Clink. Click.

In the dining room, where Helena and Alexander were seated opposite each other, the only sounds were the tapping of cutlery against plates.

While Alexander quietly continued his meal, occasionally glancing in her direction, Helena appeared to be on a mission to cut her food into ever-smaller pieces.

“Oh dear, I completely forgot to bring in the carrots.”

Unable to endure the awkward atmosphere any longer, Josephine excused herself and said that she needed to organize the ingredients.

The moment she left, the room fell silent once more.

Then, as Alexander shifted in his seat, the tip of his shoe brushed lightly against Helena’s.

“…!”

Helena flinched visibly.

She immediately pulled her feet back, her chest rising and falling with uneven, rapid breaths.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither dared to meet the other’s gaze.

And yet they were both fully aware of each other’s presence.

The air between them was taut with tension, as though something might shatter at any moment.

Perhaps to ease the dryness in his throat, Alexander reached for his glass of water.

At that moment, Helena finally lifted the gaze she had kept lowered throughout the meal.

“……”

She found herself staring, entranced, as Alexander tilted his head back to take a drink.

His prominent Adam’s apple bobbed visibly with each swallow.

For some reason, her mouth suddenly went dry.

‘This can’t continue.’

Helena abruptly rose from her seat.

Alexander looked at her in confusion.

“I’ll excuse myself first.”

“Helena.”

“Please finish your meal.”

Without waiting for a response, Helena hurried out of the dining room.

She could hear Alexander calling after her, but she pretended not to hear and continued walking.

She had just stepped into the second-floor corridor when—

“Let’s talk for a moment.”

Alexander caught up with her in an instant with his long strides and took hold of her wrist.

Before she could protest, he opened the door to the room next door and ushered her inside.

By sheer coincidence, it was the library.

It was the same place where Helena had once stood, pale as death, and declared an end to whatever had been going on between them.

She had replayed that day in her mind dozens, perhaps even hundreds, of times.

But now, she had no opportunity to lose herself in those memories.

Alexander had already backed her against the door and claimed her lips.

Or maybe it had happened the other way around.

Maybe Helena had seized his shoulders and pulled him in for a kiss.

At this point, it no longer mattered who had moved first.

Neither of them cared.

All that mattered was that they had finally found each other.

Neither of them could think about anything other than getting closer to each other.

They had felt this way throughout the unbearably awkward dinner.

No, ever since they had seen each other again in Leon’s bedroom.

Just as in the studio, Helena and Alexander quickly lost themselves in each other’s kisses.

Like two people who could only breathe through one another, they clung desperately to each other, stealing breaths between kisses, leaving their breathing ragged and uneven.

“Helena.”

“Alexander.”

Alexander pulled Helena’s slender body tightly against his own.

Drawing in the floral scent lingering in her hair, he kissed her repeatedly across the face, unable to stop himself.

With only a tenuous grip on reason, Helena pressed a hand lightly against Alexander’s chest and pushed him away.

“We shouldn’t be doing this.”

At her words, Alexander’s eyes narrowed slightly.

“Why not?”

“Well…”

“Didn’t we settle this yesterday?”

Without fully releasing her from his embrace, he continued,

“I like you. You like me. We feel the same way about each other.”

“…I didn’t say it quite like that.”

Helena lowered her lashes, her face flushed a deep red.

“Though I have no intention of denying it.”

“I don’t understand.”

Alexander tilted his head slightly.

“Aren’t you drawn to me too?”

His fingertips lightly brushed her cheek.

That small touch alone made Helena flinch and release a shaky breath.

“It’s that obvious.”

“……”

“It was the same in the dining room. Every time our eyes met, you looked as though you didn’t know what to do with yourself.”

A faint smile touched his lips.

“Though I wasn’t much different.”

Alexander gently lifted her chin until their eyes met.

“What exactly is the problem?”

“…I don’t know either.”

Helena spoke slowly.

“I just can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Thinking about what?”

Helena bit down on her lower lip.

A moment later, she let out a long sigh.

“Fine. I’ll be honest.”

Holding Alexander’s amber-brown gaze, Helena continued,

“You’re right. I am attracted to you.”

Her voice softened.

“Even now. At this very moment.”

She swallowed.

“I tried so hard not to be. I really did. But I couldn’t.”

“……”

“This is the first time I’ve ever felt this way. It’s frightening. And it’s difficult because I don’t even understand myself.”

Alexander asked carefully.

“Can’t you simply be honest with your feelings? Leave the practical concerns to me. I’ll handle them. If you’re still uncertain about the sincerity of my feelings—”

Helena shook her head.

“I don’t doubt your sincerity, Alexander. I know you didn’t approach me lightly. I know you’re seriously considering a future with me. But…”

“But?”

“I want a quiet life, Alexander.”

Helena’s blue eyes met his without wavering.

In a calm but steady voice, she continued.

“My life has been noisy enough already. Chaotic enough. I’m tired of being the subject of other people’s gossip.”

“……”

“But you’re the kind of person who ends up in the newspapers just for taking a walk with someone.”

A faint, weary smile appeared on Helena’s lips.

“And if that someone happened to be me…”

She trailed off.

“Can’t you imagine what that would be like?”

Alexander parted his lips as though to respond.

But Helena gave a small shake of her head, silently asking him not to.

“You’ll tell me that you don’t care what other people say. Because you’re strong.”

“……”

“But I’m not.”

Her voice softened.

“I’m weak. I’m fragile. The things people say hurt me. That’s why I can’t simply ignore them, Alexander.”

Alexander gazed at her for a long moment before asking quietly,

“Then… what becomes of us?”

Their eyes met in the space between them.

Feeling the faint tremor in the hand gripping her arm, Helena lowered her head.

“…I wish I knew the answer to that myself.”

***

“To think you rushed all the way here just because you heard this old man was ill. I’m touched. Even my own daughter didn’t come.”

“Even if I had been somewhere farther away than the capital, I would have come immediately. It’s only natural.”

“There’s no such thing as something being natural.”

Leon spoke in a weak voice.

“You should know that better than anyone.”

After a brief pause, he added,

“Still, I’m glad you came. I think it will be a great comfort to Helena.”

At the mention of Helena’s name, Alexander visibly stiffened.

“…Why do you say that?”

“Before you arrived, that child spent every day sitting by this old man’s bedside, keeping me company.”

A gentle smile curved Alexander’s lips.

“She has a warm heart. She must have worried a great deal on her own.”

Leon’s eyes gradually narrowed as he quietly studied Alexander’s face.

“……”

Alexander raised an eyebrow.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

“Because I don’t think I’ve ever seen you wear that expression before.”

Leon fell silent for a moment before speaking again.

“Do you perhaps have feelings for my granddaughter?”