Chapter 8 Cassis was still vicious. Evelia once again opened her mouth to clear up the misunderstanding.
“I understand what the Duke is thinking. But it’s not like that. My intention to break off the engagement with the duke remains unchanged, and I have no intention of using the young master as an excuse to ask for my engagement again.”
“Then what are you doing here without any contact?”
“I met the young master by chance while I was out on a downtown street. He invited me to tea time, so I just accepted.”
“Isn’t tea time something you can turn down?”
Evelia shrugged.
“I’ve already turned it down twice, and I couldn’t do it again in person.”
Cassis frowned as if he didn’t know anything about that.
Evelia spoke again before he could say anything more.
“If I were to stay here any longer, it would only make the duke and the young master uncomfortable. If you don’t mind, I’ll go back now.”
Evelia greeted him while holding the hem of her dress with both hands. Cassis didn’t show any signs of grabbing her, so she turned around and tried to get out.
Then, suddenly, Cassis asked.
“What kind of wound is that?”
His gaze rested on Evelia’s wrist. It was the same location that had been bruised by Derek.
“Ah, this…”
Evelia hurriedly lowered her sleeve to cover her wrist.
Until she heard Cassis’ question, she hadn’t thought much about the wound; she had only felt anger at Derek for putting her in this position.
But the thought of someone else seeing it, especially Cassis, made her blush. It was like being caught doing something you didn’t want to do.
‘It’s embarrassing.’
She didn’t want Cassis to know even though she wasn’t the real Evelia, that she was despised at home and even assaulted.
But what was even more embarrassing than that was that Cassis showed interest in the wound.
‘I thought Cassis would pretend not to see it even if he saw it.’
Why the hell is Cassis interested in this wound in this situation? Besides, for some reason, he seemed a little angry.
His face was more angry than when he had seen Ruth and Evelia together, and his voice was more subdued.
But instead of asking why he was angry, Evelia chose to say something else.
She pursed her lips and barely let out a voice.
“It’s not something Duke should be concerned about.”
I thought this would get Cassis’ to stop interested. However, Cassis didn’t back down.
Rather, he came closer to Evelia and grabbed her wrist. There was no time for Evelia to stop it.
The sleeves went down to her elbows, revealing scars that hadn’t been seen before.
It was the wound I got when I fell down the stairs yesterday.
Cassis, examining the wound with an expressionless face, changed his question.
“Did Count Venion do this to you?”
“No.”
“Then who did it? I know that lady has two brothers, but maybe…”
“Duke.”
Evelia cut him off quickly. She didn’t like Cassis’ attention like this.
Besides, it was already too late. I had to return quickly after the conversation.
“As I said before, this is none of the Duke’s business.”
“Why is it none of my business?”
Evelia was momentarily dazed by his calm question.
“That’s because we’re not meant to have such private conversations.”
“I can’t even ask my fiancé these questions?”
“But I know that neither of us want this engagement. Besides, I already asked the Duke to break off the engagement…”
“I haven’t accepted the request for a breakup. So, you are still my fiancée, and I think I have the right to ask these questions. Isn’t it?”
“But….”
You never thought of me as your fiancée.
The words lingered in her mouth, but Evelia couldn’t bring them out. Somehow she felt that saying that would only make Cassis angrier.
Instead, she made up a rough story.
“Yesterday I tripped and fell down the stairs. It’s a wound from that time.”
Evelia didn’t think Cassis would believe the lie. Anyone can see that the bruises on her wrists were caused by someone squeezing them.
I just wanted him to notice that I didn’t want to talk about it anymore.
Fortunately, he let go of her wrist, apparently recognizing the thought.
“All right. I will prepare a carriage for you to return.”
“Thank you.”
Evelia bowed to him and left the drawing room.
Like yesterday, Cassis didn’t see her off. But for some reason, his gaze seemed to cling to her back.
* * *
Even after Evelia left, Cassis couldn’t calm down.
It was because the wound he had seen a while ago reminded him of something he had been trying to forget.
Cassis was good at managing his emotions. To be precise, he was educated that way.
His strict father forced him from a very young age that the heir of the family shouldn’t show emotion, and he was forced to hide himself under the pressure.
But when he was with Evelia, he couldn’t hide his emotions, and this time it was too much.
‘Damn it.’
He chewed on a small curse and nervously loosened the cravat that was strangling his throat.
Evelia claimed that the wound on her arm was caused by fall, but Cassis knew very well that it was from someone else.
Because he’s seen such wounds before. Besides, he roughly guessed that it was her family who made Evelia like that.
And it brought back unpleasant memories that he had been trying to forget for years.
‘Julia…’
When Cassis came running after hearing that Julia was pregnant, Julia had bruises all over her body.
It was their father, the late Duke Adelhard, who was rumored to have hit her.
The elders and Duke Adelhard, was a benevolent person on the outside, but cold towards his family. He used the education of his heir as an excuse to abuse Cassis.
When Cassis failed to follow class, he was beaten, and when he cried like a child, he was locked in a room without light.
In this harsh environment, Cassis naturally grew up to be an insensitive child.
Still, it was only thanks to Julia that he was able to endure that time. She was only two years older than Cassis and soothed him like an older sister.
—Are you okay. You didn’t do anything wrong. You are the smartest, coolest kid in the world. You’re my brother.
Cassis relied on Julia until she left for academy. To that extent, Julia was special to him.
Fortunately, her father didn’t abuse Julia. Besides, he thought, now that Julia had entered the academy, she could escape our father’s clutches.
Although he didn’t see her much because she was at a different academy, Cassis had no doubt that she was happy.
But he was young and didn’t know the truth. It wasn’t long before he found out the truth.
The day he returned to the mansion after hearing that Julia was pregnant with a child. He found scars all over her face and body.
―What is this?
Julia closed her eyes and smiled as she always did, but didn’t answer the question.
However, thanks to a hint from her maid, Cassis learned that the culprit was their father.
The father assaulted Julia, who had a child from someone he didn’t know, and said it was a disgrace to the family.
Not only that, but I also knew that the abuse had been going on since childhood.
Julia took good care of her brother while she herself was abused.
Upon learning the truth, Cassis didn’t return to the academy and stayed at the mansion to protect Julia belatedly. He defended her from the father, who tried to harm her every day.
-Thank you, Cassis. For protecting me and my child.
I can still see the faint smile on Julia’s face. I’d spent the last few years trying to forget that face, but only that bruise on Evelia’s wrist…
“Logan.”
Trying to recall Julia’s face, now faded, Cassis called to an aide waiting outside.
“Investigate a bit more about Lady Venion’s well-being in the Venion Mansion.”
