<CHAPTER 19>
Before That, I Want to Know
Evelyn did not need much time to find the book.
Effortlessly taking out the book and checking the cover, she spoke in a slightly surprised voice.
“Oh? It’s a book by Lotus Milton.”
“You know this author as well, Miss?”
A puzzled look settled in Kalid’s clear blue eyes.
“Yes. I read his works occasionally.”
Lotus Milton was not well-known in the Valtian Empire.
His books would only interest animal lovers.
‘So the original male lead liked animals too!’
“You must like animals as well, Miss.”
Kalid, who seemed to be thinking the same thing as her, gently curved the corners of his mouth.
Looking at him now, he resembled a golden retriever.
His smile was so beautiful.
Evelyn, who had been blankly admiring the man’s kind face, soon came to her senses.
“W-well, yes. I’ll be going now!”
After giving that answer and turning to leave, she heard Kalid’s soft voice.
“If you don’t mind, could you spare a moment?”
“Is something the matter………………?”
When Evelyn tilted her head in puzzlement, Kalid hesitated for a moment before answering.
“I would like you to accompany me to the front of this place.”
“Huh? Accompany Your Grace the Duke?”
Kalid nodded his head slightly at her bewildered question.
“A cat living behind the library has given birth to kittens.”
At those words, Evelyn’s green pupils sparkled brightly.
‘Kittens, I want to see them, but………………!’
When she said nothing, the man added with an awkward smile.
“Of course, I have no intention of putting you in a difficult position, so you may refuse.”
Evelyn recalled their previous conversation at the male lead’s consideration.
“I appreciate the kindness, but I don’t want to cause any unnecessary misunderstanding with my fiancé.”
‘Did I speak too firmly back then?’
Kalid had simply shown kindness, yet she seemed to have made him self-conscious unintentionally.
Feeling sorry for no reason, Evelyn scratched her cheek and answered.
“Then, shall we go see them together?”
Since the back of the library was at the entrance of the walking path anyway, she planned to see the cats and return immediately.
Kalid’s blue pupils trembled finely, as if he hadn’t expected Evelyn to accept.
But soon he smiled warmly and guided her to where the cat family lived.
A mother cat and her kittens buried in a fluffy blanket were meowing and crying.
Looking at these small, cute creatures, Evelyn couldn’t help but smile.
When she gently stroked the soft fur, one particularly black cat hissed and raised its tiny paw.
Staring at the kitten the size of a mouse ball, she soon thought of someone.
‘With its black fur and fierce attitude, it really resembles Aksion.’
When Evelyn chuckled, Kalid, who was beside her, asked curiously.
“What is it, Miss?”
She made an awkward smile and pointed at the black kitten.
“This child looks just like my fiancé.”
“Hmm, who do I resemble?”
At that moment, a familiar voice came from right behind her, and Evelyn’s pupils grew round.
Turning her stiff neck with difficulty, she blinked her eyes as if seeing an illusion.
For there, shining unusually brilliantly in the sunlight, was a man with black hair standing right before her.
“Aksion, why are you here…………………”
When the flustered Evelyn trailed off, Aksion, who had loosened the corners of his mouth, spoke in a somewhat chilly voice.
“Before that, I want to know.”
“Why my fiancée is with another man.”
Then, as a strange atmosphere flowed between the three people, suffocating silence fell.
Feeling as if she had been caught in an affair, Evelyn held her throbbing head.
Then she opened her mouth as if feeling wronged.
“Hey, you’re misunderstanding……………….”
How could you think I’d be involved with the male lead?
Evelyn barely swallowed those inner words and let out a shallow sigh.
She first intended to clear up her fiancé’s absurd misunderstanding.
Lifting the black kitten carefully, she showed it to him and spoke.
“The kitten I said looked like you earlier.”
At those words, Aksion raised one eyebrow.
His face showed he had no idea what she was talking about.
Evelyn glanced at Kalid, who was standing silently beside her, and continued.
“This person is Duke Likeran. We came together to see the kittens born in the library.”
Then this time, she introduced Aksion to Kalid.
“Your Grace, this is the fiancé I mentioned earlier.”
Evelyn, who had introduced the two to each other in a fluster, couldn’t hide her troubled expression.
They were the original male lead and sub-male lead who would soon fight over one woman.
Perhaps noticing her difficulty, Kalid was the first to extend his hand for a handshake.
“Pleased to meet you. I am Kalid Likeran.”
Aksion, who had been staring at his hand, raised one corner of his mouth instead of shaking hands.
“I almost misunderstood that you were making a move. Aksion Valentino.”
How can you say such things!
Evelyn couldn’t hide her astonishment at her fiancé’s cold yet direct manner of speech.
Kalid, who naturally lowered his hand hovering in the air, showed an awkward smile and answered.
“There seems to be some misunderstanding.”
“Misunderstanding……………….”
Aksion let out a thin sneer across his lips.
His deep eyes flashed.
Evelyn, who had been watching them, felt that something might happen.
Urgently grabbing the hem of her fiancé’s sleeve, she spoke to Kalid.
“I had completely forgotten about a prior engagement.”
Then Aksion naturally took her hand.
The man’s eyes, who had lazily raised the corners of his mouth, sparkled with small liveliness.
‘What is that look?’
Aksion, who seemed to be enjoying the current situation, opened his mouth softly.
“In that case, we shall take our leave first.”
Kalid, who had been quietly watching the two, nodded his head slightly and pulled the corners of his mouth faintly.
“Then I shall see you next time.”
By the time they reached the main gate of the Imperial Library, Evelyn awkwardly let go of her fiancé’s hand.
“Ahem, the misunderstanding is cleared up now, right?”
When she asked with clear, sparkling eyes, Aksion tilted his head slightly.
“What misunderstanding?”
“You know, that I’m not the kind of person who would two-time my fiancé……………”
Evelyn, who was about to say “shameless person,” stopped for a moment.
‘Wait, why am I explaining this to him?’
When she looked at him with slightly furrowed brows, a lazy smile spread across Aksion’s face.
“You. You knew everything from the beginning!”
“What do you mean?”
The man, who shrugged his shoulders slightly, only asked back in a shameless manner.
Evelyn, who had been huffing at her fiancé’s attitude, glared at him not so kindly.
“You really are something.”
At times like this, Aksion seemed no different from his childhood.
Seeing him enjoy his fiancée’s difficult situation.
Evelyn shook her head and soon let out a deep sigh.
For some reason, today felt like an unusually long day.
She glanced at the Inevassel family carriage that had arrived just in time and spoke.
“I’m going home now.”
“Yes, let’s return to the Count’s residence.”
“Huh? You’re coming to my house too?”
“The Countess has invited me for dinner.”
“What? When on earth—”
Before Evelyn could close her mouth, he pointed to the carriage as her eyes glazed over slowly.
“Shall we get in the carriage now?”
“I happen to have something to discuss as well.”
After finishing his words, a mysterious light swirled in Aksion’s red eyes.
Only the sound of silence echoed, and a quiet stillness pervaded the carriage the two were riding in.
Unable to stand her fiancé’s indifferent gaze staring at her, Evelyn tilted her head and asked.
“What are you thinking so hard about?”
“About you.”
At Aksion’s answer that cut off the conversation, a look of helplessness flashed in her eyes.
