It was a beautiful lake. Though near the capital, it seemed not many people knew about it yet, as the surroundings were quiet.
The water was so clean it was transparent. Dense trees grew around the lake, with the red sun setting between them. It was a spectacular view that would have captivated anyone at any other time.
The garden house with its white wooden walls and green roof was also splendid.
However, Carol couldn’t comfortably enjoy all of this. Exhausted from a sleepless night due to the Duke’s bombshell statement yesterday, she was tired.
A servant took their luggage, and instead of going inside right away, the two of them walked along the lakeshore.
She had explained to her siblings that everything was a misunderstanding, and it was cleared up. And as the Duke said, she agreed to think about their future together instead of their separate futures.
“Did you really mean what you said yesterday?” Carol asked awkwardly, tucking her hair behind her ear. The sunlight reflected beautifully off the rippling water.
As they walked side by side, she could feel her skirt fluttering and hear the rustling leaves.
Like in the North, it felt as if they were alone in the world.
‘When we return, that will be more of an issue.’
Her siblings’ faces showed they had plenty of questions, but just clearing up the misunderstanding had taken so much time that they couldn’t talk at length.
“Why would I say such things if I didn’t mean them? Were you very surprised?”
“A little.”
“Why?”
“Pardon?”
“Did you think we would eventually part ways?”
“What? No, that’s not it, but…”
“Did you plan on just dating forever?”
“…That’s not it either.”
“Then it’s fine, isn’t it? The waiting is my part, so you don’t need to mind it.”
The two had stopped walking by now.
“It’s not that I love you less, Duke. That’s not why I can’t answer.”
A breeze carrying the scent of night brushed past them.
“Teacher, do you remember the wish coupon you gave me for my birthday gift?”
Instead of answering, the Duke asked a question. Though Carol couldn’t grasp his intention, she answered readily.
“Yes.”
The wish coupon the Duke said he would take as a gift when they were in the North. Carol remembered it too.
“I’ll use it now, that wish coupon.”
“…Now?”
“Yes.”
“What is it?”
The Duke turned to face Carol. Carol looked bewildered, unable to guess what he was about to say.
“I want to use the wish coupon to make it as if you didn’t hear what I said earlier.”
“…What does that mean?”
Even after hearing his words, Carol still couldn’t understand the Duke’s intention.
A gust of wind blew. A large cloud drifted overhead. She thought it might rain before they returned.
The Duke spoke as if she should take his words at face value.
“It means exactly what I said.”
Carol tilted her head, still not grasping his meaning.
Various thoughts quickly raced through Carol’s mind.
‘He wants to pretend he never said it?’
Was it because she said she wasn’t ready, and rejected him?
Then what about the conversation they just had here? Didn’t the Duke imply it would happen eventually? Had she misunderstood his words?
If he was quickly backing out because he regretted her unsatisfactory answer in their recent conversation…
Carol shook her head. She didn’t want to think and conclude on her own. Her fingertips trembled slightly.
“I don’t want to.”
A refusal popped out of her mouth before she could express her lack of understanding.
“Hmm?”
“I can’t answer until you explain exactly why you want to pretend it never happened.”
At Carol’s grave tone, the Duke asked in a disbelieving voice.
“…You’re not misunderstanding something strange again, are you?”
“What do you mean by ‘strange misunderstanding’?”
The Duke rubbed his face at Carol’s words. He hadn’t spoken indirectly to trouble her.
“A misunderstanding that I spoke impulsively.”
“…Isn’t that the case?”
The Duke took a sharp breath at Carol’s answer.
“We’ve talked about this since coming here.”
“Still, you never know. You might have thought it was a mistake the more you spoke about it.”
The Duke grasped both of Carol’s cheeks, turning her gaze towards him. Carol’s eyes, which had been on the lake, quickly shifted to the Duke. Their gazes met in mid-air.
Carol swallowed her next words at the Duke’s uncharacteristic behavior. The Duke bit his lower lip for a moment before confessing the truth.
“I was just a bit embarrassed.”
“…Embarrassed, you say?”
“Yes.”
“You, Duke?”
Carol was truly surprised, her eyes wide and mouth half-open.
“I’m aware that I skipped too many steps.”
The Duke’s expression still seemed composed, but he couldn’t hide his reddening ears. As Carol’s gaze fell on his ears, they turned even redder.
“…So that’s why you said that.”
Carol bit her upper lip. She thought if she called the Duke cute, she’d probably never see this side of him again.
Seeing relief cross Carol’s face as she nodded in understanding, the Duke finally released his hands from her cheeks.
The Duke cleared his throat a few times and turned his gaze back to the lake. The red glow in the sky had faded, giving way to a bluish tint.
Carol glanced at the Duke’s profile.
“It wasn’t something to say so ungracefully, so I wanted you to forget it.”
“…Is that all?”
“Are you disappointed it was so trivial?”
“No.”
Carol said firmly. They say it’s over when you find the other person cute rather than just cool. Carol felt that moment had arrived for her.
The Duke, seeming relieved by Carol’s answer, replied with a slight smile.
“That’s good. I don’t regret saying it either.”
His words hinted at not wanting to pressure her, but also wanting to give her assurance so she wouldn’t worry.
“Ah…”
Realizing she had fallen even deeper for the Duke while feeling relieved, Carol crouched down and covered her eyes with the back of her hands.
Surprised by Carol’s sudden action, the Duke awkwardly bent down with her.
Lowering his head to check her face, the Duke asked anxiously.
“…Did I make a mistake?”
Carol removed her arms and looked at the Duke.
Seeing his tilted hair, she smiled brightly.
“No. I just felt some of the tension release.”
She wasn’t anxious at all now. She just thought it would be troublesome if she fell for him even more here.
The Duke whispered in a softer voice than before.
“I’d like to say those words properly later.”
“Even if you hadn’t used the wish coupon, I would have listened if you had said it like that.”
As Carol said this with a smile, the Duke seized the opportunity.
“I see. Then I’ll keep the wish coupon.”
“…”
“Did you think I’d say I don’t need the wish coupon anymore?”
“…Yes.”
“Unfortunately, businessmen are calculating and don’t miss out on immediate benefits.”
The Duke said triumphantly.
Knowing that the Duke became the least calculating person in front of her, Carol couldn’t help but curl up the corners of her mouth.
Carol suddenly stood up.
“It doesn’t matter.”
Carol lightly grasped the tips of the Duke’s fingers.
The moment their eyes met, the Duke pulled Carol’s waist. Their bodies fit together without a gap.
His large hand firmly supported her waist. The Duke lowered his head.
Just as Carol thought the Duke’s hair was tickling her forehead, their breaths intermingled.
It was a tender kiss. Their lips met, and their breaths mixed. Carol clumsily responded to the Duke’s kiss. Her breath caught in her throat. She wasn’t sure if it was because her heart was overwhelmed, or because she wasn’t given a chance to breathe.
As their lips parted, the Duke ran his finger over Carol’s glistening lower lip.
The Duke said, suppressing a laugh,
“You could have breathed through your nose.”
“…When the moment comes, I can’t think of that.”
Carol mumbled, burying her face in the Duke’s chest.
“You’ll get used to it with practice.”
The Duke said, patting Carol’s back. When she had caught her breath somewhat, Carol looked up at the Duke’s face.
She felt inexplicably happy at the thought that if the curse hadn’t been lifted, she would have been wagging her tail.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
The perceptive Duke lowered his head and gave her several quick kisses.
Carol tightened her arms around the Duke.
Showing one’s vulnerable side to another was harder than expected.
“Actually, you’re right, Duke.”
“About what?”
“Going to the party is uncomfortable.”
“I see.”
“But I also don’t like the idea of you going with another partner.”
“I understand.”
The Duke replied readily, stroking Carol’s soft hair as he spoke.
“…Aren’t you disappointed that I’m being selfish?”
“Not at all. I would have felt the same way.”
The Duke planted a brief kiss on the top of Carol’s head.
“Then I’m glad.”
Carol let out a sigh of relief.
“Well, now that all misunderstandings are cleared up, we can focus on enjoying your birthday.”
Unlike his cute kisses, the hand on her waist betrayed an explicit desire.
