"Wrong!
Totally wrong!"
I glanced at him, then quickly changed my expression.
I had imitated Cassia's expression, that gentle smile that seemed to embrace everything, throughout the pastoral event.
“Ugh, what is this expression?”
Leon asked while pretending to vomit.
'Aren't you going to fall in love with Cassia?
Wasn't this expression a bit similar?
No matter how hard I try, you don't like it!'
I looked at him narrowly, but the moment my eyes met his wide smile, my displeasure dissipated in an instant.
Even the warm sunshine was nothing compared to Leon's smile.
His smile seeped into my heart more warmly than the sun.
A refreshing breeze passed between us.
For a moment, it felt like time stopped.
Everything around us disappeared, and Leon was left alone in this world.
Despite my struggle to escape a dark future, I strangely felt like the situation wasn't so bad.
And I felt grateful that the person who would save me from this future was Leon.
Warm feelings rose in my chest.
'This is not true.'
At that moment, Leon suddenly pulled me into his embrace.
His unexpected behavior left me dumbfounded.
My body stiffened, and the sounds around me became blurry, as if I were in a dream.
I stopped breathing, and I could only blink my eyes.
I could barely hold myf together to avoid collapsing from the loss of strength in my body.
“I really missed you.”
Leon slipped his arms around me, grabbed my shoulders, and looked at me with his unusually dark red eyes.
At that moment while he was smiling at me, my heart started beating hard.
I couldn't stand his fiery stare, so I turned my eyes away.
I had to deny my feelings and retreat.
I felt pain in my heart.
I, more than anyone else, knew my limits.
Leon should never know my feelings.
“…Of course, me too.”
I was confused and my voice was shaking like leaves.
“Oh, you're lying!
Your voice is like that of a goat.”
What a child!
But his words calmed my troubled heart, and it returned to its previous peace.
I smiled softly and extended my hand to him.
Leon looked at my hand for a moment, then slowly took it.
The heat of his hand seeped into my heart through my hand.
I looked at Leon standing next to me.
Whatever the future holds, I'm the one you stand by now.
There was no need to hide my feelings with other feelings.
It was enough for me to remember this bright moment and live the future.
“Leon, I promised to donate to Esta Temple as well.
Haven’t I done well?”
“...Huh, will you donate your allowance, Bill Bill?
You have a lot of money.”
I closed my mouth tightly and shook my head firmly.
“What are you saying?
Of course, the donation will be in the name of the Duke and Duchess of Esther.”
“Who allowed you to make a promise without my permission?!”
The words flowed from Leon's mouth like artillery.
I felt a strong blow from Kalsan from behind.
“Haha, did you make a promise with the little finger?”
"no?"
I said with an innocent expression and wide eyes.
Leon's eyes sparkled.
"Then it is vanity!
Absolutely vanity!
Promises must be made with the little finger."
Calsen stepped forward, unable to bear Leon's nonsense, and said: "Ma'am, don't worry.
I'll handle it."
Suddenly, Calsen seemed authoritative.
But, unlike my confident look, he had to endure Leon's cold gaze for a long time.
“Ma’am, where do I put this?”
Amy asked as she held the bracelet she found under the Governess's statue with both hands.
“Give it to me.”
Amy handed me the bracelet.
She held it up in front of her and asked, “Amy, what does this look like to you?”
"Isn't it a bracelet?
It looks like a baby bracelet."
“Just a bracelet?”
“...dirty bracelet?”
I stared at her and then laughed sarcastically.
“Yes, right.
Dirty bracelet.”
Amy's shoulders shrank, thinking I was going to get angry, but when I agreed and put the bracelet on the table, she quickly ran out of the room, looking at me warily.
I looked at her back, then stretched out and lay on the sofa.
“Ma’am, are you tired?
We’ll let you rest.”
I nodded, and Mary and the other maids left the room.
‘Home is really the best.’
Perhaps due to the absence of Lucas and the Emperor's Knights, our day had been very quiet.
Leon regained his stability after being nervous.
After I told Bella's father in the last communication that I would stay at Esta Temple for a week, I did not inform him of my early return to Esther.
But even after the scheduled week had passed, the Marquis did not contact me.
This was fine for me, but I couldn't shake the nagging feeling.
A few days later, I received a surprise communication not from the Marquis, but from his wife.
She didn't mention anything about the harm she had caused Leon, and asked how we were doing very coldly.
“Why?”
“You're so cold.”
The Marquis's wife laughed, but her voice was colder than mine.
“Your father is very sick.
So we came to the Villa in Crowd to rest.
We brought the communication stone, but we were busy and did not communicate.
He says he misses you very much.
Can you come over?
If you use the portal, it will be quick.”
Is the Marquis ill?
In the novel, Bella rarely appears, so how come her family does?
Sick or not, what do I care?
I never wanted to deal with him.
"Your father has never been like this before.
He seems to really miss you."
repeated the Marquis's wife when I did not answer.
"This might be the last time.
He's very sick."
I hesitated to respond.
My dislike of the Marquis has not changed.
"I'll ask one last time.
If this is the last time, are you sure you don't want to come?"
Would Bella have wanted to see him?
I bit my lip hard.
“Okay, I'll get ready and go to Crowd right away.”
"Thanks, Bella.
We'll be ready."
After disconnecting from the communication stone, I sighed deeply and ordered the maids to prepare a simple bag, and then went to see Leon.
Leon was in the office alone with Kalsen.
“My father is sick, so I will go see him.”
Leon looked at me silently, tilting his head, while I raised my eyebrows as if asking for permission.
Leon tilted his head in the other direction.
“Do you really want to go?”
“I don't know if it's true, but he's very sick, so as a daughter...”
I laughed sarcastically at my words.
What a noble daughter I am!
“Then, I will go with you.
As a son-in-law...”
I remembered well how Leon was treated in the Marquis' family.
I didn't want to bother him either.
I can go alone, let him enjoy his freedom!
“No, it's better if I go alone.
I'll ask how my father is and come back right away, so don't worry.”
“Are you sure, Bill Bill?”
Leon's voice was calm and gentle.
'He seems like he's genuinely worried about me.'
“Yes, I'm pretty sure.”
After I said that to Leon, I really felt fine.
Leon nodded and sighed slightly.
“Okay, come back.”
Maybe it was my imagination, but Leon's face looked full of worry.
Is he really worried about me?
That sounded serious.
Is he honest?
My heart started beating hard, and I felt pain in my chest.
“Without Pill Pill, I would have to eat a huge piece of meat alone.
I would enjoy a lot of food without you!”
How cute!
Leon seemed to be trying not to make me feel ridiculous.
“Really, do as you want.”