Chapter 96

“Cough, it seems the Duke found my story too sad as well. But don’t worry. Even without saying anything, I understand the Duke’s heart. Thank you very much.”

Cesar, still clinging to Evan, continued speaking with a flushed face.

Meanwhile, the person in question, Evan, was staring blankly ahead, looking as if half of his soul had left him.

“What are you doing right now?”

As I clicked my tongue and observed the scene, I slowly walked into the dining room.

At that moment, three pairs of eyes inside the dining room turned to me simultaneously.

“Dahlia! Where have you been that you just got here? We were drinking and chatting a bit while you were gone.”

It looked more like they were drunkenly rambling rather than having a conversation, but I decided not to confront the inebriated nuisance.

“More than that, keep some distance. How long have you been like this?”

As I approached where the two were sitting, I pushed Cesar away from Evan.

Looking at Evan’s shoulder, which was completely soaked with tears, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

“Cough, it was a sad story that couldn’t be heard without tears. In that sense, how about we talk a little more?”

Just when I finally managed to separate Evan from Cesar, it seemed Cesar had no intention of giving up easily and clung persistently.

What on earth had happened while I was away…?

At first, Cesar had been uncomfortable and unable to speak properly to Evan, but now it was clear that he was completely taken with Evan.

However, seeing Evan sitting there with a weary expression, I quickly thought I needed to get him away from Cesar.

“It’s getting late, so let’s talk next time. We should head back…”

“What do you mean by going back? As you said, it’s late, so just sleep here and go back tomorrow.”

At that moment, my father, who was sitting in front of me, waved his hand while sipping from his glass.

Although less so than Cesar, I realized from my father’s face that he was already quite drunk.

Setting down his glass, my father smiled and spoke to Evan.

“Isn’t that right, son-in-law?”

“…Thank you.”

“Haha, what’s with the thank yous between us!”

Seeing my father wave his hand with a big grin, I paused, unsure of how to react.

I looked at Evan, hoping for an explanation.

His eyes were just as confused as mine, filled with swirling emotions.

“You must be tired, so go rest in your room. The butler, Hale, will guide you to the guest room.”

Staring at the two of us, my father called the butler and instructed him to take us directly to the room.

As we got up, Cesar once again desperately grabbed at Evan, but this time I firmly blocked him, and Cesar’s attempt failed.

“Let’s go.”

I took Evan’s hand and walked out of the dining room.

With my hand in his, Evan quietly followed my lead.

Once we entered my room, I noticed that Evan wasn’t in a completely sober state either.

“Did you drink a lot?”

I hadn’t realized it earlier due to his composed face, but upon closer inspection, I could smell alcohol on him.

“I didn’t drink much.”

Evan shook his head and replied softly to my question.

However, contrary to his words, I noticed his eyes were unfocused, and I scrutinized him with concern.

“Evan. Sit here.”

I led Evan to sit on the bed.

As he obediently followed my instructions, I bent down slightly and waved a finger in front of his face, asking him a question.

“Do you think this looks like a few?”

At that, Evan’s gaze followed my shaking finger.

Just then.

After staring at my finger for a while, Evan suddenly raised his hand and grabbed mine.

“Don’t treat me like a drunk person. I’m perfectly fine, so don’t worry and just go to sleep. It’s quite late.”

Evan spoke with such precise pronunciation that it was hard to believe he was drunk.

‘He’s completely intoxicated.’

However, I didn’t take his words at face value.

It was clear from the fact that Evan, who never reached out first unless necessary, had grabbed my hand.

Realizing that he was definitely inebriated, I couldn’t help but smile wryly.

It felt like, in his current state, Evan might answer questions I’d never been able to ask before.

“Evan.”

“…Yes.”

As I called his name, he responded a beat late, and I quietly sat down next to him.

I could feel his gaze sluggishly following my movements.

“Did you have a hard time dealing with my father and brother while I was away?”

“It wasn’t hard. Just…”

“Just…?”

I softly echoed the end of his sentence.

Evan seemed to hesitate, his mouth opening and closing several times as he chose his words, before finally responding again.

“It was strange.”

“What was?”

At his unexpected words, I widened my eyes and asked back.

In response to my question, Evan fell silent for a moment, as if recalling what had happened in the dining room earlier.

“All those situations where family members ask about each other in a friendly manner and feed each other…”

At Evan’s words, I clicked my tongue inwardly.

It was clear without needing to hear more that it was Cesar’s doing.

“I’ll apologize on behalf of my brother. He’s usually fine, but for some reason, when he drinks, he acts like a wild horse.”

Just from seeing him cling to Evan, unable to discern right from wrong while drunk, I could easily imagine how much trouble Cesar had caused while I was away.

Heh.

At that moment, I heard Evan let out a low chuckle.

“You resemble him quite a bit.”

“Me? Like a wild horse…?”

I was momentarily speechless at the idea that I resembled Cesar, who had been causing a scene while drunk, and I didn’t even have time to be surprised by the smile Evan showed after a long time.

But my shock didn’t end there.

“He looked just like you do when you’re happy.”

As he said that, Evan met my gaze with an unusually bright smile.

After seeing his face, which was usually stiff, now relaxed and smiling, my mouth fell open in surprise.

“Wow…”

Watching Evan like that, I earnestly hoped he would remember everything he had just said tomorrow.

“You like my smile that much? I didn’t know Evan could smile like this.”

Could it be that drunkenness is contagious?

Even though Evan was clearly the one drunk, I felt heat rising to my face as if I were intoxicated too.

I deliberately responded in a curt tone.

“Was I smiling?”

However, Evan seemed so startled that he hadn’t even realized he was smiling; his expression froze as he replied.

I slowly observed Evan’s reaction and decided to ask the question that had been on my mind for a while.

With him like this, I felt like he might actually answer my question.

“Hey, Evan.”

“Yes.”

“Why do you keep trying to distance yourself?”

I continued speaking while keeping my gaze fixed on the floor.

“If you dislike me, then dislike me properly. Who looks at someone they dislike like that?”

His eyes were watching me with an unchanging light from beginning to end.

Evan was busy pushing me away with words like it was a mistake or a misunderstanding, but I could tell.

I had already experienced what kind of gaze someone who truly dislikes another has.

Tap, tap.

As I waited for his answer, I absentmindedly tapped the carpet with my foot and added, almost grumbling, “Then you should just stay by my side. Why do you keep pushing me away?”

“I can’t do that.”

“So why not?”

“Because I’ve wronged you…”

“What did you say? Evan? No!”

Evan’s voice, which had been slow and hesitant, suddenly cut off.

Thud.

And with those ambiguous words left hanging, Evan collapsed onto the bed.

Having missed the opportunity to understand his honest feelings, I felt a wave of emptiness wash over me as I looked at Evan’s face lying on the bed.

I went to sleep, promising myself to wait for the next day, but unfortunately, Evan didn’t remember what had happened the day before.