Ch.71A Star for You (3)

Click.

“…Phew.”

I sigh quietly as I close the door.

Even if it was meant as a joke, why did he talk about the future with such a serious expression?

I haven’t even broken off my engagement yet, but is it appropriate for him to speak so hastily about becoming a duke?

Of course, I was pleased by his attitude. If he had objected…

It would have been like hitting a major obstacle before things could proceed smoothly.

Father-in-law, huh? Hearing those words makes me feel increasingly burdened.

In the end, I had no choice but to leave almost like I was running away from our conversation.

Should I be grateful that at least he didn’t use the term “son-in-law”?

Having died once and come back to life, I thought it might take quite a while to adjust to his completely changed demeanor.

“By the way…”

I couldn’t help but smirk when I heard that Aileen had talked about me so much.

Her attitude toward me had become noticeably gentler lately,

and she’d been wearing particularly elaborate accessories in front of me.

It seemed we were both at a stage where we vaguely realized our mutual feelings for each other.

Having never liked anyone before, I often failed to understand people who confessed their feelings and fought over relationships.

What was it about liking someone that made people so desperate?

I used to think it was just a fleeting emotion. But now, I think I might understand those feelings a little better.

Chaewon and Jisoo must have felt what I’m feeling now when they said those things.

This tingling emotion makes one addicted to the sensation.

Being near that person naturally makes you feel good,

and sometimes you even stay up all night immersed in those feelings.

After briefly scratching my tingling cheek, I headed downstairs.

There was quite a lot to discuss, including the seasonal festival I mentioned earlier.

#

Tick-

As I hear the sound of the corset being tightened, I suddenly frown at the sound of a string snapping.

A corset string breaking? Why would it suddenly break when I’ve been wearing it just fine?

Turning my head to look behind me, I see Rofena staring at the broken corset string with narrowed eyes.

“Is the string old?”

“No… it’s not that the string is old, it seems like it just doesn’t fit your body anymore, miss.”

My face turns pale at those words. I haven’t been eating much lately,

so does not fitting mean I’ve gained weight? Biting my lip slightly, I stare at Rofena,

who quickly speaks up while shaking her head.

“I don’t mean you’ve gained weight. It’s just… your chest seems to have gotten a bit bigger.”

“My chest?”

“Yes, the waist and back tighten fine, but the string breaks when it reaches the chest area. I think we’ll need to order a new one.”

“……”

I quietly turn my back to avoid Rofena’s gaze, covering my mouth.

I tap my cheeks while stroking my slightly upturned lips with my finger.

Not bad. No, it might even be good.

Evan’s face suddenly comes to mind, making me flush with heat. Why would his face appear in my mind at a time like this?

Clearing my throat, I cool my heated face with the breeze coming through the window.

Evan would be returning soon.

If his conversation with my father doesn’t drag on, he’ll probably be back in a few minutes.

I put on a slightly larger corset than before and take out a more elaborate dress than usual.

“Are you wearing this today?”

A purple dress, quite far from my usual modest style.

But wearing this dress today wouldn’t be bad. After briefly adjusting the puffy shawl,

I turned my attention to the accessories. What should I wear today?

Among the many accessories, the one that immediately caught my eye was the gift from Evan.

At that lake called Siren, he gave me a gift for his birthday, didn’t he?

I never expected him to remember something I had briefly glanced at.

Without hiding my involuntarily upturned lips this time, I carefully put on the sapphire necklace.

Come to think of it, Evan has always been attentive to even the smallest details.

In comparison, I… honestly haven’t done much for Evan.

I’ve always been led by him, always swayed by him in everything I do.

“Hmm.”

Could he have had more relationships with women than I know about?

Since I had no idea how he lived before becoming my knight,

my eyes narrowed with worry that suddenly arose.

Thinking about it, his actions toward me seemed too skillful.

At every ball, there were plenty of noblewomen targeting him,

and I still immediately burn all the letters that come for him.

But isn’t it natural to have such concerns?

To leave it without worry would be difficult, as Evan receives quite a lot of attention from others.

That’s why this seasonal festival was important to me. An opportunity to shift this one-sided balance back to me.

It’s true that I’m usually completely swayed by Evan and weak to him. But now, I could no longer be swayed by him.

What if I took control and returned all the actions Evan usually does to me?

Isn’t that quite a good idea? Just imagining Evan being swayed by me

made me feel good, and I stared into space while lightly holding my teacup.

“Miss, your expression looks quite serious today.”

“The seasonal festival is coming up soon.”

“You’re going with the knight, right? I went last year, so I’m planning to stay at the mansion this year.”

“Is that so?”

It might seem a bit childish, but I wasn’t too pleased with the idea of Rofena and him being together.

No matter how much he considers her like a sister, who knows how long that will last?

Rofena didn’t seem to have any feelings for Evan, but I couldn’t help feeling uneasy.

After passing time fiddling with blank papers for a while, I finally heard familiar footsteps in the distance.

At this hour, there was only one person who would walk toward my office,

so I straightened my clothes and turned my gaze toward the door.

The person who adds novelty to my same daily routine and lifestyle.

I smile an uncharacteristic smile as I watch my knight enter.

“Were you waiting for me?”

I’ve been waiting for you, always.

But I didn’t say that explicitly. We weren’t close enough to say such things yet.

Still, someday… I thought there would come a day when I could reveal all my inner feelings.

#

Aileen seemed to be in quite a good mood today.

As soon as I entered, I saw her smiling face, so I smiled faintly and bowed my head.

I wonder if something good happened. Rofena, on the other hand, seemed clueless about the reason.

After staring at Aileen for a moment, I noticed her earrings had changed and slowly spoke up.

“Did you change your earrings? They look better than the ones you wore before.”

“…Really? I just changed them on a whim, I’m glad they suit me.”

Perhaps she was happy I noticed? Seeing the blush that immediately rose to her cheeks, I nodded slightly and took a seat on the sofa.

It’s been about four years since I started frequenting this space.

It was somewhat amusing that I felt more comfortable here than in my own room,

but it made sense since I spent the most time here.

If Aileen becomes the head of the family and moves up to that space on the third floor, it would feel quite awkward.

Click-

I close my eyes as the taste of Darjeeling tea fills my mouth.

Unlike before when I enjoyed carbonated drinks, I’ve now become quite accustomed to tea culture,

reaching a point where I drink tea more often than water. Do I look somewhat like a nobleman now?

Even at the last ball, I knew I danced at least better than Aileen.

I smiled at the memory that suddenly came to mind, and Aileen, who had been staring at me, spoke up.

“What are you thinking about?”

“I was reminded of the last ball.”

At the mention of the ball, Aileen’s face stiffened.

We did dance on the balcony, but her dancing… honestly couldn’t be described as good.

She put down her teacup with a deliberate click and stared at me before speaking again.

“…Dancing isn’t that important in life.”

“That’s true.”

Hearing my response, Aileen seemed displeased and turned away from me with a pouty expression.

To others, there might not be much difference, but to me, it was subtly different.

However, I knew her mood would soon improve, so there was no need to worry.

After all, what I wanted to discuss with Aileen today was about the seasonal festival.

Even if she might be indifferent to other topics, I knew she would pay attention to this one, so I calmly sipped my tea and began.

“About this seasonal festival.”

Recently, whenever I had free time, I visited the imperial palace,

but along with that, I also collected information related to the seasonal festival.

Except for important events, everything had to be found out personally,

so it was better to plan ahead and move accordingly rather than wandering around the festival without knowing anything.

With that in mind, I had finally completed gathering all the information today.

To save time and participate in all events,

and to coordinate our opinions, it would be better this way.

When I brought up the topic of the seasonal festival, Aileen flinched and slowly turned her gaze toward me.

“Didn’t we already finish discussing the seasonal festival? We agreed to go together. Don’t tell me you can’t go or something-“

“Of course not. I was the one who brought it up in the first place.”

If I broke this promise, I would probably be the worst person.

Hearing my words, Aileen sighed slightly in relief and then moved her lips.

“Then why did you suddenly bring up the seasonal festival?”

“We can’t just wander around aimlessly, so I was wondering if there’s anywhere you particularly want to go.”

I spread out the map I had prepared on the table, and Aileen, focusing her gaze on it, quietly got up and sat down next to me.

What was marked on the map were the main event locations of the seasonal festival.

Normally, this wouldn’t be available to just anyone, but somehow the duke had willingly given it to me, so I could use it like this.

“…Hmm.”

We couldn’t participate in all the events marked on the map.

After all, we wouldn’t be there all day, just enjoying the festival for a few hours.

We would probably only be able to participate in a few events at most.

But choosing seemed to be quite a dilemma for Aileen, as she stared at the map for a long time, which made me smile slightly.

“Having trouble deciding?”

I brushed her slightly fallen hair behind her ear as I spoke, and Aileen, who glanced at my hand, nodded slightly.

Thinking it wouldn’t be bad to choose one or two myself,

I pointed to a corner of the map with my finger, which made Aileen tilt her head in confusion.

“Stout?”

“It’s one of the things you can only see at the summer seasonal festival. Do you not know what it is?”

“Well, I’ve never heard of it before.”

“Then it might be better for you to see it in person. Since you’ve had your coming-of-age ceremony this year… you should be able to participate.”

Stout, simply put, was an event related to alcohol.

It was an event held to drink all the fruit wines made from ingredients harvested at the end of winter.

This tradition had continued and remained as one of the main events of the seasonal festival, and it was one of the events I really wanted to attend.

The saying “in vino veritas” exists for a reason, so perhaps I could hear her true feelings on this occasion.

If I could be certain that her feelings were truly the same as mine, it would be time to decide when to make a resolution.

The end of this tedious relationship that had been dragging on for years.

And then start anew with a different relationship.

“Adult…?”

Seeing her blush at the word “adult,” it was obvious what she was imagining.

However, I had no intention of correcting her misunderstanding. It would be quite enjoyable to see her imagine and then be disappointed.

Anyway, after marking the Stout event with a small mark,

we spent a long time discussing the festival while examining each event one by one.

This could be considered a date in its own way.

After all, going out with her alone, without any business purpose, was quite rare.

I hoped it would be an even more enjoyable memory than our last visit to Siren.

It was also the last leisure time before fighting with Roman.

Swish- Swish-

As I marked various points on the map with a pen,

I suddenly realized that Aileen’s hand was placed quite close to mine.

A distance where we would touch if I moved just a little.

But Aileen didn’t seem to notice, just staring at the map,

so I quietly moved my hand and lightly touched Aileen’s hand.

Tap.

I smile as our eyes meet the moment our hands touch.

“…Rofena is here, you know.”

“I didn’t say anything.”

Pretending not to know what she meant, I asked back, and Aileen glared at me with narrowed eyes.

I had only touched her hand, but I wondered how she had interpreted that meaning.

After staring at those narrowed eyes for a while, I finally smiled and gently grasped Aileen’s hand.

A small hand that fit perfectly in mine. Startled, she hit my shoulder and hurriedly opened her mouth.

“What if someone sees us?”

“It’s fine. As long as you stay quiet, miss.”

“……”

I squeezed Aileen’s hand, which was fidgeting in mine,

and then interlocked our fingers and gently swung them.

Her attempt to hide her reddened face looked so cute that my inner thoughts inadvertently slipped out.

“You’re cute.”

Unable to bear it any longer,

Aileen let go of my hand and struggled to move her lips while covering her face with both hands.

However, the sound coming from her opening and closing mouth was completely unintelligible,

so I could only scratch my cheek and stare at her.

“Do you dislike being called cute?”

“That’s not it. Why… why are you holding my hand and saying such things now?”

If I teased her more, would she burst into tears?

I wanted to mention my conversation with the duke and see her flustered reaction.

I wondered what expression Aileen would make if I told her that the duke had said it was okay to call himself father-in-law.

Still, that could be saved for future enjoyment.

“Why are you so embarrassed? Shouldn’t you be used to it by now?”

“How could I get used to something like this? I’m not as experienced as Evan… you know.”

“Are you saying I have a lot of experience?”

That can’t be right. Aileen is the first person I’ve ever liked.

I don’t know what made her misunderstand like that,

but when I shook my head, Aileen looked at me with suspicious, half-closed eyes.

…But feeling that all of this was my own karma, I could only laugh helplessly at her gaze.