~Chapter 41~
I immediately snapped to attention at his sudden appearance.
Of all times, he shows up just as the topic of the magical documents comes up.
Of course, it had to be him. He wanted me to hide his weakness. Right, there’s no way that guy likes me without a reason like that.
Étienne! Our plan worked! Vessus, that guy was simpler than we thought!
I looked at Étienne. Surely, he must be feeling the same hidden joy as I was.
But Étienne didn’t look happy. He just glared at Vessus as if he wanted to kill him.
Are you that angry?
“Don’t interfere. This is our business.”
“No, I can’t stay out of it. Dalia is important to me too.”
Things were taking a strange turn.
Fighting Vessus right now is not a good idea.
It would be better if I followed him and got clearer evidence. Once it’s just the two of us, we can talk more seriously.
But Étienne didn’t seem willing to let me go.
Vessus grabbed my wrist. In the instant my body was yanked forward, Étienne also tightened his grip on my hand.
Suddenly, I became the “rope” in a tug-of-war between the two of them.
I saw the shocked expressions on their faces.
“Argh! My armpit’s tearing! Let go!”
“Ve-Vessus!”
Even Sopienne, who had been watching in alarm, appeared.
What kind of love square is this?!
I just wanted to eat steak without any trouble.
At Sopienne’s voice, Vessus released my wrist. I was thrown roughly into Étienne’s arms from the rebound. Étienne held my shoulders tightly.
I whispered quietly, just for him to hear.
“Étienne, what are you doing right now?! What about our plan? Let go! I’ll follow Vessus to get stronger evidence…!”
Étienne grabbed both my arms and pulled me away from his grasp. His face, close to mine, was brimming with anger.
He spoke slowly, enunciating every word as if chewing them out:
“I don’t care about that. Don’t even look at another man.”
My brain froze. I tried opening my mouth several times, but no words came out.
Étienne naturally held my waist, and I went willingly into his embrace. I could almost understand the feeling of a farmer bewitched by a gumiho.
Étienne shot Vessus and Sopienne a displeased glance. In the next moment, we were leaving the banquet hall.
I wondered if it was okay to leave without a word, but… Étienne would handle it, I suppose.
I hurried silently after him.
To return to the room from the banquet hall, we had to cross the garden.
We walked through the dim, quiet garden. My heart, which had been racing like someone who had just sprinted, soon calmed.
I silently stared at Étienne’s back. He still didn’t seem to intend to explain his earlier actions.
I went over the situation again in my mind.
Just yesterday, he had angrily thrown me out of bed. Even this morning, he was clearly upset. He clearly disliked me…
And now he suddenly says not to make eye contact with another man? Even wrecking our plan?
I let out a soft groan that he couldn’t hear. My mind was a mess.
“Don’t even look at another man.”
If you just read the line, it sounded like something straight out of a romance novel—a jealous male protagonist…
Jealousy?
If this is jealousy, does that mean he likes me in a romantic way?
Come to think of it, he had been acting sensitive about my relationship with Vessus.
I thought Étienne liked Vessus. Turns out, he liked me? Since when? Oh no…
Once my imagination started, it accelerated quickly.
Not looking at another man? Ahh!
What would he do if I did? Like, this way, that way? Huh?
I rubbed my nose with my hand. Thankfully it was dark; he wouldn’t see my flaring nostrils from excitement.
I grabbed his arm as he walked quickly.
“Étienne.”
“What?”
“Where are you going? The room is this way.”
“You go ahead. I’ll get some fresh air.”
Now that I thought about it, I could feel warmth coming from his arm and body. Where did that heat come from? Could it really be his burning feelings toward me?
My heart raced with anticipation.
Should I ask him? Why? Was he jealous? What if he really is?
I couldn’t bring myself to speak. I just kept following him.
“I’ll take a walk with you.”
“Do as you like.”
Étienne slowed his pace slightly.
We passed the garden from this morning and went deeper.
Under the softly glowing lights, a beautifully maintained garden revealed itself. Here and there, purple flowering trees caught the eye.
Ah, this must be where Vessus and Sopienne go on dates.
No wonder love could bloom here.
“The garden is beautiful.”
“The royal family has put a lot of effort into it.”
“Ah, money is indeed the best.”
“Still, thanks to that, I used to come here often when I was a child.”
“Why?”
“I didn’t want to study.”
“That’s impossible!”
I followed his gaze and looked at the empty garden. Somewhere there, I imagined young Étienne sneaking into the garden to avoid studying.
It wasn’t easy to picture, but he must have been cute.
“Still, you grew into an excellent adult, working hard day and night.”
“I had to.”
His last words carried a tinge of bitterness. I smiled again.
“Anyway, I’ve never seen such a wonderful place. I thought the Étienne estate garden was impressive, but it doesn’t compare.”
“The garden is managed by the lady of the manor.”
“Hmm… so it’s my fault?”
“If you want to call it that.”
“Seriously. You never told me to do it.”
“Do it.”
“Really?”
Étienne didn’t answer. I decided to take his silence as consent.
Does this mean he acknowledges me as the lady of the estate? Sudden, but I like it!
I quickened my pace and walked ahead.
“Then what about that large purple flowering tree? It would look nice in the middle of the garden.”
“Jacaranda.”
“Jacaranda?”
I stepped closer. I craned my neck to look at the flowers. The dense clusters of purple blossoms seemed ready to fall at any moment.
“Étienne, come look. It’s so beautiful.”
I grabbed his hand from a distance. Reluctantly, he let himself be pulled closer.
“Looking up from below like this, it’s amazing.”
Just then, the wind blew. The small bell-shaped flowers swayed and rustled. It was a spectacle.
I stared with my mouth open for a while.
“Ouch, my neck.”
After holding my head back for so long, my neck stiffened. I cradled my neck and bent down, meeting Étienne’s gaze directly.
“Why… are you staring like that?”
“Who did this to your face?”
Étienne cupped my cheek with one hand.
“Ah.”
Exactly where I had been hit earlier.
“How did you know? I worked hard on compresses, and Penny said it was perfect.”
“How could I not know?”
Despite his curt reply, his touch was gentle.
“That happened.”
“I won’t forgive you.”
“It’s fine. I handled it myself.”
Thanks to earlier events, Sopienne would have a hard time socially for a while. No need to call on Étienne’s help.
I grinned. Étienne examining my cheek with a serious expression was amusing.
Then he looked up and met my eyes.
“What’s funny? I’m angry.”
“I find it funny.”
Laughing again, Étienne’s lips curved slightly in response.
Perhaps due to the moonlight, perhaps the floral scent around us, his gaze felt sweet.
He lifted his hand. On my slightly hunched shoulder, Étienne plucked a flower.
He brought the flower before my face, filling my view with blossoms.
“The color is exactly like your eyes.”
Through the flowers, his voice carried a hint of laughter. I took his hand down. Like magic, Étienne’s smiling face appeared.
I held my breath for a moment.
A pleasant laugh, neatly aligned teeth, eyes curved with no hint of malice.
Each detail etched itself into my memory.
Suddenly, I felt courage I hadn’t felt earlier.
I could ask him what he meant by his earlier words.
No—actually, I felt like he might give me the answer I wanted.
“At the banquet earlier… why… did you do that? Even wrecking our plan?”
The smile on Étienne’s face slowly faded.
I quietly waited for his answer.
But just as I was about to speak, his eyes instantly took on a different light.
Étienne pulled me toward a bush and sat us down. He wrapped his arms around my back and brought a finger to my lips.
I sensed someone nearby, beyond the taller trees. I held my breath with Étienne.
Who could it be? Did someone follow us? After all, I had openly mentioned something about the documents earlier, so it wasn’t strange that someone might follow.
I glanced at Étienne’s waist. Unfortunately, I had no sword on me, coming from the banquet hall.
Damn. Still, Étienne would handle it… probably.
If needed, I’d have to take down one of them myself.
I ran through a mental simulation of attacking the intruder: kick the center, bend the waist, elbow to the back! If they fall, stomp the head…
Then, I heard a large presence beyond the bushes.
It wasn’t just one. I hunched my shoulders and leaned into Étienne, listening closely.
“Ugh….”
Ugh?
What was that sound? It was like a sick puppy whining.
“Haa….”
Haa?
“Too… tempting.”
…Tempting?
It didn’t take long to understand. The next line followed:
“Ah… Sir Robert, you shouldn’t be doing that here.”
“No one’s here, so it’s fine.”
Damn.
This is getting ridiculous!
