I Proposed Because You Were Terminally Ill - Chapter 36

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Chapter 36

 

“What?”

 

“What you’re holding in your hand right now.”

 

“Huh? It’s nothing.”

 

Damia hid the letter behind her back. She looked flustered, which was unusual for her.

 

“Really?”

 

Cassian tilted his head and stared at Damia.

 

The young boy’s red eyes seemed to see right through her thoughts. Her mouth went dry.

 

“It looks like a letter? Who sent it that you’re hiding it?”

 

“Why, why are you suddenly coming so close…!”

 

The freshly washed young boy had a subtle scent of soap. Damia’s cheeks flushed red.

 

“I told you it’s really nothing!”

 

“You don’t tell me…”

 

Cassian narrowed his eyes.

 

“Are you dating someone?”

 

What if someone hears!

 

Damia looked around with an incredulous expression. Fortunately, there was no one nearby.

 

“Dating? What on earth are you talking about!”

 

“You’ve been suspicious lately. Just spacing out and lost in thought. Now I understand the reason.”

 

“Um, I think you’ve got it wrong.”

 

Despite Damia’s firm denial, Cassian snorted. Instead, he twisted up the corner of his mouth, pretending to be relaxed.

 

“It’s fine, so tell me honestly. Someone else might have caught your eye.”

 

“I said no.”

 

“No wonder you readily accepted the no interference in private life clause.”

 

Despite being completely mistaken, Cassian wore a gentlemanly smile. He seemed to be playing the role of a magnanimous fiancé.

 

“You made such a fuss about having a crush on me… Right, you’re still young so your feelings can change quickly. I understand everything.”

 

Why does it seem like his lips are trembling while saying he understands everything?

 

“If you need it, I can even give you advice. Dating advice, I mean.”

 

“Dating advice? That’s a bit… honestly, what would Young Duke even know…”

 

“Ha! I know much more than you do!”

 

It was something she said without much thought, but Cassian got worked up.

 

“Yes, yes, I’m sure you do.”

 

“So tell me. Who are you interested in that you’re so excited? Give it here.”

 

“I told you it’s not like that, how many times do I have to say it!”

 

Damia hid the letter in her arms and glared at Cassian.

 

“You really…”

 

The young boy let out a hollow laugh as if he was dumbfounded.

 

“If it’s nothing, you could just show me, right? You keep hiding it, which makes it even more suspicious.”

 

“Forget it. By what right does Young Duke want to see my mail?”

 

“Me? I’m your fiancé.”

 

A roguish smile spread across the young boy’s handsome face.

 

He was breathtakingly handsome, but really shameless.

 

“Young Duke! Where are you?”

 

Just then, the voice of Sir Alec, Cassian’s aide, could be heard.

 

Taking advantage of the moment when Cassian briefly turned his gaze in that direction, Damia immediately started running.

 

“Damia, wait!”

 

“Don’t, don’t follow me!”

 

Though she was breathless, Damia didn’t stop.

 

* * *

 

She barely managed to reach her room without being caught. Damia leaned against the wall and caught her breath.

 

‘He’s really persistent in the strangest ways.’

 

She glanced lightly toward the door. She couldn’t hear any pursuing footsteps.

 

Only then did she feel a little relieved. Damia slowly opened the letter.

 

[Sorry for replying so late.

 

Nothing happened.]

 

‘Well, that’s a relief then.’

 

Arsene’s handwriting was neat and elegant as always.

 

However, some letters clearly showed traces of the pen nib being pressed hard against the paper.

 

[I asked Father about the things you inquired about. They’re not hard to obtain, so it won’t take long.]

 

Perhaps thanks to following around his father who was a successful businessman, Arsene was unusually shrewd with money for a thirteen-year-old.

 

Damia was keeping track of trends in Rodion through Arsene. So far, most things weren’t very different from her memories of her previous life.

 

She also imported necessary items in small quantities at low prices through Arsene’s father.

 

Arsene was a reliable friend in many ways. The letter was filled with details about how far Damia’s requests had progressed.

 

[I was quite surprised to hear that you moved to the Sarkis Ducal Family.]

 

Damia, who had been reading the letter with a satisfied smile, paused. Arsene had been particularly silent about Cassian until now.

 

Finally, that name appeared in the letter.

 

[Actually, I thought the engagement was sudden too… No, I’m not trying to criticize a decision you must have made wisely.

 

And actually, seeing how you suddenly got engaged and even moved… I wondered if perhaps there were some difficult circumstances that were hard to talk about.]

 

Arsene’s guess was surprisingly accurate. Even though Damia had kept evading the topic.

 

[As a friend, I’m happy that you have someone reliable to depend on when things are tough, but I was a bit disappointed that person wasn’t me.

 

I guess I’m more narrow-minded than I thought. I was disappointed in myself too.]

 

Damia hadn’t expected that her life changes would become an opportunity for Arsene to reflect on himself.

 

‘Wow, that’s kind of touching.’

 

A corner of her heart felt warm and fuzzy. Since they had been close friends from such a young age, Arsene seemed to treat Damia’s affairs as if they were his own and sympathize with her.

 

‘He’s really such a good friend.’

 

[I don’t know what happened. But if you had told me first… I even had the ridiculous thought that we could have come to Rodion together.

 

But now it’s all too late.]

 

Hmm? Damia paused at the overly sentimental sentence.

 

It was true that the two were close childhood friends, but feeling this much responsibility?

 

Arsene seemed to be a much more sensitive and caring young boy than Damia remembered.

 

[Still, I’m glad you’re doing well. You said you’re happy with your fiancé, Young Duke, too.

 

Now that I clearly understand the situation, my replies won’t be delayed anymore.]

 

Then what was the reason for the delayed replies until now?

 

Before she knew it, the letter was on its last page.

 

[You’ve already forgotten the promise we made, but it was a little hard for me to admit that I was the only one who was sincere.]

 

Damia stopped reading the letter and tilted her head.

 

‘Huh? What promise did we make?’

 

She thought hard about it, but nothing came to mind.

 

‘Oh, could he mean the conversation we had before Arsene fled to the Kingdom of Rhodion?’

 

That we had to part ways this time, but we would definitely meet again. And when that time came, we would never be separated again.

 

Arsene had wet that pretty face of his with tears, so she thought she had agreed to comfort him.

 

‘But that was so long ago.’

 

Had hearing about his best friend’s engagement so late made him so disappointed that old memories resurfaced?

 

No matter what possibilities she considered, it was difficult to understand Arsene’s true intentions. Just then, cheerful footsteps echoing through the corridor could be heard.

 

“Miss Damia! The herbs we planted have sprouted!”

 

“Romi? Really?”

 

Damia was also tending to a small garden at the duke’s mansion.

 

The purple wildflowers used in Cassian’s medicine couldn’t be transplanted in the first place, but she had planted several useful herbs instead.

 

Perhaps due to the different environment, they weren’t growing as well as they had at the viscount’s manor. She had half given up on creating a temporary herb garden here, but it seemed there had been unexpected results.

 

Damia stuffed the letter into the nightstand. Her pale cheeks flushed with excitement.

 

“I’ll be right out!”

 

At that moment, the last page of the letter slipped and fell under the nightstand.

 

But Damia was already running down the corridor. Her steps were as light as if she were flying.

 

* * *

 

Cassian Sarkis was having a very unpleasant afternoon.

 

‘When did she say it was only me.’

 

He sat at his office desk, irritably flipping through an innocent stack of documents. The corners of the papers were already pitifully frayed.

 

‘Just whose letter was it anyway.’

 

He hadn’t even seen the sender’s name. Because Damia had been holding that letter preciously in her grip.

 

His fiancée had an unusually strong preference for being alone, and wouldn’t even leave the house unless there was something special.

 

In other words, it was an environment where there was no opportunity to build friendships with boys her age.

 

‘Oh, could it be from the tea party.’

 

At the last party, some noble young master had acted friendly toward Damia.

 

The sight of him putting on airs, insisting he would escort her to the lakeside, suddenly grated on his nerves.

 

‘Even if it’s a contractual relationship, to have her eyes on such a guy when I’m her fiancé?’

 

Of course, even if Damia had peculiar tastes, it wasn’t his problem to interfere.

 

This was only a temporary engagement after all, and Cassian himself had created the no interference in private life clause.

 

Yet his insides kept boiling. Finally, Cassian shot up from his seat.

 

‘Right, this isn’t about judgment… there must be a problem with her eyesight.’

 

If that were the case, it would be a serious problem.

 

He had to guarantee his fiancée’s safety. That was one of their contract conditions.

 

‘Her eyes must be going bad.’

 

What if Damia’s poor eyesight caused her to trip on a dark road?

 

That would be nothing short of a clear breach of contract. So he had to hurry.

 

Cassian quickly finished his ridiculous rationalization and immediately rushed to Damia’s room.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————