For Better or For Worse

Chapter 6

After Cedric arrived, the viscount had, of course, prepared a small dinner to welcome him.

“I apologize for not serving something more befitting of your title,” said Viscount Robert.

“Oh no, the food is delicious,” Cedric responded sincerely.

The cuisine may have been too simple for a dinner party, but it tasted great and the main dish was rabbit stew. Cedric cut the tender flesh of the rabbit’s thigh into pieces and took a bite. It really wasn’t bad at all. He was losing his appetite, though, but that had nothing to do with the food.

It was because of Dillon Langton’s unwavering gaze. She wouldn’t stop staring at him and seemingly had no intention of hiding it. It certainly wasn’t Cedric’s first time being rudely stared at by a lady while dining, but Dillon’s glare felt altogether different from the lovestruck gazes to which he was accustomed.

This woman… At this point, Cedric’s thoughts regarding this arranged marriage were heavily leaning toward one side—the side where he returned home while he could still keep up a semblance of manners. He could tell his grandfather that Emily was much too young for marriage and that he would return to ask for her hand once she turned twenty years old. It’s not like it would be a lie. Emily was as beautiful as her grandmother, but she still had the chubby cheeks of a child. The other daughter of the Langton family was childish as well, maybe not physically, but definitely mentally. At the moment, for example, she seemed intent on staring at him indefinitely.

Cedric forced himself to ignore her in favor of looking over at Emily. He had said he was here to meet the viscount’s daughters, so it would be polite to make conversation with at least one of them. He made to speak to Emily, who was slightly flushed.

“Lady Emily, are—”

“Do you like it?” another voice suddenly interrupted.

Cedric narrowed his eyes. Turning his head toward the voice, he saw that Dillon had that same smirk on her face. “I wasn’t talking to you,” it seemed to say. He was only able to keep a straight face because one, he was naturally expressionless, and two, he had learned how to control his facial muscles as a child.

Taking no notice of Cedric’s discomfort, Dillon continued speaking. “I asked if you liked it. The rabbit stew, I mean.”

“Yes, I do,” he replied.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Why was she speaking like that? Her strangely gentle tone bothered him. Still, Cedric continued the conversation calmly without revealing a hint of his inner thoughts.

“I heard you caught it yourself,” he said. “It must have been strenuous work.”

“The actual work was done by the trap, not me,” Dillon replied. “The traps they make these days are sturdy enough for any pure, innocent creature that falls into them to have no chance of escaping.”

With those words, Dillon’s puzzling smile grew. This time, Cedric furrowed his brow. It was clear she wasn’t referring to an actual trap or an actual rabbit. He met Dillon’s eyes and tried to figure out her true intentions, but she just stared evenly back at him and maintained her stiff smile. Anyone could see that they were staring each other down in an intense battle of wills. But there was one person who blushed at the sight.

Oh my, Emily thought as she watched Cedric and Dillon’s eyes bore into each other. That passionate gaze, those sparks flying everywhere, this electrifying tension… Something’s bound to happen between these two, Emily thought excitedly, completely misinterpreting the situation to suit her appetite.

I guess she’s not trying to get my attention, Cedric surmised at the same time, finally dispensing with his earlier theory that Dillon may have been staring at him out of genuine interest. Indeed, Dillon wasn’t staring, but glaring—both words meant that she was looking at him, but the former lacked the latter’s connotations of hostility and caution, which conveyed negative emotions. It wasn’t uncommon for Cedric to be on the receiving end of hostility even when he had done nothing wrong, but this was the first time it had come from a lady.

Still, hostility is hostility, no matter who it comes from, and Cedric wasn’t so kind that he would happily go along with someone’s unprovoked animosity—he was going to overwhelm Dillon’s defenses. A smile spread over Cedric’s face. Not the strange doll-like smile that she kept making, but a smile that was, to all appearances, perfect.

“We bumped into each other earlier,” he said.

“Pardon?”

“I’m sure it was you. I asked you for directions,” Cedric explained.

“Yes, you could say that...” Dillon murmured, avoiding his gaze somewhat as if something had pricked at her conscience. If she was going to concede that quickly, why had she bothered unsheathing her claws like a leopard about to go in for the kill?

“Unfortunately,” Cedric continued, “the way you indicated was the wrong direction.”

“Is that so?”

“It is. It was in the complete opposite direction of this estate. The real way was the way you went down as soon as you turned your back on me.”

Cedric gazed at her calmly. Dillon briefly closed her eyes. When she opened them again, she looked right at Cedric, and this time her brown eyes were full of fighting spirit.

“I apologize,” she said. “I’m terrible with directions.”

“You, Dillon? But you’re— Ow!” Just as Dillon’s older brother Haley opened his mouth from where he was sitting next to her, he doubled over as if he had been jabbed in the stomach. Dillon’s upper body hadn’t moved at all. It was honestly impressive how she had managed to hit her brother without making it obvious.

“As I was saying, I’m absolutely horrible with directions,” Dillon said.

“I see...” Cedric said, trailing off.

Yeah, right. It was so obviously a shoddy excuse that the temperature around the table seemed to drop several degrees. The only one who was obliviously still writing her own fairy tale was Emily, who mentally squealed, Oh my gosh, they’ve already met!

“So please don’t misunderstand,” Dillon said. “And please don’t take too much offense.”

What, are you going to keep arguing? Well? Hmm? Are you going to be stubborn even though I’ve apologized? This was what Dillon seemed to say as she gave Cedric the same look as when they had met on the road earlier. Her eyes were guarded, and he couldn’t tell whether she was frightened or fearless. Cedric swallowed down the scoff that welled up inside him.

“I haven’t taken offense,” he said.

“I’m glad to hear it,” Dillon responded, quirking her lips into a small smile again before ducking her head and focusing intently on cutting into a piece of rabbit meat. She took a large bite and chewed, her cheeks filled with food. But even while she was eating, she continued to look at Cedric as if she was ready to go up against him in battle.

Well, far be it from him to disappoint her. “I was hoping you would show me around on a walk after our meal, so it’s unfortunate that you’re terrible with directions,” he quipped.

Dillon raised her head, looking fretfully between him and Emily, the speed of her chewing growing frantic.

Cedric continued to speak, “I suppose I’ll have to ask Lady Emily inst—”

Dillon’s eyes widened. She was now chewing at close to the speed of light, her bulging cheeks moving like those of a rodent hurrying to finish its meal.

“No, I’ll go,” Dillon blurted out urgently after finally swallowing all the food in her mouth. Her hand was raised like that of a child in school. She insisted, “I’d like to give you a tour, my lord, please.”

“Didn’t you just say that your sense of direction is—” Cedric started, but Dillon interrupted him again.

“I know the estate very well, and besides that Emily is rather weak.”

Emily tilted her head in confusion, not understanding.

“But I’m—” As soon as the words left her mouth, her eyes widened in realization, and she stopped. “Yes! My body is really weak! That’s right, my lord. I’ve been fragile since birth, so walking more than even thirty steps will aggravate my anemia.” Emily’s green eyes sparkled with interest and expectation.

“We certainly cannot have that,” Cedric said. “I know a physician who can prescribe you good medicine for anemia. I’ll introduce you to him later.”

“Thank you,” Emily said. “Anyway, how about going on a nice stroll with Dillon? I think it’s a splendid idea!”

She gestured cheerfully toward her sister, who gave a little wave with the hand she still had raised, along with an unamused smile.

“Unfortunately, it seems there’s no other choice but me,” Dillon said.

“Indeed,” Cedric replied.

At his response, Dillon’s smile vanished instantly. She wasn’t very good at hiding her emotions. Having resumed their meal, Dillon alternated between getting lost in her thoughts, listening intently to Cedric and Emily’s conversation, and being occupied with her thoughts again. Cedric pretended not to notice and continued to eat.

But he couldn’t help looking forward to the spirit a feisty woman like her would show when it was just the two of them.