Chapter Title: The Acacia Scent
*The young lady was seen coming down the trail with Ezra Della Valle.*
Cesare had just finished exercising when he heard the news.
He dismissed the knight commander who had been overseeing his training and took the towel handed to him by his attendant.
"Where is Lucrezia?"
*She's not visible.*
Cesare, who had been shaking off his sweat-soaked hair, paused. His thick eyebrows furrowed.
There was no way a scholar like Ezra would have gone to the observation deck on his own.
It must be one of Lucrezia's schemes.
"They were carried down together? Are you sure?"
*Positive. They just entered Santa Lucia Square.*
Cesare gulped down the ice water prepared on the tray in one go. He then began walking briskly inside the resort.
As he stretched his long legs towards his room, a slight suspicion crossed his mind. *Carried down? Adelaide Bibi?*
That stubborn shoeshine girl was not one to be easily manipulated.
A woman who, even after falling from the roof, never thought of relying on others. She wouldn't just let herself be carried without a reason.
*Injury. Scheme. Love at first sight...*
His arm paused as he started to take off his sweat-soaked shirt in the hallway.
A moment later, Cesare let out a hissing breath and finished taking off his shirt.
Whatever it was, it needed to be checked.
Reaching his room and now completely naked, he quickly headed to the bath.
After washing up, he came down just in time to see Ezra and Adelaide climbing the hill toward the resort.
The sight of the two intertwined made Cesare unconsciously stop in his tracks.
"..."
Standing under the arch covered in climbing ivy, he watched the scene expressionlessly.
The winding path leading to the Stellone Resort.
Short olive trees with plump, silvery leaves lined the path, and purple hyssop bloomed abundantly at their feet.
Adelaide was smiling faintly while talking with Ezra, her yellow eyes sparkling like amber as if enjoying the conversation. The sunlight was pleasant. Even the shoeshine girl was smiling broadly like a winter bride while being carried.
The acacia scent, which he hadn't noticed until now, filled the air.
It felt overwhelming, causing a slight throbbing inside him.
From the high ground, Cesare could see Ezra repeatedly adjusting his hold on her unnecessarily.
Each time, Adelaide would flinch and clutch Ezra's neck tighter.
"That sly fox..."
Cesare unconsciously muttered to himself, then shut his mouth, surprised by his own words.
The acacia scent still lingered in his nostrils.
But now, his mind was colder and clearer than ever.
Even clearer than when he realized Adelaide had no interest in him.
His deputy butler, Holt, approached him.
"Master, do you need anything?"
"..."
Cesare simply held out his middle and index fingers, gesturing.
Holt quickly placed a cigar between Cesare's fingers.
Cesare brought the lit cigar to his mouth and took a deep drag. The bitter chocolate scent of the cigar pushed the acacia scent away.
It finally felt like he could breathe.
"...This is good."
Cesare murmured to himself suddenly.
Judging by the scene, Ezra seemed to have fallen head over heels for the shoeshine girl.
It was unexpected that Adelaide Bibi would be so easily charmed by Ezra...
"Such low standards."
"Excuse me?"
Ignoring Holt's question, Cesare took another drag on his cigar. He was no longer frowning.
In any case, it was a good development. He had finally identified the source of his inexplicable irritation.
Cesare had always thought Adelaide Bibi had ridiculously high standards.
That was why she didn't know how to slyly flatter him, didn't know how to use her ample bosom to get close, and never once made a mistake in coming to his room.
Perhaps it was all a matter of pride.
That was why seeing Adelaide always made him so irritated.
Whenever he approached, she would just pretend to acknowledge him with emotionless eyes, never once taking the initiative to come to him.
She didn't even seem to want to.
That really hurt his pride.
But now, Adelaide Bibi was smiling at Ezra.
If she could smile like that at someone like Ezra, it meant her taste was not sky-high but rather down to earth. Therefore, Cesare had no reason to be annoyed by Adelaide Bibi's indifference anymore.
He could simply use and discard her as planned, like a piece on a chessboard.
Everything would go according to plan, and the plan was perfect.
"This is good."
Cesare murmured again to no one in particular.
He watched in silence as the two, who seemed like a loving couple from a distance, approached.
Finally, he took another deep drag on his cigar, swallowing not only the picturesque scene of Adelaide Bibi smiling but also the impulse to tear it apart.
The acacia scent was no longer present. Only the pungent cigar smoke filled his senses, persistently throbbing inside him.
---
As soon as Adelaide saw Cesare standing at the resort entrance, she sensed a subtle change in him.
"...?"
He didn't seem angry, but his eyes were cold and solemn.
Instinctively, her shoulders tensed up.
As she held her breath, Cesare smiled faintly, showing his dimples.
"You two seem to get along well."
Without any greeting, he made a sarcastic remark.
Ezra, seemingly used to it, frowned and sent him a look of contempt.
"Lady Adelaide was found collapsed at the observation deck. It seems she twisted her ankle when she fell, so I helped her."
At those words, Cesare's gaze turned to Adelaide.
Meeting his eyes, Adelaide flinched.
His golden eyes, from which the usual heat and irritation had vanished, were now cold and distant.
His faint smile conveyed a vast sense of distance, reminiscent of when she first met him at the San Salina Square.
Adelaide now realized that the irritable Cesare of recent days had been quite a human side of him.
"...I felt dizzy."
Adelaide answered politely, fearing to upset him.
Cesare stared at her for a moment before chuckling.
"You've had a tough time."
"..."
Though his tone was gentle, it made her entire body bristle.
Adelaide closed her mouth, and Ezra raised an eyebrow in slight confusion.
"You're just saying 'tough time' when your sister is injured?"
With his hands in his pockets and cigar in his mouth, Cesare shrugged.
"She looks good for someone injured."
"That's because I was carrying her!"
"Congratulations. You get to step back today."
Ezra's neck turned bright red in an instant.
"...Why are you always like this?"
"What's my deal?"
"Always insulting people!"
Cesare raised an eyebrow and smirked.
"Hmm. You seem to know me well. Are you interested in me?"
"...!"
Ezra looked like he was holding back a curse.
"Don't be ridiculous! I hate you!"
"Strong denial means affirmation."
"...!"
Ezra looked like he was about to shout but swallowed it back down.
He seemed so angry that he momentarily forgot he was carrying Adelaide.
"Enough of this...!"
As Ezra stepped forward slightly, Adelaide's ankles rubbed together, causing pain.
"...!"
A small sound, more a gasp than a word, escaped her.
Both Cesare and Ezra's eyes turned to her.
"I'm sorry! Are you okay?"
Ezra instantly turned pale. Adelaide nodded slightly.
"I'm fine. Just a bit of pain. I'll be fine once I get inside for treatment."
Despite her words, Ezra looked flustered.
"Ah. I really... made a mistake. I should have prioritized your treatment first..."
"I'm grateful you helped me this far."
"But. Ah... I'm really sorry..."
His furrowed brow showed no sign of easing. His light purple eyes were filled with genuine concern, softening Adelaide's voice naturally.
"The conversation we had on the way down was quite enjoyable. You entertained me, so I'll let this incident slide."
Ezra, who had been floundering adorably, paused. His ears gradually turned red.
However, he glanced at Cesare, who was still looking indifferent, and then smiled politely.
"I'd love to continue our conversation, but this isn't the best place. You need treatment as well."
"Thank you for your consideration."
"...I look forward to seeing you again."
Ezra carefully lowered Adelaide to the ground. She glanced around, looking for Aegir, but her attention was drawn to Cesare, who was still standing at the entrance, watching them.