episode_0040

Beyond the large glass window, the starlight pavilion exuded a vibrant glow.

In stark contrast to the glittering pavilion,

Amidst the deepening dusk, two figures traversed the space.

Foreigner and Christian, following behind, stood at the entrance of the pavilion.

A woman in a sky-blue dress was escorted by a man in a white coat along the garden path between the flower beds.

The unique blue light flowing from a small jade lamp cast an aura of mystery over the two figures, penetrating the transparent petals of the flowers in the garden.

Perhaps due to this atmosphere,

Despite reaching the middle of the long walkway facing each other side by side, the two figures had not exchanged a single word so far.

“It’s been a while, Yeong-ae.”

The man with crimson eyes spoke first.

Adjusting his steps to match Eleonore’s, Julian gently slowed his pace, gazing down at her platinum blonde hair brushing against the shoulder of his coat.

“How have you been since then?”

His voice was incredibly sweet, smoothly melting away like cotton candy tasted in childhood.

Eleonore’s heart, which had been quiet since meeting Dmitri, began to flutter once more.

However, what lay within her was a maturity that did not understand such girlish emotions.

“Eli, even if you were infatuated at first sight… Isn’t it a bit much to react like this over just a voice?”

Swallowing the unanswered question, Eleonore raised her head slightly to meet Julian’s gaze.

“Thanks to your concern, I’ve been well.”

With a refined tone, Eleonore neatly extracted her emotions from her composed voice as she replied.

“I’m glad. Has that queen or her lackey been bothering you since then?”

“There have been many people looking out for me, so I haven’t felt any discomfort.”

Beneath her emotionless tone, a faint sigh escaped beneath Julian’s crimson eyes.

And at that moment,

As her silver hair swayed in sync with the slow steps and came to a halt, matching the movement of her shoulders swaying from side to side.

“Yeong-ae.”

The woman, unable to resist, enveloped Eleonore’s body, which had slightly chilled in the night breeze, with her thick, warm musk-scented breath beyond the collar of her white coat.

“I feel a significant change in your attitude towards me, and it saddens me a little.”

Julian’s crimson eyes were filled with Eleonore’s bewildered expression.

Subsequently, his high and sharp nose drew closer to her sky-blue eyes.

“I-I’m sorry. My m-memory…”

Eleonore was thoroughly flustered by his appearance.

Her earlier emotionless voice vanished, replaced by a stuttering tone that even she found pitiful.

Gradually, Julian’s long and beautiful hand, wrapped in silk gloves, cautiously grasped Eleonore’s small, white hand, pulling it towards him.

“Even if you’ve lost your memory, treating me like this…”

Closer to those crimson eyes.

Beside the sharp bridge of his nose that seemed about to collide.

To his sweet voice echoing in her ears.

Her sky-blue eyes wandered aimlessly, losing their focus, swimming over the vast white expanse.

Wait, Eli! What on earth did you do to that man!

Yet, Julian, who remained inscrutable to Eleonore’s feelings, continued to whisper softly in her ear.

The letters that used to be meticulously written and sent all the way to the battlefield have stopped coming at some point. It’s been a while since returning to the capital, yet there are rare visits to catch a glimpse of your face.

Tracing the contours of the soft fingers on the silk gloves one by one, the red eyes diligently chased Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes trying to avoid him.

“I began to wonder if perhaps Yeong-ae’s heart had drifted away from me.”

“Hahaha… I, well, yes. Master, that’s… That’s just me, hehe!”

Caught off guard, Eleanor awkwardly laughed, losing her composure, as his handsome face filled her view.

Eleanor blinked and looked ahead.

What shone beyond his red eyes was a woman’s face as crimson as those eyes.

“Yeong-ae, what is your relationship with Duke Dmitri?”

“D-Duke, Your Grace…?”

Lost in his deep gaze, Eleanor clumsily extended her words like a fool.

“I heard you were also invited to the townhouse of the estate and enjoyed dessert together.”

Dizzy.

It felt like her vision was spinning, almost like motion sickness.

In his intense and warm musky scent.

In his heavy, sweet voice that gently weighed down her heart.

And in that enchanting smile that subtly lifted the corners of his lips.

“Uh, um… What should I say… Well, it’s not like there’s no relationship between me and Duke, as Yuriel thinks… Uh…”

In the midst of her rambling, Yuriel’s red eyes flashed for a moment.

“Yuriel.”

“Between me and Duke, you mean… right?”

“You just said Yuriel, Yeong-ae.”

Startled by his words, Eleanor exclaimed, “Huh? What did you say? Me?”

“You called me Yuriel, Yeong-ae.”

Hey, Eleanor! Are you crazy? You just called the name of the most dangerous man so familiarly?

Only then did Eleanor snap back to reality, shaking her captured hand to free it.

“If you continue to call me Yuriel in the future, I will let go.”

“T-That’s…”

“Since you address me by name, may I call you Yeong-ae as well?”

“Uh… Th-That’s…”

Confused or embarrassed.

In Yeong-ae’s cute appearance, blushing and extending her words, Yuriel cautiously began to distance himself.

*Inhale*

An unexpectedly crude laughter that seemed unbelievable came from the man.

Laughing? Are you laughing now?

Adjusting the silk glove that had twisted around his wrist due to his rough movements, Eleanor widened her eyes at him.

“I apologize. Seeing Yeong-ae’s, I mean, Eleanor’s bewildered expression made me playfully tease.”

However, her stern gaze towards the man did not last long.

In his pure laughter.

In Yuriel’s gradually retreating figure, suffused with an infectious laughter that could captivate any woman in the world.

In his slowly receding deep voice and warm scent.

Eleanor couldn’t help but feel a tinge of regret creeping in unknowingly.

She simply lowered her reddened face and concealed her emotions.

“You went too far with the teasing…”

“But not everyone was displeased. Since I was genuinely upset about the lack of communication.”

Satisfied with his laughter, Yuriel adjusted the sleeve inside his disheveled coat.

In his eyes now, Eleanor, with her head bowed deeply, appeared like a pure girl feeling shy in front of the one she admires.

“I don’t mind how you address me, Your Excellency. However, from now on, I will refer to you as Eleanor.”

Returning to his usual demeanor, Julian, with his moistened lips beautifully curved, politely extended his hand towards Eleanor, unlike before.

“Is it alright if I call you that, Eleanor?”

#.

Even with small, diligent steps.

Running towards the maid awaiting her, Julian gazed at the platinum-haired lady in her arms and once again, a smile graced his lips.

One thing was certain amidst everything else.

There still existed a place for himself in Eleanor’s heart.

“Hah. I was worried sick that something might happen if I took Eleanor with me.”

Approaching his side, Christian, leaning his arm on Julian’s shoulder, chuckled.

“Who do you think I’d be with?”

“Hah, even someone as distinguished as you. It was truly unbecoming to see you jealous of the Duke.”

“Jealousy…?”

At the unfamiliar word from his friend’s mouth, Julian carefully tasted the two syllables.

Though unfamiliar, if he had never heard that word even once, it would be a lie.

However, the word “jealousy” was not only unfamiliar to Julian.

It was also a word that did not suit him.

Rolling his large eyes above his crimson irises, Julian looked at Christian.

“Yes. You turned around abruptly earlier and jumped straight in front of the Duke.”

“Jealousy… you say? That emotion from earlier?”

No answer returned.

Just a cheerful laughter as his long-time friend patted him a few times on the back and left ahead.

Watching his friend’s broadening figure moving away little by little, Julian pondered deeply about the unfamiliar emotion that enveloped him earlier.

#7. The Ball and Two Men – End