CH 15

After finishing all the orders with Madam, we headed to the hat shop.

There, I was made to buy more accessories such as fans, and in the end, I was gifted matching earrings and a necklace from a jewelry store.

I earnestly pleaded with them to treat it as a loan because it was too expensive, but I was persuaded by the siblings and ended up accepting it.

Where in the Bible does it Say to C...

The accessories were made of a transparent gemstone that was finely cut, similar to diamonds, and were particularly expensive. I hinted that I would prefer something more affordable, similar to amethyst, but it was no use.

Even when I indirectly said that I didn’t need expensive jewelry, it was useless. In the end, I was scolded for not having jewelry that matched the dress.

According to Paula and the jewelry store owner, my current possessions were not suitable for the new dress.

Why do I have to be scolded when I’m trying not to spend money?

Gifts are very nice, but they can be intimidating if they are too expensive.

The brilliance of the jewels in the box I held was so beautiful that it was almost a waste for someone like me to wear them. I sighed again, thinking that Tatiana would be delighted with the jewels.

Feeling a bit uneasy, I headed towards the carriage where Jeremiah and Paula were talking about something. Eventually, Paula sent me a meaningful glance, and I tilted my head in confusion. However, I quickly understood the meaning. It was because Jeremiah had boarded the carriage that I was riding in.

It seems that he noticed that I was exhausted from Paula’s sharp tongue.

“I’m sorry for the trouble…”

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it. Besides, there’s something I wanted to see.”

“Something you wanted to see?”

Jeremiah, who sat in the front seat, had a really happy expression, and it took a while for an answer to come back. As I hesitated to ask, the carriage slowly started moving.

The sun would set soon.

The gentle afternoon air was mild and sweet, tinged with the colors of spring that would soon arrive.

Eventually, Jeremiah took the box with the jewels from my hand and took out the contents. It was illuminated by the faint orange light shining through the window, creating sparkling particles of light inside the carriage.

“It’s beautiful. This is definitely suitable for you. Can you try wearing it for a bit?”

“Here? Right now?”

“Yes. Oh, let me put it on for you. Come here.”

Jeremiah indicated the space next to him. However, it was quite narrow, and we ended up being quite close. I thought it might be bad, but he pulled me over and forced me to sit down.

“Ah, um…!”

“Stay still.”

His breath on my neck made me shiver involuntarily. As a cool gem settled into my chest, he finally returned me to my original seat. My heart was beating fast.

“Oh, it suits you very well. If you wear the finished dress, you’ll understand what I meant.”

As he looked at me with narrowed eyes and praised me, I became even more unsettled.

I couldn’t look straight at his face. It was a perfect opportunity to see his beautiful face that I would never tire of looking at, but I gritted my teeth and looked at him.

“Please don’t give me any more gifts like this. Even if I try my best to play the role of your girlfriend, I won’t be able to repay you.”

“Girlfriend, huh… Well, you can think of it as an apology for my sister’s outburst. She didn’t mean any harm. It’s just that everything she says is interpreted as unwanted, so it turned out that way.”

“I-I see.”

As I touched the jewel on my chest, I looked at Jeremiah, who seemed a little sad. Today, I felt like I saw an unexpected side of him.

“Yeah, you see, my sister is a stunning beauty. So, if she shows even a little bit of interest, people misunderstand and think she’s interested… She’s been called a fickle woman by the man she had a crush on, so she started saying bad things to people she liked after that.

So, if she said a lot of bad things about you, it’s the opposite of my sister’s interest.”

“Um, so does that mean she likes me?”

“Yeah.”

Jeremiah smiled wryly at my exasperated expression. He seemed incredibly happy and amused. If there was a reason, it was probably because I was liked by Paula.

I’m starting to understand Jeremiah’s attitude even less.

——I’m playing the role of a girlfriend, right?

I keep reminding myself because I might misunderstand and think I’m her real girlfriend.

“If that’s the case, I’m happy too. Then, let’s try replacing the words with the opposite next time. But, I think I’ll still feel down if I’m not used to it.”

“Haha, I guess so.”

Jeremiah laughed loudly with an innocent face that I had never seen before. His face was completely turned towards me, and his smile was terribly dazzling.

It was the first time I saw him laugh so openly, but was this the way he always laughed? Before I could even think about how beautiful it was, my chest tightened with pain. At the same time, I felt my body heat up.

I was terribly confused, enveloped in a sensation that was different from anything I had experienced before.

The closest thing I could compare it to was the reaction I had when I was moved. I understood that I was happy because I had seen his happy face for the first time.

“But I’m glad you didn’t deny that she’s a terrible person. Most of the young women who met my sister would start crying right away.”

“I see. But if you listen carefully, you won’t think that way. After all, all the words were for my sake. It’s just that Jeremiah-sama and Paula-sama are so kind, but it’s hard to tell. It’s like they’re testing others, as if looking for someone who can expose themselves…”

Even if you take just one of Paula’s words, the language may be harsh, but the content is full of compassion. The same can be said for Jeremiah. I had seen it for years, so I knew that about him.

When I looked at Jeremiah with a slightly proud expression, he looked at me with eyes that seemed to see something precious.

“Was, was I wrong? If so, I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sure that’s it. You’re really cute, so cute that it’s troublesome.”

“… …!”

I involuntarily gasped and widened my eyes. How could this person say such embarrassing things so casually?

“… Please say those kinds of lines to someone you really like.”

“It’s not that big of a deal. I just stated the truth.”

“…That’s enough.”

Jeremiah seemed to be teasing me, and I turned my face away and furrowed my brow. I know I’m not that cute. Maybe something I said didn’t sit well with him. Otherwise, he might have just found my reaction exaggerated and funny.

The trip with Paula was tough, but the return with Jeremiah was even more uncomfortable.

I kept chanting in my mind to hurry up and get back to the mansion, and I deliberately didn’t look at his face.

My plan to enjoy the view to the fullest ended up being a complete failure.