It seemed natural for the two of them to take the front carriage, while the others were moving towards the back carriage.
Carol frowned, realizing she had momentarily forgotten about the others – her siblings, friend, and benefactors – due to being so conscious of the Duke.
“…Yes. But wouldn’t it be better for my siblings to ride in the same carriage?”
She wanted to avoid being alone with him.
She didn’t want him to notice that she was feeling strange.
Although she had been disappointed by the Duke’s busyness since their lake trip, now being alone with him was troublesome.
“No! I want to go with Lord Elais.”
But Dylan spoke firmly. Then he quickly added, “Kevin feels the same, right?” and got Kevin’s agreement.
“Then Louis…?”
“I have something I want to discuss with Lord Elais. I thought we could talk more on the way.”
With those words, Louis slipped into the carriage.
Carol glanced briefly at Jack, but he leapt into the carriage as if fleeing from some monster.
She hadn’t intended to ride with him anyway, her gaze had just naturally shifted.
‘Why is he acting like that?’
Carol thought dismissively as she watched Jack’s retreating figure rush into the carriage.
In the end, as originally planned, the two of them rode in the carriage together.
“The dress suits you.”
“Isn’t it too flowy and unsuitable?”
“No, it suits you.”
Carol smiled awkwardly at the Duke’s firm words.
“Thank you.”
Carol said, fidgeting with the fabric unnecessarily.
“Well, I’m the one who spilled tea on your clothes.”
Although she had chosen the least flashy and expensive-looking dress among those that fit in the dress shop, being located in the best part of town, it only carried high-end dresses. At first, Carol was hesitant, but when the Duke said he would be more troubled if she continued wearing wet clothes, Carol’s options were reduced to one.
“But it’s still very expensive.”
“There’s no ducal house that would suffer financial damage from buying a single dress.”
Carol closed her mouth tightly, unable to find a rebuttal to the Duke’s words.
“By the way, Teacher.”
“Yes?”
“Why are you sitting across from me?”
“…Ah.”
Carol’s eyes widened at the Duke’s sharp question.
It would soon be dinner time. Until then, she didn’t want him to notice that she was feeling strange.
She thought that if she sat next to him and then got off at dinner time, the people who rode in the other carriage might misunderstand seeing her reddened face.
“Well… It’s been a while since I’ve seen you, so I wanted to look at you face to face.”
At Carol’s excuse, the Duke grasped her chin and pulled her forward.
Smooch.
It was completely unexpected. Carol stared at the Duke with a dumbfounded expression at his sudden action.
“You said such a cute thing.”
The Duke’s hand naturally caressed the back of Carol’s hand. Carol’s lips dried up as she noticed his touch filled with obvious intent.
She should have pushed him away.
She knew that.
She repeated it countless times in her head.
But just sitting next to him made her want to have more of him.
“Just this much…mmph.”
It was when the Duke was about to pull back with a playful smile.
Carol wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him again. It was a slightly more passionate kiss than what the Duke had done.
“Mmph.”
The Duke’s eyes widened in surprise for a moment, but soon he supported Carol’s waist and accepted her lead.
Carol, who had somehow climbed onto his lap, felt like a red light was constantly flashing in her mind.
Every time the carriage jolted, the Duke placed his hand above her head to prevent her from bumping it.
Carol was so focused on him that she didn’t even notice this.
He said he was holding back for her sake. He said it would be better if they went all the way when both of them fully wanted it.
‘How did he manage to hold back?’
Carol marveled at the Duke’s patience. It felt like every cell in her body was clamoring for the Duke.
They would have to get off the carriage soon. This shouldn’t be happening.
Although she knew this in her head, Carol felt like she would die from desperation wanting to linger on his skin even a little longer.
“Haa, haa…”
When there was a brief gap to breathe, the Duke rubbed his nose against Carol’s slightly and grinned.
“As much as I hate to say it.”
“…?”
“We’ve arrived now.”
It was only after the Duke said this that she noticed the carriage had stopped.
At the Duke’s words, Carol startled and quickly sat back on the opposite seat.
“Um…”
Carol hesitated, wiping her lips with the back of her hand.
How should she talk about this? Embarrassment belatedly washed over her.
‘I want to have all of you now.’
Even just thinking it made her feel like her head was heating up.
The sun hadn’t fully set yet. No, even if it had, this wasn’t something she could easily say in her right mind.
“I did notice you were distracted by something else.”
The Duke naturally opened the conversation first.
“…Pardon?”
He had noticed?
Carol touched her face. She couldn’t tell if her hands were hot or if her face was hot.
“For a moment, I even thought you might have some other worry.”
The Duke covered his mouth as he laughed. His relaxed face, perhaps due to his disheveled hair from Carol’s touches, had a strangely sensual feel.
“But I didn’t know I was the subject of that worry.”
The Duke grinned and traced his glistening lips with his finger.
“…I.”
Was she too forward?
“About just now…”
Carol began to speak. But the Duke was a bit quicker.
“You know we can’t pretend it didn’t happen, right?”
The Duke cupped Carol’s cheek and whispered, tenderly kissing her forehead.
“After all, it was you who just broke my patience.”
The carriage door opened. So Carol couldn’t give any response to the Duke’s words.
Instead of immediately exiting the carriage, Carol grabbed both her ears and curled up. She felt like she would go crazy from embarrassment.
Plop.
Carol’s new dress fell onto the seat.
“Oh dear.”
The Duke, who had turned around to escort Carol, smiled as if in a predicament.
****
“What happened in such a short time…?”
Kevin asked in a bewildered voice, looking at Carol who had turned into a sparrow.
“It’s nothing.”
“Nothing, you say?”
“Yeah. So I think I’ll be able to return to normal soon.”
Carol, perched on the Duke’s shoulder, spoke in an awkward voice. Kevin and Dylan checked again if she was alright, and an embarrassed Carol fluttered her wings, insisting several times that she was fine.
Only then did her reassured siblings glance at the Duke. He looked natural with the dress draped over his arm and Carol on his shoulder.
Although the Duke should have been annoyed by the sudden transformation, he somehow looked like he was smiling.
“Unfortunately, it seems we won’t be able to have a long dinner.”
The Duke said in a voice that didn’t sound unfortunate at all.
“Yes.”
“Should I call for an aide?”
Louis knew that the Duke intentionally didn’t bring an aide when he was with Carol.
But given the situation, Louis, who best understood the Duke’s discomfort, asked.
“That won’t be necessary.”
“But it must be inconvenient for you.”
“It’s better than entrusting her to someone else.”
Realizing that the Duke wouldn’t go back on his word, Louis didn’t suggest it a second time.
The place the Duke had reserved was a high-class restaurant that even most nobles had to wait over a year for, and which people visited from other countries.
It was a restaurant with such a high reputation, but for the Duke’s visit, even the chef and the restaurant owner came out to greet the party.
“We’ve been waiting for Your Grace’s visit. We will serve you properly.”
“In that case, I have one request.”
“Yes?”
“Except when serving the meal, I’d like no one to be wandering nearby, and if there’s a room next to it, I’d appreciate if that room could be emptied as well.”
The space specially prepared at the far end of the restaurant was a private room that only a few among the nobility could access.
“Pardon?”
To suddenly ask for that place to be emptied…
The restaurant owner was momentarily flustered, but the Duke extended his hand first as if politely making the request.
“Then I’ll assume it’s settled.”
The Duke smiled as he withdrew his hand. The restaurant owner unconsciously licked his lips at the weighty presence left in his palm.
He was very curious about the woman’s dress the Duke was holding, and wanted to say that it wasn’t just one request, but his response was short and concise.
“Yes. Of course.”
Because the gold coins placed in his hand were more important.
