1.2

When he returned to the Ainsley Ducal House, the staff greeted him with wide eyes. Even the butler hurried over with a concerned expression and asked,  

“Are you feeling unwell, Your Grace?”  

“It’s nothing like that. I’m fine. I just need to prepare to go out.”  

“Where are you headed?”  

It was unusual for someone like Pavel, who should have been at the Knights’ Order during this time, to suddenly announce he was going out. The butler tilted his head in confusion. Pavel, his face slightly flushed, answered,  

“I’m planning to visit Lady Lochrain’s residence…”  

“Oh, oh!”  

So it’s true—our Duke has finally started dating!

The staff of the Ainsley Ducal House had already heard the news by now. After all, their master’s romantic life was a significant topic of discussion.  

The butler’s face brightened as he nodded enthusiastically.  

“I’ll make preparations immediately!”  

“There’s no need to make such a fuss.”  

“What do you mean, Your Grace?”  

For some reason, Pavel couldn’t shake the feeling that everyone around him was more excited than he was.  

And so, shortly after lunch, a carriage departed from the Ainsley Ducal House. Inside it sat a well-dressed Pavel. Beside him was a large bouquet of roses that someone had quickly procured.  

The carriage wasn’t heading to the Lochrain Marquisate. For reasons unknown to Pavel, Larisa lived separately in a townhouse. It was a bit surprising that the Marquis of Lochrain, who was known for doting on his daughter, had allowed her to live independently. Usually, unmarried noble children resided with their families.  

Could there be some other reason I wasn’t aware of? As far as I knew, the Marquis and Marchioness adored Larisa. Could she have felt uncomfortable being treated like a precious gem by her parents?  

Or—was it possible that the Marquis was a different kind of person than I had thought?  

A sudden memory flashed through his mind: rumors about Larisa being set to marry some strange man.  

Could it be…?

There must have been a reason, but Pavel decided it wasn’t his place to pry, so he chose not to dwell on it further.  

The carriage soon arrived in front of the townhouse belonging to the Lochrain Marquisate. Feeling oddly awkward, Pavel adjusted the cravat around his neck. Holding the bouquet of flowers in his arms, he stepped out of the carriage.  

As if anticipating his arrival, the front door opened wide almost immediately.  

“Welcome, Your Grace, Duke Ainsley.”  

“…Bailey? You’re staying here instead of at the main residence?”  

The one who had opened the door was Bailey, the head maid Pavel remembered seeing at the Lochrain Marquisate’s mansion when he was younger. He had naturally assumed she would still be at the main residence. Bailey gave a warm smile and nodded.  

“When I said I would escort the lady, they sent me without hesitation.”  

“I see.”  

Pavel followed Bailey inside. Contrary to his expectations, Larisa’s townhouse had a rather dry atmosphere. It was far from the cozy and decorative space he had imagined. Without the flower vases scattered here and there, the house might have felt downright barren.  

On the way up to the second floor, Pavel encountered only a couple of maids. The number of staff seemed unusually small for a noblewoman’s residence. However, since Pavel wasn’t particularly familiar with how noble ladies typically lived, he didn’t think much of it.  

Bailey stopped in front of a door and knocked lightly.  

“Young Lady, Duke Ainsley is here.”  

• Come in. 

Bailey opened the door with a smile. It appeared to be a sitting room adjacent to a bedroom. Pavel stepped into the room with a nervous heart.  

Larisa, who had seemingly been waiting for him, sat on a sofa and waved.  

She was wearing a cream-colored silk dress that shimmered with a soft glow. The subtle radiance around her created the illusion that she was enveloped in light. Pavel blinked a few times, as if trying to clear his vision.  

She looked like a fairy—no, a goddess. The way she raised her hand and gently waved made time feel as though it were moving slower.  

Was the Larisa before my eyes truly real? 

Pavel’s mouth went dry. His heart raced uncontrollably. Every time he stood before her, it felt as though his heart was malfunctioning. He was utterly hopeless.  

“Welcome, Pavel.”  

“Larisa.”  

Hearing her voice, Pavel quickly regained his composure and approached her. Taking her hand in his, he lightly kissed the back of it. Then, he handed her the bouquet of flowers he had brought. The large bundle of red roses filled her arms completely, causing her eyebrows to lift slightly in surprise.  

Larisa smiled softly and asked,  

“Did you bring these for me?”  

“Well, since it’s the first time… I wasn’t sure what kind of flowers you liked…”  

“I like roses. Bailey, please put these in a vase and bring them to my bedroom.”  

“Yes, Young Lady.”  

As soon as Bailey left, a few maids entered with refreshments. Pavel could feel their glances sneaking toward him, but he didn’t pay them any attention. Watching this, a mysterious glint flickered briefly in Larisa’s eyes.  

Once the door closed and they were alone, Larisa spoke in a calm voice.  

“Of all the people who’ve come here, you’re the only one they’ve ever paid attention to. Pavel, it seems they can’t take their eyes off you.”  

“Pardon?”  

“Don’t pretend you didn’t notice. They were all so blatantly staring at you.”  

“…I truly didn’t notice.”  

It couldn’t be helped. Pavel’s mind was entirely consumed by Larisa.  

Hearing her words, Larisa scrunched her nose playfully and took a sip of tea. Pavel worried whether she might have been offended by what she said, but she didn’t appear upset.  

Carefully, he picked up the teacup placed before him. The pure aroma of unflavored tea filled his senses, and without realizing it, his expression softened.  

“I remember you dislike flavored teas. Am I right?”  

“You still remember that?”  

“We’ve had tea together dozens of times. How could I forget?”  

Larisa smiled faintly, tracing her fingers in a circle around the edge of her teacup. When she didn’t say anything further, Pavel also remained silent, unsure of what to say.  

He wasn’t the most talkative person to begin with, and being in front of Larisa only made his mind go blank.  

Several minutes passed like this, with neither of them speaking nor drinking their tea. Finally, Larisa broke the silence after nearly five minutes.  

“I have a question.”  

“Please, go ahead.”  

“Pavel, do you like me?”  

Her direct question, paired with her unwavering gaze, left Pavel momentarily speechless. He hadn’t expected such a question.  

After all, the proposal he had made to her was for a fake relationship. He hadn’t thought his feelings would matter.  

But it seemed that, to Larisa, this was a significant question.  

“Let’s forget all that talk about pretending to date or whatever.”  

“Uh, Lady Larisa—”  

“Just call me by my name.”  

“Yes, I will… Larisa.”  

“That night, you said we should date. But I don’t have a hobby of dating someone who doesn’t even like me.”  

Larisa leaned forward slightly. The movement caused her chest, pressed beneath her dress, to swell as if it might spill out at any moment.  

Pavel tried not to look in that direction. Instead, he fixed his gaze on Larisa’s eyes, but that only seemed to make him more flustered.  

Her deep blue eyes felt as though they were drawing him in…  

“Pavel.”  

“Huh, yes.”  

“Do you like me?”  

“Yes.”  

The answer slipped out immediately, and Pavel’s face turned bright red. He hadn’t intended to reveal his feelings so directly. He worried it might feel overwhelming to Larisa.  

Hearing his response, Larisa’s eyes widened briefly before curving into a crescent-shaped smile.  

“Really?”  

“…Well, that is…”  

“Since when?”  

“Haah…”  

Pavel covered his flushed face with both hands. But he couldn’t hide his ears and neck, which were just as red.  

How adorable. 

Thinking this, Larisa stood up from her seat. She walked around the sofa table and sat down beside Pavel.  

As she moved closer, Pavel flinched and tried to shift away. However, Larisa easily stopped the large knight in his tracks by placing her hand on his thigh.  

“Answer me quickly.”  

“…It’s been a while. For quite some time now.”  

“Really?”  

Larisa pressed her fingers more firmly against his thigh, feeling the tension in his muscles. His rock-hard leg twitched under her touch, and she found the sensation quite pleasing.  

When she slowly dragged her fingernail across his thigh, Pavel stiffened completely, his body frozen in place.  

His innocence, his lack of experience with any sort of physical contact, delighted Larisa.  

“I like it. I like that you like me, Pavel.”  

She said, her tone playful.

“Do you… really?”  

“Of course. Isn’t it obvious? Who wouldn’t be happy to hear that someone likes them?”  

Larisa’s fingers continued to lightly graze Pavel’s thigh, her touch gradually venturing toward the inside. Pavel felt his mind becoming hazy. Even though he had no prior experience with romantic relationships, it wasn’t as though he had no desires.  

Her blatant actions, which seemed to deliberately provoke him, made it impossible for him not to feel stirred. However, he didn’t want to embarrass himself by showing any inappropriate reaction in front of her just a day after they had spoken about dating. That would feel far too animalistic.