Chapter 12
“Judging by how suddenly it’s falling, it seems to be a passing shower. It should stop soon if we wait a moment.”
“…Yes. It really startled me.”
As the distance between them shortened, Valenti felt his back muscles tense and deliberately turned his gaze towards the rain. The heavy raindrops hitting the flat stones of the central path some distance away made a strong sound. The downpour created a mist that enveloped the greenery of the grass.
Swoosh
It felt as if the rain had cut off the world, isolating just him and her in this space under the tree. Valenti felt a strange sensation. Caught in a ticklish, joyful, yet unsettling feeling, Valenti blinked as a raindrop suddenly fell near his eye.
Looking up, he could see rain falling through the leaves. Valenti raised his hand above Emily’s head to block the raindrops. His gaze naturally fell on Emily standing beside him.
Her long brown hair was wet from the rain, with a few strands clinging to her cheeks, and beneath his coat that she was wearing, her thin white dress had become slightly see-through from the water. His gaze traveled down the exposed skin of her neck, but feeling he shouldn’t look any further, he raised his eyes to her green irises watching the rain. Her green eyes, flickering beneath brown eyelashes, seemed more mysterious than any jewel.
Plop
At that moment, a raindrop rolled down the back of his hand that was shielding Emily’s head and fell onto her lower lip. Valenti, whose gaze had been drawn to Emily’s lips as if mesmerized, felt a strange thrill at that instant. Following the raindrop from his hand to her full, red lips, Valenti unconsciously lowered his head and moved closer.
“Marquis Valenti…?”
When he heard her call his name, he raised his gaze and met Emily’s slightly widened eyes. At that moment, Valenti felt something that started in his chest rush through his entire body’s blood vessels and pour into his brain.
‘When did you start liking Miss Emily?’
William’s words suddenly came to mind. Valenti’s lips trembled slightly.
‘Ah, so I like this person.’
As the tingling realization strongly beat inside his heart, Valenti felt as if the inside of his eyes were burning hot. He wanted to be closer to her. He wanted to bury his face in that abundant brown hair. With the realization came an unbearable longing, and he couldn’t control the emotions pouring out.
“M-Marquis Valenti!!”
Suddenly coming to his senses at Emily’s urgent voice, he saw that she was pushing against his shoulders with both hands, using all her strength. Valenti had been leaning towards her as if about to embrace her at any moment. Emily had arched her back to avoid him and was barely pushing him away, her arms trembling.
“Ah, I’m sorry, Miss Emily. A raindrop fell…”
At that moment, Valenti snapped back to reality as if doused with cold water and hurriedly straightened his posture. Emily, her face bright red, removed her hands from his shoulders and stepped back two or three paces.
“…Y-you suddenly came too close. I’d appreciate it if you could maintain some distance.”
“I’m sorry.”
Valenti, realizing he had unknowingly gotten too close to her, quickly apologized. Emily nodded at his apology and clasped her finely trembling hands together, startled. She could hear her heart pounding loudly in her ears. Emily’s face was flushed as if about to burst, perhaps because she could barely breathe.
Just moments ago, Emily had looked up when a raindrop suddenly fell on her face, only to find Marquis Valenti’s face alarmingly close, making her heart skip a beat.
As his face gradually approached, she unknowingly reached out her arms to push against Valenti’s shoulders, but his firm shoulders seemed to ignore her strength and came closer without hesitation. His hot body temperature transmitted through her palms resting on his shoulders. His black shirt wrinkled under Emily’s pushing hands.
As the distance between them continued to shrink, Emily, pushing him away with all her might in panic, called out to him urgently. He abruptly stopped moving, blinked a few times, and then hastily corrected his posture.
At her request to keep some distance, Marquis Valenti stepped back a couple of paces. As he moved away, it felt as if the surrounding temperature had suddenly dropped.
“…It seems the rain will continue. Would you like to sit down and wait?”
For a while, the two stood side by side at a distance, silently watching the rain fall. Even though they weren’t looking at each other, all their nerves were focused on the other person.
Emily, who had been sighing in relief as her pounding heart calmed down and her flushed face cooled, turned her head towards Valenti when he suddenly spoke.
He took out a handkerchief from his pocket and spread it out on a nearby tree root for her.
“Thank you, Marquis Valenti.”
As it seemed the rain would continue for a while as he said, Emily carefully sat on the handkerchief, and Valenti sat down a little distance away from her. Perhaps due to the sudden rain, no one appeared even after a long time, and he and Emily sat side by side.
Amidst a strange trembling, only the sound of their heartbeats could be heard through the silence.
“…Miss Emily, would it be alright if I move a little closer?”
“…Pardon?”
Suddenly, Marquis Valenti spoke. Startled, Emily turned to look at him, and he tilted his head slightly to the side, averting his gaze from her and looking down.
“It seems a bit cold with the continuous rain.”
“……”
At his words, Emily momentarily recalled the hot body temperature she had felt from him earlier. At the same time, her gaze went to his sturdy physique as he sat. And the next moment, she realized that she was wearing his coat and had even taken his vest.
Above all, with his head turned to the side slightly exposing his nape, the rain-soaked beauty looked strangely pitiful, and Emily suddenly felt an immense sense of guilt.
“Ah…! I’m sorry, Marquis Valenti! Here, your coat!”
As a startled Emily hurriedly tried to take off his coat that was covering her shoulders, Valenti quickly stopped her.
“No, please keep wearing the coat. Um… your dress is thin, so it would be better for you to keep it on.”
“Oh!”
Surprised by Valenti’s words, Emily quickly pulled the coat back around her. Valenti, who had half-risen to stop her, sat back down, smoothing his chest.
“May I… move a little closer?”
“Ah… yes.”
After a moment, he asked Emily again if he could move closer. As Emily nodded and answered, Marquis Valenti subtly moved closer to her. His shoulder lightly touched Emily’s. Emily glanced at him, still feeling his hot body temperature, and then followed Valenti’s gaze, which was looking straight ahead at the pouring rain.
* * *
“The rain seems to have subsided somewhat.”
The heavy rain that had been pouring down as if a hole had opened in the sky thinned out, and soon the rain stopped, revealing a clear sky once again.
“You’re right.”
As Marquis Valenti stood up and reached out his hand to check if it was still raining, Emily also got up following him. The strong scent of water mixed with the smell of grass, announcing the presence of early summer.
“Shall we go now, Miss Emily?”
As Emily was about to pick up the handkerchief spread on the ground, Valenti, who had already bent down to retrieve his handkerchief, naturally picked up Emily’s luggage that had been placed on the thick tree root and turned to her.
“I’ll carry your luggage.”
“…Ah, thank you.”
Unable to refuse Valenti’s third offer, Emily nodded. Hot sunlight beat down on the two walking along the central path, as if mocking the recent shower. However, the grass brushing against their ankles was still soaked with rainwater, causing a damp, ticklish sensation with each step.
The two walked silently along the path. Behind them, the clear blue sky stretched out like a painting.
When they arrived at the dormitory, it was already past 3:30 PM. It seemed the time spent waiting for the shower to pass had been longer than expected. After returning his coat to him and parting ways in front of the main building garden, Emily could barely remember how she had walked back.
Emily took a hot shower, changed her clothes, and sat down at her desk. Outside, as if the recent rain had been a lie, the area was bustling with students enjoying their Friday afternoon. Looking at the scenery outside the window, its colors intensified by the rain, Emily organized the books and box she had bought today.
“Emily, did you go shopping?”
“Oh, Kira.”
Just as she was taking out the gloves and ribbon to place on her desk, and putting Valenti’s vest and the shawl back in the box for washing, Kira returned.
“Wow, they’re really pretty. Especially these gloves, the ribbon is so cute!”
Kira exclaimed in admiration at Emily’s gloves on the neighboring desk as she placed her books and writing materials on her own desk.
“Yes, I bought them to wear at the freshman welcome party next Monday.”
“They’ll suit you well, Emily.”
“Thank you, Kira. Oh, by the way, wasn’t the laundry drop-off until 5 PM? I’ll go out for a moment.”
“Alright, take care.”
Emily hurriedly stood up, worried she might miss the laundry drop-off time while chatting with Kira. Carrying the box containing the shawl and Marquis Valenti’s vest, she went down to the first floor of the dormitory and handed the laundry to a passing servant, telling them her room number. After bowing and sending off the servant carrying the laundry, she walked along the dormitory corridor and went out through a wide-open side door.
In a secluded corner, there was a small garden with a white rocking chair, which seemed to be used as a resting place for students occasionally. Emily sat on the roofed bench-style rocking chair and looked at the early summer garden filled only with vibrant green leaves.
Strong sunlight was beating down on the dew-laden grass, but in Emily’s ears, the sound of the heavy shower still lingered.
