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CHAPTER 21
"I might be late in saying this, but that dress suits you very well. Actually, I was so captivated by you that I missed the timing to enter the hall."
Having already stepped out of the carriage, Ilvis reached out to me with an indulgent smile.
Normally, I should have blushed at those words, but I felt like I heard them from a distant place. Maybe because I hadn't been involved in such matters before, I couldn't quite grasp that it was being said to me. It felt like I was watching a romance novel unfold before my eyes.
"You seem quite experienced for someone who claims to dislike women," I remarked as I took Ilvis' hand and stepped out of the carriage.
The words that came out were less charming than I had intended, and I regretted them immediately. I looked up at Ilvis, afraid he might be angry, but to my surprise, he seemed oddly pleased.
"After being criticized yesterday, how was that?" he asked.
"...If you hadn't said that just now, it would have been fine."
"Is that so? I suppose studying romance novels paid off."
"Were you doing that after you left yesterday?"
I couldn't help but narrow my eyes slightly. It wasn't bad, though. However, I imagined Ilvis sitting earnestly at a desk reading romance novels and found myself laughing at the disparity.
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"Are you not being impolite right now?"
"Oh, this is the restaurant district, isn't it? I couldn't eat anything in the morning, so this is a lifesaver."
"It's a familiar way to change the subject."
"Haha, well! Look over there! That restaurant seems nice for a relaxing time, don't you think?"
"Yes, yes, you're right. Shall we go there then?"
The restaurant that caught my attention was one slightly off to the side, with prominent white walls. Upon entering, it appeared to mainly serve light meals. The interior was clean, and it seemed to be quite a good find for something I happened to come across.
"Hmm, I don't usually have much experience with places like this, but this seems better than expected," I said.
Ilvis' reaction was also positive, and the waiter led us to a table by the window. I wondered why the restaurant was located at such a corner, but once I sat down and looked outside, I immediately understood.
"You can overlook the city from here."
"And since it's three stories high, you can see the people on the street quite clearly."
Ilvis was gazing at the view, but I had to eat before my stomach started growling. The restaurant was devoid of people due to the time of day, and I thought even the slightest noise would echo loudly.
As I perused the menu, Ilvis, who had been looking outside, suddenly gasped softly.
"Something outside?"
"...There's a well-dressed man on the main street who seems to be conspicuously looking around."
"Is there someone doing something so noticeable?"
Prompted by those words, I also looked outside. It seemed he was indeed drawing suspicion; people on the street were avoiding him as they walked by. Thanks to that, I spotted him immediately.
"Did he... follow us?"
I bent down slightly, hiding in the shadow of a plant near the window. I peeked out at the main street again through the gaps in the leaves.
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I couldn't see his face, but the man, glancing around anxiously, seemed to be searching for something.
His appearance was good, and his clothes were exactly the same as the ones my fiancé had worn this morning. Moreover, his chestnut-colored hair was the same as my fiancé's.
That man was unmistakably my fiancé himself.
"That's definitely him, right?"
"Yes, he must have followed us immediately after that."
He probably lost sight of us, or maybe he couldn't bear the scrutiny of the surroundings. My fiancé quickly retreated.
"He gave up quite easily, didn't he?"
"Yes, he did."
Something felt off.
He had only glanced around the main street a bit. Considering the intensity with which he had chased us, shouldn't he have been more persistent?
"He has more determination than I imagined. I thought he would easily reveal his true colors if provoked a little, but perhaps I've inadvertently kindled the fire..."
Something felt off.
I had been observing my fiancé for a long time. Certainly, his behavior had been strange lately, but he still tended to be easily influenced.
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"It's my mistake for misjudging. I'll come up with a countermeasure immediately, but returning him like this is worrying... Amalia?"
Something felt off.
If he had impulsively followed us, would he have lost us this early?
The Duke's carriage could depart at any moment. We weren't far from the mansion, and their carriage bore the family crest. They should have been able to catch up with us more smoothly.
(But if he had any intention at all, it wouldn't have come to this in the first place.)
The discomfort gnawed at me, and I replayed my memories over and over again.
Around the time the affair was discovered, and the following days. And then the events of these three days.
I hadn't noticed Ilvis looking at me with concern, lost in my thoughts.
Suddenly, I glanced at the direction my fiancé had gone.
I decided to take the gamble.
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