Chapter Title: Ezra's Invitation
Ezra's light purple eyes wavered like ripples on water as he spoke.
Adelaide stared at him for a moment before nodding.
Aegir had approached without her noticing. Cesare gave a silent nod, and Aegir took Adelaide from Ezra's arms.
Ezra slowly lowered his now-empty hands.
He watched Adelaide being carried away for a moment, then turned to face Cesare.
His usually composed expression now bore a heavy look of disdain.
Cesare smirked contemptuously.
"Now get lost. I'm sick of looking at you."
"Why must you always speak like that—!"
"Holt, escort him out."
The head of the Bonaparte family, who feared nothing in the world, left the task of ejecting the second son of the Della Valle family to his deputy butler and turned away.
His gaze fell on Adelaide. He smiled, but his eyes were cold, making her hold her breath.
"We have something to discuss, don't we?"
---
Adelaide received treatment for her ankle in Cesare's room. It was a minor sprain.
Cesare sat on the windowsill smoking a cigar, filling the room with pungent smoke. It was stronger and more acrid than what he usually smoked.
Despite trying to suppress it, a cough eventually escaped Adelaide's lips.
"…Cough."
Cesare's gaze immediately turned to her.
Adelaide widened her eyes and covered her mouth.
The room fell silent. Even the physician paused, sensing the tension.
Contrary to expectations, Cesare casually opened the window and tossed the cigar outside.
"Do you dislike the smell of cigars?"
His overly kind tone was unsettling.
Adelaide glanced at him nervously before speaking cautiously.
"The ones you usually smoke are fine. It's just that this one is a bit strong…"
"I see. I'll be more careful in the future."
"…"
_Why is he being so frightening…?_ The treatment finished quickly, likely because the physician sensed the tense atmosphere.
"It would be best for the young lady to use crutches for a while, but since you have a Brachiere, it would be wise to have him accompany you at all times."
Leaving a few obvious cautions, the physician hurriedly departed.
Only Adelaide and Cesare remained in the room.
Cesare still sat on the windowsill while Adelaide sat on his bed. Her palms were already damp with sweat.
Finally, Cesare spoke brightly.
"Explain."
Adelaide swallowed hard and quickly recounted what had happened at the observation deck.
The questions the ladies had asked, how she had answered, what Lucrezia had done.
She subtly included details suggesting none of it was her fault.
And ultimately, the outcome wasn't unfavorable. Growing closer to Ezra was something Cesare would welcome.
"…It seems Sir Ezra has started to take an interest in me."
Adelaide concluded her report with a cautious observation.
Cesare remained silent, his hands in his pockets throughout her account.
If not for the faint smile on his lips, she would have thought he was angry.
After she finished, he smiled without warmth.
"Interest."
His smile was slightly mocking. One eyebrow raised, and a deep dimple appeared on his cheek.
"By now, he's probably enjoying pleasant thoughts of you, so that qualifies as interest, I suppose."
"…"
"Well done."
He spoke indifferently, almost lazily.
"I'll inform Epony, so don't neglect your treatment."
"…Thank you."
Her reply was barely a whisper. The room fell silent again.
Behind his thin smile, Cesare watched her with sharp eyes, seemingly amused by her nervousness.
"Did you say Ezra invited you to a reading club?"
"…Yes. He mentioned it in passing."
"Hmm."
Cesare tilted his head. His large hand left his pocket and stroked his jawline.
"What do you think?"
"Pardon?"
"I was planning to take you to the 'Balladur Club' tonight. But since Ezra has invited you, choose."
Adelaide was momentarily speechless.
Cesare asking for her opinion felt like a cruel joke.
"Of course, I would follow your wishes."
She reflexively began to answer.
A salty breeze drifted through the open window. Through Cesare's disheveled sea-colored hair, she glimpsed his serene golden eyes.
"…"
Adelaide unconsciously stopped herself. She remembered their first meeting.
His eyes, measuring her usefulness through the rising cigar smoke.
A warning flashed in her mind.
"…What kind of club is the 'Balladur Club'?"
Cesare smiled quietly.
"It's a club attended only by high-ranking officials and the heads of great noble families. It convenes only during the winter season, and the main topics are politics, economics, society, and diplomacy."
"…"
Adelaide's expression grew serious as she stared wide-eyed at Cesare.
He waited with surprising patience.
Finally, Adelaide spoke cautiously.
"…Still, wouldn't it be better to accept Sir Ezra's invitation?"
"Why?"
"Our 'game' aims to marry Sir Ezra. With the target right before us, there's no reason to take a roundabout approach…"
Adelaide spoke carefully, gauging his reaction.
_Besides, high-ranking officials…_ She felt woefully unprepared for such company.
Cesare looked down and chuckled softly.
"Do that."
"…"
He gave no indication whether it was the right answer.
_But if I had simply followed him without question, that would have been wrong…_
Cesare, unaware of her inner turmoil, stood as if the discussion was over.
"Ezra will come tonight, so prepare yourself. Aegir must accompany you wherever you go."
Adelaide looked up belatedly.
"But he only mentioned it in passing. Will he really come?"
"He will."
The response was firm.
When she looked at him questioningly, Cesare smiled coldly.
"You said the conversation was enjoyable, didn't you?"
Adelaide blinked in confusion.
Just for that reason? And she was the one who had said it, not Ezra.
Coming from Cesare, it seemed oddly… vulnerable. She stared at him in silence. His once relaxed smile had grown slightly stiff.
Adelaide came to her senses under his intense gaze. Was that a question?
"Yes. It was enjoyable."
"…"
For a brief moment, his smile vanished—but only for an instant.
He quickly smiled again, revealing his charming dimples.
"Hmm. His conversational level suits a shoeshine girl. Ezra truly is useless."
With that, he grasped the doorknob. His golden eyes, partially hidden by his bangs, looked murky like dusty gold, making Adelaide doubt what she was seeing.
"Brother?"
She spoke impulsively, and Cesare looked up.
His eyes were still sharp, cold, and ruthless.
_…Was it my imagination?_
Adelaide, feeling uneasy, stiffened and looked down.
"Nothing."
"…"
Cesare regarded her briefly, then left the room without a word.
---
In the transition from afternoon to evening, Ezra did indeed come to see Adelaide.
"Lady Adelaide!"
Standing beneath the archway in the sunset, Ezra smiled brightly as their eyes met.
The dark tan wool coat with gold buttons suited him well.
Adelaide approached, carried by Aegir.
"We meet again so soon."
He smiled warmly as their eyes met.
"Greetings in the name of the goddess. I apologize for coming so suddenly. I thought it would be lovely if you could join the reading club I mentioned earlier."
Adelaide smiled in silence. Cesare's certainty that Ezra would come crossed her mind.
_He seems to have such good judgment about people, so why did he ever bring in Lady Flavia…_
As she pondered this, she noticed Ezra's expression growing quite dismal, and she hurriedly spoke.
"No need to apologize. I was interested as well."
"Ah…"
Ezra stopped frowning and smiled broadly.
"But the club was merely an excuse. I was genuinely worried about you."
"Pardon?"
Ezra's velvety soft purple eyes gazed at her gently.
"How is your ankle?"