7.

Serenity headed straight to another reception room where she knew Clagen would be waiting.

“You’ve arrived early, so he’s waiting in the room. We’ve provided a light snack, and it seems to have appeased his boredom. I’ll bring yours over quickly as well, my lady.”

‘He’s probably having tea.’

It wouldn’t be free, of course. Clagen had an affinity for pastries. Although his always-smiling face might make it easy to think that he had simple tastes, in reality, he was quite particular about his preferences. Among them, what he enjoyed most was drinking tea.

There were a few people who would tease him for having tastes fit for a noble, but Clagen never hid the fact that he loved tea. Tea was also the top-selling item among his products, and in addition to his trade, he imported tea from other countries across the sea, which had a different taste than what was available in the Imperial Capital.

She distinctly remembered the refreshingly sweet tea she had when she visited his estate a few times. Knocking on the door and verifying Clagen’s presence inside, she opened it.

However, when Serenity went inside and saw Clagen standing right in front of her, she was taken aback.

“Oh, I apologize for startling you.”

Clagen, who stood before her, smiled brightly. He had radiant blond hair and clear eyes like looking at the deep blue sea. If Dante was winter, then Clagen was spring.

“I should have waited for you from behind.”

Clagen had a gentle, handsome face. Seeing this familiar face for the second time, after a year, which felt colorless to her, Clagen was just the same as she remembered from that last day. He had a restaurant-quality appearance she had seen all day, every day.

‘He smiled the same way when he parted with me, and when we said our last goodbye.’

Serenity was lost in thought.

What should she say in this situation?

No, no, it’s okay. It’s alright. In the midst of trying to find the right words in her head, Serenity realized again.

‘Oh, I don’t need to be so cautious.’

“Serenity, are you?”

Clagen inquired.

Considering she didn’t reply and just stared at him with a confused expression, it was quite understandable. Clagen and Serenity met eyes and nodded in agreement.

“I don’t understand why you didn’t do it if you knew.”

Serenity witnessed one corner of Clagen’s mouth trembling slightly.

It was clear that he was taken aback.

As Clagen stood there in a daze, Serenity sat down on the couch. She gazed at the still-warm tea that had been brought in, and then turned her head to face Clagen.

Clagen quickly followed Serenity and took a seat.

A bright smile appeared on his face again.

“I guess you don’t like me.”

“I didn’t think there was any need to talk about my feelings to someone who didn’t know.”

A servant entered the room with a tray holding the tea.

“Do you have any tea you like?”

“I don’t drink tea.”

He raised the corner of his mouth again.

Observing this, Serenity realized one thing: it seemed like his smiling was an unconscious behavior to conceal his emotions. She hadn’t noticed this before, as there had been no reason to provoke his feelings, but now it was clear.

“Well then, I’ll excuse myself for a moment.”

From his bag, Clagen retrieved his favorite tea leaves and added them to a teapot along with warm water. After closing the lid to brew the tea, Clagen’s gaze shifted towards Serenity.

“The reason I came here is to introduce a suitable tutor for you, Serenity. You’ve recently awakened from a comatose state, and it’s only natural that you lack knowledge and manners.”

“I see.”

“Well, do you have any specific teacher in mind, or any preferences you’d like to mention? I will take it into consideration.”

She wants to learn, but she knows she can’t surpass Uriah in a short time. Serenity comes from nobility, which means her starting point was different from the beginning.

“How about you?”

Lost in thought, she didn’t immediately understand what Clagen meant. What did he just say…?

Clagen remained silent, waiting for her response. An awkward silence lingered between them.

“Even a first impression of me doesn’t seem to give you a clue about who I am. It’s a bit disheartening if you judge everything based on the initial impression.”

Clagen pouted like a puppy. His forlorn appearance, resembling a rain-soaked puppy, evoked human empathy.

But not for Serenity. She didn’t see it that way. Clagen looking pitiful was something she didn’t want to see more than his cheerful smile.

‘He knows what he’s got and how to use it properly.’

Clagen knew he was handsome, and he was well aware that people were drawn to his looks. After witnessing an unexpected side of him, Serenity had a different perspective.

“The first impression can tell a lot, and, in your case, it’s been quite clear. I don’t like it.”

“Oh, I see. Can I ask why you don’t like it?”

“I should be the one asking that. Why do you want to be my personal tutor?”

The Clagen that Julie had seen was kind but didn’t cross any boundaries. He didn’t make an effort to get closer to Serenity, and when they met, he often chose places like restaurants or parks with people around. Initially, it was nice, at least she wasn’t confined to a study room like Dante. But soon enough, Julie began to feel puzzled when Clagen insisted on taking her to the park even on the days she wasn’t feeling well.

The truth became apparent when she looked beyond his ‘kind’ image. What he truly wanted was an image – an image of a benevolent upper-class owner who took care of even the sickly daughter of the liv. Her health and thoughts meant nothing to him. She had been eager to go outside, but his persistence had changed her opinion. She still believed things could change since Clagen was a kind person.

Julie lived on futile hope.

He was more disturbed than pleased by the kindness that he hadn’t received from Julie Liv, and Serenity couldn’t help but suspect Clagen’s motives.

“I think I can become good friends with Serenity. I want to help with everything I can.”

Serenity squinted her eyes. There was no such thing as unwarranted kindness. And when it was Clagen Hwaition, it was even more suspicious. Especially when Serenity had been rude to him from the start. If anything, Clagen should’ve found her annoying, yet he seemed to have a limitless fondness for her. He was a merchant, and unless there was a greater gain, he wouldn’t move forward.

Clearly, there was something he could gain from her in the current situation much greater than expressing discomfort.

“It seems there’s quite a lot I can offer.”

Clagen blinked, showing a momentary widening of his pupils.

‘It’s the first time I’ve seen this expression.’

The Clagen Hwaition she was seeing today was completely different from the person Julie had seen so far.

‘At least one thing is certain.’

Meeting him as Serenity instead of Julie, one thing she could know for sure was that he was materialistic. When the outer shell changed, his kindness disappeared. He made his affections more explicit and wanted to get closer to her… even if the insides were the same person. Not even aware of this fact, which made her even angrier.

Serenity grumbled without even realizing it, and her usually harsh tone of speech broke through.

“It would be good if someone who has lived in a coma for life could make a successful debut in society.”

Clagen shrugged.

“I don’t quite understand what you’re talking about.”

“Your relationship with Zeros could become closer, too. As the upper-class owner, you could benefit quite a lot through me.”

Clagen chuckled briefly in response to her words, and the smile slowly disappeared from his face. He raised the teapot with brewed tea.

“Interesting. But I won’t deny it. Even though you’ve just woken up, you have a keen sense.”

“If there’s nothing to gain, you wouldn’t show this much favor.”

“…You seem to adapt to society without much difficulty. A little guidance and you’ll be able to adjust your way of speaking.”

He praised her rather than blaming her, but what he was saying was clear. Nobles don’t speak like you do.

“I’ll be honest as well. What you just said is half true and half false. Well, maybe it’s more like three-quarters true. There’s an even more important reason than that.”

Clagen lifted the teacup.

He took a sip of the tea and returned to the calm demeanor he had shown when he first entered the room.

“To be honest about the reason, it’s also a bit to dispel the mistrust towards me. In fact, the desire to maintain a better relationship with Serenity is also rooted in this.”

He genuinely wants to help others? Does he have a reason for wanting a better relationship with her beyond what he just said?

Serenity was captivated by a strange suspicion.