I Proposed Because You Were Terminally Ill - Chapter 45
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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 45
“Tell me honestly, Damia. Do you truly like him?”
“Arsene, you’re just doing this because you’re afraid of losing to me, aren’t you? Stop stalling and play your card already.”
Damia’s indifferent response gradually shattered Cassian’s firm belief.
‘Why doesn’t she boldly declare that she likes me in front of that bastard?’
A resentment close to disappointment rose up to his throat.
“Young Duke, until just a moment ago, Romi was also here with them.”
“You don’t need to explain.”
“The door was left open, so there was nothing that could harm Miss Damia’s reputation.”
Perhaps sensing that Cassian’s mood was unusual, the butler fidgeted and made excuses.
But such things didn’t matter. He wasn’t angry about his fiancée’s somewhat free-spirited behavior.
It was just…
“Damia.”
Cassian, barely suppressing an irrational anger he couldn’t explain himself, called his fiancée’s name quietly.
And without waiting for her response, he entered the room.
He couldn’t stand to watch those two chattering any longer.
“Young Duke?”
Damia stood up from her seat, looking startled.
Cassian’s sculpted brow furrowed at that distant form of address.
‘She called that black-hearted bastard’s name so affectionately.’
Cassian had already given Damia permission to address him more comfortably. But the girl stubbornly insisted on the formal title of Young Duke.
It had always bothered him, but now that fact seemed particularly disagreeable.
All the other young ladies except Damia were desperate to somehow call him Lord Cassian. Even Vivian Rosen had been like that today.
Why was it that only Damia acted contrary to his expectations?
She had even confessed that she liked him too much, and was publicly his fiancée.
“What brings you here? Didn’t you say you had busy matters to attend to today?”
The girl’s room was a space he had personally supervised the renovation of.
Yet except for the one time he had toured it for confirmation after the construction was completed, he had never particularly entered it.
Because he thought of it as a private space.
‘But she lets that scheming bastard in?’
That guy who wore the mask of a childhood friend and sent sly letters saying it would have been nice if they had come to live in the Kingdom of Rhodion together…
“Young Duke?”
Damia’s violet eyes narrowed. As if she had been playing a game, white cards were held in her pale hands.
“Who’s that over there? I don’t recognize the face.”
Cassian pointed at the other person with his chin, pretending to be nonchalant.
Arsene Cadis.
He already knew all too well who it was, but he couldn’t show it.
“Ah, hello, Young Duke. My greetings are late.”
It was a pretty boy with light brown hair and sky-blue eyes.
The boy put down his cards on the table and slowly stood up.
His genially smiling face showed no trace of ulterior motives.
“I’m called Arsene Cadis. I came from the Kingdom of Rhodion, and Damia and I have been very close since childhood.”
“…”
“You’re Young Duke Sarkis, aren’t you? Damia has told me a lot about… ah, actually not a lot, but a reasonable amount.”
It would have been annoying even if he were ugly, but being handsome made it more unpleasant.
Perhaps his fiancée, who had remarkably picky aesthetic standards, didn’t actually lack friends, but only kept close those who met her demanding aesthetic tastes?
Such an absurd suspicion seemed momentarily very credible, as Arsene Cadis’s appearance was exceptionally fine.
‘She was flirting with a guy like that?’
An inexplicable rage spread like wildfire in his chest.
His hands trembled finely at this intense emotion he had never felt before in his life.
“I heard you’ve helped Damia in many ways. I’m truly grateful.”
Why are you the one saying thanks?
Damia Ponti is my fiancée!
Cassian’s red eyes shook mercilessly.
“The one and only friend I’ve often talked about is Arsene.”
“Really? I don’t think I’ve heard about him before.”
“He came all the way from the Kingdom of Rhodion to celebrate my birthday.”
“…Your birthday is still quite far away, Damia.”
Then, Arsene smiled brightly and spoke instead.
“I was planning to accompany my father on his visit to the Empire, but I missed Damia so much that I came ahead alone.”
What? He missed her? Is he really brazenly saying in front of me that he missed another man’s fiancée?
To prevent such unseemly situations in the future, perhaps minors crossing borders alone should be legally prohibited.
“I was also curious about what kind of person my old friend’s fiancé might be.”
What was he going to do about being curious?
Whether Cassian was boiling inside or not, Arsene smiled with his eyes prettily crinkled.
“But what brings you here, Young Duke? You said you were busy today.”
“You said earlier that you were sorry to part ways so soon after meeting after such a long time.”
At Cassian’s boastful words, Arsene’s cheek stiffened for a moment.
“Ah, that’s right. Still, there was no need to trouble yourself by coming. It must be bothersome.”
Soon Arsene let out a soft laugh. It was a smile that seemed somehow mocking, unsuited to that boy’s angelic features.
“Why? Am I in the way or something?”
Cassian immediately regretted those words that had escaped without going through his brain.
This makes it look like I’m jealous! Did you forget we agreed not to interfere in each other’s private lives?
“In the way? Not at all… Ah, would you like to join our card game, Young Duke?”
“What?”
“Let’s play together once we finish this round. I’m winning, so I need to finish this game.”
This time Arsene’s pretty face was completely distorted.
At the same time, one corner of Cassian’s mouth curved up.
He didn’t particularly want to participate in children’s card games, but since he couldn’t leave the two alone, perhaps…
“Come on, Damia. The Young Duke wouldn’t be interested in this kind of card game. He’s such a mature person, isn’t he?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
“He’d probably find it childish. Let’s not bother asking him.”
“I suppose so?”
Hey, at least ask me before agreeing! I don’t really want to play that childish game, but I was going to join because of you!
“Since the Young Duke is here, let’s stop the game.”
“But I was winning…”
“Anyway, I’ll be staying at your house for several days. We can play again later.”
At that shocking statement, Cassian’s breath caught.
“…What did you just say?”
It was such a cold voice that Damia turned her head in surprise.
“Ah, since I came ahead of my family, I don’t have proper lodging for now. I’ll be imposing on the Ponti Viscount’s House for a few days.”
Arsene Cadis replied calmly without being intimidated at all.
“Viscount Ponti gave his permission too. We’re childhood friends, after all.”
From Arsene’s pretty face with its gentle smile, even a faint sense of superiority could be felt.
‘How long is he going to keep using that damn childhood friend excuse?’
Cassian’s red eyes blazed with fury. All the muscles in his body tensed at once, and he seemed to taste a faint flavor of blood from biting the inside of his mouth hard.
He even felt as if his heart rate, slowed by the dragon’s curse, had suddenly quickened.
Whether it was a simple illusion or his heart was truly reacting to his anger, he couldn’t tell.
He was truly jealous as if possessed by an evil spirit.
Wait, jealousy?
Cassian was startled after unconsciously labeling the surging anger as jealousy.
It was absurd. This wasn’t jealousy.
‘Then what is it?’
Cassian’s wavering eyes turned toward Damia.
His gaze passed over Damia’s rosy cheeks that had gained color, her silver hair that was much more lustrous than before, and settled on her still-thin shoulders.
At that sight, a corner of his heart ached. And he reflexively felt relieved.
‘Right, this isn’t something like jealousy.’
He simply still felt sorry for Damia.
So he was definitely worrying about Damia’s every move with the heart of a caring older brother toward a younger sister.
That worry had gone a bit too far, leading to anger toward that black-hearted bastard.
With that neat conclusion, Cassian’s breathing settled evenly. He had finally regained his composure.
“I never gave permission, did I?”
Instead of clumsily raising his voice, Cassian asked arrogantly.
As if he were Damia Ponti’s real fiancé.
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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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