Chapter 31
Excitement
How could he be having these thoughts with her right in front of him? Instinctively, his eyes didn’t know where to look, and he fumbled awkwardly.
“Eyzar?”
Julietta approached, her expression filled with concern. Every time she moved, the hem of her dress rippled softly, almost like a fairy was in front of him.
And seeing her face up close was breathtakingly beautiful. She was already a lovely woman, but she had dressed in a way that highlighted her features even more than usual.
He couldn’t endure it any longer.
“…I’m sorry. I… I need to step outside for a moment.”
“Why? Are you hurt?”
“No, it’s not that.”
“Then what is it?”
Her pale, flawless skin was so close that an inappropriate thought crossed his mind. He decided, briefly, that maybe he should go bang his head against a wall—he clearly wasn’t in his right mind.
“Is it because you’re so beautiful that I don’t want anyone else to see you?”
Julietta asked playfully, smiling. At that moment, the thought of canceling their outing flashed through Eyzar’s mind.
Of course, Julieta was joking—but Eyzar wasn’t.
She was genuinely too beautiful to show anyone else right now.
“Yes. You’re… too beautiful. I don’t want anyone else to see you.”
‘Huh?’
I was a little flustered. Even though it was just the two of us, the maids were present. I had made a playful comment to show a cute and lovely image of us as a couple, fitting the rumors.
But his reaction didn’t feel playful at all. His flushed cheeks and shy expression made me doubt myself.
‘Am I imagining it? Could he really find me beautiful?’
Thinking that, my whole body felt like it was trembling. Eyzar, who seemed to radiate light naturally, truly thought I was beautiful.
What had the maids done to me? They had drawn such praise from a man so perfect.
Sometimes, being beside him, I worried I might look comparatively plain next to his natural radiance. But his words completely washed away those concerns.
“Julietta, could you stay just like that for a moment?”
His face was flushed as he spoke. This wasn’t my imagination.
While his playful remark about not showing me to others might have been casual, his words about my beauty were sincere.
Feeling touched, I glanced at the maids who had worked so hard over the past few days. They nodded knowingly, as if to say, “Lady! Did you see it? Our efforts have shone!” I felt like giving them a thumbs-up immediately.
‘Yes. Well done. Your efforts paid off!’
I had been disappointed earlier that I couldn’t help prepare the lunch together, but that feeling was now forgotten.
“Yes, Eyzar.”
I answered cheerfully and stayed exactly as he had asked. He brushed past me and pulled a shawl from the wardrobe.
‘Why is he bringing out a shawl?’
Curious, I looked at him. He draped the shawl over my shoulders.
“Why are you putting this on me?”
He cleared his throat awkwardly before answering.
“Because the neckline and chest area are too revealing… I couldn’t leave it like this.”
I tilted my head in confusion. While the neckline of this dress was a bit low, it didn’t expose cleavage. Moreover, apparently in the current social season, dresses with plunging backs were in fashion.
Since I was more conservative, I had picked a relatively modest dress.
“This neckline is fine. Besides, it’s too warm for a shawl this season.”
The fabric wasn’t sheer; it had some thickness. A month ago, it might have been okay, but now, in the warming weather, it felt unnecessary.
‘It’s not like wrapping a scarf around a snowman. Still, I don’t mind because it’s considerate.’
Just as he would offer a blanket when I wore a short skirt, he had thoughtfully brought this shawl.
“Don’t worry. When I looked in the mirror, it showed the neckline but not the chest.”
As I tried to hand him the shawl back, Eyzar’s eyes darted awkwardly. Confused, I heard him whisper just loud enough for me to hear:
“I’m sorry… from my position… it’s visible… my lady.”
From his position? And why was his face as red as a tomato? I thought it through carefully. Our height difference was significant. So, looking at me from above, he would naturally see downward…
Ah. Looking from above, my chest… I flushed instantly.
“Kyaa! D-Don’t look!”
“I-I’m sorry!”
I quickly wrapped the shawl back around me and turned away. My heart pounded. I usually didn’t wear dresses that revealed my neckline, so I had never considered someone’s gaze from above.
‘Oh no… does that mean he saw everything?’
Just imagining that made my face hotter. I shook my head violently—I didn’t want to think any further.
“I’ll wear a lighter shawl instead of this one.”
“Yes, understood.”
“And please, forget what you just saw.”
Though he didn’t explain explicitly, Eyzar seemed to understand, nodding in agreement.
“…Yes, my lady.”
As we chatted in this playful, intimate way, we suddenly turned around in surprise. The maids seemed curious, watching us. I tried to calm my blushing face and smiled as if nothing had happened.
“Excuse me, could you fetch a thinner shawl? Preferably opaque this time.”
Mei, who had been recommending dresses enthusiastically, replied with a sulky face:
“But this dress really suits you, showing off your pale neckline. It would be a shame to cover it with a shawl!”
The other maids nodded in agreement. Still, I couldn’t let other men see my chest, so I tried to refuse. But before I could speak, Eyzar answered for me.
“No. I don’t want anyone else seeing it.”
Though shy, his words were firm. At that, Mei’s pout lifted, and Amber and the other maids smiled contentedly.
“Ah, if that’s the case, you should have said so earlier! My lady, please wait. I’ll find a shawl so no men besides the Duke can see anything!”
Was it just my imagination, or did she emphasize no one else ever? And why did Eyzar say that? I glanced at him—he avoided my eyes.
His ears were slightly red, and his hands fidgeted, clenching and unclenching.
‘Was he just pretending a passionate newlywed act in front of the maids? Or does he really not want anyone else to see me…? No, that can’t be.’
I quickly dismissed the ridiculous thought. There was no way he would be jealous of other men. After all, I was only his contracted wife. And considering he hadn’t yet forgotten his first love, it was absurd to assume otherwise.
The shawl was draped over my dress, and the weather was perfectly clear. And the picnic lunch I had been looking forward to was safely in my arms.
“I can’t wait to see how it tastes.”
“It’s nothing special, but I’m glad you’re looking forward to it.”
“Don’t say it’s nothing special! You prepared it from early morning, it’s precious!”
I spoke seriously, and he nodded with a smile. The sound of his laughter was pleasant, the breeze just cool enough, and the sunlight warm.
‘A picnic with someone… how long has it been?’
Having mostly stayed holed up in the mansion, it had been a long time since I could dream of a pleasant outing like this.
Yes. I was excited. The lunch prepared just for me was in my hands, the person I wanted to spend the day with was beside me, and the weather was perfectly clear.
‘I can’t wait. I’ve longed for this kind of day… and now it feels like this can happen often.’
I preferred daily, shared moments over a single extraordinary day. A single special day would feel lonely, but repeated, quiet days meant someone was always there to share joy.
“I’m glad you’re in good spirits.”
“Of course. It’s a picnic with Eyzar, after all. I’m not the only one excited, right?”
He answered:
“Of course not. I was looking forward to it as well—an outing with my lady.”
Eyzar smiled softly. Today, his face seemed dazzlingly radiant. Though he was always attractive, today it felt almost impossible to look directly at him.
‘Did his words about my beauty really make me feel this way? No… it’s more than that…’
“My lady.”
His voice brought me back to reality. Somehow, we had already arrived at the carriage.
“Ah, yes. I’ll get in.”
‘What’s wrong with me? Why am I feeling like this?’
As I hurriedly climbed in, he reached out his hand.
“No, the carriage is high. Take my hand as you climb in. It’s dangerous otherwise.”
The warmth of his hand holding mine was gentle. Only then did I realize what this feeling was—the fluttering, excited feeling in my chest. It was excitement.
