episode_0111

The afternoon at the Beaurun Mansion on a summer day was as sunny as ever.

The summer sky, spread out in a deep blue hue above the garden full of seasonal greenery, was clear with not a single white cloud in sight.

Since the beginning of the warm season, the cloudless days continued, making this place not just any ordinary corner of the continent known for its unpredictable weather.

Under such a sunny summer sky.

Contrary to the weather, Eleanor’s heart was in turmoil.

What had been tormenting Eleanor lately was the fact that she could become the wife of the Grand Duke. Of course, if one were to consider it only in terms of physical possibilities, it was a pointless worry.

But even for a lady whose heart skipped a beat at the mere mention of the word ‘lover,’ the word ‘wife’ weighed heavily on her.

Ever since her mother, Etienne, first brought up the topic to her, it seemed like she had lost interest in her daughter. At least in that matter.

While warmly welcoming her daughter as usual, Eleanor’s mother would simply smile and remain silent whenever Eleanor brought up the topic.

Her father and little brother, with worried eyes, would only offer empty words of comfort.

Her closest friend and only maid, Eugenie, who had returned from her hometown, couldn’t untangle the mess of thoughts in Eleanor’s mind, despite having long conversations with her alone.

And her lover, who should be the one to unravel those tangled threads, was nowhere to be seen with his sky-colored eyes.

The day to return to the north was approaching. There were still many nobles he had to meet. And so, Eleanor’s lover followed the changbaek to the elderly people in the west to offer his greetings once again.

And so, the days at the Beaurun Mansion continued in the same manner.

#.

Unable to bear her mother’s nagging, Eleanor came out to the garden.

Sitting under the shade of a parasol, feeling the cool breeze blowing, she gazed down at the city below the hill alone. Eugenie, who had left to bring refreshments, was still nowhere to be seen.

A small sigh escaped her moist, pink lips. With her arms on the table and her chin resting on them, Eleanor’s breaths were filled with longing.

The colors of the west that she saw now were vivid and distinct compared to the capital.

A wildflower blooming under a tree, the colors of the clothes people wore, even the unfamiliar architectural structures in the distance—all of them were like that.

One could say that the colors were bright and beautiful, but to Eleanor, who was accustomed to life in the capital, these vibrant colors felt very unfamiliar.

Perhaps it was because of the words her lover had spoken, saying that his domain was colorless. Or maybe it was because of the sky-blue diamond ring that was weighing on her mind. Since realizing that fact, Eleanor’s peace of mind had been shattered.

The land of Beaurun was so unfamiliar to her, despite being her hometown.

Her mind was filled with the complex thoughts about her relationship with her beloved.

In such a situation.

Naturally, the image of her beloved, familiar and sweet, began to appear in Eleanor’s mind.

Dmitri.

Dmitri…

“Dmitri….”

The name murmured softly.

It was a voice that slipped out beyond her lips unknowingly, but Eleanor continued to gaze at the distant bell tower below the hill.

Even though the voice was somewhat longing and sticky, there was no one around her to hear it.

No matter how desperately she called out, her lover—

“Did you call, Elli?”

“Uh, y-yes!”

A deep, sturdy male voice echoed in her ears for a moment. Startled by the low and muffled voice resonating deep within her heart, Eleanor jumped up from her seat, forgetting her status as the youngest daughter of a viscount, and stood up abruptly.

“D-Dmitri?”

Eleanor raised her hand above her wide-open eyes. Doubting if she had been mistaken, she blinked her round eyes and once again uttered that name.

But no matter how much she blinked, nothing changed. What was in front of her was reality.

Standing before her now was the black-haired man she had longed for, perfectly intact.

He swept his neatly styled bangs down, now falling in a familiar way, split evenly down the middle.

The thin shirt, now lightened by the warm weather, revealed his broad and sturdy chest.

One step.

The black man, Dimitri, came closer to her.

His sweet scent tickled Eleanor’s nose. The warmth spread throughout her body.

It was only after feeling the sticky sensations on her body that Eleanor realized the solid man was holding her delicate body. And that the man holding her was the one she had missed so much.

“Eek!”

Eleanor screamed again and fled from his embrace.

“Elly!”

Thanks to her quick movement, Eleanor ended up on the floor, hitting her bottom. Dimitri, with a smile on his face, approached her and knelt down.

“Elly, even if it’s me, it hurts a little when you’re so startled.”

“Oh, no. It’s just that… I mean…”

Her sky-blue eyes were filled with surprise.

Was her trembling voice due to joy rather than shock?

“Well, Dimitri. I was supposed to meet some important figures from the West with my father after dinner last night…”

“It didn’t seem that important, so I attended in the morning and left early.”

Dimitri reached out his hand to Eleanor, who was sitting on the floor.

Her sky-blue eyes, facing him, seemed to be struggling to believe what was happening as they moved between his outstretched hand and his black eyes.

Dimitri caught her hand and gently pulled her into his arms.

“It feels like it’s been a long time. Just the two of us like this.”

“Y-yeah.”

Although her last response was a hesitant one, it was inevitable. Being in his embrace was the best option.

#.

“What did your lady hear?”

Eleanor, sitting across from him, did not answer. But from her lowered gaze, Dimitri could infer the answer.

Of course, he had heard something from Ojenny the day before.

Her sky-blue eyes, which had been sweetly looking at him just a moment ago, were now fixed on the grand ring on his finger. Eleanor was holding the grand ring he had given her with care.

Dimitri sighed quietly.

He didn’t expect such a reaction to the ring he had given her.

The thought of the cute woman in front of him becoming his wife was thrilling. But he hadn’t given her the ring to make that imagination a reality.

No, that couldn’t be it…

Dimitri cleared his throat and continued.

“If the ring is burdensome for you, you can take it off.”

Eleanor raised her head as she had done before, with a trembling gaze.

Her voice, wet with tears under her shaking eyes, was as disheveled as her eyes.

“I gave you the ring to express my feelings for you as they are. I didn’t give it to bind you as my duchess.”

“What do you mean?”

Eleanor let out a small sigh. Was she embarrassed to have revealed her true feelings, or was her face turning pink out of embarrassment?

“It seems you have a lot on your mind about our relationship.”

“Oh…”

Eleanor let out a small sigh. Her face slowly turned pink, as if she was embarrassed to have revealed her inner thoughts.

“Your recent dark mood and the distance between us were because of that incident.”

“O-Ojenny?”

“I can tell just by looking at your eyes. I am your lover.”

“I… I understand. You seem to have a lot on your mind about our relationship.”

“Elly, I’m not going to force you to be with me. I just want to express my feelings for you as they are.”

“I… I see.”

Eleanor let out a small sigh. Her face slowly turned pink, as if she was embarrassed to have revealed her inner thoughts.

“It seems you have a lot on your mind about our relationship.”

“Oh…”

Eleanor let out a small sigh. Her face slowly turned pink, as if she was embarrassed to have revealed her inner thoughts.

Dmitri spewed lies without batting an eyelash. However, it was impossible for a girl deeply in love to detect the deceit of a sinister man.

Eleanor, with difficulty due to embarrassment, began to lower her head. Dmitri suppressed a laugh at Eleanor’s appearance and continued speaking.

“I’m sorry, Ellie. Your concerns are our concerns… I’ve been busy lately and couldn’t take care of you.”

“Oh, no… Maybe I’m different from other women…”

Her voice trembled.

At this moment, Eleanor’s hand, which should have been held, had already escaped beneath her warm chest. So Dmitri had to carefully polish his voice like a winter wall to turn Eleanor’s thoughts.

“Just to clarify, if Ellie isn’t comfortable with it, we can forget about the ring.”

“W-what do you mean?”

“On the night of the foundation, when our hearts connected, let’s forget about it. Let’s continue our relationship as it is, and when Ellie is ready, let’s revisit our distance.”

Dmitri leaned forward, capturing Eleanor’s image in his eyes, and said, “Until that time. I’ll wait until Ellie makes up her mind. If Ellie wants to leave our relationship as a memory of our youth, I will follow without a word.”

Eleanor raised her heavy head without hesitation as his words ended. Where did she disappear to after lowering her head as if fleeing just a moment ago? Eleanor, with her head held high without a hint of wavering, called out to her lover in a firm, subdued voice.

“Dmitri.”

“Yes, Ellie.”

“Why are you being so serious!”

Eleanor glared at the man in front of her with wide eyes. But to Dmitri, who was already firm, even that look seemed cute.

“No, I am serious, why are you laughing!”

“Oh, Ellie. That’s what I mean.”

“Anyway, what do you mean by leaving our relationship as a memory of our youth?”

Dmitri suppressed his laughter at Eleanor’s sharp tone and calmly explained his thoughts to her.

“I have made that commitment for you, Ellie. Haven’t you experienced how much I love you on the train?”

“Oh, I don’t know!”

However, that explanation was not enough for Eleanor.

As Dmitri’s explanation, or rather, excuse, ended, Eleanor suddenly stood up. Then, she approached Dmitri, who was sitting opposite her, and sat on his lap, placing her hands on his neck.

The distance between the two lovers grew closer.

Looking into Dmitri’s eyes filled with doubt, Eleanor moved her moist lips and said, “If Dmitri speaks like that, I have to make a decision…”

“Ellie, any relationship is fine-”

“Shh!”

Eleanor blocked his lips with hers to stop his last words.

A brief, tender kiss.

After their lips parted, Eleanor buried her head in his chest, blushing, and continued the conversation.

“Dmitri… Even though marriage may be difficult for us right now, let’s at least get engaged.”

“Engaged?”

Dmitri’s heart also fluttered at the unexpected mention of engagement.

“Dmitri, you… let a woman say these words first.”

Finally, Eleanor lifted her face from his chest and gently pulled his hand that was wrapped around her neck towards her.

The two people, now so close that they could hear each other’s breathing, Eleanor brought her lips to his cheek, lightly kissed it, and smiled mischievously.

“I’ll make you pay for this later!”

The following second kiss, promising the future of their relationship, was slightly rougher than the gentle kisses they had shared before.

#15. Estimated Distance Between Two Lovers – End