episode_0133

Tea time after dinner.

Dmitri held a teacup emitting a faint steam beyond the wide entrance. He was still watching his lover Eleanor with a cold gaze.

The teacup exuded a sweet and refreshing scent of fresh strawberries. However, contrary to the aroma, the taste of bitter black tea filled his mouth.

Hiding his expression behind the raised teacup, he glanced over, wondering if there was something strange about the black tea, but the women across from him were sipping it casually.

A small sigh swirled inside the teacup. Dmitri was trying to share his emotions with Eleanor, but black tea was quite challenging for him.

Finally, he carefully placed the teacup he had been holding on the table.

The clear sound of the teacup clinking did not disturb the conversation of the women across from him.

Dressed in similar design dresses side by side, if their hair colors were similar, they could have been mistaken for close sisters.

Seeing the affectionate appearance of the two women, Dmitri felt jealousy towards his own younger sister for the first time.

“Let’s keep it simple. Since only our parents and little brother will be coming from our side. So, as I mentioned last time, there’s no need to prepare too extravagantly.”

Brushing her flowing golden hair behind her ear, Eleanor replied. Her sky-blue eyes were focused on the paper placed on the table.

The engagement ceremony was approaching.

The paper she was looking at was filled with details about the engagement ceremony procedures and costs.

“Sister… Are you sure it’s okay? It’s an engagement… It’s a once-in-a-lifetime event.”

Hildegarde looked at Eleanor with questioning eyes. Even though the one to be engaged was on this side. Her sky-blue eyes moved towards her younger sister sitting beside her, not him.

“Yeah. It’s okay. Anyway, there will be a wedding later…”

While saying it’s okay, Eleanor trailed off. She then smiled reassuringly as if to say not to worry, tapping her fingers on her thigh.

“To be honest, I don’t want a noisy wedding. I just want to have a simple meal with us.”

“That’s not possible, Elli.”

A man’s firm voice followed the soft tone of her voice. The resolute voice of Dmitri made the two women’s gaze turn towards the black man across from them.

“The wedding will be grand. I will make Elli the most precious bride in the world.”

The unnecessarily grand declaration filled the reception room. Eleanor and Hildegarde were both staring blankly at Dmitri.

The silence that followed was broken by the younger sister’s mischievous laughter.

“Pfft, what, what is that?”

Suppressing her rising laughter, Hildegarde burst into laughter, unable to hold it in any longer.

“Hahaha. The most precious bride in the world! Are you crazy? Aren’t you embarrassed?”

Hildegarde laughed heartily. She threw away her usual elegant noble lady appearance and clapped her hands, laughing loudly.

Sitting next to her, Eleanor was a bit different. Her gaze was fixed on the floor, and her cheeks turned red. It seemed that the previous dialogue was very embarrassing for her.

And Dmitri was no different.

With a determined posture unlike anyone else, her face was still flushed.

For a while, the reception room was filled with Hildegard’s laughter.

How much had she laughed?

“Ahaha… Really, our brother can’t be stopped, can he?”

Wiping away the tears in her eyes, Hildegard composed herself, catching her breath.

“Hey, Ellie unnie.”

Eventually, Hildegard reached out and grabbed Eleanor’s hand, which was wriggling on her thigh. Eleanor, who had been bowing deeply as Hildegard wiped her hand on her palm, was taken aback.

“Shall I give you two some space to be alone with your brother?”

There was no response.

As the grip on their hands tightened, Eleanor’s gaze, still facing the floor, nodded.

Observing this, Hildegard looked at the brother opposite her.

After throwing a cheeky comment and still seeing his dumbfounded expression, she playfully winked at him, telling him to do well, and then let go of Eleanor’s hand.

“Well then, I’ll go to the annex now. Have a good night, both of you.”

Returning to her role as the grand lady, Hildegard gracefully stood up from her seat. Then, she took the maids and foreign guests with her, leaving the reception room so the two could have a serious conversation.

Now, only Eleanor and Dmitri remained in the reception room. The sound of crickets softly drifted in through the slightly open window amidst the quiet silence.

Dmitri was the first to break the silence.

Still bowing deeply, he mustered up the courage to address Eleanor.

“Um, Ellie…”

Afraid she might ignore him like she did in the carriage earlier, Dmitri was relieved when Eleanor gently raised her head at the sound of his voice.

“Yes, Dmitri.”

Their eyes met, the clear blue irises captivating Dmitri after so long.

“Are you still upset?”

“Well…”

Her clear voice gradually faded towards the end. Eventually, her clear blue eyes, as refreshing as the sky, enveloped Dmitri.

“From the start, Dmitri. Do you know why I was upset?”

Leaning towards Dmitri, she displayed a womanly charm that he had never imagined she possessed.

She couldn’t help but wonder how the men here would react to that line.

“I know.”

Surprisingly, Dmitri responded calmly.

There might be a way to push further, but he was still a former man.

She dismissed the wicked thought that came to mind.

Moreover, as she had told Hildegard, it was also difficult to keep their distance like this.

“Come closer.”

Eleanor gently tapped the seat next to her. The sofa where Hildegard had been sitting still retained her warmth.

With that gesture, Dmitri stood up as if entranced. Carefully approaching Eleanor, he sat down next to her, leaning in close like a younger sister from earlier.

The faint scent of roses, long forgotten, gently pricked his firm eye area.

“I’m sorry, Dmitri.”

The pleasant weight transmitted through their touching arms.

The warm heat felt through the thin shirt.

“It’s okay, I was too stubborn, wasn’t I?”

“No, no, you weren’t.”

“No… I knew that Dimitri was making efforts for my sake in various ways…”

Swish, Eleanor’s golden hair swayed. She gently leaned her head against Dimitri’s shoulder.

Gradually, as her breath whispered in his ear, Dimitri, who had been struggling to maintain his composure, felt his heart start to stir.

Before long, her left hand moved towards Dimitri’s right hand. The hands of the two overlapped. Between their rough fingers, Eleanor’s soft fingers intertwined.

Eleanor learned that the act of intertwining pinkies was quite thrilling that night.

#.

Truly, it had been a long time since the two had come so close to each other, both physically and emotionally.

Leaning against each other on the sofa, the two shared words they had been wanting to say. As much as they had drifted apart during that time, they filled each other with their scents.

How long had it been like this?

A teacup held in hand to soothe a dry throat.

The lukewarm bitterness of the cooled black tea made Dimitri, as well as Eleanor who enjoyed the tea, furrow their brows.

The drawing-room was bathed in the moonlight pouring in through the window, the only source of light filling the quiet room. Fortunately, it was the full moon tonight, allowing the two to see each other’s faces in the moonlight alone.

The conversation that had been going on for a while was gradually dwindling.

As they felt each other’s warmth beyond their touching shoulders.

“Dimitri.”

At the faintly echoing voice, Dimitri gently looked down at Eleanor beside him. Thanks to her platinum blonde hair shimmering in the blue moonlight, she looked incredibly mysterious, almost like a fairy from a fairy tale.

“Yes, Ellie.”

In his relaxed, deep voice, the hand he held hers with tightened slightly.

Eleanor carefully lifted her other hand and brushed it over the back of his hand.

Before long, her voice that flowed past her lips was softer than the fingers tickling the back of his hand.

“Hilda and I have agreed on something. After the engagement ceremony, we will stay here alone for a week.”

And at the unexpected words, Dimitri, who had been comfortably leaning against the back of the sofa, straightened up and adjusted his posture.

“Alone for a week?”

“Yes. We haven’t had time alone since we came up to the north. It was different when we were in the west.”

That was true.

But the engagement ceremony was ending, and it was time to prepare to climb the barrier.

“Well, still, I-”

“I will not take no for an answer.”

Thud.

Before long, a pleasant softness and weight were felt on Dimitri’s leg.

Eleanor lay on his leg, her back against it, looking up at him.

Thanks to the sleeveless dress, her slender arms, with bare skin exposed, cut through the air, and the fingers that had just been interlocked blocked his next words at her lips.

“The guards… Yes. I will place them in the least visible places. And only keep as many maids as necessary… I will also give foreign servants a vacation this time.”

Lying on his leg, Eleanor smiled softly. Under her gently arched eyebrows, the vivid face of the man reflected in her sky-blue eyes.

“I went to the guesthouse with Hilda earlier. It seems like spending a week alone won’t be too difficult.”

“Oh, Ellie.”

Despite pushing things this far, her man still had a hesitant expression.

Summer passed and winter came. There might not be a time like this once I become the Crown Prince.

Trembling sky-blue eyes. Her gaze, unwavering and intense,

Though it was a somewhat reckless method, Dimitri thought that now was a good opportunity to rid himself of the guilt in his heart.

“Very well, Ellie.”

Nevertheless, he was still a man.

Dimitri tilted his head to the side. With only a handful of platinum hair resting on his shoulder, he gently pressed his lips against the forehead of the pure white Eleanor.

Feeling unfamiliar with the sensation, Eleanor shuddered, but as the distant warmth continued, she lowered her thin eyelids.

And time passed once again, until suddenly the day of the engagement ceremony dawned.