Dalton wore a well-fitting slim suit that accentuated his figure and matched perfectly with his smooth, polished shoes.
Judging by his attire, he had the aura of a sharp city gentleman, but his face exuded a gentle and kind demeanor. His gentle eyes were slightly downturned, and his skin appeared as smooth as milk.
After exchanging a few words with the staff, Dalton quickly spotted me and walked towards me. Upon seeing me, he gave me a light smile, and I reciprocated by smiling back at him.
In fact, I had sought advice from Madame Lulu before coming here.
‘How can I win Dalton’s heart?’
In response, Madame Lulu asked me a question.
‘Have you ever met a man outside of your family before?’
‘Yes, I have.’
With the memory of the three years I spent with the noble gentlemen in the subjugation corps, I confidently nodded my head. At that moment, Madame Lulu asked once again.
‘How was it?’
‘Well, it was fun. We could talk comfortably and have meals together…’
We would exchange blows, fight, stop fights, tease each other, and be teased. Engaging in such exchanges was a way to escape the tension of risking our lives every day. That’s why I never really saw the noble gentlemen as romantic interests. If I were to describe them, they were more like comrades, perhaps even friends.
‘You shouldn’t treat Mr. Dalton the same way.’
As soon as I rolled my eyes, Madame Lulu spoke up.
‘You were on good terms with him.’
‘Yes.’
‘Having that kind of relationship is fine, but maintaining an air of mystery is important during your first meeting.’
‘Mystery? Should I sprout wings like a fairy?’
‘… Lady Siara, your appearance is already outstanding, so if you just smile appropriately and act according to etiquette, it should be enough.’
I recalled her advice and wore a subtle smile on my face. Meanwhile, Dalton, who had approached, spoke to me.
“It’s an honor to meet you again, Lady Siara.”
“I’m glad to see you too, Mr. Dalton.”
Dalton nodded and pulled a chair slightly away from the table to take a seat. His graceful movements were smooth and elegant.
‘His gestures are similar to Dianel’s.’
Casually, I thought of Dianel upon seeing Dalton and quickly furrowed my brows. Why did that thought come to my mind here?
‘I need to focus, concentrate!’
In that moment of regaining my composure, Dalton met my gaze.
“Have you been well all this time?”
“It’s been similar to usual.”
“Similar to usual….”
Dalton trailed off, and one corner of his mouth twitched slightly. It seemed more like an involuntary reaction to hearing something he didn’t like rather than mocking.
‘He doesn’t know much about me, does he?’
As I pondered with a puzzled expression, Dalton quickly returned to his calm demeanor. I, too, chose not to say anything further and kept my mouth shut.
‘Um, it’s awkward.’
Just as I was unsure of what to do, a waiter approached us.
“Are you ready to order?”
“Oh, it’s nice to meet you, but we haven’t even decided on a menu yet.”
Dalton reached out his hand and picked up the menu, placing it politely in front of me. The menu was filled with various types of tea and desserts.
In my heart, I wanted to order several items and spread them all over the table, but now was the time to maintain the air of mystery as Madame Lulu had advised. So, I pointed to the menu boldly emphasizing, ‘Today’s recommended menu. Experience the elegant aroma!’.
“I’ll have this tea.”
“The same for me. And please bring the dessert set as well.”
The dessert set included various types of desserts served together. Glancing at the menu, I saw that it included cake, macarons, and petit fours—a set menu where you could taste different treats at once.
Normally, I would order just one cake, but seeing him order the dessert set made me think that we might be similar in that regard.
‘Does he enjoy eating?’
If so, I thought we might become good friends.
While harboring expectations, Dalton, who handed the menu to the waiter, spoke in a low voice.
“I heard rumors that you’ve been praying with the High Priest recently.”
“Ah, has the rumor already spread?”
“Of course. Even those who don’t attend social gatherings in the royal court probably know about it.”
They say the palace has ears on its walls, and it seemed that rumors spread quickly as well.
‘Why are people so interested in other people’s affairs?’
I couldn’t understand such trivial matters, so I just nodded my head. But Dalton, passing by as if he didn’t notice, asked me.
“What do you think about praying?”
“What do you mean? Well, it’s… enjoyable.”
Praying with Eora was usually mundane. However, sometimes it felt refreshing as if taking a shower in cold water. My healing abilities had improved, and I felt more energetic.
‘Maybe it’s because of Adandito’s healthy food, or maybe it’s the effect of praying. I’m not sure.’
In any case, it wouldn’t hurt to continue doing it. Although I couldn’t share all the mundane details, I brushed it off with a vague response.
Fortunately, Dalton didn’t ask me further. He just replied, “I see,” and crossed his legs, sitting quietly. His gaze skimmed past me.
‘Is this atmosphere alright?’
Being too attached to mysticism, the conversation kept getting cut off.
If I keep losing Dalton, I’ll end up attending the ball alone. Feeling anxious, I quickly added something.
“How has the young master been?”
Then the calm, brown eyes that had been focused on the space turned toward me.
“I’ve been thinking about the young lady.”
Speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world, his casual tone returned.
“From the moment I open my eyes until I close them. Even in my dreams, I only think of you.”
“It’s… a bit strange.”
“For me, it’s part of my daily routine.”
Although we had only danced once at the ball, he had thought of me without a care. The development was different from what I had expected, and it made me feel uneasy.
‘What’s going on? Is he just a playboy who says those things to gain favor, or is he serious?’
I couldn’t figure it out at all.
Unable to decide how to respond, I was about to say something off the cuff when the waiter timely brought tea and dessert. In the meantime, the atmosphere calmed down, and a gentle melody wafted into my ears. Unconsciously humming along to the familiar tune, Dalton spoke up.
“It’s an Aubade composition. Do you like it?”
“Yes, the rhythm is simple and fast, so it’s fun. When I was young, if the rhythm was too difficult, I would stumble in my steps. So, I practiced a lot with this one.”
“Although you also managed to handle high-level waltzes quite well.”
“…I don’t think so.”
Honestly, I wasn’t bad at dancing, but compared to the other young ladies who practiced dancing every day before their debut, I couldn’t measure up.
I stumbled a few times and missed a beat. I managed to cover it up so that no one would notice, but Dalton would have probably caught on.
I got a little awkward so I grabbed the cup of tea and Dalton said to me,
“It was a very elegant dance you performed.”
“I didn’t learn much. I didn’t practice much, so I made a lot of mistakes.”
“It wasn’t too noticeable. And if you achieved that level in such a short period, it’s even more impressive.”
He seemed to think that I had become an aristocrat overnight, or at least that’s how he spoke.
‘In reality, I’ve been scolded by my mother every day.’
Since I was young, elegance had been far from my reach. But thanks to the nagging from my mother, I was able to imitate it to some extent.
There was no need to go into such details, so I just nodded my head quietly. Then Dalton added something.
“If I had seen you stumble while dancing, I would have still considered you elegant.”
It was a sudden and unexpected compliment, but it didn’t feel bad. To be honest, it felt good. That’s why I burst into laughter naturally. It was a laughter that deviated far from the mysticism Madame Lulu had mentioned.
“Ahaha, you would have considered me elegant even if I stumbled? You’re an amusing person.”
I laughed for a while, and Dalton, who had been gazing at me intently, averted his gaze. It seemed like his cheeks had slightly reddened.
‘With a look like that, maybe he wasn’t lying when he said he’s been thinking about me day and night.’
Was it because of the evident innocence or because I heard pleasant words? I started feeling curious about someone whom I had only considered as a dance partner for the party.
So, I leaned my upper body towards Dalton and gazed at him. His calm eyes, which were usually composed, seemed to waver slightly under my intense gaze.
At that moment, I felt a surge of joy as if I had become a child playfully throwing pebbles into the serene waters.
Afterward, I completely forgot all the advice Madame Lulu had given me.
“Mr. Dalton, what do you like about me?”
“Why all of a sudden?”
“You said you’ve been thinking about me day and night. I’m curious about what attracted you to me.”
“Well…”
Dalton tightly closed his eyes as if his brows were furrowing, then he opened them and met my gaze.
The moment his eyes opened, the confusion in his dark eyes quickly turned into composure. With a serious face that had forgotten all embarrassment, he replied,
“I started liking you from the moment I first saw you.”
My heart skipped a beat. It fluttered, just like my trembling eyelashes, displaying a nervous demeanor. However, his gaze was straight at me. He continued speaking like an innocent boy confessing his first love.
“My feelings won’t change in the future.”
“…You’re honest.”
“I know you like honesty.”
I nodded approvingly. I didn’t like hypocrisy. When you’re hypocritical, you hide yourself, and when you hide yourself, lies inevitably follow. Once that happens, you become someone who can’t be trusted.
And I couldn’t form a deep connection with someone I couldn’t trust. It was a belief that had been passed down from the Astita family, rooted in honesty and simplicity.
‘Did it show?’
I wondered if Dalton had a discerning eye. Or maybe he was saying those words just to win my heart.
I opened my eyes a little wider to try and understand him better.
