Chapter 2.7

“You seem to have grown quite close to Lady Diana.”  

“…Ah, yes. Well, a little.”  

Her heart, which had been pounding wildly, suddenly felt like it had been doused with cold water.  

Could it be that the smile he had just shown wasn’t because of me, but because of Diana?  

How foolish of me.  

What had gotten him so excited, talking about another woman? 

Thinking back, all she had spoken about was tea and Diana.  

Elena had thought, perhaps, that he was opening up to her a little, but now she felt it might all have been a delusion. A corner of her heart ached at the thought.  

“I prefer coffee over tea. Especially sweet cream lattes with lots of buttercream on top. I can’t have them often because I’m afraid of gaining weight, though. What about you, Your Grace?”  

She steadied her sinking heart and deliberately brought up a new topic, pretending to be cheerful. From now on, she’d only talk about herself.  

“I’ve never really thought about liking or disliking anything in particular.”  

“Do you happen to know La Café in the capital? Their cream lattes are the best. They’re really delicious.”  

“Then why don’t you hurry back and have some?”  

Again, and again. He always tried to send her back whenever he got the chance. 

Did he really want me to leave that badly?  

Couldn’t he at least say something like, “I’ll have to try it next time,” or “If we go to the capital together, can you show me the place”? Wasn’t that the basic etiquette of communication?  

“Never mind. I’ve already had more than enough of it.”  

For no particular reason, she grew sulky, and her words came out in a pout.  

There it was again. That laughter from earlier.  

Looking at his smiling face, she suddenly felt as though nothing else mattered anymore.  

Fine, if there was an answer I wanted to hear, I could just say it myself.  

“Next time, if we go to the capital together, I’ll guide you. I bet you’ll fall in love with it, Your Grace.”  

Wait. Fall in love?  

Come to think of it, she had been so caught up in the moment that she had briefly forgotten the real reason she came to the greenhouse in the first place.  

She had come here to make the Grand Duke fall for her, yet she had completely forgotten about it.  

Compliments. She needed to give compliments first.  

Now was the perfect time to use the complimenting techniques she had read about in books.  

But what should I compliment? 

She had thought it would be easy, but now that she had to do it, it felt surprisingly difficult.  

The Grand Duke’s good points. She needed to think of his strengths.  

‘The Grand Duke’s strengths… Well, first of all, he’s handsome.’  

His dazzling appearance was the first thing that came to mind. After that, the rest came to her effortlessly.  

“Your Grace, I think white shirts suit you very well. Especially the collarbones that stand out between the shirt—so se… so handsome!”  

“W-What?”  

The Grand Duke’s eyes widened momentarily before narrowing again. Then, suddenly, he began fastening his top buttons tightly.  

His gaze was… sharp. As though he had just spotted a pervert.  

She had meant to say “sexy” but quickly changed it to “handsome.” If she hadn’t, she wouldn’t have been able to backtrack and might have been branded a weirdo.  

Quickly, she needed to think of something else to compliment.  

“Oh! Your Grace, your hair is also really nice. Earlier, it was so shiny that I thought I’d like to touch it—”  

‘Ah, this isn’t it either.’  

The Grand Duke’s gaze grew increasingly cautious, as though he were looking at something dangerous.  

Wait, did he just subtly push his chair back?  

Was it just my imagination, or did the distance between them seem to have grown?  

Please, stop looking at me like that and say something—anything.  

The more she complimented him, the more awkward the atmosphere became.  

“…Is it because we’re in the greenhouse? It feels a bit warm.”  

Whether it was because of the warm greenhouse or the hot tea she had drunk, or perhaps the cold sweat on her forehead, she wasn’t sure.  

“Ahem. Well, then, shall we get up now?”  

“No! Now that I think about it, it’s not warm at all. Really!”  

She regretted her words. She hadn’t expected him to suggest leaving just because she said it was warm.  

“But you’re sweating.”  

“This isn’t sweat. This is, um… tea. I must have spilled some tea earlier while pouring it.”  

She quickly wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.  

“I was thinking of taking a walk outside, but it seems you aren’t feeling warm, Lady Bellacita. I suppose I’ll have to take a stroll on my own.”  

“Let’s head out. I’m not sweating, but it does feel a little stifling.”  

At the mention of taking a walk, she stood up without hesitation.  

It seemed as though he had figured out how to handle her.  

The greenhouse was located quite deep within the garden. Even if they only walked a short distance before returning, they would still be able to spend a considerable amount of time together.  

As she hurriedly began to tidy up the tea set, the Grand Duke extended his arm to stop her.  

“Leave it. I’ll send someone to clean it up later.”  

“Shall I?”  

She had been worried about having to carry that heavy set back again, so it seemed the Grand Duke had kindly noticed her concern.  

Wait, this was it. 

It wasn’t something she needed to search hard for after all.  

“Your Grace, you’re really kind. You’re attentive and considerate.”  

“What are you suddenly going on about?”  

At her torrent of compliments, the Grand Duke’s brows furrowed more and more.  

But she knew better. He was the type who felt awkward about receiving compliments—just as the books had said!  

“You were worried about me struggling with the weight, weren’t you?”  

She gave him a leisurely smile and a knowing look, but soon the Grand Duke let out a scoff.  

“You’re mistaken. It’s just that, with only the two of us here, it wouldn’t look good for a lady to carry luggage alone. And I don’t want to carry it either.”  

So it wasn’t for consideration, but  for appearances.  

“Well… either way, it’s the same thing.”  

Fine, whether it was consideration or appearances, what did it matter? Either way, he had been mindful enough to not let me carry something heavy on my own.  

As they stepped out of the greenhouse, a cool breeze greeted them.  

“Hmm. The smell of grass is so lovely.”  

When she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, the rich scent of wood carried by the wind brought a pleasant feeling. While the greenhouse had been filled with the fragrance of flowers, the garden was brimming with the scents of grass and trees.  

“I really like this kind of scent.”  

But when she opened her eyes, the Grand Duke was already some distance ahead.  

Was I talking to myself just now? After inviting me for a walk, he had gone on ahead. Wasn’t that too much?  

Feeling embarrassed, she quickened her pace, almost jogging, to catch up with him.  

Though his steps weren’t particularly fast, the difference in their strides meant the gap between them kept growing. As a result, she had to move her feet even faster to close the distance.  

“Your Grace, your legs are really long.”  

At her words, the Grand Duke, who had been glancing back, slightly furrowed his brows again.  

Hmph, he probably thought I had given up, but my compliments weren’t over yet.  

“I suppose I never noticed since I usually walk alone.”  

Oh dear, what she had intended as a compliment about his long legs seemed to have come across as a complaint to him.  

Suddenly, the Grand Duke’s strides noticeably shortened.  

“Hehe. Your Grace, you’re as kind as ever.”  

“That again? Stop it. Anyone who hears you would be dumbfounded.”  

Although his reaction seemed incredulous, it wasn’t as if he completely disliked it.  

She quietly walked alongside the Grand Duke.  

She felt as though her heart kept fluttering simply because this moment, this very instant, made her happy.  

How many people truly knew this kind side of him? Was it possible that I was the only one who had seen this side of him?  

What was it that the Grand Duke so desperately desired? At that time, she couldn’t answer Bianca’s question.  

‘I want to know more about him.’  

The more time she spent with him, the more fervently she wanted to know everything about him.  

“Your Grace, what’s your favorite food? What’s your favorite color? Do you have a favorite flower?”  

“Are you trying to create a stalking list now?”  

What a brilliant idea.  

If she learned more about the Grand Duke, she might seriously consider creating such a list.  

“As I’ve mentioned before, I want to know more about you, Your Grace. Let me start with myself. I’m not picky and eat just about anything, but if I had to choose a favorite, it would probably be toast with whipped cream on top. My favorite color used to be purple when I was a child, but now I like gold. It’s the same color as your eyes, Your Grace.”  

Whether he was listening to her or not, the Grand Duke simply continued walking, staring straight ahead.  

“And my favorite flower is—ah!”  

As she rambled on endlessly to herself, her foot caught on something sticking out.  

‘I’m going to fall.’  

Just as the ground rushed toward her, a strong force pulled her body upward.  

It all happened in the blink of an eye.  

By the time she came to her senses, the Grand Duke’s firm arm was wrapped around her waist.