"...Am I too greedy?"
At that moment, the face of Calix, who had been holding Odelia's wrist and speaking affectionately to her earlier, came to mind.
Cedric's face is as clear as a painting, the distance between his fingertips, and he can't help but grind his teeth.
Besides the obvious difference in status between the Crown Prince and the Baron, he felt obvious jealousy between the two.
Holding hands, making eye contact, smiling, leaning in, every single one of those gestures kept nagging at him. It wasn't about power or status; it was about emotions. It was about the heart.
"...I was the first."
Even after muttering like that, Cedric shook his head in disbelief.
"I shouldn't think like this..."
He felt that his jealousy was so childish and that he had such an impious thought towards His Highness the Crown Prince, so he lowered his head.
What does order matter? That dull woman wouldn't care who went first.
Soon, a self-deprecating voice burst out, drowned out by the alcohol.
"That dumbass is probably messing around somewhere else..."
Even with those words, Cedric's lips curled into a smirk. Thinking of Odelia again, a smile overtook his disappointment.
And just as he was about to reach out and pick up the bottle of liquor on the table, a voice from far away pierced his ears.
"But Lady Odelia, you're still a virgin, right?"
"Hey, how old are you?"
"But still, she was still on the battlefield."
"So, I guess she's not a virgin anymore. There are only men there. How can it be easy for a woman to survive on her own? Those women who pretend to be innocent are more subtle..."
Bang!
A bottle of liquor flew across the table, making a loud clatter. By the time one of them jumped up in surprise, Cedric had already grabbed him by the collar. The surroundings became noisy, and someone tried to stop him, but it was too late.
"How dare you utter Odelia's name with that dirty mouth of yours?"
"What, what?! You're not letting go of this?!"
"Lord Cedric! Who are you grabbing by the collar of? Let go quickly!"
Regardless, Cedric was determined to use his fist to slam the man's snout into the man's mouth, the one he'd been so excited about earlier. Squeak! The sound of something being pulled out onto the floor echoed through the air.
"Ugh! My teeth!"
"Unlike you guys who were crushed because yiu were afraid of dying, she is a hero who protected the country! You fucking bastards! How dare you harass Odelia!”
Cedric, determined not to let it go, immediately punched the man's face, which was missing two front teeth, several more times.
No matter how much Odelia teased him, that was only Odelia's standard. In reality, Cedric was taller than most men, and his physique was also considerably larger. It was only because Calix was by Odelia's side that Cedric was so weak that he wouldn't be easily defeated.
Others rushed to stop Cedric. The club's security guards also clung to Cedric, but it wasn't easy to stop him. It was only natural. Unlike Cedric, these people had no real combat experience, and even fencing was merely a hobby.
The club quickly became chaotic. Exquisite chandeliers swayed, tables toppled, and screams and curses flew.
Ultimately, it was Cedric who was kicked out. His opponents were the children of a Count, while Cedric was a local nobleman with little influence in the capital. Five guards and three noblemen were on hand to force Cedric out of the club, and he lost.
As soon as Cedric, who had been kicked out, stepped out the door, a steady rain began to fall. His thin shirt quickly became soaked, and his wet hair clung to his forehead.
He was walking down a back alley with nowhere to go when he suddenly lost his balance, stumbled, and collapsed on the ground.
Drooping eyes, a cold floor. In the pouring rain, he lay sprawled on the ground like a wet rat, his consciousness hazy as he gazed up at the sky.
It was then that a shadow fell across his half-closed eyelids.
A familiar sign that quietly seeps through the sound of rain.
When he opened his eyes slightly, Calix was standing there, holding an umbrella. He was neatly dressed, not touching the rain, and silently looking down at him.
"...Your Highness Callx?"
"Why did you swing your fist so recklessly?"
Although the tone was light as usual, there was sharp criticism in it.
Cedric looked up at Calix dimly from under his hair, then muttered clearly.
“Have you... seen everything...?"
Then, suddenly, overcome with emotion, he sat up.
"How can you just sit still after hearing that! How can you just sit still and listen when he's so determined to harass Odelia?"
Calix watched him silently. Cedric's voice grew increasingly agitated.
"If Your Highness were here... wouldn't you have said a word to make everyone shut up? Odelia trusts and follows Your Highness so much, but if you don't protect her now, when will you?"
Calix opened his mouth coldly without blinking an eye.
"The stories I tell inside won't leak out. They know the shame, so they just pretend to be polite outside. It's not something that happens in a day or two."
Cedric's eyes widened. He didn't think it was disrespectful or anything.
"So you're saying I should pretend not to hear?!"
Calix responded very calmly.
"Yeah, if you don't say anything, Odelia won't even know the men were harassing her behind her back ."
"..."
"Even if you go and tell her everything, you're just a messenger. Are you trying to show off? I swung my fists for you. I care about you that much. Like, something like that?"
"That's not it..."
"Odelia will only worry about you. You got beaten up so badly and left."
Cedric's eyes burned red from the series of cold words. He shouted in a huff.
"Your Highness, you are truly too much. Don't you care about Odelia? You told me not to tell her! But even Odelia should know how men treat her!"
Calex still responded in a quiet tone.
"If you truly care about Odelia, you shouldn't say anything. She'll be hurt the moment she hears it."
Cedric couldn't hold it in anymore and shouted.
"Then, if I tell her, what are you going to do?!"
Instead of answering, Calix grabbed Cedric by the collar and pulled him towards him.
The eyes that had been obscured by the umbrella were revealed up close. Cedric gasped in surprise.
"That's none of your business, Cedric."
As soon as he finished speaking, Calix opened the carriage door and pushed Cedric inside.
Through the window of the carriage that was about to depart, Cedric turned his back and watched Calix walk away.
Even in the rain, there was no disarray in the neat and tidy appearance under the umbrella.
'What kind of power is this...?'
He slowly stroked the nape of his neck where he'd grabbed him by the collar. Even though he'd grabbed his clothes, the force was so strong that it felt like his body was being pulled into a suffocating state.
The look in Calix's eyes when he met him up close came to mind.
Unlike his calm and cool voice, his eyes were filled with deep anger.
***
The next morning.
Odelia, still half-asleep, came down to the first floor in her pajamas. Her head was puffy, and her feet were loud and impatient.
As she descended the stairs, she paused at the sound of a low voice coming from the living room. The Grand Duchess was talking to someone.
'Who is it this morning?'
Odelia tilted her head and looked into the living room, her eyes widening. Sitting across the table was none other than Calix.
"...!"
As soon as her eyes met Calix's, Odelia turned around and quickly shouted.
"Excuse me! I'll just change my clothes and come down right away!"
Then she began to climb the stairs again, her voice making the ceiling of the mansion vibrate slightly. The Grand Duchess clicked her tongue and muttered.
"I told you so much, but how can that not be fixed?"
Then Calix said calmly.
"So what, leave it alone. Let's just focus on building the house."
The Grand Duchess let out a long sigh.
"Your Highness, you are being overly protective."
Calix turned his head and looked out the window. The bustling street scene came into view.
He quietly looked at the people and muttered in a very low voice, as if talking to himself.
"...I am aware.”
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