TCPETBL | Chapter 0010

🌷 Chapter Ten
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“One, two, three.”

Arsene counted slowly, his movements fluid and gentle as he glided around the floor.

Though Evelina stood atop his feet, he didn’t appear to struggle in the slightest.

“You have a sharp memory, Evelina. I’m sure you’ll memorize the steps in no time.”

At his words, Evelina snapped out of her daze and focused intently on the dance steps.

Her silver hair swayed softly with each motion.

Even though there was no music playing, it felt as though melodies whispered in her ears.

The dance was neither complex nor long.

Evelina sighed inwardly in relief.

“What do you think? Not too difficult, right?”

“Y–Yes. I think… it’s manageable.”

Evelina gently stepped off Arsene’s feet, still holding his hand.

Her already flushed cheeks turned an even deeper shade of red.

Seeing her radiant smile, a joyful one naturally formed on Arsene’s face as well.

He extended his hand to her once more.

“Would you like to practice a bit more? It’s alright if you make mistakes.”

“Um…”

The woman who had always said ‘it’s fine’ while refusing things seemed to waver.

As if torn between conflicting thoughts, she hesitated.

Arsene whispered sweetly,

“If you practice now and avoid making a big mistake tomorrow, Mother will be thrilled.”

“…”

“And you’ve always wanted to dance, haven’t you? This is your chance.”

Nothing he said was wrong.

And yet, Evelina couldn’t bring herself to take his hand so easily.

Arsene simply waited, his hand extended patiently toward her.

After a moment of hesitation, Evelina finally took his hand.

“Then… please take care of me.”

“I’ll take care of you very well.”

Evelina took a deep breath—perhaps because she was nervous, despite this being only a practice.

Arsene smiled playfully, trying to ease her tension.

“I’m human too, so I might mess up. Please go easy on me.”

“I think I’m the one more likely to mess up…”

Evelina muttered awkwardly with a shy smile.

Her stiff body slowly relaxed as Arsene began counting once more.

“One, two, three.”

Her heart beat wildly with every step she took.

Though the greenhouse was devoid of music, Evelina could almost hear the harmony in her ears.

She, who had hesitated at first, began to move more smoothly with each step.

Arsene didn’t show it, but he was genuinely surprised by her progress.

‘I knew she had a good memory, but I never expected her to retain everything from just one demonstration.’

Evelina made no mistakes in her steps.

There were still stiff parts in her movements, but at this level, she was nothing short of a prodigy.

He turned gracefully, her delicate form swaying gently in his arms.

As he danced with her, he found himself seriously considering persuading her once more to resume her studies.

When the dance ended, Evelina’s heart thudded even louder.

“Evelina, what did you think?”

“I…”

“You can be honest. If you liked it, just say so. No one will argue.”

“…”

“You can live here doing as you please… say what you wish, receive what you want.”

He smiled softly and extended his hand to her again.

When Evelina hesitated, he gently took her hand and kissed its back.

“Whatever you desire, I shall give it to you.”

“…”

“Even if it means trading everything I possess.”

Arsene’s eyes shimmered with an unknown and dangerously intense light.

Evelina hadn’t said a word after that.

They dined together in the grand dining hall, then returned to their respective rooms.

She had tried to convince herself that his words were merely playful, but the look in Arsene’s eyes had been far too serious.

She was grateful, truly. But there was no need for him to risk everything on her behalf.

Still, she couldn’t deny that she enjoyed wearing lavish gowns and eating exquisite meals.

I thought I would live and die in that attic.

Now that she thought about it, she felt ashamed for judging Arsene based solely on the rumors circulating in high society.

She decided she would apologize the next time they met.

With that resolve, she went to bed early to prepare for tomorrow’s dance lesson.

That night, Evelina dreamed a dream she had never had before.

She stood in the center of a grand ballroom.

Adorned in a gown far more opulent than anything she’d ever worn before.

As she glanced around, bewildered, Arsene appeared.

“Evelina.”

“Arsene?”

“It’s time to dance. I even brought an orchestra just for you, my dear wife.”

Dressed in a splendid outfit, Arsene smiled and reached out his hand.

Evelina placed her hand in his without hesitation, her expression still blank.

Though the ballroom was clearly empty, music suddenly began to echo from somewhere.

The orchestra played, and the two of them twirled gracefully across the hall.

“Evelina, did you know?”

“Know what?”

“Your beautiful red eyes… they always make my heart flutter.”

Only then did Evelina realize—her eyes weren’t covered.

She gasped and lowered her head.

Anxiously, her heart pounded at the thought of him seeing her crimson eyes—those accursed eyes.

Arsene leaned close and whispered gently into her ear,

“I’ll wait for the day you no longer hide your eyes… and look at me as you are.”

“…”

“There’s still plenty of time.”

Evelina opened her eyes slowly.

The faint light of dawn slipped through the cracks of the drawn curtains.

She sat up in bed, her expression dazed.

“…A dream.”

Perhaps… deep down, Evelina wished that Arsene truly didn’t mind her red eyes.

Dreams were said to reflect the heart’s hidden desires.

When had she become so selfish?

Because Karina and Arsene treated her so kindly, she felt her heart drifting into foolish dreams, ignoring her place and worth.

“I must never forget my place. I can’t afford to indulge in such useless fantasies.”

Taking a deep breath, Evelina stood.

Her father, the Duke, had avoided seeing her as much as possible.

And whenever they did cross paths, he hurled cruel words at her—calling her a worthless harlot.

Yet Evelina had never once refuted his verbal abuse.

Because, deep down… she believed it was true.

She was indeed worthless.

She was grateful the Duke hadn’t abandoned her outright, even though his words always broke her heart.

More than anyone, Evelina understood just how unworthy she was of the life she now lived in the Archduke’s estate.

She could call it all an illusion—but even so, she wished it would last just a little longer.

So… greed must not be allowed.

She made another silent promise to herself and rang the bell.

Soon after, a knock came at the door, followed by Peri’s voice.

“Your Grace, may I come in?”

“Yes.”

The door opened carefully, and Peri stepped in with a bright expression.

“Did you sleep well last night, Your Grace?”

“Yes. I had a beautiful dream, too.”

“I’m glad to hear that.”

Peri quickly tied back the curtains and opened the window.

A crisp morning breeze drifted through the room—it was cool but not cold enough to make Evelina shiver.

“If you feel chilly, Your Grace, please let me know right away. If you catch a cold, I’ll be in big trouble.”

“Alright.”

“Then I’ll go fetch water for your wash.”

Peri exited the room.

Evelina rose slowly and walked to the window.

A gentle breeze stirred her hair as it fluttered in the wind.

“…Beautiful.”

The heaviness in her chest seemed to lighten, her thoughts becoming clearer.

And then, she saw him.

Arsene.

Apparently, he was an early riser as well.

It seemed he had already dressed and was enjoying a quick walk in the garden before breakfast.

If only I were normal… I could call out to him now.

But not only were her eyes uncovered, she hadn’t even washed her face yet.

She couldn’t let him see her in such an unkempt state.

So instead, Evelina held her breath and quietly gazed at him.

There was a fair distance between them—surely, he wouldn’t notice her watching.

…Or so she thought.

The problem was that Arsene’s sense for being watched was far sharper than the average person’s.

The very moment Evelina laid eyes on him, Arsene had already sensed her gaze.

He wanted to turn and meet her eyes…

But he knew that if he did, she would panic and flee.

Still, if she was watching him, he wanted just one glimpse of her face.

Pretending to notice her belatedly, Arsene slowly lifted his gaze.

Evelina hadn’t expected him to look up so suddenly, and startled, she immediately disappeared from the window.

It was only for a few seconds, but for a swordsman like Arsene with keen vision, it was enough.

He had seen her face clearly.

Those ruby-red eyes, shimmering like sacred gems, were stunningly beautiful.

It pained him to think that such lovely eyes were always hidden behind black cloth.

Her wide, surprised gaze had been so charming that he nearly wanted to bite her.

(T/N: You know when you see a cute baby and you wanna nibble their cheeks? Yeah, same energy here 😭)

Arsene waited a few more minutes, hoping Evelina might peek out again—but her room remained quiet, as if she had already begun preparing for the day.

In the end, he swallowed his regret and headed back inside the manor.

There, Noel approached and bowed respectfully.

“Peri has just entered the Archduchess’s room with the water basin.”

“Alright.”

Arsene responded curtly and stopped at the bottom of the staircase.

Noel disappeared, and Arsene began waiting for Evelina to open her door.

His sharp hearing picked up the soft rustling inside her room.

Though it took a while for her to emerge, he didn’t mind the wait at all.

In fact, waiting for Evelina was the most enjoyable part of his day.

Suddenly, the rustling stopped—and soft footsteps echoed inside the room.

Just as the sound approached the door, Arsene moved, expecting it to open.

As he began climbing the stairs, a gentle voice called out to him.

“Arsene?”

“Evelina~”

He quickened his pace, ascending the stairs swiftly and stopping beside her.

When he offered his arm, Evelina hesitantly wrapped hers around his.

“I can walk on my own… you didn’t have to come all this way for me.”

“I came because I wanted to. Sometimes I’m too busy during the day to see you… and I missed you.”

Her cheeks turned crimson at his effortlessly spoken words.

Embarrassed, she turned her head away, avoiding his gaze.

Arsene smiled softly.

“Come to think of it, today’s the day you’ll be learning to dance from Mother, right?”

“Yes. Maybe that’s why I dreamed of dancing last night.”

At the change of topic, Evelina brightened and spoke with cheerful excitement.

Arsene opened the dining room door, suppressing the sudden urge to kiss her cheek.
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