Chapter 38
Just as Anne hesitantly started to speak, Logan spoke again.
“Accept it as a birthday gift. It’s late, but.”
Anne slowly lifted her eyes. Blue eyes looking down at her came into view. For some reason, her throat tightened and she couldn’t speak.
Logan took her left hand. He slid the ring onto her empty ring finger.
“It fits perfectly.”
Anne only blinked as she looked at the ring shining on her finger. The merchant rubbed his hands together with a sly smile.
It was already too late to refuse. Anne quietly lowered her hand and clenched her fist. The cold touch of the metal felt strangely unfamiliar.
“Please come again!”
Escorted out by the merchant’s cheerful farewell, they left the jewelry shop together. Logan looked over the surrounding stores and said,
“Next, let’s go to a boutique.”
“Where should we go?”
“To the one you usually visit.”
Anne narrowed her eyes. It was obvious he wasn’t trying to have clothes made for himself. Did the queen order this too? Or was this another display of male-lead-style wealth?
And Anne Agnes wasn’t the modest heroine who would refuse to spend the male lead’s money. She had the means to repay it, so there was no reason to refuse. She started walking toward the nearest boutique.
But that was far too naive a thought.
“No, no. That’s enough!”
Logan turned another page of the catalog. Seeing a yellow outing dress, he gave a small nod. The seamstress clapped her hands brightly.
“Yes, understood.”
“Stop, I said stop!”
Anne tried to snatch the catalog away, but Logan kept avoiding her and turning the pages. After a long struggle, she finally took it from him, but it was useless. The amount he had already chosen was enormous, and there was no way the shop had only one dress book prepared.
“I already have plenty of clothes!”
“I know. But there aren’t any I bought for you.”
At the prince’s casual reply, the seamstress and her assistants blushed. But to Anne, it didn’t sound romantic at all. It was simply absurd. As expected of a male lead, was he the type to shop in the ‘from here to there’ style without thinking?
As unpleasant as it was, she ultimately failed to refuse. Logan placed the orders without hesitation, and the seamstress already knew Anne Agnes’s measurements in detail. Anne could only watch helplessly as the transaction proceeded freely without her involvement.
The next destination was even more ridiculous. A large confectionery shop in the middle of the shopping district. And when Logan suggested they sit on the outdoor terrace, Anne was stunned.
“Absolutely not.”
“I don’t mind.”
“I mind!”
It wasn’t much different from what had happened at the previous two shops. The employee looked back and forth between them, unsure whose words to follow. But this time, Anne didn’t back down either. Logan finally yielded a step and gave a slight nod toward the employee.
They were guided to the innermost part of the shop, where a partition provided privacy. Anne ordered only a cup of tea, and Logan ordered tea for himself along with some desserts.
The moment the employee left, Anne pressed him.
“Now tell me. Why are you really doing this?”
The meaning of the question was clear. What kind of orders had come down from above to make him act like this?
But Logan still couldn’t answer immediately. No one had ordered him, and no one had asked him to do this. He had simply acted on his own.
Anne leaned forward, glaring at him. In the end, Logan revealed his pathetic motive.
“…on you.”
“Yes? What did you say?”
“To make a good impression on you.”
“What?”
Anne’s jaw dropped on its own. The three deep lines on her brow were far from the expression of a shy woman. Logan rubbed his chin awkwardly.
“Because yesterday I… acted like a madman.”
“So you’re at least self-aware.”
Anne answered immediately this time. There was no reason for her to disagree when he said what she hadn’t bothered to.
She leaned back against the chair again. Had he really come because he felt sorry about yesterday? It was hard to believe.
Anne glanced at Logan from the corner of her eye to check. He avoided her gaze, looking embarrassed. Unlike his composed face, his ears were bright red. Crossing her arms, Anne said,
“So you’re doing all this because you feel sorry for overworking me yesterday. Buying jewelry, buying clothes.”
“Yes.”
“Wouldn’t it have been better to just let me rest today?”
At her counterargument, Logan’s eyes widened. He hadn’t thought that far. But thinking back, Anne Agnes had returned home at dawn. And she had been awake when he came to see her, so she was probably just as sleep-deprived as he was.
He couldn’t bring himself to make excuses. Even if he had ten mouths, he would have nothing to say. He wanted to score points with her, yet he hadn’t considered her situation at all. He had shown up on his own, then forced gifts onto her.
Realizing that belatedly, Logan couldn’t even meet Anne’s eyes.
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