WARDV 26

Chapter  27
3. Aria

“Uuugh…”

Time passed quickly in the blink of an eye.

The exhilaration of the business presentation was already fading.

It was a sunlit, quiet afternoon.

Sitting in the library, I was lost in deep thought, chewing on the tip of my fountain pen.

On the paper laid out in front of me…

…aside from that solemn-looking title, the rest of the page was blank.

And it had been that way for several days now.

‘What kind of business should I even start…’

I had confirmed that mother’s land was rich with magical ore and had already begun mining operations.

Idris had agreed to pay accordingly, so capital was secured.

I had a ton of ideas, but none of them truly stood out.

‘I don’t have time to sit around like this.’

Since Phaidan had already tasted defeat once, he was bound to come back trying to sabotage my business out of spite.

To be able to stand against someone like him, I needed to expand my business and secure my position.

But the more anxious I felt, the less progress I made, and time kept slipping away.

I was nibbling on the end of my pen in frustration when—

“If you’re hungry, why not ask for some dessert instead?”

A playful voice spoke up, startlingly close.

“Idris?”

I looked up with wide eyes at his unexpected appearance.

He’d gone out earlier to check on the airship development, or so he’d said.

“You’re back early?”

“Well, I’ve got a lover waiting at home.”

His words made me flinch involuntarily.

‘Is it because of that stupidly handsome face…’

Even though I knew he didn’t mean a word of it, my heart still dropped a beat every time he said things like that.

I knew Idris enjoyed seeing my reactions and purposely teased me, yet I still always got swept up in his rhythm.

Feeling a sudden competitive urge, I avoided his gaze and mumbled,

“…I wasn’t waiting.”

But Idris, either ignoring me or simply not caring, leaned casually against the desk and said,

“Having trouble coming up with business ideas?”

“Yeah… I’ve got a lot of thoughts, but nothing that screams this is it!”

His gaze shifted to my notebook.

As he saw the blank page a moment before I could cover it in embarrassment—

Thwap—

‘…Huh?’

His large, steady hand closed the notebook with a loud sound.

“Then how about a date today?”

“I thought we were—”

I had expected him to suggest looking for more reference books or brainstorming in another way.

So I almost instinctively responded, before realizing what he had actually said—and jumped in surprise.

“W-Wait, what did you say?”

“You’ve been cooped up in the library for days now.”

He gently took the pen I’d been holding to my lips.

“Libraries are treasure troves of knowledge and good for broadening the mind.”

He placed the pen neatly on top of my notebook.

“But enclosed spaces can also trap your thinking.”

I blinked up at him.

He… had a point.

‘Maybe what I need now is a change of scenery, like he said.’

I’d been so rushed and anxious, I hadn’t even considered it.

Reading the answer in my eyes, Idris smiled his usual calm smile and held out a hand.

“Then may I ask for a sliver of your precious time, my lady?”

‘This place is…’

Idris brought me to a café by the riverside.

Not only was the dessert delicious, but the view was lovely—making it a popular date spot for couples.

“Welcome—”

As we entered, the staff member greeting customers visibly flinched in fear.

That’s when I remembered something I had momentarily forgotten.

The man beside me was, publicly, a notoriously fearsome Duke.

“W-Welcome, Your Grace.”

The staff quickly composed their expression and politely led us in.

But the awe and fear in the eyes of the other onlookers couldn’t be hidden.

Seeing the way people snuck glances at him gave me a strange feeling.

‘He doesn’t seem all that scary to me, honestly…’

He constantly teased me, acted on whimsical curiosities I couldn’t understand…

Yet he also showed moments of sharp insight and quiet seriousness. A bit odd, but not frightening.

When I stole a glance up at him, Idris met my gaze and raised an eyebrow, even though he didn’t know what I was thinking.

“This way to your reserved seat.”

We were guided to a window table on the second floor, with a great view of the river.

After ordering drinks and dessert, I began admiring the scenery.

It was early spring, so the view was still a bit barren, but charming in its own way.

‘It’d be even better to come here in summer or fall.’

As I turned my gaze back toward the interior of the café, I found myself locking eyes with a pair of golden irises I’d grown used to.

‘Still, those are such beautiful eyes.’

That thought popped into my head out of nowhere—and startled me.

Noticing my gaze, Idris asked,

“So? Feeling any better?”

“More than a bit. I should’ve come out sooner. Thanks.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Of course, he couldn’t have known what I’d just been thinking, but I still felt awkward.

I looked down at the first-floor window seats.

As expected of a couples’ hotspot, a couple sat there, feeding each other sweets.

“Here, honey, say ah~”

They were being disgustingly lovey-dovey, and then—

‘Wait. That woman’s outfit… looks like mine?’

I blinked in surprise.

It was the exact same design as one of the few outfits I’d brought from the ducal estate.

‘But that style went out of fashion a year ago…’

This café was expensive, so only nobles usually came here.

Fashion-conscious nobles wouldn’t be caught dead in last year’s styles.

As I frowned at the oddity, Idris’s voice cut into my thoughts.

“What are you staring at so intently?”

Following my gaze, he narrowed his eyes when he saw the couple.

To him, it probably looked like I’d just been watching their flirting.

They were the ones being mushy, but I was the one feeling embarrassed.

“I was just… looking around, that’s all.”

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Luckily, a server arrived with our dessert tray, giving me a timely escape.

Or so I thought.

‘…Huh?’

Idris cut a small piece of cake, stabbed it with his fork, and held it out to me.

“Say ah~”

“W-What are you doing?!”

Startled, I nearly shouted, and Idris replied nonchalantly,

“Didn’t you look jealous just now?”

His slightly curved eyes gleamed with mischief.

This guy…!

“That’s not what I meant—!”

“Still, just go with it. Couples do this sort of thing, right?”

He emphasized the word ‘couples’ with a curious tone, subtly reminding me of the nearby staff and onlooking couples.

In the end, I reluctantly accepted the cake with a forced smile, suppressing the urge to shrivel up inside.

And Idris’s lips curled in smug satisfaction.

‘…So annoying.’

Once again, I’d been dragged along by his pace.

Feeling a strange sense of competitiveness, I cut a piece of cake and held it out to him.

“Wouldn’t want you to feel left out.”

Just like he had done to me.

But then…

Instead of being flustered like I’d hoped, Idris casually placed his hand over mine holding the fork.

‘Uh…?’

I flinched at the sudden skin contact.

He gently guided my hand and took the bite of cake into his mouth.

His lips, unusually red for a man, parted slightly.

His long lashes fluttered downwards.

And then—

“Tastes good.”

His golden eyes curved into a soft smile as they met mine.

The moment our eyes locked, it felt like my heart dropped.

My instincts screamed that this was dangerous.

And yet, I couldn’t look away.

The touch of our fingers tingled like electricity.