I Proposed Because You Were Terminally Ill - Chapter 42
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 42
After turning fifteen, boys began appearing who would do foolish things in front of Damia just to catch her attention.
Though they were repeatedly embarrassed by Cassian.
If thirteen-year-old Damia had been just a doll-like child to boys her age, fifteen-year-old Damia was now someone of the opposite sex who made their hearts flutter.
“You’re saying I’m still a child?”
“Of course.”
“I’m fifteen years old. You were pretending to be an adult when you were fifteen!”
Cassian’s eyes narrowed with displeasure.
“You and I are different.”
“How are we different?”
“Ha, Damia Ponti. You’re fifteen years old and still ask so many questions. Just figure it out roughly.”
“See that? You can’t explain it so you’re dodging again.”
“You…!”
“What? Did I say something wrong?”
Cassian roughly ran his hand through his hair. He seemed to be boiling inside but had no words to refute her.
“And I’m going to visit more often from now on. Did you think I’d give up the chance to see you so easily?”
“Just give up already. Don’t you ever get tired?”
“No. I’m going to bring medicine bit by bit from now on. So I can come more often!”
“I’m busy too. I have to go out soon today.”
“Really? Do you have some important schedule today?”
A very brief silence passed.
“You don’t need to know.”
“No. I’m curious.”
“…I have an appointment.”
Ah…
Around seventeen-year-old Cassian Sarkis, there were plenty of girls who didn’t care about his fiancée’s feelings.
‘With such obvious signs of illness, doesn’t that catch their eyes at all?’
Remembering the girls who whispered about his decadent beauty, Damia sighed.
Why did someone with a death sentence shake the hearts of all these young ladies?
It was fortunate that their contract had a clause prohibiting interference in private life.
Without that clause, Damia might have been grabbing those young ladies and convincing them to come to their senses.
“You’re going to the Rosen Estate, right? It’s Vivian’s birthday soon.”
“…How did you know? I’m not going to celebrate her birthday.”
“Come on, you don’t have to pretend otherwise. Lady Rosen was bragging loud enough for me to hear.”
Cassian’s lips twitched.
“What did Lady Rosen brag to you about?”
“Young Duke, I’m rooting for you, so you don’t need to hide it. Really.”
“Speak so I can understand, Damia.”
“Vivian seems like a decent person.”
What had changed most from her previous life was Drury Soro’s behavior.
Drury, who should have monopolized everyone’s attention, had noticeably withdrawn after the white snake incident.
The noble young ladies of the West began gathering around Vivian instead of Drury.
The Rosen Family was quite prestigious, being the maternal family of the previous empress, and Vivian’s own brilliant appearance played a part too.
“Our temporary engagement only lasts until I come of age anyway.”
Of course, there was a higher chance Cassian would die before then, but Damia deliberately ignored this.
“At most, there are only 3 years left, so you should start looking for a real marriage partner soon, Young Duke.”
“Haha.”
Cassian quietly stood up with a somewhat offended expression.
“…”
As he began approaching, she unconsciously became tense.
Cassian had grown rapidly in the past two years and was now quite tall compared to most adult men.
“My fiancée is really so caring.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I do have excellent character. Even though I like you so much, Young Duke, I respect the other person’s happiness rather than my own desires…”
Perhaps because she was nervous, she became unnecessarily talkative.
“That’s enough. And isn’t your real intention something else?”
Cassian lifted one corner of his mouth. He seemed to have seen through the fact that Damia was flustered and spouting random words.
“Someone is coming from far away to see you, isn’t he?”
“What? Oh, you mean… are you talking about Arsene?”
“Yes, that scheming bastard.”
“Why do you hate Arsene so much when you’ve never even met him?”
“Is a guy who talks about the future to a girl who obviously has a fiancé in his right mind?”
“Don’t exaggerate, Young Duke. Arsene and I are childhood friends.”
Cassian frowned with displeasure.
“You don’t have any reason to be so brazen when you let me peek at the letter.”
“You left that part spread out as if to show me and then left your seat.”
Damia swallowed a hollow laugh. Cassian had been sulking for a long time over a letter from two years ago that she couldn’t even remember when it was from.
He had even written a contract saying not to interfere in private life, what a sight.
His childish obsession wasn’t completely incomprehensible.
Due to the constraint of his death sentence, Cassian couldn’t open his heart to anyone.
The only exception was Damia, so he seemed to have unconsciously developed an attachment.
“You always insist I’m a child, but only change your words at times like this.”
“…”
“Even if I made some promise with Arsene, it would all be children’s games. Arsene would think so too.”
She had never asked, but probably.
“Really? I’d bet that black-hearted bastard’s life that he doesn’t think so.”
“Why are you betting my perfectly fine friend’s life!”
“Because I can’t bet my own life when I’m dying anyway.”
Damia shut her mouth tight. Using the fact that he was dying as a shield.
“You were precocious enough to confess your love to me at thirteen. So you could have promised a future with that guy when you were ten.”
“You’re really being petty, going back and forth like this.”
“Anyway.”
Cassian stepped back one step. Before opening his mouth, a very brief hesitation passed.
Damia could feel that this was his real business from now on.
“If you’re not making the first move because you like that childhood friend, then talk of my new fiancée is still premature.”
“Why?”
“I don’t intend to have a serious relationship with anyone yet. Breaking the curse comes first.”
“Shouldn’t you meet several people in advance to know who really suits you, Young Duke?”
“You’ve always had this strange desire to push me away.”
“Th-that’s not true. I’m just preparing my heart so I can let you go anytime.”
“Ha, Damia Ponti.”
“Yes?”
Why are you calling me by my full name and making me nervous?
“Give me your hand.”
Her heart seemed to drop at the Young Duke’s words as he slowly removed his gloves.
While Damia doubted her own ears, their hands pressed together without any gap.
“Could you really marry a man whose heart races just from holding hands with another woman?”
She couldn’t show signs of being flustered here. Damia bit her lips tightly.
Cassian must really have no fear. What if Damia used the treatment or contact as an excuse to bind him for life?
Before dangerous impulses could awaken, Damia shook her head slightly. She couldn’t commit the same acts as Count Fabron from her previous life.
“Answer me.”
Red eyes stared at Damia persistently.
She had to think of some excuse, any words that could get her out of this situation.
“Young Duke… I just thought of a new possibility.”
“What is it?”
“Well… does it have to be me? I think we’ve been thinking too narrowly all this time.”
“What nonsense are you talking about?”
“How about trying to hold hands with other young ladies?”
The moment those words left her mouth, Damia screamed internally.
‘Ah, this is the worst.’
Even though she was just a temporary fiancée, this kind of suggestion seemed a bit too much.
“…Are you serious?”
“It might be more effective against the curse. Why haven’t we thought to try it until now?”
Since she couldn’t take back her words now, she decided to push through to the end while pretending to be confident.
“You avoid contact with others to the point of being almost germaphobic. So we might have missed precious opportunities all this time.”
Cassian’s handsome face became horribly distorted.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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