Chapter 42
The path leading to the stables was no different from a well-maintained promenade.
In the cold of winter, white snow had settled upon every bare branch.
Even amid the bleak scenery, the walking path of House Angel had been meticulously maintained, proudly displaying its beauty.
After several minutes of walking in silence,
it was Cedric who spoke first.
“You seem to care a great deal about that painter.”
At his sullen tone, Ines looked up at Cedric’s face.
“What do you mean by that?”
“I mean exactly what I said.”
“After writing him a letter of recommendation, today you even wanted me to have him accompany us so I could meet him.”
As he continued thinking about Adrian, he realized that Ines was remarkably gentle toward him.
Had it not been for Ines, he would never have met Adrian, who had arrived without an appointment today,
nor would he have seen his painting.
“You even asked me to look at his painting.”
“It makes me think you’re paying a great deal of attention to Adrian.”
“That’s—”
Before Ines could say, *”You’re mistaken,”* Cedric spoke first.
“I don’t like it.”
“You’re mista… What?”
“I said I don’t like it.”
It was childish, but unable to suppress his feelings any longer, Cedric bluntly let them slip from his lips.
He didn’t like it.
He loved Ines’s kind heart that extended even to a poor painter.
Although she had grown up as the only daughter of Count Greenwood, those qualities that were so unlike a Greenwood had accumulated in his heart one after another like fallen leaves, eventually becoming a solid foundation.
Even though he loved her kindness more than anyone else, the kindness that had occupied his heart despite all his attempts to push it away,
a sense of disappointment suddenly overwhelmed him.
“When you pay that much attention to another man while your future fiancé is standing right beside you, even I can’t help but feel hurt.”
“Another man…?”
“I know.”
“I know that wasn’t your intention.”
He pressed between his brows and let out a sigh.
This was not how he had wanted to say it.
The more he tried to express himself indirectly, the farther he seemed to drift from what he truly wanted to say, so Cedric spoke frankly.
“I wish you would pay attention only to me, Miss Ines.”
“It may be childish, but that’s how I feel.”
“Even though I know that’s not what you meant, I almost regretted supporting Adrian.”
“He’s just a painter.”
She simply pitied him as someone who remembered his miserable death in her previous life.
She merely wished that those who had met tragic ends in the past would live happy and peaceful lives this time.
Her feelings toward Adrian were nothing more and nothing less than that.
Startled by Cedric’s words, Ines merely parted her lips, unable to decide how she should respond.
“That’s right.”
“He’s only a painter.”
“So now, please focus on me, your future fiancé.”
Smiling faintly, Cedric casually revealed his wish as though making a joke.
Then he released the arm upon which Ines’s hand rested and gently took her hand instead.
He held it firmly as though he would never let it go,
yet it did not hurt.
Holding her hand so she could not pull away, Cedric awkwardly offered an excuse.
“The path becomes a little slippery from here.”
“I was worried you might fall, Miss Ines.”
“Ah…”
I see.
He took my hand because he was worried I might fall.
Watching her think that, Cedric let out a pained groan.
His fiancée had a tendency to take people’s words exactly as they were spoken.
By now, Cedric fully understood that if he spoke indirectly, she would never realize how he truly felt.
“…Actually, that’s not the reason.”
“Pardon?”
“I simply wanted to hold your hand.”
“I suppose I’m getting a little greedy.”
“I wish you would stay closer to your future fiancé than to that painter.”
Then, worried that Ines might refuse, Cedric hurriedly added,
“We’ll reach the stables very soon.”
“May I hold your hand just until then?”
Ines could not bring herself to refuse.
She told herself it was because his hand was so warm.
Because his hand was so warm,
and because today’s weather was so cold.
That was why she could not ask him to let go.
‘The position of the Duchess of Angel will never be mine.’
There was no one on the path,
and it would only last for a few minutes.
Wouldn’t it be all right to be a little selfish just this once?
Ines knew very well how strong Cedric’s pride was.
Among everyone she knew, he was the most aristocratic man.
Yet here he was, becoming jealous of nothing more than a commoner painter and asking her to stay by his side.
Feeling jealousy,
and even voicing it aloud,
were things his pride would never normally allow.
Yet after setting all that pride aside, he was asking her for affection and attention.
How many people could refuse Cedric in that situation?
At the very least, Ines could not.
Just for a little while.
It was only a few minutes.
Even though she knew she absolutely should not become greedy, walking while holding Cedric’s hand made her feel as though she had returned to *those days* she could never go back to, and tears welled up in her eyes.
In the end, Ines had no choice but to remain silent.
Taking her silence as consent, Cedric smiled as he held her hand even more firmly.
He wished this road they were walking together could be a little longer.
Even though there was still some distance left before reaching the stables, every step they took made him reluctant to move forward.
They walked over the thick blanket of snow.
Crunch.
Crunch.
As the snow crunched beneath their feet, the footprints of the two walking together were clearly left behind on the path.
***
Because they had spent too much time meeting Adrian, there was no longer enough time for riding lessons.
As a result, Cedric and Ines simply looked around the stables before deciding to return to the mansion.
“Now that I know the way, I won’t trip or fall.”
Worried that Cedric might take her hand again, Ines spoke first.
She had allowed him to hold her hand because she had been shaken by the unexpected situation,
but she knew it would not be right for it to happen over and over again.
Even in her previous life, Cedric had always liked holding her hand.
She regretted not refusing him firmly from the very beginning,
but it was already too late.
“But the path really is slippery.”
“No.”
“I’m fine.”
“I’ll just walk carefully.”
“It would be much easier if you held my hand.”
“You don’t expect me to be known as someone shameless enough to stroll hand in hand with a man I’m not even married to, do you?”
The path leading to the stables had grown increasingly deserted,
but the closer they came to the mansion, the greater the chance of encountering servants.
Since Ines was already planning to break off her engagement with Cedric, she never wanted to do anything that might stain his future.
When she imagined how unpleasant it would be for the woman destined to be with Cedric in the future if she ever heard such stories,
the answer to how she should behave became obvious.
“Hearing you say that makes me regret something all over again, Miss Ines.”
“Regret?”
“What do you mean?”
“At the hunting festival.”
“The hunting festival?”
“I mean I should have pretended not to notice and moved our engagement schedule forward.”
“I’ll regret that for a long time.”
Only then did Ines understand what Cedric meant.
With a playful sigh, Cedric looked at her.
A man she was not yet married to.
Her future fiancé.
Whenever it seemed they had grown closer, she would immediately retreat just as far again.
He knew he should be satisfied simply because Ines, who cared so much about the eyes of others, had allowed that brief physical contact earlier.
He knew that.
Yet he was not satisfied.
Seeing Ines act as though she was always prepared to distance herself from him made him so impatient that he wanted to hold their engagement and wedding immediately, even if it had to be tomorrow.
“Ha.”
“Very well.”
Cedric calmed himself.
When walking beside someone whose pace was slow, the faster person should match the slower one.
If you rushed and hurried them forward, they would inevitably stumble and get hurt.
***
The New Year’s Ball.
Held every January 1st to celebrate the arrival of the new year, the New Year’s Ball was the grand event that everyone wished to receive an invitation to.
This year was no different.
The magnificent Imperial ballroom, lined with countless enormous chandeliers, was overflowing with people.
Cedric was in unusually high spirits.
Unlike the shy woman beside him, who did not want others to notice their relationship,
he wanted to show it off before everyone.
He had restrained himself until now out of consideration for Ines,
but he could not do so at the New Year’s Ball.
There was simply no way to avoid attracting everyone’s attention.
“You seem to be in a good mood.”
“Do I?”
Cedric replied with a gentle smile.
“I’ve never attended a ball with someone before.”
“It feels better than I expected.”
And there was also one announcement that would be made during this New Year’s Ball.
The very announcement he had eagerly awaited.
“Miss Ines.”
Cedric called to her in a gentle voice.
“Shall we?”
At his words, Ines nodded.
The New Year’s Ball was a stage that could not be avoided.
Once an invitation had been received, attendance was mandatory no matter what happened.
Moreover, Ines knew very well what would happen at this New Year’s Ball.
In her previous life,
this was when the date of her engagement to Cedric had been officially announced.
‘The first Saturday of March.’
Ironically, Saint Cristan’s Feast Day, the day on which both she and Cedric had been killed, had been chosen as the date of their engagement ceremony.
