Chapter 10
Killian’s curved smile was dangerously sweet — like poison hidden under sugar.
There was no way to read his true thoughts. Behind that gentle, charming face, there was clearly something else — another motive entirely.
“If the opportunity comes,” Killian said smoothly, “I’m even considering marriage with Lady Chelsea.”
“Marriage…?”
At that, the faint smile on Hares’s lips twitched — just slightly — but enough to show the bitterness behind it.
Killian noticed, of course. His tone remained calm, almost teasing.
“Wouldn’t it be a good thing if your childhood friend married into a fine household? As a ‘family-like friend,’ you should be happy for her.”
“A fine household, huh.”
Hares’s voice turned cold. Then he asked sharply,
“I know nearly every unmarried nobleman in the capital. May I ask which family you belong to?”
“I don’t think I need to tell her friend that,” Killian said smoothly. “Only Lady Chelsea herself — since this is a date, after all.”
The grip on my shoulder tightened — painfully.
It wasn’t hard to feel the anger simmering beneath Hares’s calm.
The tension between them grew unbearable, so I quickly stepped in.
“Um, didn’t you say you were going to help me with styling today?”
It was awkward, but I jabbed Hares in the side, silently begging him to stop.
Thankfully, Killian didn’t seem angry. His face stayed perfectly pleasant as he replied,
“Ah, yes, of course. It seems Lady Chelsea isn’t yet aware of which styles suit her best.”
“You must know women well, then,” Hares said icily, “if you know what suits them.”
Crack.
Their gazes collided in the air like lightning.
I could practically feel the sparks between them.
“Wow, that blue fabric looks nice,” I said quickly, cutting in and pointing toward a roll of cloth.
Killian turned to look, then shook his head.
“I have better taste than Lady Chelsea, but that color doesn’t suit her.”
“Then… which color do you think would look better?”
I jabbed Hares’s side again, finally slipping out of his grip, and stepped toward Killian.
Killian smiled faintly and gently guided me toward the mirror, his hand resting lightly on my shoulder.
“The colors that suit you best,” he murmured, smiling like a beautiful serpent, “are the soft, lovely ones — cute and charming.”
The tailor brought over a few dresses just as Killian described, and when I tried one against my reflection, the change was stunning.
“Wow… you’re amazing,” I said, genuinely surprised.
Killian chuckled softly.
“I suppose I was trained from a young age to have good taste.”
“I see…”
“But it’s interesting,” he said lightly. “You didn’t seem to have much caution around me from the start.”
Ah. Crap.
He’d noticed.
He’d probably been thinking, ‘What kind of strange girl is this?’ the whole time.
I tried to keep a straight face, but it was too late — our eyes met in the mirror. His were clear and blue, filled with curiosity.
And behind me, I could see Hares — his expression dark, clearly displeased.
Killian, still smiling, leaned a little closer and said quietly,
“When you look up at me and smile so easily like a puppy… it makes me want to try something even bolder.”
“Eek.”
The tiny hairs on the back of my neck stood straight up. I stiffened instinctively.
Immediately, Hares rushed forward.
“Hey! Pig! What’s going on?”
“N-nothing! He was just helping me find what suits me — I was impressed, that’s all.”
Killian nodded calmly, playing along with my excuse, a soft laugh escaping him.
And just like that — the “date” had only just begun.
Later, after Killian had finished fixing my hair, makeup, and entire outfit, he asked,
“May I send a letter to arrange our next date?”
He said it with the same warm, polite tone — like this was all perfectly natural.
I wasn’t sure how I felt about him — I didn’t dislike him, but it wasn’t attraction, either.
Still, I could sense how much it bothered Hares.
His expression looked dark, almost grim — like someone trying to shake off heavy thoughts.
Once Killian had left, I walked out of the salon ahead of Hares, not wanting to talk about what had just happened.
I could feel his gaze on my back the whole way.
I wondered what he’d been thinking — watching me spend the afternoon with another man, acting polite and smiling.
He hadn’t looked fine at all, but I didn’t dare hope.
I’d been let down too many times before.
“Hey,” he said finally.
“Yeah?”
I stopped and turned to him. My heart thudded painfully — half fear, half anticipation.
“What is it?”
Hares’s expression was impossible to read.
He looked… hollow somehow. Like he’d lost something — or finally accepted something he didn’t want to.
Even after all these years, I couldn’t read him at all.
“Hey. That guy you said you liked before…” he began.
“…”
“Was it him?”
I froze.
Should I lie — say yes, to protect myself — or just dodge the question?
Before I could decide, Hares let out a quiet, breathless laugh. It wasn’t happy — it sounded almost broken.
“Forget it,” he said softly. “I just meant… if that’s the guy you liked all along — the one you didn’t want to tell me about — then… I’ll support you.”
Support.
That single word hit me like a hammer.
‘Wow. I really am the biggest fool alive.’
How many times had I told myself this truth?
That Hares didn’t see me as a woman. That he saw me only as family.
And yet… had I still hoped for something?
Had I secretly believed that maybe today — after seeing me with someone else — something might finally change?
Probably.
I stood frozen, feeling like a child who’d lost her way.
Hares went on, his tone gentle but firm.
“Honestly, I don’t like him. But if you do, my opinion doesn’t matter. He seems decent — refined, from a good family, and all that.”
“…”
“I was cautious because I’d never seen the guy you liked before. But he didn’t overstep, or act weird, so… yeah.”
“…Really.”
Something deep inside me cracked — like glass breaking.
I couldn’t take it anymore.
I had told myself I’d be patient. I had told myself that maybe, someday, he’d see me differently.
But now… everything felt pointless.
All my effort, all my pretending — it had all been for nothing.
So I asked, with a trembling voice,
“Do you want to see me happy with someone else? To see me fall in love and marry another man?”
“What?”
He frowned, confused.
I wanted to hold it in — to control myself — but the dam had broken.
If I stayed silent, our friendship would stay safe.
That was the truth. I’d known it for years.
As long as I didn’t say anything, we could keep living like this — comfortably, peacefully.
But I suddenly realized something.
Even endless summers have to end someday.
If nothing ever changed between us, the moment he fell in love with someone else, this bond would break anyway.
So… if it was going to end eventually, I wanted to at least try.
My throat felt tight as I forced the words out. My heart pounded so hard it hurt.
Sweat trickled down my palms. My thoughts went blank.
“I really didn’t want to say this,” I whispered. “I’ve tried for years not to. I really, really did.”
“…”
Hares froze, as if sensing what was coming.
And then I said the words I’d hidden for so long — the words he never wanted to hear.
“I like you.”
I finally said it.
