Navia gazed intently into her own eyes, then shook her head to dismiss her foolish thoughts.
"This is not the time."
A short sigh escaped her as the door clicked open.
Stepping out of the lavishly gold-decorated successor's room into the corridor alone, Navia felt a strange sensation.
'Was it always this dark here?'
She hadn't noticed the surroundings when she had come out with the others earlier.
But now, it was evident that the third floor was indeed darker and more ominous than the second.
The third floor had empty spaces where candelabras should be, and most of the windows were covered with black tapestries.
The Duke of Eseled's residence was already a quiet place, but the third floor was particularly silent.
Even the first floor, which received the most sunlight, was overwhelming in its color and atmosphere; the third floor was such that a faint-hearted person couldn't take a single step.
However, Navia only felt it was quite dim and gloomy, and she was about to step forward when she suddenly felt perplexed.
'Now that I think about it, I don't know where the Duke's room is.'
Why did she only realize this now?
"Idiot."
Navia couldn't believe her own carelessness and smacked her forehead.
'Should I knock on each door and check? Or should I go downstairs now and ask?'
Clang!
At that moment, a sound made Navia perk up her ears.
A faint but sharp noise came from the opposite side.
'Does that mean the Duke's bedroom is across from my room...?'
Navia approached the door quietly, without making a sound.
The courage given by the cake had slightly faded, but after taking a deep breath, she clenched her fist and raised her hand.
Just as she was about to knock...
Bang!
The door swung open violently before she could even knock.
A cold, pungent scent enveloped Navia.
She had become familiar with this smell.
It was Lark's scent.
'It's different from the smell of anesthetic.'
What could this scent be?
'It doesn't seem like perfume.'
Lark was rubbing his temple with his large hand covering his eyes.
He opened his mouth irritably.
"What are you doing standing at the door and not coming in......"
He started to speak but closed his mouth in confusion when he saw no one through the gaps between his fingers.
'What? I felt a faint presence, but?'
Then he lowered his gaze and saw a strikingly white child, standing out in the nearly dark corridor like a solitary silver flame.
Lark was at a loss for words at the unexpected visitor.
Navia, tense, had been standing too stiffly in a dignified posture, but quickly relaxed and bowed.
"Hello, Duke."
She worried if even this might appear too calculating in Lark's eyes.
But Lark wasn't paying attention to such etiquette.
His nerves had been on edge since his body started falling apart the day before.
He had just thrown a medicine bottle in anger when an irritating presence appeared.
Navia spoke politely, trying not to offend.
"I have something to tell the Duke, so I came to see you. I didn't want to disturb you. I know I might be annoying......"
As Navia's words continued, Lark's expression gradually crumpled, and he finally spoke out at the mention of being annoying.
"Why do you talk like that?"
"What?"
Navia widened her eyes in question, and Lark, unknowingly, spoke bluntly.
"I hate long excuses."
"Oh……. I'm sorry……."
Navia apologized awkwardly.
'So, he saw me as a calculating child.'
But she didn't know any other way to behave.
Though born a commoner, Navia had lived her life receiving harsh training to appear more noble than anyone else.
Therefore, her neat and elegant demeanor was as natural as breathing.
The noble descendants she had met were usually well-mannered, even if they did despicable things behind closed doors.
The most vulgar person Navia knew was Wood, but even he couldn't act like that.
In truth, Navia didn't even know who she was anymore. Once noble behavior became second nature, she had forgotten her true self.
It felt like her well-trained demeanor was her real self.
So, her current attempt to act naturally seemed all the more contrived and worrisome.
Lark cursed internally at the sight of Navia looking slightly defeated.
"Damn. That's not what I meant to say."
He frowned deeply and stepped aside, saying,
"Come in."
Navia felt relieved, sensing his willingness to talk.
'Is this the head's room? It's certainly big, but...'
She had been told her room was for the heir.
It was so flashy and gold that she naturally assumed the head's room would be even more extravagant.
But it wasn't.
Lark's room was too barren to be considered the head's. It was best described as 'modest.'
Black bed, black table, black sofa. That was all.
There were medicine bottles on the table and empty bottles scattered around the room.
It was a desolate and depressing sight.
Lark suddenly swept his hand across the only table in the room.
Crash!
The medicine bottles fell to the floor at his touch.
Lark was actually panicking.
On the table were three unfolded letters Navia had written, along with a pearl hairpin.
He had swept them off in a hurry, fearing discovery by the child.
'Damn, I should have burned them earlier!’
He could have simply moved them with his magic powers.
Realizing this too late, Lark blankly stared at his foolish action and its consequences, then turned away.
He tried to explain his behavior.
"I just cleaned up because it was messy."
Navia remained expressionless but looked at Lark with astonishment.
It was a completely unconventional way of tidying up, shattering Navia's norms.
"Oh, I see..."
Although a little commotion ensued over the hairpin, Lark seemed ready to receive a guest and pointed to a chair he summoned.
"Sit."
He then put his long legs on the table, displaying a completely impolite and arrogant attitude.
It almost made sweeping the table seem gentlemanly.
Navia had dealt with people like him before, though they were usually thugs or hooligans.
Lark was a bit different.
'He's more like a tyrant.'
His actions seemed arrogantly authoritative, yet dignified. He didn't appear vulgar.
He seemed inherently noble, which Navia found fascinating.
She gracefully took the seat he offered.
The scene of the elegant girl and the brash duke sitting across the table was quite unique.
Before getting to the point, Navia began with a proper greeting.
"First, thank you for giving me such a fine room."
But Lark quickly looked bored.
"Don't start with that. What do you want to say?"
Navia, already seeing Lark as a tyrant or thug, was unfazed by his rudeness.
"Let's cut to the chase. I want to use the name 'Eseled' for a business venture."
Lark blurted out.
"A travel bag?"
"What? How did you know...?"
Navia was shocked that Lark knew about the travel bag business without her mentioning it.
Lark almost bit his tongue but managed to hold back.
It was impossible for him to say that he had been secretly watching Navia the day before, while hiding his appearance.
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