TCBCVF 50

~Chapter 50~

“If anything, it’s you who missed the opportunity, Young Lord Gusto.”

The Duke spoke coldly, his piercing gaze aimed at Gregory.

“Y-Your Grace…?”

“You already threw away your chance to be Lady Ansi’s fiancé. So why now?”

He tilted his head slightly.

“Why are you still clinging to her?”

His icy blue eyes bore down on Gregory.

“Pathetic.”

Wow.
I was so impressed I forgot how serious the situation was.
That arrogant glare, the disgusted expression like he was looking at something foul—

Even the way he said pathetic… he’s just like the princess!

“F-Forgive me!”

Gregory quickly turned and fled.

Wow. He acted like he was going to devour me alive earlier, but now he was running scared?

As I watched Gregory’s back fade away with cold eyes—

“Pardon my interruption,”

The Duke cleared his throat and spoke again.

“I just couldn’t stand to hear Young Lord Gusto spewing nonsense.”

“No, really, thank you so much.”

I quickly shook my head.

“If not for you, I would’ve been stuck there with Gregory for much longer.”

The Duke looked down at me with concern.

“Did he hurt you in any way?”

My breath caught for a moment.

‘He’s worried about me…’

I still wasn’t used to someone genuinely worrying about me.

“No, I’m fine.”

I forced a smile.

But the Duke didn’t look convinced.

“Pardon me, but you don’t seem fine to me.”

“Huh?”

“He was mocking you. That’s not something you should brush off.”

He shook his head firmly.

“You don’t have to always endure rude behavior. At the very least, make sure people know they can’t treat you that way.”

“You’re not someone who deserves that.”

‘To be honest… I fired back at Gregory too when you weren’t looking…’

But still, there was no need to admit that.

‘Honestly… it feels really nice.’

Aside from my parents, I never had anyone take my side.

But the princess and the Duke were different.

‘I didn’t know having someone worry about me could give me this much strength.’

I smiled brightly and nodded.

“Thank you.”

“There’s no need. I’m only stating the truth.”

The Duke smiled back politely.

And the moment our eyes met—

‘Ah…’

Now I truly understood why Seraphina fell so hard for the Duke.

But the problem was…

“…”

“…”

Now that the topic of Gregory was over, we had nothing left to say.

A tense silence settled between us.

‘Oh no… this is so awkward.’

Panicking, I quickly blurted out a question.

“S-So! Were you looking for the princess too, Your Grace?”

From what I’d seen, the Duke was a total doting brother.
It made sense that he’d be searching for her.

He looked a little caught off guard.

“Ah, well…”

Then he smiled gently.

“Yes. I came out to find Eva.”

…Wait, wasn’t he a little flustered just now?

Still blinking dumbly, I offered a suggestion.

“Then… shall we look for her together?”

“Pardon?”

“I-I mean, I’m looking for her too. If we search together, we might find her faster…”

I trailed off awkwardly.

Then—

“Pfft.”

…He laughed?

I frantically tried to recall everything I’d just said.

Did I say something silly?

Did I sound funny?

No, right?!

Luckily, the Duke just nodded kindly.

“Yes, let’s do that.”

Even if I wasn’t sure why he laughed, he didn’t seem offended, so… I let it go.

And thus, our late-night mission to find the princess began.

Though honestly, it was more like an excuse to take a walk.

“So, the princess arranged all the flowers for this party herself.”

“Evangeline did?”

“Yes! Aren’t they beautiful? I think she has a real talent for things like this.”

At some point, I found myself rambling about how amazing the princess was.

I probably sounded like a proud parent, but I couldn’t help it!

“She can now draft budgets on her own without my help.”

“Is that so?”

The Duke looked surprised.

I nodded proudly.

“Really! At first I was worried since she’d never done anything like that before, but she’s actually very detailed and quick to learn.”

“Eva? Detailed and competent?”

The Duke gave a doubtful smile.

“That’s not how I would’ve described her…”

“It’s true! She made a few small calculation mistakes at first, but now she gets everything right.”

“She really has a knack for it.”

The Duke was a great listener.

He didn’t interrupt or cut in—he just quietly listened to everything I said.

‘It’s been so long since I had such a relaxing conversation…’

Aside from my parents and the princess, I never imagined I could feel this at ease with someone else.

“By the way, Lady Ansi,”

After listening quietly, the Duke suddenly reached into his coat.

“There’s something I’d like to give you.”

Huh?

I blinked.

“To me? Not to the princess?”

“Yes. It’s for you.”

He nodded and handed me a small gift box that fit in his palm.

“What is it…?”

I stared up at him with wide eyes.

He looked slightly awkward—a rare sight.

“Every time I go on a business trip, Eva nags me to bring her back a gift.”

“So I bought hers… and picked up something for you as well.”

A gentle smile crossed his handsome face.

“I hope you’ll like it.”

“…”

I slowly accepted the box.

Looking down at it, stunned, I hesitantly asked:

“C-Can I open it now?”

“Of course.”

The Duke nodded calmly.

I swallowed hard and untied the silk ribbon.

Inside the box was…

‘Earrings?’

Soft pink rose-quartz gemstones, the size of my thumbnail, glowed under the moonlight.

They were in a simple, elegant style with detailed craftsmanship.

“…”

My throat tightened.

Gregory had showered Seraphina with gifts but never gave me even a handkerchief.

And here the Duke was—thoughtful enough to bring something for his sister’s friend.

“I’ve… never received a gift like this before.”

I clutched the box tightly in both hands.

“How should I thank you?”

“You already are—by being good to Evangeline.”

His smile deepened.

“That’s more than enough.”

“…”

Fighting back the lump in my throat, I smiled warmly.

“Thank you so much. I’ll treasure it.”

“It makes me happy to see you happy.”

Under the shimmering white moonlight,

That beautiful man stood facing me.

Was it the magic of this romantic night?

Or the lingering excitement from the party?

Because at that moment…

It felt like something soft brushed against the deepest part of my heart.

…A strange, fluttery feeling.