CHAPTER 090
The sound was so faint that Bellana and Mikael couldn't hear it.
"You seemed nervous earlier. Were you worried about being caught matching rings with me?"
Did I look nervous?
I was a bit concerned earlier.
I was worried Bella might think it strange if she found out that Lewis and I had matched a couple rings.
It seems she saw it all.
That's when I realized with a start.
"No, it's not like that!"
I replied softly so the twins couldn't hear, but it already felt too late.
"I saw you relax."
She didn't seem to believe me at all.
"You said you wanted to match with me."
Though her tone was light, I could sense a hint of disappointment in her eyes.
Her expression made me flinch.
I must have made a mistake... What should I do?
Even after returning to the manor after the outing, I couldn't stop thinking about him.
I had been tense, worried about being caught with the couple's ring, only to relax in front of Lewis.
How rude was that?
But in a situation where I assumed Lewis might have misunderstood his feelings, I needed to be cautious.
At the jewelry store, that caution went too far, making me overly defensive.
Ultimately, the issue was how to balance that caution...
I agonized over it for two days without finding a solution.
"Miss Croft had another appointment, didn't she?"
Even with worries, I had to keep prior commitments, so today I went out to the city with Charlotte.
"Yes, she's already left."
Charlotte was looking at the menu, pondering what to order.
Such a happy dilemma.
I still couldn't relax because of the issue with Lewis.
Would Charlotte understand how I felt?
She had recently been dealing with her own romantic concerns.
"Miss Yaniels, I have a friend's story."
I brought it up as soon as we ordered, hoping for some insight.
"Yes, Miss Elsner?"
"A friend thinks someone likes her."
"Oh my."
Yes, it's a love story.
Charlotte's eyes widened with interest, so I continued.
"But this person gets very attached to what they like. My friend is their first friend."
"I see. Could it be that friendship turned into something more?"
"Yes. So my friend isn't sure if it's a misunderstanding of friendship."
"That's complicated..."
Charlotte looked thoughtful.
"What do you think, Miss Yaniels?"
Please, tell me whether she should reject it or not!
"Does your friend's suitor dislike her?"
"No, not at all."
Oops. I spoke too personally.
I quickly adjusted my words.
"I also asked my friend, and she said she doesn't dislike him. She's just a bit taken aback."
"Then there's no need to reject him outright, is there?"
Charlotte thought for a moment before speaking.
"No need to reject him?"
"Yes. If she doesn't dislike him, there's no reason to push him away... Even though I turned down a confession myself, that's my view."
Charlotte smiled awkwardly after saying that.
We chatted for another couple of hours before parting ways.
Talking to her seemed to help.
Though I hadn't heard directly from Lewis about his feelings, it was clear enough!
In such an ambiguous situation, I finally had a plan.
Even if I couldn't accept the feelings of someone who liked me right away, I should at least be polite.
Caution, but within reason!
That was my conclusion.
Two days ago, I had been too focused on my own thoughts. Reflecting on this, I entered the manor.
"Selina."
As the door opened, Lewis stepped out.
"Huh? Marquis?"
When did he arrive?
I hadn't expected to see him so soon after what happened!
"Did you just get back from your appointment? I came because I wanted to go somewhere with you, but you weren't here, so I waited."
Oh, so that's why he came out from inside?
"Where to?"
Since I hadn't been out for long, it wasn't difficult to follow Lewis.
"I can go now."
"Really? That's good."
Lewis immediately took the lead.
* * *
He said he wanted to go somewhere. The place we headed to by carriage was a deserted hill.
After climbing several stairs, we finally reached the top.
"The sunset here is beautiful."
Though it wasn't as high as the clock tower, it seemed like a great spot to watch the sunset.
Hmm... Did he bring me here just to see this?
Especially after our last meeting ended the way it did?
Anyway, this was a sunset spot that Lewis had carefully chosen. I should appreciate it.
The sunlight was already dimming when I arrived back at the manor.
So, after waiting a bit on the hill, I could slowly see the sun setting.
"Wow."
I couldn't help but exclaim.
The pink-tinted sky looked magical today.
"The sky is pink!"
"Yeah. It's usually orange."
Lewis replied, seemingly surprised.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?"
Isn't a pink sky prettier than an orange one?
Curious, I asked, and Lewis chuckled softly.
"An orange sky always reminded me of you."
"Oh..."
I was momentarily speechless.
He brought me here to show me a sky that reminded him of my hair color?
How should I respond to this?
His unexpected words made my face feel hot.
Lewis watched me, seemingly lost in thought.
I awkwardly turned to face forward, but I could still feel his gaze.
Why is he staring? He's going to bore a hole through me!
It was so distracting and awkward that I thought I might die from it.
Um, if we're here to watch the sunset, shouldn't we look forward?
That was my internal protest. Eventually, to break the awkwardness, I spoke first.
"Marquis, I met a friend a few days ago."
I kept my eyes forward, speaking almost at random.
"She said she recently got a boyfriend."
Ah, why am I bringing this up now?
"So, did you congratulate her?"
I thought Lewis might not care, but he surprised me by asking.
Since I brought it up, I imagined how it would feel if I really heard such news.
"Yes. She looked very happy. Finding love seemed to suit her."
Lewis was silent for a moment.
Then he spoke calmly.
"I have someone I like too."
"You do, Marquis?"
"Yeah. Someone you know."
Lewis nodded.
Someone I know. Is it me?
I turned to look at Lewis, shocked.
Our eyes met; he had been watching me all along.
Suddenly, I was at a loss for words.
Not just because we made eye contact.
His golden eyes seemed to burn with intensity.
Whether it was the sunset reflecting in his eyes or genuinely how he looked at me, I didn't know.
One thing was certain: he looked breathtakingly beautiful in the twilight.
I found myself staring at him in a daze.
My heart began to pound loudly.
"Who do you think it is?"
Lewis asked quietly.
"Um... who, who could it be?"
Get a grip!
I tried to collect myself, awkwardly averting my gaze.
Lewis interlaced his fingers with mine.
"...!"
This defeats the purpose of looking away!
My heart pounded even faster.
"You really don't know?"
How could I not know!
In this situation, how should I respond?
I think I know. It's me, right?! But that would be strange.
As I struggled, Lewis watched me for a moment before speaking.
"It's you."
Lewis finally said it.
"You really didn't know? Honestly?"
"Well..."
It felt like a taut string snapping.
I stared at Lewis, dumbfounded.
I wasn't surprised it was me. I had almost been sure.
It was shocking to hear Lewis say it directly!
He was telling me himself that he liked me!
"We don't have to remain just friends, do we? It's not like we signed a contract."
Surely he didn't lose the document just for this?
With Lewis's personality, that might really be the case.
Trying to distract myself, Lewis squeezed my interlaced hand gently.
"Didn't I say before? I want to be the most special person to you."
"Yes... You did."
"I want to be your lover."
His words made me momentarily forget to breathe.
He wasn't smirking cynically or frowning with annoyance.
His unusually serious demeanor was unfamiliar to me.
Lewis continued, without blinking.
"Not just a friend, but a beloved partner."
"..."
"We didn't naturally become friends from the start, did we?"
Right. I knew that better than anyone.
I had approached him as a friend because I was afraid of him.
"I mean... I'm your first friend."
"That's right?"
I was about to say something I hadn't told Lewis before.
"So I thought... you might be confusing your feelings."
"There's no way."
Lewis frowned.
Then he asked outright.
"Do you not like me?"
"What kind of question is that?"
"Then why are you pushing me away?"
That stung. His words hit a nerve.
It wasn't because I didn't like him!
He's handsome and has a good personality... well, I can't say that.
I know all too well what his personality is like.
"It's just sudden. I need time to adjust. Time for us to understand each other's feelings."
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