Chapter 31

꒦︶꒷‧₊★₊‧꒷︶꒷‧₊ଓ₊‧꒷︶꒷‧₊★₊‧꒷︶꒦

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(Hildea’s POV)

But soon I laughed at my thoughts.

‘That’s not possible, he wouldn’t be shaking because of this.’

‘Who is this person anyway?’

It’s Gabriel, the male protagonist of this novel who just came back after going through all sorts of things.

It’s a nonsensical delusion that a man, who wouldn’t budge even if he had a knife in his neck, trembled holding a woman who suddenly fell from a tree.

‘If he thought that my actions were stupid, then I don’t want to know.’

It seemed like his perception of the person who climbed a tree and did all sorts of dangerous things was embedded even now after he became an adult.

I bit my lips, feeling very upset about it.

‘It was just a momentary impulse.’

‘I swallowed the urge to make an acceptable excuse and defend myself for not being that kind of person.’

‘Well it doesn’t matter, whatever Gabriel thinks of me.’

“Be careful with your feet.”

Only then did my stiff body relax.

Anyway, since I was finally able to stand up on the ground, I aimlessly looked at his large hands which were slowly moving away from me.

‘His fingers are very neat.’

(PR/N: I feel like the author’s got a hand fetish. So many mentions of hands)

It felt very hard and rough to the touch, but the long, toned hand looked so pretty.

Naturally, my gaze followed through his hands, arms, broad shoulders, before finally settling on his face.

‘!’

As soon as I checked Gabriel’s face properly, I wrinkled my face without realizing it. I’m so surprised.

‘Wait? What?’

‘This person… He seemed to be shining?’   

‘Why is he so handsome today?’

(T/N: Hahaha because you’re already in love with Gabriel.)

Originally, Gabriel was a very handsome person, but today, he’s dazzling.

His hair, which was supposed to be neat and tidy, is a little bit messy, but the effect is an appearance that gives off a very manly aura.

In addition, his sharp eyes, which seemed to be focused with a slight frown, has a charm that makes my heart flutter as I look at them. 

‘And his clothes.’

 ‘If anyone saw him, they would think that he’s going to a banquet hall.’

‘How well he dressed up, and his appearance today, is definitely perfect from head to toe.’

‘Is he trying to seduce someone?’

(*)If the hanger is good, it would look pretty even if he wore rags, but it’s hard to open my eyes properly because the clothes are just so colorful that he looks like a peacock.

(T/N: It means that as long as the person who wears the clothes is handsome, even if he wears rags, he would still look perfect.)

And I realized.

There was no way he would have dressed up to meet me, so he must have been somewhere else.

There aren’t many places that Gabriel would pay attention to.

‘Unless he met Rosé.’

‘Oh, he must have been to the Imperial Palace and the Emperor must have been incensed. But what is he looking at right now…? Oh!’

Following his gaze, I thought that I made a mistake. It was because Gabriel’s eyes slowly turned towards my feet.

I shrugged looking at my feet and felt the cold soil beneath them.

‘Oh, I took off my shoes.’

‘His face heated up from embarrassment, and he bit his lips.’

The passion that I had a few minutes ago, when I threw away my shoes to climb this tree, was very wild.

‘I’m pretty sure that he saw it?’

I tried to cover them with my skirt while my eyes were slightly irritated. However, adding to my troubles, the dress was not long enough to cover my feet.

I decided to turn around because I felt somewhat burdened by his gaze.

For now, it would be wise for us to end this meeting here and meet again at the appointed time in an elegant and normal manner.

I still have no idea why he wants to meet me, but I don’t want to hear about it with my feet bare.

“Thank you for your help, Duke of Belfius. You almost got hurt again because of me.”

“It’s okay. You are as light as a feather.”

“But still, thank you… Um, what?”

If I had been alone, I would have been blinking frantically and wondering what I had heard.

However, Gabriel looked so serious when he said it.

“What’s wrong?”

“…I think I just heard something weird.”

His gaze was so resolute, as if he hadn’t said anything wrong. That was why I trembled a little and doubted what I just heard.

‘I probably misheard it, right?’

“By the way, Lady Hildea.”

But he didn’t let me rest even for a second, seemingly determined to torment me today.

“I think you hurt your foot.”

“Oh.”

My face turned bright red again.

In the Mielle Empire, it wasn’t right to show your bare foot to someone of the opposite sex who was not your lover nor to people who weren’t married yet. For that reason, I was trying hard to cover it up immediately.

“No, it’s okay… It’s okay.”

“If you don’t mind,”

However this time, Gabriel said something that struck my soul. 

“Can I take a look?”

I opened my eyes wide hearing his words.

‘What did he just say right now?’

-ˏˋ ━━━━━━ ʚɞ ━━━━━━ ˊˎ-

(Gabriel’s POV)

‘When she fell into my arms.’

The words that I told Hildea that she was light like a feather were not the words I intended to say to her.

Unlike in the past, I’m desperately enduring the desire to hold her light body into my arms right now. I was relieved by the reality that I could save her again at the crucial moment.

‘Ah.’

There was a sweet scent from somewhere. It was probably Hildea’s hair that had touched the tip of my nose.

‘She is so light.’

I was terrified as well.

‘Because I’m weak against her.’

‘And she’s so light and fragile.’

‘I was scared, truly scared.’

She looks like glass that would crack if I apply even a little bit of pressure, and my fingertips trembled every time I put them down like a fool.

When Hildea, who was stepping on the floor with bare feet, unknowingly grabbed the hem of her skirt and let go, she struggled with dizziness as if she had fallen off the edge of the cliff.

And then I thought.

‘Why am I so happy?’

That’s when I realized that If I continued to be happy, I could die from it.

It was because my heart was pounding and beating like I had done a speedrun.

‘If Dian had been around, he wouldn’t hesitate to make fun of me by sticking to his ever cheeky attitude.’

That must have been the reason.

Struggling with stupid thoughts, not knowing that my crazy mouth was unbridled and saying some dumb words.

My heart suddenly jumped when I saw that she had a scratch on her flawless white feet.

“Can I take a look?”

I was shocked at myself because those words unconsciously came out of my mouth.

‘This crazy mouth.’

My heart sank at the stupid words that I just said.

“…What?”

Her voice sounded astonished in response to what I’d said. I couldn’t bear to even look at Hildea’s face.

It was rude to look at the bare feet of a noble girl, but I even asked her if she would allow me to check her feet.

My ambitious plan to dress up and plant a good image has already been ruined. A cold sweat broke out.

Half of me wants to run away immediately, and half wants to rectify the words that have already been spoken.

A rather long period of silence passed.

“No, it’s okay, Duke. I still have my shoes.”

It was Hildea who spoke up first.

“But if you have a wound, it will hurt a lot.”

“It’s okay. It’s not that far, and looking at my feet… I don’t think it’s desirable.”

She seemed very embarrassed. That’s why she was unexpectedly stuttering. Even that was cute, and my teeth clenched from desire.

‘I’m really crazy.’

Right now, Hildea doesn’t push me away and she hasn’t walked away. That’s why I decided to be brave.

Besides, I saw Hildea’s toes twitching as if she’s nervous.

Even though I knew that it was not polite to look at a lady’s bare feet, I could not withdraw my disdainful gaze.

The tension that was about to explode was relieved. The corners of my lips twitched.

Unable to bear it any longer, I finally raised my head and looked into Hildea’s eyes.

I clasped my hands tightly.

‘As expected, she’s so cute.’

Unlike her usual cold-expression, Hildea’s face, which seemed to have collapsed slightly, was showing a surprisingly cute expression.

‘There is clearly emotion.’

‘Confusion, embarrassment, surprise at my words.’

‘Her face is so red that I can’t see her usual dislike towards me.’

My mind is in chaos. The moment that I’ve been waiting 12 years for, has finally arrived.

Dian said that “You may be feeling like this because you couldn’t see her and maybe seeing her in person again will make a difference.” And that was bullshit.

Because I feel like I can die from happiness right now, just knowing the fact that Hildea is alive and breathing, like how she’s standing in front of me now.

“It would be difficult for you to move now. If you’d allow me, I will hold and guide you. If you give me such an opportunity, I would appreciate it.”

(T/N: My gosh Gabriel, that was sooo sweet.)

“…Duke of Belfius, I think you may not want to. It’s not a wound that prevents me from walking on my own. I think you’re thinking too much and…”

“Worried.”

“…What?”

‘I’m worried.’

‘Did the small whisper reach Hildea? Was it a burden for her?’

“…….”

Soon after, her face quickly returned to the familiar cold expression, without a hint of emotion.

‘It’s the same expression that I see all the time.’

Soon I felt a terrible thirst, like a thirsty man who was looking at a deep well in front of him.

‘I want to see more.’

Just like the contents of that simple letter that was delivered one sentence at a time.

‘More, I want to see your feelings for me.’

I wanted to confirm that it was completely my own misunderstanding to think that we were already close for those 12 years that we were writing to each other.

My eyes burned with eagerness, and while I was talking to her in a dreamlike situation, another incident followed.

“Gabriel.”

“Yes?”

“Why are you here, Duke?”

‘I really love those round eyes too.’ As I relaxed and held back my desire to smile, my lips suddenly twitched. I mustered up the courage to speak.

“You can call me Gabriel.”

I gently hold her hand and sway it as if leading her to follow what I said.

“Please.”

Just like a child begging his parents to buy candy from a stall.

‘What I wanted to ask was actually a nickname.’

“Isn’t it easy to call me by my name, My Lady? Just like what I requested before, If you’re comfortable with just Gabriel.”

“But that’s…”

“It’s kind of heartbreaking that you keep rejecting it. And if you’d allow me, I’ll do the same.”

I pretended to be polite and hid my true heart.

“…But, Duke.”

“Me too, Hildea. Just like that.”

‘But I truly want to call you Hill.’

I secretly called her by a nickname which she hadn’t allowed me to do, but I acted like I never did.

Hildea’s eyelashes trembled as though she was in agony.

“If you do that every time we meet, then I have no choice but to mention it until it’s convenient for you.”

‘It seems like Hildea hates it whenever I courageously state my opinion. Because I can see the depression on her face again.’

“But that’s a bit.”

“…So please, feel free to call me.”

“That’s not the reason why you asked me to meet you, right?”

Then I noticed Hildea’s delicate white forehead, and I was awed by it. Her forehead was also smooth and cute.

Perhaps she felt my gaze: Hildea frowned slightly and avoided it.

My fingertips trembled as I felt as if the strings of hope that had been attached were slowly tearing.

‘Please.’

I can go back and forth between heaven and hell with just a single glance from her.

‘Please don’t avoid my gaze, Hildea.’

In the end, I couldn’t even open my mouth.

“Oh, My Lady! Why are you here?”

Until one of the maids, who was worried about Hildea not coming back yet, found us awkwardly together.

“Then see you at dinner… Gabriel.”

At that natural call, I look back at her, only to see her hair as she heads back

Like an idiot, I couldn’t even explain the reason or the purpose of our meeting.

TO BE CONTINUED….