Chapter 24: It Can Only Be Him

Chapter 24: Chapter 24: It Can Only Be Him

The night was thick and heavy.

Caius stood before the gates of the Earl Mansion, staring down the empty street.

Lilia hadn’t returned all day.

When she left that morning, Caius had watched her from his room. He watched the girl step lightly away from the mansion, not looking back even once as she ran toward that new friend she hadn’t yet grown tired of playing with.

In that moment, the flames of jealousy had nearly swallowed him whole. He had used every ounce of his self-control to stop himself from leaping out the window and blocking her path.

He told himself it didn’t matter. It was just a meeting with that commoner. Naturally, she would pay a little more attention to a new toy she hadn’t gotten bored of yet—just like how she had been eating lunch with that guy these past few days.

But what did that matter? In the end, she would still return to his side.

All day long, Caius had been using every excuse in the book to convince himself of this. But as the sky darkened, there was still no sign of her.

Unable to bear it any longer, Caius had stood at the entrance, waiting until now.

CLOP CLOP CLOP...

At the end of the road, a carriage approached and rolled to a stop right in front of him.

The moment a familiar arm reached out from the cabin, Caius stepped forward and grabbed it. Unsurprised, Lilia used his momentum to hop down from the carriage.

"Why are you back so late—"

Caius’s words cut off abruptly, his gaze freezing.

Draped over the girl’s shoulders, over the light green dress she had worn out that morning, was a gray coat. A single glance revealed it to be a men’s style. It was absurdly oversized, looking completely out of place on Lilia’s slender frame.

Caius’s fingers tightened violently around her wrist.

"Caius?" Lilia sensed his foul mood, but after sitting in a carriage for over an hour, she was utterly exhausted and just wanted to go back inside and lie down. Rather than soothing his temper, she chose to prioritize her own comfort.

"Let go." Her voice was faint as she turned to head inside.

This time, however, Caius did not let her have her way. Instead of releasing her, he yanked her forcefully toward him. Caught off guard, Lilia crashed into his chest and was driven backward by his momentum.

THUD.

With a muffled sound, Lilia’s back hit the cold wall. It didn’t hurt much, as a palm had slipped behind her a split second before the impact to cushion the blow.

Immediately after, Caius pressed his body against hers, bringing a heat that was impossible to ignore. He ducked his head, his hot breath fanning across the side of her neck. He inhaled greedily, the tip of his nose brushing against her delicate skin.

Aside from her scent, there was a lingering, unmistakable stench of a peasant.

It was nauseating. He wanted to burn all those arrogant, ignorant fools to ash.

The flames of jealousy flared wildly in Caius’s chest. Forcing them down, his grip on her arm slid upward until his hand rested on her smooth shoulder.

He pinched the fabric of the coat that belonged to someone else. "...Take it off," he rasped.

Lilia said nothing.

Caius’s fingers dug into the cloth; he wished he could rip it to shreds that very second. Suppressing his ragged breaths, he looked up into her eyes.

"Take it off." His gaze carried a hint of pleading, but his tone was overwhelmingly forceful, leaving no room for refusal. "I don’t like it."

He didn’t like seeing someone else’s coat. Even more so, he didn’t like smelling someone else’s scent on her. If anyone was allowed to leave their scent on Lilia... it could only be him. Only him...

Lilia didn’t avoid his gaze, nor did she follow his command.

Meeting her cool, detached stare, Caius lowered his eyes. His long eyelashes cast heavy shadows over his under-eyes. He looked somewhat pitiful, like an abandoned beast.

"Lilia..." he repeated. "Take it off."

This time, Lilia didn’t ignore him. "But I’m cold."

Caius paused. Recovering quickly, he hastily undid his buttons, shucked off his own coat, and offered it to her.

"Wear mine," he said, holding her gaze. "Mine is warmer... This fabric is too rough; it will chafe your skin."

Lilia didn’t reply, offering only a slight nod.

With her silent permission, Caius practically tore the offending garment off her. Even though his heart felt as if it were being scorched by jealousy, his movements remained precise and restrained, terrified that a touch too rough might make her uncomfortable.

It wasn’t until his own coat was draped over Lilia’s shoulders that the frantic anxiety churning inside him finally settled a fraction.

"This... is much better."

Keeping his head bowed, Caius brushed aside a long strand of hair from her ear and pressed a tentative kiss to her exposed earlobe. Then her cheek. Her nose. Just as his lips were about to meet the corner of hers, Lilia turned her head to dodge him.

"I’m tired. I want to go back and rest."

Caius froze for a moment. The hand cushioning her back slid smoothly down to wrap around her waist.

"I’ll carry you back."

"No," Lilia rejected flatly. "We’ll be seen."

"No one will see. They’re all asleep." Caius rested his forehead against hers. "It’s late, and it’s too cold out here... You need a bath."

This guy was really pushing his luck.

"Caius," Lilia called his name. "Let go."

The arm encircling her waist tightened sharply before reluctantly letting go a moment later. Slipping free from his embrace, Lilia turned and walked into the Earl Mansion.

Caius watched her back disappear through the doorway, then glanced down at the new toy’s coat clutched in his hand. A flash of hostility crossed his eyes, but he ruthlessly forced it down.

Stepping inside, Caius summoned a maid and handed her the garment, ordering her to have it washed clean by tomorrow morning. That way, it would be ready for Lilia to return to that commoner.

The mere thought of Victor filled Caius with a wave of revulsion. If Lilia hadn’t explicitly forbidden him from interfering, that bastard would have died a thousand times over by now.

Caius returned to his room and threw himself onto the lounge chair. He stared up at the intricately patterned ceiling, his eyes gradually darkening.

The next day, at Lien Academy.

When the bell rang for the lunch break, Caius glanced back, only to find that Lilia had already left. Withdrawing his gaze in silence, he walked out of Class A alone.

By the door, Griffin had clearly been waiting for quite some time.

"Hey, Beaumont." Griffin’s tone carried its usual arrogant drawl. "You’ve been by yourself these past few days. What, did Lilia finally see your true colors and decide to ditch you?"

Caius’s jaw tightened. Even though he knew it wasn’t true, he despised hearing such words.

His expression, however, remained impassive, and his tone barely wavered. "Even if she isn’t with me, it will never be your turn."

"I wouldn’t be so sure about that." Griffin had always been overly confident.

Out of Griffin’s line of sight, the corners of Caius’s lips curled up, only to swiftly flatten back into a smooth line. Too lazy to waste any more breath, he brushed past Griffin, tossing out a single parting remark. "Find her first, then we’ll talk."