CHAPTER 41……
Kyle’s expression looked grave, and Everett seemed flustered.
Masha wasn’t the kind to just stand by and watch Everett be put in a difficult spot.
“If you mean what you just said… Are you talking about last time? That day, my lady’s throat was sore, so she couldn’t speak.”
Kyle didn’t answer, but he also didn’t take his eyes off Everett.
She slowly lifted her head and met his gaze.
I thought he’d be furious… but maybe not as much as I expected?
Contrary to her assumptions, Kyle’s green eyes were not only calm but almost serene.
No need to be scared. This all started from Yankeller’s misunderstanding. It’s not like I tried to deceive him on purpose. I didn’t do anything wrong.
Without looking away, Everett gave a slight curtsy.
“It’s an honor to see you, Your Grace.”
This time, it was Masha who gasped and widened her eyes.
“Your Grace…? You mean Grand Duke Kyle? That— that man is the Grand Duke?”
Daisy, who had kept silent, smacked her forehead with an ah, right expression.
“Boss, you didn’t know?”
Harpa couldn’t make sense of the situation at all.
Then Kyle pulled back the deep hood he had been wearing.
“Ah…”
Fiery red hair and clear emerald eyes met their gaze for the first time.
With a low gasp, Masha quickly bowed.
The once lively atmosphere in the tavern grew heavy.
“I’ll ask you again—why did you pretend all this time that you couldn’t speak?”
Kyle’s voice was slow and low.
“Your Grace, I’ve never pretended to be mute.”
“What do you mean? Have you ever spoken before?”
Everett raised her right hand, then bent her thumb.
“The last time we met in Kuna, as Miss Masha said, my throat was very sore. That’s why I couldn’t speak.”
“Go on.”
There was a faint hint of amusement in Kyle’s voice.
Everett bent her second finger and continued,
“When we met in the fortune-teller’s street, I was so startled when we bumped into each other that I couldn’t speak.”
“Startled… you say?”
Everett blinked her dark eyes quickly.
“Yes. As you can see, I’m a delicate young lady. Who wouldn’t be startled after bumping into a Grand Duke?”
The corner of his lips began to twitch.
“Then what about in front of the temple?”
“That time…”
She couldn’t exactly say, That was just Yankeller misunderstanding on his own.
“The priests left me speechless. You saw it yourself, Your Grace—my clothes were torn, and I nearly rolled down the stairs.”
“That’s true. If I hadn’t saved you, you could’ve been seriously hurt.”
Kyle murmured.
“I never once intended to deceive Your Grace. It was just the circumstances. So… please, do not be angry with me.”
Everett clasped her hands and bowed as politely as possible.
Kyle’s lips curved upward.
“Angry? When was I ever angry?”
Everett’s head shot up.
Kyle was looking at her, holding back a laugh.
“You mean… you’re not angry?”
Kyle shrugged.
“What’s there to be angry about? It’s good that you can speak.”
“Then why did you have that expression earlier…?”
“Oh, I’m more delicate than I look too. I was just startled seeing the young lady, who I thought couldn’t speak, suddenly talking.”
His glib answer made Everett’s brow twitch.
Kyle gave a short chuckle.
“Now that you can talk, I can finally ask what I’ve been wanting to know.”
Kyle looked straight into her black eyes.
“What’s your name, my lady?”
That’s what he wanted to know? Just her name?
Everett smiled faintly.
“I am Everett Gronji.”
“Everett… A good name to say.”
Kyle rolled her name around in his mouth a few times.
He looked as pleased and delighted as a child who had just discovered something new.
Harpa, who had been watching carefully, quietly cut in.
“Looks like there was some kind of misunderstanding. Shall we go back to discussing the Ice Kuna now?”
After exchanging introductions, they resumed their talk.
Listening to Harpa, Everett thought,
It might be nice to live in the North. The ingredients can only be found there anyway, so it’d be better to make Kuna there. We could even export it across the continent.
Kyle never took his eyes off her.
But deep in thought, Everett didn’t notice.
Alfred, however, was watching Kyle intently.
So this is the young lady Lord Kyle said owed him…
He had been with Kyle since the temple and had seen Everett several times before, though only in passing.
Why was Kyle looking at her with such eyes?
Alfred had many questions but chose not to ask.
This unfamiliar expression on Kyle’s face was reason enough for Alfred to feel glad he had returned to the capital.
Harpa’s proposal was a good one.
Everett told Masha she would seriously consider it.
“Boss, if it’s okay, could I watch the Kuna-making process?”
“…Pardon?”
Masha looked surprised.
“Oh! If it’s a secret, that’s fine. I was just curious, so I asked.”
With a friendly smile, Masha stood up.
“Why not? It’s not a secret. I was just surprised because no one’s ever wanted to watch before.”
Masha led them toward the neighboring building she used as a workshop.
Alfred, who had been silently drinking his Ice Kuna, also stood abruptly.
“I’m curious as well.”
Naturally, Daisy followed too, leaving only Everett and Kyle behind in the tavern.
Maybe… I should’ve gone too.
Kyle still had his eyes fixed on her.
Everett darted her gaze around the room in discomfort.
“Uh… maybe I’ll go have a look as well.”
Her voice sounded awkward to anyone listening.
She half-rose from her seat.
“Where are you going?”
“I’ve never seen Kuna being made either.”
Kyle gave a low chuckle, the sound like gentle night waves brushing the ear.
“Do you dislike being alone with me, Everett?”
Wouldn’t that be nice?
She swallowed those words down.
“I believe we have quite a bit to talk about.”
“Talk… about what?”
“Before, I thought you couldn’t speak, so I couldn’t. But the situation’s different now.”
“Ah… is that so?”
Kyle smiled faintly and motioned for her to sit again.
She could guess what he wanted to bring up—what he always asked for when he saw her: the footcloth.
Haa… I can’t avoid this anymore. If it’s come to this, I’ll strike first.
Everett spoke quickly.
“Your Grace, I’m sorry. I accidentally lost it. That’s why I haven’t been able to return it.”
“Lost it?”
Kyle’s short question sent a chill down her neck.
Just give it back. I can buy a better one. There’s no reason to hold onto it like this.
It wasn’t that she couldn’t afford it—she could buy a spread cloth many times more expensive than the one Kyle had given her.
But she didn’t want to give it back.
It was the first thing she had received from someone since coming to this world—
and from the male lead, Kyle, no less.
Her very first spread cloth.
The word “first” made even the most trivial things feel special.
To Everett, Kyle’s footcloth was that kind of item.
No, I really don’t want to return it. I’ll just borrow it forever.
Bowing her head, Everett said,
“Your Grace, please forgive me. I dared to—”
“Call me Kyle.”
“…What?”
“Not ‘Your Grace.’ Call me Kyle. I’ll call you by your name too. And I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“…Your Gra—”
“Kyle.”
“…Yes, Lord Kyle.”
“What is it you lost?”
“That… footcloth you gave me at the temple, when you told me to wrap up. Don’t you remember?”
A flicker of light passed through Kyle’s spinning gaze.
“Ah, that. I remember. A very important, extremely expensive, and precious footcloth of mine.”
Yeah… He’d clearly forgotten about it. I got ahead of myself.
Everett tapped her lips with her fingers.
“Thanks for telling me, but that’s not what I meant to talk about.”
Kyle took out a small, fine-looking cloth pouch from his coat.
From it, he carefully removed a piece of paper and placed it before Everett.
“This is…”
It was the note Everett had once scribbled when Kyle demanded a birthday gift from her.
He… kept that so carefully?
Everett looked up at his face.
He was usually a cheeky, playful, teasing Grand Duke.
Sometimes, she thought the calm, serious Yankeller was a better fit for the male lead.
The rune letters she had written for him had been given like a joke—because Kyle was always so full of mischief.
If anyone saw him, they’d think he was holding a treasure map.
Watching him carefully unfold the note made Everett’s ears feel warm.
