5.4

“‘A different match,’ you say?”  

“Isn’t that just saying you like Lady Novary, Sir Knight, and doesn’t want her to be taken by Viscount Goat’s son? How could you be so oblivious?”  

Lady Rhoda’s doubtful expression prompted her husband, Rhoda, to answer on her behalf, sounding exasperated.  

“Oh my, Ellen said she wasn’t in any relationship with you, Sir Knight, but I was right, wasn’t I?”  

Lady Rhoda clapped her hands and laughed as though an amusing event had occurred.  

“So, from now on, I’d appreciate it if you refrained from mentioning that those two look good together or that they might end up together in front of me.” 

“Of course. Oh-ho-ho. I was being tactless. Sir Knight, you are as manly and commanding as one would expect. That’s how you win Ellen’s heart, isn’t it, Honey?”  

“Uh, yes.”  

Rhoda nodded reluctantly as Lady Rhoda nudged him with her elbow.  

For now, Leon wouldn’t hear any more talk about Ellen and Bernard, and he sighed in relief before turning his gaze back to the two of them.  

Ellen still didn’t show him the slightest smile, yet she beamed brightly in front of that man. She laughed gleefully at everything Bernard said, even though his jokes were far from funny.  

Why? Why laugh at something so dull?  

Every time Leon saw it, a raging fire burned within him.  

Especially when her hand touched Bernard’s shoulder—he wanted to rush over, separate them, and challenge Bernard to a duel for Ellen.  

But knowing such actions wouldn’t please Ellen, Leon could only clench his fists and watch them.  

I can’t let this continue. I need to come up with another plan.  

He had intended to wait until Ellen’s heart softened, but as time passed, there was no sign of her warming up, and that irritating man kept hovering around her.  

If it weren’t for Bernard, Leon felt confident he could win her over eventually. But with this obstacle in the way, his anxiety about losing her grew stronger.  

Leon’s patience was wearing thin, as he suspected Bernard was the reason Ellen’s heart remained closed.  

* * *

“That’s enough for today.”  

After finishing her scheduled visit to the farm, Ellen dragged her tired body toward the lake in the forest.  

The lake lay between the village and the Novary household. Before heading home, Ellen often cooled her sweat-soaked body by dipping her ankles into the cold water.  

Walking slowly along the path between the tall trees, the cool breeze from the forest helped ease the summer heat.  

As she breathed in the fresh scent of nature, Ellen felt her fatigue begin to lift.  

Just as she reached the lakeside, she heard the sound of splashing water.  

Is someone here before me?  

Since she started helping the villagers, Ellen had never encountered anyone at the lake.  

Even Leon, who often appeared without warning, would return home after work, so meeting someone at this hour was unusual.  

Who could it be at this time?  

If it turned out to be a man, Ellen planned to head straight home. She walked cautiously toward the sound to confirm the person’s identity. Her eyes widened in surprise when she saw who it was.  

“Sir Guilford?”  

Leon stood there. He had clearly been sweating a lot, as he had rolled up his trousers to his knees and was cooling his legs in the shallow water.  

Why him, of all people?  

Recently, Ellen hadn’t been alone with Leon in any space. This was the first time since she had called him aside to tell him to leave her alone.  

With nothing to discuss, Ellen decided to ignore his presence and head home.  

“I was just about to leave after cooling off sufficiently.”  

Leon noticed her presence and spoke first. 

“….”  

Hearing him say he was leaving made Ellen hesitate. 

Should I wait for him to leave or just head home?  

I haven’t done anything wrong, so why should I avoid him?  

Suddenly, Ellen realized there was no need to force herself to avoid Leon.  

She hadn’t done anything wrong. It felt absurd to tiptoe around him or let him affect her actions. Avoiding him would only reveal how much she was bothered by him.  

Why should I care about a man who has nothing to do with me? That makes no sense.  

Resolving to ignore him, Ellen decided to proceed as planned. Whether Leon left the lake or not, she confidently continued toward the water.  

Though her heart raced uncontrollably as she passed him, Ellen tried hard not to let her face betray her emotions.  

Fortunately, Leon only nodded slightly before walking in the opposite direction.  

Good, that was natural!  

Despite her still-pounding heart, Ellen felt proud of herself as she stood by the lakeside.  

After confirming that Leon’s footsteps had faded away, she adjusted her dress and crouched down to test the water’s temperature with her hand.  

Splashing softly, her hand dipped into the water. The lake was pleasantly cool, just right for refreshing herself.  

This is perfect for dipping my feet right away.  

Ellen stood up to remove her shoes. At that moment, she heard rustling noises from the forest, followed by an unusual sound.  

“Ah!”  

Startled by the unexpected noise, Ellen stumbled forward, instinctively squeezing her eyes shut.  

A splash echoed, but it wasn’t Ellen who got wet—it was Leon.  

Though she had thought he had walked far away, Leon was suddenly by her side.  

When Ellen nearly fell, Leon caught her, preventing her from plunging into the water. Instead, his legs ended up in the lake.  

The water was shallow, reaching only knee height, but Leon’s trousers were soaked.  

“Are you alright? There’s no need to be startled—it was just a deer.”  

As Ellen calmed her racing heart, she looked toward the source of the sound. Sure enough, a startled deer stared back at her.  

“Oh, haha.”  

As her eyes met the deer’s curious gaze, Ellen burst into laughter.  

Though she usually refrained from laughing in front of Leon, the absurdity of the situation—the deer’s strange cry and her near fall—was too much to suppress.  

She laughed loudly until she freed herself from Leon’s grasp. Even when she tried to stop, the laughter kept spilling out.  

After a while, Ellen finally noticed Leon’s gaze fixed on her.  

“Why….”  

The intense, wordless stare made her feel strange.  

“Because you’re beautiful.”  

After a long silence, Leon’s voice carried a sigh.  

“….”  

Beautiful. It was the first compliment Ellen had ever received from Leon on the night they spent together.  

He had said it when she showed him her bare skin….  

Thinking about that night made Ellen’s face flush. Unable to meet his gaze, she lowered her head. Being alone with him made her suddenly aware of his presence.  

Leon chuckled softly. Then, he tilted her chin upward to meet his eyes.  

As their gazes locked, his thumb brushed lightly over her lips. Unable to endure the depth of his golden eyes, Ellen followed the movement of his hand instead.  

Though his hand only grazed her lips, it felt oddly intimate, as though they had kissed. Her cheeks grew warmer, and the sensation was strange.  

Ellen tried to turn her head away to escape his touch. At that moment, their lips met in a fleeting instant.