Chapter 82
No, that’s not right. What a ridiculous thought.
She must have been thinking something strange all by herself.
Get a grip!
“I don’t need to watch.”
Diane firmly cut off her own wandering thoughts, almost as if to sever them.
“If you won’t watch, then I won’t watch either. If everyone goes outside and it’s just you and me left here, that wouldn’t be so bad.”
“…!”
Diane swallowed.
Why was he acting like this?
From the way he whispered in her ear earlier, to now—why did he keep saying and doing these strange things?
Her stomach kept fluttering.
He really seemed determined not to go outside, because he sat back down.
This man, really!
Diane had no choice but to stand up, and Edward smiled slyly, looking satisfied.
Whoosh, bang! Bang, bang, bang!
On the now completely dark sky, fireworks shot up in quick succession and burst into flowers of every shape and color—far more splendid and beautiful than anything Diane had seen in Rettrang.
Maybe it was because, instead of seeing them from afar, she was now watching them up close.
Either way, Diane was so captivated by the fireworks above that she forgot, for a moment, the heavy thoughts about Edward and that woman.
“Beautiful, isn’t it?”
Edward asked, looking up at the sky.
“Yes. It’s beautiful.”
Diane answered as indifferently as possible, without looking at his face, keeping her gaze fixed on the fireworks.
She didn’t want him to say anything strange again.
Bang!
Just then, another firework exploded.
“You’re even prettier.”
Edward’s odd comment burst out.
“…!”
Diane acted as if she hadn’t heard anything, as if the firework’s sound had drowned out his words, not moving a muscle, just staring up at the sky.
She felt that if she met his eyes now, something terrible would happen.
Bang! Whoosh, bang! Bang, bang, bang!
More fireworks exploded, and soon the biggest one yet filled the night sky.
Watching that brilliant, intense firework, Diane felt as if the burning was happening not in the sky, but inside her chest.
Her chest felt hot as if it were burning, yet her arms broke out in goosebumps.
Her eyes, dazzled by the fireworks, couldn’t even register what shape or color the latest burst was.
<You’re even prettier. You’re even prettier, you’re even prettier, you’re even…>
The words she pretended not to hear kept echoing in her ears.
She tried to ignore it, but she knew Edward hadn’t looked at the night sky once—he’d only been watching her.
Her face must be as red as those fireworks.
She desperately hoped that Edward, who was staring at her face, would think her blush was just the red glow of the fireworks reflected on her cheeks—not his words or gaze.
She wished the fireworks would end quickly.
Once they ended, the fire burning inside her would settle too.
It was a dangerous, irrational fire.
Quickly, let it end.
Quickly, let it… not end…!
Diane was startled by a wish that suddenly surfaced from deep inside her heart.
And at that moment, something settled over her shoulders.
“Hic!”
Startled, she looked up at Edward, whom she’d been trying so hard not to see.
“You keep trembling. You look cold.”
What he’d placed over her shoulders was his jacket.
Diane couldn’t look away from him, their eyes locked.
“What? Don’t like men’s clothes?”
“….”
Diane couldn’t answer.
If she spoke, she was sure her wildly beating heart would be heard.
“Looks like you’ll need to buy some clothes. And a coat. It gets cold here at night. For now, just wear this.”
“….”
“You’re completely mesmerized by the fireworks.”
He squinted at her face, then grinned and finally looked up at the sky.
Freed from his persistent gaze, Diane found herself blankly staring at Edward’s face as he smiled at the sky.
She hadn’t been mesmerized by the fireworks she could see every year in Rettrang, even if only from afar.
She’d been captivated by something more beautiful, more alluring, and—unbelievably—so childish that it was almost cute.
Something much scarier and more dangerous.
But that scary, dangerous thing thought she was mesmerized by the fireworks.
He must keep thinking that.
She would never let him see her true feelings.
* * *
The next day, the hotel lobby was bustling with guests preparing to depart for the cruise.
Because the dock was quite far, the hotel had prepared dozens of shuttle carriages, and in front of the hotel, the carriages waited in line to transport the guests.
The Duke had taken Leon and the Lautrec Earldom people to the cruise, so Diane was left alone in Leon’s suite.
Of course, Leon had insisted on going with Diane at first, but when the Duke firmly said he’d leave Leon behind, Leon eventually gave in, unable to resist his desire to go on the cruise.
Diane was glad not to be dragged along on the cruise with the Duke and Leon, but she didn’t want to be alone in an empty room after coming all the way to the famous resort city of Agris.
The cruise-goers wouldn’t return until late afternoon, so she decided to look around the hotel area once they left.
She waited for the hallway outside her room to quiet down, and when she heard nothing, she slipped off her slippers and put on her shoes.
When she put on her purple shoes, she suddenly remembered how Edward had brought her right up to her room the night before.
She’d refused several times, saying she was fine and he didn’t need to, but he insisted it was dangerous at night and followed her all the way to her room.
Tsk, what could possibly be dangerous about walking from the hotel’s garden to her room?
“Ah! Really, what is this!”
Realizing she was smiling at the memory of his ridiculous insistence, Diane scolded herself.
Now, even when she put on the shoes he’d bought for her, she thought of him.
And since they were the only shoes she could wear, she wore them every day.
What was she going to do?
The new-looking shoes now showed signs of wear from daily use.
Sighing as she looked down at them, Diane shook her head to clear her mind and opened the door.
“Oh my!”
Startled, she stepped back.
Edward was standing right outside her door.
“What are you doing here?”
“I was just about to knock, but you came out.”
“So why are you here? Weren’t you going on the cruise?”
“To dress you up and take you.”
He shook the bag in his hand.
“What’s that?”
“Your clothes.”
Diane stared at his face.
Did he really come here to dress her and take her on the cruise with him?
“We’re short on time. James said there’s no tailor he knows here, so he wasted time and I’m late. Hurry and get dressed.”
“President! I’m not going, and I don’t need those clothes!”
“Yes, I understand your feelings. Hurry and get dressed.”
“I don’t want to!”
The clothes he’d brought to take her on the cruise were proof of how ridiculous it was for the two of them to go together.
Even their clothes didn’t match—hers were so shabby he wanted her to change. Why was this man doing this to her?
Just because he cherished their childhood memories?
Somehow, it didn’t seem to be just that.
No, she was almost certain now it wasn’t just that.
Whatever the reason, getting closer to him or spending more time together was dangerous.
Especially for her, more than for him.
He was not someone she matched with.
“Again with ‘no’? Why do you always say no, Miss Diane? Yesterday you refused the fireworks, wanted to watch alone, and now this again? Why are you being so difficult? Are you trying to annoy me?”
Annoy you!
Who’s really bothering whom right now!
Why did she let herself be swayed by someone who spoke like this?
“What are you talking about! Yesterday, you insisted on the fireworks, so I had no choice but to watch with you. Why do I have to go on the cruise with you today? I really don’t understand. As you know, I’m just your nephew’s tutor, and I only came to Agris as his tutor.”
Please, keep your distance…
“Just a tutor? Miss Diane, do you really not know why I’m doing this?”
“….”
Whether she knew or not, she had to pretend not to know.
It was the only way to keep hold of her own feelings.
But she couldn’t say she didn’t know, either.
If she said she didn’t know, she had a bad feeling he’d say something she couldn’t handle.
“Okay, I get it, you don’t know.”
Edward lowered his gaze and let out a hollow laugh.
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