Chapter 52
Hesitating and wavering, Dante turned his back to me again. For a moment, thinking he was leaving, I reached out toward him.
At that instant, Dante slightly bent his knees and offered his back to me.
“Here.”
“…Huh?”
Staring at his broad back, I just blinked. Dante turned his head and asked me,
“Are your legs too weak to stand? I’ll carry you.”
“Th-That’s…”
Carry me? Having lived under the care of the Cline family since I was little, I had never once been carried by anyone.
Lost at this unfamiliar offer, I froze, and Dante, thinking I was hesitating, lightly patted his own back.
“As the owner of the sewing shop said, I’m very strong, so don’t refuse.”
“…”
Pepe whispered to me with wide eyes.
“Yeah. You must be really shocked, so just get on.”
Even Pepe was saying that, so standing there blankly started to feel stranger than actually climbing onto him.
‘Right. As the Duke said, I’m not in the right state to walk on my own.’
In the end, I clung to someone else’s back for the first time. Being so unfamiliar, my posture was awkward. Draping my arms over his neck was clumsy, and even gripping his large hands with my legs made me flinch.
But the moment Dante bent his knees and stood up, I couldn’t help but cling tightly to him, letting out a small scream.
“Eek!”
At first, leaning on Dante’s back felt uncomfortable and I was cautious. But as my legs lifted off the ground and my body swayed, the only thing I could hang on to was his sturdy neck. When I hugged him tightly, he flinched as if surprised.
Pepe grumbled again from within my embrace.
“Damn it. If only I had fully recovered my strength, I wouldn’t have left Ivonne to this wolf brat.”
“Shh!”
Meeting Emil earlier had happened precisely because I was trying to keep Pepe from talking too much.
‘I’ll scold Pepe later.’
As I resolved that inwardly, Dante asked,
“Were you very surprised?”
Even while carrying me, Dante’s steps were perfectly steady. I rolled my eyes around and slowly opened my mouth.
“…A little.”
“You can be honest. I can’t see your face right now.”
Hearing Dante say that, my eyes widened.
‘So that’s why he wanted to carry me.’
If he held me, he could see my face, and maybe he was worried I’d feel embarrassed.
‘He’s considerate.’
Until now, I had thought his soft, gentle voice was what kindness was. But now I understood—Emil’s gentle demeanor toward me had been a kind of boast, only possible because I was completely weaker than him.
True kindness is revealed in small, subtle gestures. Like pretending not to notice tears or respecting the things you like.
I replied in a sulky voice.
“Rather than surprised, I just realized something again. The person I thought was kind and gentle was actually scary and cunning.”
“That guy’s pretty typical. Many men think women should understand and accept everything like their mother.”
Just as Dante couldn’t see my face, I couldn’t see his. But his voice sounded somewhat angry.
“I’m saying it’s not your fault. That guy’s the bad one.”
The way he carefully reassured me so I wouldn’t blame myself made me chuckle softly.
In situations like this, having someone take your side gives more strength than you imagine. I sincerely thanked him.
“Thank you. I’m glad the Duke is here. Otherwise, I might have been taken away like that.”
“I’m glad too. Those guys are weak in front of strong people but strong in front of the weak.”
Muttering sharply as if looking down on Emil, Dante added in a faster tone, probably noticing me.
“I don’t mean you’re weak. You may not be physically strong, but I know your spirit is stronger than anyone else’s. No matter what happens, deciding to leave the place you’ve lived in all your life isn’t easy.”
How could anyone, especially Dante, misinterpret that? Instead of saying it was okay, I corrected him.
“It’s not ‘miss,’ it’s Ivonne.”
“Hmm?”
“You can call me Ivonne.”
He knew my name but never used it. It felt like a line drawn between us.
‘But we’ve grown much closer now.’
We’ve seen each other often and known each other for a while, so it felt strange to still be called “Miss.”
I thought it was a suggestion I couldn’t refuse, but unexpectedly, Dante shook his head.
“Thanks for the consideration, but I’ll pass. If I call you that now, I wouldn’t be able to control myself.”
“What do you mean?”
“You’re far too charming.”
Dante spoke lightly, but I couldn’t understand what he meant.
‘What does that mean?’
I could only see the back of his neck and ears from my position. Could it just be my imagination, or did he seem shy too?
‘It sounds like he likes me.’
If I had just one more hint, the pieces would fit perfectly like a puzzle. But before we could talk more, we arrived at the veil company headquarters. Rowan, who had heard Dante was coming, came out to meet us, eyes wide.
“Your Grace! Why are you coming in like this? And why is Ivonne being carried? Did she hurt her leg?”
Dante set me down with a curt tone.
“I met the young Count Cline just ahead.”
“Oh my.”
Rowan pressed his forehead, making a sound of distress. It was obvious what Emil must have done.
‘He didn’t even know who Emil Cline was when he came to the capital.’
Surely something happened that made him recognize Emil. Straightening my crumpled skirt quickly, I cautiously asked Rowan,
“…Was the annoying visitor Emil?”
Rowan’s eyes widened in surprise, then he sighed and answered.
“Yes. He kept demanding to know where you were hiding.”
“I caused trouble.”
I bowed quickly. Rowan rushed over, holding my shoulders with both hands to lift me up.
“What are you talking about! Ivonne did nothing wrong! That guy is the weird one.”
Then, holding my shoulders tightly, she gave advice like an older sister.
“And it’s lucky you separated before marriage. Divorce is twice as hard as marriage.”
Dante, who had been quietly listening a step away, scoffed.
“You speak as if you’ve experienced it.”
“Don’t get involved, Your Grace.”
After glaring at Dante, Rowan returned to worrying about me.
“You didn’t get into any real trouble, did you? Your eyes looked wild when you came in.”
“The Duke saved me.”
“Ah, it’s lucky our Duke looks like a brick. Even if he pretends to be fine, he was probably trembling inside.”
‘Brick… what does she mean by brick?’
Not a rock, but a brick. I found myself glancing at Dante. He tilted his head too, meeting my eyes. His sharply drawn eyebrows and mischievous black hair made him look so masculine.
Before I could study his face in detail, Rowan pushed me toward the office with both hands.
“Come, let’s go into my office and have warm tea and sweet scones. It’ll calm your nerves. And you can tell me how you’ve been.”
Dante, who I thought would come with us, unexpectedly took a step back.
“I’ll take a quick walk around.”
“Be careful.”
The words directed at his back felt strange. Curious, I looked at Rowan, who winked and whispered.
“He’s just checking on his other staff too.”
Ah, of course. As the head of the company, it’s natural he would check regularly.
‘He must be really busy.’
Not only dealing with duties as Duke, but also managing the company. Even trusting Rowan, it was naturally hectic.
I wanted to greet him properly, but before I could, I was pulled into the office. There was neither tea nor scones on the table. Blinking, Rowan grabbed my hands.
“I really wanted to meet you, Ivonne. I have questions.”
“Yes? What is it?”
Without telling me to sit or wait for tea, she went straight to the point.
“You’re really in a relationship with the Duke now, right? When are you getting married?”
“Eh…?”
I turned red as a ripe tomato.
