CH 40

Magic!

Catherine opened her eyes wide in surprise. (Of course, she didn’t even know if she really opened her eyes roundly while being a dolphin.)

Magic has been something she has always wanted to learn since she was a child. There were many opportunities to actually learn, but after her mother disappeared, all of them were wasted. But she can’t believe she will learn magic from that great Grand Duke Cesare!

‘I, I love it so much.’

She liked it so much that she answered like an idiot. But Cesare wisely understands the sentence with the missing subject.

‘I understand.’

‘Then what do we start with now?’

‘Since I’ve known Miss Catherine, I’ve never seen you so aggressive.’

‘I’m really looking forward to it.’

He became silent for a while. What is it? It was after quite a long time that Cesare, who was silent, opened his mouth.

‘Unfortunately, it seems difficult now, so let’s aim for the next opportunity.’

‘Why?’

‘Because it’s time to wake up now.’

In an instant, the beautiful iridescent coral reef flickered in black.

In the darkness, not even an inch ahead, Catherine stood still, holding her breath. All she could hear was the unknown roar of the deep sea and the sound of her own breathing.

—Breath?

“Ah.”

Catherine opened her eyes.

The wide ceiling was shining brightly in the blue light. She stood up blankly and checked the window. Under the blue sky, blue waves were swaying.

She woke up from a dream.

“Already?”

「Already. It’s 30 minutes before 9.00.」

Hooam. With a long yawn, Meow crawls up to her lap.

Ah! The order is limited, so if she’s late, she might miss it.

As she hurriedly ran to the bathroom, Meow scratched the bathroom door and asked.

「Is it such an important exhibition?」

“It’s definitely the third most important event in my life.”

「What’s the first and second?」

“The first one is a secret. The second time is when I met you.”

「Uhm. What is this, I’m sure you will be satisfied with the second one!」

It was a little past 9 o’clock when the preparations were finished. This is not bad. No matter how high-end limited edition furniture is supplied by the imperial family, it will not run out at this time.

As she left the cabin, Damian, who had been yawning, nodded his head. She’s glad he didn’t forget about his promise to come by 9.

“Today is a very important day, Sir Damian.”

“It looks like it.”

“Today’s shopping will determine the value of our mansion.”

“Are you going to change to a nice bed?”

“To the bed where I fall asleep as soon as I lie down.”

Damian’s will was revived.

The line to enter the furniture showroom was longer than expected.

She took a waiting ticket and walked around the different stores, literally spending for consumption. A stag sculpture made of the finest maple wood, or an ashtray that was popular 200 years ago—.

Damian’s taste was so strange that he had to use a lot of energy to calm down. And how would he feel when he finally enters the furniture exhibition hall!

「There are a lot.」

“Yeah. Now I can sleep on a good bed and drink tea on a good table.”

「And rice bowl!」

“If there is one.”

Catherine visited the exhibition in her happiest mood in recent years. Damian, who had lost interest, followed her while yawning, but it had no effect on Catherine in the slightest.

Her excitement reached its peak when she stood in front of the antique bed on the main display.

“This bed.”

「You have to buy it.」

Meow, who had read her mind, whispered in a firm voice.

‘Yeah, I have to buy it!’

There is nothing more important in life than quality sleep. She’s been living in uncomfortable beds since she lived in Orléans, and no furniture has ever been more treasured than her top-of-the-line bed.

Catherine raised her hand to call the staff.

“Here, place your order—”

“Order!”

—Huh?

It was Catherine who was ordering, but the louder voice came from someone else.

Catherine turned her head toward the owner of the voice. A good-looking face that was not unfamiliar shone far above the field of view.

It was the pseudo of yesterday. Silk shirts with more colorful gold and red embroidered than then, dangling earrings and bracelets, strange orange eyes, and a unique relaxed smile. In a way, it’s the right pseudo from yesterday.

‘Ah, of all things—’

As if the man recognized her, he waved his hand warmly. Catherine lightly ignored him and waited for the staff.

However, the employee’s answer was not the answer she wanted.

“I apologize, Customer. All pre-orders for this product have been completed and only exhibits remain.”

“What about reservation?”

“Since this product is made of wood, which is produced in limited quantities, as the main raw material, if a certain quantity is ordered, you have to wait one year for the next order.”

What? Does she have to wait a year to buy a bed?

Catherine was dumbfounded and grabbed the back of her neck. It was only two hours later than the start time of the entry. But she can’t even buy a bed. What kind of bed did crazy people buy all of them?

While Catherine was standing blankly, the pseudo guy stepped forward.

“It’s fine, I was about to order the exhibits. Where do I get the order form?”

—Exhibition products?

The staff answered the man’s question.

“Please wait a moment—”

“Excuse me. I don’t know why you’re ordering as if it’s natural. I was thinking of purchasing an exhibition product, too.”

If she can’t even take this bed, it’s meaningless to get on this passenger ship. When asked what she needed right now in her room, Catherine was desperate to answer all ten questions that she need a bed.

The man laughed in vain and look at Catherine with a calm face.

“Lady, even if it’s about who arrived, I arrived first—”

“I arrived first.”

“The first person to order is—.”

“It should be me first, right?”

Catherine had already ordered six pieces of furniture, so she still had a long way to go. When Catherine began to write down the bed’s product name on the order, the man hurriedly stopped her.

“Put your hands away.”

“Hey, Lady. Do you know what kind of bed this is when you order it?”

If anyone hears it, they’ll think it’s a ghostly bed. Catherine repeated the official name of the bed from the product specs slowly.

“It’s [The Best Ludfang Cherry Pick].”

“—You really don’t know, or are you pretending not to know?”

She raised her head wondering what answer he wanted.

Yeah, she admits that men are gentlemen. Except for the sudden informal speaking, the tone and attitude were gentle and not aggressive at all.

But that doesn’t change the fact that he’s a pseudo.

Catherine was sick and tired of looking at a man who simply repeated meaningless words. And she patted Damian’s arm, who carefully stepped forward to protect her.

“It’s okay, Damien.”

Catherine asked that guy.

“Is this the bed that your deceased mother used?”

“Is that possible?”

“If not, I don’t know why I have to give up this bed to that side.”

“—I think I asked you yesterday, too.”

The man said as he ruffled his black hair with one of his hands.

“Have you ever thought there would be a secret of your birth that you don’t know, Lady?”

What does that have to do with that all of a sudden? Catherine wondered if there was a great connection she didn’t recognize. However, no matter how hard she thought about it, the answer was ‘It has nothing to do with it.’

“I think he’s pseudo.”

At Damian’s whisper, Catherine shook her head.

“Right? I think he got it wrong.”

“No matter how much time passes, you don’t grow old.”

Whatever they said, the pseudo man’s voice remained calm. Long eyelashes, like a peacock feather, flashed gently without shaking.

“So It was a great wizard.”

The man’s gaze was fixed on Catherine.

“You can’t be sure of death.”

“—You’re rude.”

How should she deal with this? Can she swing her fist like Damian?

It was then. Suddenly, Catherine’s shoulders became heavy. As she turned her body with strength in her staggering legs, Damian clenched his teeth and stared at the floor.

“Damian?”

“La..dy…”

She had barely heard Damian’s words and had barely squeezed it out. He stuttered as he talked, gripping his head with both hands.

“You must run away… and call that person…”

“Damian.”

And suddenly, he stopped all his actions. Damian’s body hardened. His painfully contorted lips and red, bloodshot eyes were the same.

“Damian!”

“I guess you’ve got a pretty capable knight as an escort? He’d lasted this long.”

The man’s voice was filled with great ease. What’s going on? Catherine looked around with a confused feeling.

As if time had stopped, everything in the exhibition hall stood still. Everything but her and this man.

Catherine took a step back from him. The man touched his bracelet with an awkward face.

“To tell you in advance, the culprit is not me. I definitely asked you, right Lady? Do you know what kind of bed this is?”

Does this mean that the bed even stopped time? At that moment, Meow, who had been hiding in the bag, stuck out its head.

「Sniff. It’s magic that controls time.」

“…the one Cesare used last time?”

It seemed to be referring to a moment when Cesare used magic to stop time in the mansion.

「It’s different from that. Although it is great magic, it can’t be compared to Cesare.」

Then she was a little relieved. She put Meow on her shoulder just in case. The man, who was watching the cat grooming with its fluffy hands, laughed.

“You’re raising a cute monster. Does my Lady know what it is and raise it?”

It was as if he knew the identity of Meow. Catherine was genuinely curious about the man’s identity.

“Ajhussi, who the hell are you?”

The man replied with a shivering look.

“First of all, I’m not Ajhussi. Hey, Lady. Are you doing this on purpose now?”

「Just as they get angry when I say bald to a bald person, they get angry when I tell Ajhussi to Ajhussi as well.」

A sword suddenly appeared from the man’s empty hand. It was a Machete that was as beautiful as the shirt he was wearing. The jewels shone brilliantly.

‘No way, are you going to stab me when I call you Ajhussi?’

Fortunately, Catherine’s worries were in vain. There was no negative emotion in the eyes of the man who was spinning the machete.

“Ha… I can’t be playing with words more here.”

The man put the Machete he was holding on the bed.

Catherine was surprised and just managed to stop her body from screaming. No! This precious bed!

「Sniff sniff.」

It was when Meow took a deep sniff. Black smoke began to creep from under the bed. Catherine took a step back, bewildered.