Looking for the Villainess’s Contract Husband
Chapter 23
Lucian replied calmly, showing no sign of surprise.
“Yes.”
“I thought a knight, or at least an adult, would come….”
“Since this is an orphanage, planting an adult would carry a high risk of being discovered one way or another, so I came instead. Coincidentally, there was a recruitment ad in the newspaper saying the infirmary here was short-handed. My master introduced me, so no one will suspect anything.”
His composed, quiet voice blended perfectly with the stillness of the infirmary.
I picked my words carefully and asked again.
“……The Duke told you something before you came, didn’t he?”
“Yes.”
“How much did he tell you?”
“Only that the Duke made a contract to extract you and your mother from the hands of Marquis Diarmuid.”
“Just that?”
“…….”
Lucian, who had been pulling away a cotton ball soaked in disinfectant, flinched and halted his hand. His silver eyes stared straight at me.
Being subjected to that steady gaze felt strangely peculiar.
Eventually, a low voice flowed from between his elegant lips.
“Is there something more I should know?”
“Oh….”
Upon hearing that question, a thought suddenly flashed through my mind.
Did the Duke perhaps not tell Lucian that I know the secret regarding ‘Victor’?
‘……Well, I suppose it wouldn’t feel great to hear that I know about that.’
Furthermore, I couldn’t explain to either the Duke or Lucian how I came to know this.
‘Memories of a past life.’
I hesitated to even tell my mother; would the Duke or Lucian—who were little more than strangers—believe me if I said, ‘This world is inside a book I read in my past life’?
In that sense, it was actually a relief that the Duke had withheld everything from Lucian except for the necessary details. I felt like I should be grateful for his consideration.
It didn’t even take a minute for me to reach that conclusion.
Realizing too late that I had spoken without thinking, I hurriedly changed the subject.
“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”
“I see.”
Lucian must have noticed that I was awkwardly avoiding the answer. He didn’t seem so oblivious as to miss that.
However, he accepted my words so readily it almost made me feel guilty, and he refocused on disinfecting the wound.
Watching him, I felt a bit dejected.
‘Strangely, I keep making mistakes in front of him.’
Why? Once the doubt took root, it became harder to understand.
‘Is it because of his eyes?’
Lucian’s eyes were truly hard to view as those of a mere child.
When I met those eyes, as still as a stagnant lake, I felt as though all my inner thoughts were being read.
……Is that why I keep shrinking back and making mistakes?
‘Hmm.’
While I watched him, lost in thought, he kept his gaze fixed on my palm, set aside the cotton ball, and gently applied the crushed herbs he had prepared earlier to the wound.
The pale yellow sunlight illuminated Lucian’s face as he concentrated.
The light caught the tips of his eyelashes, angled downward behind his silver-rimmed glasses, sparkling like water droplets.
Like the surface of a sunlit lake illustrated in a storybook.
‘Wow….’
It had certainly started as suspicion, but before I knew it, I was looking at his face in pure admiration.
I hadn’t even realized it; it was truly an irresistible force.
“…….”
Whether he felt my gaze or not, Lucian, who had been looking only at the wound with his eyes cast down, slowly raised his head.
Because of that, our eyes met directly, and my shoulders flinched.
“Is there something you wish to say?”
“No, just….”
I was embarrassed to be caught staring so intensely at his face, but his quiet voice had a strange power to draw out an answer.
I looked into those silver eyes, as serene as the moon hung in the midday sky, and parted my lips as if possessed.
“……It’s just that it’s the first time I’ve seen someone as pretty as my mom.”
I had realized last time that Lucian possessed extraordinary looks, but seeing him this close made it even clearer.
Lucian’s beauty was surely on par with Patrick, the male lead who was described as the most handsome man in the novel.
I was certain. A face more handsome than this perfect one couldn’t possibly exist.
“…….”
At those words, Lucian’s eyes, which had remained unchanged throughout, widened slightly.
After blinking a few times in that state, his eyes soon curved into a slight smile.
“I’ve heard that I’m handsome quite a few times, but it’s the first time someone’s called me pretty.”
“Ah, well….”
“You’re pretty, too.”
“……Pardon?”
Excluding my mother, it was the first time in my life I had heard someone call me ‘pretty.’
Inevitably, my cheeks heated up a bit.
Half of the heat came from the guilt of being complimented by the person I was caught peeking at, and the other half from the ticklish sensation the word ‘pretty’ brought.
Feeling awkward about meeting Lucian’s eyes, I hurriedly lowered my gaze and replied softly.
“Thank you….”
As I looked down, the wound on my palm, now covered in herbs, came into view.
However, his hands, which had set down the bowl of herbs and picked up the bandages, remained motionless for quite a while.
‘What is it?’
Wondering, I lifted my head slightly, and our eyes met once more, as if he had been staring at me until then.
“Why…… are you looking at me like that?”
I didn’t expect to be returning the same question Lucian had asked me earlier.
After a brief silence, Lucian suddenly asked.
“Are you going to forgive that boy?”
“Pardon?”
“It seemed like that boy named Benjamin set a trap for you.”
Isn’t that right?
Lucian tilted his head as he added the low question.
As I thought. Even though he hadn’t seen it himself, he had guessed everything.
At that realization, a mixture of a sigh and a laugh escaped me.
“Well, it’s not as if what he said was wrong.”
“…….”
“I’ve never told them about my situation either……. To his eyes, it’s only natural that I look like an interloper.”
And while I have some memories of my past life, he’s still just a child.
Aside from being angry, I felt it was something that could happen.
Then, Lucian, who had been silent for a while, let out a soft chuckle and moved his hands.
“Once again….”
“Once again?”
“I find myself thinking that you aren’t as similar as I thought.”
“To what?”
“It’s nothing.”
Lucian smiled brightly.
Since that smile carried the implicit meaning that he wouldn’t answer further, I simply kept my mouth shut.
It seemed like there was something he wanted to say, but since I also had things I couldn’t tell him…
I felt that if it were a necessary conversation, he would have said it.
After that, there was silence.
Layer after layer of bandage began to wrap over the herb-covered wound.
Eventually, when Lucian cut the bandage with scissors and tied it neatly, there was a knock at the door as if on cue.
“Um….”
The one who appeared, hesitantly opening the door, was Benjamin.
Benjamin stepped into the infirmary with a dejected face, then faltered upon seeing Lucian.
A look of slight frustration crossed his face.
‘Did he expect me to be alone by now?’
I could read Benjamin’s expression without much difficulty.
And it seemed Lucian was the same, as he stood up, gathering the blood-stained cotton balls and the empty herb bowl.
“I’ll go clean this up.”
“Ah, thank you for treating me.”
“Don’t mention it. More importantly, Ella.”
Lucian, who had risen from his seat, suddenly leaned down and brought his lips close to my ear.
The sensation of his thin breath tickling my ear sent a flurry of goosebumps down my arms.
A small murmur pierced my ear along with his breath.
“I’ll be nearby, so if that boy tries to do anything to harm you again, scream. That’s why the Duke sent me here.”
“……I understand. Thank you.”
I barely managed to suppress a groan and replied with a smile.
Lucian gave a faint smile in response and left the infirmary.
Click.
With the sound of the door closing, Lucian’s footsteps faded away.
But since he said he’d be nearby, he’d probably return soon.
“What is it?”
I turned my head and spoke to Benjamin, who was still standing awkwardly near the door.
I clearly saw him startle in surprise.
‘Anyone would think I’d just cursed at him.’
For a long time after that, Benjamin only moved his lips, unable to speak easily.
Still, I waited patiently, wanting to hear what he had to say.
After a long wait, Benjamin spat out the words in a tiny, muttering voice.
“I didn’t really mean to leave you there.”
But because his voice was so small, I, sitting by the window at the far end of the infirmary, couldn’t hear him.
I frowned slightly and asked back.
“What?”
“……Ugh, I just meant to scare you a little!”
Thinking my question was intended to humiliate him on purpose, Benjamin flared up and shouted.
Of course, he immediately looked regretful afterward.
Whether the shouting had broken the ice or not, he began to pour out excuses in a dejected manner.
“That pit is a place I go sometimes to hide from the teachers, so there’s a rope ladder next to it. I was originally going to find out what your intentions were for coming here and then let you out, but I got worked up after hearing what you said…….”
As he rambled on, Benjamin seemed to realize how pathetic his actions looked even to himself, and he let out a deep, heavy sigh.
Benjamin raised a hand and ruffled his hair into a mess.
His face becoming grave in a way that didn’t suit a child, he added calmly.
“I’m sorry.”
“…….”
“I went too far. I’m sorry.”
