Strategic Politeness
Canna was on her way to Sylvien’s room when she ran into a man dressed in black priestly robes.
“Raphael.”
…….
Raphael had just stepped out of Sylvien’s room and was closing the door behind him. The moment he spotted her, he froze in place. It looked almost like a reflex.
“Good morning.”
Canna deliberately kept both hands lowered at her sides as she approached slowly, making it clear she had no intention of causing trouble.
“Did you make it back safely that day?”
That day.
After the trial, when he had appeared driving the carriage.
He had dropped her off in front of the house and left, but she had been so distracted that the whole thing had slipped her mind until now.
I only asked him to pass on my thanks to Count Debor. I never thanked Raphael himself.
After all, he had been carrying out the Count’s orders.
“Thank you. I should have at least offered you a cup of tea, but I wasn’t in my right mind at the time.”
“It is not necessary.”
Of course, even if she had made the offer, Raphael would have refused it outright.
He always tensed up around her, like a man standing before a mad dog that might attack at any moment.
“Instead of refusing, why don’t you give me a chance to treat you properly later? Between the medicinal tea last time and everything else, I feel like I’m always the one receiving help.”
“There is no need for that.”
“But I want to.”
Canna’s eyes sparkled.
Raphael seems quite close to Count Debor.
That must be why the Count had entrusted him with the carriage and the gesture of goodwill.
Perhaps I could even connect with Count Debor without going through Sylvien.
In the end, it came down to money.
Canna had a great deal of information she could sell to Count Debor. When it came to plants and medicinal herbs from the Eastern Continent, there was no greater authority in this world than her.
Like yesterday. The toxicity of aconite and the proper formulation of its antidote aren’t known here, are they? Count Debor, who deals in Eastern herbs, would be very interested.
But without going through Sylvien, she had no way to reach him. If she could get closer to Raphael, however, an opportunity might present itself.
Besides, I really do have plenty to be grateful for.
Kill two birds with one stone—gain an opportunity and express genuine gratitude. What could be better?
Canna stopped walking once she had closed a suitable distance. Then she produced the most sociable smile she could manage.
It was the kind of smile that might make the other person wonder, Does she have feelings for me?
“Even if it’s later, please make some time for me. All right?”
Up close, she could see how rigidly his neck had stiffened. Just how much must Juhwa have tormented him to make him react like this?
If he was going to be this way, he should have taken proper measures to stop Juhwa from doing anything worse.
He just endured it all in silence like an idiot.
Which only made Juhwa more excited to run wild. Canna smiled more brightly than ever.
“I’ll be waiting, Raphael.”
Go on, go. I’ll leave you alone now, so please stop standing there like a statue.
Canna walked past him. Sylvien’s room was only a few steps away.
Sylvien stood by the window, gazing outside.
“How are you feeling?”
He answered without even looking at her.
“Fine.”
“Let me take a look.”
Canna approached and held out her hand.
Sylvien set the newspaper he had been holding onto the windowsill and extended his arm.
…….
The pristine white shirt covering his long arm was buttoned neatly all the way to the cuff.
Am I supposed to roll it up myself?
Canna looked up at Sylvien with an incredulous expression. He simply met her gaze with perfect calm, his eyes as still as a clear lake, as if he saw no problem at all.
Or perhaps he was pretending not to.
Either way, it was the natural and rightful privilege that Duke Valentino could exercise as easily as breathing. Canna was utterly fed up with that innate arrogance of his.
Fine. I don’t even feel like complaining.
They would be divorcing soon anyway.
She unfastened his cufflink with a quick twist and rolled the sleeve up rather roughly. The veined forearm beneath was revealed.
It was the arm Juhwa had admired for so long.
Even just looking at it, one could sense its firm texture. Elegant yet undeniably masculine, it was the kind of arm Juhwa had once dreamed of resting her head upon while falling asleep.
Aside from the times she clung to him by force, she had never even touched it.
Thinking that this was the arm Juhwa had so desperately wanted to touch made her feel strange.
“I’ll check your pulse.”
Canna gently placed her fingers on his wrist.
Thump. Thump. The pulse fluttered strongly beneath her fingertips. Perfectly normal.
What on earth did he eat growing up that aconite has no effect on him?
She withdrew her hand immediately after confirming, but he did not lower his arm.
“Is it not proper etiquette to roll the sleeve back down after you have rolled it up?”
It was an unexpected rebuke. Canna let out a dry laugh.
“You of all people should know. Isn’t a noble gentleman who understands etiquette supposed to roll his own sleeves up and down?”
He replied in a languid tone.
“Then it seems I lack proper etiquette.”
He gave a small smirk and added,
“Or perhaps, contrary to what Miss Canna believes, I am simply a brute.”
There was a strange sadism in his voice. It was intentional, not even hidden.
What is this? Did I do something wrong?
She had done nothing to provoke him, so why was he being so sarcastic?
After behaving so outrageously, his blue eyes remained as composed as ever.
How am I supposed to know what’s going on inside that man’s head? I don’t even want to know.
Sylvien would soon take the lead on the divorce. There was nothing to gain by souring their relationship now.
“Is that so? But what can I do about it?”
Yet somehow, words different from her intentions slipped out. Canna smiled at him with open defiance.
“I happen to be an extremely rude woman myself.”
Her mind knew better.
She knew it would be more beneficial to obediently follow Sylvien’s wishes, yet she simply could not bring herself to act docile.
“It seems I’ll have difficulty showing the etiquette Your Grace expects from me.”
She pressed a finger firmly against the rolled-up hem of his shirt, then let go.
“It would be better to ask a servant or a well-mannered lover to lower your shirt for you later. Or perhaps do the opposite.”
Ah. She should not have added that last part.
Only after venting her temper with biting sarcasm did she realize she had gone too far. Canna quickly changed the subject.
“Anyway.”
She cleared her throat and adopted a businesslike tone.
“I’ll check your temperature now. You had a mild fever yesterday, so I need to see if it has gone down.”
“Proceed.”
…….
…….
Despite giving permission, Sylvien offered no courtesy such as bending at the waist or lowering his head.
Perhaps it was only natural. She had just openly mocked him about having a lover, after all.
He started this fight first.
Why had he picked a fight when she had done nothing wrong?
Is he in a bad mood today? Did I just unluckily walk into it?
She had no idea. In the end, Canna gave up on everything. She refused to ask him to bend down.
So she stepped in until she was standing right in front of his chest.
If she leaned forward even slightly, her face would brush his collarbone. It was extremely uncomfortable, but she refused to let that discomfort show.
She deliberately wore the most casual, almost bored expression she could manage and reached out. Since he had been curt with her first, she would respond in kind.
With a motion that went beyond unfriendly and bordered on aggressive, she placed her hand on his forehead.
Their body heats collided roughly.
Feeling the temperature beneath her palm, Canna breathed quietly.
Ugh.
A strange discomfort traveled from her palm up her wrist and all the way to her elbow, leaving it stiff.
Damn it, this is uncomfortable.
Approaching this closely, touching him, and above all the fact that Sylvien was allowing all of it.
Everything felt uncomfortable.
Knowing this was the exact situation Juhwa had once dreamed of only made it worse. Canna jerked her head up as if shaking off the suffocating sensation.
…….
Her eyes met the blue ones that had been quietly watching her from above.
Canna glared at them defiantly. She was sick of the pressure he exuded.
“It has definitely gone down.”
So she spoke even more curtly.
“It has definitely gone down compared to yesterday.”
…….
“Yesterday you said your chest felt stuffy. How is it now?”
Sylvien stared at the hand pulling away from him and answered.
“It is fine.”
“Still, please continue taking the gamdutang—the medicine I prescribed yesterday—for the time being. If you experience any unusual symptoms, you must tell me immediately.”
“I will do so.”
There was a trace of laughter in his voice. Sylvien took one step back.
“You may return to the Addis mansion now.”
He picked up the newspaper again. As if their business was concluded, he spread it wide and began to read.
“What about the divorce?”
Sylvien flipped the page with a rustle. Then he answered dryly.
“It will be as Miss Canna wishes.”