Chapter 47
‘Oh no… I shouldn’t have answered.’
It could only be called a disaster. However, the conversation had already been opened. If I closed my mouth now, it would look a little strange.
Thinking that I should quickly finish the conversation, I brought my hand to my earlobe as though checking the earrings I was wearing today. Then I gave an appropriately insincere answer. I did not forget to put an awkward smile around my lips either.
“They aren’t precious enough for Your Highness to take interest in them, so I’m a little flustered that you asked directly.”
“……”
“They’re merely ordinary sapphire earrings. I don’t wear them that often, and they don’t hold any particular meaning either.”
“Ah… Is that so.”
The small sigh he let out continued especially long.
In the eyes that had been filled with expectation until just a moment ago, faint disappointment and frustration settled instead of delight.
Even so, Raven could hardly take his eyes off me.
That was only natural, because the earrings I was wearing now were the very sapphire earrings Raven had personally chosen for me on the day we parted when he left as a crow. It must be terribly unsettling for him to learn that an object filled with memories for him held no meaning to me.
‘I’m glad I asked Anna to have me wear these earrings today.’
I secretly smiled in satisfaction. With this much, it could be said that I was shaking Raven’s heart quite splendidly.
As I was soaked in the thrill of taking steps little by little toward the bad ending I longed for, Raven said to me.
“They suit you very well.”
“…Pardon?”
“Those sapphires, their resemblance to your eye color suits you, Miss Giselle.”
Without a single hint of laughter, as though drawing out the sincerity he had kept in his heart for a long time, he said that in a calm tone. Then he soon tidied the corners of his mouth with a napkin and added.
“If you wish, I would like to send several gifts in your name. Would that be alright?”
“Gifts…? What kind of gifts are you saying you’ll give me…”
“I would like to give you the mining rights to one of the mines I own. It mainly produces sapphires, and the quality is quite good. It probably won’t be lacking for the lady of House Vellasi to use.”
“……”
Unable to say anything in response to the words that followed, I simply looked at Raven, who was sitting across from me.
He had been talking about my earrings until just a moment ago, then suddenly said he would hand over a sapphire mine. That whole flow was simply absurd.
Not even gifting jewels, but mining rights to an entire mine…!
But Raven himself continued speaking calmly.
“You have also officially become my fiancée, and I wanted to give you things you would like. Of course, things that suit you well and without any shortage.”
“……”
“As your one and only fiancé.”
The final sentence he added sounded especially weighted. I could not fully understand the meaning of every reaction he showed. The only thing certain was the fact that Raven had fallen for me, and deeply.
Deeply enough that at the first meeting after our engagement, he suddenly said he wanted to gift me a sapphire mine that suited me well.
“……”
“……”
At a fact obvious to anyone who heard it, a heavy silence flowed over the dining table.
The smile disappeared from Father’s face, though until now, he had been forcibly smiling and speaking to Raven in order to lift the atmosphere of this not at all enjoyable gathering. Mother noticed Raven’s affection, which was more passionate and sincere than expected, and looked at him for a moment with startled eyes. Soon, the two people’s gazes collided urgently.
Perhaps because it was excessively silent, even the sound of their pupils rolling seemed to ring clear.
Amid the awkward atmosphere, I silently stared at Raven. Raven also silently stared at me. The only people maintaining composure in this place were me and him, just the two of us.
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