Chapter 26
"Poor thing. Aren't all men like that? We have to understand them, what else can we do? But don't worry. You're the only real Countess. I guarantee it."
Rebecca frowned, displeased by Fabiola's clammy hand holding hers.
But she soon wore a harmless expression.
"I feel a little relieved to hear you say that, Mother. By the way, what is this tea? It makes me feel so comfortable. Did you bring it, Mother?"
Fabiola's face lit up when Rebecca mentioned the tea.
"Right? I specially blended it. Would you like me to give you some? I still have a lot."
Rebecca smiled brightly and said,
"Give me a lot, if you don't mind."
* * *
Left alone in her room, Rebecca fiddled with the glass bottle containing the tea she had received from Fabiola.
Fabiola had even kindly written a note on how to bring out the tea's aroma better.
Rebecca chuckled and folded the note neatly after looking at it.
Then, she carefully put it in the drawer with the glass bottle.
'I hope I don't have to use this...'
Her whole body ached. It must have been because she had been so tense all day.
Rebecca patted her shoulders and headed for the bed.
Then, she found Leo standing by the window.
"Leo!"
As soon as she opened the window, Leo came into the room as if he had been waiting.
Rebecca was happy and bustled about because she had been curious about the trading company's affairs.
"I prepared some milk in case you came. Canna said it's milk that cats like. I hope you like it."
Rebecca filled a small dish with milk and turned around. And she froze on the spot, utterly shocked.
"Re... Rebecca?"
Julian, his eyes half-glazed, was standing in front of Rebecca.
* * *
< Happy birthday, Brother! >
Julian stared at the birthday card written in crooked letters for a long time.
He had said he hated birthdays so much, but Lily never tired of celebrating his birthday every year.
Croa carefully said to Julian,
"Shall we return the gift again this time?"
The gift was a drawing she had painted herself.
It depicted a peaceful moment when Lily and Julian were enjoying a picnic with the cats.
Normally, he would have returned it without even looking at it, but this time, he somehow didn't want to.
It was all because that woman, Rebecca, had given him unnecessary hope.
Excessive hope was poison. Julian knew that, but he couldn't control his heart, which kept trying to change.
"Okay. Get out now."
Croa was inwardly ecstatic.
It had been a chore for him to tell Lily every year that her brother had returned her gift.
'I see...'
His heart always felt like it was being torn apart when he saw the cute girl with tears welling up in her eyes, bowing her head deeply.
Croa wanted to deliver this good news to Lily quickly and hurried out of the room.
Lily's nanny was pacing in front of the room and grabbed Croa to ask.
"How did it go?"
"The Duke accepted the gift!"
"Oh, I thought it would be the same this time..., Really?"
"Yes! He seemed to like it quite a bit. He even carefully rewrapped it."
"Oh, my goodness. Miss Lily will be so happy to hear that."
"I know, right? But what on earth made him change his mind?"
"Maybe he's finally feeling sorry for Miss Lily? It's always been like a funeral home atmosphere on his birthday, geez..."
"Anyway, let's go quickly before the Duke changes his mind."
Leo listened to their conversation for a moment in the corner and then entered Julian's room.
And he sighed at the sight of several liquor bottles rolling around at his feet.
"Ah, Leo. Welcome. Do you want a drink too? Ah, you don't eat anything, do you? Except for my Divine Power. Sorry, I wish I could feed you something this delicious."
'He's completely gone. Stop being so sentimental every birthday.'
"Sentimental? I'm disappointed. You should understand my heart. You should comfort me. My soulmate."
Leo stared blankly at Julian, who was drunk and rambling.
Of course, he understood his heart. He couldn't help but understand it.
Ever since Julian realized his fate, he had always felt like a huge stone was pressing down on his chest.
And it became heavier on his birthday.
A child born to produce descendants.
And an immortal being who would have to watch those children die forever.
God was truly cruel.
Leo had watched all the previous Dukes Johannes being born and dying. They all lived tragic lives in their own ways.
Watching the dying Dukes Johannes, Leo couldn't shake the feeling that he was a parasite living off their lives.
The way they treated Leo was no different. They either feared him or loathed him as if he were vermin, one of the two.
But Julian was different.
'You have a pitiful life too.'
He hated his fate, but he didn't blame Leo for it.
Julian's staggering voice broke into Leo's complicated thoughts.
"Leo. If the curse is lifted, what will I become? I haven't achieved anything I'm enjoying with my own hands. If I'm not the sacred Duke Johannes, what am I?"
Leo glanced at Julian, who was laughing hollowly. He could feel the terrible cycle of emotions he was feeling.
And the lingering image of someone that kept flickering.
'It's a birthday present. Brat.'
Leo jumped up to the window where the night air was coming in. And he slipped out of the room.
* * *
"Julian! How did you get here!"
Julian blinked slowly, as if trying to grasp the situation for a moment.
Rebecca grabbed his arm. Julian was startled by her warmth and stepped back.
"Re, Rebe..."
As Julian tried to shout, Rebecca quickly covered his mouth with her hand.
A moment of silence passed between them.
Fortunately, there was no sign of anyone outside the door.
Rebecca breathed a sigh of relief and whispered.
"How did you get here in the middle of the night? More than that, Leo was just here..."
"Leo was here?"
Julian, who had sobered up instantly, thought for a moment and then laughed as if he was dumbfounded.
"Ha. So that's what happened. That bastard Leo..."
"Just be quiet for now. What if someone comes?"
"Okay. By the way, what's that?"
Julian said, looking at the dish on the table.
"It's milk. I was going to give it to Leo."
"Ah, I feel like I can live now."
Without even hearing Rebecca's answer, Julian gulped down the milk in the dish.
Rebecca was speechless as she watched his Adam's apple bobbing.
"Why? You said Leo was going to eat it. Me eating it is the same as Leo eating it."
"Well, let's say that's true, but how did you really get here?"
"Ah, does our omnipotent Rebecca not know even that?"
"Are you being sarcastic right now?"
Julian hesitated for a moment as Rebecca glared at him.
He sighed and plopped down on the bed.
"I'm not. Ha, I don't know why I keep talking like that."
'Is he drunk?'
Rebecca stared at Julian, who was rattling off excuses, as if he was a stranger, wondering if he was always so talkative.
"What. Why are you looking at me like that rude brat? Well, I guess I might look like that in your eyes."
Rebecca gently sat down next to Julian. The bed was full with the two of them sitting there, probably because Julian was so big.
"Why do you think so? I was just looking."
"Because everyone looks at me like that. Well, it's not that I don't know etiquette. I just learned that there's no need to use it. So it's hard for me to use honorifics and stuff. I have to try like crazy to be polite."
'But why is he saying this in my room in the middle of the night?'
Rebecca was so tired that she wanted to kick him out right away.
But for some reason, he seemed lonely, so she was quietly listening to his whining.
"So the point is, I want you to do that to me too."
"Pardon?"
"Just speak informally. We're going to be a couple anyway, shouldn't we be more comfortable? I don't know much about respecting my wife or anything like that."
"Okay. Sure, why not."
Rebecca said without a moment's hesitation.
Before her regression, when she lived among the commoners, they used different titles depending on age. So Rebecca was more comfortable with this.
Julian was stunned for a moment and then laughed, holding his stomach.
Rebecca looked at him with a puzzled expression.
"You told me to. But why are you laughing like that? Should I use honorifics now?"
"It's just, your reaction is a lot different from the usual. Don't people usually freak out or refuse?"
"Do you want me to?"
"No. You're interesting after all."
"Stop changing the subject. How did you get into this room? Where did Leo go?"
"We can switch bodies."
Rebecca screamed silently and covered her mouth.
And she carefully asked.
"Then... are you Leo?"
Julian couldn't help but laugh at her reaction, finding it cute.
He twitched his cheek for a moment and said.
"It's not that, we can switch places. Let's just say it's a kind of teleportation."
"That's amazing."
"Your reaction is less intense than before. Aren't you surprised? Only Leo and I know about this."
"A lot of things happen in life."
She had died and come back to life, so teleportation wasn't even surprising.
Julian stared intently at Rebecca, who didn't change her expression at all.
"You sometimes seem like you've lived life once before."
Rebecca, feeling a little stung by his words, quickly changed the subject.
"If you can teleport at will, go home right now. It's too dangerous here."
"That's a bit difficult."
"Why?"
"Teleportation consumes a lot of Divine Power. I have to wait at least three hours to recover."
"Three hours?"
Rebecca frowned as if she was in trouble.
Julian smiled at the sight. In fact, he could use the ability again in thirty minutes.
But he didn't want to go back to that lonely room again.
At least until today was over, he wanted to look into Rebecca's undulating, wave-like eyes.
'You don't want to go back?'
Julian was embarrassed when he thought that far.
This was an unfamiliar place to him. It was also the Devonshire Earl's mansion, which he hated so much.
But for some reason, he felt more comfortable now than ever before.
The moonlight shone brightly into the dark room.
Julian stared intently at Rebecca's white face, reflected in the moonlight, as if to engrave it in his heart.
