Tsk.
Iâm just in a good mood.
I narrowed my forehead as I saw a person who was obviously Fleur walking from far away. Fleur was not alone. Next to her, there was the Grand Duchess.
Are they going to meet Callian?
If so, it means that they came without an appointment with Callian. If Callian knew Fleur was coming, he wouldnât have allowed me to come in the first place.
âWell, sheâs with the Grand Duchess, so whatâs the importance of an appointment?â
I shook my head lightly at the Grand Duchess who was walking towards me with a sullen expression.
âHello, Grand Duchess.â
âYou canât say hello.â
The Grand Duchess, who looked like a grain of rice, glared at me with her eyes wide open.
âWhat are you doing here?â
I shrugged my shoulders.
âWhy did I come to the Crown Princeâs Palace? Of course, I came to see His Highness.â
âYou met His Highness? Why?â
The Grand Duchess looked at me with a ridiculous look. Well, now that it is publicly known that Callian hates me, it was natural to have this kind of reaction.
I smiled and nodded my head.
âDo I have to explain the reason why I met His Highness?â
And before the Grand Duchess could open his mouth, I continued.
âHis Highness would hate to tell the story of just the two of us outside.â
âThis arrogantâ!â
The Grand Duchess pointed at me and started preparing to shout.
Uhm, as expected, sheâs a hot-tempered woman.
I tried to cover my ears in anticipation of the soon-to-be-hear shout.
But.
âGrand Duchess â
It was Fleur who stopped the Grand Duchess. Fleur folded his arms around the Grand Duchess and stroked her arm.
âDonât worry. There is no secret between His Highness and me. If we go in and ask, heâll definitely tell us.â
Then, she glances at me.
It was a look with a subtle sense of victory. So I was a little speechless.
Because those words were deliberately telling me to look and listen!
If it was the original Ophelia, she would have grabbed Fleurâs hair right away.
But not me.
âReally? Letâs seeâ.
I crossed my arms and looked at Fleur.
âI donât think so.â
âOh my, Duchess.â
Fleur pulled her lips and smiled and said.
âHis Highness tells me everything.â
âReally?â
I smiled and looked at her.
âThen Iâll tell you that Iâm going to do the first dance at the ball in a while with him.â
ââWhat?â
Fleurâs eyes trembled. Her face said that she canât believe it.
I twisted my lips even more.
âSo Iâm really looking forward to it. I hope you look forward to it with me.â
Fleur didnât answer. Instead, the Grand Duchess shouted.
âThat doesnât make sense!â
The Grand Duchess raised her voice with her eyes open.
âWhy is His Highness with a wicked woman like you! His Highness canât do that!â
âIf you canât believe it, why donât you ask His Highness?â
Unlike her, who was angry, I showed a more calm attitude and smiled. Because that would make her even angrier.
I was right.
âYouâre evil. Youâre doing this knowing that Fleur has a weak heart and canât speak well!â
The Grand Duchess shouted more wildly.
I looked down at her and shrugged.
âThen the Grand Duchess should ask instead of her.â
âT, thatâsâ!â
The Grand Duchess bit her lower lips hard.
Because she herself knows. That she doesnât have the right to ask about Callianâs private life.
The same goes for Fleur.
Fleurâs asking Callian is an act that goes against the image she has built up. So she wonât be able to get her words out in the first place.
She has to wait until Callian tells her.
âLetâs see?â
Will Callian tell her?
No. He will never do it.
So I smiled brightly at them.
âIâm looking forward to the ball.â
Hoho. I smiled and passed them.
Iâm glad I screwed them properly so I didnât see it. What kind of eyes Fleur was looking at me with.
*****
Tak. Sylvester dropped his pen like this.
Itâs already almost dinner time. But Ophelia still hasnât returned. What the hell is she talking about with Callian to make her so late?
Sylvester was nervous. Then he wondered why he had to feel this nervousness.
Why?
Why is he so concerned about Ophelia?
He didnât know the reason.
âItâs annoying.â
He ruffled his hair and furrowed his forehead deeply. Sylvester was always a man whose cause and effect had to be clear.
If there was a result, the cause had to exist, but now there was only a result that said it was annoying, but the cause could not be found.
Thatâs why it was more frustrating.
Whoo. Sylvester swept his bangs away, spitting them out as if he was breathing.
âSend someone to the Crown Princeâs Palace. Bring Ophelia back.â
âPardon?â
Neil, who was working on the opposite side, suddenly raised his head.
âBut Madam already came back earlier?â
âWhat?â
Sylvester was surprised and asked back.
Because he had no idea Ophelia was here!
âWhy didnât you tell me?â
Sylvester asked sarcastically. Neil replied with an absurd look on his face.
âThatâs because you never say anythingâ?â
It was natural for Neil to come out like this. Sylvester was always not interested in Opheliaâs whereabouts.
It is Sylvester who didnât care much whether Ophelia went out or came in.
But why is he doing this now?
Neil was dumbfounded.
âYouâve never been curious. Why all of a sudden? Is there anything special today?â
At Neilâs question, Sylvester tilted his head back and closed his eyes tightly.
He also wants to know the answer.
He wants to say what made him so annoyed and why Opheliaâs absence bothers him so much.
But he canât do that.
Thatâs why he was even angrier with himself.
âNo, itâs not like that.â
Sylvester raised himself by pressing down on his temple.
âIâm going to go to Ophelia now.â
Neil stared blankly at Sylvester getting up.
âHow about work?â
Sylvester pointed at the desk with a chin.
âYou do it. As a punishment for not telling me.â
âYouâre too mean!â
Neil shouted, but Sylvester ignored it.
And soon, he left the office with a quick step.
******
Sylvester decided that he should knock first before opening the door.
âKnock knock.
As soon as he knocked on the door, he heard Opheliaâs voice telling him to come in.
Then he felt his heart beating.
This was a strange feeling.
Why?
Really, why am I doing this?
Sylvester sighed for a long time.
Still, he thought he should go into the room and meet Ophelia.
He opened the door.
Ophelia, sitting on the sofa and fiddling with something, was immediately seen.
âWhen did you get here?â
He asked, pretending to be indifferent.
âBefore the evening moon rises.â
âWhy donât you tell me when youâre here?â
âWhat?â
Ophelia raised her head only then.
âSince when have you been curious about my whereabouts?â
Itâs the same thing as Neil. Sylvester responded.
âFrom today. Iâll keep wondering, so tell me from now on.â
âItâs annoyingââ
Ophelia pouted.
âIâll tell you where Iâm going and when I came, so you should do the same.â
âIâll think about it.â
Thatâs not a very good answer.
Sylvester looked at Ophelia with a distasteful expression.
âWhat were you doing?â
âSomething you might like. Iâve been working hard, but I canât believe Iâm getting order as soon as I get here, so Iâm not feeling goodâ
âI didnât order it, I asked for it. By the way, what were you doing?â
Ophelia stopped wriggling her hands only then.
And she sticks something out to Sylvester.
âHere.â
She handed it to Sylvester. When he looked at itâ.
âHandkerchief?â
Although it was a mess, it was an embroidered handkerchief.
Sylvesterâs eyes got bigger.
âIâve tried my best. So donât laugh at me.â
Sylvester grabbed the handkerchief.
He couldnât speak for a while. Because it was a gift that he never thought of.
âDid youâmake a new one?â
âYes.â
âToday?â
âYes.â
âTo give it to me?â
âOf course.â
Sylvester kept his mouth shut. He swallows dry saliva. A cold sweat ran down the back of his neck. His heart began to pound.
He gently closed his eyes and opened them up because he felt dizzy.
Still, he was confused and his head hurt.
âWhy do you look like that?â
Ophelia tilted her head when she saw Sylvester.
âAre you sick?â
ââ¦.â
Sylvester shook his head.
âI donât know what expression Iâm making.â
Now that he came to his senses, he smiled low and folded his handkerchief.
âIâm happy.â
And he put his hand on the top of Opheliaâs head.
âThank you, Ophelia.â
He stroked her hair. He like the feeling of her hair wrapped around his fingers.
No, maybe it was good to be with Ophelia like this.
Sylvester could vaguely guess what caused this emotion.