You Are Gentle, But You Don’t Love Me - Chapter 24

A few days later, another summer rain shower fell. But the ground, which had been soaked by the refreshing downpour, dried up in no time. The sun had begun to burn fiercely, as if the rain had been a mere lie.

“Ugh…”

The real Sardinian summer had arrived, bringing with it the scorching midday heat.

Though stepping into the shade brought instant relief, the sunlight itself was terrifyingly intense. Standing directly beneath it felt unbearable.

As a result, Juliet and Cassio had to postpone their usual afternoon walks until sunset.

That left an empty afternoon with time to spare.

Juliet decided to visit the library for the first time in a while.

Not the grand, spacious library open to all, but a small, worn-out study tucked away in a quiet corner of the estate.

‘I like it here.’

Unlike the common library, filled with pristine bound volumes and sacred, embellished scriptures, this study was filled with strange books.

Handwritten manuscripts, where someone had carefully drawn the covers and penned the contents. Books compiled from crumpled, discarded letters—each one clearly tossed aside in frustration before being smoothed out again.

There were also ancient fairy tales with crumbling spines, unbelievably crude and absurd love stories, and collections of myths that offered not a single lesson, no matter how many times they were read.

Everything on the shelves was like that.

“Hmm…”

Juliet liked this strange little library.

Sitting there in the quiet, she could faintly smell the sweet scent of old paper. The waxy remnants of melted candlelight, burned through long nights.

Sometimes, there was even a lingering hint of an old perfume, perhaps once sprinkled on a letter long ago. And at times, the faint trace of cigar smoke from someone who had once lingered there.

‘It’s like time has piled up here.’

The time of those who had once sat among the books—reading, writing letters, staying up through the night, lost in thought.

So when she sat here reading, it felt like she was secretly opening an old diary that someone had hidden away.

‘That’s what makes it so wonderful…’

“Ugh.”

A troubled sigh from nearby interrupted her peaceful thoughts. It wasn’t the first time.

Juliet gave up on ignoring it. With a sigh, she let her gaze drift from the open pages of her book to the side.

“…”

Was it because of the sunlight filtering through the slightly parted curtains?

Cassio’s face, half-lit in the golden rays, was faintly visible as he lay there, sighing restlessly, still unable to fully wake from his sleep.

“Sigh.”

She let out an exasperated breath.

After his collapse, Cassio had finally agreed to proper treatment. Juan, who had been stuck helplessly between his duty and Cassio’s stubborn refusal, had even muttered in disbelief:

“Had I known this would happen, I would have told the Duchess everything from the start…”

He repeated this with a rueful chuckle every time he was summoned to check on Cassio’s progress. It was clear he had been beyond frustrated.

But agreeing to treatment did not mean Cassio was confined to his room to recover.

On the contrary, he was now leaving his chambers more than ever.

Perhaps as a reaction to being bedridden for a week, he seemed determined to make up for lost time.

However, there weren’t many places to go within the estate, nor many people willing to keep him company.

There was only one person.

Juliet.

‘Is that why?’

Lately, Cassio had been following her more than ever.

In the mornings, they handled simple tasks together. After noon, they shared a leisurely teatime with lunch.

And even after that, there were still hours to spare before their evening stroll.

So today, Juliet had brought him to the library.

With only a single small couch by the window, they sat side by side, shoulders nearly touching.

And before she had even gotten far into her book…

Cassio had fallen asleep.

“Mm…”

“Sigh.”

Was he murmuring in his sleep?

Seeing his slightly furrowed brows, Juliet sighed again and closed her book.

She reached up to close the partially drawn curtains, and the tension in Cassio’s face eased instantly.

On the other hand, Juliet’s own expression creased slightly as she watched him sleep.

“I told you to rest properly in your room.”

It was no surprise he had dozed off.

Cassio struggled with the Sardinian summer, especially the stifling midday heat.

Of course, he never let it show in front of her.

But the flushed corners of his eyes, the damp sheen of sweat on the back of his neck—there were signs she simply couldn’t ignore.

His injury hadn’t fully healed yet.

‘Considering how long he went without treatment, he’s recovering surprisingly fast, but still…’

He should be resting in his room, cooling his feet in cold water, or napping somewhere comfortable.

Instead, he insisted on staying by Juliet’s side.

Drinking hot tea with her. Eating sticky, half-melted pastries.

And then smiling at her.

‘It’s distracting…’

He had pushed himself through the heat, only to fall asleep the moment he found a cool, quiet place.

“Sigh.”

Looking at his sleeping face, Juliet found herself sighing again.

To think she could look at such a beautiful face and sigh—not in admiration, but in exasperation—it was almost amusing.

Yet, his posture bothered her.

“Duke.”

“…”

“If you keep sleeping like that, you’ll be uncomfortable.”

Even when she spoke softly, he showed no sign of waking.

His head was dangerously close to resting on her shoulder, barely keeping its balance.

Maybe she should just let him lean on her.

As she gazed at the golden specks of dust floating above his head, lost in thought—

Knock, knock.

A small knock at the door interrupted her.

“Duchess, um…”

“Shh.”

The maid, who had just opened the door quietly, held her breath at Juliet’s gesture. Waving her hand gently, Juliet motioned for the girl to step closer, her footsteps nearly silent.

“The Duke is asleep. He seems to be in a deep sleep, but it’s best not to wake him.”

“Oh, yes!”

“What is it?”

The maid’s whisper was so soft that it barely reached Juliet’s ears in the quiet library. After listening carefully, Juliet paused for a moment in thought before giving an instruction.

“I’ll go out. Get things ready.”

“Yes, ma’am.”

“And…”

Juliet glanced at Cassio, still asleep with his head tilted to the side, and let out a soft sigh.

“Bring a pillow for the Duke. He looks uncomfortable like that.”

She lingered for a moment, staring at the crown of his head, then slowly rose and left the library.

She stepped carefully, ensuring that even the sound of her footsteps wouldn’t disturb him.

She wore a light indoor dress made of soft muslin, layering over it a summer robe embroidered with delicate floral patterns. She hadn’t applied any makeup, and her naturally wavy hair was neatly braided and pinned up.

Her attire felt too simple for greeting a guest, but for an unannounced visitor, it would suffice.

Juliet descended the stairs at a measured pace and stepped outside the main entrance of the estate.

“Duchess.”

A tall man, still seated on his restless horse, swiftly dismounted.

Juliet squinted slightly against the bright sunlight, then gave a faint smile as she extended her hand.

“Elijah.”

Just like Cassio, Elijah dismounted in one smooth motion and lowered his forehead to the back of Juliet’s hand.

His skin, heated by the sun, felt warm against hers—like a pebble left under the scorching light. But the touch lasted only a moment before he pulled away.

“Elijah Logudoro greets the Duchess of Escalus.”

Had he been thoroughly scolded by the Countess after the last ball? His greeting was unusually formal. A slight smile touched Juliet’s lips.

“What brings you here so suddenly?”

“Ah, well…”

“The messenger only arrived an hour ago.”

The request for Elijah Logudoro’s visit to Escalus—or rather, the announcement that he was already on his way—had arrived less than an hour before.

The journey from Logudoro to Escalus took about four hours by carriage. Even on horseback at full speed, it would take at least two.

‘He must have left at the same time as the messenger.’

It was late afternoon. The heat radiating from his skin wasn’t just from riding.

Why had Elijah Logudoro come all this way in the sweltering heat?

More importantly, he hadn’t even stated his reason for visiting.

“…I apologize.”

His youthful face, still carrying traces of inexperience, flushed slightly in embarrassment. But even lowering his head, Elijah’s tall frame ensured that his gaze never truly fell beneath Juliet’s.

“It was truly sudden. I didn’t expect you to come out personally…”

“A guest has arrived; of course, I should greet them.”

In truth, Juliet had no obligation to meet him herself. She could have sent a steward or a servant, waited to hear his reason for coming, and then decided whether to see him.

“Ah, I appreciate the hospitality…”

Yet, she had come to greet him in person.

‘And that was the right choice.’

The way he had jumped off his horse—wasn’t he unconsciously mimicking someone?

Elijah’s strong build came from his Logudoro lineage, and his green eyes were unmistakably inherited from the Countess.

But still.

Juliet briefly observed the way his shoulders curled slightly forward, the way his face was flushed from the heat, and those familiar green eyes… before looking away.

“Come inside. The heat is still harsh.”

“Ah… yes.”

Without waiting for him to hand off his horse to the servants, Juliet turned and headed indoors.

Behind her, she heard his hurried, slightly clumsy footsteps as he quickly followed.

“A cool drink has been prepared.”

“…! Thank you for the consideration.”

His reply was overly polite, but his genuine appreciation was impossible to hide.

“…”

“Duchess?”

“It’s nothing. Let’s go.”

Suppressing a smile that nearly escaped, Juliet quickened her pace.

The sitting room wasn’t far.