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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 6
Chapter Title: Northern Duke Cyrus Karha (2)
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‘Why...?’
Ariana racked her brain, wondering if she had missed something.
She vaguely recalled a rumor in her previous life that the Northern Duke was supposed to visit Seoryeong around this time, but he hadn't actually come.
‘Right, Helena had been thrilled at the thought of seducing the Northern Duke if she met him, only to be disappointed. The Northern Duke had announced his visit to Seoryeong then canceled, making the Western Duke furious, claiming it was an insult to Seoryeong.’
It was such a minor incident that she had forgotten all about it.
The Northern Duke was such a distant figure to Ariana.
As she emerged from her thoughts, her heart constricted.
Cyrus being secretly in the Bronte mansion at this hour was by no means a good sign.
‘Had the Northern Duke been secretly here before? And I just hadn't encountered him because I was confined to my room?’
A chill ran down her spine.
Cyrus, who had been doing something in secret, revealing himself now could mean he intended to silence Ariana by killing her.
The Cyrus Ariana knew was that cruel of a man.
Caught in an unexpected situation, she found herself breathless. Even though she was several steps away from him, his blood-red eyes felt overwhelming.
Ariana slowly closed her eyes.
‘It's fine. What's the worst that could happen? I'd just die, right? This life is just a bonus anyway, so I won't have any regrets dying now.’
When she opened her eyes again, Ariana's blue gaze was unwavering.
Cyrus watched Ariana with eyes that revealed nothing of his thoughts. Standing motionless in the dim light, he resembled a perfectly sculpted statue.
"I didn't expect His Grace, the Northern Duke, to visit the Bronte Ducal residence at such an hour. Had we known in advance, everyone would have come out to greet you."
At Ariana's calm tone, Cyrus approached and crouched down. His informal actions surprised Ariana slightly, but she composed herself and met his gaze indifferently.
"How do you know me?"
"Silver hair and red eyes are traits exclusive to the Karha family, and currently, the only one who has inherited the Karha name is His Grace, Northern Duke Cyrus Karha."
"Hmm."
"Furthermore, I've heard you're as beautiful as a painting. I was told you're the kind of person who makes women's hearts pound endlessly, and indeed, it seems that's true."
"Oh? Your heart doesn't seem to be pounding as you say that."
"Of course it is. If my heart weren't beating, I'd be dead, wouldn't I?"
"Ah, right."
Ariana calmly observed Cyrus's eyes, but she couldn't discern what he was thinking at all.
She had expected him to threaten her, telling her not to speak of what she saw here or that he'd kill her if she told anyone, but he merely remained seated before Ariana.
"Am I interrupting your meal?"
"It would be a great honor if His Grace, the Northern Duke, would join me."
"You have a talent for speaking words you don't mean as if you do."
"Don't mean it? Can't you see I'm at a loss, simply gazing upon the esteemed face of His Grace, the Northern Duke, whom I've only heard about in rumors?"
This was her indirect way of telling him to leave so she could eat, but Cyrus showed no signs of getting up.
The longer this continued, the more anxious Ariana became.
She wanted to quickly grab enough food, leave the kitchen, and return to her room.
Ariana hesitated for a moment before speaking.
"Let's consider today's events as if they never happened. I hope Your Grace will do the same."
"So you'll pretend not to have seen me, and in return, you want me to pretend not to notice your excellent dining manners?"
"You are indeed very perceptive."
At Ariana's soft words, Cyrus's eyes widened slightly.
"That's the first time I've heard such praise since I was five."
"It's surprising that someone so intelligent has never received such praise until now."
"Are you not afraid of me?"
"Is there any reason I should be afraid of Your Grace? I haven't done anything wrong to you."
"Women usually show two reactions to me: they either fear me, or they try to curry favor with me. But you seem neither afraid of me nor interested in charming me."
"That's not true at all. I am quite afraid of Your Grace, and I am indeed trying my best to impress you. If Your Grace doesn't perceive it that way, then it must be my failing."
Cyrus continued to gaze intently at Ariana with deep eyes that still defied interpretation.
Seeing his eyes up close, Ariana felt a little perplexed.
As far as Ariana knew, Cyrus was now twenty years old, only four years older than her current age.
However, his red eyes were so profoundly deep and dark that it was difficult to gauge their true extent. His gaze was not that of a twenty-year-old youth.
‘It's one thing for me, having returned through time, but what on earth has this person experienced to be like this...?’
Unconsciously, Ariana reached out a hand toward Cyrus's eyes, but stopped before her fingertips could touch him.
But Cyrus did not pretend to ignore her action.
"Are my eyes so captivating that you unconsciously want to touch them?"
The unexpected question left Ariana dumbfounded.
She had heard that Cyrus coldly rejected women who tried to seduce him, or even killed them if they persisted in annoying him.
"Your Grace, the Northern Duke, you're a little different from what the rumors say."
"What rumors have you heard?"
"I heard you are taciturn and keep women at a distance."
When Ariana phrased the rumors in such a roundabout way, Cyrus simply let out a brief "Oh," adding nothing further.
Ariana found it utterly difficult to grasp the man named Cyrus.
When she caught a glimpse of his chilling gaze, a shiver ran down her spine, yet when they actually spoke, the conversation flowed quite normally.
It wasn't the kind of atmosphere where he'd mercilessly behead a woman just for annoying him.
While his appearance, so different from the rumors, was intriguing, she no longer wanted to waste time in such a place.
"Your Grace, if you have no further business with me, then I should..."
"Wait."
Cyrus raised an index finger, stopping Ariana mid-sentence. He listened for a moment, then abruptly stood up, grabbing Ariana's arm to pull her to her feet.
Before she could even fault his rude behavior, he kicked the scattered food on the floor under the display shelf and extinguished the lamp. After that, he pulled Ariana between the shelves.
The space was so narrow that only one person could barely fit, so when both of them entered, their bodies pressed tightly together.
He firmly pressed his palm against Ariana's back, holding her against him. Ariana, being significantly shorter than Cyrus, found her face buried in his chest.
The scent of him, mixed with his body odor, tickled Ariana's nose.
Ariana, not grasping the situation, was left dumbfounded before she finally managed to raise her head and look up at him.
"What in the...!"
"Shh."
His finger touched Ariana's lips.
A shiver ran through Ariana's body from the cold emanating from his finger. His finger was as cold as ice.
Ariana, who had been about to push him away with both hands, stopped her movements at the sound of the kitchen door opening.
"Why does Lady Helena want chocolate at this hour?"
"She got scolded by Madam over the Luigi incident. She must be upset."
"Even so, Madam only scolds her for a bit and then lets it go. Have you ever seen Madam truly scold Lady Helena severely?"
"True. She spoils her too much. It's strange how well she treats her, even though she's the former Duchess's daughter."
"Be quiet. Don't you know we're not supposed to talk about the former Duchess?"
The maids' voices could be heard from the kitchen.
As tension stiffened Ariana's shoulders, Cyrus leaned down and whispered softly.
"Don't worry. As long as you stay still, we won't be discovered."
She felt his breath near the top of her head.
His breath was as cold as his gaze.
*Click-*
With the sound of the pantry door opening, a small light appeared. The lamp held by the maid cast flickering shadows.
Ariana held her breath.
"Where's the chocolate?"
"It should 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 grew increasingly rigid. She didn't even notice Cyrus's palm pressing firmly against her back, pulling her closer to him.
It would be a disaster if they were discovered in this state.
In their eyes, it would simply look like Ariana had snuck out at night and was embracing a strange man.
‘No, before that, would this man kill those girls?’
The maids' footsteps came right up to them.
Ariana saw the hem of a maid's skirt sway.
The next moment, the maid's eyes turned towards Ariana.
The moment her eyes met the maid's, Ariana almost gasped for breath. Before she could, a large hand covered Ariana's mouth, preventing her from exhaling any sound.
Cyrus's palm, covering her mouth, was unnaturally cold, not like that of a living person, but she had no time to ponder such an odd detail.
Ariana rapidly racked her brain, trying to figure out what attitude to adopt and what excuse to make to get out of this situation.
If the maid screamed, should she first cover her mouth and then introduce this man as the Northern Duke?
Or should she pretend not to know, letting the Northern Duke deal with the maid himself and kill her?
Or perhaps she should scream first, pretending to be subdued by the Northern Duke?
While a myriad of thoughts stormed through Ariana's mind, the maid raised her lamp.
The small light sharply grazed Ariana's face.
Ariana was about to open her mouth to say something, anything, when she realized Cyrus's hand was still covering it.
At that moment, the maid passed by as if she hadn't seen Ariana.
‘Is she pretending not to see me?’
No, that couldn't be.
The maids in this mansion enjoyed monitoring Ariana's every move and reporting any mistake she made to their mistress. The bigger Ariana's mistake, the greater their reward.
For an unmarried woman, simply being alone with a man was enough to cause a scandal. Ariana, found in the arms of a strange man late at night, was making the biggest mistake of her life so far.
If reported to Helena, it was clear she would be utterly delighted and reward the maid.
Yet, the maid pretended not to see Ariana.
‘Is she not pretending, but genuinely didn't see me? Even though I'm right in front of her? Could it be... is this the magic the Northern Duke uses?’
One of the reasons Cyrus could ascend to the position of Northern Duke at such a young age and wield the strongest power among the four dukes was thanks to a magic that was passed down only to the chosen few in the Northern Dominion.
She had only heard that the magic passed down in the Northern Dominion was ice magic, but perhaps this type of magic was also being continued.
As Ariana raised her head, she saw Cyrus's eyes, looking down at her.
Still, his gaze was deep and cold, revealing nothing of his thoughts.
While the two of them faced each other, the maids left the pantry after finding the chocolate.
Even after the maids' footsteps faded into the distance, the two remained motionless, gazing intently at each other.
