episode_0131

The beginning was truly a trivial matter.

“Hehehe~”

On hands that had never touched household chores in their lifetime, a small and clean tray was now placed. Carrying an empty teacup and a plate full of cookies, the platinum blonde lady walked through the grand corridor.

Her neatly brushed platinum hair swayed from side to side in tune with her humming. The tiny feet in white pumps bounced lightly as she walked.

Following behind Eleanor were Ojenny and Sophie, looking at their mistress with slightly worried eyes as she walked ahead.

Of course, with Sophie holding the teapot filled with hot water, there was no need to worry about any serious injuries if she were to stumble.

Their destination was the second floor of the grand mansion, Dimitri’s study. After a warm lunch and feeling the lethargy enveloping her body in the afternoon air, Eleanor was walking with a tray in hand to have tea time with her lover.

Eleanor’s excitement was not just about meeting her beloved. The cookies on the tray she was carrying were none other than cookies handmade by Eleanor for Dimitri.

“I want to try baking cookies.”

When the kitchen staff were about to take a break after lunch, Eleanor suddenly appeared. Seeing their new mistress in action, they quickly got up from the break room.

Despite their natural laughter and offering to help, the commoners could not break the noble lady’s determination.

With a smile on her face, Eleanor emerged from the kitchen, and the cookies made with the help of the kitchen staff were placed on the elegant plate on the tray she held.

So, let’s just overlook the slightly messy cookies.

Midway down the corridor on the left after climbing the stairs, Dimitri’s study door was slightly ajar.

Even with the intense sunlight streaming in, the cool breeze from the north could be let in by opening the windows and doors to enjoy the refreshing summer.

Eleanor, walking lightly down the corridor, paused in front of the study door.

“Ahem.”

Her neatly brushed platinum hair swayed at her fake cough. She cleared her throat and turned around to face Ojenny.

Ojenny nodded towards the lady. Although she didn’t say it out loud, she could tell that Eleanor wanted to be alone with Dimitri.

Ojenny turned to Sophie. Sophie carefully placed the teapot with hot water on the tray held by the lady.

With a worried look, Sophie watched the lady, wondering if the tray was too heavy or if she might stumble.

“Oh, it’s okay! Don’t worry, you two go and rest for a bit.”

With a bright smile, the lady raised her chin and gave the order.

The two of them watched Eleanor enter the study and let out a small sigh before turning back.

“I’m going in, Dimitri.”

She didn’t reveal her name, but it didn’t matter. Eleanor was the only one in the grand mansion who called the owner of the mansion Dimitri.

When Eleanor cautiously entered the study with a tray in hand, the scene inside was slightly different from what she had expected.

There was no sweet voice welcoming her. The sturdy figure of a man, ready to greet his unexpected lover without any hesitation, was nowhere to be seen.

If Eleanor hadn’t been disappointed by this sight, it would have been a lie. After all, she had baked cookies and even dressed a bit provocatively, with a skirt slightly shorter than usual.

However, any lingering disappointment in Eleanor’s heart at the sight of her beloved quickly disappeared.

Dmitri was leaning back in his chair, his body relaxed. His eyes were softly closed as his face tilted towards the sky. His strong chest rose and fell rhythmically beneath his white shirt.

Eleanor carefully placed the tray she was holding on the coffee table in front of the sofa. She moved with extreme caution, afraid that the sound might wake up the dozing Dmitri.

Approaching him softly, Eleanor found herself looking at his face from such a close distance for the first time. It was quite a sight to behold.

Despite facing the harsh winter winds atop the battlements, his skin was smooth and clean. Of course, compared to her own rough and slightly tired body, the dark circles under his gently closed eyes were a bit concerning.

He was even cleaner than the men Eleanor had seen before, her father, younger brother Etelros, and even the indoor-type human Albris.

Why did he take such good care of himself? Was it because Hilda was looking after him?

Finally, his sky-blue eyes met her sharp nose, full of life, and red lips.

Not much time had passed since he had started his nap, but Dmitri’s red lips were already moist.

Those lips touched mine…

Those red lips invaded my own…

“E-Eli?”

“A-Achoo!”

At the sound of the sneeze, Eleanor took a step back, making a new sound. Dmitri, rubbing his sleepy eyes, looked at his lover.

“Eli, what are you doing here?”

She couldn’t bring herself to mention the sweet memory of looking at his lips, so she remained silent.

Looking at Dmitri, who had adjusted his posture by pulling the chair closer, Eleanor hesitantly spoke.

“I-I baked cookies… but… you were sleeping.”

“Are you very tired?”

The two sat side by side on the sofa.

Eleanor began pouring hot water from the teapot into the teacup. Although she had learned how to make tea from her foreign education, the aroma rising from the teacup felt slightly lacking compared to the original.

“Oh, no. The sun is warm, so I unknowingly felt a bit drowsy too.”

Eleanor understood what she meant. The summer in the north was warmer than the early summer she had briefly experienced in the west. She had also fallen asleep on the sofa in the drawing room a few times, basking in the warm summer sun.

However, she couldn’t fully believe her words for various reasons.

“Am I pushing you too hard?”

The morning Eleanor first met Dmitri at the Grand Hall. At that time, she had breakfast with his younger sister, not her beloved.

Dmitri’s late lifestyle pattern was something Eleanor discovered at that time. Waking up groggily and working until late hours, Eleanor had given up on having breakfast with him. However, since that day, Dmitri never missed a morning with Eleanor.

So Eleanor once mentioned that there was no need for him to force himself to adjust. Or perhaps, delaying breakfast a bit might be a good idea.

But her beloved did not listen to reason. Furthermore, Hilde also insisted that they couldn’t continue with that unhealthy lifestyle pattern and urged Dmitri to change it.

So, reluctantly, she let it go. But it was worrying to see him dozing off when I’m not looking…

If only that was the only thing, I wouldn’t be so concerned.

Dark circles stubbornly clinging under his black eyes. The cause being fatigue was a fact that applied even in this world.

Lately, voices of concern about Dmitri from the servants could be heard from time to time.

The engagement ceremony they planned to hold at the end of summer was fast approaching.

That was a sign that winter was also gradually approaching.

“Dmitri.”

“Yes, Eli.”

As she handed him a steaming cup of tea, Eleanor faced Dmitri with a voice as gentle as the fragrance.

“I’m fine, so you don’t have to push yourself too hard.”

With a soft smile, Dmitri turned the conversation away from her full of concern.

“So, Eli baked these cookies herself?”

“Dmitri. Don’t beat around the bush like that.”

Her eyebrows, the color of her hair, furrowed above her sky-blue eyes. But quickly returning to her usual expression, she looked at Dmitri with worried eyes.

“You seem tired in many ways lately, Dmitri. The servants are talking about it too.”

“Who dares to make such insolent remarks?”

“Oh, don’t get so worked up…”

Clatter.

Sipping on the bitter black tea, Eleanor gave a pause in the conversation. The way she set down the teacup was graceful beyond measure.

“It was all because of my stubbornness that we decided to spend the summer in the north. So please don’t worry about me-”

“Eli, didn’t I say I’m fine?”

Hm.

Unexpectedly, her delicate shoulders jumped at his first sign of annoyance. Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes were filled with surprise at Dmitri’s outburst.

And only then did Dmitri realize that he had lost his temper.

“N-no, that’s not it. Eli. What I mean is, I lack sleep…”

Carefully placing the teacup she held in her hand on the table, Eleanor got up from her seat.

“Fine then. Dmitri Verbritz. Do as you please, then.”

After that, a cold war ensued between the two. The reason why Eleanor was riding in a carriage with Hildegarde, the heiress to Seraphon, leaving her lover behind, was because Dmitri was ignoring her, thinking only of himself.

“This is really too much. I’m doing this for Dmitri’s sake. But Dmitri doesn’t even know…”

In the swaying carriage, Hildegarde looked at her cute younger sister throwing a tantrum across from her and chuckled.

The new Grand Duchess of Verbritz and the woman who would become her new sister-in-law were both such adorable women.

“Sister. Our brother is a bit like that. So you must never back down. We need to help him change his ways this time!”

Therefore, with a disapproving click of her tongue at her brother’s indifference that made the cute younger sister pout, Hildegarde spoke. In fact, Hildegarde had also suffered various hardships due to her brother’s dull personality.

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At the words of her younger sister, Eleanor regained her resolve once again.

​

Honestly, maintaining this cold war with her beloved lover was a very exhausting task. Especially when they lived under the same roof. Every day, hiding her fluttering heart and turning away coldly whenever she faced him, it was a draining task in many ways.

​

The carriage gradually came to a stop.

Eventually, on the other side of the open carriage door, Dmitry, who had neatly tidied his hair and looked particularly well-dressed today, reached out his hand to Eleanor.

​

“Be careful. The stairs are a bit high, Elli.”

​

‘Pull yourself together, Eleanor. Don’t forget Hilda’s words!’

​

Hiding her pounding heart, Eleanor accepted Dmitry’s escort and stepped out of the carriage, turning her head to the grand mansion in front of the lake that lay before her.