“Are you still not seeing anyone?”
It was a serious expression with the smile already gone. Roman looked at his mother briefly, then answered with a faint smile.
“Being tied to just one person isn’t my preference.”
“…Your father collapsed not long ago.”
“…!”
“Fortunately, he recovered quickly, but it seems he’s been thinking a lot since. He said if you don’t have anyone you’re seriously seeing, he’d look into a marriage match for you.”
Roman caught the underlying meaning without difficulty. The talk about a marriage match was just an excuse; it would be his father’s way of extending a gesture of reconciliation.
‘…He must have been quite shocked.’
Roman was surprised in a different way too. The image of his father raging that they were estranged, telling him not to even think of showing his face again, was still vivid in his memory, yet he never expected him to change his mind like this.
“I’ll think about it.”
“I hope it’s in a positive direction.”
“Yes. Then please rest comfortably.”
“Be careful going back.”
Though it was somewhat disappointing that he wouldn’t stay even one night, Selena let Roman go obediently instead of holding him back. Since he was a child born from her own womb, she knew her son’s nature better than anyone.
After Roman left, silence came to the study. After having the cooled tea removed, Selena quietly opened the book she’d been reading for the past few days.
***
The body is honest. Though Diego was healthy enough that he caught a cold, let alone any illness, maybe once a year, symptoms appeared like clockwork as the Bloody Cycle period approached.
His body felt heavy as if he’d done hard labor without rest, and he felt baseless impatience. His imperfect physical state naturally affected his condition too. As he sat in the chair behind the partition with a hardened expression, Grace approached during a brief gap when there were no customers.
“Are you uncomfortable somewhere? Your face hasn’t looked good since earlier.”
“No.”
Diego quickly straightened his posture and answered. A briefly flustered look appeared on his face. He’d thought he was acting no differently than usual, but he hadn’t expected to hear such words.
“If you’re not feeling well, you can go home early today.”
“No. I’m really fine.”
Though there would be some individual differences, no adult could be free from the Bloody Cycle. So making a fuss just because his condition was poor was absolutely not something to do.
Even if he really was unwell to the point of collapsing, early leave was impossible. Knowing full well that the guild members’ performance ability was directly connected to the guild’s reputation, there was no way he could do something that would have a negative impact.
“Or…”
After hesitating briefly, Grace met his gaze directly.
“Is it by any chance the Bloody Cycle?”
“…Yes. I apologize.”
It was an apology for showing an imperfect appearance. Though he thought he’d have nothing to say even if he received reproach, completely different words from his expectation flowed from Grace’s mouth.
“Should I help you?”
“Pardon?”
“If you let out even a little blood, you’ll feel much better. Of course, my condition will improve too.”
Her words were true. Even if he let out just a little blood through a Neo, it would be much better than now, and it was also true that a Neo who drank a Benic’s blood would feel languid satisfaction, even if temporarily.
But from Diego’s standpoint, it was somewhat burdensome consideration. It would be delicate even in the opposite case, but receiving help from a client during work was impossible. All the more so because she was a noble young lady.
“I’m grateful for your words, but it’s fine. I apologize for causing you concern.”
At just the right timing, the door opened and customers came in. Grace, who glanced back, continued speaking quickly with an expression of resignation.
“If you continue to feel unwell, please tell me without any burden.”
Soon she walked toward the customers, and Diego ended up letting out a deep sigh and lowering his head.
‘Did it show that much?’
This had never happened before. Even when he was with mercenary group members who all had beast-like senses, no one noticed the Bloody Cycle. He’d been confident in hiding his feelings to that extent, but he felt like he’d been hit in an unexpected place.
That night, Diego quietly left the house. His destination was Roman’s house. Though he’d eaten dinner and laid down in bed early, he couldn’t fall asleep. He felt unpleasant as if something was piled up inside his body, and he kept feeling irritated for no reason. This too was clearly because of the Bloody Cycle, and after tossing and turning for a while, he finally kicked off the covers, got up, and grabbed his outerwear.
There was no appointment. He might not be home, or he might be rejected and told to come on the 30th tomorrow, but just the fact that he was going to see Roman heightened emotions resembling excitement.
***
“Thank you for accepting the invitation.”
“Of course we had to come when His Highness the Grand Duke invited us. Haha.”
“Then we’ll take our leave first.”
Following Count Frang, Lady Selena also greeted him with a smiling face. Standing right before them was Grand Duke Kailton, who had invited their couple to dinner tonight. After substituting a greeting with a glance to her youngest son standing beside him, Selena left the Grand Duke’s residence with her husband.
Thanks to that, only two people remained indoors. The Grand Duke moved to the drawing room and generously poured expensive wine into Roman’s glass across from him.
Roman didn’t decline and tilted his glass. As he was also savoring cheese that was clearly top quality, a relaxed yet low voice reached his ears.
“I’m thinking of taking Ruth to Eslen.”
There was no apologetic look to be found on his face. Far from that, he was gazing this way with a smile he only wore when he was truly in a good mood.
Thinking that he was a man who never spoke in roundabout ways, then or now, Roman belatedly responded.
“Does the person in question agree to that?”
“I’m going to make it so.”
“…I asked a pointless question.”
In fact, it had been foreseen from the start. From when he heard the demand in an incomparably confident attitude, ‘Find Ruth Hales,’ as soon as they met after his return.
Roman was quite surprised too when he learned that the Grand Duke’s partner, whom he’d been waiting for all this time, was a guild member belonging to his guild. And if the two were truly fated partners for each other, trying to separate them by human effort would be meaningless.
If it were his usual personality, he would have played mischievous pranks or given trials using the pretext that obstacles make things burn hotter, but he didn’t even think of it against the Grand Duke. Because it was clear as day how troublesome the aftermath would be if he did.
“You’ll let him go, right?”
It was a tone that didn’t even consider refusal. While repeatedly filling the empty glass with wine, Roman answered.
“If Ruth says he’ll go, of course I intend to do so. However, I am a bit worried. He’s someone who detests the cold.”
“Ah. You don’t need to worry about that. He won’t have any reason to go outside the castle.”
“……”
It was extremely fortunate that Ruth wasn’t present at this gathering. No, even if he were, he was a rather obtuse guy so he would have taken it as a joke. But the Grand Duke was clearly speaking seriously. His vividly shining blue eyes were proof of that.
‘How on earth did they meet…’
At this point, he even felt slightly sympathetic, but of course that was only his inner thought. As he kept saying, Roman was someone who knew how to protect his own well-being.
Once his own business was finished, Kailton mercilessly issued an eviction order. Roman, who arrived home, took a hot shower and headed to the bedroom. Come to think of it, he hadn’t smoked even once today, so he put the pipe tobacco on the table in his mouth. As he pleasantly took a puff and exhaled the smoke, a knocking sound was heard from beyond the door.
“Master, it’s me.”
It was the butler’s voice. Since it was rare for him to come looking first before being called, Roman opened the bedroom door without reserve even in his robe.
“What is it?”
“A guest has come to see you.”
“A guest?”
For a moment, a troubled look appeared on the butler’s face, but he quickly composed his expression and elaborated.
“Yes. When I asked for their name, they said Allen… They’re raising their voice demanding to see you no matter what.”
Roman’s brow furrowed. Though he knew Allen had been very dissatisfied with the termination notice, he never expected him to come all the way to his house and cause a disturbance. Roman clicked his tongue in annoyance. Though there were methods of just ignoring him or using force, those would be nothing more than temporary avoidance.
“Bring me my outerwear.”
“Are you thinking of going out?”
Seeing the worry that briefly appeared on Butler Noh’s face, Roman smiled faintly. Perhaps because he’d been in charge of his affairs since childhood at the main house, even now he occasionally made such an expression as if looking at an immature child.
“He’s someone I know, so there’s no need to worry.”
