- …What!?
Ilex's face wrinkled slightly, as if he couldn't believe his own ears and became numb for a moment.
Tilia spoke again, casually addressing him:
- Ice cream. You love him, don't you? Do you want me to buy it for you?
Her throat tickled as if she had swallowed a butterfly. Chaos reigned in my chest, as if hundreds of unspoken words were fluttering through it at the same time.
Ilex Davenport probably has no idea what exactly is hanging around her neck right now.
But even if this thing was long forgotten by its owner, Tilia still felt obligated to return it. Since she treasured it so much, she had to put an end to it by returning it.
Her first love was standing right in front of her, and he still had a stunned expression on his face.
- Let's go.
Tilia nodded towards the store.
- I'll buy you one. Vanilla.
***
Even after hearing these words, Ilex stood indifferently for a while. It was only when Tilia sighed and moved first that he finally followed her.
"...Like a well-trained puppy."
Feeling the tall man following her, Tilia thought:
“Too big for a puppy, and these clothes are too expensive, but still.”
But even thinking about such absurd thoughts, Tilia could not smile.
Why did she keep walking forward, showing him only her back since they met? Just like in the palace corridor, Tilia walked straight, carefully watching her gait.
Although she pretended not to care about Ilex, who had a blank expression on his face, she was actually nervous inside too.
Of course, it wasn't easy for Tilia either. Inviting your first love for ice cream after all these years.
Even though she acted bravely, she secretly prepared herself for rejection. What kind of dessert is there in such a seedy place? Do you, a simple clerk at the consulate, have money to treat me, the Duke?
But Ilex Davenport said none of this. He didn't utter a single complaint or disrespect, but simply followed her silently.
She felt right behind her. He follows her, matching her pace.
She felt him behind her so much that she didn't notice when they approached the ice cream shop. Startled to find herself right in front of a general store, Tilia quickly took out the money.
- Two scoops of vanilla ice cream, please!
And before Ilex could take out her wallet, she hurried to place an order.
As expected, he was most likely going to pay. Behind her he stopped for a moment, and after a minute of silence she heard the slow sound of a wallet being removed.
Only then did Tilia quietly breathe a sigh of relief. She didn't want him to pay. She really wanted to buy it for him.
Not because I wanted to seem attentive. Not to relieve emotional debt.
She just wanted to buy it for him - at least once.
And she wanted to show him.
That now she can afford something like this herself. That she might even treat him.
Fearing that Ilex would still come forward and try to give her the money, Tilia continued to stand with her back to him.
And then an unexpected request came from behind.
-Can you buy me something else besides ice cream?
Turning around with a puzzled look, she saw Ilex indicating with an elegant gesture what he wanted. Tilia unconsciously relaxed and smiled.
“The Duke’s family must really be experiencing difficulties to ask to buy a newspaper.”
- Looks like it is. The newly installed Duke is thoughtlessly throwing away money.
Even at this caustic remark, Tilia grinned and paid for the messenger of Akansis that he asked for. Ilex carefully picked up the newspaper and stood silently next to her.
She felt him steal a glance at her profile as he slowly unfolded the newspaper.
As she listened to the rustling of the pages, a strange thought came to her.
He just made fun of her for where she lives.
But why? She wrote about this to him in a letter.
This was probably the last letter.
After seeing an article announcing Ilex's engagement to Cecilia Clayton, Tilia sent him a final letter announcing her move, and never again put a stamp on the envelope addressed to the Davenport estate.
She was sure that in this letter she indicated the area to which she was moving...
So why then did Ilex Davenport act as if he had been betrayed? It was as if she had left the home he had prepared for her without telling her. It's as if... he never received her letter.
- Here you go, two vanilla ice creams!
- Oh, yes.
As if to interrupt her train of thought, a man with a thick beard appeared at the counter, holding two horns in his hands.
Tilia frowned slightly as she hurriedly reached out to accept them. Only then did she realize that it was not the owner of the store, but her husband.
This guy is always messing around where he shouldn't...
- So, who is this handsome gentleman with you?
Certainly. The man who handed her the ice cream pointed to Ilex, who was engrossed in the newspaper, and whispered.
- Are you done with the last guy you brought in? Well done. This one looks much richer...
- Thank you. See you next time.
This store would be perfect if it weren't for this man. Honestly, why doesn't the owner just divorce him? If he hadn't run his mouth and made unnecessary comments, their sales would have doubled.
Leaving the chatty owner behind, Tilia began to walk when she realized that Ilex was still standing outside the store. She turned around and called out to him, puzzled.
-Are you coming?
Perhaps he was really deep into this message, because he finally looked up from the newspaper and answered in a low voice, walking towards her.
-...I'm coming.
Look, this man is really a problem. He doesn't even lay out the newspapers properly, so they wrinkle easily.
Tilia shook her head inwardly, noticing that the corner of the newspaper that Ilex was holding was sadly wrinkled, then she turned and walked on.
***
A man and a woman, holding ice cream in their hands, found a place on one of the benches near the fountain.
The public's interest in the suddenly appeared stranger was still high. She felt glances: curious, envious and admiring, pouring from all sides.
But Tilia, who would have been confused just thirty minutes ago, ignored them all and focused on the ice cream in her hands.
More precisely, she pretended to concentrate on him so that the man sitting next to her would not notice that all her nerves were still tuned to him.
After watching Tilia devouring her dessert for a while, Ilex finally brought his own to his lips, which had already begun to melt. Only then did Tilia stop pretending that ice cream was the only thing in the world and look straight ahead.
The sunset, once so huge that it seemed to consume the entire sky, turning it scarlet, was drawing to a close.
The remaining edge of light slowly dissolved into darkness. Shadows began to creep in from the corners of the park. Tilia stared at the fountain, which would soon turn off as soon as night fell, and began to organize her thoughts.
- The ice cream is very tasty.
At this moment, the man next to her made an offhand remark.
- Probably because someone bought it for me.
- Free things always taste better.
Ilex laughed slightly at Tilia's response. Not understanding what was so funny, she looked at him, but he didn’t say anything, just smiled weakly.
Tilia looked at him curiously as he carefully placed the newspaper on his lap, and then opened her mouth.
- I come here often. The taste of milk here is richer than in other places.
-...Yes. This sounds like the taste you like.
This ended their conversation.
By then, the sun had completely disappeared below the horizon, and even the remaining light was swallowed up by darkness. The fountain that had once sprayed water as if powered by the sunlight itself now stood motionless.
Silently looking at the round toes of the leather shoes she had shelled out for a month ago, Tilia finally plucked up the courage to speak after a long silence.
- I saw the article. It said you were engaged to Cecelia Clayton.
At that moment, she felt Ilex, who was calmly eating ice cream, turn his head in her direction.