<CHAPTER 12>
If You Want It, I Can Give It to You
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
As Evelyn deliberately glared at him with sharp eyes, Aksion lightly shrugged his shoulders.
Determined not to let the mark be discovered, she tightly clenched both hands resting on her lap.
While she struggled to maintain her composure, Aksion lifted his teacup.
The moment he was about to drink the coffee, Evelyn’s heart began pounding rapidly.
It’s fine, just drinking that much should be okay.
I need to survive first!
But for some reason,
Aksion held the cup and quietly stared at her.
“W-What are you looking at…?”
Her voice cracked as she tried to take a sip of her own coffee.
“You’re unusually interested in me today.”
At his raised eyebrow and remark, she nearly choked.
Rolling her eyes, she answered vaguely.
“Your coffee just looked good.”
“My coffee?”
He let out a hollow laugh as if it was absurd.
Though he clearly did not believe her, Evelyn decided to act shamelessly instead.
“Yeah, it looks better.”
Aksion’s lips curved elegantly.
“That’s good. I was thinking the same.”
At her questioning gaze, he naturally looked at her cup.
“How about we switch cups?”
“What are you talking about?”
As she stared blankly, he added casually.
“Yours looks better to me.”
H-He’s insane.
If they switched cups now, everything would be ruined.
No, this isn’t how it’s supposed to go…
Seeing her troubled expression, he let out a small laugh.
“I’m joking, Evelyn.”
“What kind of joke is that!”
Phew, I thought I got caught.
Just as Evelyn felt a wave of relief,
Aksion suddenly drank all the coffee in his cup.
Shocked, she could only open and close her mouth silently.
Tilting his head, he spoke.
“You said it looked good.”
“Well, that’s true, but…”
He didn’t leave even a single drop.
Wait… is he trying to get back at me?
As she hurriedly thought of an excuse just in case,
Aksion stood up with a faint mocking smile.
“Let’s go.”
Pretending otherwise, Evelyn secretly curled her lips upward.
She could not hide her excitement at the thought of ending the meeting earlier than usual.
“You’re going home already?”
At her unusually bright tone, Aksion replied with a scoff.
“As if.”
***
Evelyn was walking along, following her fiancé.
Though she did not fully trust him, she decided to believe him once, considering their ten years of acquaintance.
Even so, an uneasy feeling lingered, and she asked again.
“Where are we going?”
It’s the center of the capital, he wouldn’t do anything strange… right?
But that trust did not last long.
For some reason, they were heading deeper into a secluded alley.
Growing anxious, Evelyn lightly grabbed the hem of Aksion’s clothes.
He slightly curled one corner of his lips and gestured toward a shop.
“Hm? Why here…?”
The place he pointed to was a flower shop.
Flowers, so suddenly, and a place that did not suit him at all.
As Evelyn narrowed her eyes at him, Aksion shrugged.
“My mother likes flowers.”
“So?”
Before she could process why he mentioned the Duchess,
he spoke casually.
“We were invited, so we can’t go empty-handed.”
An invitation, out of nowhere?
“Invited? By who?”
Confused, Evelyn tilted her head.
Aksion raised one eyebrow and asked flatly.
“You don’t remember?”
“I’ll invite you to the ducal residence soon, Miss Bella.”
The Duchess’s words suddenly came to mind, and Evelyn’s face turned pale.
“Don’t tell me… that’s today?”
“The Marchioness told you.”
At his indifferent reply, her eyes trembled.
As he said, she had heard it from her mother.
That the Duchess was looking forward to meeting her, and that she should visit the ducal residence soon.
But the problem was that she had heard that just yesterday.
No, what is this… you didn’t say it would be today, Mother!
Before she could recover, Aksion entered the flower shop.
With no choice, Evelyn followed him inside.
From the entrance, a fragrant scent of flowers filled the air.
Looking around at the shop filled with blooming flowers, her green eyes sparkled.
In the greenhouse she inherited from her father, it was rare to see such vividly colored flowers.
Watching her unable to take her eyes off them, Aksion picked up a flower from the display.
“If you want it, I can give it to you.”
Startled, Evelyn looked at him.
Even though they were engaged, they were neither friends nor lovers.
To be precise, they were merely formal partners who pretended to get along in front of others.
What kind of nonsense is this, giving flowers between us?
Just imagining receiving flowers from him made her shiver.
“I don’t need flowers.”
She waved her hands and firmly refused.
Aksion tilted his head.
“No, I meant this flower shop.”
At the unimaginable scale of his statement, Evelyn’s mouth fell open.
But soon she assumed he was just teasing her and shook her head.
Honestly, he might actually do it…
Fearing he might really buy the shop, she protested.
“Don’t you dare do that!”
“Alright, if that’s what my fiancée wants.”
He understood that properly… right?
Evelyn looked at him with uncertainty as he smiled meaningfully.
***
Inside the carriage heading to the Valentino Ducal House, Evelyn held a bouquet of lisianthus flowers in her arms.
She had only planned to have tea with Aksion and return home as usual,
but due to this unexpected situation, she slowly blinked.
If she had to describe her current feelings, she wanted to go home immediately.
Aksion, who had been looking out the window, briefly glanced at her gloomy face.
Then he showed a mischievous smile.
Ugh, he’s really annoying.
Evelyn glared at him before turning her gaze outside.
As always, the Valentino Ducal House radiated an overwhelming presence that could not be compared to other estates.
Even she, who had visited several grand estates before, had not been able to see all of it.
Soon, the carriage slowly came to a stop, and the coachman announced their arrival through the sliding window.
“We have arrived at the ducal residence, Young Duke.”
Aksion stepped down first and skillfully extended his hand.
Watching him quietly, Evelyn let out a small sigh.
Lately, she could not shake the feeling that she was being swept up in his pace.
I don’t even know where things started going wrong.
As she took his hand and stepped down from the carriage,
“Welcome, Miss Bella.”
At the Duchess’s greeting, Evelyn composed herself and responded gracefully.
“Thank you for inviting me, Duchess.”
For some reason, she always felt nervous standing before the Duke and Duchess.
If she had known about today in advance, she would never have come empty-handed.
As she handed over the flowers she had hastily prepared, a gentle smile spread across the Duchess’s lips.
“These are my favorite flowers. Thank you so much.”
Thanks to Aksion ordering the lisianthus bouquet in advance, she had avoided appearing rude.
Though she wouldn’t have minded something like that anyway.
As Evelyn swallowed a sigh of relief, Aksion spoke dryly beside her.
“Mother, didn’t you say you had something to give Evelyn?”
It was his way of saying the greetings were enough and they should head inside.
At his words, the Duchess lightly clapped her hands, her reddish eyes gleaming.
Standing between them, Evelyn swallowed nervously.
