I Taught You Carefully, So Why Are You Obsessed?

With my hand still on the doorknob, I stood there awkwardly and asked.

“…What are you doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“You were looking at something just now.”

“…I was reviewing the quarterly report on the estate that needs to be completed by today.”

“But the cover was pink.”

“Perhaps you saw wrong.”

His response was sharp as a knife. His expression was cold, almost mechanical.

“Are you going to keep standing there?”

“Oh.”

Finally, I let go of the doorknob and straightened up.

What was that? He seemed way too confident.

Did I really see wrong?

I’m sure the book that fell just now had a cover similar to the romance guide I bought at the bookstore…

‘Well, there’s no way Ian would read something like that. He’d probably just throw it away, calling it useless.’

The idea of Ian reading a romance book was as absurd as Diana declaring she’d remain single forever.

Clearing my throat, I collected myself.

That wasn’t what mattered right now.

I walked across Ian’s office with purpose and slammed my hands on his desk.

“Let’s go on a date.”

He stared at me, probably wondering why I was making a date proposal sound like a duel challenge.

My eyes burned with intensity.

“Clearly, this won’t do. We need to restore order to the idle gossip of the social scene.”

“Restore order… to the social scene?”

Ian had a look on his face like he had no idea what kind of nonsense I was spouting.

But by now, I was used to that expression.

I closed my eyes briefly and opened them again, speaking.

“You don’t need to know the details. I’m going to make my stance clear to the people who read that ridiculous newsletter and its subscribers.”

Ian Cloud is the best groom for Diana, you clueless nobles.

“Sorry, but this time you don’t have a veto. As your educator, I’m informing you, so you’d better—”

“Let’s do it.”

“Huh?”

Before I even finished my sentence, Ian nodded and began organizing his desk.

What? He was being difficult earlier, so why is he suddenly so compliant?

Now I was the one feeling caught off guard.

I blinked at him in confusion, and then he suddenly looked up at me.

“Is this another ‘practice’ session?”

“What?”

“I’m asking if this is practice or a real date.”

I stared at him, dazed, before answering.

“If I had to say… it’s more of a date than practice, I guess?”

This time, I wasn’t going to fix his attitude or anything.

He nodded, seeming slightly more agreeable than before.

“It’ll take about an hour to prepare. Let’s head out then.”

“Right now?”

I had planned for us to go out this weekend…

I stared at Ian, who was suddenly in a rush, utterly baffled.

He really started tidying up and standing, giving me a sidelong glance.

“Is there a problem?”

…No, no problem.

Didn’t he just say something about having to finish those documents by today?

Questions swirled in my mind, but his cold expression kept me from voicing them.

‘Well, it’s fine with me.’

The sooner we handle this rumor, the more effective it’ll be.

“Alright, let’s meet in the lobby in an hour.”

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

When I came to the lobby on time, I realized something was off.

I expected him to just throw on some casual attire since he said it’d take an hour to prepare, but my expectations were completely wrong.

‘Why does he look so dressed up?’

Ian, standing right in the center of the lobby, looked way too handsome for his own good.

His hair was neatly swept back, and he wore a light ivory summer suit, making him look twice as radiant as usual.

He looked so good that I hesitated to approach him.

“Uh… Grand Duke?”

“You’re here.”

As I approached hesitantly, he turned to face me.

‘He looks even more handsome up close.’

He seemed to have put in more effort than when we received an invitation to the Imperial Palace.

‘No way…’

“Is this another ‘practice’?”  

‘No, it can’t be.’

I shook my head slightly, trying to dismiss the ridiculous thought.

There’s no way this stoic robot would dress up like that for a real date.

‘But then, what was that question about earlier?’

The doubt lingered in my mind for a moment.

But before I could finish my thoughts, he offered his arm to me politely, and my shallow musings were cut short right then and there.

“Allow me to escort you.”

“…Oh, okay.”

The strange atmosphere continued as we rode in the carriage.

I was dead serious about showing everyone up, and Ian, for some reason, kept staring at me intently, which only made things feel weirder.

“…Do I have something on my face?”

“No.”

“Then why are you looking at me like that?”

Normally, Ian would have closed his eyes the moment he got into the carriage, but this time, he didn’t take his eyes off me for even a second. It was hard to tell if he was deep in thought or just observing me. After a moment of hesitation at my question, he slowly closed and opened his eyes.

“Do I need a reason to look at my date, my wife?”

“N-no…”

When he put it that way, there was no room for rebuttal.

I was just flustered because he doesn’t usually act this way.

However, it didn’t seem like Ian was going to give me an answer that would clear up my confusion.

Just as I turned my head toward the window in silence, he spoke again.

“…Your dress.”

What about my dress?

Did I really get something on it? I had deliberately chosen this light lavender color today.

I quickly lowered my head to check, but I couldn’t finish the movement.

“You look beautiful today. Like a hydrangea.”

I froze.

After a long pause, I slowly raised my head.

Opposite me, Ian was still looking directly at me without avoiding my gaze.

“…What did you say?”

“I said, you look like a hydrangea.”

My ears instantly grew hot.

‘…This is so strange!’

 

❖ ❖ ❖

 

After that, I barely remembered the rest of the carriage ride.

I was too focused on avoiding making eye contact with Ian.

When we finally arrived at the busiest place in town, the Levant Grand Square, Ian got off the carriage first and offered me his hand.

As I lightly placed my hand in his and stepped outside, I could feel all the eyes turning toward us in an instant.

‘This is it.’

I glanced around at the people whispering amongst themselves after seeing the Grand Duke and me together and couldn’t help but smile in satisfaction.

‘I’ll act so sweet and affectionate, you all better watch closely.’

There was no way I was going to let my efforts with Ian go to waste over some ridiculous scandal involving Duke Hayden Rogers.

I clung to Ian’s arm and beamed at him, deliberately close.

“My lord, the weather is so wonderful! I’m so thrilled to go on a date like this! I can’t express how happy I am that you made time for me despite your busy schedule.”

I swear, if I had pursued a career in acting, I might have won a Best Actress award.

Even I felt sickened by how sweetly I was smiling with my eyes nearly closed.

Surely, Ian could be a little stiff, and I would overlook it this time.

I was waiting for his usual cold, disapproving gaze, but strangely, his reaction wasn’t what I expected.

Instead of looking at me with contempt, he froze for a moment and just stared at me. Then, he moved a little closer, subtly.

“Yes, I feel the same.”

…What?

Before I could even fully process my confusion, his arm skillfully wrapped around my waist, pulling me close.

This was completely different from a few weeks ago when I nagged him during our trip to town, and he dismissed it as pointless.

Now it was me who had frozen in place at the firm grip around my waist.

“…My lord?”

“If there’s somewhere you’d like to go, I will escort you.”

The situation had flipped in an instant.

I stared at him, completely bewildered, while he looked back at me with that calm, unbothered expression.

‘Is this guy really the Grand Duke?’

To make things worse, I could feel the already intense stares becoming even more blatant.

‘Don’t panic, don’t panic.’

Get a grip, Eloise.

I don’t know what kind of sudden change of heart he’s had, but I don’t have the luxury to be swayed by it.

I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath to steady myself.

Then, I boldly buried my face against his chest.

“Oh my, my lord! I’m happy anywhere, as long as I’m with you!”

I could hear the gasps of shock from the onlookers around us.

 

♧♧♧

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