Chapter 141

The Duke's smile was pure. Boyish, almost — I could feel that he was genuinely happy.

I thought the smile was lovely, and yet at the same time it embarrassed me. It satisfied me, that I was the reason for such an unguarded smile, but a gaze fixed so entirely on me alone left me not knowing where to put myself.

"I-is that so?"

"Do you know something? This is the first time you've ever smiled at me with something other than a formal, dutiful smile."

At the Duke's words, I searched back through my memory. Had I really? Hadn't I smiled before this?

……Thinking it over calmly, it seemed I truly hadn't had much reason to smile outside of work. Even when I had, it had only been because something Kazen did was endearing, and even then I'd had to hide it quickly for fear of how the Duke…