Chapter 39

Aneta carefully placed the cufflinks in her pocket.

There was no doubt that he would be delighted to receive the gift. Even if she handed him a pebble from the ground, he would be happy simply because it came from her.

Serce took on the task of selecting accessories for Chris. His movements were both meticulous and swift as he picked items that matched the dresses.

While the staff was calculating the prices of the selected items, Aneta sat down on a long bench off to the side. Serce naturally took the seat next to her, and with his gaze fixed straight ahead, he asked.

“Earlier, you said you didn’t want anything, right?”

“That’s right.”

“So, is there something you do want?”

“What’s the difference?”

“It’s a matter of nuance. Some things don’t fit the expression ‘have.'”

For example, someone’s heart or a relationship between people. Serce didn’t voice these examples, but similar thoughts crossed Aneta’s mind.

“…I’d like to say no, but I think there is something.”

After a moment of silence, she spoke softly.

” I didn’t want to desire anything. Nothing is more miserable for a person than wanting something. I didn’t have the leisure to have hopes, and I had nowhere left to retreat.”

It was better to not want anything from the beginning than to cling to shattered expectations and end up being destroyed. After all, since she couldn’t have it anyway, she thought it was best to let go of her desires.

“But he keeps drawing my attention.”

Carlos. How could she not think of the name that had deeply imprinted itself in her mind?

With a complex expression, Aneta blinked slowly.

“It seems like the heart doesn’t move according to one’s thoughts.”

“I agree.”

As Serce’s heavy agreement followed, the closed door opened. Chris, who had just finished taking the measurements, looked a little tired.

“It seems it’s done.”

Aneta stood up, leaving their conversation unfinished.

“Let’s go back, Chris.”

She had considered taking Chris to a nice place for a meal, but seeing her condition, it would be better to postpone it to another time.

After signing the bill, Aneta gave Serce a nod of acknowledgment.

“I won’t see you out.”

“Suit yourself. By the way, what about the hunting competition? Are you going to skip it again this time?”

“I was planning to, but I’ve changed my mind. I’ll only attend the banquet.”

“Alright, I’ll see you then. I’ll be going.”

After a brief farewell, Aneta turned around and left with Chris. True to her word, Serce remained in the same spot, watching the closing door.

A suppressed sigh added weight to his chest.

—

The sight of two burly men lurking at the edge of the boutique’s display window was quite a spectacle. As they secretly looked inside, each of them gave off a gloomy atmosphere of jealousy toward the other.

Following them secretly was a good idea, but this was not what they had wanted to see.

Carlos, having made eye contact with Serce, ground his teeth at the sight of them so openly interacting. With not one but two rivals for Aneta’s affection, the worst of them had provoked him.

He wanted to rush inside and put some distance between them, but his remaining shred of rationality held him back.

All he could do now was try to calm his boiling rage.

“Aneta. Striking first like this.”

Beside him, Vernon was in a similar state.

He was gnawing on his handkerchief, consumed by jealousy towards Aneta.

The memories of his gifts being consistently rejected flashed through Vernon’s mind like a painful slideshow. Meanwhile, Aneta was effortlessly achieving everything he had hoped for once again.

He was grateful for her care, but he couldn’t help but want to plead for a chance to step forward himself.

While Carlos and Vernon were both grappling with their emotions, Aneta was the first to step out of the boutique.

Seeing her looking even more beautiful than the day before, Carlos quickly moved away from the display window. Vernon, reacting a split second slower, muttered complaints about Carlos’s pettiness, but his words were drowned out by the passing carriage.

“Brother?”

“What do you mean, brother?”

Chris, who had come out next and held the door for Aneta, was the first to spot the two men. Aneta turned to see what had caught Chris’s attention.

She had suspected something from the familiar term, and following Chris’s gaze, she saw familiar faces.

“What are you two doing here?”

“You told us to meet separately. We were just following your advice and happened to run into each other. A pure coincidence.”

The way Vernon gushed out the words, as if he had been waiting for the question, did little to convince her. Aneta averted her gaze from Vernon’s emphasis on the coincidence.

“Carlos, is what Vernon just said true?”

“No.”

Carlos’s quick and honest response left Vernon feeling like he had been struck by lightning. He had fully expected Carlos to back him up.

—

“Hey, Carlos. How could you just tell the truth like that?”

“I can’t lie to Aneta.”

“Then what does that make me, the one who lied!”

With Aneta’s sharp gaze fixed on him, Vernon expressed his sense of betrayal as he scolded Carlos.

“What else could you be? A liar.”

Aneta’s matter-of-fact tone was followed by Carlos’s playful agreement.

“No wonder. You tricked someone without even batting an eye.”

It was clear she was referring to the incident where they had deceived Erez.

Feeling his head swim, Vernon placed a hand on his forehead. Given the location and with Chris watching, he couldn’t properly argue his case, which made his frustration even worse. It was enough to drive him mad.

“Chris, you don’t believe what they’re saying, do you?”

Suddenly cast as a liar, Vernon turned to Chris, who had been quietly smiling, to explain himself.

Comforting the aggrieved Vernon became Chris’s task, while Aneta moved toward Carlos, holding something she had kept aside.

“Carlos, can you hold out your hand for a moment?”

Carlos, though puzzled, complied with Aneta’s request. Even her simple words made his heart pound.

His extended hand was calloused and rugged. Aneta’s gaze traveled from his fingertips to his solid wrist, contrasting with her soft touch.

Holding his wrist, which she couldn’t fully encircle with one hand, Aneta leisurely removed Carlos’ cufflinks. The ones that had not particularly suited anyone were now entirely in her possession.

“Aneta?”

She didn’t respond to his call, simply focusing on placing the new cufflinks where the old ones had been.

“These suit you. Even better than I imagined.”

Since the moment she saw them, his face had come to mind, so it would have been stranger if they didn’t suit him.

Aneta seemed pleased as she admired the cufflinks that had found their owner sooner than expected.

“This is…?”

“It’s a gift. I realized I hadn’t given you anything before. I hope you like it.”

After placing the remaining pair in his hand, Aneta turned and made her way towards the carriage.

Carlos, overwhelmed with emotion, couldn’t think to stop her.

As she waited in the carriage for Chris, Aneta noticed the cufflinks she had removed from Carlos’s shirt.

Gazing at the object in her hand, she murmured,

“…It’s not like he cherishes these, so I guess it is fine to keep them.”

A faint smile spread across her lips as she traced the smooth surface with her fingertips.

***

The Day of the Hunting Competition

At the entrance to Bellvote Mountain, the site chosen for the event, a unique scene unfolded as noble ladies and gentlemen handed handkerchiefs to their favored participants.

Some rejoiced at the acceptance of their tokens, while others faced rejection, tears brimming in their eyes. Amidst this lively exchange, two figures emerged as the stars of the day: Tereza and Carlos, who had been rivals for the championship for five consecutive years.

Their arrival drew the attention of many. Among the attendees, some even placed bets on who would triumph this time. As the atmosphere grew more intense, a familiar face approached Aneta.

“It’s been a while, Aneta.”

“Lyle.”

Lyle, Tereza’s husband and the one managing the Lopelac household shared a certain familiarity with Aneta. Naturally, they greeted each other warmly.

“How have you been?”

“I’m the same as always. I heard about you through my wife. She mentioned you attended Erez Bauter’s welcome party. I hope Tereza didn’t cause any trouble?”

“Trouble? Not at all. I should thank her for her help.”

Aneta referred to the time when Tereza had assisted in getting Carlos home in a drunken stupor, which made Lyle sigh in relief.

“That’s good to hear. She’s not one to cause problems, but she drank quite a bit that day, and I was worried.”

“That’s probably because His Majesty served the wine from the Brendel region.”

Assuring Lyle that Tereza’s overindulgence was due to her fondness for the rare wine, Aneta turned her attention to the crowd.

Carlos and Tereza were surrounded by numerous admirers, all eager to present their handkerchiefs regardless of their marital status. Seeing this, Lyle let out another sigh.

“I can’t get used to seeing her like that, and every time I do, I get jealous.”

“That just means you love Tereza that much.”

—

Tereza warmly smiled and politely declined all the handkerchiefs offered to her. Lyle watched this with an unsurprised expression, while Aneta turned her attention to observing Carlos.

It was then that their eyes met. Carlos, who had been standing idly, immediately parted the crowd and approached Aneta as soon as she laid her gaze on him.

In contrast to Tereza, who individually interacted with and declined each person, Carlos did not engage with anyone. To him, he viewed the persistent hands as mere obstacles.

He only stopped when he reached Aneta. Following closely was Tereza, who had taken advantage of the path Carlos had cleared.

“So, here you are,” Tereza said, glancing at Lyle with a playful smile.

“Yes, I was standing here, watching you surrounded by others, laughing and smiling.”

“Sorry, but I did decline all the handkerchiefs,” Tereza said, trying to soothe him.

“Of course you did. If you had accepted any, I would have left this place right away,” Lyle retorted, his eyes narrowing slightly.

As Tereza’s innocent gaze pierced through her, she sought Aneta’s help, but Aneta had no intention of stepping in.

Likewise, Carlos ignored Tereza’s unspoken request, his attention fixed solely on Aneta as if he had something important to say.

“Just so you know, I didn’t bring a handkerchief, as usual,” Aneta stated.

“I figured as much,” Carlos responded without a hint of disappointment. Instead, he pulled a handkerchief from his pocket and tied it around her wrist.

“All I want is for you to keep this on until the competition ends. Can you do that for me?” he asked.

Aneta, momentarily puzzled by the gesture, quickly nodded in agreement.

“Alright.”