Chapter 12
That’s Not What I Meant by “Let’s Kiss”!
Warm sunlight poured over the head of the bed.
Even as morning brightened the room, Theo remained lying still.
Since yesterday, he had been trapped in a feeling he couldn’t describe.
The familiar air felt sweet, and the gray world around him seemed to burst into color.
In the end, he stayed awake all night.
The afterimage of Evelyn kept tormenting him.
Her slightly curly pink hair, her blue eyes that looked straight at him.
He already missed her cheerful voice.
But the moment he would never forget was…
When Evelyn ran toward him to save him.
Her worried face kept replaying in his mind.
“Trust no one.”
Theo muttered to himself—the words he would never forget.
“You can only give your heart when you can fully feel the other person’s sincerity.”
He tilted his head slightly.
“I didn’t just give it… I’ve completely lost it.”
Falling for Evelyn had been like an unexpected accident.
The strong walls he had built over the years had melted away in an instant.
The sincerity she offered him rushed in like a tidal wave and swallowed him whole.
Even if he drowned in it, he couldn’t let go of that blissful moment.
Theo touched his lips.
He could still clearly remember the soft sensation from yesterday.
He forced himself to hold back the urge to go to Evelyn immediately.
After the exhausting mountain trek—and even a hangover—she must be very tired.
‘She seemed to love food.’
At the inn and at the restaurant, her eyes sparkled whenever she ate something delicious.
Naturally, Theo began thinking of the capital’s finest restaurants he could take her to.
But that was it.
He couldn’t think of any other date ideas.
He had never struggled with human relationships before.
He was skilled at conversation, able to take the upper hand without revealing too much of himself. He handled his duties with ease.
And he had never once felt desperate for someone’s affection.
But this time was different.
He wanted Evelyn to think well of him.
Not just simple attraction—he wanted something deeper.
That was why, after the kiss, he had revealed all his feelings.
He had done his best to confess sincerely, hoping to persuade her.
Even after returning to the capital, he wanted to become her person.
Evelyn was an amazing and lovable woman.
If he wanted to stand as her equal…
‘I’ll have to work harder than ever.’
It would be more difficult than any battle he had fought so far.
Theo sat up.
It was time for breakfast.
Imagining Evelyn already seated at the table, he made his way downstairs.
Perhaps because he felt excited, his chest felt light and ticklish, as if stuffed with cotton.
When he reached the first floor of the inn, his subordinates were sitting sparsely around a large table, chatting.
Among them sat a pale and trembling Oliver.
Theo glanced around and asked,
“Where is Evelyn?”
Is she still sleeping? She shouldn’t skip meals.
But Victor’s answer instantly erased his concern.
“She went back to the capital.”
What…?
Theo, who rarely showed surprise, widened his eyes.
For a moment, he doubted his own hearing.
“Why did she leave…?”
Victor, busy knitting, didn’t notice his lord’s hardened expression and answered casually,
“I don’t know. The guy here—Olive—told us.”
At the mention of his name, Oliver shrank his shoulders.
He didn’t even dare to correct him with, “It’s Oliver, not Olive!”
“……”
Theo fell silent.
A cold aura began to spread from him, and one by one, the knights lifted their heads.
Their lord’s face looked more serious than usual.
Theo stroked his chin and hummed quietly.
“Olive.”
“Y-Yes, sir!”
It was the first time Theo had directly addressed Oliver.
Oliver had always hoped to remain invisible to the duke…
But the questioning began.
“When did Evelyn leave?”
“About three hours ago…”
“Did she see you before heading to the capital?”
“Yes, sir. The senior researcher came with her. They said they were leaving immediately…”
“The business trip period isn’t over. Why?”
“I—I’m not sure…”
It felt like an interrogation.
Oliver felt wronged in his own way.
He knew Catherine was returning to the capital, but he hadn’t expected Evelyn to leave as well.
While he was asleep, the two of them informed him of their departure and left right away.
‘Th-Then what about me?’
‘It can’t be helped. One researcher has to stay and finish the work.’
He should have clung to them and followed!
But it was too late for regrets.
Before he knew it, the knights had barged into his room, pushed him along, and forced him to sit at the table.
And now even the duke was interrogating him…
He felt like he would get indigestion even if he swallowed a single bite.
In any situation, the duke usually wore a smile—so consistently that one might think it was a mask.
But now, nothing could be read from his face.
He had no expression at all.
Theo stood there, lost in thought.
The bored knights resumed chatting among themselves.
Only Oliver remained terrified.
After some time, breakfast was placed on the table.
At last, Theo looked toward his subordinates.
“Vanessa.”
“Yes, my lord.”
She answered stiffly.
“Come see me after the meal.”
“Understood.”
After giving the order, Theo left.
Once he disappeared, the knights all turned toward Vanessa.
“Did you mess up?”
“Did you seduce another imperial knight?”
“Or did one come looking for you again like last time…?”
Unable to take it anymore, Vanessa slammed her fist on the table.
Bang!
“Watch what you say. I didn’t seduce them—they fell for me!”
Since joining the order, Vanessa had constantly been surrounded by rumors of romance.
The problem was that just as passionately as she fell in love, her feelings cooled quickly.
Men who fell deeply for her charm often came all the way to the Ashford Duchy, crying and begging.
Thankfully, one of her strict rules was never to get involved with fellow knights.
“Then why does the lord want to see you alone?”
“I don’t know. But I didn’t do anything wrong.”
Feeling reassured by her own words, Vanessa began eating.
The simple-minded knights followed her lead.
It was then that tension filled the table.
“So that means there are three extra servings left? The two researchers’ meals and the lord’s as well.”
At Victor’s words, the knights’ eyes sharpened.
A heated debate began over who would claim the leftover food.
“Let’s throw knives and score points!”
“How about whoever can lift the table the longest?”
While they argued, Oliver quietly slipped away from his seat.
He just wanted to escape.
After the chaotic meal ended, Vanessa headed toward Theo’s room.
What could this be about?
As a superior, her lord was actually quite comfortable to serve.
He rarely cared about what his subordinates did.
He didn’t judge by status or connections—only by skill.
That was why the Ashford Knights were among the strongest on the continent.
In other words, he would never summon someone over a trivial matter.
As she climbed the stairs and approached his room, Vanessa began to feel nervous.
‘What is this about?’
She took a deep breath and knocked.
“Come in.”
Her lord was seated at his desk, looking out the window.
His face was still expressionless.
Vanessa slowly approached him.
“…You called for me?”
“Yes.”
And then—silence again.
The longer the quiet stretched, the deeper her thoughts wandered.
She began reviewing every mistake she might have made, even digging up memories from her first steps as a child.
Of course, that had been long before she had any connection to Theo.
Then—
Theo let out a sigh.
He spoke in a low voice.
“What does it mean when the woman disappears the day after a proposal?”
“….”
Vanessa realized something.
When faced with an unexpected situation, her brain did not function very well.
“Could you explain in more detail…?”
“A man proposed to the woman he loved. They exchanged sincere feelings. But the next day, she left without saying a word.”
“Ah.”
So that’s all? Vanessa felt her tension melt away.
Relaxed, she answered bluntly as usual.
“It’s rejection. If she left without even saying anything, she must have really hated it.”
She must’ve been sick of him!
At those words, Theo’s face twisted miserably.
