Chapter : 17
Because he kept showering her with praise, Diana found herself a little troubled.
Whether as Lillian or as Diana, she had been complimented on her appearance countless times. Each time, she had modestly brushed it off out of habit. But strangely, Ersiban’s compliments kept shaking her again and again.
As Diana stiffened in embarrassment, he gave her a faint smile.
“What are you thinking so hard about? You can just accept it.”
“Mm…”
“Why? Do you want to return the compliment and say Evan is pretty too?”
It was clearly another tease. Out of pointless pride, she immediately fired back.
“It’s not like I can’t. You really are good-looking.”
“Lily, you lack sincerity.”
“…Alright. What would you like me to do?”
“At the very least, shouldn’t you look into my eyes if you want to sound convincing?”
Ersiban’s slender finger pointed at himself.
“So…”
Diana widened her eyes and slowly examined him.
His dark hair, lightly covering his forehead, was as black as if it had absorbed the brilliance of the night sky. A soft, watercolor-like blush spread across his pale skin, giving life to his otherwise sharp and intense features—sometimes even making him look pure.
As Diana studied his face, her silent admiration slipped out without her realizing.
His open, striking eyes and the slightly upturned corners gave him a captivating look. And his red eyes—so often pointed at by others—shone brilliantly.
Simply put, there wasn’t a single flaw in him.
“Well?”
When she didn’t continue for a while, he prompted her again.
Only then did Diana realize she hadn’t finished speaking.
“…So, Evan is very handsome.”
Ersiban could be stubborn at times—and this was one of those times.
If someone goes silent, you’d think they were just thinking.
Because he was so impatient, Diana ended up blurting out exactly what she had been thinking.
Flustered, she couldn’t even look at him properly out of embarrassment.
“Thank you for the compliment, Lily.”
“…You don’t sound very sincere either, Evan.”
“I’m so grateful I don’t know what to do. Shall I shed a tear for you?”
“That’s enough. I’ll just stop talking, Your Highness.”
Embarrassed, Diana abruptly cut off the conversation.
Not even his name, but a formal title fit only for official settings.
Sensing that she was sulking, Ersiban moved and sat beside her.
“‘Your Highness’? Please take back such a distant title. I was wrong.”
Whispering softly, he let his fingers move as he pleased. On the sofa, their fingers tangled together, clinging to one another.
His fingers, so much like their owner, were unnecessarily alluring. Each time his fingertips brushed lightly against her skin, Diana’s toes curled.
By the time his touch reached the back of her hand, he handed her a drawing.
“A bribe.”
Ersiban smiled with his eyes. Her reason told her not to take it, but her instincts were already reaching out.
[Flower]
The title was written at the bottom right of the paper.
Afterward, Ersiban picked up the lavender placed on the sofa.
“I’ve never thought of lavender as a flower.”
“Then what is it?”
“A miracle. Ever since I brought lavender in, I’ve been able to sleep peacefully.”
Burying his face slightly into the bouquet, he peeked at Diana.
“Thanks to you, I think I’ll sleep well tonight too.”
His red eyes, which had been fixed on her, now settled on the lavender.
The pale violet color resembled someone’s eyes so closely that it felt like he was looking at that person.
“It’s late. Shall we go back to our room now, Lily?”
After a while, he stood and held out his hand to her.
But Diana couldn’t respond immediately.
A lingering question troubled her.
“I’ve never thought of lavender as a flower.”
She wanted to ask.
Then who was the “flower” written under his painting meant to represent?
“I think we should, Evan. Thanks to you, it’s been a pleasant evening.”
But in the end, she stayed silent.
Only after the question faded from her mind did she take his hand.
Back in their room, Ersiban and Diana lay down, preparing to sleep.
“You still haven’t taken off the ring.”
Noticing the small flower ring on her ring finger, Ersiban remarked with satisfaction.
Diana gently touched the tiny petals at the edge of her vision as she replied.
“I thought you might be disappointed if I took it off.”
“Is that so? I thought you simply liked it.”
By now, she was used to his way of speaking. That essentially meant: I know you’re lying.
He already knew the latter was her true feeling.
“…I do like it as well.”
“Oh, that’s a relief.”
The master of lies—far beyond her level—teased her again.
“Shall I make you one every day?”
He glanced at her empty fingers and even suggested filling all ten of them.
“I heard they don’t even wither, so there’s no need for that.”
“How could someone live wearing only one ring?”
“…Come to think of it, Evan, is taking on troublesome tasks your hobby?”
“Troublesome? Calling a gift for you something trivial—that’s rather disappointing.”
“And making romantic remarks is another hobby, I see.”
Ersiban moved closer and lightly leaned against her shoulder. His dense hair tickled the back of her neck.
Then she realized—he was playing with the ring on her finger.
Soon, the flower sparkled as if it were filled with stardust.
“I’m honored if you found it romantic.”
Diana pouted slightly as she touched the now more dazzling ring.
“Yes. When you find someone you truly love someday, please treat them well.”
The words slipped out unconsciously, as Lillian—constantly lingering in her mind—came to the surface.
Unlike the present built on lies, the man who truly understood love in the future was completely different.
“His Highness? He changed a lot.”
Daisy shook her head as she answered.
“It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say his wife changed him.”
She had even come to resent how much her lord had changed. Some things in the world required more than effort alone.
When he fell in love, he became so blind that he would abandon even his lifelong goal of revenge—and the life he had barely managed to hold onto.
That cold, indifferent man changed as if he were someone else, shocking all his subordinates.
Diana would likely be among those stunned spectators too. After all, Ersiban Valencia devoting himself entirely to one person…?
“…As if I would—”
His voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
Coming back to her senses, Diana realized his hand was playing with her golden hair.
Ersiban wrapped strands around his fingers, then smoothed them as if they were silk.
When she looked at him as if to ask what he was doing, he seized the moment and spoke.
“You’re talking as if I’ll fall in love with someone other than you.”
His once steady purple eyes wavered slightly.
“…We’re only in a contractual relationship, after all.”
She had delayed her answer, only to say that. For someone so clever, she was oddly clumsy in moments like this.
“And yet, we’re closer than anyone else.”
“You’re the one assuming you’ll definitely fall in love with me.”
“There’s no reason not to.”
No matter how smooth his words were, someday he would regret his current self.
Even if it was all an act, the person he was meant to whisper love to was supposed to be Lillian alone.
“I thought you’d say love is nothing but a nuisance. This is unexpected.”
“How exactly do you see me?”
Ersiban let out a hollow laugh, clearly baffled.
For a moment, she wondered if he truly didn’t know—but it didn’t seem like he was expecting an answer.
“You have so much to do. I figured something as unpredictable as love would just be troublesome to you.”
Instead of directly answering, Diana continued with what she had wanted to say.
But even as she spoke, she didn’t realize where those words came from.
“Love is troublesome. Far from romantic, it would drag me into ruin.
If I get swayed by trivial emotions, I’ll fall eventually.
Love creates variables, and variables create danger.”
Those were words originally spoken by Ersiban himself.
“You’re not wrong. But there’s something even more troublesome than love. Compared to that, love isn’t much of a problem.”
It sounded like agreement—but in truth, it was a rebuttal.
Something more complicated than love?
Diana, unfamiliar with such emotions, grew curious.
Sometimes, curiosity ignores the warnings in your mind.
Just like now.
“Then what do you think is more troublesome than love?”
“Are you curious?”
Something inside her screamed to stay silent—to cover his mouth before he could speak.
A fragment of an unnamed emotion buried deep within her tried to stop her.
But once again, she ignored the warning.
“Guilt.”
The raw word came out without explanation.
“It really does drive people insane.”
For a brief moment, the expression on Ersiban’s face looked unbearably pained.
