Chapter 179: Camilla’s Challenge
Where was the dazzling allure—like that of a girl, so enchanting and bewitching, that of course Lord Dominic would fall hopelessly in love?
The boy sitting before Camilla was indeed small and slender, but in truth he looked nothing more than a healthy, ordinary boy.
Unable to restrain herself, Camilla suddenly stood up and pointed a sharp finger at him and shouted. "Where is the beauty of a noble figure? Where is the brilliance that sparkles like drops of light? Where is the magnificence of a great rose in full bloom? At best, you are nothing more than a wildflower!"
"Uh... um?" the boy stammered.
"This is unbelievable! There is no trace of the strange charm that could ever mislead Lord Dominic! It is fraud! A complete lie! It is true what they say—rumors cannot be trusted!"
"Uh, well..."
"And you—you look so very small! Could it be that you are not even of age yet?"
At that, Shiao Yi’s expression tightened with a faint irritation.
That look only pushed him further away from the image of a so-called beautiful boy.
"I am nineteen! Maybe I am short, but I am still an adult!"
"What? I cannot believe it! You are the same age as me? Impossible! You look nothing of the sort!"
For just a moment, Camilla even wondered—could it be that Lord Dominic secretly carried the forbidden desire of loving little boys?
She strode quickly toward Shiao Yi and he looked up at her in surprise.
He was shorter than she was.
Nineteen, he claimed?
Absolutely not! At best, he looked thirteen.
As Camilla studied him closely, she had to admit that his features were well-formed, his face firm, and yes, one could even call him beautiful.
Ahem, of course, not nearly as beautiful as she herself was.
Rather than carrying the allure that might lead men astray, he had an air of dignity.
His black eyes gave the sense of strong will, yet the large eyes and small lips—despite the sharp, refined lines of his face—still left an impression of innocence, almost of cuteness.
Ahem. Perhaps he was a little bit attractive after all.
Camilla was fair-minded and she would acknowledge what was true.
His skin too, it was smooth and soft like that of a child, with such fine texture—sparked in her a pang of jealousy.
Even though she herself was young, she had to take constant care of her skin.
She spent time and effort each day applying creams and powders so that she might look more radiant.
And yet here was this boy—claiming to be nineteen—and still his skin shone with a beauty that needed no artifice.
Could it be, she wondered with growing suspicion, that this flawless skin was what had ensnared Lord Dominic?
Her hands tightened around the fan she clutched, when suddenly a middle-aged woman entered the room while carrying tea.
She moved with quiet elegance, setting the tea set and a plate of baked sweets carefully on the low table before the sofa.
The fragrance of the tea drifted up, fine and pleasant and Camilla could immediately tell that the maid was skilled.
The woman gave a small bow, then stepped back and stood silently by the door at the far side of the room, waiting in composed readiness. Both the butler and now this maid—Lord Dominic’s servants were of remarkably high quality.
"Please, have some tea," Shiao Yi said politely.
Camilla steadied herself.
She sat more properly upon the sofa and lifted her cup.
The tea was, as she suspected, quite delicious.
The leaves themselves were not the finest or most expensive kind, but they had been brewed with such skill that the taste and fragrance seemed equal to the best.
A maid of this level would be treasured in any noble house. Truly, such service was wasted on such a small, ordinary home.
Lord Dominic was not meant to live in such a place. This fact, Camilla thought, was only reinforced all the more strongly within her heart.
Camilla placed her cup carefully on the table and turned her gaze once more toward Shiao Yi, who sat directly across from her.
"You are called Shiao Yi, aren’t you? Then I will speak plainly. Please separate yourself from Lord Dominic. And please, return him to me."
Shiao Yi looked back at her with a blank almost puzzled expression. But Camilla was not fooled. That innocent, guileless face was surely a mask that was hiding a far more cunning nature. To her eyes, this boy could never truly pass as someone her own age. It was precisely this youthful appearance that had deceived Lord Dominic.
"Lord Dominic is meant to be my fiancé," Camilla continued firmly. "Even Lord Gabrant has given his approval to this. For a man destined to rise higher and higher in the kingdom, only a union of proper standing is worthy of him. In that sense, my family—being both of the Chancellor’s line and a Marquis house—has more than enough prestige to match him. Surely you understand that, don’t you?"
"Uh... yes," Shiao Yi replied, his voice flat.
It was a careless halfhearted answer and his expression barely moved at all.
He looked as though her words were sliding straight past him leaving no mark.
How infuriating.
What a difficult opponent this boy was.
But no, she would not lose.
"You will only bring Lord Dominic unhappiness," Camilla pressed on, her voice rising. "You have no proper position, and besides—you are both men! What could you possibly be thinking, staying at his side? How exactly have you wormed your way into his trust?"
The boy’s calm steady gaze only provoked her further. With every second he remained so unmoved, her emotions grew hotter and harder to control.
Yes... deep down, Camilla thought she already understood. From the very first moment she had laid eyes on this boyish Shiao Yi, she had known.
Lord Dominic was not being blinded by the beauty of some delicate youth. No—it was because he had recognized something within Shiao Yi himself, something essential, and had chosen to keep him close.