Chapter 67

“What do you mean, the time we’ve spent together until now—what was all that? Did I really seem like that kind of person to you?”

 

At his words, snarling as if he couldn’t hold it in anymore, I could only stammer and trip over my own words.

 

“S-so, what I meant…….”

 

Evan let out a small sigh and opened his mouth.

 

“Doctor Elena said she had herbs she needed to find and left. She’s not a child—she must’ve returned to the estate safely.”

 

Clearly displeased even to speak about Elena, he roughly ran a hand through his face. Then he paused to steady his breathing.

 

I looked at his clouded expression. Was this really the ending I’d wanted?

 

……Right now, I could say with certainty that it wasn’t.

 

“I’m sorry……. I raised my voice too much, didn’t I?”

 

Evan was unusually irritable. But rather than feeling jarring, that change made my chest itch.

 

He looked at my expression, then immediately lowered his guard. His eyes were desperate, pleading. It felt like he was watching my every reaction, trying to block even the slightest possibility that I might pull away.

 

‘Really……?’

 

Elena and Evan hadn’t bonded. Evan being here was proof of that.

 

‘And somehow… Evan likes me…….’

 

I swallowed. Even the crease in his brow looked attractive. I really was far gone.

 

Most of the people I’d met in my life had left me. They said their love had dried up, that we weren’t on the same level. Even those who cherished and loved me began weighing pros and cons once marriage came into view.

 

No one had ever held on to me this desperately.

 

Night fell and a cold wind blew, but my steadily warming cheeks refused to cool.

 

“Evan, do you really…… truly like me? Don’t you ever find me annoying, or tiresome? I’ve hovered around your side for so long, and I’m not even on the same level as you…….”

 

“……Are you asking because you genuinely don’t know? I don’t know what kind of misunderstanding you keep having, but there’s only Lep for me. I don’t have even the slightest interest in Doctor Elena. I just assumed you knew my feelings well—was I wrong?”

 

When I nodded with a serious face, Evan stared at me, lips parted. His furrowed brow seemed to ask why I was questioning something so obvious.

 

“Lep, if anything, I’m the one who feels inadequate.”

 

“Why?”

 

Evan was incredible—how could he think that? Maybe my eyes betrayed my thoughts, because he continued.

 

“I’m always thinking that I need to become someone worthy of you.”

 

“……?”

 

“Think about it. You’re perfectly fine on your own. You’re loved by your family, your trading company is doing well, and you have so many people around you willing to help. Now that I think about it, there really are a lot. It feels like you’d be just fine even without me…….”

 

I couldn’t understand Evan, who suddenly seemed so dejected.

 

“No! You’re more amazing. You’re the future duke, you’re handsome…… and kind! Much more than me—!”

 

“It’s just status. That’s not something I achieved—it’s something I have just because I was born to the right parents.”

 

“Th-that……!”

 

As I tried to argue, Evan covered my mouth with his large palm.

 

“Shh. Lep, it’s not good to underestimate yourself like that. The fact that I’ve fallen completely for you already makes you incredible.”

 

“Uh……?”

 

My eyes trembled sweetly.

 

“Come to think of it, I’ve never actually said it outright. I got too complacent just because we were engaged.”

 

As if realizing an obvious truth far too late, Evan widened his eyes. Then, just like that, he leaned his face close to mine.

 

“I like you very much. I have for a long time—right up until now.”

 

Then he grinned and added, “I wonder how I can make you really understand my feelings……. Ah, Lep. Want to know the most decisive proof that I like you? Do you know why I used to cough up blood so often in front of you?”

 

Ignoring my flustered state, Evan pressed forward like a charging boar. And coughing up blood—what was that about?

 

Perio had once mentioned it in passing. That I didn’t need to worry so much about Evan. He said Evan only acted weak and coughed up blood in front of me, and that he himself hadn’t seen it even once in the past few years.

 

“W-why only in front of me……?”

 

Without a word, Evan took my hand and placed it over his heart. The pounding beneath my palm came through vividly. I stared up at him, dazed.

 

“You know, right? When your body heats up or your heart beats faster, blood circulation speeds up, which makes the poison more active.”

 

It was my field of expertise—of course I knew. I nodded slowly.

 

“That’s why. I can’t stop my heart from racing.”

 

Evan said it with a gentle smile. I could only gape.

 

What Evan was saying was that the reason he coughed up blood whenever I was around was because his heart raced because of me. So violently that it thudded in his chest…….

 

No matter how often I was told by Perio or Elena that his condition was improving, the coughing never stopped, and I’d lived in constant worry. And now he was telling me it was because of me? Because his heart fluttered?

 

Evan tightened his grip. The wildly beating heart he was insisting on seemed to pound directly into my hand.

 

My entire body burned, not just my face. At that point, I had no choice but to acknowledge my feelings for him.

 

I’d tried to be satisfied with watching from afar, telling myself he belonged with Elena, that I didn’t suit him. But now every one of those thoughts had been overturned.

 

No—truthfully, I’d been noticing it little by little all along. I’d just turned away because I lacked confidence.

 

“Hm? You like me, don’t you? Even now, you can’t look me in the eye properly—so why do you keep trying to run away?”

 

Evan lowered himself like a drenched, pitiful puppy, trying to meet my gaze head-on, though his eyes gleamed sharply.

 

I’d tried to push him away for the sake of his happiness, even hurting him in the process—but now that I knew he truly, helplessly liked me, I couldn’t stop the corners of my mouth from lifting.

 

Even if I tried to distance myself, like Evan said, it wasn’t because I disliked him.

 

I was angry at myself. If Evan cursed at me, I wouldn’t have any right to complain.

 

Pulling my hand away from him, I leaned my face forward. I was even willing to take a slap if it meant feeling relieved.

 

“Evan, the more I think about it, the more awful I realize I am. I think I hurt you a lot because I was lacking……. Take it out on me as much as you’re angry! You can even slap me!”

 

“……What?”

 

Evan stared at me in disbelief, letting out a hollow laugh. But I was serious.

 

When I puffed up stubbornly, Evan chuckled and said, “Alright, then,”—and instead kissed my cheek.

 

Smack.

 

“Uh……?”

 

I froze, stunned. Evan’s eyes shone brightly as he tilted his head slightly and asked, “Did you…… not like it?”

 

I shook my head blankly. Evan’s face lit up, and he asked again, “I’m asking with a bit of hope here. Did my sincerity…… reach you properly, Lep?”

 

Unable to hold it in, I wrapped my arms tightly around Evan’s neck.

 

“Evan! I’m really sorry! I really thought you and Elena……!”

 

“Enough with that Elena.”

 

Evan muttered darkly in my arms, like someone on the verge of developing neurosis.

 

“I’m the one you like, right?”

 

I nodded fervently, lost in the moment. I couldn’t deny it anymore. Evan broke into a radiant smile.

 

Smiling more brightly than the full moon hanging in the night sky, Evan whispered gently into my ear,

 

“Lep, I know you’re afraid of the future. I don’t know exactly what you’re afraid of, but I promise—I won’t let anything like that happen.”

 

“Yeah, I believe you!”

 

Right now, I felt like I could believe anything Evan said.

 

“Then you’ll never bring me those ridiculous annulment papers again.”

 

“……Huh?”

 

I take that back. That voice was a little far from gentle.

 

“I thought about it carefully, you know? Your attitude feels like that of someone who’s been through ‘that kind of pain,’ so I’ll ask—who was it? Everyone I know cherishes and loves you, Lep. There’s no way those people hurt you, so was it some random trash who crawled out of nowhere and bothered you before disappearing?”

 

I hesitated.

 

Should I say I’d had a man in the past? Or that I’d dated someone in a past life and was suffering from the aftereffects?

 

When I gave an awkward smile, Evan let out a small sigh and took my hand.

 

“Come on. Let’s go. I didn’t get to properly enjoy the festival with you.”

 

 

***

 

 

“W-what? What did you just say? Say it again, properly!”

 

I knew the original story had gone off the rails, but I never expected it to turn out like this.

 

Piote had agreed to leisurely drink tea with me on the condition that he’d go along with my lie, and while we were talking about various things we hadn’t been able to discuss before, I heard something unbelievable.

 

“What’s wrong? Is there a problem?”

 

“There’s a huge problem, so repeat what you just said! Didn’t she go home that day in the first place?!”

 

I clenched my fists tightly, barely resisting the urge to grab Piote by the collar. Elena was like a younger sibling to me. In some sense, she could even be called my savior.

 

I couldn’t give Elena the most amazing man in the world, but just yesterday I’d declared that I’d find her the second-best groom.

 

My connections were limited, but she was going to become the personal physician of Duke Weiss. I’d intended to match her with a capable noble with a title…… but that noble was not Piote!

 

“No, she didn’t. Evan was obviously going to wait for you, and Elena would’ve been left alone.”

 

“What does that have to do with you—no, wait. So tell me in detail.”

 

Oblivious to the gravity of the situation, Piote casually twirled his fork and said, “It’s nothing special. I found Elena, she’d gotten caught by some thug, so I roughed him up a bit. Then we just went to see the festival together.”

 

That was the final blow.