Chapter 10
“…Titi, are you crying?”
“…!”
A shadow fell over me, and a large hand gently touched the top of my head. Already on edge, I instinctively twisted away and avoided his touch.
Then I stammered awkwardly.
“C-Crying? What are you talking about? Of course not.”
Yuri tilted his head at my overly defensive reaction, then crouched down in front of me.
He was far taller than me, so even kneeling, his gaze was still higher than mine. The sun seemed to be setting—rainbow-colored light shimmered across his pale pink eyelashes.
Such a pretty face…
Even in this situation, his face was beautiful enough to steal my attention.
He reached out again and gently brushed my eyes.
His long, delicate fingers grazed the corners of my eyes, making me strangely ticklish.
After checking whether there were any traces of tears, he smiled softly.
“Ah, it’s true. There aren’t any tear marks. That’s a relief. It would be terrible if your pretty eyes got swollen.”
It was a fairly ordinary attempt at comfort.
It could’ve even sounded like empty flattery.
But at that moment, warning bells blared in my head.
This is dangerous.
Especially when I was emotionally vulnerable like this.
When someone showed kindness at times like these, the heart I had worked so hard to lock away could easily be shaken apart.
The moment I sensed danger, I slapped Yuri’s hand away without thinking.
His pale blue eyes widened.
I deliberately answered in a cold voice.
“That’s enough, so stop touching me.”
His eyes narrowed again.
“There’s the usual Titi.”
“I told you not to call me that.”
“Please be generous enough to allow at least that much. Honestly, you’re always so harsh to me.”
I only pouted.
If I opened my mouth, I felt like he would notice how chaotic my emotions were.
Even though I acted indifferent, I was relieved Yuri was here.
The dark feelings inside me had brightened the moment I saw him.
I’m such an idiot.
Why did this guy affect me so much?
I let out a hollow laugh, then suddenly snapped back to my senses while brushing back my hair.
“More importantly, what was that just now? Did things really end well with Princess Sabina?”
“What was there to talk about with her? I just told her not to come back.”
“Her?”
Did he really behave politely?
Considering how casually he referred to a princess, I seriously doubted that.
While I sat there speechless, Yuri walked over to where he had set down the tray and sat down.
Then he gestured for me to come over.
“More importantly, I’m starving to death. Can we talk while we eat? I’m exhausted.”
Even after I sat across from him, Yuri stayed silent for a while, as if organizing his thoughts.
I wrapped my hands around my coffee cup and waited.
By the time the warm coffee had gone lukewarm, Yuri finally shrugged.
“It’s true that I know Princess Sabina. But we’re not close. I have no intention of becoming close. To be more honest… I never want to see her again.”
I blinked in surprise at his blunt answer.
Then I found myself grinning widely.
“That’s exactly what I want to say. I don’t even want to run into her on the street.”
“I seriously don’t understand why everyone likes that princess so much.”
“Right? And she has countless followers too. Why doesn’t she bother them instead of coming to our shop and making my life miserable? She could’ve just sent a servant to buy blue roses.”
“As expected, Titi only ever says things I love hearing. I completely agree.”
“What do you mean you love hearing—”
I shot him a glare that clearly said stop talking nonsense.
Then I realized he was subtly changing the subject again.
I immediately pressed further.
“No! That’s not what I meant. So what exactly is your relationship with her? Who are you? Are you friends with the princess or something?”
Yuri frowned deeply.
“Friends? Don’t say something so horrifying. I told you earlier—we’re not close. I genuinely dislike her.”
“You seem connected in a way that isn’t normal.”
She had glared at me like she wanted to kill me, but the moment she looked at Yuri, she acted like a helpless lamb.
As I recalled Sabina’s behavior and twisted my lips in annoyance, Yuri finally spoke after a brief hesitation.
“…I told you before that I used to be a mage, right?”
“Yeah.”
Ah.
Was that how he met Sabina?
“If a princess has a close relationship with a powerful mage, that would definitely strengthen her position. Mages are pretty uncontrollable by nature.”
They didn’t even listen to emperors.
Mages were fundamentally beyond nations and laws.
Yuri looked amused by my comment.
“You said you lived in the countryside, Titi, but you understand noble society surprisingly well.”
His remark made me flinch internally.
Fortunately, he didn’t press the issue.
Instead, he let out a long sigh.
“She wants a mage who will obey her.”
He added dryly,
“And if possible, she’d prefer one with a pretty face. It makes for better bragging rights. Her intentions are painfully obvious, so of course I can’t possibly like her.”
“…That’s harsh.”
I stared at him.
That doesn’t seem like the whole story though.
If she only wanted to possess a handsome mage, why had she glared at me like that?
And there was still something else that didn’t add up.
“But you said you’re not a mage anymore.”
“She doesn’t believe that.”
I shook my head.
“People like that are exhausting.”
Yuri stared at me quietly before speaking in a small voice.
“…I’m sorry.”
“What are you apologizing for all of a sudden?”
Sabina showing up had been an accident.
Why was he apologizing?
Wait—don’t tell me he’s apologizing because she might come back?
That thought made me shudder.
Yuri gave me an awkward smile.
“But don’t worry. If anything happens, I’ll protect you with my life.”
“With your life? That’s a bit dramatic.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to ask the Mage Tower for help? There’s only so much you can handle alone.”
That seemed like a reasonable suggestion.
But instead of answering, Yuri pushed a plate toward me.
“Try the sandwich. It’s very delicious.”
“You’re changing the subject again.”
“If you’re not hungry, I’ll just eat your portion too—”
“Fine, fine!”
He looked fully prepared to steal my sandwich, so I quickly grabbed it.
Yuri burst into laughter, as if he had expected that reaction.
I pouted, but there was no way I was giving up the sandwich.
Everything Yuri made was delicious.
Well… I’m sure he’ll tell me eventually.
As expected, the sandwich tasted incredible.
The crisp apples and perfectly balanced sauce blended together beautifully.
I stared at him in amazement.
“What exactly did you put in this? Mustard? Honey?”
Yuri smiled with narrowed eyes.
He was always devastatingly handsome, but when he smiled like this, melting really did feel like the right word.
“It’s a secret.”
Was there really any need to say that so sweetly?
I pouted.
“Tell me. You need to teach me so I can make something this good for you someday.”
“If you learn how to make better coffee and sandwiches than me, you won’t need to hire me anymore. So no.”
“Pfft.”
That didn’t even make sense.
We were business partners, not employer and employee.
So that was obviously just his way of teasing me.
…Or maybe he meant he plans on cooking for me forever.
Well, fine by me.
If he cooked, my life was easier.
Anyway, thanks to the delicious meal, I was able to forget about Sabina.
I hope she never shows up again.
I even prayed that to a god I didn’t believe in.
Four days later—
Just as I predicted, other flower shops began selling blue roses too, and our sales dropped slightly.
That was when another suspicious person visited our flower shop.
“So you’re the woman?”
“…Excuse me?”
He had the exact same hair color and eye color as Yuri.
But his atmosphere was completely different.
His sharp gaze resembled that of an untamed beast.
He stared directly at me.
“Are you Titianna Este?”
