As expected, the vulgar remarks that followed were far worse than she had imagined. Ariella remained silent, scoffing at Aaron’s level for associating with such people.
She had no intention of bursting through the curtains in anger. There was no point in making a scene.
She thought she should step forward to ease the atmosphere, considering the Grand Duke’s position. That was her simple reasoning.
Until she saw his expression.
“…Grand Duke, Your Highness?”
As if all the kindness she had seen until now was a lie, Nobert’s face was filled with rage.
The aura flowing over his glowing red eyes in the darkness was undoubtedly menacing. Even though she knew it wasn’t directed at her, a chill ran down her spine.
Feeling as if she were facing a complete stranger, Ariella froze without realizing it.
Nobert brushed past her and reached for the curtains. His steps, taken without hesitation, were so fierce that it seemed he could create a few corpses at any moment.
Thud!
Ariella, regaining her senses too late, hurriedly grabbed his collar.
“Please don’t.”
As his jaw slowly turned, Nobert’s profile became clearly visible. She shook her head at his expression, which was twisted in anger.
“I’ll be in trouble.”
The words she chose might not have affected Aaron at all, but they had an excellent effect in holding Nobert’s ankle in place.
Nobert stood straight, clenching his fists several times. The veins bulging on his temples and the back of his hands were so fierce that it seemed as if he were the one who had been insulted, not Ariella.
“You said you don’t dislike me, Grand Duke.”
Ariella continued, pulling him inward by his collar.
“Then do you pity me?”
It was an unexpected question. However, it was also the reason Ariella had invited him to this balcony.
Nobert did not answer immediately but exhaled a hot breath. He seemed to be trying hard to suppress the anger that had risen to the top of his head.
After a brief silence, he roughly swept his bangs aside and replied in a low voice.
“…What I feel for you is not a feeling of pity.”
Considering how furious he had just been, the speed at which he calmed down was surprisingly fast. This was another clear difference from Aaron.
“If you ask me that, I will deny it. It is not such a simple emotion.”
Nobert turned his body to face Ariella again.
He looked somewhat disheveled. His hair was tousled by the wind, and his eyes, trembling slightly, looked down at her. There was something rugged yet passionate about him.
“I’m angry.”
“…What?”
“I’m furious when I see you being insulted and mocked by such worthless scum, who deserve to be torn apart at any moment. When I see you, calm as if you are used to it, I feel an anger that is unbearable.”
The emotion boiling within him was conveyed through his voice, which broke each word, accompanied by breath that felt as hot as molten metal.
Nobert’s hand gripped the balcony railing beside Ariella’s arm as if he were about to crush it.
Perhaps it was because she had just pulled him inward, but Nobert’s face was now so close that Ariella held her breath again.
“So, please, do not be treated like this in front of me. No, not just in front of me, but anywhere.”
It was a plea.
The way he added that was truly earnest. It made her doubt whether this was really the same Grand Duke Ashbon who had always been cold and blunt.
“…Grand Duke.”
Ariella, barely exhaling the breath that had filled her throat, gazed at him quietly.
“Do you perhaps like me?”
Ariella Bedford was not foolish. She was not someone who lacked perception.
Yet, she had dismissed the possibility of romantic feelings due to the strangeness of such emotions and the belief that it was unlikely.
Could someone who had never had a proper conversation with her like her this much?
She thought it was simply absurd. Even the naive feelings of boys and girls just debuting in society wouldn’t be this quick.
However, at this point, she could not help but doubt it.
“…If that is the case.”
Nobert grimaced, biting his lip. His expression was more akin to confessing a sin than declaring love.
“Do you find it unpleasant?”
Ariella blinked in surprise.
In her twenty-two years of life, she had received confessions from three or four men. Among them, there were even those who approached her knowing she was Aaron’s fiancée.
However, none of the men who had mentioned love had ever cared about the feelings of the person being confessed to.
Even those who were clearly undesirable had shamelessly demanded answers. Aaron was no different.
