Episode 65
“Still, if someone were to ask who’s closer, it would definitely be the Duke. He’s my husband. There’s nothing closer in the world than between spouses.”
I explained to Ian as simply as possible.
“Then, is he closer than your brother?”
“That’s right.”
Ian seemed pleased with my answer, smiling broadly.
“Why don’t you like me being closer with someone else instead of my brother?”
“Oh, it’s not like that…”
When I playfully asked Ian, he stumbled over his words.
“But it seems right.”
“…”
Unable to deny it any longer, he fell silent.
It was so cute that I almost burst into laughter this time, but I managed to hold it in.
“I’m closest to the Duke. He’s my family and my husband. Naturally, family is the closest bond we have. Right?”
“Right.”
“Of course, Ian is still the closest to me.”
“Still?”
Oops, I almost made a mistake rambling on.
“Well, Ian, because later on, way later when you get married, you’ll have a wife. Then, your wife will be your closest friend.”
I rambled a bit, but fortunately Ian seemed to understand.
After that, Ian and I continued to chat in the garden.
While sitting facing Ian, I once again reminded myself of the purpose of coming here today.
Did the child from the bookstore come?
Although I briefly scanned the venue earlier, I didn’t see the girl I saw earlier.
‘I should take a closer look this time.’
“Should we go inside now, in case your brother comes looking for us?”
“Yes. Let’s go.”
“Okay. Let’s go.”
I hoped that the girl would be Dahlia this time as we headed back to the venue with Ian.
“Just a moment, Ian.”
Stopping at the entrance, I glanced around the venue.
Mulling over the company, I continued to search for someone who looked like the girl I had seen.
‘Ah, there she is.’
And finally, not far away, I found the child who had been with other girls of her age.
It was the same child I saw at the bookstore.
But I couldn’t approach her indiscriminately.
Perhaps she might not be Dahlia, and such behavior would seem very unnatural.
Then, it happened.
The girl I had encountered at the bookstore suddenly looked in our direction.
As our eyes met, she waved at me and quickly approached us.
“You remember me, right?”
“Yeah? Oh, I remember. We met at the bookstore.”
“Do you remember?”
As bright and lively as before, the child spoke.
“You’re Ian Blighton, right? And you’re the Duchess of Blighton, aren’t you?”
She seemed unaware of me back then, but today, she recognized me.
“That’s right. I’m Ayla Blighton, and Ian?”
In this important moment, where the female lead and the male lead are meeting for the first time, I didn’t want to introduce Ian myself. So, I called Ian to introduce himself.
When Ian looked at me with a slightly puzzled expression, I blinked once and gestured toward the child.
“Ian… Blighton.”
“Exactly! I’m Dahlia Camos.”
When Dahlia said “exactly,” I almost exclaimed “exactly” in my mind as well.
‘It really is Dahlia.’
I felt so amazed and happy at this coincidence that I wanted to jump for joy.
“Let’s introduce ourselves again. Nice to meet you, Dahlia.”
But I remained calm and composed, exchanging greetings with Dahlia.
“I’m also pleased to meet you, Duchess of Blighton.”
As we shook hands in greeting, Dahlia cheerfully took my hand and shook it vigorously.
“Ian, shake hands too.”
“Ian, nice to meet you. I’m Dahlia Camos.”
“…Nice to meet you.”
When Ian hesitated to extend his hand, Dahlia didn’t mind and took Ian’s hand herself.
And then, at that moment,
Dahlia seemed to sense something and her eyes widened in surprise.
‘She felt it.’
It was frustrating not being able to say what I knew. But pretending to not know was necessary to avoid dealing with the aftermath.
But just as I acted, Dahlia also continued to hold Ian’s hand, unwilling to let go.
It was natural not to want to let go of the excitement and pleasant feeling she felt for the first time.
As Dahlia held Ian’s hand firmly without saying a word, Ian looked at me with a puzzled expression.
“Dahlia?”
“S-Sorry!”
When I called Dahlia, she finally let go of Ian’s hand, which she had been holding all along.
“What’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s nothing.”
But he still seemed dazed by the new shock, with a bewildered expression on his face.
“Thank you for recognizing us and approaching us first, Dahlia.”
“Oh, no. I just felt bad for rejecting you through the letter, so I wanted to apologize in person.”
“Apologize? We should be grateful to you.”
“I just did what I had to do.”
She was indeed the female lead.
While talking to Dahlia, it was easy to understand why this child had to be the protagonist of a different world.
She was straightforward, just, and exuded a bright energy when she was around.
Dahlia was exactly that kind of person.
“No, not everyone can do that. So, thank you. Thanks to you, things turned out well.”
“Well…”
As Dahlia was speaking, she suddenly couldn’t continue and hesitated.
“Just a moment.”
She gestured for me to lean closer to her ear, and I lowered my head closer to Dahlia’s face.
“That. There’s another one besides that kid.”
Dahlia whispered to me in a very soft voice.
“I know.”
“You do?”
As Dahlia acted out her gesture by whispering to the child’s ear, she looked at me with a surprised expression.
“Ian told me. So, I already know about those kids.”
“Oh, I see.”
I repeated myself to make sure Ian could hear.
Dahlia nodded with relief.
“If you ever need my help, please feel free to ask. I couldn’t forgive those kids’ actions either.”
“Thanks. With Dahlia’s help, we’re welcome anytime.”
“And… sorry.”
While we were deeply engaged in conversation, Dahlia suddenly apologized to Ian.
“I should have been braver and confronted them sooner. I was cowardly. Even though I saw those kids bothering you, I just stood by and did nothing. I’m sorry.”
Then, she bowed her head sincerely to Ian.
Ian’s lips opened but didn’t say anything for a moment, then he opened them.
“…It’s okay.”
“Huh?”
“It couldn’t be helped. I… I also found it difficult to help.”
“Ah… Still, I’m sorry. Please accept my apology.”
Even though I said it was okay, Dahlia apologized again with a tearful face.
When Ian looked at me with a puzzled expression, I smiled and nodded as a sign of acceptance.
“Okay. That’s fine.”
“Thank you! So, are we friends from now on?”
“…Friends?”
“Yeah! Friends!”
“Uh, yeah.”
Ian responded in surprise to Dahlia’s bold actions.
“Great. If you’re my friend, I’ll never stand by if someone bothers you.”
Dahlia clenched her fist with a determined face.
She was a very spirited and adorable child in many ways.
“Then, since we’re friends now, shall we hug each other?”
“Huh?”
“Hug?”
The two children looked up at me in confusion at my words.
“Yeah. That’s what friends do when they become friends.”
“Oh…”
“Oh, I see.”
Then, they easily accepted it and, as expected, Dahlia was the first to hug Ian.
At the moment the two hugged each other, their bodies twitched with different meanings.
Perhaps Ian felt awkward because of his unfamiliarity with strangers, and Dahlia, like before, felt a strange energy flowing into her.
Seeing the two children who had become friends in an instant filled me with a warm feeling.
Even though I didn’t know their story, their story was starting completely anew in a different way.
The banquet was gradually coming to an end.
Looking forward to seeing Dahlia again, Ian and I returned to our seats.
Lloydin and my parents were already back in their seats.
“Ian!”
Seeing Lloydin, Ian ran over and hugged him.
It hadn’t been long since I had seen him, but it felt like it had been ages, and I couldn’t help but smile as soon as I saw him.
Thank you so much!❤️🔥