I will erase it a bit more, and it will be over."
"It's okay! I said I will do it!"
He was more persistent than what she expected. He also seemed not willing to let go of her face.
Eun-woo intently stared at the face in front of her, who remained still, thus she had no choice but to let him wipe the sauce off her lips.
Then, his hand rested on her lips and stopped.
He was right in front of her. And it was also the first time his hand touched her this much. They were so near to each other that they could hear each other's breathing.
She suddenly pondered why she allowed this man to get so close to her. There was even an illusion that his face was inching forward even more.
The strange thing was that nonetheless, she didn't feel any desire to avoid it.
She could see his neck was moving in front of her. It felt like he wanted to do something, but he was hesitant. On the other hand, she wanted to know what he was so hesitant about. Somehow, she could feel that heat was being transported to her head, to the point that her eyes were wide open in daze. To be specific, it was as if the heat on her face was longing for something.
She closed her eyes, as if reciting a pledge. The next moment, what she could hear were their heartbeats intertwining together, lingering in her ears. Suddenly, the curtains were pulled up in a haste. That moment, Eun-woo jumped out from her seat, as if she was a billiard ball, bouncing. The spirit that seemed to disappear from her body came back and her heart started to beat steadily afterwards.
Eun-woo hurriedly trimmed her hair that had been disfigured to the sides, and pretended to be calm, using all her might.
As soon as her curtains were pulled back, Tashian, who quickly pulled back his hand back, had returned to his usual expressionlessness.
Selena quietly returned to her seat and sat down as if she hadn't noticed anything strange about the two of them.
However, when the curtains were all pulled back and the stage started again, the minute tremors left on Eun-woo's body did not go away.
The performance started again, and soon everyone in the box seats fell in love with Prima Donna's song.
It was the climax of the second act. People couldn't breathe and concentrated on the explosive high notes of the soprano and the tenor's voice that wrapped around it and produced a smooth and perfect harmony.
It was the same with Eun-woo. She forgot to shut her mouth and only watched the beautiful stage. She didn't care no matter what noise she heard next to her. She seemed to be left with only the show and herself. It was such an intense performance.
But when everyone in the theater was focused on the stage, there was one person who was alone looking elsewhere.
Tashian's deep, dark eyes did not turn toward the stage, but toward the enchanted profile of the woman sitting next to him. Everyone was paying attention to the singers' enthusiasm, and no one noticed the subtle and most personal emotions in his expression.
However, as Eun-woo was focused on the performance, he, too, was completely overwhelmed by her.
He seemed to have come to see her, not Calista's performance. Tashian's eyes looking at the woman seemed to be gazing at something not in this world.
It contained ecstasy and awe. The emotion of the man who faced a sight that could not even dare to capture his dreams melted. He was like a wandering sage who finally accepted the god. In those eyes, there was dedication even if a stranger came to notice him. He was close to blindly falling in love.
The woman (Eun-woo), who was obsessed with the performance, and her man (Tashian), who was obsessed with her. One man's gaze continued unnoticed until the end of one song, until his gaze became gloomy to others if they did see it.
***
At the end of late summer, the Duke's Castle was preparing for the coming autumn.
All the servants in the house were busy working to please a guest with power comparable to that of a hostess today. Of course, the guest was sipping tea with another guest she had invited, unaware of the servants' busy footsteps.
"Miss Selena, would you like some more tea?"
Lady Miller's maid, Hannah, kindly suggested to Selena. She smiled as Selena nodded her head.
After Selena became her companion, Selena didn't bring any maid, therefore Eun-woo gave one of her maids.
With her tender care, Selena was perfectly accustomed to being Eun-woo's companion in studying. No matter how much Selena came to be her companion, servants from different families, starting with low status, showed respect for her as a noblewoman.
"How do you like this patterned fabric, lady?"
While they were drinking Dorandoran tea, Anit, Eleanor's nanny, picked up a couple of clothes and showed them to her. Eun-woo opened her mouth from the teacup as if thinking about it and asked her nanny.
(TN: I searched for Dorandoran and found out that it's milk tea nowadays. I don't know if such tea exists though.)
"Ah, did I mention that this is a curtain to be replaced this time?"
"Yeah. We've taken quite a few samples, so please choose between them."
A few days ago, she received an unexpected offer from Johannes.
〈"I am planning to change the interior decoration of the castle when fall comes. Is Miss willing to take over the task?" 〉
Eun-woo blinked in surprise at the suggestion.
While the season changed after living in the Duke's Castle, the décor inside the mansion has also changed several times. But of course, there were all minor changes, such as the location and color of tablecloths, curtains, and flowerpots.
Even with such small changes, her mood would change 180 degrees, so it was pleasant and fun for her to see such a thing.
But now Johannes even wants to leave those things to her.
When Eun-woo hesitated a bit, Johannes said with a broad smile.
〈 "This is also one of the qualities that Miss will take over in the future. Think about the things you will do here as practices and give it a try." 〉
Eun-woo was swept away by Johannes's persuasion.
So now, along with Selena, picking out the color of her curtains, holding a swatch of her multicolored splendor in her hand.
"The harvest season is coming soon… How about this kind of chestnut or rat color?"
"Then wouldn't it look too simple?"
"The hem is embroidered in bright colors. Then I think it will look a lot cozier with a hint of autumn."
Her words were the cause why Anit was passionate and overly activated to work. It was because Eun-woo decided to learn how to embroider.
Anit came right away with a basket full of her threads and needles and pushed them to her right away.
〈 Goodness…..! You did well, Lady! Embroidery is a basic skill of a lady! After you came to the mansion, you gave up on sewing practice altogether. How much worthwhile would it be to practice unfinished business on this opportunity and decorate the interior of the mansion by yourself? 〉
Anit's eyes flashed with desire as she spoke those words.
With the gaze of such a maid, the nanny, along with other maids, gathered around her, jokingly chimed in one word at a time, sympathizing with her.
Eun-woo laughed awkwardly at the obvious behavior of Anit, the maid and nanny.
These days, Anit had abandoned her dream of making her lady into a princess, but she was nurtured by another dream behind the scenes. And it was none other than the master of the mansion, the Duke of Verk, who fanned her newly ignited dream.
〈 "Miss, I guarantee you that His Grace will be impressed if you embroider him something yourself!" 〉
Anit's thoughts about the Duke weren't good. She thought that he had a bad reputation, and that he'd be a good Lord and a master but not a good husband. But the truth lied to her after staying in the duke's castle for a few weeks.
Ever since rumors began to spread among the servants that the Duke had a crush on Lady Miller, who was staying in the house, Anit was more enthusiastic than anyone else to make the rumor true.
There was a saying that Anit talked like a mantra as she combed Miss's hair every morning.
〈"A high envy, high authority, and such wealth! There is only one reason why the unmarried duke, who is so well-rounded, permitted a Lady like you in his house until the Marquis castle is repaired! Already among us, there are even rumors that it is the Duke himself who is delaying the repair work of the Marquis Castle. Lady, a man can only listen to women and have the ability to feed his wife and children. His Grace is so handsome, Lady, what's there to postpone, right?" 〉
It was Eun-woo, who had already been deprived of her honey-like morning sleep for several months because Anit decorated her with flowers every morning saying that she might run into the Duke every morning.
Her hands and feet were always so clean, that they are being commanded by Anit.
Of course, it was the maids who made the mess, but Eun-woo was also working hard to match the assortment by hand sewing a small cloth beside her.
As it turned out, Selena, along with Hannah, suddenly joined the group.
Thus, the duke's Fortress was able to bloom because of a group of women sewing with a higher academic enthusiasm than ever before, and to fight off the cold autumn wind.
"Is it really true that Calista is running for this Flora Festival?"
"No way. She has so much to lose, you know? Calista is the best singer in the continent, therefore why would she trouble her reputation and run for Flora?"
As the women clapped their hands and talked about various things, the topic of discussion turned to the Flora Festival, an agency of autumn that is a hot topic in the capital these days. The Flora Festival was a festival for commoners to offer food and drinks while offering this year's grain and fruit in honor of Flora, the goddess of harvest.
As it turned out, it was also a national holiday and a public holiday.
The festival usually lasts for several weeks, and it has become synonymous with the season of relaxation, in which people eat, drink, and have fun, whether in the capital or the countryside, aristocrats or commoners.
However, the most talked about thing was the contest to select Flora, the goddess of harvest.
"Last year, the girl who worked as her maid was chosen as Flora, right? Rumors circulated that she received enormous support and married a wealthy, well-known foreigner…."
"She remembers that last year she was a lady of a noble family. She was the seventh daughter of a Korean-American family, and she is now a Countess."
Anit nodded her head at the chatter of the maids and added.
"Once a man is married to the chosen Flora, it's not the Flora's job to marry into a good family. In the first place, it was only for the privilege of baptizing in the Black Cathedral, where only the great heirs and elders are allowed."
Eun-woo clenched her hands while quietly listening to their story, and suddenly a curiosity arose at the words of Anit.
"Baptism…?"
"Ah… Miss. Literally giving you a blessing. On the day of the coronation of the Emperor himself, it is an opportunity to enter the sanctuary, which is only accessible once."
"Is that really possible?"
Eun-woo was surprised and asked a question. If it were a black cathedral, wouldn't it be the home of the heir who is said to be the country's highest authority and the elders who will protect him? Even the Crown Prince Ikshid was forbidden to enter except on the day of the coronation when he was crowned emperor.
It was also the place where Fedellamon's candlestick, a treasure of the Empire, was kept.
Anit spoke with a proud attitude.
"Of course! Lady Flora is the daughter of the Black Virgin. That's the privilege for a lady who passed three exams during the festival and proudly qualified for Flora."
Eun-woo organized her thoughts carefully. Now that she thinks about it, Selena once joined in for being the Flora while in full swing of her relationship with Ikshid.
'By the way, the winner wasn't Selena.'
Selena was close to being chosen for being the goddess Flora, but unfortunately she didn't win. But ironically, that was the most decisive moment for her to decide her marriage with Ikshid.
Eun-woo silently grabbed her own piece of cloth in front of her and glanced at Selena, who was preoccupied with her embroidery.
She was dressed with a green gown, and her coveted red hair was tied in a tight ponytail.
Even with the same woman, Eun-woo swallowed dry saliva at the beauty of the main character.
'But who was the winner...?'
However, no matter how much Eun-woo thought about it, while looking at Selena's hair, no answer came out.
Her head was spinning steeply with new information.
"Selena, do you think you will run for Flora this time?"
Eun-woo asked carefully, rolling a small needle with her index and thumb. She looked up at her sewing cloth, where Selena was preoccupied with her own cloth, and she answered.
"Yes. It's embarrassing, but I'm going to try it. The Flora Festival is a big support for single virgins just by participating."
"Participating?"
"Yes. The Flora Festival is held along with the Knights Battle. My cousin's brother is participating in the knight battle this time."
Eun-woo's eyes widened at the unexpected answer.
I suddenly remembered that her family was a knightly family with a long history.
Eun-woo's hand, touching the needle, became busier.
"… Anyone can participate?"
"Yes. Eleanor, are you going to join too?"
Eun-woo threw the needle she was holding and held her hand.
"No! Absolutely not!"