Chapter: 110
Finally, the day of the charity party arrived.
I got up early in the morning and took great care with my appearance.
After carefully applying my makeup, putting on the dress I had chosen several days ago, and straightening my clothes, I looked into the mirror.
‘Hmm, I haven’t forgotten anything, have I?’
My reflection stared back at me, thoroughly dressed up after all the effort I’d put into my appearance.
I wore a velvet dress that fell smoothly, covering my entire body without leaving a single flaw, with a jeweled belt serving as an accent.
A small handbag, a short cape that matched the dress to keep me warm, and velvet shoes completed the outfit.
I looked perfectly presentable for any party.
Finally, I put on the earrings the Duke had given me as a gift, and I was completely ready to go out.
‘Well, I don’t think the young lady will have anything to nag me about if I look like this.’
After carefully examining myself in the mirror, I nodded in satisfaction.
Just then, Amy poked her head into the room.
“Miss, a carriage from Claudius has arrived!”
“Okay, I’m coming!”
I hurried downstairs.
The Duke had the carriage waiting in front of the townhouse and was waiting for me in the garden.
‘How can even his back look so handsome?’
I admired him inwardly.
The Duke looked utterly aristocratic today.
He was dressed in a well-fitted three-piece suit, with an elegant long coat over it.
He seemed deeply absorbed in his thoughts as he stood with both hands in his pockets, gazing up at the cloudy sky.
I approached the Duke with quick little steps.
“Have you been waiting, Duke?”
The Duke glanced back at me.
I stopped for a moment.
Everything about the Duke was practically perfect.
But the most beautiful thing about him was undoubtedly those blue eyes, as cold and clear as the winter sea.
Whenever those eyes stared directly at me, I would feel as though my mind were being bleached completely white…
“……”
But something was strange.
The Duke merely stared blankly at me without showing any particular reaction.
I tilted my head.
“Duke.”
“……”
“Duke?”
At that moment.
“Ah.”
The Duke blinked, as though he had only just come to his senses.
“I apologize. I was lost in thought for a moment.”
“Lost in thought?”
For some reason, I felt playful and gave the Duke a mildly reproachful look.
“That isn’t very nice. You were thinking about something else even though I was standing right beside you?”
“What? No, that’s not what I meant…”
The Duke fidgeted nervously and glanced at me, gauging my reaction.
Looking at him like that, I couldn’t help having a rather impolite thought.
‘Oh my goodness, he’s so cute…’
No wonder he’s the young lady’s older brother.
The way he didn’t know what to do was just so adorable!
How could a man as handsome as a statue be cute on top of that?
It was unfair!
At the same time, the Duke hesitantly opened his mouth.
“…Actually.”
A faint blush appeared on the Duke’s snow-white cheeks.
“Today, Lady Ansi is… so beautiful.”
“……”
“I was at a loss for words, so I ended up looking foolish. I apologize.”
If he had said that with his usual composed expression, I would have assumed he was merely being polite and let it pass.
But seeing him say it with such a shy expression…
‘What am I supposed to do? Now I’m embarrassed too!’
I felt my face grow burning hot.
Even while saying such embarrassingly sweet things, he didn’t seem greasy or insincere. Instead, he looked completely genuine.
Really, I had fallen for him completely, hadn’t I?
“Aren’t you flattering me too much?”
I deliberately avoided his gaze and muttered,
“E-even if you say things like that, there’s nothing I can do for you in return.”
The Duke immediately became serious.
“No. I didn’t say that because I wanted anything from you.”
“……”
“I was simply expressing my honest feelings.”
I looked up at the Duke with trembling eyes.
Whenever the Duke spoke to me like that, whenever he gazed at me with such gentle eyes, my mind would turn completely blank.
And my tongue would stiffen, leaving me unable to utter a single word.
But…
‘I can’t keep being like this forever.’
I swallowed nervously.
In truth, I knew.
It couldn’t be easy for the Duke to treat me this warmly and familiarly, either.
So I had to find the courage to do the same.
…Even if it was only to narrow the distance between us, if just a little.
At the same time, those blue eyes quietly looked at my earlobe and the rose quartz earring hanging from it.
“Lady Ansi looks beautiful no matter what accessories she wears.”
The Duke’s lips curved into a gentle arc.
It was a satisfied smile.
“But still… whenever I see you wearing the earrings I gave you, I feel especially pleased.”
“Really? I’m glad.”
Gathering every bit of courage I had, I forced myself to speak as calmly as possible.
“I wanted to look pretty for you, and I wanted you to be pleased with how I looked…”
Despite my efforts, however, the end of my voice trembled faintly with nervousness.
“So I wore them on purpose.”
For a moment, the Duke looked completely caught off guard.
“…Is that so?”
“Yes.”
I nodded carefully.
I still didn’t have enough courage to confess my feelings first.
But…
‘Even so, I don’t want to force these feelings down or beat around the bush.’
At the very least, I wanted the romantic affection and nervousness I felt to reach him without any misunderstanding.
But then.
The Duke, who had been quietly looking at me, lowered his head slightly toward me.
‘Huh?’
I blinked.
The distance between us rapidly closed.
His warm breath tickled my earlobe.
…Every nerve in my body became focused entirely on the Duke.
“I’m happy that you took so much care for my sake. However.”
As though he were whispering a very serious and important secret, the Duke lowered his voice and spoke softly beside my ear.
“No matter what you wear, no matter what you look like, even if Lady Ansi were to grow very old and become a grandmother…”
Before I could even breathe properly, the Duke slowly pulled his head away and gave me a soft, smiling look.
“In my eyes, Lady Ansi will always be beautiful.”
“……”
T-this is my limit!
My heart was beating so fast that I felt as though I might faint at any moment.
For the sake of my dignity and my heart health, I hurriedly changed the subject.
“Th-thank you. Come to think of it, what about the young lady?”
“She said she would go separately today.”
The Duke casually shrugged.
“Eva will be escorted by my aide, so you don’t need to worry too much.”
“Ah…”
For some reason, my face felt hot.
Apparently, I’d made it far too obvious that I liked the Duke.
Otherwise, there was no way the young lady would have deliberately left us alone like this, right?
As I stood there not knowing what to do, the Duke held out his hand.
“Shall we go to the carriage?”
“……”
I looked down at that elegant hand with renewed awareness.
That hand that naturally reached out to escort me.
There had once been a time when even holding that hand had made me uncomfortable.
Back then, I firmly believed that the Duke would naturally end up with Seraphina, and that I had no right to even harbor feelings for him on my own.
But now…
“Yes.”
Without hesitation, I placed my hand over the Duke’s.
His blue eyes curved gently.
Those eyes that always looked straight at me, clearer than the sparkling sea in midsummer.
At that moment, I realized.
‘I… never want to let go of this hand.’
I wanted more.
I wanted this beautiful man to remain by my side for the rest of my life.
I dared to wish for it.
