9. Facing the Red Eyes Again

The study from which the duke had stormed out.

Adeline leaned against the study door for a long time, trying to calm her unsettled heart.

“I need to drink some cold water.”

Due to her continued panting, Adeline soon moved to the kitchen.

Gulp, gulp. Contrary to Adeline’s expectations, even after downing a bowl of cold water, her heart continued to pound.

So much that even the glass she held was trembling.

Why wouldn’t she calm down?

Adeline furrowed her brow and squeezed her eyes shut.

In her closed vision, the duke’s blood-red eyes vividly reappeared.

As if they were right in front of her. Though it wasn’t real, Adeline felt her entire body enveloped by those eyes.

The trembling that started in her hands soon spread throughout her body, leaving her without even the strength to support herself on her feet.

The current duke was Mel, an infinitely kind and gentle man who had lost his memory. Nevertheless, Adeline lacked the courage to face those red eyes.

She shouldn’t have offered to cut his hair.

Those red eyes that had been minimally exposed, hidden by his butchered hair.

Adeline knew such eyes were waiting.

Why hadn’t she thought of it? This wasn’t the first time Adeline had been overwhelmed by those red eyes.

As Adeline grew up, she constantly feared her death becoming reality.

That’s why she had never attended any social gatherings.

She wanted to avoid catching the eye of the crown prince who wanted to kill her.

Perhaps because of this, the Marquis’s only daughter, known only through rumors, was gradually forgotten by the nobility as time passed.

But there was one day Adeline couldn’t avoid.

The debutante ball.

An event that central nobles had to attend without exception.

While everyone tried their best to stand out, Adeline chose the plainest dress.

Though Adeline’s beautiful appearance could hardly be concealed, thanks to the Marquis’s cold temperament and Adeline’s bland responses, she naturally secured an inconspicuous position. She planned to blend in this way.

Just when it seemed the debutante ball would proceed safely amid indifference, as Adeline had hoped.

Adeline suddenly felt an intense gaze flying toward her.

Everyone was wearing white dresses in the central hall, yet there was a gaze fixed on Adeline among them.

‘Is it the crown prince?’

Adeline couldn’t bring herself to turn her head toward the direction of that intense gaze.

Deliberately turning her head in the opposite direction of the gaze, Adeline encountered another intense gaze.

Blood-red eyes, his crimson eyes that seemed capable of absorbing everything.

Adeline recalled her first encounter with the duke.

The lies she had carelessly uttered, desperate to escape immediate danger. Perhaps she was now afraid of the aftermath those lies would bring.

Adeline felt that, like at the debutante ball, she would freeze again if she looked into the duke’s eyes.

But she couldn’t avoid looking at his eyes either.

Just when she felt hopeless about her inability to face him, Adeline thought of a way to somewhat shield those eyes.

Glasses!

Remembering the glasses she had made him wear when they went to town, Adeline headed to the bedroom.

She thought having lenses between them might help.

Adeline looked at the glasses placed on the bedroom table.

Once deep in thought, Adeline’s mind began to wander.

“Sigh……”

She suddenly felt pathetic for rushing to this villa based on a single comment.

“To ask that cold-hearted duke for help in exchange for saving his life.”

While she couldn’t even properly look him in the eye.

Thinking about it now, it was truly a foolish plan.

A family that handled dirty work for the imperial family. That was the Marquis family to which Adeline belonged.

Regardless of the reason, the current Empress had ousted the former Empress. Her father, the Marquis, was one of Bergamo’s closest confidants, and wasn’t his family opposed to the Duke’s family?

Moreover, for the daughter of the Marquis, an imperial person, to seek out the duke to avoid marriage to the crown prince.

And to save him knowing he would be hurt.

Looking at it now, it was truly fortunate that the duke had lost his memory.

Just as Adeline found the glasses and was about to leave the bedroom, she approached the bed as if remembering something.

Adeline reached under the bed and pulled out a box.

Inside the small box was the duke’s ring. The seal of the Torpeo family was visible.

Confirming that the item was still there, Adeline sighed in relief.

Perhaps it was good that she had hidden it in advance.

It was a seal she had hidden in preparation for when the duke’s memory returned.

Though it was true she had saved the duke’s life, he might pull out a knife on her again like before.

Considering the duke’s temperament of immediately drawing a blade, there was a high possibility he wouldn’t grant her request even if she pleaded as his lifesaver.

This ring, which proved his position as the head of the family, was a bit of insurance for that time.

⁕⁕⁕

During their meal, only the sound of utensils clinking resonated without conversation.

The one who broke this unbearable silence was Casis.

“We agreed to cut my hair after dinner. Are we going to do it now?”

Perhaps because she had been constantly tense, Adeline unconsciously sighed at the duke’s voice.

“Looking at it now, it doesn’t seem bad as it is. If it really bothers you, we can go to town to get it cut.”

“How can you know without looking?”

She had intended to change the atmosphere by cutting his hair again, but contrary to the duke’s wishes, Adeline expressed her refusal.

Seeing Adeline’s response—saying it was fine without even looking at his condition—he began to be certain.

She was definitely avoiding him.

In fact, Adeline’s strange behavior wasn’t limited to today when she was cutting his hair.

The day they went to town to buy clothes. Hadn’t she suddenly put glasses on him then too?

Del, who had been upset at the uncertainty of when his memory would return.

Del, who had suddenly put glasses on his face.

Del, who had cut his hair and then covered his face as if she couldn’t stand the sight of him.

Casis could only guess at why Adeline was avoiding him, unable to know the exact reason.

Casis kept glancing at Adeline.

Even now, during their meal, Adeline neither made eye contact with him nor engaged in conversation.

Reaching the peak of frustration, Casis put down his utensils and began to stare fixedly at Adeline.

Under Casis’s penetrating gaze, Adeline felt as if her face was being pricked.

Nevertheless, Adeline pretended not to know and silently continued her meal.

“Del.”

“Yes.”

Seeing her only respond to his call without making eye contact, Casis mistakenly thought Adeline was thoroughly angry.

“Look at me.”

At Casis’s call, Adeline reluctantly lifted her head. However, as soon as her eyes met his, she quickly lowered her gaze again.

‘I brought him glasses.’

Adeline, who still lacked the courage to look at Casis’s red eyes, had given him the glasses before dinner.

“Why aren’t you wearing the glasses I gave you?”

Adeline spoke gruffly.

Though the glasses were meant to conceal his existence, Casis, unaware of the reason, couldn’t understand why Adeline kept insisting he wear them.

That’s why the two kept clashing.

‘Is she trying to cover my face with glasses?’

Recalling Adeline’s expressions, which slightly frowned whenever she looked at his eyes, Casis seemed to have reached a conclusion.

“Why do you want me to wear glasses?”

“Just. Just because. I’ll get up first.”

But Adeline, who had no particular excuse, just wanted to escape this situation.

Just as she put down her utensils and was about to leave.

Casis stood up and firmly blocked Adeline’s path.

“Why can’t you look at me directly?”

“I’m just tired, that’s all.”

Still avoiding his gaze, Adeline tried to finish getting up from her seat.

Grabbing Adeline’s shoulders, Casis lowered his head.

Close enough that Adeline couldn’t avoid his gaze.

Encountering Casis’s red eyes that suddenly filled her vision, Adeline squeezed her eyes shut.

She feared her lies would be exposed by those penetrating red eyes.

Casis, unaware of what was going on inside her, believed Adeline had closed her eyes because she couldn’t stand the sight of him.

His irritation surged.

“Do you hate the sight of me? What did I do wrong? Or are you still angry because I can’t remember?”

Due to the duke’s pressing interrogation, Adeline didn’t know what to do.

Not knowing what to say, she was just opening and closing her mouth when she couldn’t believe her ears at Casis’s next words.

“Or am I so ugly that you have to close your eyes?”

“……What?”

Who could call Duke Torpeo ugly?

At Casis’s absurd question, she met the eyes she had been avoiding.

Oops. Adeline’s head, which she quickly lowered, was grasped by a large hand.

“Look at me.”

The large hand firmly held both her cheeks so she couldn’t escape.

“So why can’t you look me straight in the eye?”

Unable to avoid his eyes any longer, Adeline swallowed hard.