(6) Northern Duke Cyrus Carha (2)
'Why...? ...?'
Ariana searched her memory to see if she had missed something.
She felt like there had been talk of the Northern Duke visiting Western Territory around this time in her past life, but she remembered that he had never actually visited.
'Yes, Helena was excited, thinking she would definitely seduce the Northern Duke if she met him, but she was disappointed. The Northern Duke canceled his visit to Western, and she was angry, asking if the Northern Duke was ignoring Western.'
It was just that simple, so she had forgotten.
The Northern Duke was such a distant person to Ariana.
As she snapped out of her thoughts, her heart tightened.
It was definitely not a good thing that Cyrus was sneaking into the Bronte mansion at this hour.
'Has the Northern Count been sneaking in like this before? Wasn't it because I was locked in my room that time that I didn't encounter him?'
'Why...? ...?'
Ariana searched her memory to see if she had missed something.
She felt like there had been talk of the Northern Duke visiting Western Territory around this time in her past life, but she remembered that he had never actually visited.
'Yes, Helena was excited, thinking she would definitely seduce the Northern Duke if she met him, but she was disappointed. The Northern Duke canceled his visit to Western, and she was angry, asking if the Northern Duke was ignoring Western.'
It was just that simple, so she had forgotten.
The Northern Duke was such a distant person to Ariana.
As she snapped out of her thoughts, her heart tightened.
It was definitely not a good thing that Cyrus was sneaking into the Bronte mansion at this hour.
'Has the Northern Count been sneaking in like this before? Wasn't it because I was locked in my room that time that I didn't encounter him?'
A chill ran down her spine.
The revelation of Cyrus, who had been secretly working on something, might have meant he was planning to kill Ariana to silence her.
Cyrus, that Ariana knew was such a cruel man.
The unexpected situation left her breathless. Even though she was just a few steps away, his bloodshot eyes were a burden.
The revelation of Cyrus, who had been secretly working on something, might have meant he was planning to kill Ariana to silence her.
Cyrus, that Ariana knew was such a cruel man.
The unexpected situation left her breathless. Even though she was just a few steps away, his bloodshot eyes were a burden.
Ariana slowly closed her eyes.
'It's okay. What could go wrong but death? It was a life I earned, so even if I die now, I have no regrets.'
When she opened her eyes again, Ariana's blue eyes remained unwavering.
Cyrus was watching her with inscrutable eyes. He stood motionless in the dim light, like a well-crafted statue.
"I didn't know Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, would be visiting the Duke of Bronte at this hour. If I had known, we would have all come out to greet you."
At Ariana's calm tone, Cyrus came closer and crouched down. Ariana was slightly taken aback by his casual behavior, but she controlled her expression and met his gaze with indifference.
“How do you know me?”
“Silver hair and red eyes are the exclusive property of the Carha family, and the only one currently inheriting the Carha surname is His Excellency Cyrus Carha, Northern Duke.”
“Hmm.”
“And I’ve heard you’re as beautiful as a painting. I’ve heard you can make a woman’s heart beat endlessly, and indeed, that’s true.”
“Really? Your heart, when you say that, doesn’t seem to be beating.”
“That’s not possible. If your heart stopped beating, you’d die.”
“Oh, right.”
Ariana studied Cyrus’s eyes, but she couldn’t quite figure out what he was thinking.
She’d expected him to tell no one what she saw here, or threaten to kill anyone who did, but he simply sat in front of her.
“Did I interrupt your meal?”
“It would be a great honor if Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, would join me.”
“You have a talent for saying things you don’t mean as if they were.”
“I don’t have a heart? Can’t you see that you’re at a loss for words, gazing upon the majesty of Your Excellency the Northern Duke, whom you’ve only heard rumors about?”
'It's okay. What could go wrong but death? It was a life I earned, so even if I die now, I have no regrets.'
When she opened her eyes again, Ariana's blue eyes remained unwavering.
Cyrus was watching her with inscrutable eyes. He stood motionless in the dim light, like a well-crafted statue.
"I didn't know Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, would be visiting the Duke of Bronte at this hour. If I had known, we would have all come out to greet you."
At Ariana's calm tone, Cyrus came closer and crouched down. Ariana was slightly taken aback by his casual behavior, but she controlled her expression and met his gaze with indifference.
“How do you know me?”
“Silver hair and red eyes are the exclusive property of the Carha family, and the only one currently inheriting the Carha surname is His Excellency Cyrus Carha, Northern Duke.”
“Hmm.”
“And I’ve heard you’re as beautiful as a painting. I’ve heard you can make a woman’s heart beat endlessly, and indeed, that’s true.”
“Really? Your heart, when you say that, doesn’t seem to be beating.”
“That’s not possible. If your heart stopped beating, you’d die.”
“Oh, right.”
Ariana studied Cyrus’s eyes, but she couldn’t quite figure out what he was thinking.
She’d expected him to tell no one what she saw here, or threaten to kill anyone who did, but he simply sat in front of her.
“Did I interrupt your meal?”
“It would be a great honor if Your Excellency, the Northern Duke, would join me.”
“You have a talent for saying things you don’t mean as if they were.”
“I don’t have a heart? Can’t you see that you’re at a loss for words, gazing upon the majesty of Your Excellency the Northern Duke, whom you’ve only heard rumors about?”
It was a roundabout way of telling Cyrus to get out of here since she couldn’t eat because of him, but he didn’t seem to want to get up.
The longer this went on, the more anxious Ariana became.
She wanted to quickly gather some food, leave the kitchen, and return to her room. Ariana hesitated for a moment before saying,
The longer this went on, the more anxious Ariana became.
She wanted to quickly gather some food, leave the kitchen, and return to her room. Ariana hesitated for a moment before saying,
“Let’s pretend today never happened. I hope Your Majesty will do the same.”
“You’re saying that you’ll ignore me so I can ignore your excellent table manners?”
“You’re truly clever.”
Cyrus’s eyes widened briefly at Ariana’s gentle words.
“I haven’t heard such praise since I was five.”
'You’re so clever, yet no one has ever complimented you like this. I’m surprised.'
“Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Why should I fear Your Majesty? I’ve done nothing wrong to you.”
“Women usually react to me in one of two ways: they’re either afraid of me, or they act cute and want to impress me. But you seem neither afraid of me nor interested in impressing me.”
“That’s impossible. I’m sufficiently afraid of Your Excellency, and I am working hard to impress Your Excellency. If Your Excellency doesn’t feel that way, then it’s my fault.”
Cyrus was still staring at Ariana with deep, unreadable eyes. Ariana, seeing his eyes up close, was a little embarrassed. As far as Ariana knew, Cyrus was now twenty, only four years older than Ariana was.
But his crimson eyes were so deep and dark that it was hard to fathom their depth. They didn't look like the gaze of a twenty-year-old.
'I may have gone back in time, but what on earth has this person experienced...?'
Ariana unconsciously reached out to Cyrus's eyes, but stopped before her fingertips touched.
However, Cyrus didn't ignore her.
"Are my eyes so attractive that you want to touch them without realizing it?"
Ariana was dumbfounded by the unexpected question.
She had heard that Cyrus would coldly reject women who tried to seduce him or kill them if they continued to pester him.
"Your Excellency, the Northern Duke is a bit different from the rumors."
"What rumors have you heard?"
"I heard you're a quiet man who avoids women."
When Ariana swirled the rumor, Cyrus only gave a brief exclamation of "Oh," but didn't say anything more.
Ariana had a hard time understanding Cyrus at all.
The cold glare he gave her at first was chilling, but when they actually spoke, the conversation flowed normally. He didn't seem like he'd mercilessly decapitate a woman for bothering him.
While his demeanor, unlike the rumors, was intriguing, she didn't want to waste any more time in a place like this.
"Your Excellency, unless you have business with me, I'll be off..."
"Wait."
Cyrus raised his index finger to stop Ariana from speaking, listening for a moment before abruptly standing up, grabbing her arm, and pulling her up.
Before she could even criticize him for his rude behavior, he kicked the food strewn across the floor, shoved it under the display case, and turned off the lamp. Then, he dragged Ariana between the display cases.
Their bodies pressed tightly together in a space barely large enough for one person.
He pressed Ariana's back firmly with his palm, pinning her to him. Ariana's face, much shorter than Cyrus's, was buried in his chest.
The scent of his scent tickled Ariana's nose.
Ariana was dumbfounded, unable to grasp the situation, and barely managed to raise her head to look at him.
“What the...!”
“Shhh.”
His fingers touched Ariana’s lips.
Ariana shivered at the chill from his fingers. His fingers were as cold as ice.
Ariana tried to push him away with both hands, but stopped when the kitchen door opened.
“Why does Miss Helena want chocolate at this hour?”
“She got scolded by the madam for Luigi. She was upset.”
“She only scolded her briefly and drank. What? Have you ever seen the madam scold Miss Helena so harshly?”
“Well, she’s being too harsh. It’s strange to see her treated so well, even though she’s the daughter of a noblewoman.”
“Be quiet. Don’t you know you shouldn’t talk about the noblewoman?”
The maids’ voices could be heard from the kitchen.
As Ariana’s shoulders tightened, Cyrus lowered his head and whispered softly.
“Don’t worry. If you just stay still, you won’t be caught.”
She felt his breath on her crown.
It was as cold as his gaze.
With a click, the storage door opened, and a small light appeared. The maid’s lamp cast flickering shadows.
Ariana held her breath.
“Where’s the chocolate?”
“It’ll be on the left shelf.”
The maids moved, checking each shelf one by one in search of chocolate.
As their footsteps drew closer, Ariana’s body stiffened. She didn’t even notice Cyrus’s palm pressing against her back, drawing her closer to him.
If they caught her, it would be a disaster.
They’d only see Ariana sneaking out at night, embracing another man.
'Wait, maybe he’s going to kill those kids before that?'
The maids’ footsteps drew right up close.
Ariana saw the hem of the maid’s skirt sway.
The next moment, the maid’s eyes were fixed on Ariana.
The moment she encountered the maid, she nearly gasped for breath. A large hand covered Ariana's mouth before she could, preventing her from letting out a gasp.
Cyrus's palm felt cold, unlike that of a living person, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.
Ariana quickly racked her brain, trying to figure out what attitude to adopt and what excuse to offer to avoid the situation.
If the maid were to scream, would it be best to first cover her mouth and then introduce the man as the Northern Duke?
Or should she pretend not to notice and let the Northern Duke kill the maid?
Or should she scream first and pretend to be subdued by the Northern Duke?
As a thousand thoughts raced through Ariana's mind, the maid lifted the lamp.
The small light sharply flashed across Ariana's face.
Ariana opened her mouth to say something, but then realized Cyrus's hand was covering her mouth.
At that moment, the maid passed by as if she hadn't seen her.
'Pretending not to notice?'
No, that couldn't be true.
The maids in this mansion enjoyed watching Ariana's every move and reporting to their master every time she made a mistake. The bigger the mistake, the bigger the reward.
Even being alone with a man before marriage was scandalous. The sight of Ariana in the arms of another man late at night was the biggest mistake she'd ever made.
If she reported this to Helena, she would undoubtedly be delighted and reward the maid.
Yet, the maid pretended not to see Ariana.
'Not just pretending not to see, but really not seeing it? It's right in front of you? Could it be... this is the magic used by the Northern Duke?'
The reason Cyrus was able to ascend to the Northern Duke's throne at such a young age and wield the most power among the four Dukes was also thanks to a magic passed down only to the chosen ones in the Northern Territory.
She's only heard that the magic passed down in the Northern Territory was ice magic, but perhaps this type of magic also persists.
Ariana looked up and saw Cyrus's eyes looking down at her. His gaze was still deep and cold, his thoughts inscrutable.
While the two stared at each other, the maids left the storage room in search of chocolate.
Even after the maids' footsteps faded, the two stood motionless, staring at each other intently.
But his crimson eyes were so deep and dark that it was hard to fathom their depth. They didn't look like the gaze of a twenty-year-old.
'I may have gone back in time, but what on earth has this person experienced...?'
Ariana unconsciously reached out to Cyrus's eyes, but stopped before her fingertips touched.
However, Cyrus didn't ignore her.
"Are my eyes so attractive that you want to touch them without realizing it?"
Ariana was dumbfounded by the unexpected question.
She had heard that Cyrus would coldly reject women who tried to seduce him or kill them if they continued to pester him.
"Your Excellency, the Northern Duke is a bit different from the rumors."
"What rumors have you heard?"
"I heard you're a quiet man who avoids women."
When Ariana swirled the rumor, Cyrus only gave a brief exclamation of "Oh," but didn't say anything more.
Ariana had a hard time understanding Cyrus at all.
The cold glare he gave her at first was chilling, but when they actually spoke, the conversation flowed normally. He didn't seem like he'd mercilessly decapitate a woman for bothering him.
While his demeanor, unlike the rumors, was intriguing, she didn't want to waste any more time in a place like this.
"Your Excellency, unless you have business with me, I'll be off..."
"Wait."
Cyrus raised his index finger to stop Ariana from speaking, listening for a moment before abruptly standing up, grabbing her arm, and pulling her up.
Before she could even criticize him for his rude behavior, he kicked the food strewn across the floor, shoved it under the display case, and turned off the lamp. Then, he dragged Ariana between the display cases.
Their bodies pressed tightly together in a space barely large enough for one person.
He pressed Ariana's back firmly with his palm, pinning her to him. Ariana's face, much shorter than Cyrus's, was buried in his chest.
The scent of his scent tickled Ariana's nose.
Ariana was dumbfounded, unable to grasp the situation, and barely managed to raise her head to look at him.
“What the...!”
“Shhh.”
His fingers touched Ariana’s lips.
Ariana shivered at the chill from his fingers. His fingers were as cold as ice.
Ariana tried to push him away with both hands, but stopped when the kitchen door opened.
“Why does Miss Helena want chocolate at this hour?”
“She got scolded by the madam for Luigi. She was upset.”
“She only scolded her briefly and drank. What? Have you ever seen the madam scold Miss Helena so harshly?”
“Well, she’s being too harsh. It’s strange to see her treated so well, even though she’s the daughter of a noblewoman.”
“Be quiet. Don’t you know you shouldn’t talk about the noblewoman?”
The maids’ voices could be heard from the kitchen.
As Ariana’s shoulders tightened, Cyrus lowered his head and whispered softly.
“Don’t worry. If you just stay still, you won’t be caught.”
She felt his breath on her crown.
It was as cold as his gaze.
With a click, the storage door opened, and a small light appeared. The maid’s lamp cast flickering shadows.
Ariana held her breath.
“Where’s the chocolate?”
“It’ll be on the left shelf.”
The maids moved, checking each shelf one by one in search of chocolate.
As their footsteps drew closer, Ariana’s body stiffened. She didn’t even notice Cyrus’s palm pressing against her back, drawing her closer to him.
If they caught her, it would be a disaster.
They’d only see Ariana sneaking out at night, embracing another man.
'Wait, maybe he’s going to kill those kids before that?'
The maids’ footsteps drew right up close.
Ariana saw the hem of the maid’s skirt sway.
The next moment, the maid’s eyes were fixed on Ariana.
The moment she encountered the maid, she nearly gasped for breath. A large hand covered Ariana's mouth before she could, preventing her from letting out a gasp.
Cyrus's palm felt cold, unlike that of a living person, but she didn't have time to dwell on it.
Ariana quickly racked her brain, trying to figure out what attitude to adopt and what excuse to offer to avoid the situation.
If the maid were to scream, would it be best to first cover her mouth and then introduce the man as the Northern Duke?
Or should she pretend not to notice and let the Northern Duke kill the maid?
Or should she scream first and pretend to be subdued by the Northern Duke?
As a thousand thoughts raced through Ariana's mind, the maid lifted the lamp.
The small light sharply flashed across Ariana's face.
Ariana opened her mouth to say something, but then realized Cyrus's hand was covering her mouth.
At that moment, the maid passed by as if she hadn't seen her.
'Pretending not to notice?'
No, that couldn't be true.
The maids in this mansion enjoyed watching Ariana's every move and reporting to their master every time she made a mistake. The bigger the mistake, the bigger the reward.
Even being alone with a man before marriage was scandalous. The sight of Ariana in the arms of another man late at night was the biggest mistake she'd ever made.
If she reported this to Helena, she would undoubtedly be delighted and reward the maid.
Yet, the maid pretended not to see Ariana.
'Not just pretending not to see, but really not seeing it? It's right in front of you? Could it be... this is the magic used by the Northern Duke?'
The reason Cyrus was able to ascend to the Northern Duke's throne at such a young age and wield the most power among the four Dukes was also thanks to a magic passed down only to the chosen ones in the Northern Territory.
She's only heard that the magic passed down in the Northern Territory was ice magic, but perhaps this type of magic also persists.
Ariana looked up and saw Cyrus's eyes looking down at her. His gaze was still deep and cold, his thoughts inscrutable.
While the two stared at each other, the maids left the storage room in search of chocolate.
Even after the maids' footsteps faded, the two stood motionless, staring at each other intently.
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