episode_0093

“It’s been a while, Yurian.”

In a soft voice, Eleanor’s silver eyelashes fluttered slightly without her realizing it.

Her tall and beautiful voice was incredibly calm. No, it wasn’t calm, but rather indifferent. Like a casual greeting to someone she saw every day, Eleanor received Yurian’s greeting in that manner.

After exchanging such a brief and indifferent greeting, Eleanor carefully brushed aside the ivory-colored hair that cascaded down her thigh from under her white dress.

“Please forgive my posture with great tolerance. It seems like I’m drunk, I can’t even get up when awakened, really…”

Using her lady’s head as a pillow, Eleanor gently brushed the maid’s head lying down. Then, with a slight hint of annoyance, she looked at Yurian, but warmth filled her eyes instead of irritation.

Yurian cautiously entered Eleanor’s space through the half-drawn balcony curtains.

“Have there been any significant events during my absence?”

“After you rescued me, nothing out of the ordinary happened. I just stayed cooped up in the mansion all day, taking care of myself. Thank you for your concern.”

Even though a man had entered her balcony, Eleanor’s sky-blue eyes were still fixed on the maid’s thigh.

Finally, Eleanor shook her head from side to side. Her small resignation was evident between the swaying platinum blonde hair.

Giving up on waking the foreigner lying on her thigh, Eleanor finally raised her head and faced Yurian, who had entered her space.

“I heard you were appointed as the Duke. Congratulations.”

“Thank you.”

“So, should we call you Duke Vallati now?”

“There are still some procedures left for that. Well, you can call me whatever you feel comfortable with.”

The conversation between the two continued smoothly.

Yurian looked at Eleanor, who was continuing the conversation calmly. The girl’s emotions were no longer present in her sky-blue eyes.

As expected, at that moment. When Eleanor woke up and faced her in her room.

The discomfort she felt at that time was not a misconception.

Yurian neatly arched his silver eyebrows and smiled gently. However, Eleanor, seemingly unaffected by the fact, only returned a bright smile, without any other reaction.

“By the way, who is this person?”

Turning away from the smile, Eleanor looked at the tall man standing next to Yurian.

Yurian, who was gentle despite being a man, took up a lot of space next to him, so Eleanor’s balcony was now full.

“This is my long-time friend, Christian. Do you remember when he carried that lady on his thigh during the incident last time?”

Eleanor furrowed her brow beneath Yurian’s neat eyebrows. Was she trying to recall? When she thought deeply, she frowned like that, that woman.

Yurian watched her absentmindedly.

“Ahaha… I’m sorry, I didn’t have my wits about me at that time.”

Eleanor smiled elegantly at Christian. Then, she bowed her head to the brown-haired man who was sitting.

“I am Eleanor Arène de Beaune. I am truly grateful for saving us at that time.”

Christian, who unexpectedly received thanks, looked quite surprised. Despite usually being so approachable to women. Perhaps because she was a friend and the lady of the house, Eleanor’s greeting left him flustered and stumbling over his words.

“Uh, I’m Christian Devor.”

“Allow me to express my gratitude again in place of this awkward friend. I was truly grateful at that time.”

Christian finally turned his head away from Eleanor’s radiant smile. Yurian looked at his blushing friend with dark skin with a pitiful gaze.

Eventually, his red eyes were once again filled with Eleanor’s smile.

“Eleanor.”

Yurian’s voice calling her name had become quite serious.

“Yes, Yurian.”

Taken aback by Yurian’s sudden change in demeanor, Eleanor blinked her large eyes.

“Can we have a moment to talk, just the two of us?”

Direct and straightforward, Yurian’s words cut through Eleanor.

“Talk? What about?”

“It won’t take long.”

At Yurian’s words, Eleanor’s gaze momentarily faltered.

Just because they were going to have a brief conversation didn’t mean nothing significant would happen, but the words of warning from Ogenie, perched on her thigh, pricked Eleanor’s heart.

‘Being alone with a man on the night of the founding festival, you know what that means, Eleanor.’

Despite that, Eleanor’s resentment towards the black man who had dismissed her so easily was slowly building up.

Sigh… There are so many eyes watching. I don’t want to go out and have a conversation only to be misunderstood.

But seeing Dimitri, who didn’t even bother to glance in her direction, Eleanor couldn’t help but think… Ugh…

Oh well, what can you do. Aren’t women creatures so troublesome?

She wanted to tousle her platinum hair in frustration, but it seemed like she had made up her mind.

Finally, Eleanor raised her head and calmly looked at Yurian and his red eyes.

“I’m sorry, Yurian. This child just won’t wake up no matter how much I try. Besides, it’s quite late.”

Even as she delivered her refusal, Eleanor’s demeanor left no room for misinterpretation, a clear display of a woman who knew how to gracefully decline.

“Is it something we can’t discuss here?”

Upon hearing the returning response, Yurian let out a sigh.

The woman in front of him was no longer an easy target. He had considered her caught, only for the prey to slip through the net.

Perhaps sensing some remorse in Yurian’s shifting red eyes, Eleanor quickly continued speaking.

“Then, let’s do it. Let’s have a meal separately. If you let me know a convenient time, I’ll do my best to accommodate.”

There was no response.

Was it a good sign or a bad one?

Eleanor was at a loss, unsure of what to make of Yurian’s complex expression.

The brief silence weighed heavily on Eleanor’s heart.

The one to break the silence was Sophie’s voice coming from behind the curtain.

“Miss, they’re looking for you.”

Overjoyed by the familiar voice, Eleanor quickly instructed her to come in.

Following Sophie to the annex, Eilie struggled tirelessly to calm her pounding heart.

After all, it was none other than the Bearen family’s banquet.

Though it was near the capital, her hometown was a rural village in the middle of nowhere. A backwater village where no one knew the name of the town, not even the people in the mansion!

It was the Bearen family’s banquet that had spread its name even to that backwater village.

By the order of Duke Dimitri, who had recently been appointed, Eilie stayed at the Bearen family’s townhouse, taking care of Eleanor.

The size and grandeur of the Bearen mansion left her amazed every day.

It was bound to be so. How much more splendid could the banquet be!

Finally, the sight before her fulfilled her expectations. Eilie widened her eyes and gazed at the sparkling annex.

The scenery unfolding before her eyes was truly magnificent even from a distance.

At night, the annex shone with splendor.

Lamps made of sparkling marble on white pedestals. The marble lamps, illuminating the darkness, emitted light in various colors, not just the usual blue, and the reflection of those vibrant colors on the white marble building looked incredibly beautiful in the girl’s eyes.

The inside of the annex was even more so.

The gentle melody of the waltz resonated throughout.

The nobles, dressed in their finest attire, engaged in various conversations to the sound of the music. Occasionally, their crystal glasses clinked as they toasted each other.

The mansion’s staff, who had been circulating among the noble guests, were carrying silver trays. Dressed in black suits, they looked very handsome in Eilie’s eyes.

Each unfolding scene was dazzling to Eilie, a country girl.

“Is this what a grand noble’s banquet looks like?”

“Ah, really! Eily, stop fooling around. This way, this way!”

However, unlike the sparkling country girl, for Sophie, it was just another ordinary day with nothing special.

In her mind right now, she was filled with the realistic worry of ‘Ah… when am I going to clean all this up.’

With their different thoughts in mind, they climbed up to the second floor.

Through the curtains that were drawn in various places on the balcony, they could see familiar faces amidst unfamiliar men, and a beautiful lady.

Sophie and Eily quietly approached the front of the balcony. With their mouths tightly shut, they waited behind the curtain for the conversation to end, in case they would be a disturbance.

“I will try my best to adjust as much as possible.”

After the lady’s words ended, there was a silence that followed.

Taking advantage of the conversation being settled, Eily and Sophie cautiously stepped into the balcony.

“Lady, I heard you were looking for us.”

In response to the echoing voices of the two, Eleanor welcomed Sophie and Eily into the balcony as if she had met a savior.

“Yeah, the foreigner is a bit drunk.”

Upon Eleanor’s words, Eily and Sophie, with their heads resting on the lady’s thigh, confirmed the happy expression of the foreign lady.

“Lady, are you feeling weak from the alcohol?”

“I don’t know. It’s actually the first time since I lost my memory. Eily, could you come and take a look?”

“Alright. Then, excuse us.”

Pushing through the men larger than themselves, Eily and Sophie approached Eleanor with caution.

Snap out of it, Eily. Don’t get caught. You must never get caught by that man.

Supporting the foreigner, Eily glanced hesitantly at the large man standing next to the handsome man with silver hair.

The man they had encountered at the mansion last time was undoubtedly the one who had handed the antidote to Shillob’s grandfather. The rough and rugged hands, along with the scars left on the back of his hand, were unmistakable.

Really. Why did you only remember now, you fool!

“Eily! The lady is leaning! Support her properly!”

“Oh, alright. Sophie.”

Even with Sophie’s sharp voice, Eily quickly turned her gaze to the lady.

“Since it’s late, I will also return to the mansion.”

Following the two, Eleanor also got up from her seat.

Julian was still frozen in his place. In his place, Christian bowed his head and bid farewell on behalf of him.

I didn’t expect it, but that would be a lie.

On the way back from the annex to the mansion, Eleanor sighed softly as she looked at Sophie and Eily walking ahead.

The night of the Foundation Day.

The night when nobles confess their feelings to each other.

They waited on the balcony until the very end, holding the fallen foreigner, but the man did not show up.

He was definitely there when escorting the domi, right?

In fact, Dimitri had been in that state for a while now.

Even though they lived in the same house, it was difficult to even face each other. He would leave the mansion early in the morning and only return late at night, making it impossible to meet face to face.

Eleanor arrived in front of the mansion before she knew it.

To end the night of the Foundation Day like this, Eleanor couldn’t help but mutter her inner thoughts in a slightly disappointed tone.

“I’m a little disappointed…”

“What’s so disappointing, Ellie?”

And at the familiar and longing voice, Eleanor was startled and turned around.

Facing Eleanor was his deep black eyes, darker than a summer night.