CHAPTER 054
"You're drunk, aren't you? You drank too quickly."
Lewis smirked teasingly.
I could feel the alcohol hitting me...
People always deny they're drunk at times like this. Instead of denying it, I grimaced.
"This... I think I drank too much."
Last time, I could drink it like a soft drink and be fine!
Unless it had a lot of alcohol, my stomach wouldn't feel this hot.
"You should go straight back to the duke's residence."
Lewis looked at me with pitying eyes.
So much for being confident it wasn't alcohol; he looked at me as if he couldn't believe it.
Are you shocked? I didn't expect this either. Who knew I was such a lightweight?
"If Bella scolds me for making you drunk, so be it. Let's go."
No, don't say such apologetic things...! I hastily waved my hands and grabbed him.
"No, let's just wait here a bit until I sober up."
"Do you think you'll sober up quickly?"
"Yes, I'll be fine soon. Can I have some water?"
I reached for the glass pitcher nearby, but Lewis stopped me.
"Why are you grabbing the alcohol instead of water?"
Oh, this is alcohol?
"They look so similar, I got confused."
"This one's cloudier."
Lewis placed a glass of water in front of me with a clink.
After drinking enough water, he led me out.
"This won't do. Let's go."
"Already?"
"You need some fresh air."
Lewis settled the bill and we left the establishment together.
The air was damp, possibly from a recent rain shower.
Lewis moved to a less crowded area and quickly cast a spell.
In an instant, we were in a place overlooking the city.
"Wow, it's so high..."
I couldn't help but let out a pure exclamation.
"Where are we?"
"On top of the clock tower."
"The clock tower?"
Why here? I asked curiously, and Lewis answered.
"It's nice. The wind blows, and the view is great."
Is that so? At his words, I looked at the scenery again.
The city was illuminated brightly, celebrating the last day of the founding festival.
"Wow, it's really nice. But the railing seems a bit dangerous."
It's so low. I lightly tapped and then held onto the railing.
"It's easy to look out though."
As I leaned my body closer to the railing and looked down, Lewis asked.
"If it's dangerous, why are you leaning on it?"
"I'm not leaning completely. I don't want my clothes to get dirty."
The railing was wet, likely from the earlier rain.
"It's really slippery..."
I moved my hands along the round railing, feeling the slipperiness.
"Aren't you afraid of slipping?"
"It's fine because I'm holding on tight. Even if it's slippery, the railing will stop me - oh!"
At that moment, my body tilted forward. My hands actually slipped off the railing.
My hands went beyond the railing, and my leaning upper body quickly followed.
"Whoa!"
But I didn't fall over the railing.
Lewis quickly reached out and grabbed my waist.
He swiftly pulled me back. My body turned half a circle, facing him.
We were suddenly very close, likely due to the rebound from catching me.
Though it happened in an instant, everything seemed to move in slow motion.
Our movements finally stopped. We couldn't get any closer.
Oh my...
I couldn't help but open my eyes wide. Lewis's face was right in front of me.
Seeing such a handsome face so close was not good for my heart.
His lips, looking so appealing, were close enough to touch.
Thinking about it made my face heat up even more.
"I'm sorry!"
I quickly stepped back from him. My heart was pounding wildly.
Lewis was silent for a moment.
The silence was so awkward it felt unbearable.
So suffocating...
Lewis was the first to break the silence. After an agonizing pause, he frowned and spoke.
"You're drunk. You've got some nerve."
"Yeah... I'll put it back in. I'm sorry."
I politely held my stomach and apologized quietly.
Lewis looked at me with a disappointed gaze.
"Your drinking habits are unacceptable. I'm disappointed."
"I guess I'm really a lightweight. I admit it."
"What? I didn't call you trash. Don't demean yourself."
Not knowing the meaning can lead to such reactions.
In any case, I was relieved. Talking like this helped me pretend it wasn't awkward.
Yes, it was all just pretending.
I was only babbling because I was still embarrassed about what had happened.
How could I not be? The incident was still fresh in my mind.
The situation where we almost touched, seeing Lewis's face up close.
Oh... how embarrassing.
"Shall we go down?"
I carefully chose my words, trying to sound calm. Did Lewis notice?
I hope not. It would be even more embarrassing if he did!
I didn't know for sure, but the alcohol seemed to have worn off.
* * *
The three-day founding festival ended, and it was back to everyday life.
It should have been a normal day, but I couldn't stop thinking about what happened with Lewis yesterday!
Ugh! I clutched the blanket tightly, recalling the incident on the clock tower.
Why did my hands have to slip there!
No, why did I do such a reckless thing in the first place?
Leaning over the railing to look down was so daring. I must have been really drunk.
Otherwise, I wouldn't have acted like that!
The memory of Lewis's face up close was still vivid in my mind.
He was handsome but... how embarrassing.
As I squirmed under the blanket, Bella burst into the room.
"Selina, what are you doing?"
"Hmm?"
"You're not ready yet? We have to go to the tea party."
Today, we were invited to Lady Redmond's tea party.
Bella seemed already prepared.
"Oh, I need to get ready..."
"Hurry up!"
At Bella's urging, I slowly got up. Going out might help me forget the embarrassment.
Yes, let's forget for a while!
* * *
Lewis's carriage was stuck in the crowded street. The bustling area caused a delay.
Given his status, he could have moved through quickly.
But Lewis decided to wait for a while.
Before becoming a Marquis, he had grown up as a commoner.
Growing up as a commoner, he knew the disdainful actions of nobles who used their status to push through.
There was no need to follow that.
"We might spend the night here at this rate."
His cynical attitude was inevitable.
He quietly looked out at the street through the window.
The streets were bustling, especially on a weekend. His eyes scanned the shops along the street.
After a long wait, the road finally cleared.
"We can move now!"
The coachman knocked on the window and informed Lewis.
"We'll depart immediately -"
"Wait a moment."
At that moment, something caught Lewis's eye.
Through the jeweler's window, he saw a blue jewel pin on display.
"Hold on a second."
Lewis got off the carriage and approached the jeweler.
Up close, it shone even more brilliantly.
It reminded him of Selina's blue eyes.
He, too, had seen her up close yesterday.
His vision was filled with Selina's big blue eyes. Her eyes widened in surprise, and couldn't open any wider.
At that moment, Lewis's heart had pounded heavily.
Even after letting go of her waist and stepping back, his heart didn't calm down.
This was a first.
Even while conversing nonchalantly, he felt a strange sensation.
Her twitching expressions, her every word, the way her fingers moved, all etched into Lewis's mind.
Did something go wrong with him? But soon, he realized.
There was nothing wrong with him.
He understood his feelings.
The reason he wanted to monopolize her time.
The reason he kept thinking about her.
The reason her talk of friendship and camaraderie bothered him.
It was all because he liked her.
His interest in her had turned into romantic interest. Once he thought about it, he was certain.
"I'll take this one."
Lewis entered the jeweler's and purchased the pin.
He couldn't help but smile, thinking about how Selina would react.
He still wanted to be her priority. Now he realized the position that could make that happen was as her lover.
When he arrived at the duke's residence, the butler came out to greet him.
But it seemed he had no intention of letting Lewis in.
"The Duke has instructed not to let the Marquis in..."
"Still? I was let in last time."
"I'm sorry, but it's the Duke's orders."
The butler looked flustered as if there was nothing he could do.
"Is Aunt inside?"
"Yes, she is."
"Lead the way."
"Excuse me?"
"Tell her I have the news she wanted to hear."
Why take a hard path when there's an easy one? There was no need to drag things out.
Thus, Lewis met his aunt in the duke's study after a long time.
Duke Croft squinted at him.
"Finally willing to talk?"
The Duke wasn't really angry. He was just pretending.
Knowing this, Lewis smirked slightly.
"It's nothing significant, but you've been so curious."
"I'll decide if it's significant or not. Just tell me what's going on."
The Duke asked, clearly curious.
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