Chapter – 42
Finally, Evangeline lifted her head and shook it repeatedly. Meeting her pleading, desperate eyes, Calès let out a hollow laugh.
“Well, it’s not a big deal, is it?”
“Calès.”
“Anyway, I need to go out for a bit. I’m not going to let those flowers rot away, and unless I’m planning to hold a funeral for the young lady, I need to find a way.”
He stood up abruptly and grabbed his coat carelessly. Despite being somewhat worn, the coat suited him well, probably because of his tall height and well-built physique. Even in high society, men who were this handsome and striking were rare.
Unless it was Decarno.
“……”
Left alone, Evangeline’s face darkened further.
She never expected to meet him there again. Her mind still felt blank, and she almost wanted to pinch her cheek to check if it was real.
‘No.’
She wanted to believe it was just someone who looked similar. After all, there were plenty of tall, handsome men in the world.
But she couldn’t explain the unique atmosphere surrounding that man.
Beyond mere appearance, the overwhelming presence of a natural predator was something no one could easily imitate. If anyone knew it, it would be herself, who had watched it closely for the past two years.
‘Did he recognize me?’
She remembered the moment Decarno’s gray eyes stopped on her.
She was certain their eyes had met, but her mind had gone completely blank, so she couldn’t be sure. By the time she regained her senses, she was already running out of the city hall, gasping for breath.
‘Why did I do that?’
It wasn’t that her situation was embarrassing. From the moment she left the duke’s residence, she had never dreamed of a rosy future.
She only did her best in the environment she was given. Even this attempt to do something with her life was natural for her.
But being in the same space as a man she believed would belong to a completely different world forever was something she had never imagined.
‘Yes, that’s all. What else could it be?’
Staring at the now-cold tea, she tried to justify herself.
It was just panic, she told herself. If she didn’t think that, she wouldn’t be able to endure it.
Evangeline was trying to tidy up the scattered flowers when she jumped up in shock at the sound of footsteps near the door.
Was it Calès already?
She didn’t want to show any more pathetic 모습 to the man who only caused trouble as he pleased.
Clearing her throat, she ran to the door and opened it as brightly as she could.
“Calès. Did you forget something…?”
“You.”
“……”
What should one even call this?
Her dazed pink eyes blinked slowly.
She found herself even more ridiculous for hoping he wouldn’t recognize her at the city hall earlier.
Thinking she might have been mistaken after meeting those eyes was still naïve of her.
“Are you not going to let me in?”
“We’re not that close.”
“Our relationship isn’t something, I think.”
She had barely managed to speak, but her voice was strained.
Seeing him dressed perfectly made her own shabby clothes stand out even more.
But she no longer had the desire or reason to hide anything.
“Weren’t we engaged once?”
“So what?”
“……”
“I just thought it was funny how we’re being so distant despite having been engaged once.”
His casual smile made Evangeline’s cheeks twitch.
But Decarno’s smile was not truly one of amusement. Rather, it looked like a smile forced while suppressing something deeper than she was.
“Or are you waiting for someone?”
“Your Grace.”
“Well, that young blue-collar lieutenant looks better than most. I didn’t know that was your type.”
His gaze grew heavy over his bitterly twisted lips.
Confused for a moment by his tone, Evangeline’s eyes quickly cleared.
“What do you mean, lieutenant? Are you talking about Kirion?”
“You don’t need to know the name.”
“You are truly rude to the very end.”
Her chest heaved noticeably.
She glanced toward the room where her sleeping nanny was, then forcefully pushed Decarno’s chest.
The solid muscles under her hand twitched, but this was not the time to hesitate.
Driving him away, she stepped outside with him and finally raised her voice, which she had been holding back.
“I thought we ended things on good terms. I don’t understand why you’re acting like this now.”
“You really don’t know?”
“So you came here just to mock me?”
Evangeline’s lower lip, which she had bitten tightly, turned painfully red.
Decarno’s eyes narrowed as if he were about to speak, but her breath had already reached the edge of her throat.
“In your eyes, I may seem insignificant, but Kirion or Calès are people I’m grateful to.”
“Evangeline.”
“Whether you laugh at me or not, I’m living hard. It’s only the beginning, so struggling is normal—”
“Then you shouldn’t have left me.”
“……What did you say?”
Evangeline’s breathing suddenly stopped.
Decarno, who was staring down at her, had none of the leisure he had shown when he first came here.
“Did you come here to live like this? Is this really what you wanted?”
“…What are you talking about right now?”
“I don’t understand. Why, for what reason did you come to a place like this?”
His words were like a murmur to himself.
As he looked around the house and surroundings, darkness deepened around Decarno’s eyes.
“Be honest. Do you like this place?”
As if he wanted to add: Surely a woman like you wouldn’t—
There was an unspoken assumption that she could hear without him saying it.
Unable to hold back anymore, Decarno pressed her.
At that moment, Evangeline, who had been biting her lip, spoke.
“Yes. I like it here. More than the house I lived in with you.”
“……”
“At least people here listen to what I say. Even if I’m someone who lives off others without having anything of my own.”
Her quiet honesty left Decarno speechless.
Evangeline’s breathing also slowly calmed.
“If I say this, you’ll never understand. You will always belong to that place.”
“Don’t speak about it as if it’s someone else’s story. You were there with me until very recently.”
“Can’t you see that I’m not anymore?”
Finally, Evangeline pointed to the purple flowers filling the window.
It was a sight she didn’t really want to show, but she had to if she wanted him to understand.
“I have to sell all of those. That’s how I make a living.”
“……”
There was no more concise way to describe her world.
Whether it was anger or shock, Decarno’s jaw tightened, but she pretended not to notice.
She was already overwhelmed just facing her reality day by day.
“I went to the city hall today to get permission to open a stall at the dawn market near the harbor. Even that didn’t go as I wanted.”
“A stall?”
“I’m planning to do even more than that. Anything to survive.”
“……”
“If you confirmed how miserable I am, please go back. I need to continue tending the flowers.”
Hearing rustling from inside the house, she grew anxious.
If the nanny woke up and hurt herself, she wouldn’t be able to face Calès.
The more anxious she became, the more his eyes creased, but she was too busy pushing Decarno away.
“Hurry. If someone sees us like this—”
“That guy might misunderstand?”
“You really—!”
She didn’t know why the conversation suddenly jumped there.
But there was no time to argue.
Hearing someone calling her from inside, Evangeline quickly opened the door.
“Think whatever you want. I’ve said what I needed to.”
“I’ll wait.”
“……”
“Even if it’s late. I’ll wait at the place you saw earlier.”
Decarno’s voice spilled from behind as he held the doorknob before her.
Feeling the pressure of his solid chest almost touching her back, she couldn’t even turn her head carelessly.
“Stop doing this.”
“If I can’t let you inside and I can’t stand in front of the door, I have no choice.”
“So why should I meet you there?”
“You said you would sell those.”
“……”
His chin gestured toward the half-open door.
Annoyed and resentful, Evangeline turned around sharply, but Decarno stood firm.
“You said you would survive. A man like me is something you should be able to endure.”
