* * *

Even thinking about them felt awkward to me.

Yet, he uttered them as naturally as breathing.

Was this just how he was, or did he not place much weight on such terms?

“In that case, I’ll have a healer prepare some restorative medicine for you.”

“No, that won’t be necessary!”

Panicking, I shot upright and waved my hands frantically.

The healer who’d visited before likely noticed I was perfectly healthy.

A closer inspection now would only expose how absurdly fit I actually was.

To avoid that, I waved my arms so vigorously that our eyes met, and I froze.

“…Ah.”

Awkwardly redirecting my flailing hands, I placed one on my forehead as though the motion itself had made me dizzy.

Slowly, I leaned back against the headboard.

“That won’t be necessary. It’s… an old condition.”

I let my voice tremble slightly at the end.

Perfect.

My performance felt flawless.

I could almost feel the corners of my lips twitching from suppressed satisfaction.

“Is that so?”

Thankfully, Klen didn’t seem intent on pushing the issue further.

“Given the strain of the journey and the wedding, you should rest for today. I’ll leave now so I don’t disturb you.”

“…!”

His fingertips pressed firmly against my twitching lips.

Surely, this wasn’t a warning to be cautious because my acting was too obvious.

Or maybe, he was worried because my lips were trembling.

As he turned away, the rigid muscles of my face finally loosened.

“Ah, right.”

“…!?”

The moment I relaxed, as if he had been waiting for that exact moment, he turned back around.

I hastily tried to fix my expression but failed.

The pitiful look I had been aiming for ended up twisting into something far more ridiculous than his usual expressions.

Clen’s lips curved into a smile.

It was a pleasant laugh, one I had never seen from him before.

But unlike me, who couldn’t manage my expression at all, he quickly concealed his face, which had momentarily lit up.

Then, his facial muscles shifted again.

His eyes softened, his lips curved into a serene smile, and I watched the entire process unfold right in front of me.

This smile, too, was a smile, but it was entirely different from the one I had just seen.

“It would be best for you to recover quickly.”

“…Pardon?”

While I tilted my head, unable to comprehend his words, his expression shifted again.

This time, he beamed with an almost foolish grin.

‘……?!’

Knock, knock.

At that moment, a maid lightly knocked on the already open door and entered.

“I heard you’re resting today. I’ll be attending to you.”

Could Klen have heard her approaching and changed his expression so quickly?

Watching his expressions shift so effortlessly, I couldn’t tell what was real anymore.

‘Wait, does not being able to tell what’s real mean…?’

It implied that I subconsciously believed there was a real and a fake.

Or perhaps, none of it was real.

Either way, it was clear that he wasn’t showing his true self to those around him.

“Ah, then…”

Thud!

“…?!”

“Y-Young Master! Be careful!”

As he turned, Klen stumbled forward and fell flat on his face.

My eyes widened in shock.

Klen Balluncio had fallen. It wasn’t from overexertion or a dizzy spell.

He tripped over his own feet and fell in a way so absurd that it bordered on comical.

My mouth opened and closed like a fish out of water, unable to make a sound.

The shock was that overwhelming.

Klen Valuncio… He was supposed to be like a proud wolf standing against a fierce winter storm.

But now, the image I had of him—already cracked—felt as though it had completely shattered.

“Get up! The Countess is watching you right now!”

The maid, who had been frozen in shock, quickly snapped her head around and scolded him harshly.

It wasn’t common to see Klen being chastised.

Perhaps the staff here didn’t respect him… or were simply too comfortable around him.

It might not be surprising, considering how little authority he seemed to exude.

“For the sake of the Madam’s peace, Lord Klen, I suggest you leave.”

She quickly approached me, fussing over the neatly arranged blankets as if trying to shield me from the embarrassing sight.

Despite her efforts, Klen leisurely dusted himself off.

Or rather, clumsily.

Then, meeting my gaze, he flashed me a bright smile.

“I’ll take my leave for today. Adrian, take care of yourself.”

“…Yes.”

His footsteps as he left the room seemed light.

Was he pleased to have an excuse to leave without being detained further?

Or was he satisfied with showing yet another ridiculous side of himself?

The maid standing beside me also followed him with her eyes, her gaze filled with concern.

Once he had completely left the room, she turned to me.

“Now, please lie down.”

Her touch, guiding me back to the bed, was gentle and careful.

With Klen gone, I could flop onto the bed without a second thought.

But hadn’t I already decided to keep up the act of being frail?

Acting requires precision and consistency, after all.

I leaned on her support just enough not to burden her as I lay down.

“Madam, I’ve brought some light pumpkin soup.”

“…Ah, thank you.”

No, not soup. Meat.

I swallowed back the words rising to my throat.

Since yesterday’s wedding, I hadn’t eaten anything other than a little milk.

My starved body craved something hearty and substantial—meat or bread, for example.

But she seemed to believe that anything heavier would be harmful to my weakened state.

‘At this rate, even if the soup were poisoned, I might just eat it out of hunger…’

Surely, I wouldn’t die of poisoning simply because I was starving.

Then again, in my current state, who could say for sure?

The maid brought the trolley closer and removed the lid, revealing a thick, golden pumpkin soup.

Any faint hope I had for something else accompanying it evaporated instantly.

I stared down at the pumpkin soup as it was set before me.

The color resembled the eyes of the man who had thrown me into confusion just moments ago, and I couldn’t help but frown.

* * *