#38
Roni never expected Allen to stop her, so she froze in place, staring at him. His face remained as expressionless as ever—so much so that she wondered if what she had just heard was a hallucination.
With a bewildered look, Roni asked again.
“Did you just ask me to eat with you?”
“…Eating alone gets boring.”
Allen muttered quietly as he moved the food he had brought over to the dining table. A moment later, he jerked his chin toward the table, signaling her to come sit.
Though Roni was happy about his invitation, something about it made her uncomfortable, and she awkwardly sat down.
During the meal, Allen barely spoke. Sitting close to him, she noticed how much weight he seemed to have lost.
So it was true—he really had been overworking himself for the past month. Allen ate every last bite without leaving anything behind. Pleased, she smiled and said:
“It’s nice to see you eating so well.”
“I just didn’t want to bother with food waste disposal.”
“Still, you must’ve found it good enough to finish.”
Allen glanced at her sideways, then carried the empty dishes away. She followed suit, collecting the rest of the plates.
Casually, she glanced into the food storage space. There was nothing worth eating—only various potions that quickly restored stamina.
So Viena had been right. It seemed he’d been skipping real food and relying on these instead.
“Don’t you ever cook for yourself?”
“I don’t really have the time.”
“…Are you going to keep speaking formally to me?”
“Don’t concern yourself.”
Allen shot her a sharp look, and Roni immediately lowered her head.
‘Yes, I have no excuse. What could I possibly say?’
Feeling strangely meek in front of him, she averted her gaze from the storage.
She figured she’d have to send him ready-to-eat meals through the butler. No matter how good a potion was, it couldn’t replace the nutrition of real food.
Besides, wasn’t it a bit sad for someone to live on potions alone? People worked so they could eat and enjoy life—giving up that joy was a shame.
In the past, Allen had often gone out with her to enjoy delicious meals. She couldn’t believe he had lost interest in food entirely.
Perhaps he was making a silent protest with his own body.
To maintain a proper distance from him, she knew she should interfere as little as possible. But watching him push himself like this didn’t sit right with her.
She decided she’d secretly have the butler stock his storage with meals and claim it was her mother’s doing. That way, Allen would feel less awkward about it.
Just then, Allen emerged, changed into different clothes—as if he was planning to go out again.
“Why don’t you rest for a bit today?”
“…”
“If you’re only going out because I’m here, you don’t have to. I’ll be leaving soon anyway.”
Roni quickly packed her things, stood, and pushed him toward the bed. Allen obediently sat down.
So he really had been planning to leave because of her. She felt a twinge of guilt for interrupting his rest.
She patted the pillow, telling him to lie down. He stared at her with an unreadable expression, then lay down without another word.
The moment she saw him lie down, she turned to leave—but something caught at her from behind. Thinking Allen had grabbed her, she turned around with a slightly awkward smile… unaware that she was also smiling in quiet delight.
“…”
But her hope was in vain. Allen had already turned his back.
Her eyes went to her dress hem—it had gotten caught on the corner of the bed.
‘Ah… how embarrassing.’
What a ridiculous situation.
Not wanting Allen to see her flustered face, Roni’s cheeks burned as she hurried out of the room. She was grateful he had been facing away.
Hearing her leave, Allen looked toward the door and let out a quiet sigh.
He didn’t even know why he had wanted to stop her. And yet, when it came down to it, he lacked the courage to admit it, pretending otherwise instead—how pathetic.
Scowling, Allen ruffled his hair violently.
On the day of the party, Roni, as the guest of honor, was dressed up more extravagantly than usual. Vivi hummed a cheerful tune as she worked, as if fulfilling a long-cherished wish.
“You look so beautiful, miss.”
“It doesn’t really suit me…”
Roni looked at herself in the mirror, turning slightly, her expression awkward. Indeed, the reflection didn’t feel like her at all.
She was wearing a soft pink, flowing dress she normally wouldn’t touch. Her hair was braided and half tied up, adorned with ornate butterfly-shaped jewels—pure princess style.
Or rather, Vivi style. It was exactly what Vivi had dreamed of dressing her in.
“Nonsense! You look absolutely lovely. Since you have a naturally cool aura, you should balance it out with colors like this.”
“Even for a party, isn’t this a bit too extravagant for just being at home?”
“Trust me! Everyone will be stunned when they see you. You’re truly beautiful right now.”
It was clear Vivi had no intention of backing down. Roni sighed in defeat and nodded, making Vivi beam with satisfaction.
In truth, Sohee had always liked pink—but she’d pretended otherwise, thinking it wouldn’t suit Roni.
She had to admit, she actually liked the dress. Whether it suited Roni’s icy demeanor was another matter.
At that moment, Gale knocked and entered, Allen following behind.
“Well, look who it is!”
The moment Gale saw her, his eyes widened. Roni flinched at his reaction.
“If you say it doesn’t suit me, I won’t forgive you.”
She snapped sharply, and Gale quickly waved his hands.
“No, no—that’s not it. I’m just surprised at how well pink suits you. Guess you clean up nicely, sis.”
“Why does that sound like an insult disguised as a compliment?”
She grumbled, but the smile tugging at her lips betrayed her. Part of her was actually excited—after all, it wasn’t often she got to wear something like this.
Behind Gale, Allen stood in a blue-toned suit with his hair neatly styled. He looked incredibly handsome.
He stared at her intently. Unlike Gale, he said nothing. That silence made her even more self-conscious, so she averted her eyes.
But his gaze remained fixed on her, so focused she could feel it on her dress.
Every time her eyes met his, she felt oddly unsettled, as if he were staring because it didn’t suit her.
Maybe it was just the lack of any comment that made her feel that way.
‘He’s probably just looking, not thinking it’s ugly. …Right? Come on, say something.’
After a moment, Allen abruptly looked away. His complete lack of reaction left her strangely deflated.
‘So it really doesn’t suit me, huh.’
That thought dampened her mood.
When it was time for the party, Allen extended his arm to escort her. As her fiancé in the public eye, it was only natural to enter together.
Roni carefully placed her hand on his arm. Gale, meanwhile, had run off to meet Sharon as soon as Hylde mentioned she’d arrived.
Apparently, once love began, even one’s sister became invisible. It was mildly irritating, but since the other party was Sharon, Roni decided to let it slide.
Just before they entered the hall, Allen suddenly stopped. When Roni looked at him questioningly, he gazed at her steadily, his eyes lingering on her dress.
“…What?”
His stare made her self-conscious, and the dress felt even more awkward. She urged him to speak, but he only continued to glare at the outfit.
‘Why do you keep staring and saying nothing? Just tell me already.’
Her embarrassment deepened. Then Allen turned sharply toward the door and muttered:
“I suddenly don’t feel like walking in through this door.”
“…What’s that supposed to mean?”
“I just don’t like the dress. Don’t dress up like this again. It doesn’t suit you at all.”
Allen’s blunt criticism hit her like a hammer. She stared at him blankly, and before she could retort, he opened the doors to the party.
The dress she had secretly liked was now condemned, and the fact that it was Allen who had said it made the sting far worse.
Vivi had insisted it suited her—so was it really that bad in his eyes? Maybe she should have ignored Vivi and dressed as usual.
‘Still… he didn’t have to say it that bluntly.’
A mix of hurt and irritation welled up, and she tightened her grip on his arm in protest. But Allen showed no reaction.
If anything, he only held her more firmly and pulled her along.
