Chapter 06
“Finally, you’re smiling. Do you like me now?”
A beautiful woman with alluring red hair cascading like roses stood with a still youthful young man.
The woman simply smiled with a ripe, knowing expression instead of answering, while the young man’s face turned bright red.
Unlike his rather innocent-looking face, the young man’s hand had wrapped around her waist while avoiding the eyes of others.
Astrid narrowed her eyes as she watched the scene.
Rosa Nadantin.
She was the flower of high society, to the point that people said a party that failed to invite her was a dead party.
And she was also the fiancée of Bartholomew, who was hiding himself in the darkness over there.
The young man pushed himself behind a large decorative flowerpot and buried his face in Rosa Nadantin’s nape.
The surrounding nobles glanced over subtly, but she only smiled and did nothing to stop the man’s behavior.
Bartholomew simply watched as well.
Seeing that scene, Astrid was shocked.
‘Is he overlooking his lover’s affair? Why on earth?’
Witnessing such a surprising sight at the very first debut ball of her life, Astrid spread her fingers and covered her eyes.
She felt sorry for the proud man who had so blatantly been betrayed, and at the same time it seemed like a private scene she shouldn’t be looking at.
At that moment, a low voice came from behind Astrid.
“What are you watching so intently?”
She wasn’t trying to enjoy someone else’s misfortune as gossip, but it was true that she had been observing carefully. Startled by the sudden voice, she cried out and turned her head.
“I-Intently?!”
The other person was so tall that Astrid had to bend her neck all the way back just to see his face.
She had forgotten to wear high heels and hurriedly tilted her head upward, but in that moment she lost her balance and staggered.
“Ah…!”
The moment of falling felt incredibly slow.
Ah, how disgraceful. I’ll become the laughingstock—the princess who fell on her debut day.
She squeezed her eyes shut as she thought that.
Then she felt thick, firm arms wrap around her waist.
Thanks to the strong support of the man who practically pulled her into his arms to steady her, Astrid managed to avoid embarrassment.
The man’s pitch-black eyes were reflected in her startled gaze.
When their eyes met, the sharp corners of his eyes curved gently.
“Thank—”
“Are you interested in Count Henesy’s heir?”
“Pardon?”
Even as Astrid asked that question back, she couldn’t take her eyes off him.
She saw glossy black hair like the night sky falling naturally over his white forehead.
A man unbelievably handsome and wearing a gentle smile was looking at her, so her heart inevitably dropped with a heavy thud.
“Duke Haimenwar.”
“Yes. I am Lindenel Haimenwar, Your Highness.”
Like someone teaching a child their name, Lindenel spoke softly while smiling with his eyes. Seeing that, Astrid’s heart pounded so strongly that she feared something might go wrong.
As Lindenel’s handsome face looked at her, for some reason the dream she had the night before came to mind.
Her heart was pounding so hard that the excitement almost felt frightening.
Flustered, Astrid quickly pushed away Lindenel’s arm that had been holding her and shook her head vigorously.
“T-That can’t be. Absolutely not.”
“For that, you were watching for quite a long time.”
There was a faint trace of laughter in the man’s voice as he lowered his eyes.
Thinking that he was teasing her, Astrid jumped even more in agitation.
“I told you it’s not!”
A sharp sound slipped out of her throat.
She had shouted in excitement, but perhaps she had been too sensitive.
What if he thinks I’m strange?
Just as that worry struck her, Lindenel spoke without wiping the smile from his face.
“I see. If that’s not the case, then my apologies.”
He was as kind, gentle, and warm as ever.
Even though it had been quite a long time since they last met, he treated her as comfortably as if he had seen her just yesterday, and that alone made her heart swell.
If I smiled like that, would Lindenel say I’m beautiful too?
No… she might just look foolish, or even reveal the feelings she had been trying to hide.
“It’s been a while… We’re meeting after half a year.”
“I greet Your Highness, the Princess.”
Lindenel’s neatly delivered greeting was spoken in such a low voice that Astrid’s toes curled on their own.
She had to find something to talk about.
She couldn’t just exchange greetings and part like this.
“Y-Your Grace has changed a lot since I last saw you. You look even more splendid—no, you were splendid before too—but you seem taller.”
At that, Lindenel raised one eyebrow.
She knew it was simply a gesture of curiosity, but seeing an expression she rarely saw made her heart flutter.
“Is that so? Your Highness seems the same.”
“That can’t be true. I’m an adult now.”
Pouting slightly in resentment, Astrid said that, and Lindenel nodded with a smile.
“Indeed. It feels like just yesterday when you were so small, and now you’ve already become an adult.”
What era are you talking about?
Astrid clenched both fists tightly and protested.
“I wasn’t that small. I was already ten years old when I first met you.”
Lindenel let out a small puff of laughter and raised his large hand as if to pat her head.
Because of that, Astrid’s face flushed red and her shoulders shrank.
Seeing her unusual expression, Lindenel suddenly withdrew his hand.
I wasn’t tense because I disliked it…
Before she could even express that unfair feeling, Lindenel not only pulled his hand back but also took a step backward.
“Ah, my apologies. I suppose I should stop doing things like that now.”
Those words sounded almost like he was cutting off affection, and disappointment filled Astrid’s large eyes.
She didn’t know how to hide her emotions well, so they easily appeared on her face.
One moment she seemed full of expectation, and the next she looked completely dejected just because his hand had been withdrawn. It was rather pitiful to see.
Without realizing it, Lindenel let out a small laugh.
When the fierce upward slant of his eyes folded into a straight line and the ends curved kindly, the cold first impression that had once made him seem difficult to approach melted away instantly.
His splendid smile made one want to start a conversation immediately, and because that smile somehow felt unfamiliar, Astrid’s face turned as red as a carrot.
Strange. Lindenel is someone generous with smiles, yet why does his smile feel unfamiliar?
After staring at him for a moment, Astrid spoke.
“Your Grace finds it amusing to tease me, don’t you?”
“That can’t be.”
“You’ve always laughed like this whenever I acted foolish.”
“Hm, is that so? Certainly, I did notice how flustered you were earlier…”
The man who had been laughing softly met Astrid’s eyes.
“But rather than that, it’s simply because I’m glad to see Your Highness.”
“….”
Was he sincere? Or was it just polite words?
She didn’t want to become a fool intoxicated by her own expectations.
Lindenel was kind to everyone.
He was gentle with everyone and loved by everyone.
Astrid did not know how to not love him.
But what about Lindenel’s heart?
Did he also think of her as someone special?
If she asked him directly, he would surely say yes.
But she was afraid that his idea of special and her idea of special might be different.
The more she continued that line of thought, the more gloomy she felt.
As Astrid’s expression darkened, Lindenel bent slightly at the waist and lowered his gaze to meet her eyes.
“Did I upset Your Highness?”
“No.”
“It seems like I did.”
“I said I didn’t.”
“That’s troubling. How should I atone for my foolish mistake?”
His attitude was half teasing and half sincere, making her heart flutter.
Astrid released the lip she had been nervously chewing and answered as casually as she could, hoping that her obvious trick wouldn’t be noticed.
“You can think of it next time.”
“Next time. Hmm… I see. Then I shall think of a way to apologize until our next meeting.”
Her heart swelled like foam.
As if it might float away with a single breath.
