Side Story, Episode 9
From that point on, everything was a whirlwind of chaos.
With the help of the staff, I personally laid out a path of candlelight, decorated the back garden with oil lamps, and, guided by Vivi, even changed into an outfit befitting a proposal. By the time we were done, the sun had completely set, and darkness had fallen.
“Still, everything turned out pretty well!”
Vivi, hands on her hips, looked at the back garden adorned with a thousand red roses and unlit candles, her expression filled with satisfaction.
Although it was hard to see clearly in the dim light, once the staff lit the candles while I dined, it seemed like it would create a breathtaking scene.
Glancing up at the sky, I nodded slightly.
“Yeah, though the weather’s a bit cloudy…”
The dark clouds that had hung overhead all afternoon showed no sign of clearing, leaving the sky unusually pitch black without even a hint of moonlight.
‘This is going to be fine, right?’
Pushing aside a creeping sense of unease, I hurried out to the first-floor lobby. It wasn’t long before Ian returned to the Grand Duke’s residence.
‘Talk about perfect timing.’
How could everything wrap up just in time for Ian’s return? If we’d finished just a bit later, or if he had come home earlier, it would have been a spectacular failure.
As I rushed out to greet him at the carriage and wrapped my arms around him, he skillfully caught me in his embrace.
“Ian, welcome back.”
“Were you waiting for me?”
“Yes, we agreed to have dinner together.”
“I should have returned earlier.”
What was this boy saying? You came back exactly ten minutes after everything was ready.
Looking up, I smiled and said, “No, you arrived just in time for dinner. Come on in.”
Taking Ian’s hand, I led him into the dining hall. Right away, I could sense an unusual tension in the air.
The table was oddly extravagant, the music unusually romantic, and the staff seemed overly tense.
And then there was the sous chef at the far end of the room, who caught my eye and gave me a discreet thumbs-up.
‘I’m going to lose it.’
The awkward atmosphere was so obvious that I reflexively glanced at Ian. As expected, his expression was unbothered, showing no sign of sensing anything out of place.
‘It’s moments like this that make me so grateful for Ian Cloud’s obliviousness.’
The meal went on as usual. Perhaps because the staff had put in extra effort, the food tasted even better than usual, despite the head chef’s absence.
The problem was that I was too nervous to fully savor it.
‘Why am I freaking out so much when I know he won’t reject my proposal?’
Unable to tell whether the food was going into my mouth or my nose, I kept sneaking glances at him the entire time.
“Is there something you’d like to say to me?”
I froze.
“…What?”
“You’ve been looking at me for a while.”
Ian’s sudden question nearly caused me to choke on the meat.
“Ah, no, it’s just that… You look especially handsome today?”
“Do I?”
He briefly gazed at me, then smiled warmly.
“And you, Eloise, are as beautiful as ever.”
…I’m the one doing the proposing here, but he’s the one captivating me.
Struggling to regain my composure, I cleared my throat.
It was time to start setting the stage.
“Ian, if you’re not too busy after dinner, would you like to go for a walk? The weather is lovely.”
“A walk?”
At my suggestion, Ian looked out at the dark Grand Duke’s estate through the window.
That’s when it happened.
Rumble! Crack!
Out of nowhere, the dark sky flashed, followed by the distant rumble of thunder.
At the same time, the violinist, who had been playing a gentle tune, hit a jarring note.
“……’’
“……”
For a moment, a hellish silence descended.
‘I’m screwed.’
…Should I just give up on everything right now?
Feeling dizzy from the absurdity of the situation, I gritted my teeth.
“Ha, haha. That’s strange. The weather was fine just a moment ago.”
“Let’s go for the walk.”
“What?”
Flustered by the sudden downpour of my lies, I froze. Ian turned to look at me, his gaze steady.
“I like slightly cloudy weather. A walk sounds nice.”
His calm tone left me more flustered than ever.
‘…There was literally just thunder.’
When did thunder and lightning count as “slightly cloudy”?
Still, showing my confusion wasn’t an option in this hellscape of a situation, so I chose to quietly nod.
“Alright then.”
Unfazed, Ian resumed his meal, leaving me to suffer through the agonizing dinner.
When we finally stepped outside after the meal, with him escorting me, regret washed over me once more.
“…The wind is… quite strong.”
“Indeed.”
As if determined to sabotage my proposal, the wind howled relentlessly, whipping my dress and hair so violently that it was hard to see.
Not to mention how pitch dark it was, save for the scattered lampposts, making it difficult to even find our way.
‘It’s early spring; why is the wind this strong? Is this even normal?’
Should I just bite my tongue and collapse here?
I glanced at Ian nervously, my face a mix of frustration, disbelief, and anxiety. But, of course, he remained as indifferent as ever, his expression unchanging even as the storm raged around us.
Finally, he turned to me.
“So, where are we headed for this walk?”
“Uh, well…”
“…”
“The garden.”
I squeezed my eyes shut and whispered in a trembling voice.
“I’ll lead the way.”
Why was he acting so unaffected this entire time?
Despite how bizarre the situation clearly was, Ian gracefully took my hand and guided me toward the garden.
Fortunately, the wind died down to a more manageable level by the time we reached the entrance.
‘…Okay, this isn’t so bad.’
Please, just let it be average—nothing fancy, just decent.
I’d long since given up on a dazzling proposal. At this point, I was just praying that I could manage to hand over the ring hidden in my dress pocket without further disasters.
‘As long as the candles and roses are intact, I can salvage the mood somehow.’
But as soon as Ian and I stepped into the garden, I was stunned into silence.
“……”
The garden, which should have been aglow with the soft light of candles and oil lamps, was nothing but a dreary, dark mess, illuminated only by the occasional lamppost.
‘What on earth happened here?’
Scanning the area with a rigid expression, I suddenly realized the reason.
‘The wind blew out all the candles.’
At this point, I was on the verge of tears.
“Eloise?”
“…Just a moment.”
Finally grasping the gravity of the situation, I bit my lip and stifled a sigh.
‘What is even happening?’
The perfect proposal I’d envisioned was already in shambles. Yet, turning back now wasn’t an option—not when the ring was still tucked away in my dress pocket.
When I cautiously opened my eyes again, Ian was still looking at me intently.
As if sensing my turmoil, he spoke in a gentle voice.
“Eloise, is there something you’d like to say to me?”
“Well…”
His words tangled with my sigh, coming out all wrong.
‘Yeah, I should just give him the ring. The farther we go into the garden, the darker it gets, so there’s no point in holding out. Let’s just do it here.’
Even as I tried to convince myself, tears welled up from sheer frustration.
This wasn’t how I’d wanted it to go at all.
“…Ian.”
Mustering my courage, I finally spoke—
Drip.
Drip-drip.
…Huh?
A cold drop of water landed on my head, quickly followed by another, and then another.
Before I knew it, the heavens opened, and rain poured down in torrents.
In an instant, my hair was drenched, and what little composure I had left was completely washed away.
…Rain? Now, of all times?
For the first time, Ian seemed slightly taken aback. He paused, glanced up at the sky, then quickly removed his jacket and draped it over my head.
“Eloise, we should head back inside.”
With those words, he wrapped an arm around my shoulders, his touch warm even through the soaked fabric.
“…Eloise?”
When I didn’t budge, Ian called my name in confusion.
Meanwhile, I felt my face contort like a burst dumpling as the tears finally spilled over.
“Sniff.”
“Eloise, are you crying?”
“Hic, everything’s ruined…”
It really was—all of it was ruined.
• • •
Please Support my translation 🤞
