TCBCVF 73

~Chapter 73~

I bit down hard on the soft inside of my mouth.

‘Get it together, Lari.’

Don’t let your heart flutter at every little thing he says.

Do you want to look foolish in front of the Duke?

After a while, I tried to smile as if nothing happened.

“Thank you. You’re so kind, maybe that’s why the ladies like you so much, Duke.”

“I didn’t say that to be popular.”

Huh?

I blinked.

The Duke added calmly,

“I was just telling you my honest feelings.”

“….”

For a moment, I felt at a loss for words.

‘No.’

If I start getting flustered here, it’s over.

I already know how polite the Duke is.

I hurriedly waved my hands and changed the subject.

“Aww, you’re exaggerating. Miss Morgan is one of the prettiest women in the capital, and so talented…”

But the Duke’s face turned a bit sour, and he asked,

“Excuse me, but how long are we going to talk about Miss Morgan?”

“Huh?”

“I think that’s enough about her.”

It sounded like… he really didn’t want to talk about Miss Morgan anymore.

My words faded away.

“Then what should we talk about…?”

“Who knows.”

The Duke stared straight at me.

I swallowed nervously.

It felt like I was trapped in the icy blue of his eyes.

…I couldn’t move at all.

“I’d rather talk about you, Lady Ansie.”

“About me?”

“Yes. For example…”

His blue eyes drifted to my ear.

“Like the earrings I gave you as a gift.”

Ah.

I froze.

Did the Duke really care about the present he gave me?

…Wasn’t it just me thinking about it?

“I noticed you’ve never worn them.”

He asked carefully.

“Maybe you didn’t like them?”

“….”

I looked up at the Duke.

He always looked calm, but today he seemed a little nervous.

“No.”

I shook my head right away.

“It’s just… there was never a good time to wear them.”

“A good time?”

“Yes.”

I wanted to avoid his eyes.

The way he looked at me with those blue eyes was too captivating.

I felt like if I wasn’t careful, I’d never escape from them.

But—

“Since you went out of your way to give them to me…”

I didn’t avoid his gaze.

Looking straight at the Duke, I spoke clearly.

“I wanted you to be the first person to see me wearing them.”

My mouth was dry.

I tried not to let my voice tremble as I continued.

“But I never knew when I’d see you again, so I kept waiting…”

“So,”

Suddenly, the Duke spoke in a slightly impatient voice,

“Are you saying you didn’t wear them on purpose, thinking of me?”

“….”

If I admitted that, what would happen?

Would my feelings, hidden because he’s “Seraphina’s destined man,” come pouring out?

I was afraid.

But still—

“Yes.”

I nodded honestly.

At the same time, a pure white smile slowly spread across the Duke’s handsome face.

“I’m happy to hear that.”

At that smile,

Everything else in my world faded to gray.

The only thing left shining was…

The Duke alone.

‘What should I do?’

I pressed my hand to my racing heart.

‘Maybe I really do have feelings for the Duke…’

A carriage stopped smoothly in front of the Ansie family’s townhouse.

Dietrich got out first and helped Laritte step down.

Laritte smiled brightly.

“Thank you for today.”

“No, I’m the one who had fun being with you, Lady Ansie.”

After their farewells,

Laritte went inside.

Dietrich watched her until she disappeared behind the door.

Only then did he get back in the carriage.

“….”

The carriage started off toward the Claudius townhouse.

Sitting back, Dietrich thought about everything that happened today.

The wonderful opera,
Sophia’s beautiful singing—

It had all vanished from his mind.

Now Dietrich could only think of one person:

‘Lady Ansie.’

Laritte seemed deeply moved by today’s opera.

She kept talking about Sophia the whole time.

“Miss Morgan is really beautiful.”

It was just a simple compliment.

He could have just agreed and moved on.

“But still, I think Lady Ansie is even more beautiful.”

…Dietrich hadn’t even realized how honest he was being.

To be honest, Sophia was probably more beautiful than Laritte.

But from the moment he saw Laritte at the opera until they parted,

She was all he could see.

Her black hair under the dark night sky.

The moonlight falling on her white skin.

She looked like a fairy from an old legend.

So fragile she might disappear into the night…

Maybe that’s why,

“I’d rather talk about you, Lady Ansie.”

He didn’t want to hear about Miss Morgan anymore.

“Like the earrings I gave you as a gift.”

He looked at her empty ears and spoke without thinking.

He regretted it right away.

‘Why did I say that?’

How Laritte used his gift was her own business.

Why did he even ask…?

‘Was I really that worried about it?’

Dietrich was surprised at himself.

Meanwhile, Laritte looked up at him, her eyes wide like a startled rabbit.

“Since you went out of your way to give them to me…”

Her face a bit shy.

“I wanted you to be the first person to see me wearing them.”

And Dietrich thought she looked absolutely lovely.

‘Why did I even ask?’

Dietrich put his hands over his face.

His ears had turned red.

“….”

After replaying the day in his mind, Dietrich looked up.

The Claudius townhouse was just ahead.

‘Still, it seems like Eva planned all of this…’

Dietrich frowned.

It was finally time to get the full story from his mischievous sister.

Bang!

Without even knocking, the door burst open.

There stood Dietrich.

He was always so calm he could be annoying, but to Evangeline, he was her one and only brother.

“Eva!”

Dietrich shouted.

Evangeline, who was lounging on her bed, lifted her head lazily.

“Oh, brother?”

Then she jumped up and her eyes sparkled as she started asking all sorts of questions.