At her words, as she curved her long eyes so lovingly and added in a whisper, Nobert momentarily forgot his place.
His hand, calloused in many places, reached out towards her.
Watching his hand approach slowly, as if seeking permission, Ariella remained still.
Soon, his firm thumb brushed against her soft cheek, and his long fingers carefully and tenderly cupped her face.
A languid silence spread through the air as the eyes of the man and woman slowly intertwined.
Ariella, looking slightly surprised, slowly fluttered her butterfly-like eyelashes, then quietly closed her eyes.
It was a kind of permission.
Without even knowing what he was trying to do to her, or how far he dared to covet, she simply gave her consent willingly.
That fact drove Nobert even more insane.
In a fleeting moment, he felt something like a tightly drawn string snap. At the same time, he tilted his head without restraint.
But, unfortunately, the timing was not good.
“The packaging is all finished. Shall we load it into the carriage for you?”
Why now of all times. It was because the shopkeeper had finished packaging and returned to the reception room.
Ariella opened her eyes wide and looked at the shopkeeper, and Nobert likewise cast a cold gaze at the shopkeeper.
Feeling an inexplicable murderous aura piercing his skin, the shopkeeper trembled in surprise.
“It’s alright. We’ll take it ourselves.”
But when Ariella replied with a bright smile, the ominous energy vanished as if washed away.
She rose from her seat as if nothing had happened and walked gracefully, and Nobert followed behind her.
The shopkeeper, dismissing the murderous aura he had felt earlier as a delusion, guided the guests to the entrance.
For some reason, the elderly shopkeeper had looked strangely pleased from the moment he first saw them.
It didn’t seem to be simply because famous people had visited his store and bought expensive items. Rather, it was as if he had encountered a memory from a bygone era, a nostalgic joy that lingered on his lips.
As expected, the shopkeeper, who had kindly opened the door for them, slipped out some unwanted information.
“…Actually, Duke Bedford also bought a similar necklace at this store about twenty years ago. Back then, Juliana Campbell didn’t have the same fame as she does now. It’s nostalgic.”
“…My father?”
Ariella’s flushed face instantly cooled.
The shopkeeper, unaware of this, replied with a warm smile.
“Yes. He said it was a gift for his lover, Lady Alkestis Alcestis… that is, the Duchess. I remember that it was also a necklace with blue emeralds.”
The love affair of that monstrous father. It was not something she particularly wanted to hear.
But she had already heard many stories about the beautiful love story of Caleb Bedford and Meredith Alcestis from the noble ladies, so this content was not particularly unfamiliar.
“Then, please be careful on your way.”
The shopkeeper bowed politely and finished seeing them off.
Ariella, erasing the story about her father from her mind as quickly as possible, took a few steps ahead and then turned around, extending her hand towards him.
“Then, shall we go?”
Watching the summer’s clear sunlight shatter over her hair, Nobert took her outstretched hand with a complicated heart.
The two continued their ordinary, everyday date.
They entered a sweet-smelling confectionery shop to buy sweets for Amira, listened to the music of an artist playing the violin in front of a large fountain, and burst into laughter as they chose hats that suited each other at a stall.
The pleasant time flew by like an arrow, and the blue sky was already dyed crimson.
Ariella, looking at their still-joined hands, opened her mouth.
“At this point, it seems like we’ve sufficiently looked like a mistress. Don’t you think?”
They had been holding hands and laughing all day, so it was clear that it would be firmly imprinted in people’s minds.
Nobert nodded, agreeing with her opinion.
“Yes, I think we looked like lovers enough.”
He never seemed to tire of talking about being lovers. Ariella let out a dumbfounded laugh, and he played it off with a deadpan face.
He’s subtly funny, you know.
She chuckled and looked up at him.
The purpose of spreading rumors had been achieved, so it was fine to separate and return to their respective paths. But she felt reluctant to part ways like this. The desire to not let go of their joined hands kept rising.
No, to be honest, it was more than that…
She also wanted to continue the atmosphere she had felt in the reception room.
What was he trying to do to me earlier? Was he really trying to kiss me?
Recalling the suffocating tension of that moment, her heart beat rapidly again. She also felt her cheeks burning hotly.
‘Is Nobert thinking the same thing as me?’
Ariella carefully examined his face, trying to read his mind.
But as always, Nobert’s facial expressions didn’t change much, making it difficult to guess his thoughts. His red eyes seemed to be shaking slightly, but that was all.
And so, Ariella decided to ask him directly.
“Then, shall we take a break for a while?”
At her suggestive suggestion, Nobert’s Adam’s apple moved up and down significantly.
“……Yes.”
After a moment of silence, Nobert readily agreed to her proposal. Just like before, without even asking for the exact destination.
For him, it was only natural. If he could be bound to her by the word “we,” he would step into any quagmire without hesitation.
“There’s a restaurant I frequent not far from here. Let’s go there. Oh, do you have a restaurant reserved separately?”
Nobert discreetly shook his head. He had reserved a private room at a restaurant famous for its difficult reservations, but there was no need to mention it.
“But the place we’re going to now is rarely visited by nobles, so it’s a bit noisy and dirty. Would you be alright with that? If you’re uncomfortable with such a place, please feel free to say so.”
“Of course. As I said before, I have a strong stomach. Sitting on the dirt floor and eating with blood-stained hands was commonplace for me, so you don’t have to worry about that.”
As soon as he finished speaking, he regretted it. There was no need to add such an explanation.
He worried that she might despise him even more, but Ariella’s face was calm, contrary to his concerns. Rather, she went even further, forming a bond with him as if she were very pleased.
“Wow, I’ve actually done that too. We have surprisingly similar sides to us.”
Suddenly, the face of a boy with a nosebleed popped into Ariella’s head. He was three or four years older than her, and he used his size to steal her share of bread and potatoes.
One day, grinding her teeth in anger, Ariella threw sand in his eyes and punched him in the nose with all her might, causing him to run away crying.
She sat down on the dirt floor and ate the potatoes with his blood on her hands, and it was so delicious. Ariella still often recalled that taste.
Perhaps it was the first taste of revenge she had ever experienced in her life.
“Anyway, I’m glad you’re not uncomfortable. Let’s go right away then.”
Ariella smiled and led him in a different direction.
Five to ten minutes by carriage from Mayfair, the most luxurious street in Edinburgh, was an alley with a completely different atmosphere, making one wonder if it was even the same city.
Instead of tall, ornate buildings, low buildings lined the streets, and the road was so narrow that only one two-horse carriage could barely pass.
The place they arrived at was Delancey Street, which had just as much foot traffic as Mayfair Street. However, the atmosphere was very different because the people passing by were not nobles.
The street was bustling with merchants and hawkers, the unique smell of spices wafted from exotic restaurants not far away, and the overall atmosphere was dim due to the lack of streetlights and some of them being broken.
