VPSML | CH 07

Chapter 07

Jay stared intently at Pdea’s hand.

If she hadn’t reached out like that, he might have taken “grab it” to mean something else—like capturing him for coming to the Grand Duke’s house.

But reality was different.

Since Pdea was holding out her hand, she clearly meant for him to take it.

Normally, it would be a gesture a man offered to a woman.

“…I’ll just take the thought.”

Jay decided not to accept Pdea’s escort.

He was perfectly healthy, so there was no need for the Grand Duke’s daughter to help him.

Accepting her help without a special reason didn’t feel knightly.

He already suspected Elena might think he was unreliable, so he had to be careful.

Not wanting to appear weak, he lightly stepped down to the ground, pretending to look around the estate.

After all, he had refused her escort, so looking directly at her felt awkward.

Pdea, however, seemed completely unfazed.

Instead, she thought, “He must have been so eager to come here that he didn’t even want to wait to get out of the carriage properly.”

Seeing him busily look around stung her heart a little.

If she’d known he’d be this excited, she would have finished preparations faster and invited him sooner.

“Before explaining the mansion, I’ll show you the garden first.”

Unaware of her twisted reasoning, Jay turned to her.

He wondered why she would bother explaining the mansion to him, since he had no reason to come here again after today.

That was something you did for guests staying over or for people you wanted to be close to.

“…Alright.”

He wasn’t really interested, but unlike the escort, this wasn’t something he could refuse.

Besides, she was already walking ahead without waiting for an answer.

Since the owner of the estate was outside, Jay couldn’t just walk into the mansion alone.

He had no choice but to follow her.

* * *

The only sounds in the Grand Duke’s garden were their footsteps.

Though she’d said she’d introduce the mansion, Pdea simply walked without saying anything.

Jay had no particular expectations, so he looked around on his own.

She seemed to like flowers—there were many kinds planted here.

“Do you like flowers?”

“…Pardon?”

“I asked if you like flowers.”

“Ah… you mean me?”

Jay, lost in idle thoughts, flinched and then calmed down.

For a moment, he thought he had asked her if she liked flowers—especially since that’s exactly what he’d been thinking about just now.

He quietly cleared his throat, unsure how to answer.

He’d never really thought about flowers before.

Looking around, he saw the garden full of blooms.

Since they caught his eye, he figured he didn’t dislike them.

“…I don’t dislike them.”

He spoke in a calm tone.

Pdea resumed walking—this time faster, making him wonder if he’d said something wrong.

He quickened his pace to keep up.

The deeper they went into the garden, the more colorful flowers appeared—yellow being the most common.

Maybe the Grand Duke’s daughter liked yellow flowers best.

“You must like flowers, Your Grace.”

He said this partly to make her stop.

She had been walking as if she wouldn’t stop until they’d gone around the entire garden.

This time, she did stop, turning slowly to face him.

Behind Jay’s golden hair, the flowers she’d carefully planted were in full bloom.

Looking around, she realized why there were so many yellow ones.

“I didn’t realize it, but I must like them more than I thought.”

She smiled faintly at Jay.

“Flowers.”

“….”

Jay’s eyes widened at her sudden smile.

Then he awkwardly glanced behind him.

He hadn’t expected her to like flowers enough to smile, but that wasn’t what threw him—it was that her gaze seemed to be fixed on him.

It must just be my imagination.

Touching the back of his head uneasily, he convinced himself it was because the flowers were blooming behind him.

There was no way she saw him as a flower.

He decided to forget what he had just said, though for some reason it became harder to look her straight in the eye.

Even knowing it was a misunderstanding, he felt like he might fall for it again.

* * *

After walking for a while, lunchtime had long passed.

Hearing this from a servant, Pdea frowned—her schedule had already been delayed by forty minutes.

Still, she invited Jay to have a slightly late lunch with her.

In her mind, “invited” didn’t mean he had a choice—he would eat.

Jay hadn’t expected to stay this long, but he reluctantly agreed.

After all, the only thing he’d done here so far was walk around the garden.

He doubted she had invited him just for that.

…Or maybe she plans to serve me a poor meal to insult me.

Even as they entered the dining room, suspicion lingered.

But when he saw the table covered in food—many dishes that oddly matched his tastes—he was left speechless.

The meal, eaten with some tension, turned out to be delicious.

He tried a bit of everything, half-expecting to find something bad, but couldn’t.

By the end, he was simply full.

Once again, he trailed behind her.

Before going to the drawing room, she said she’d show him a few more rooms.

“This is the sunniest room in the building. I selected every piece of furniture to match its bright atmosphere.”

She seemed to have put a lot of effort into this room, staying there longer than in the others.

Jay found it uncomfortable.

The last room she chose to show him was, unfortunately, a bedroom.

Given how luxurious it was, it had to be one of her own.

He stood awkwardly, wanting to leave, but she sat casually on the bed.

“Even if a master craftsman made it, comfort depends on the person. Want to sit and try it? I’m satisfied, but you might feel differently.”

Jay, who had been keeping his distance, was startled.

He was already uncomfortable being in her bedroom—how could he sit on her bed?

Even if it was just sitting, it was still her bed, so he had to be cautious.

“…No, thank you. I can feel the craftsmanship just by looking at it.”

He politely declined, making her eye twitch slightly.

Could he really judge it without even sitting on it?

Suspicious, Pdea stood and pushed him lightly from behind.

She said he could be honest if it wasn’t good, but she wanted him to try it at least once.

Reluctant to use too much strength against her—especially after realizing she was physically fragile—Jay ended up sitting down.

When he shifted uncomfortably, she frowned.

He had to stay still to know whether the bed was good or not.

She put her hand on his shoulder, hoping he would stop fidgeting.

He flinched. …Did she notice?

Feeling guilty, he suddenly let himself drop onto the bed.

She, holding his shoulder, lost her balance.

“…Your Grace!”

Startled, Jay quickly grabbed her wrist to pull her toward him, worried she might fall.

But he immediately regretted it.

Thump.

His back sank into the soft mattress.