Chapter 104

Chapter 104

“I was passing by and thought I’d drop in.”

The Young Marquis spoke in a voice barely above a whisper.

“I see.”

I replied as I studied him for a moment. The Young Marquis always wore clothes that looked expensive. But today was different. He was dressed in a simple shirt made of cotton—the kind that poor commoners would wear.

“You look a bit different today?”

“I thought this way I’d attract less attention on the way here.”

The Young Marquis tugged lightly at the collar of his shirt, showing it to me. His intention puzzled me. What difference did it make? After all, he was so handsome that no matter what disguise he attempted, he’d stand out like a sore thumb.

Could he really not see his own face objectively? He should know that much just by looking in a mirror.

“You need to do that?” I blurted out, the blunt question slipping out before I could stop it.

The young marquis gave no direct answer. He just fell silent for a moment, then tilted his chin toward something behind me in a slow, deliberate gesture, and shifted to another topic.

“……That must be the sibling I’ve only heard about.”

Huh? My sibling?

Puzzled, I turned my head to follow where he was pointing. And there, half-crouched in a clumsy attempt to hide, was Ren, staring at the young marquis. The sight of him, looking so ill-mannered, made me hurry over, grab my second brother by the arm, and drag him out in front of the young marquis.

“Young Marquis, this is my second brother, Ren. Ren, remember I told you? This is the young marquis.”

With that, I shoved them into an introduction. Ren’s mouth twisted into a small, sulky pout, but he still observed proper etiquette and offered a bow.

“I’m Ren Highen. An honor to meet you.”

“The pleasure’s mine. Laura’s told me a lot about you.”

“From my sister? I see. Hmm… You must be pretty close to her, then…”

Ren drew out his words slowly. For a split second, I panicked, terrified he was about to let his natural insolence slip. I slapped a palm over his face to shut him up. He shook his head wildly to pry my hand off, then leaned in close to my ear.

“What’s up with that? He calls you by your first name? You’re that close? And why’d he show up without telling us? In the morning! Are all high-and-mighty people like this? So rude, don’t you think? Noona. I don’t like that guy.”

Jeez. And what are you gonna do about it if you don’t like him…

“Hey. Quiet. Stop acting up and get back inside.”

I shoved his face away again with my palm, then stepped out through the front door and closed it behind me. There was no way I could let the young marquis into the house now. Ren would be grumbling, Roti would probably fall head over heels in love, and in the middle of all that, I’d have to look after Ryan—just thinking about it gave me a headache.

“Young Marquis. Should we talk outside?”

I hurried him along, pulling him out onto the street. He followed without a word. We found a nearby teashop and stepped inside, taking a seat on the terrace and ordering two cups of tea.

“Um, Young Marquis… Did the Duke say anything?”

After the waiter left, I broached the subject cautiously. I was secretly dying to know if the Duke had mentioned me at all.

“Hard to say.”

But he only answered in that relaxed tone of his. I bit my lip hard and dropped my gaze. My heart felt tight with impatience—I had no idea when I’d hear news of the Duke.

Should I wait longer? What is the Duke even doing in there?

“……Laura…… Would you consider coming to work for House Karsen? I happen to need a secretary myself.”

The young marquis’s voice lingered at my ear. But my mind was too tangled for his offer to sit well with me. I raised my gaze to refuse him outright—and met his quietly settled expression instead.

At that instant, the words died in my throat. The green in his eyes held a gleam of sorrow.

“Young Marquis… is something the matter?”

“No. Nothing at all. Mm… it was merely a suggestion. Don’t think too hard on it. Just do whatever feels right to you, Laura.”

He offered me a gentle smile as repayment for my question. I didn’t take him at his word, of course—not for a moment. But that didn’t mean I could give him an affirmative answer, either. And the young marquis himself surely knew that.

“Young Marquis… I—”

The more I hesitated, the worse it would be, I thought. Better to refuse clearly. I parted my lips to speak.

“Lord Benat?”

A passerby suddenly called out the young marquis’s name as they passed by us. I turned my head and found a boy and a girl whose faces seemed familiar, both watching us. They were a strikingly handsome pair—beautiful enough to leave an impression. And yet, for some reason, I couldn’t immediately place them.

“We meet here, Your Highness, the Crown Prince.”

Only after the young marquis spoke his greeting did I finally realize who they were. The two were the Crown Prince and his lover, the daughter of House Dalinga.

“Your Hi—”

Startled, I hurriedly tried to rise and show proper respect.

“Stay seated.”

But the Crown Prince waved a hand in front of me, stopping me mid-motion. I could only freeze, half-rising, before sinking back into my seat and watching the scene unfold from there.

“Well, well. I spotted someone I didn’t expect and spoke before I could think. At any rate, Lord Benat, I trust you’ll pretend you never saw us here.”

The Crown Prince kept speaking to the young marquis. It seemed he had been on a private date with the Dalinga daughter. No wonder his clothes were so plain—he must have been trying to hide his rank.

“Of course, Your Highness. In return, will you pretend you didn’t see me here either?”

The young marquis gave a single nod and replied. Then the Crown Prince’s gaze shifted to me. A flicker of curiosity had settled in his vivid golden eyes.

“And why is that?”

“Because this is a love I hold alone. I don’t want her to end up in gossip simply for being seen with me.”

Ah…?

“……I see. Understood. Then let us agree to keep each other’s secrets.”

“Yes, Your Highness.”

They talked on as if nothing had happened. The only thing unsettled between them was me. I could only blink, struggling to make sense of the situation.

‘Did I just hear a direct confession?’

The thought hit me, and I felt a pang of awkwardness. I almost wished the crown prince would stay a while longer. The prospect of being left alone with the young marquis felt overwhelmingly heavy.

“Then we’ll be on our way.”

But my wish didn’t last long. The crown prince left a brief word and turned to go. The young lady of Dalinka followed suit, offering a light farewell before trailing after him.

“…….”

“…….”

Once the two vanished, the air between me and the young marquis hung thick with unease, just as I’d feared. I stared down at the table, my eyes darting restlessly. I had no idea what to say first.

“Your herbal tea, as ordered.”

Just then, the clerk arrived with two cups of tea and set them before us.

Good. I’d drink my tea, at least.

I hurriedly lifted the cup and gulped the tea into my mouth. But the taste felt as bland as water with no fragrance. Still, I pretended to savor the aroma, clinging to the dragging moments.

“……You said the mood was different today?”

It was the young marquis who broke the silence.

Right. I *had* said that. It was because his clothes today were so markedly different from usual. But what did he mean by bringing it up now? The confession I’d just heard was so shocking that even his next words felt daunting.

“Ah… yes…”

I nodded, only meeting his eyes with my gaze.

“I dressed like this for the same reason as His Highness. Times like this make my position inconvenient. Ordinary nobles usually recognize me, and in high society, where gossip thrives, distorted rumors can spread.”

“…….”

“Honestly, deep down, there’s a part of me that wishes it would happen. But I don’t think I can let it anymore… You see, I’m usually a very confident person. I believe I can force any outcome I want. Yet oddly enough, this one time, it didn’t work. I was worried you’d be uncomfortable, or that you’d struggle… You don’t have any romantic interest in me, do you, Laura?”

The young marquis looked at me, his eyes crinkling into a smile. I took another sip of tea that tasted only of water, then set the cup down on the saucer with a soft clink.

“Um, Young Marquis…”

I tried to say something to him. Like, I had to refuse. I knew he was a good person, but my heart didn’t lean toward him.

“Laura, speaking of which, I noticed a bustling crowd on the way here. Do you know what’s happening?”

But then, without warning, he turned the conversation. It seemed he already knew what I was about to say. Rather than fumble through a difficult answer, I let myself follow the thread he was spinning.

“Ah, I heard the marketplace is finally open after so long. Apparently, when rare goods come in, the merchant guilds gather and set up shop on a whim.”

“Is that so? Then there must be all sorts of fascinating things. Have you been, Laura?”

“No, I haven’t. It’s been ages since it last opened, and I only moved here not long ago.”

“Then how about we go together?”

“Huh?”

The unexpected proposal made a stupid-sounding word slip out. Realizing how startled I must have looked, I bit down firmly on my lip.

“This much is all right, isn’t it? We’re friends, after all, aren’t we?”

The young marquis spoke with an easy laugh. The sight of him was gentle and warm. But there was a poignant ache in his eyes. And beneath it all, he was afraid of me. I had never received those feelings whole and unguarded before.

“Yes… we’re friends.”

That was the answer I finally gave him. He simply broke into a full smile at my words.