Chapter 8
I narrowed my eyes at Yuri as he casually gave me a nickname.
“Who said you could shorten my name?”
Yuri responded with an adorable smile.
“We’re business partners. Can’t I at least use a nickname?”
That fluffy, sweet face of his, that sugary smile, and that affectionate tone—
How many people could actually say no after hearing him talk like that?
Well, I would gladly be that person.
“Yes, you can’t.”
At my answer, Yuri stepped closer.
Then, with an unusually serious expression completely devoid of laughter, he asked,
“Then would it be better if I called you by your full name, Tittiana Este?”
“Uh…?”
I was the one who had rejected the nickname, yet when he suddenly became serious, I found myself speechless.
As I stood there opening and closing my mouth like a fool, Yuri stepped back and answered casually.
“I’m joking.”
A beat too late, I pressed a hand against my rapidly pounding heart.
Seriously, who makes jokes with that kind of expression?!
Whether he understood my complicated feelings or not, Yuri simply smiled brightly and spun around.
“Ah, I’ll make lunch. I already prepared the ingredients this morning.”
“Huh? But—”
It was my turn to make lunch today.
But Yuri didn’t wait for my response.
“Just wait a moment, Titi.”
“Ah…”
Look at him smoothly slipping in the nickname again.
I pressed my warm cheeks with both hands and couldn’t help admiring how shamelessly smooth he was.
Do I need to be this charming too if I want to succeed in business?
Just then, Yuri—who I thought was heading upstairs—suddenly stopped and turned around.
His bright smile was dazzling like sunlight.
“And I thought this when I first heard it too, but I think Tittiana is a beautiful name. It sounds like the chirping of a little bird.”
The compliment was as sweet as his face.
His expression, the situation, his words—everything about it was perfectly designed to make someone’s heart flutter.
Unfortunately for him, he picked the wrong person.
I immediately frowned.
“Ugh.”
Yuri frowned in confusion.
“Why are you making that face after I complimented you?”
“I don’t like my name. It sounds childish.”
In my second life, my mother-in-law used to say the same thing every time she saw me.
Tittiana? What kind of name is that? Are you a child? There’s truly nothing about you that I like!
Memories were truly troublesome things.
No matter how hard you tried to shake them off, they would suddenly stab at you like thorns when you least expected it.
I pressed my lips together.
Yuri stared at me before speaking in genuine confusion.
“Why? It’s really pretty. I’m not just saying that.”
Emotions were subjective, weren’t they?
Shouldn’t compliments be given with the listener’s feelings in mind?
I shrugged.
“If I don’t like it, then I don’t like it. What would you say if I told you your name was pretty because it sounds like the name of a flower?”
“Well…”
At my question, Yuri stroked his chin with one finger before breaking into a bright smile.
“I’d think that was a compliment perfectly suited for me.”
“……”
When a beautiful young man who looked like a flower said something like that with his own mouth, I had no comeback.
I should just organize the flower pots.
I turned around to arrange the pots I had planted earlier, but Yuri suddenly grinned mischievously.
“Titi, be honest. My words made your heart flutter a little just now, didn’t they?”
Flutter?
Honestly, I was more shaken when he acted serious earlier.
The thought slipped out before I could stop it, and I immediately grimaced again.
Why was he asking me something like that?
I had already sworn that there would never be love in my life again.
“What would you even gain by making my heart flutter? Stop talking nonsense and go make lunch.”
“Nonsense…”
Yuri looked as if he had been struck.
But he quickly recovered and smirked.
“Ah, so you really do prefer the nickname over your real name?”
“I said no. And stop calling me Titi.”
I scolded him, but it had little effect.
Crossing his arms, Yuri muttered in a strange tone.
“It’s probably better for your heart if I call you Titi.”
What nonsense was he spouting now?
I snorted as if to say, As if I’d ever fall for you.
Yuri chuckled softly.
“Titi, your neck is beautiful.”
This brat seriously—!
“Stop saying ridiculous things and go make lunch already!”
“Wow, you casually say heart-fluttering things to me all the time, but you’re so strict when I do it.”
“When have I ever?”
I asked in disbelief.
Yuri tapped his pale cheek with one finger.
“You just said my name sounded pretty, like a flower.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
When I shouted, Yuri burst into soft laughter.
That laughter really did sound like the chirping of a small bird.
I feel stupid for getting angry.
My irritation faded as I slipped my gardening gloves back on.
“If you just kept your mouth shut and smiled prettily, you’d probably be very popular.”
Yuri crossed his arms and winked.
“I’m not interested in people like that. There are already as many people in the empire who only like my face as grains of sand in the sea.”
“If you keep talking nonsense, you can work while I make lunch.”
For some reason, that made him laugh again.
Then he waved lazily.
“Then wait for me, Titi. I’ll make something so delicious your eyes will pop out.”
After saying that, Yuri bounded upstairs, taking two steps at a time.
Maybe it was because he was so tall with such long limbs, but the way he moved looked light and effortless.
I pouted.
The nickname Titi clung sweetly to my ears.
It only sounds like birdsong because of the way you say it.
His high, soft voice matched his lively appearance perfectly.
I watched his retreating figure before letting out a sigh.
Now that the distraction is gone, I should work.
But I couldn’t focus.
That messy pink hair kept appearing in my mind.
I shook my head vigorously while cleaning flower pots.
Then why did he have to say things like that?
Maybe asking him to work with me had been a mistake.
Still… he’s definitely become brighter.
He had always been cheerful when we first met, but lately Yuri felt truly radiant—like sunlight.
I hope I’m helping with his lethargy.
While thinking that, I placed a freshly cleaned flower pot on the counter.
That was when someone called out to me.
“Excuse me.”
I turned toward the voice—
and froze in shock.
Luxurious golden hair.
Bright green eyes.
A woman as beautiful as a fairy of flowers stood there, attended by a maid holding a parasol beside her.
“Hey, can’t you hear me?”
“……”
Even after making eye contact with her, I remained frozen.
When I still didn’t respond, she pressed again.
“Are you deaf?”
“…No. I can hear you.”
I finally came to my senses and answered.
She frowned delicately.
“Then were you ignoring me this whole time? Do you not know who I am?”
When I remained silent, the maid beside her snapped sharply.
“Her Highness is simply so beautiful that you were stunned speechless. How could someone like you ever have seen someone as noble as the princess? I thought you looked like a country bumpkin, but at least you have good eyes. Hurry and show proper respect!”
“……”
Well…
They weren’t entirely wrong.
I was shocked.
Very shocked.
But not because of her beauty.
Princess Sabina!
The most beautiful woman in the empire.
The treasure of the imperial palace.
The flower of high society.
She had countless titles.
But in my mind, she was only one thing.
Roco’s mistress.
She was the woman who had destroyed my second marriage by having an affair with my husband.
Of course, debating who was worse in an affair was pointless.
If I had to choose, my husband—who cheated on his wife—was absolute trash.
But it takes two people to create betrayal, and Princess Sabina was no innocent victim either.
When I confronted her after learning about the affair, she had simply rested her chin on her hand and said:
Wasn’t he always too good for someone like you? After enjoying him for years, shouldn’t you know when to be satisfied?
Her shameless words had made my blood boil.
I swore I would never see her again.
And yet—
here she was.
Standing right in front of me once more.
I stared at her coldly.
Princess Sabina.
Logically, I knew she hadn’t done anything wrong yet.
That was in the future.
Right now, she was innocent.
But instinctive disgust wasn’t so easy to erase.
That was why I hadn’t been able to fully celebrate when Yuri mentioned that the Empress had shown interest in the blue roses.
I hoped I would never have to cross paths with her again.
When I remained silent once more, the maid snapped impatiently.
“How long are you going to stand there pretending to be mute? No matter how rare your blue roses are, no one in this empire has the right to keep Her Highness waiting.”
Princess Sabina gently grabbed the maid’s arm.
“Don’t scold her too much. It’s only natural for ordinary people to be ignorant of etiquette.”
“Your Highness is far too kind. You shouldn’t forgive such disrespect!”
Wow.
I hadn’t even said a single word, yet they were already talking about disrespect and forgiveness all on their own.
Their self-centered attitude hadn’t changed at all.
