The Villain is Being Suspiciously Kind - Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Desian had killed Genfiros.
He finally returned from the border.
The whole scenario was perfect. He’d woven together a tight web that wouldn’t be untangled by anyone.
The next time Citrina saw Desian, she had moved to a new place. More specifically, she had moved from her townhouse to a mansion in the capital.

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“Lita, do you like your room?”
“Yes!”
“I’m glad.”
– Why don’t I have a room of my own?

Lita and a few other attendants were brought to stay in the house.
Adilac, who did not want to return to the Antigone household, also came along. The stone mansion was majestic and bright, as befitted a mansion gifted by the emperor.
When the move was complete, Desian came to see her. Rather than meeting him in the reception room, Citrina met him in a small arboretum in front of the mansion.
He looked so grown up among the leaves and berries that bloomed in the autumn sunlight.

“Rina, congrats on taking the name Flang.”
“Thanks.”
Citrina only smiled gratefully. She didn’t talk to him about Genfiros’s death. Nor did she mention the magic sword or curses.

‘Prying now will only provoke him.’
Somehow, it felt like a push and pull. Her lips felt parched.
Whether he knew her mind or not, he approached her.
He leaned in close to her.
His low breath tickled her hair lightly.

“Rina.”
Citrina buried her face in his chest.
She could smell the faint scent of cologne that always came off of Desian and hear the pounding of his heart.
A loving sense of security came from him.

“I missed you, Del.”
“I missed you too.”
Desian wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her into a tight embrace.

“I have a present for you.”
“A present?”
A stranger peeked out from behind Desian’s back.
“I, It’s me.”
‘That’s a strange introduction.’
The man’s teeth clattered, and the bag over his shoulder rattled. The splendidly stylish clothes looked so shabby that his clothes appeared to have no color.
“…Is this person the girl?”
“First of all, sit down.”
They sat across from each other at a small table in the arboretum.
Desian had his chin up, with his eyes fixed drowsily on Citrina.
On the other hand, Citrina looked at the man called “gift”. The man opened his mouth to speak.
“Tell me your name and affiliation.”
“I’m Mellock of Mellock’s Boutique.”
“He’s a perfumer.”
Citrina nodded.
It was a good occupation and a neat introduction.
The only exception was the trembling of his voice and his shoulders shaking.
“I want to gift you a scent.”
Citrina bit her lip to avoid asking, “You?”.
He already wore cologne. So she closed her eyes and smiled.
“That’s a nice idea, Del.”
“…I, I’ll keep that in mind, my lady.”
Dropping her gaze from the nervous perfumer, Citrina grinned at Desian.
He’s so doting…it’s cute.
Now that she had met with Aaron, she saw through it all.
There was a difference between Aaron’s ‘real’ innocent eyes and Desian’s piercing, fake innocence.

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But the abundance of affection in his eyes when he looked at her was real.
“How do you like this scent?”
“It smells like the sea. I like it.”
In a private room, the perfumer helped her in finding a scent. The top notes, middle notes, and base notes were tested carefully.
Finally, the fun was over.
The scented liquid was mixed and placed into a small, beautiful spray bottle. The perfumer’s job was complete.
At Desian’s icy glance, the perfumer blinked rapidly.
“His Excellency the Duke, Lady Citrina, it was an honor to meet you again.”
A quick-witted and tight-lipped attendant was by his side, carrying the perfumer’s luggage.

When the perfumer bowed his head, Citrina asked.
“Again?”
She paused because she suddenly felt a sense of deja vu from him.
She didn’t forget people easily. And this person, she had never seen him before, but she felt like she had.
The perfumer froze in his tracks.
Citrina focused on the words that he was about to say.

“Four years ago, you visited our perfume atelier.”
“Four years ago…”
As she spoke, Citrina rummaged through her memory. Desian, who was by her side, spoke slowly.
“It’s where you got me the gift before you left.”
Citrina wondered, her brow furrowed. She didn’t remember exactly yet.
“Cologne? The perfume boutique on the upscale street, is that right?”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Citrina was a little puzzled.
“Ah… um, I see.”
Her embarrassment was short-lived. She hadn’t given a second thought to the gift she had given.
She’d given him the perfume without making a big deal out of it. She hadn’t expected Desian to bring the perfumer back four years later.

“Leave.”
Desian dismissed him gracefully.

They were alone.
“I never thought I’d get perfume as a gift.”
“I also wanted to make you a scent.”
The emphasis was on the “I also”. He didn’t hesitate and just said what he wanted to say.
The way he said it, it sounded like he had been planning this for a long time.

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“Del.”
“The perfume that you use.”
Citrina caught a whiff of a refreshing odor.
“Is that the scent I gave you?”
Desian nodded briefly.
All this time, Desian had consistently worn her cologne.
Citrina only now realized the meaning of this. The Desian Pietro in the novel <Elaina’s Flower Garden> had never worn scent.
It meant that Desian had been waiting for her for a very long time.
With the scent at the tip of her nose, Citrina was blatantly aware of the fact.

‘If you act like this…what should I do?’

He was a man who listened to her every word, even the ones that had slipped from her memory.
Citrina sighed softly.
‘I should tell you that your behavior is suspicious and that I’ve noticed everything.’
She didn’t want to break this current sweet and beautiful peace.
Yes, there would be plenty of time to talk.

Citrina asked calmly, with the fresh bottle of perfume in her hand.
“Can we go out for a bit?”
“Where do you want to go?”
“Let’s go on a picnic in the suburbs.”
Citrina said, emphasizing the word ‘picnic’.
No matter where Citrina put the emphasis, Desian’s expression remained calm and relaxed. It was an attitude that was willing to go with anything as long as she suggested it.

“Let’s go now.”
Citrina raised her hand and stroked his jet-black hair. It was a bit impulsive.
The texture of his hair was soft against her fingers.
And just as the texture of his hair was soft, Desian was soft to her.

“Del.”
“Yeah, Rina.”
There was something cute about him calling her by her nickname regularly.
Citrina whispered in a passing tone.

“Don’t act too chilly to that perfumer.”

Desian’s expression cracked slightly.
Whether it was the force of love or the force of suspicion.
Citrina could understand that expression perfectly.
That’s exactly what it was.
Had he noticed it?
Of course, Citrina did not behave differently.
She simply observed.

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Citrina left Desian behind and met up with Harold to prepare for the picnic.

“Harold?”
“Yes!”
Whether Citrina noticed it or not, the picnic preparations continued dutifully.

“Red apples, and sandwiches, and also…I had this and that sent with the attendant.”
“I suppose we can leave now?”
“Yes. I have a carriage waiting for you.”
Harold smiled broadly. He was thrilled that he was doing something peaceful for the first time in a long time.
Sending the accounts to the Senate every day, keeping outsiders away from the duchy, and overseeing the servants wasn’t terrible.
However, it was also nice to have a task like this that made your heart flutter.

“It’s alright.”
The threat to her safety had been perfectly and uncannily removed. So now there was a beautiful time of peace.