Chapter 8

Eleanor was teaching Olivia as usual. However, the problem arose when Olivia, excited about getting her numbers right, opened the door to brag. She ran into Usher standing outside the door.

In truth, this alone wouldn’t have been a big issue. Olivia was naturally like that. The problem was that Eleanor was teaching Olivia numbers by ripping buttons off her blouse.

As evidence, four buttons from the blouse were scattered conspicuously on the table.

“I-I’m sorry.”

Usher hurriedly apologized. His purple eyes wandered aimlessly in the air, unsure where to look—towards the person or the table.

“Here, take this at least.”

Usher turned his head as far away as possible and handed Eleanor his jacket after removing it. Eleanor couldn’t bring herself to say it was okay and covered herself with Usher’s jacket. Her heart was beating wildly.

“I didn’t mean to, didn’t mean to see…”

Usher tried to explain, looking at the person he habitually spoke to. When his eyes met Eleanor’s, who was glancing at him, he jumped like a horse kicked in the rear.

“I’m sorry!”

Usher apologized again for something that wasn’t his fault and turned his body to face the wall. Meanwhile, Eleanor hurriedly ran out of Olivia’s room. She planned to go to her room and change clothes.

However, her steps faltered. Her mind went blank from the unexpected event, causing her to stumble. She thought she must teach Olivia not to run out during class next time. That was all she could think about.

“Miss Hudson?”

Eleanor lifted her head from where it was buried on the floor at the voice calling her. Her eyes met Logan’s as he ascended the stairs. Logan tilted his head in wonder, seeing Eleanor’s pale complexion, even paler than usual.

“Why do you look…”

Only then did Eleanor’s disheveled appearance come into view. The messy front of her blouse, the white-knuckled hands clutching it like a lifeline, and the man’s jacket draped over her shoulders.

It didn’t take long to realize that the jacket was the one Usher had meticulously adjusted like a peacock just moments before. A creaking sound came from Logan’s hand gripping the banister.

“…Usher Fitzman!”

It was a quiet yet thunderous, cold yet fiery anger.

* * *

“I’m sorry.”

Eleanor apologized cautiously, sitting next to Usher. Usher, who had been sighing with his face buried in his hands, slowly lifted his head.

The mansion had been turned upside down by the unexpected event. The servants trembled at Logan’s angry voice, and Usher was misunderstood by Logan for something he didn’t do. The servants also looked at him as if he were a scoundrel.

Oh dear. I thought he was a decent young man, but he seems to be a rogue.

‘It’s not Sir Usher’s fault!’

Luckily, Eleanor explained the situation to Logan on the spot before changing her clothes. Otherwise, Usher would have been kicked out with a swift boot and banned from approaching the Claven Duchy.

“It’s not your fault, Eleanor.”

Usher carefully turned his head towards Eleanor. But as soon as his eyes met Eleanor’s, he quickly lowered his head. Eleanor wondered if he was angry with her.

“I was punished for trying to meet you as if it were a chance encounter.”

“…”

“In truth, I was on my way to see you, not Olivia.”

So his crime would be something like interrupting a class, Usher said, scratching his exposed neck in embarrassment.

Eleanor’s gaze slowly swept over Usher’s earlobes and neck, which still avoided meeting her eyes. Even his tongue, which peeked out nervously and retreated. 

By then, she couldn’t help but know. Usher wasn’t angry about being misunderstood because of Eleanor; he was embarrassed about inadvertently seeing Eleanor’s bare skin.

“I see.”

If he was the same age as Logan, Usher would be twenty-four this year. Not exactly the age of a young and innocent boy. At that age, he would have at least met one woman, and perhaps even been physically involved.

“Is it such a big deal to think of it as a punishment?”

“…”

“It’s not the first time you’ve seen a woman’s body.”

Yet Usher was so tense in front of Eleanor, as if he were a child who hadn’t even reached adulthood. At that moment, Eleanor felt oddly as if she had undressed and seduced a naive young boy.

“Eleanor.”

Usher looked at Eleanor with wide eyes, as if he couldn’t believe it. Seeing his eyes as if asking how she could say such things, Eleanor felt as if she had become the scoundrel who had ogled his body.

“How, how could you say that…”

Usher buried his face in his palms again and rubbed his face dry.

“Pfft…”

Eleanor laughed, covering her mouth instinctively. Ahaha, her bright laughter spread, coloring the darkened summer night sky. Even knowing Usher was watching her with a bewildered face, she couldn’t suppress the laughter spilling out.

“Look at the situation now. It seems like I’m the one who peeked at your n*ked body, not the other way around.”

Usher’s embarrassed face moved his lips slightly. He seemed to agree with her. His handsome face, unsure of what to say, looked amusingly naive.

Watching Usher, Eleanor recalled the day about four years ago when she had forcibly held her coming-of-age ceremony and social debut. The shoes her mother had passed down didn’t fit her feet, leaving her heels blistered, and the borrowed dress was out of fashion and tacky. Still, Eleanor tried her best to satisfy her father, Charles.

But ultimately, all Eleanor received was the embarrassing title of “wallflower.”

“What kind of metaphor is that?”

Usher sighed softly, unable to believe the situation.

“Ah, really…”

Usher let out a weak laugh, closing his eyes tightly. Eleanor said it was okay, so there was no reason for him not to be okay.

“I’m the only one who seems strange…”

Usher’s mumbling ended with a hint of laughter. Eleanor giggled, making Usher look even more foolish. Knowing this, she still found it funny. Usher chuckled incredulously, looking at Eleanor. His gaze met Eleanor’s gray eyes, which hadn’t avoided his.

“Just laugh freely. It’ll make you feel better.”

Eleanor’s suggestion made Usher finally let go of his last bit of patience. He placed both hands on his forehead and burst into a helpless laugh, while Eleanor joined in beside him. It felt pleasant, like a cool summer night.

“I feel like I’ve sullied an innocent person.”

“Eleanor, if you say that…”

Usher, trying to deny it, stopped talking. His color was reflected in her cloudy gray eyes, which seemed devoid of the world’s vibrant colors.

“I feel like punishing you.”

Punishment? 

Eleanor blinked slowly.

“For breaking the innocence of young Usher Fitzman and making him a man.”

“…”

“You should take responsibility.”

This time, it was Eleanor who was at a loss for words. Take responsibility? It sounded as if she had committed a crime.

“I won’t ask you to take responsibility forever.”

Usher winked. His playful demeanor made Eleanor able to roughly guess what Usher was like as a child. He must have been a mischievous boy whom even the nanny couldn’t control, Eleanor was sure.

“Just for tomorrow. It’s the weekend.”

Though he spoke indirectly, it was clearly an invitation for a date. Eleanor hesitated, unable to respond immediately.

“I have to teach Olivia. I’m still Olivia’s tutor…”

There were still rules in the world they lived in.

Four years ago, a commoner who had confessed to Eleanor just after she became an adult left dejectedly after Charles trampled on the bouquet he had clumsily woven with sincerity. It was a confession Eleanor wouldn’t have accepted anyway, but his heart had to be broken because he had nothing.

‘How dare a commoner covet someone!’

Eleanor knew reality. It wasn’t a time for leisurely romance, and even if she wanted to, the reality given to Usher wouldn’t allow Eleanor to do so.

“Isn’t Sunday a holiday?”

But Usher blocked her retreat and pressed forward without hesitation, leaving her no way to respond.

“It’s just one day.”

“…”

“If Logan says no, I’ll cause a ruckus to get freedom.”

Eleanor closed her mouth, her eyes wavering.

“Just spend one day with me. I won’t ask for more.”

Eleanor was captivated by Usher’s eyes, which didn’t avoid her gaze like before. A lukewarm breeze blew. Eleanor tucked her fluttering hair behind her ear and listened to the world’s noise.

It was the same as before.

“Eleanor.”

She wasn’t in love. Her heartbeat wasn’t loud, as if she had heard it somewhere before, her cheeks didn’t feel hot, and everything didn’t disappear, leaving only Usher as if he were the last person in the world.

“Aren’t you going to answer?”

But even the lukewarm breeze felt so pleasant, and the night sky, as if stars would pour down, was so beautiful. Maybe it would be okay for just one day, as he said.

“…Just one day.”

This was merely a whim for a day.