Chapter 19
For a moment, Isabella wondered if it was just her imagination that Dylan’s face seemed to overlap strangely with Haeyoon’s.
Even after the handshake ended, she kept holding his hand and stared at his face for a long time.
On the other hand, Dylan—suddenly subjected to her intense gaze and unexpected question—looked quite flustered and quickly shook his head left and right.
“Me? Ah, no. This is the first time I’ve properly introduced myself to you, my lady.”
“Unni!”
Thinking she had caused trouble for her respected senior, Ryan gently poked Isabella’s side in warning. Only then did Isabella realize she had been rude to someone she had just met and quickly let go of Dylan’s hand.
“Oh! I’m sorry, Sir Drayson. I think I may have been mistaken for a moment.”
“It’s all right. You can call me Dylan comfortably.”
“Then please call me Isabella too. Dylan.”
“Yes. Isabella.”
For a moment, an awkward atmosphere lingered between them.
At that moment, Selly entered the reception room carrying the cake and tea Isabella had prepared. Isabella gestured for everything to be set on the table and spoke to the two of them.
“Shall we sit and talk for now? Ryan, come over here quickly too.”
Once they were seated, Isabella glanced at Dylan sitting opposite her.
Then she leaned slightly toward her younger brother and said quietly,
“It’s strawberry cake from the bakery you like.”
Ryan, wanting to appear mature in front of his respected senior, pretended indifference.
“I don’t like strawberry cake anymore. It’s too sweet.”
“Oh really? Your eyes look unusually bright for someone who doesn’t like it.”
Isabella placed the beautifully served cake plate Selly had brought in front of him, then offered some to Dylan as well.
“I’m not sure if this cake suits your taste. It is quite sweet.”
A large hand—so big that the fork looked almost delicate in it—moved forward and gently pulled the plate closer.
Reading Isabella’s worried gaze, Dylan smiled reassuringly.
“It’s fine. I like cake too.”
“Really?”
“Yes.”
Isabella poured tea into Dylan’s empty cup, visibly relieved.
Then she turned to Ryan, who was enthusiastically devouring his cake.
“Ryan, should I still put milk and two sugar cubes like before?”
“Unni. I’m not a kid anymore.”
“Oh really? Because I clearly saw three sugar cubes go into your tea just now.”
Ryan had already finished every last crumb on his plate.
“Next time, should I make it without anything at all like a proper adult? Or add three cubes again like before?”
“Ugh… unni, please.”
At her teasing, Ryan begged desperately not to be embarrassed in front of his admired senior.
Smiling mischievously, Isabella then turned to Dylan.
“Dylan, you don’t add anything to your tea either?”
As she closed the sugar bowl lid, Dylan calmly finished a neatly cut piece of cake.
“No.”
And as if he were used to it, he added six sugar cubes into his tea.
Then he mixed in milk, creating a very sweet milk tea.
“I also like sweet things.”
It didn’t seem like empty politeness—he was genuinely enjoying it.
Not only did he drink the syrup-like milk tea, but he also finished the cake on his plate cleanly.
‘That’s unexpected.’
From his first impression, she had assumed he would prefer bitter coffee, but his tastes were completely different.
While Isabella watched him in mild surprise, she too began eating cake and enjoyed a rare moment of relaxation.
Well, there was no reason knights had to dislike sweets.
Unlike the calm adults, Ryan was the only one visibly shaken by seeing a new side of his admired senior.
“Y-you like sweets, senior?”
Did Ryan perhaps have an idealized image of his mentor?
Isabella glanced at her brother, slightly alarmed by his excited tone.
Dylan also turned his gaze toward Ryan.
He set down his teacup quietly.
Unlike his rough, calloused hands from intense training, his movements were refined and elegant.
From that gesture alone, Isabella could infer his personality.
He was a calm and quiet man—far more than she had expected.
“Is it strange that I like sweet things?”
“N-not at all! I was just surprised, senior.”
At his sincere question, Dylan answered kindly.
“After hard training, eating something sweet as a reward is one of the few pleasures I have.”
“Ahh, of course! That makes perfect sense!”
Ryan enthusiastically gave him a thumbs-up every time he spoke.
Isabella felt as though her brother was looking at Dylan like a favorite idol.
‘So admiration really does run in the family.’
While she quietly listened, she suddenly recalled Haeyoon’s past interview.
— “When preparing an album, controlling weight is important, so not being able to eat desserts as a reward is the hardest part. (laughs) Still, I can endure it for the fans.”
‘Haeyoon also really liked desserts… especially—’
Just as Isabella’s eyes drifted toward the strawberry cake, Dylan cut another bite-sized piece and continued speaking.
“If I eat fruit cake covered in whipped cream like this, I can work even harder in training afterward.”
‘Right. Haeyoon also said he eats sweet things after hard schedules to prepare for the next ones.’
…Huh?
Wasn’t that oddly similar to something Haeyoon would say?
As Isabella was smiling faintly, lost in thoughts of her favorite star, her lips slowly parted.
‘He doesn’t even look anything like Haeyoon.’
But for some reason, she kept thinking of him.
Was it the hair and eye color?
Dylan’s eye smile also felt strangely similar to Haeyoon’s.
Just because of hair and eye color alone… she was really reaching.
She shook off her thoughts.
Today’s strange sense of déjà vu was probably just because of her dream.
Still, she could clearly understand why Ryan admired Dylan so much.
After talking with him directly, Isabella could feel it.
“Still, I’m glad the cake suits your taste.”
“Thanks to you, I’m enjoying delicious cake.”
“I should be the one thanking you for eating it.”
A handsome face, excellent swordsmanship, a gentle and polite personality—he seemed flawless.
Even at dinner, their conversation continued without pause.
“Ryan’s swordsmanship is excellent even from my perspective as his mentor. I’m sure he’ll do well in the future.”
“I’m really happy to hear that from you, Dylan.”
Ryan, the subject of their praise, sat between them, face red with embarrassment.
Soon, dessert was served: chocolate chip cookies Isabella liked.
Dylan slid the plate closer to her within easy reach.
Then he lightly poked Ryan’s side and whispered,
“I heard you’re able to train harder because of your kind sister’s support.”
“Oh, really?”
“Senior! You promised not to tell anyone!”
“You should express gratitude to your family directly, Ryan.”
Ryan, once thought of as just a child, really seemed to be growing up.
Isabella looked at him proudly.
Unable to speak properly in front of them, Ryan’s face turned bright red.
Finally, he clenched his fists and shouted,
“Ugh… unni, thank you always!”
“Haha! That’s right! Keep working hard!”
“Gaaah! That’s so embarrassing!”
They spent a rare, joyful time together.
Time passed without notice, and before they knew it, it was late night. After talking until they were exhausted, they all went to sleep.
The next day, before the sun had even risen, Isabella woke up early and walked into the dining room while rubbing her heavy eyes.
Suppressing a yawn, she called for Selly.
“Yaaawn… Selly. For breakfast today—”
“Good morning, Isabella.”
“Huh?! Dylan?”
Startled, Isabella quickly closed her mouth.
Dylan, already finished with his meal, greeted her with a faint smile.
She wondered what time he had woken up.
Meeting his refreshing smile, as clear as the early morning air, she awkwardly returned it.
“Since you traveled from the academy, you must be tired. You should rest a bit more…”
“I’m used to waking up early for morning training. I’m fine, but Ryan might still be asleep.”
He trained from 4 a.m.?
Isabella looked slightly surprised, then imagined Ryan still asleep in dreamland and chuckled softly.
“Probably. Knights really do have difficult training.”
“If you are entrusted with protecting the empire, it is only natural.”
Then he added,
“Isabella, you also wake up quite early?”
“Oh, I just have things to do.”
She worried he might ask what those things were, but thankfully he didn’t press further.
After a short conversation, Dylan left for morning training.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
“Yes. Have a good day, Dylan.”
With her parents away managing the estate and Ryan at the academy, Isabella was often alone in the mansion.
She had come to dislike being alone so much that she sometimes wanted to return to her academy dorm days.
Silently continuing her meal, a small smile formed on her lips.
For once, her morning didn’t feel lonely.
