Chapter 67
I Want to Confess
Lorencia tilted her head. Normally, Teishar would try to persuade her to buy at least one more dress. Because of that, there were still many dresses she hadn’t even worn.
“This is strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“Usually, you’d persuade me to buy more dresses, but this time you didn’t.”
“At first, that was because you needed multiple dresses.”
“And now?”
“The debutante dresses are different. Buying many to gift is one thing, but this is different. You should choose a red dress that only Miss Lorencia likes and wants to wear.”
Ben smiled, watching the young couple chatting happily. Especially noticing that Teishar’s gaze seemed fixed on Lorencia rather than the dresses, he nodded in approval.
Teishar’s attitude toward Lorencia looked just like an ordinary man with a woman he liked. Likewise, Lorencia looked like a woman in the presence of a man she liked. Ben had a feeling that good news would soon come from these two.
“Ben, the third dress you showed me earlier…”
“The third dress I showed you is called The First Blooming Rose. As the name suggests, it captures the beauty and freshness of a rose in full bloom. It will suit you very well, Miss Lorencia.”
“I think it will suit Lorencia’s clear and bright atmosphere.”
Teishar examined the dress Lorencia had chosen. The chiffon and tulle lace were beautifully dyed in a gradient of white and red. The hem was adorned with rose embroidery and jewels, making it elaborate, yet overall, the dress looked elegant and simple.
“Would you like to try it on, Miss Lorencia?”
“Yes, Ben.”
Ben led Lorencia away.
Teishar felt a strange sensation. He imagined seeing her in the red dress before his eyes. His heart raced. From the moment Lorencia said she liked red—the color of his eyes—he had felt excited.
Lorencia saying she wanted a red debutante dress because she liked the color stirred his heart. It was an answer he hadn’t expected at all. His emotions felt ready to burst.
Even though he had work to do, Teishar couldn’t focus. He kept thinking about Lorencia. How beautiful would she look in the red dress? He couldn’t miss this moment. So, even though he had tasks to handle, he excused himself to Adrian briefly and ran to the reception room.
“I want to confess.”
Muttering quietly to himself, he buried his face in his hands and lowered his head. He didn’t seem to be in his right mind.
In the dressing room, Lorencia wore the red dress and saw her reflection in the mirror.
“It suits you perfectly. You look beautiful.”
Ben repeatedly expressed his admiration. Her red hair and the red dress might have clashed, but under the bright summer sun, she looked like a red dahlia in full bloom—perfectly harmonious.
“Shall we show your current beauty to Marquis Spencer as well?”
Lorencia, stepping out of the dressing room, glanced at the mirror one last time and then turned to Teishar. Meeting his gaze, she smiled naturally.
Teishar watched her approach. He couldn’t take his eyes off her, in the white and red dress against her fair skin.
“How do I look?”
“Just seeing you makes me happy.”
He finally understood why people admired beautiful jewels and paintings.
“Really?”
“You look perfect, Miss Lorencia.”
“That’s too much praise.”
“There’s no better way to express it than calling you beautiful.”
After trying on several dresses, Lorencia decided that the third red dress suited her best and would be the one for her debutante day.
Lorencia moved closer to the mirror, touching her cheeks. She could feel that her previously dark complexion had brightened. The large and small blemishes covering her face had disappeared, and her skin looked healthy and plump.
Before, she hated looking in the mirror, even avoiding her reflection in the water. No matter how beautifully she dressed herself, she disliked seeing herself. The decorations on her and her reflection felt awkward, embarrassing. She wasn’t used to dressing up.
But…
“Just seeing you makes me happy.”
Teishar’s praise gave her courage.
Now, looking at herself in the mirror felt joyful. His words had a magical effect—her confidence rose naturally. She truly felt beautiful, just as Teishar had said.
The dressed-up, adorned version of herself no longer felt strange. For the first time, she looked at her reflection with affection.
“Do you like the dress?”
Teishar carefully approached as Lorencia twirled in front of the mirror, watching her.
“When did you come?”
“Just now.”
“You weren’t watching all the time, were you?”
Lorencia, cheeks flushed, squinted at Teishar, who smiled at her.
“I’ve been watching.”
“You should have given me a sign if you were here. I showed such an embarrassing side.”
“Embarrassing? You looked like a twirling fairy. Adorable.”
“Please don’t say that in front of others. They might misunderstand us as a couple.”
“Do you dislike being mistaken for my partner, Miss Lorencia?”
“It’s not that I dislike it…”
She hesitated, unsure of what to say. Would Teishar mind if people thought they were a couple? And why had the conversation suddenly turned like this? Her mind grew complicated.
“Wouldn’t it be awkward for you if people thought we were a couple, Marquis Teishar?”
“Awkward…”
“Yes, awkward.”
“I don’t think Miss Lorencia truly understands what ‘awkward’ means.”
“Huh?”
Teishar wrapped his arms around her, tilting his head slightly, and said:
“This is what awkward means, Miss Lorencia.”
While Lorencia stammered, Teishar pulled her face closer.
“If I come closer like this, people might mistake us for a couple, right?”
“Your face is too close.”
A faint smile crossed Teishar’s lips, his gaze fixed on her face. Lorencia’s heart raced so loudly that she didn’t know what expression to make or what to say. Her entire body felt flustered.
If Teishar came any closer, their noses might touch. She thought about the situation, feeling her mouth dry. Then she remembered a response.
“Marquis Teishar.”
“Yes, Miss Lorencia?”
“Do you want to become my partner?”
Lorencia smiled wryly. Now, the awkwardness belonged to Teishar. Imagining him flustered made her giggle.
“Since you asked, I will answer truthfully.”
“Truthfully?”
Contrary to what she expected, Teishar’s face was calm as he said:
“I want to be your partner, Miss Lorencia.”
Lorencia’s violet eyes widened.
“Since I answered, will you answer me as well?”
“Yes? About what?”
“My earlier question.”
“What was the question?”
Blushing, Lorencia murmured, squeezing out her words. Her heart raced even faster.
“Then I’ll ask again. Listen carefully and answer.”
His eyes curved beautifully like half-moons.
“Do you dislike being mistaken for my partner?”
“I… don’t dislike it…”
Her lips wouldn’t move. Her heart trembled.
“Can I take that as you don’t dislike it?”
Blushing, Lorencia nodded slightly. Teishar, holding her face with both hands, leaned in and lightly pressed his lips to her forehead. He then picked her up and sat her on the sofa. Kneeling on one knee, he kissed the back of her hand as if she were the most precious thing in the world.
“From today, will you be my partner, Miss Lorencia?”
“Partner?”
Teishar had secretly watched Lorencia twirl like she was dancing, finding her too cute. He had planned to tease her gently, but seeing her approach him, frowning yet raising her beautiful eyes, his emotions crashed like a wave. He couldn’t contain himself.
“You asked me this before, why I treat you so well.”
“Yes.”
That was the day Brandt had barged into Adrian’s office, demanding, “Give me my precious daughter, Lorencia!” and caused a scene.
“You remember asking why I treat you so well… and that I promised to explain if you understood the heart of it?”
Lorencia nodded. Back then, Teishar had said he would answer sincerely.
