A Man and Woman Grow Closer, a Man Grows Anxious

After a matchmaking session that barely lasted an hour, a mere formality, we both informed our respective families of our intentions.

Naturally, the elders on both sides wore smiles that threatened to split their faces.

It had been so long since I’d seen my parents smile because of me.

Yet, even seeing those smiles, I didn’t feel particularly moved, nor did I feel bitter.

I wasn’t naive enough to crave my parents’ smiles anymore, and I was already too far gone to be happy with just their smiles.

Anyway, after that, she and I often met under the pretense of solidifying our relationship as fiancées.

It wasn’t like the novels, where we sent each other yearning love letters and arranged sweet, secret rendezvous after mutual agreement.

We were merely continuing obligatory meetings, unable to resist the nagging of our impatient elders.

Even today, I rushed out without even grabbing lunch because my mother kept pushing me, saying, ‘She’s going to be your wife, so show her your territory beforehand.’

But I don’t particularly mind.

After all, getting closer to her and winning her favor is my top priority, my first task.

“I’m sorry I’m late, Layard-gongja-nim. Did you wait long?”

“Yes, I waited about 20 minutes.”

When the silver-haired woman, who had rushed to me at the meeting place, spoke, I checked my watch and nodded firmly.

Any ordinary guy would make an empty excuse like, ‘I just got here too,’ but I knew that kind of behavior was meaningless in front of this woman, so I told the truth.

As expected, a faint smile spread across her lips.

“Hehe, then you must be very hungry. Should we eat first?”

“Let’s do that.”

“…….”

“……?”

I nodded in response to her words and was about to look around for a decent restaurant when it happened.

I felt such an intense, blatant gaze from the side, as if someone was starting a fire next to me, so I gently turned my head and looked down at her.

Perhaps she hadn’t intended to be caught peeking, but as soon as our eyes met, she opened her mouth as if seizing the opportunity.

“By the way, Layard-gongja-nim, there’s something I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while now.”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“Why did you switch to using jondae (honorifics) now, when you were using pyeongdae (casual speech) comfortably when we first met? Isn’t it usually the opposite?”

A question that seemed to stem from pure curiosity rather than a sarcastic tone.

If I felt her lips were slightly pouting in the meantime, that must be my imagination.

It wasn’t a difficult question to answer, so I stopped walking for a moment and replied calmly.

“We haven’t had the ceremony yet, but officially, we’re engaged, aren’t we? So, I should at least show some basic courtesy.”

“Ah, I guess there’s that perspective too.”

Then she exclaimed, looking as if she understood.

“Is that explanation sufficient? Then let’s go eat now.”

“No, it’s still not enough.”

“Yes?”

It seems that was just my imagination.

The moment I tried to move again, I was momentarily stunned by her firmly shaking her head.

What’s not enough?

“It’s good to be courteous. But just because you use pyeongdae doesn’t mean you can’t be polite, right?”

“But there’s such a thing as formality.”

“Formality and courtesy are different. I appreciate that Layard-gongja-nim treats me with courtesy and respect, but I don’t want you to create distance by being formal.”

It was a somewhat Zen-like, difficult-to-understand statement, but not entirely incomprehensible.

In other words, she wants me to treat her with the same casual tone as when we first met at the matchmaking meeting?

But that tone wasn’t so much pyeongdae as it was closer to that of a beggar in the streets who had thrown all etiquette to the dogs.

“So, please treat me comfortably like when we first met. I actually liked Layard-gongja-nim back then.”

“You mean that country bumpkin look?”

“Of course, your tone might have been a bit rough, but at least I felt it was more like Layard-gongja-nim than now. But your current appearance feels like you’re wearing a thin mask.”

I couldn’t help but flinch slightly at her hitting the nail on the head so nonchalantly.

To be honest, she’s right.

I briefly lost my temper and committed such an act back then, but from now on, I’ve been trying to show proper behavior and speech as much as possible to win her favor.

“Besides, I know. I also know that even that appearance might not have been real. Your real self is probably a little kinder.”

“…You’re quite good at saying such cheesy things to my face.”

“Is there anything cheesy about it? I’m just saying what I felt.”

I was so embarrassed by the nonsense I was hearing for the first time that I inadvertently scratched my cheek and looked away.

However, Sylvia Eleanor simply shrugged her shoulders, still wearing a faint smile, and looked up at me as if asking what the problem was.

Anyway, in some ways, she’s a more difficult existence to deal with than the people in our family.

“Alright, I understand. If the person listening is uncomfortable, there’s no reason to insist on this tone.”

“See? If gongja-nim was really such a bad guy, you would have refused my request just now.”

“Stop with the useless talk and let’s go eat. The seat I managed to reserve will disappear.”

To be honest, the seat I managed to get at the restaurant isn’t really a concern as long as the Layard family name is involved.

I felt like my head would become strange if I talked to her any longer, so I quickly moved away as if running away.

“The way you naturally guide a woman to walk on the inside is also very…”

“Stop it.”

It feels like my face is getting hot, perhaps because the sun is particularly strong today.

＊＊＊

From the time I started using pyeongdae with Sylvia Eleanor again, maybe it’s just my imagination, but I feel like our meetings have become a little more frequent.

No, it’s definitely not just my imagination.

Even if I just roughly estimate the number of times, I’ve met her more times in the last two weeks than I did in the entire previous month.

Even just today….

“I’m sorry, Layard-gongja-nim. I came without notice.”

She even came directly to the castle and suddenly showed her face.

In the meantime, the fact that she’s apologizing while faintly drawing a curve at the corners of her mouth pisses me off.

“…You don’t look sorry at all.”

“Yes, I’m not really sorry. It’s not a crime to come see your fiancé. But there are things you have to say out of courtesy.”

I pointed that out, wanting to give her a taste of her own medicine, but all I got in return was a brazen answer.

I’m sure she wasn’t like this when we first met.

Back then, she seemed to be swayed by my words, but now it seems like she’s taking the lead in the conversation.

To be honest, if there weren’t any eyes watching, I’d want to punch her.

No, wait, I’m already known as a scumbag in the world, so would it be a problem if I hit a woman?

Being called in by my parents and scolded, being pointed at by other people-those things aren’t new to me now.

“Hoo.”

She’s going to die by my hand soon anyway, so there’s no need to dirty my hands beforehand. This is my minimum mercy.

I let out a sigh, somehow suppressing my emotions, and asked as indifferently as possible.

“So, what brings you here today?”

“I wanted to see Layard-gongja-nim.”

“We met the day before yesterday.”

“It’s been a whole day since I last saw you. Oh, dear.”

“…….”

Should I just close my eyes and smack her once?

“I’m just kidding. Actually, I came because I wanted to see the garden here again.”

She must have seen my expression distorting, or maybe she was really joking, but she’s trying to clean up the mess.

Then she pointed to the vast garden that stretched beyond the castle gates.

To come all that way just to admire a garden, she really has nothing better to do.

Even though it’s become easier to travel long distances recently with the advent of dimensional stones, traveling in a carriage itself is quite mentally exhausting.

“So, I was wondering, could gongja-nim personally guide me through the garden?”

While I was feeling that question, the request I feared most popped out.

Of course, when visiting another family’s castle, it’s common sense for a member of that family to guide you through the garden or other major facilities.

But I wanted to get out of this situation as much as possible, so I hurriedly tried to create an escape route.

“It’s not difficult. But I don’t have any knowledge about landscaping or flowers. I don’t know if it will be helpful…”

“It’s okay. I’m quite knowledgeable about landscaping and flowers, so I’ll tell you all sorts of things.”

“…Okay.”

We call that meaningless resistance.

By the way, if she’s so knowledgeable, she doesn’t really need a guide like me, does she?

I’d understand if she was planning to carry me around like an ornament, though.

In the end, my plan to spend a peaceful day was shattered, and I was suddenly caught by an unwelcome guest and forced to be a guide all day. While lamenting my fate, I looked around the garden with her.

“Ah, come to think of it, I have something to apologize for. I’m sorry for lying earlier, Layard-gongja-nim.”

“Hmm? Lying?”

I frowned inadvertently at her sudden apology.

My heart already feels like it’s shrinking, wondering what kind of nonsense she’s going to say again.

“I said that it was a joke that I came to see Layard-gongja-nim, that I only came to see the garden again. Do you happen to remember?”

“I remember that much.”

I was a little annoyed, seeing her worry that I might have forgotten something that hadn’t even been three minutes ago, as if she was looking down on me.

But her next words made me feel like cold water was being poured over a fire.

“Actually, it wasn’t a joke. Of course, the garden here is beautiful, but it was more important to me to see Layard-gongja-nim again.”

“So, what you said at first was true?”

“I guess so. Ah, and there’s one more lie.”

“Enough with that.”

I was about to burst out laughing, thinking she was a born liar, when it happened.

Kkok.

For the first time, she gently and shyly grabbed my hand and spoke to me.

Her hand was so warm that it was too much to hold with my icy hand, and I couldn’t help but flinch.

“Actually, I don’t know much about landscaping or flowers either.”

“…….”

“But this is Layard-gongja-nim’s fault. You were trying to run away with such an openly displeased face, so I had no choice but to hold you like this.”

“…You let go of the pickpocket I ran into on the street the other day just fine, but you’re particularly strict with me.”

I felt a little wronged hearing those words and muttered inadvertently.

A while ago, when we were walking down the street together, a pickpocket stole her bag.

It’s not like the bag itself was expensive, and it’s not like there was a lot of money inside.

Even so, I couldn’t just let the thief go, so I was about to catch him right away.

But she stopped me from catching him, saying it was okay.

She said it was partly her fault for not paying attention, so I shouldn’t worry too much.

I don’t know where that saint-like appearance from back then went, or why she’s only like this in front of me.

But it seems I’m not the only one feeling that question.

“I know. I feel a little strange too.”

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know what it is. Just…”

She grabs the intertwined hands with a little more strength and looks up at me.

The red eyes that made her known as a witch in the world scan my face meticulously without a single tremor.

But there’s no unpleasant feeling of being appraised, like when our family members look at me.

I was feeling that was strange when her lips parted again.

“…I realized that I had something I didn’t want to give up for the first time in my life, and that I wanted to be a little mischievous, especially with you.”

“…….”

At that moment, I felt something throbbing faintly in my chest.

In response, my gaze reflexively went down.

I see her slender hand holding mine as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

My eyes narrowed at that.

There’s no basis for it, but I had a conviction that I had to break the connection between the throbbing I felt just now and the hand she’s offering as soon as possible.