I didn't answer and gave a half-cooked smile. I knew the count's intentions right away, but I thought it would be rude to pretend to know.
The count looked at me intently for a while, then continued speaking very seriously with eyes like wooden stones.
"In other words, I am praising you right now. It was not meant to hurt. Do you understand?"
He added words in case I was hurt differently than I intended. His tone and gestures were neat and cold, but the meaning contained in them was no different from that of a missionary doing Hyehwa.
Since I wasn't one who couldn't accept warmth with warmth, I answered with a happy heart.
"Of course. Your Excellency Count."
"Huh. I wish I knew. It's been a while since I've seen your face, so it's not bad."
"I am also very happy to see the count's face."
"You speak well. Do you think I will like that?"
The corners of His Excellency's mouth twitched subtly. It looked like he was forced to hold back a smile.
'Isn't he liking it?'
He seemed difficult to get to know, but he was really easy to get to know. Let me look at you with a coy smile, hmm! His Excellency the Count let out a loud cough and straightened his posture.
"Let's put an end to small talk. Shortly after arriving at the castle, I was told by Hildes. Did you catch all the robbers?"
Exactly. It was the elf who did it, not me. Even though I said no in my heart, I nodded my head calmly.
"That's right."
"It looks like you played your role as regent quite well. I'm glad I knew I wasn't a lousy guy. But what the hell happened at the ball?"
"If it's a prom..."
"The one you were slapped on the cheek with by my daughter."
"Ah."
I forgot about it for a while, but I remembered it again. This was also because of the elf, so to speak, but I couldn't shake my feelings.
How do I explain this? As I hesitated to answer, there was a small commotion behind the door. When I listened closely, I heard a familiar voice.
─ Miss! You can't go in! Are you saying that Viscount Theorard and His Excellency the Count are talking?
– Am I stupid? I know that much. I just want to see it from a distance. Is that okay?
— Ha. Really....
After a quarrel, Esily stuck her face out the side of the open door. She looked around her room like a cat on a fish-robbing mission, and when our eyes met, she blushed in surprise.
While hesitating, Esily suddenly smiles, raises her hand, and shakes it lightly. I reflexively tried to greet each other, but I suddenly came to my senses, reminding myself that the count was in front of me.
"Rumor has it that you tried to steal my daughter's first kiss from her. Even though you are engaged to my daughter, that is very uncultured."
"Yes, yes."
While answering the count, my gaze kept moving towards Esily.
Perhaps conscious of my gaze, she walked out through her door, put her fists on either side of her head, and raised her index finger. She does so, pouting her lips and putting on the most solemn expression possible.
'I know what you are trying to express. That's Mr. Angry Count. It seemed to be an attempt to ease my tension by making fun of the count.'
The problem is, now that Esily is doing that, I was about to burst out laughing. Still, I shouldn't be laughing. As I forced myself to laugh, the count continued with his eyebrows twitching.
"Of course, it's not that I don't understand your mind. Despite the long relationship, it was hardly progressing, so it must have been a childish thing. However, it is not the duty of a gentleman to kiss a woman without her permission. Do you understand?"
"Yes. I will keep that in mind."
"Yes, you'll keep this in mind, so I'll let you go over this once. Then let's go back to the main topic and discuss the reward for catching the gang robbers."
"Yes? What do you mean by reward? I just did what I was supposed to do."
"It is a reward for doing the right thing. In today's world, there are people who can't take the obvious for granted. In that respect, I'm trying to reward the good and punish the bad, so don't be burdened."
His Excellency The count nobly clapped his hands twice.
Clap..Clap..
"Come in."
At the same time, a scuffle breaks out beyond the door.
– Miss. This is me.
─ It's okay. Let me do it, yeah?
─ If you say no, will you use it again?
—Uh huh. It's not a rant; it's a legitimate expression of opinion.
—Whew. I know.
The servant sighed and handed Esily a small box. Esily took the box and walked this way.
As Esily greeted me and put the box on the table, His Excellency the Count, feeling strange, turned his head.
"Esily?"
There was a look of bewilderment in those two gentle eyes.
"Why are you here and not in your room?"
"I want to see my father soon. I also wanted to apologize to Sir Theorard. The other day, I was so rude."
It might seem rude at first glance, but the count only smiled happily.
"Okay. It's not polite to slap your fiancé at a ball in front of everyone. I'm glad you realized it quickly."
"You are young, but you are smart. You are my daughter after all."
At Esily's charming words, the count's sharp impression settles down. This is the reason why the world hears about daughters being fools.
His Excellency The count smiled a little and turned his gaze toward me. As I kept my tension and straightened my back, the count pushed the box towards me with a relaxed gesture.
"Open it. I have prepared a small gift for taking over the county instead of me."
"Yes. Your Excellency Counts."
I answered and checked the box. The top of the box, which was decorated in a splendid but not excessive way, was embossed with the pattern of Count Pelgarin.
When I opened the box, wondering what was inside, it was full of all kinds of jewels and gold coins. Surprised by reflex, I sighed.
"Dismissal? It's too generous to be a reward for trapping just a few robbers."
Then His Excellency the Count frowned.
"Are you going to disregard my favors now?"
"But, this...."
"Take it. I will not take any other words."
I nodded my head in thought. I had a strong feeling that the count was giving me gold and silver treasure by creating a justification for reward, but it was not polite to refuse the favor.
As I accepted the box, the count smiled and waved his hand.
"I am tired. I need to review what happened in the imperial family for a while, so both of you should leave."
For some reason, that phrase sounds like "Take some time alone." Esily looked back at me with a light smile, as if she had felt the same way.
"Shall we go? Sir Theorard."
I also responded with a smile.
"I will."
*
After escaping from the drawing room, Esily and I crossed the courtyard of the castle.
In the space where the flowers with buds are asleep, promising tomorrow, feeling awkward, I just stared at the night sky, touching the brooch around my neck.
I don't know what to do with the first rhyme. Esily was silent for a while, perhaps feeling the same way.
When we reached the midpoint of the courtyard, Esily opened her mouth with a small smile.
"I'm sorry."
It's sudden. Clearing my throat, I answered as naturally as possible.
"What do you mean?"
"I made Sir Theorard into a bad guy. I slapped him on the cheek and didn't visit him once for four days. In social circles, there are probably voices like, 'Lady Esily didn't meet Sir Theorard because she was angry.'"
"That sounds ridiculous. Isn't it all for me?"
"Nevertheless…."
"Do not worry. Aren't the two of us meeting like this before leaving the castle and taking a walk around the courtyard? The servants who saw this will spread rumors arbitrarily."
It was Esily who suggested spending time in the courtyard instead of in the room in the first place. Because she wanted my honor restored through the mouths of the servants watching over me, knowingly or unknowingly.
"Right. Rumors will spread that we reconciled. Still, it makes me a little angry."
However, Esily grumbled cutely as if she wasn't satisfied.
"We didn't even fight, but we were reconciled. The more I think about it, the more I hate the elves who bully Sir Theorard."
"Me too. I didn't want to damage my relationship with you, but I guess that's going to get harder."
"Say it in a pinch."
I scratched my cheek in embarrassment.
"That is... I'm worried that there will be blemishes in the sexual part."
"Hmm. Are you curious about that? What part were you worried about getting scratches on?"
Can I really say this? I hesitated, thinking over and over again, but I felt Esily staring at my face, so I couldn't stop her from saying it.
I hesitantly recited, as if confessing my sins.
"My first... I was thinking that my first time might be taken away by an elf, not you."
"Yes? First time?"
Esily opens her eyes wide and stops her steps. Thanks to that, I also stopped her.
She was unable to say anything for a while, and then, after clearing her mind, she opened her mouth all winter long.
"First time? Has Sir Theorard ever had relations with a woman?"
'Isn't it natural? Ever since we got engaged, I've been thinking only of you.'
"Yeah. Aren't you like that too?"
"I'm a woman, so it's natural, but... Sir Theorard... That's the family's eldest son, right? I heard that most of the aristocratic families do sex education, so..."
"I understand what you mean, but the Deharm family doesn't hold coming-of-age ceremonies that way. I swear to the god of light, I've never had sex with a woman."
Esily's face turns red. Her hair popped up, and her hands wiggled unnaturally. After she had been there for a while, Esily shed tears as if she were being unfair.
"Huh. If you told me in advance, I would somehow, just, just... Before being beaten by an elf, just the two of us."
Peraphs that did not become sentences are stretched one after another. Not understanding, I tilted her head.
"What are you trying to say?"
"I don't mean..."
'It's just frustrating that she acts like a child.'
"If there is something you want to do, do it here and now. I have to go back tomorrow, so I don't have time."
"No, that is nonsense! How do you do that here?"
"Or not."
As she took a step back to play a trick on her, Esily came two steps closer.
Why are you doing this? At the distance that narrowed in an instant, Esily lightly grabbed her waist. Her face was flushed red, and she seemed half lost.
"Then excuse me a little bit."
"What excuse-"
Esily lifted her tiptoes and kissed my lips. Kiss.
My eyes widen in embarrassment, and her heart beats loudly.
As if time had stopped, my thoughts stopped, and all my worries about the elf seemed fleeting.
It was only after 5 seconds that it seemed like 5 minutes had passed that Esily smiled shyly as she parted her lips.
"I am also new. Sir Theorard, is this your first time kissing?"
"... It's the first time."
"That's fortunate. I didn't want to lose even this to the elves."
Breathing a little rough, however, as if she had regained her sanity, Esily grabbed my hand in her shame.
"Sir Theorard. It's presumptuous, but can you promise me one thing?"
"I promise."
Esily raised her head. Her eyes her, resembling lapis lazuli, contain the starlight in the night sky and my face at the same time.
"Even if you hand over the beginning of your body to the elves."
She pulled my hand, pulled like a net, and rested on Esily's upper chest. She held onto my wrist tightly and parted her lips a little sadly.
"Please leave the beginning of your heart for me."
Esily's way of making her partner feel good makes me mistake my selfishness for caring.
However, because I know that it is an irresistible win... Esily and I had no choice but to continue this play.
"Can you?"
A smile resembling a neat forget-me-not makes my heart hurt. I grabbed Esily by the back of her head, and as I held her in my arms, I whispered to her with sincerity.
"For me, the first was always you."
It'll always be you.
I patted Esily on the back as if to comfort her.