TMC 09

CHAPTER :09

8. You Are Truly Mischievous

Before Stella could even calm her shallowly fluttering emotions, Adrian called out to her as she sat lost in thought.

“Lady Bronte.”

“Yes?”

“Would you prefer I call you something else?”

Snapped out of her thoughts, Stella shook her head.

She didn’t have any particular name she wanted to be called, and it felt uncomfortable to be called by a new name when she had lost her memory.

“No, it’s fine. As you said, Lord Castillo, the fact that I am Stella Bronte remains unchanged.”

“Is that so? That is a bit of a pity.”

“Pardon?”

‘What does he find regrettable?’

Stella stared intently at Adrian.

“I thought it would be delightful to call you by another name, Lady Bronte. A nickname, perhaps. A special nickname…”

Seeing Adrian tilt his head, pretending to be in deep thought, Stella couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle.

“It’s nothing.”

Adrian averted his gaze.

Blushing slightly, he looked down at her from an angle.

Despite saying it was nothing, he seemed to genuinely want to call her by a nickname.

“Then, please make one up for me.”

“You want me to make one up?”

“Yes. You, my Lord.”

Stella stared clearly into Adrian’s eyes.

His red eyes sparkled in the sunlight, and a broad smile spread across his lips.

“I shall start thinking of one from this moment on.”

“I will look forward to it.”

“Ah, how is the wound on your foot?”

As for the wound, it was healing smoothly thanks to the utmost care she was receiving.

She couldn’t tell for sure, but it felt like she would be able to walk in a few days.

But she couldn’t bring herself to tell the truth when Adrian made his assumption immediately after.

“It didn’t look like a wound that would heal easily. Would it be alright if you stayed at this mansion for a while longer so we can monitor your condition?”

“Yes, I will impose on you for just a little longer.”

She was afraid that saying she was fine would break this happiness.

Though she felt like she was deceiving him, she tried to rationalize it to herself, thinking that since the wound wasn’t completely healed yet, it wasn’t a total lie.

Stella needlessly turned her head away.

Strangely, the Castillo mansion, where she had only stayed for a few days, felt incredibly comfortable.

‘How long have I even been here, and yet I already don’t want to leave? Pull yourself together. You planned to leave this empire. Don’t let your guard down.’

Taking a deep breath, she steeled her heart.

Her belief that this place was by no means safe remained unchanged.

The Castillo residence was close not only to the imperial palace but also to the Bronte estate.

‘I can’t stay long.’

No matter how sweet Adrian’s kindness was, staying here meant she would eventually be exposed to danger.

Perhaps because of how miserable her situation was, Stella’s eyes drooped sorrowfully.

That misery not only chipped away at her self-esteem but also weighed heavily on the surrounding air, making it hard to breathe.

But if she let the time slip away like this, even these moments might go to waste.

‘I am fine.’

She exhaled a shallow breath.

‘Let’s not be afraid of a future that hasn’t arrived yet. I don’t want to lose this moment to a vague fear.’

Hoping to shift the heavy, sinking atmosphere, Stella brought up a curiosity that had remained unresolved.

“Um, where did we first meet?”

She couldn’t remember, but surely he would know?

Stella looked at Adrian with eyes full of anticipation.

“We met at the Imperial Palace.”

“The Imperial Palace?”

“Yes. You helped me when I was lost, Lady Bronte.”

The words ‘getting lost’ struck Stella’s heart.

The situation he described felt identical to the one she was currently in.

It almost felt like destiny.

‘To help me this much just because I guided him… Lord Castillo really is a sweet person.’

Stella clutched her chest as her heart pounded, sending ripples through her entire body.

In doing so, the pin holding her shawl in place popped loose, and the fabric slid down.

The thin shawl caught the wind and fluttered softly onto the ground.

“Ah…”

Her snow-white neck was fully exposed.

The burn scar she had tried so hard to hide was now completely exposed.

She reflexively clutched her neck.

The sunlight filtering through the leaves cast shadows across Stella’s body.

The uneven, tangled burn scars probably looked hideous, like a spider’s web.

It felt as if ants were crawling all over it.

‘It must look hideous. I wish he wouldn’t look…’

Adrian’s footsteps faded away.

‘It’s fine. It’s fine.’

As she comforted herself, her eyes welled with tears.

Why did she have to walk on eggshells like this for a scar she never wanted in the first place?

‘I’m going to leave anyway. Maybe this is for the best. It’s better than getting more attached.’

Stella squeezed her eyes shut.

Contrary to her thoughts, she couldn’t summon the courage to face this situation.

Soon, she heard the sound of him approaching again.

Stella cautiously looked up as a shadow fell over her.

The shawl was in Adrian’s hand as he approached.

‘Ah, he went to pick up the shawl.’

She hid her neck and smiled bitterly.

However, as he drew close, he knelt on one knee to meet her gaze and said something unexpected.

“You do not have to force yourself to hide it like that. You do not need to walk on eggshells here.”

Taking the shawl, Stella let out the words in her heart without filtering them.

“It’s hideous.”

“It is not.”

Adrian’s hand reached toward her neck.

“A mere burn scar cannot hide your beauty. Oh, forgive me. I have been discourteous.”

His hand, which had touched her in a dizzying moment, dropped away.

Instead, his gaze slowly swept over Stella’s neck.

As Adrian slowly raised his eyes, the sunlight hit them, making them shine brilliantly.

Seeing the colors in his eyes shift so colorfully, she swallowed hard without realizing it.

“Ah… I…”

She covered her burning neck with both hands.

Stella wondered to herself, *Does he have ten tongues?*

Otherwise, there was no way he could say such embarrassing things so naturally.

A cool breeze blew, cooling her flushed face.

She fanned herself with her hand and avoided his gaze.

“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”

Adrian approached closer, examining Stella’s face.

If anything was uncomfortable, it was her heart pounding far too hard.

Pulling her head back, she quickly replied,

“No. It’s just so h-hot.”

“Ah, it must be because it is summer.”

Adrian looked up at the sky, seemingly disappointed.

Perhaps because spring had passed, the sky was crystal clear.

“Regrettably, we must stop here.”

Stella let out a sigh of relief so quiet it was barely audible, searching for Jena nearby.

Her eyes met Jena’s, who was waiting not too far away.

Jena walked toward them as if she had been waiting for this moment.

He slowly rose to his feet and said,

“See to it that the Lady is comfortable.”

“Yes, Young Master.”

With that, their short afternoon meeting came to an end.

Once the two women had disappeared, Adrian closed his eyes against the blowing wind.

Then Owen, who had been standing nearby, approached and grumbled.

“You are truly mischievous.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“In what way?”

He shrugged his shoulders.

“Who would believe you if you suddenly called her beautiful?”

Owen had also frowned when he saw the hideous burn scar covering her white neck.

Though he had quickly returned to normal and acted as if nothing was wrong, wasn’t it a paradox to say she didn’t need to hide it because she was beautiful?

Owen shook his head and added.

“I was being sincere, though.”

“Don’t tell me your tastes lie in that direction?”

The butler was appalled to see his master looking pleased after seeing her scar.

But Adrian didn’t care about Owen’s nagging in the slightest and lightly tapped his foot.

He even seemed rather amused.

Unable to comprehend the mind of the seemingly pleased Adrian, Owen could only shake his head.

* * *

“The days have indeed grown warmer.”

Before the heat could dissipate, a bird perched on a tree in the rear garden where the Empress resided.

At the Empress’s words, a maid set down a cold drink filled with ice.

She lightly tapped the glass, which was beaded with condensation.

At her touch, the droplets of water clinging to the glass merged and rolled down in a curve.

“Summer is too hot a season to share love. If you are together, it is so hot that one of you cannot endure it and melts away.”

“……”

“Like this ice.”

With a soft clink, the ice melted and slipped down.

“If you are not prepared, you are bound to disappear without a trace. Especially if it is your first time in love. Everything is clumsy when it is your first love.”

As the maid wrapped the glass in a handkerchief and handed it to the Empress, she asked with a bright smile,

“How do you think the Young Duke of Castillo will fare?”

“I do not understand.”

“What do you not understand?”

“Your Majesty’s words are based on the assumption ‘if the Young Duke of Castillo were to fall in love.’ For me, it is quite hard to imagine the Young Duke loving anyone.”

The corners of the Empress’s eyes curved elegantly.

“So that is how it looks to you.”

The Empress stroked the maid’s face with her fingertips.

Feeling the slightly cold sensation from her hand, the maid’s face stiffened.

“I must see Theo.”

The Empress’s hand slowly dropped away.

* * *

“My Lady, are you alright?”

They were on their way back after the brief tea time.

Stella could barely hear Jena’s voice over the sound of her heart, which was still beating wildly of its own accord.

When Jena temporarily stopped the wheelchair at her dazed appearance, Stella turned her head to look at her.

“Your face is completely red. Do you perhaps have a fever? Shall I bring a cold towel?”

Jena reached out toward Stella but hesitated, not daring to touch her without permission.

“It’s just… so hot.”

“But still…”

“I’m really fine. I’m not sick at all.”

Perhaps because she was in a wheelchair and her face was flushed, she looked like an invalid.

Stella lightly wiggled her toes to reassure Jena, but the eyes of the maid, who had stepped closer, were still filled with worry.

“The Young Master gave me strict orders. He told me to take good care of you.”

“You’re already doing more than enough.”

“I’m glad to hear that, then.”

Jena wore a genuinely pleased expression.

Stella felt like she understood why Adrian had assigned Jena to her side.

‘He is truly a thoughtful person. To assign such an affectionate girl to help me adjust easily.’

On the surface, Adrian was a stoic, cynical-looking man.

Perhaps that was why his meticulous actions fluttered her heart even more.

“By the way, did you talk about anything special with the Young Master?”

At the casual question, Stella blushed.

“……”

Noticing the subtle change in her, Jena made a fuss.

“Oh my, something special *did* happen between you two! What did you talk about?”

Stella recalled Adrian’s words and murmured softly.

“He told me… not to hide my scar.”

Saying it aloud made her feel embarrassed, so she scratched her neck and looked away.

The palm-sized scar, which hadn’t been healed for long, still had a reddish tint to it.

“And that… my beauty wouldn’t fade because of it.”

Anyone would find such a scar hideous, but he had called her beautiful.

“Oh my, did the Young Master really say that? What on earth is he thinking?”

“It’s strange, isn’t it?”

“Yes.”

“When it’s such a hideous scar…”

It was only natural to react like Jena.

“I didn’t mean it was strange in that way! Never, absolutely not!”

“Then, which part of it is strange?”

“It’s just fascinating that the Young Master would use the word ‘beautiful.’ Honestly, he’s not the type of person to use sentimental words for anything. Though I haven’t served him for very long, he’s someone who is hard to approach because he’s so intimidating.”

Chattering away without pause, Jena clapped her hands as if she had suddenly remembered something.

“Ah, did you see the look in his eyes?”

“I did.”

“Didn’t it change completely, just as I said?”

Seeing Stella look so flustered that she couldn’t even meet her eyes, Jena walked behind her and pushed the wheelchair.

As she pushed the wheelchair into the mansion, Jena muttered softly.

“I knew it. I wish he could be as sweet to us as he is to you, My Lady.”

“Is he not sweet?”

“Not at all. My skin crawls whenever I’m around the Young Master. Honestly, he’s terrifying.”

There was genuine sincerity in Jena’s voice.

“Though the Young Master’s demeanor has changed a lot since you arrived, a person’s true nature doesn’t change easily. Still, it would be wonderful if this kind of atmosphere could just continue.”

Stella thought the exact same thing as Jena.

She wished this current situation could last forever.

Perhaps that was why she wished for just a little, a tiny bit more time to stay here.

Even if this happiness, built upon sand, would one day collapse without leaving a single trace.