! She acted so high and mighty, and sure enough! She ate it and collapsed right there on the spot, that fraud! See? I told you she was lying! It’s poison, so of course she collapsed, right?”
Celia was babbling in her excitement, but thankfully, Jayden seemed to have grasped the gist of it. The child asked in a voice gone icy cold:
“So… you’re saying you’re the one who made Viola eat gamjong herb?”
“Yes! That’s right. Exactly that!”
Ah, thank goodness! Celia nodded vigorously.
Right. Surely he wouldn’t take the side of the woman who tried to poison him?
She had no doubt whatsoever that Jayden would stand by her.
But before long, Celia would learn that telling Jayden the whole story had not been a stroke of good fortune at all, but a choice that had summoned nothing but disaster upon herself.
So this is why the residence has been in such an uproar today.
Now that he understood the situation, something in Jayden’s mind seemed to simply snap.
…Viola ate gamjong herb?
He had little interest in herbalism, but even Jayden knew that plant’s infamous reputation.
Because it was a poisonous herb whose toxicity worked even on him, a Dragonblood.
Most poisons in the world had no effect on Dragonbloods, but among them, a very rare few carried some faint influence.
Gamjong herb was one of those.
Its effect on him would only mean being sick for a day at most, but an ordinary person could reach the point of death from it instantly.
Viola could die?
She was certainly a strong person, but she was also fragile at the same time.
There was no way such a thin, slight body could eat poison and come out unscathed…
Not again.
His heart dropped out of him.
Not again. Just like when he’d lost his mother and father in an instant, to a single accident. Viola might die.
Everything went dark before his eyes.
With not the faintest idea of what he was feeling, Celia wore the proud look of someone who’d just defeated a villain.
…
The truth was, Jayden had known from the very start that Celia didn’t like him.
He would have had to be a fool not to know it. She’d always looked at him as though he were some revolting insect.
Nor had he particularly minded her negligence, holding the title of his personal maid while never even pretending to bring him meals or spend time with him.
It was only natural, given that he was a Dragonblood, and everyone was uncomfortable around him anyway. There was nothing special about Celia’s attitude in that regard.
If anything, he’d deliberately let it be, since it was easier being left alone. Even though Conrad had tried to talk him into accepting someone else several times.
But… that didn’t mean he’d sit by quietly for something like this.
How dare she. Trying to take Viola away from me too, the only warmth I’ve ever managed to find.
Rumble.
The moment that thought crossed his mind, the violent power he’d been holding back all this time surged up as if about to explode. The air in the room grew heavy in an instant.
“Y-Young Ma… hic.“
Jayden only rolled his eyes to look down at Celia. Never mind all the times she’d secretly looked down on him and dismissed him—Celia turned white as a sheet and shook uncontrollably.
Paralyzed by overwhelming terror, unable even to scream, only tears streaming down her face, she soon crumpled to the side as if fainting.
But that wasn’t Jayden’s concern. To the boy, she was nothing more than an obstacle to clear out of the way.
“Move.”
Without so much as a glance at the fallen Celia, Jayden dashed toward the door.
Viola. I have to go to Viola. I can’t lose her too.
The boy repeated it to himself over and over like an incantation, hurrying along, when—
“Please calm yourself, Young Master.”
As if he’d anticipated exactly this, Conrad was standing there, blocking the doorway. Jayden’s eyes, bloodshot red, snapped up.
“Are you on her side too, Conrad? Move. I need to go to Viola.”
“…Are you certain you wish to go to Miss Viola while giving off such a violent presence?”
Jayden’s foot, halfway through kicking the door open, froze in place.
“…”
Viola loved cute things. She was the first person ever to tell him he wasn’t hideous, though everyone else feared him.
The only person who’d ever held him warmly and called him lovable. He couldn’t let her see him like this, completely out of control.
But… if Viola might die…
As Jayden bit his lip, caught between the two, unable to move either way, Conrad added calmly:
“There’s no need to worry. His Grace the Duke is with her.”
“…His Grace is?”
“Yes. His Grace said Miss Viola would recover without any trouble.”
At those words, the tension that had been stretched taut suddenly loosened.
“Ah…”
He’d been so focused on the thought of going to see Viola that he hadn’t even noticed, but Jayden, who had secretly been trembling with fear all along, sank down where he stood.
The strength had drained from his legs, and he couldn’t get up.
The child hung his head and forced himself to swallow the tears welling up. He couldn’t let Conrad see him cry.
Thank goodness…
He’d truly been terrified. Terrified of losing her again. So afraid of sending her off into emptiness without even a goodbye, just like his mother and father, that he couldn’t even breathe.
Bracing a hand against the floor, Jayden struggled to his feet and clenched his small fists.
Not Viola. I won’t let that happen to her, no matter what.
I’ll protect her. Whatever happens, somehow, I’ll protect Viola…
