I was sprawled on the sofa, humming happily under my breath.
“La la la~”
Warm tea.
Freshly baked cookies.
And.
A refreshing shoulder massage from Hari’s fingertips.
“Hari.”
“Yes?”
“This is heaven.”
“Are you enjoying it that much?”
“Mm-hmm.”
I nodded with a blissful smile.
“Training is way more fun when someone else is doing it.”
Hari let out a small sigh.
“His Grace will be angry if he hears you.”
“It’s fine.”
I took a bite of my cookie.
“He should be getting measured by the tailor around now.”
“Social skills training may be tough, but he has to do it.”
Just then.
Bang!!!
The door to the room burst open.
I turned around in surprise.
Standing in the doorway.
Was Dante, breathing heavily.
“…Your Grace?”
His hair wasn’t neat like usual.
His black hair was a complete mess,
and one side of his cloak had come undone.
More importantly.
The shoulder of his normally flawless uniform was slightly torn.
I blinked several times.
“…Who.”
“…beat up.”
“…His Grace?”
Hari covered her mouth.
A muscle twitched between Dante’s brows.
“…Ella.”
“…Yes?”
“Come with me.”
“Now.”
I quietly hid behind Hari.
“Hari.”
“Please protect me.”
Hari very politely stepped to the side.
“…I’m sorry.”
“…Traitor.”
In the end, I trudged out.
Inside the carriage.
Only silence flowed between us.
I snuck a glance at Dante.
He sat with his arms crossed, staring out the window.
“…Um.”
“Did something happen?”
“…Do you know.”
“…How many people.”
He clenched his teeth.
“…Touched me.”
I imagined it.
The most handsome man in the North.
The Grand Duke.
And a festival on top of that.
There must have been noblewomen who…
“…Pfft.”
“…Pffft.”
“…Hahahahaha!”
I finally burst out laughing.
“Sorry…”
“I’m sorry, but…”
“The thought of it…”
“It’s just…”
“…too funny.”
The air inside the carriage turned cold in an instant.
Dante glared at me.
“…You think it’s funny?”
“…A little.”
“…A lot.”
“Get out.”
“…What?”
“We’re going together.”
“Training.”
“To the very end.”
“…You’re responsible for this.”
I widened my eyes.
‘Together?’
No way.
Was this man saying he wasn’t going alone ever again?
“Sounds good!”
I grinned.
“This time, I’ll see it through with you.”
“…Lead the way.”
The same clothing store as before.
As soon as the door opened, the employees bowed in unison.
“Welcome, Your Grace!”
“We were worried because you had to leave so suddenly.”
“This time, let’s finish—”
The moment the employee approached him.
Dante’s body stiffened ever so slightly.
One step.
He moved backward.
At first, I thought he was simply avoiding people.
But.
His fingertips were trembling.
Just a little.
Really, just a little.
The tailor carefully lifted the measuring tape.
“I’ll just take your measurements.”
Dante nodded without a word.
The moment the tape touched his shoulder.
I saw his expression.
His jaw stiffening in an instant.
His breath trembling ever so slightly.
And.
He was clenching his fists so tightly that the veins stood out on the backs of his hands.
‘…No way.’
“Please raise your arm a little.”
The tailor reached out again.
This time, his waist.
His back.
His arm.
Every time a hand touched his body, Dante’s muscles tensed visibly.
As if.
He were forcing himself to endure it.
“…That’s everything.”
As soon as the words left the tailor’s mouth.
Dante immediately took two steps back.
“…Anything.”
His low voice slipped out.
“Bring me whatever fits.”
Then he turned his back on us.
His retreating figure moved strangely fast as he walked out of the store.
I stood there, dazed.
‘…That wasn’t it.’
‘So it wasn’t that he hated people.’
It was.
More than mere dislike.
His body was rejecting it before his mind could.
For him.
Even a single touch from someone else was an agony he had to endure.
That fact.
I was only realizing it now.
Outside the store.
Dante was breathing deeply.
He inhaled the cold air.
Then slowly exhaled, repeating the process.
I quietly walked up beside him.
“…Your Grace.”
“…I’m sorry.”
He didn’t answer.
I bit my lip for a moment.
“…I.”
“…I took it too lightly.”
“When I said you should live like a normal person.”
“I didn’t even realize.”
“How difficult that was for you.”
Only the cold wind swept between us.
After a moment.
Dante spoke in a very low voice.
“…It’s enough that you understand now.”
“…Don’t.”
“Don’t force me to do it again.”
I slowly nodded.
“…Okay.”
This time.
I didn’t smile playfully.
I was simply.
Truly sorry.
Just then.
Dante glanced at me.
“…But.”
“…The festival.”
“…It was a little.”
“…loud, I suppose.”
I stared at him in surprise.
“…Did you enjoy it?”
“…No.”
“Liar.”
“…Your face says otherwise.”
Dante turned his head without a word.
But.
Ever so faintly.
It seemed like the corners of his lips lifted.
I didn’t miss that tiny change.
‘There.’
‘Little by little.’
‘Really, little by little.’
‘He’s changing.’
In the distance, fireworks bloomed across the sky.
And beyond those fireworks.
We still didn’t know that someone was watching the two of us.