Chapter 113

“Are you listening to me?”

Rykal said to Dyffrin, who was sitting across from him, staring blankly.

Dyffrin slowly turned his head to look at Rykal.

“What did you say?”

“Why did you even come if you’re going to be like this?”

“You were the one who said you had something to ask about the minister’s work.”

“That was when you were in your right mind.”

Rykal spoke with a blank expression, and Dyffrin replied with a cold gaze.

“You’ve become quite insolent.”

“Did you have a fight with Evelyn?”

“…”

“I see, you did.”

Dyffrin frowned and propped his chin on his hand.

“The reason I hired you was because you’re quick-witted.”

“Even without being quick-witted, I’d know. The only one who can make you this edgy is Evelyn.”

As Rykal’s assistant brought tea, Rykal brewed it and placed it in front of Dyffrin.

“The wedding is next week, isn’t it?”

“I know.”

There was no way he could forget his own wedding.

Dyffrin barely suppressed the surge of irritation.

“What happened this time?”

Dyffrin debated whether to talk about this ridiculous matter. It was a story that would surely make others laugh.

Maybe not someone as stoic as Rykal, though.

But he was still conflicted.

Once again, he was trapped in the labyrinth called Evelyn. No matter how much he thought about it, he couldn’t understand why Evelyn was so angry. That made him even more frustrated.

Evelyn’s emotions, which he couldn’t understand, only fueled his frustration. He couldn’t just close his eyes and say sorry.

He didn’t even know what he had done wrong.

Knowing that fact made him even more angry. It was a vicious cycle. So he had avoided Evelyn for the past few days.

He still hadn’t found an exit.

‘Arrogant prince.’

When he closed his eyes, those words echoed in his ears.

Dyffrin glanced at Rykal. He didn’t like the way Rykal was staring at him.

But Rykal always gave wise answers regarding his relationship with Evelyn.

He was not much different from himself, but strangely, he understood Evelyn well.

“It started with choosing the wedding venue.”

Dyffrin recounted the events where he had clashed with Evelyn. Rykal listened silently but occasionally frowned.

His conclusion was simple.

“You’re both at fault. But you are a bit more at fault, Dyffrin.”

The judge has spoken. Dyffrin sneered inwardly.

“If you had just let Evelyn help choose your shoes, she wouldn’t have been so angry.”

“Evelyn didn’t speak up assertively.”

“Do you only listen when someone is proactive about something as trivial as choosing shoes?”

Dyffrin experienced a rare moment of being at a loss for words.

“It’s the same with the dress. Unwanted kindness is just poison.”

“Are you saying I poisoned my wife?”

“That’s why someone as kind and generous as Evelyn got angry.”

“Stop being sarcastic and speak plainly.”

“You were the one who spoke sarcastically first.”

Dyffrin pressed his aching temples. It felt like a headache was coming on after a long time. But in this current state, he couldn’t even get a massage from Evelyn.

“So, what do you think I should do?”

“You shouldn’t do things Evelyn dislikes. Even if it’s the greatest kindness from your perspective.”

At this point, Dyffrin felt like he was facing a towering wall.

It was a precious relationship he had barely managed to hold onto after a long journey. So Dyffrin always wanted to give Evelyn everything.

That was also why he wanted to make the wedding the best. Although he used a convenient excuse, the biggest reason was Evelyn.

But now he couldn’t do that. 

So how could I show Evelyn my love?

“It’s easy to solve things with money, but it disappears just as easily.”

“You’re saying something similar to Evelyn.”

“On your way back to the mansion today, pick a flower from the roadside and give it to Evelyn as a gift. She’ll surely forgive you.”

Not a bouquet of beautiful roses grown in a garden, but a flower picked from the roadside.

He furrowed his brows at the suggestion, which was hard to understand.

“Don’t give it with that expression. She’ll think it’s a protest.”

Dyffrin let out a sigh without realizing it.

Yet strangely, Rykal’s words had a peculiar persuasiveness. Maybe it was because of his confident attitude.

“How do you know these things?”

To Dyffrin, Rykal seemed like someone similar to himself. Yet, unlike him, Rykal understood Evelyn well, which was intriguing.

“It’s a secret.”

Rykal said as he stood up and covered the poetry book on his desk.

Dyffrin, unaware of this, stood up. He was in a hurry.

If he could untangle this mess, he wanted to do it as soon as possible.

“I have to go.”

“What about the minister’s work…?”

“Next time. If it’s urgent, send a letter.”

With that, Dyffrin left Rykal’s office.

Rykal, left alone, muttered.

“No wonder Evelyn gets angry…”

* * *

Dyffrin, who had boarded the carriage, ordered the coachman to take a detour through the park on the way to the mansion.

The coachman was puzzled but followed the order without complaint.

When the park came into view through the window, Dyffrin looked closely below.

He saw white and yellow flowers among the grass. None of them were pretty. The petals, which had grown wild without proper care, were uneven, and their sizes varied.

Dyffrin considered turning the carriage around and going to a flower shop. Although it was getting dark, at least one shop might still be open.

But Rykal’s confident expression came to mind, so he couldn’t do that.

In the end, he ordered the coachman to stop the carriage. After getting off, Dyffrin bent down and picked the prettiest wildflower he could find.

He thought about picking more, but since they weren’t pretty anyway, having multiple wouldn’t create much synergy.

Evelyn might even scold him for making the flowers pitiful.

Getting back into the carriage, Dyffrin looked at the small wildflower awkwardly held in his hand.

Maybe because he had chosen it carefully.

Now it seemed a little pretty.

* * *

Evelyn was in the first-floor hall, but she pretended not to see Dyffrin as he returned and walked past him into the dining room. It looked like she was going to eat.

“Evelyn.”

Dyffrin felt strange calling Evelyn’s name. It had been so long since he last called her by name.

Evelyn seemed momentarily surprised but soon composed her expression. The way she forced a frown was quite cute.

But he had to be serious, so Dyffrin suppressed a smile.

He approached Evelyn with a blank expression. Then he held out the wildflower he had picked.

“…What is this?”

“A gift.”

Dyffrin answered briefly. Evelyn’s eyes wavered slightly.

She seemed to be thinking hard, trying to figure out what was going on.

“It doesn’t mean much. I just wanted to give you a small gift.”

Evelyn took the wildflower.

“…Thank you.”

“They were all ugly, so I chose the best one.”

“It looks pretty to me.”

“That’s a relief.”

Dyffrin smiled lightly.

Evelyn stared at the wildflower, lost in thought.

“It’s the smallest thing you’ve ever given me.”

“That’s right.”

“But I like it the most.”

Dyffrin had to admit Rykal was right. Rykal always gave the right answers.

“What’s gotten into you?”

“I told you. Just asking for forgiveness with words seems insincere.”

Evelyn burst into laughter.

“Suddenly? When just a few days ago, the atmosphere was icy.”

“It was a painful time.”

When he confessed his true feelings in a blunt tone, Evelyn slowly stopped laughing.

“I felt the same. I felt sorry for you too.”

“Calling me an arrogant prince was a bit harsh.”

“That was…”

“You also called me unilateral and selfish.”

“I’m sorry…”

Evelyn looked dejected.

In fact, Dyffrin no longer cared about those words, but he mentioned them because he wanted to tease Evelyn.

Dyffrin asked with a feigned solemn expression.

“Are you only apologizing with words?”

“…Should I pick a wildflower too?”

“I don’t need a flower.”

Evelyn met his gaze. Her clear eyes were filled with transparent and innocent curiosity.

He felt a pang of guilt for his ulterior motive, but it was fleeting.

“I’m hungry.”

“There’s a meal set in the dining room.”

“I want to eat in bed.”

Understanding his meaning, Evelyn’s face quickly turned red.

In truth, Dyffrin was already at his limit. He hadn’t touched Evelyn for several days.

From the moment he started talking to Evelyn today, he had wanted her.

He sometimes wondered if he was this passionate of a man, but it wasn’t the case.

He had never been this desperate for a woman in his life.

It was because it was Evelyn.

Because she was his beloved wife.

Evelyn muttered in complaint.

“Making up and going straight to the bedroom, you’re like a beast.”

“There’s no better way to confirm our feelings than through physical conversation.”

“…Shut up.”

Blushing, Evelyn took Dyffrin’s hand.

Dyffrin grabbed the white hand in his and pulled her close.