Chapter: 76
Even after we sat side by side in the carriage,
the Duke still hadn’t said a single word about the earrings.
And somehow… I started to feel a little disappointed.
‘What the heck? Last time, he even asked about the earrings first.’
I’d gone to all the trouble of wearing them, and he hadn’t even noticed?
If he was going to act like this, he shouldn’t have gotten my hopes up in the first place!
Perhaps sensing my intense gaze, the Duke glanced over at me.
“Is there perhaps something you would like to say?”
“No, nothing.”
I pretended not to care and looked away for no particular reason.
At the same time, the Duke smiled at me.
“Actually, there is something I would like to say.”
“Yes?”
“About those earrings.”
The Duke continued casually, as though he were stating the most obvious fact in the world.
“They seem to have been made specifically for Lady Ancy.”
“Huh? Yes?”
“They suit you very well.”
His tone was perfectly calm.
But then.
“If I hadn’t given you those earrings, I think I would have regretted it for the rest of my life.”
The blue gaze lingering intently on my earlobe.
The lips curved into a smile.
It was so obvious that he truly thought I was beautiful.
There was no way I could fail to notice it…
‘Isn’t it a little unfair to suddenly come on this strong?’
Without realizing it, I began to stammer.
“Ah, you knew?”
“Of course. I knew the moment I first saw you wearing them.”
“Then why didn’t you say anything…?”
“Well…”
For a moment, the Duke hesitated slightly.
“I thought that if you knew how much attention I was paying to the earrings, Lady Ancy might feel pressured.”
Ah.
I blinked blankly.
So he had deliberately pretended not to notice them for my sake?
“Well, anyway.”
After giving a short cough, the Duke looked straight at me.
“You promised that I would be the first person to see you wearing them, so I was wondering when that promise would finally be fulfilled…”
His blue gaze brushed over my earlobe.
Then he smiled with his eyes.
It was a refreshing smile, as clear as the bright summer sky.
“You were worth waiting for. You look very beautiful.”
“…”
At that moment,
I felt my face grow hot.
‘Oh, no.’
What if he found out that I was conscious of him because of this…!
“Th-that aside.”
Desperate not to let him see how embarrassed I was, I hurriedly changed the subject.
“It seems like the Duke and I have been meeting quite often lately. What do you think about that?”
Well, I really was curious.
Even putting today’s meeting aside,
the Young Lady kept canceling her plans to go out, while the Duke kept filling the empty slots.
Wasn’t that a little strange?
At that, the Duke looked at me with an immediately wounded expression.
“Do you perhaps dislike meeting with me?”
“Of course not!”
Startled, I quickly shook my head.
“Then why would you ask such a question?”
“Well, the Duke is a very busy person. I was just wondering whether it’s really all right for you to spend this much time on me.”
“It’s all right. I’m doing it because I want to.”
Hm? Because he wanted to?
I stared at the Duke in confusion.
For some reason, it felt like we were talking past each other…
Then the Duke seemed to furrow his brows slightly.
“…Don’t tell me.”
He hurriedly asked me,
“Did Eva not tell you?”
“Tell me what?”
At my question, the Duke’s face fell completely.
“Phew.”
After letting out a long sigh, the Duke raised his index finger and pressed it firmly against his temple.
He looked as though he were trying to suppress a pounding headache.
Then, with an awkward expression, he opened his mouth.
“The truth is…”
A little while later.
After hearing the whole story, I was utterly shocked.
“What?! The Young Lady asked you to do that?!”
“I… thought Eva had already told you beforehand.”
The Duke continued with a sigh.
“If it made you uncomfortable, I will be more careful from now on. I sincerely apologize.”
“No, don’t apologize!”
Flustered, I quickly waved my hands.
Honestly, what woman could possibly feel uncomfortable around a man like the Duke?
Well, of course, there might be some if I looked hard enough!
‘But I’m definitely not one of them!’
I wanted to make it clear just how much I liked being around the Duke, so I said,
“It wasn’t uncomfortable at all! If anything, I actually liked it…!”
…And then I made a huge blunder.
‘Gasp.’
I instinctively clamped my mouth shut and glanced at the Duke.
‘What do I do? Did he hear that?!’
The Duke remained silent for a moment before calmly replying,
“I see.”
At the same time, a slow smile began to spread across his handsome face.
Strangely embarrassed, I couldn’t bring myself to meet his sparkling eyes.
“Lady Ancy, then, enjoyed the time she spent with me.”
“…”
I don’t know…
I bit my lip tightly.
At the same time, the Duke teasingly pressed me for an answer.
“How much did you enjoy it? Could you tell me a little more about it?”
“Forget it.”
I answered primly before quickly turning my head away and staring out the window.
“Haha!”
The Duke finally couldn’t hold back and burst into loud laughter.
The sound of his laughter tickled my ears sweetly.
And once again, my face grew burning hot.
Really, laughing like that was cheating!
It wasn’t good for my heart!
Wilson University was one of the most prestigious universities in the Empire.
Perhaps because of that, the end-of-semester party had a somewhat more subdued atmosphere than other parties.
Rather than dancing, the attendees were chatting with one another over refreshments and light drinks.
They also scrutinized one another with hawk-like eyes.
Most of them were students looking for patrons and wealthy nobles eager to acquire talented individuals.
Yet among them, there was one person who was exceptionally popular.
“Thank you, Your Grace.”
One student who had timidly approached the Duke bowed deeply.
“If Your Grace hadn’t helped me, it would have been extremely difficult to finish this paper.”
“It’s quite all right. Helping talented students is a pleasure of mine.”
The Duke shook his head and gazed at the student gently.
“I heard you ranked second in your department this time?”
The student’s eyes widened at the question.
“Ah, you knew?”
“Of course. You’re a scholarship student personally selected by Claudius. Naturally, I should know.”
His blue eyes curved elegantly.
“I also looked over the paper you sent to the ducal family this time. It was excellent. I found your unique perspective on high fever and delirium particularly interesting.”
“I never imagined… that you would read the paper yourself.”
The student’s face lit up.
“I-I am truly honored.”
“No, if anything, I’m the one who is proud. I’m delighted that I could lend a hand in helping an excellent student like you continue your studies.”
Having said that, the Duke casually tossed out another question.
“Come to think of it, I heard that you’re graduating at the end of this semester, Simon.”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
“Then would you consider joining the Claudius Medical Research Institute?”
For a moment, the student’s face was filled with delight.
“T-The Claudius Medical Research Institute?”
“Yes. Of course, I’m not forcing you, but I believe someone like you could make a great contribution to our institute and to the advancement of medicine.”
“I understand! I’ll definitely come see you!”
The excited student bowed at the waist until he was nearly bent ninety degrees.
“Th-thank you so much!”
Then he left, filled with joy.
Watching him walk away, I was inwardly impressed.
He had recruited a talented student for the research institute in one fell swoop.
‘Wow, he’s incredibly good at managing people!’
