Chapter 16
“What’s this?”
“Ahem, well, as I was passing by a jewelry store, they said I was so handsome they wanted to give me a gift. I couldn’t ignore their sincerity, so I accepted it, but where would I wear this? You should have it, sister. It goes perfectly with what you’re wearing now.”
Ares, who had explained more than was asked, turned his head away, seemingly embarrassed. Yet he still glanced sideways to gauge Aveline’s reaction.
As Aveline quietly observed the bracelet her brother had offered and its thickness, her eyes caught sight of something new.
‘A receipt?’
A receipt, hastily stuffed into Ares’ pants pocket, was slightly poking out. Moreover, the words “Aira Jewelry Store” were visible on the receipt.
It was clear to anyone that he hadn’t received it as a gift but had purchased it himself.
‘Don’t tell me…’
Did he deliberately buy this to cover the mark on her wrist?
‘He must have been quite concerned.’
She had wondered why he kept glancing at her wrist earlier, but she hadn’t realized he was this worried.
Normally, she would have pulled the receipt from Ares’ pocket and waved it in front of him teasingly, but just for today, she wanted to pretend she hadn’t noticed.
“…Thank you.”
“It’s nothing.”
Ares averted his gaze slyly, as if he hadn’t expected Aveline to thank him so readily. Though he quickly reverted to his previous brusque demeanor as soon as he sat down.
“What kind of brother am I? I’m truly kind.”
“This is unexpected, Ares. I didn’t know you had such a thoughtful side.”
When Logan chimed in, Ares put on an even more haughty expression than before.
“I’m this kind of considerate person. Others must be very envious. Right?”
“Huh.”
As Aveline twitched her eyebrow, Ares removed the hand that had been propping up his chin and sighed.
Then he personally fastened the bracelet around Aveline’s wrist.
“So, when you’re having a hard time, talk about it and let it out. It’s not like you’re a what, vampire or something? Why are you biting yourself?”
At the mention of vampires, Aveline flinched briefly but quickly composed her expression.
‘Does he think I’m self-harming because I’m mentally distressed?’
That pitying gaze.
Those tightly pressed lips, as if holding back more words.
It was the attitude of someone dealing with a person carrying an unspeakable burden.
‘I feel a bit guilty.’
Honestly, she had no idea Ares cared about her this much.
They had always bickered and seemed indifferent to each other. Or at least, that’s what she had thought until now.
‘He has a surprisingly sensitive side.’
As she lowered her gaze, an emerald the same color as the twins’ eyes shone transparently.
The jewel was so large that her wrist felt heavy with the bracelet on.
“Yes. It’s reassuring.”
As the twins were creating a warm atmosphere, Logan suddenly interjected.
“You’re saying that mark was made by Aveline?”
Logan tilted his head as if something didn’t make sense.
“Judging by the size of the mark, it’s absolutely impossible for it to have been made by Aveline’s teeth…”
“Wow! Ares! Try eating this!”
Aveline quickly offered a dessert before Ares could hear.
“Wait a minute. Logan, what did you say?”
However, Ares had already heard and turned his head to look at his friend.
‘I let my guard down!’
She should have realized that the sharp-eyed and persistent Logan could easily become suspicious!
“The mark on Aveline’s wrist is clearly from another per…”
“Hmm. It’s a bit sweet for my taste.”
Someone interrupted Logan mid-sentence.
Ares’ expression twisted unpleasantly when he saw who the culprit was.
“Duke Ribes?”
Theron, who had appeared out of nowhere, had eaten the dessert Aveline had offered instead.
While calmly commenting on the taste.
“Are you following us again?”
Theron shook his head at Ares’ question.
“Following? I just happened to spot you as I was passing by.”
“Then keep passing by.”
Ares retorted provocatively, but Theron only smiled slightly.
All the while, his gaze remained fixed on Aveline.
It was a gaze that seemed to be gauging what expression Aveline would make upon seeing him.
‘Why now of all times.’
Although Aveline knew it was futile to hide her face, she pulled her hat brim down even further.
“Did you have a good dream last night?”
When Theron finally asked probingly, Aveline startled.
Theron placed his hand on the back of Aveline’s chair and leaned down as if trying to make eye contact.
“I did.”
As their eyes met, Aveline took a deep breath for a moment.
She had always thought he was crazy, but face to face, a generous thought crept in: ‘If he’s this handsome, maybe it’s understandable to go a little mad?’
A beauty too much for even himself to handle. Something like that.
Where in the world is there a perfect person?
With a face like that, it would be understandable if he went a little mad just looking in the mirror.
‘Is this what they mean by plausible appearance?’
She was used to seeing her twin brother, one of the empire’s three great beauties, but this was a different kind of handsomeness.
“Oh, the jewel?”
Aveline snapped back to reality at the voice coming from behind Theron.
“Barom.”
“Ah, sorry. I didn’t mean to offend your jewel.”
As Theron turned around with a frown, his companion raised both hands playfully.
“But thanks to that enormous hat, I couldn’t see her face, so you can relax.”
Theron’s companion was the person who had caught Ares lurking around the carriage last time.
‘Are they close?’
Judging by their casual interaction, they seemed to be. It was a bit surprising that the peculiar Theron had a friend.
“…Jewel?”
Logan, who had been quietly listening until now, interjected.
He seemed confused by the sudden appearance of Duke Ribes in this situation.
‘Understandable. They wouldn’t normally associate with each other.’
There was rarely any reason for the Herolds family of the imperial faction and Duke Ribes, who was essentially the leader of the noble faction, to cross paths.
“I see Young Viscount Casey is here too.”
Theron finally acknowledged him.
As Theron turned his head slightly towards Logan, the scratch on his cheek came into Aveline’s direct view.
Theron seemed to have done this intentionally, grinning as he watched Aveline’s reaction from the corner of his eye.
‘Did he come here because of this? To confront me?’
Just as Aveline was racking her brain to figure out Theron’s intentions,
“Well, fancy meeting everyone here again.”
A familiar voice cut in.
Ares’ expression twisted unpleasantly as he turned his head towards the source of the voice.
“Servell. Why don’t you just keep going on your way?”
Ares snapped, seeing Aveline trying hard to lower her hat brim to hide her face.
“Oh my, Ares. This is exactly where I’m headed. I’m here to have dessert with the young ladies.”
Servell said, pointing to a group of young ladies standing to one side, observing the scene.
The young ladies’ eyes sparkled quietly as they looked at Ares, Duke Ribes, and Logan.
“To think we’d see two of the empire’s three great beauties at once, what luck…!”
“And even Young Viscount Casey on top of that! Shouldn’t we really make it the empire’s four great beauties, including him?”
“But who’s that red-haired man over there? Which family is he from? He’s exuding a rough charm that’s just my type.”
Aveline could hear the young ladies whispering.
‘At this point, everyone must have heard.’
As expected, everyone was trying hard to manage their expressions as if they hadn’t heard the young ladies’ conversation.
Logan’s ears turned slightly red, looking a bit embarrassed, while Ares seemed smug.
Theron’s companion, called Barom, waved playfully at the young ladies, and Theron…
“I’ll sit down.”
He sat down next to Aveline, completely ignoring all the gazes surrounding him.
“Why are you sitting down? Please leave!”
As Ares tried to block him, even Barom smirked and forcibly took a chair.
“Come on, don’t be like that. Let’s share the delicious treats.”
“Ahem, you all seem to be getting along well. I’ll be going then.”
Servell, who had been quietly observing the situation with sparkling eyes, quickly turned around.
Her reddened ears revealed just how much her imagination was running wild at the moment.
‘This is uncomfortable.’
Aveline stealthily glanced at Servell’s group from behind her hat brim, which almost completely obscured her vision.
The young ladies who came with Servell were from noble faction families.
The young ladies were glancing at Aveline just as much as she was glancing at them.
They seemed curious about the identity of the lady who was with such prominent men of the empire.
“But who is that lady wearing the strange hat?”
“It’s hard to tell who she is since we can’t see her face.”
“And we can’t even see her hair. Could she be bald?”
As attention suddenly focused on her, Aveline became even more fidgety than before.
“Are you okay?”
Just then, Logan gently took Aveline’s hand.
He had noticed what was bothering Aveline and was trying to comfort her.
“Gasp.”
The young ladies’ eyes widened at the sight.
To think that Young Viscount Casey, one of the empire’s most eligible bachelors, would act so tenderly!
Could that lady be Young Viscount Casey’s hidden lover?
Their expressions made it clear that’s what they were thinking.
And at that moment,
“Young Viscount Casey.”
Theron, who had been watching the scene, furrowed his handsome brow, showing his discomfort.
“What you’re holding right now,”
As Theron raised his long finger to point beside Logan, people’s gazes followed his finger.
“is my jewel.”
Crash! Clink!
The sound of forks and glasses falling to the floor echoed from all directions.
