“What could my fiancée be thinking about to make her gaze so intense?”

As Yvette stared at her own lips, Noel raised one eyebrow.

Only after being pointed out did Yvette snap back to reality.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

She hurriedly averted her gaze and stood up.

Her face, which she couldn’t quite compose, turned red.

‘Am I going crazy? What on earth am I thinking?’

Yvette fanned her face with one hand as she spoke to Noel.

“……Let’s move somewhere else first. There are too many eyes here.”

As Yvette stood up first, Noel obediently followed suit.

‘Come to think of it, it’s unusual for him not to have his hair up today.’

Even as she led the way, Yvette glanced back at Noel.

Noel, who usually kept a neat appearance, was dressed more casually today.

“Is my face still so fascinating to you?”

As she kept glancing at his face, Noel asked with a chuckle.

Yvette flinched like a child caught doing something wrong and quickly turned her gaze forward.

“It’s just that you seem different today.”

“Why? Do you prefer this look?”

“No, not particularly.”

“My fiancée is not very honest.”

“It’s not that I’m not honest, it’s that Noel is too self-conscious.”

As the two were bickering while heading towards Yvette’s bedroom.

Philia, who was passing by with laundry, greeted the two with a welcoming face.

“Where are you two going?”

Philia approached the two with a bright smile.

Yvette smiled back and gestured with her chin towards her bedroom.

“We have something to discuss briefly, so we’re going to my room.”

“……What? You two are going to the Count’s room?”

Whatever she imagined, Philia’s face turned red in an instant.

Seeing this, Yvette belatedly realized her mistake and hurriedly offered an explanation.

“It’s absolutely not what you’re imagining, so don’t think of anything strange.”

“Y-Yes… Of course…”

Despite her compliant response, Philia didn’t seem to believe Yvette’s words at all.

To make matters worse, Noel whispered in Yvette’s ear.

“But it is what that maid is imagining.”

“……Be quiet.”

Yvette glared at Noel before quickening her pace towards her room.

Noel let out a chuckle as he matched his steps with Yvette.

Later on, Philia, left alone, would whisper to Herbert, “The Count might get married soon!” – a conversation Yvette would only learn about much later.

***

It didn’t take long to reach her bedroom.

Yvette took a small deep breath and opened the door.

Wheatley didn’t have many rooms.

Because of that, places where they could talk alone without interruption were limited.

Among them, her bedroom was the only space where others wouldn’t enter carelessly.

‘Berry came in too. There’s no need to be nervous all of a sudden.’

Yvette kept reassuring herself as she flung the door open.

At that moment, an unexpected figure greeted her.

“Yvette!”

Eden, who had been sitting on the bed swinging his feet, sprang up like a coiled spring when he saw her.

He was holding a fairy tale book in his arms.

“Eden?”

Yvette looked at Eden with wide eyes.

Since they had become close, Eden would occasionally come to her room asking her to read to him.

It seemed he had grown fond of the habit of her reading to him whenever he came.

“Did you come today to have me read a book to you too?”

Eden nodded vigorously at her question.

He was looking at Yvette with sparkling eyes, but then he belatedly noticed Noel behind her and flinched.

He didn’t seem to have expected Yvette to be with a guest.

As Eden’s eyes met his, Noel raised one eyebrow.

Unlike Noel who wore an intrigued expression, Eden turned his head abruptly, ignoring him.

Suddenly turned into an invisible man, Noel let out a small, wry laugh.

“Listen, Eden. I have something to do right now, so can I read you the fairy tale later?”

Yvette bent her knees slightly to match Eden’s eye level.

At any other time, she would have read to him right away, but now she had something to do.

“When is later?”

Eden asked carefully, visibly disappointed.

Yvette stroked Eden’s head gently as she answered softly.

“Soon. I promise I’ll read it to you today.”

“Promise?”

“Yes, I promise.”

When Yvette held out her pinky finger, Eden also smiled brightly and grabbed her finger.

Then, taking advantage of a moment when Yvette wasn’t looking, he flashed a victorious smile at Noel.

Noel, who witnessed that expression in its entirety, gave an incredulous laugh.

“I’ll come back later, Yvette! Remember, you must keep your promise, okay?”

With that brief farewell, Eden scampered off.

Noel, who had been staring blankly at Eden’s retreating figure, muttered.

“You’re loved by your servants.”

“Does it look that way?”

When Yvette asked as if she didn’t know, Noel nodded.

“Yes. I can feel that they all have affection for you.”

Noel said this as he sat down on Yvette’s bed. At his natural attitude as if it were his own home, Yvette let out a deflated laugh.

“Anyone would think this was Noel’s room.”

“It’s my fiancée’s room, so it’s as good as mine.”

“……Be honest. Noel, you’re enjoying using the word ‘fiancée’, aren’t you?”

“To be precise, I’ve grown fond of the person that word refers to.”

Seeing Noel smiling with his eyes crinkled, Yvette subtly averted her gaze.

No matter how many times she saw it, she couldn’t get used to that smile.

‘When I look at it, it feels like my heart is being pounded…’

Anyway, it was a face that was harmful to health in many ways.

“So, what’s the next step we should take?”

Even sitting on the bed, Noel maintained his relaxed attitude.

In contrast, Yvette was gradually feeling tense.

“……I’ve been thinking, and I believe this is the next step.”

After hesitating for a while, Yvette sat down next to Noel.

As the distance closed, Noel stared intently at her face.

Feeling his piercing gaze, Yvette complained.

“It’s too burdensome when you stare like that.”

As Yvette leaned back, Noel let out a small laugh.

“Then, should I close my eyes?”

“Yes. I think that would be better.”

At those words, Noel readily closed his eyes.

He didn’t seem at all nervous about being alone with her in a closed room, sitting on the bed no less.

On the other hand, Yvette was trying hard to suppress her breathing, worried that her breath might sound too loud.

‘Shouldn’t the one receiving be the one feeling excited at a time like this?’

Why was she feeling excited looking at the face of a man with his eyes closed?

Thinking that something was terribly wrong, Yvette slowly approached Noel.

***

Meanwhile, Noel Averon wasn’t as composed as Yvette thought.

It wasn’t that he was nervous. But it wasn’t that he was indifferent either.

The rustling of the bedding with even the slightest movement.

The warmth emanating from the other person even without touching.

And the warm breath tickling his ears.

With his eyes closed, all his senses felt doubly sensitive.

‘It’s been a while since I’ve closed my eyes like this in front of someone else.’

While Yvette hesitated in front of him, Noel fell into a brief reverie.

Whenever he closed his eyes, he always imagined knives flying at him. It was a habit that started from a childhood he couldn’t even remember.

Most of the time it remained just imagination, but occasionally that imagination became reality.

Because of this, Noel was somewhat averse to being alone with others.

However, for some reason, it was different when he was with Yvette.