Chapter 34
“That’s a good idea. In that case, Sia, I’ll go with you to fetch the quill.”
“…Pardon? You’re going to the storeroom with me, just for a walk?”
“…Don’t we pass through the garden on the way?”
“Lord Nox, is it possible you still don’t know your own house’s layout? You have to go behind the rear garden to reach the storeroom.”
“Hm, then I suppose I should take this opportunity to memorize the path properly.”
“Oh, honestly…”
Although Sia found it odd, she didn’t try to stop Nox. She just decided to go along with it and began to walk. Nox also stood up promptly and followed her.
“I’ll guide you, so pay attention and remember. You never know what might happen at work. You could get lost even in your own home. How can you not know where your own storeroom is?”
Having lived here for a while, Sia had come to realize just how decent a person Nox was, and without realizing it, she’d started treating him very comfortably.
Granted, his handsome looks had scored him quite a few points at first, but more than that, the fact that his hair color matched hers played a part.
When she was alone, everyone’s attention made her uncomfortable, but with the two of them together, she felt less afraid. So this is why people gather in groups, she mused, nodding her head alone.
Nox walked slowly beside her, observing her. It was never boring to watch her face, especially when she seemed lost in thought. Her expressions changed constantly, which he found very entertaining.
Even now, she was nodding her head to herself, lost in thought. At times like that, he wanted to ask what she was thinking.
But he wasn’t sure if they were at the stage yet where he could ask such things, and it left him feeling frustrated. By day, he stayed by her side in his human form, and by night, he slept beside her in his animal form.
Even though it wouldn’t be wrong to say he spent practically all day with her, for some reason, his thirst for her was never quenched.
Experiencing love for the first time in his life, Nox felt stifled, not knowing how to get closer to Sia.
Of course, he couldn’t ask Cedric for advice either. He could already imagine how Cedric would make a big deal of it if he said anything.
And just in case Cedric objected to Sia, Nox was also afraid of how he might react.
“I don’t know why they built the storeroom so far away. It’s such an inconvenient route.”
“…Is that so?”
“Yes, if you want to get work done quickly, it’s better to have the storeroom nearby. Well, I suppose I have nothing to say if it was done for aesthetic reasons.”
From the exterior to the interior, the ducal mansion was beautiful without flaw. The stately, antique exterior gave a sense of the family’s long history, while the interior was both luxurious and elegant. According to Cedric, this was the taste of the previous Duchess.
Suddenly, she found herself wondering. How old is Duke Nox? She’d heard that he couldn’t marry because of his black hair, but still, he was a duke. Wouldn’t he eventually marry anyway?
And if there was a Duchess, would she discriminate against Sia for her hair and get her dismissed? Would she have to go back to Karin’s place?
Noticing how quickly Sia’s gaze would flicker his way, Nox quietly looked down at her. Just as she had come to know things about him, he too had come to know things about her.
“Is there something you want to ask?”
“Huh? How did you know?”
“…There’s a way to know.”
Like a student who had answered correctly, Nox replied with a delighted smile. Seeing that smile up close, Sia was secretly impressed.
He looks so different when he smiles.
She already knew he was handsome, but when he smiled, it felt like that handsomeness was taken to the next level. She even rubbed her eyes, as he seemed to overlap with her own handsome black cat, Lips.
“So, what do you want to ask about me?”
“There are a few things, actually. First… Lord Nox, how old are you?”
Nox was momentarily at a loss for words at the unexpected question. He didn’t immediately understand why she would ask his age, but he answered straightforwardly.
“I’m twenty-three.”
“…Eh?”
Once again, it was not the reaction he expected, so Nox couldn’t help but ask back.
“Why do you look so surprised?”
“It’s just… because we’re the same age.”
“…What?”
At her answer, Nox stopped in his tracks and turned to stare at Sia intently. As if that weren’t enough, he slowly looked her up and down from head to toe.
“…Why are you looking at me like that?”
Sia had no idea why he was acting like this and asked carefully. Was it not appropriate to mention age here? Or was twenty-three considered underage…?
As she wondered, she heard Nox mutter softly,
“How can you be twenty-three when you’re so small and look so young?”
For some reason, Sia felt a bit offended.
‘I may be just 158 centimeters, but I’m not that short, am I? I mean, I’m really not that short…’
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