An Early Engagement - Chapter 41

“Why do you look like you’ve lost the will to live?” That was the first thing Melissa said as soon as she saw Shirley.

“Me?”

Shirley flinched, feeling unnecessarily guilty, and reflexively shot back at Melissa.

She was already on edge, worried that Melissa might have noticed her spying on her and Terban earlier during her walk, so she couldn’t help but overreact to whatever was said.

But to her surprise, Melissa brought up something entirely different.

“Yeah, you look like a cat that just had its fish stolen.”

“What are you talking about? I don’t look like that.”

Even so, she couldn’t help but touch her face, wondering if her expression was really that obvious.

Meanwhile, Melissa, who had been crying earlier, now looked perfectly composed, as if nothing had happened. It made Shirley wonder if she had imagined the whole scene due to the heat.

“Damian’s gone, right?”

“Yeah.”

“That’s strange.”

Melissa’s expression shifted subtly.

“What is?”

“He never wanted to be apart from you, not even for a second. Especially during summer vacation. Wasn’t that the perfect opportunity to eat, sleep, and play together in the same house? It’s weird that he’d throw that away himself.”

“He’s probably busy. Damian’s in the middle of his heir training and has to handle family affairs too…”

“Hmm, but he wasn’t like that before.”

“Maybe there’s something especially busy this time, I don’t know.”

Shirley felt her nerves sharpen as Melissa brought up something she had been trying not to think too deeply about.

Melissa always had a knack for hitting the nail on the head and saying the right things, which often made her a bit of a nuisance among their group of friends.

Melissa had a way of making enemies, and she didn’t seem to care much about it.

In fact, everyone found it strange that Shirley, who was sensitive and prone to tears, wasn’t particularly affected by Melissa’s blunt remarks.

Shirley actually liked that about Melissa. She admired how Melissa was always sharp, unbothered by others’ attacks, and a pioneer of her own path.

But today was different.

Melissa’s unnecessary sharpness kept poking at the very parts Shirley wanted to avoid, making her already sinking mood plummet even further. And that feeling reached its peak when Melissa brought up her next question.

“Did you and Damian have a fight or something?”

“N-no.”

Shirley shook her head vigorously, clutching the cushion she was holding tightly. Melissa narrowed her eyes, watching Shirley’s reaction closely.

“What’s with that? You’re making it even more suspicious. I was just throwing it out there.”

“A fight? No, it’s just that I’m bored without Damian around.”

“You two were all ‘we might become a real couple’ this and that, but now you’re bored because he’s not around? Must be nice, being such an old pair.”

Was she mocking her? Shirley, feeling a surge of irritation, lifted her head and looked at Melissa.

“……”

To her surprise, Melissa’s expression wasn’t mocking, sneering, or showing any hint of malice. Instead, it was something else entirely.

“Why are you like this?”

Shirley tilted her head, puzzled by the rare expression on Melissa’s face.

There was a hint of loneliness and emptiness in her expression, and even a touch of melancholy. Now that she thought about it, Melissa also seemed somewhat haggard and irritable.

“Huh?”

Melissa flinched at Shirley’s question. It was a reaction similar to the one Shirley had shown when asked why she looked so down.

“You’ve got a shadow over your face too, Melissa.”

“No way.”

As she said that, Melissa picked up a mirror nearby. She meticulously checked her reflection, and Shirley couldn’t help but laugh at the sight.

“Is it because of my brother? Are you nervous because you haven’t seen him in a while?”

“……”

It was meant as a joke, but Melissa’s brow furrowed deeply, as if something was bothering her.

“No. Nervous about what?”

“Come on. Even if you pretend not to be, I know you get all worked up every time you see him.” Shirley felt a little excited to finally have something to tease her friend about.

It was rare to see Melissa, who hardly ever got flustered, acting so visibly uncomfortable.

Melissa fidgeted with her dress, repeatedly smoothing it out, and swallowed hard without saying a word.

“Why don’t you go see him first? He should be back from hunting by now…”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll see him eventually anyway.”

Melissa quickly stopped Shirley as she tried to get up. An awkward silence hung in the air.

The two had always shared everything with each other. Though their ways of communicating were different, they never hesitated to bring up secrets only they knew.

Shirley to Melissa, and Melissa to Shirley.

From the very beginning, the two girls, with their contrasting personalities, had admired and marveled at what the other had, sustaining their friendship through mutual respect and curiosity.

But this strange silence made it seem like there was now a secret they couldn’t share with each other. Something they couldn’t bring themselves to dig into further.

The girls, having locked eyes, simultaneously looked away. One fiddled with her hair, while the other absentmindedly picked at the fuzz on a cushion. The awkward silence stretched on for a few more minutes.

“Hey, tell me about your trip to Raychen. How was it?”