An Early Engagement - Chapter 25
The hand that pressed against her forehead was gentle.
“Yeah.”
Since it had been a pretense from the start, there was no way she could actually be unwell. But now that things had gone this far, she had no choice but to pretend she was feeling better.
“No fever.”
“I told you I’m fine.”
Afraid that her act might be discovered, Shirley quickly pushed Damian’s hand away.
“What about elsewhere? No dizziness? Your stomach? No nausea?”
“I said I’m fine.”
His excessive concern was starting to make her feel guilty.
“That’s good to hear.”
Damian reached out and smoothed Shirley’s tangled hair. As the pink strands slipped through his long fingers, a faint scent of roses wafted through the air.
“It smells nice.”
When Damian grabbed a strand of her hair to sniff the fragrance, Shirley let out a small, awkward cough.
“So… about the village festival… when are we going?”
“It’ll be more fun at night. They light a big bonfire and have performances in the evening.”
“……”
“The sun will set soon.”
Shirley glanced out the window, where the sunset was beginning to paint the sky. Once the intense sunlight faded, the breeze would turn cool, and it would be much more pleasant to walk around.
“My mother and the Duchess have been invited to another gathering.”
“Those two are always so busy.”
Having been invited by another noblewoman who lived far from the capital, the two mothers had left Damian and Shirley behind.
It seemed as though they had returned to their girlhood days, as if their children were no longer on their minds.
Although it was the summer vacation period, both the Duke of Lafez and the Duke of Elpart were too busy with royal duties to come down to the villa.
However, it seemed they were perfectly fine with this situation, as they enjoyed their rare vacation, seemingly forgetting about their husbands.
“So, it’d be nice if we went to the village and had some fun too.”
Shirley was tempted, but she couldn’t bring herself to agree right away.
Above all, she couldn’t believe how their relationship, which had been so awkward since the masquerade ball, had suddenly smoothed over and become close again.
While she was secretly happy about it, there was also a lingering unease—was everything really okay now?
But then again, Damian had always been generous and forgiving toward her.
No matter what she did or said, he would always accept it and move on. He was a perfect, 100-point fiancé.
She didn’t want to bring up the past and return to that awkward moment again.
It was just a momentary lapse. Just a brief bout of restlessness.
Something that any couple in the world could go through. Shirley concluded it that way in her heart.
“Then… I guess going wouldn’t be so bad.”
“Really?”
A bright smile spread across Damian’s face. For some reason, Shirley’s pride felt a little hurt, so she lowered her eyes and pouted.
“I’m only going because I thought you might be bored.”
“Of course. Thank you, Shirley.”
Damian suddenly leaned in and lightly kissed her cheek.
Although such light kisses were something they had always done, Shirley felt oddly shy and gently touched the spot where his lips had been. For some reason, it felt as if it had been touched by fire, the temperature distinctly different.
“Then, I’ll get ready.”
At Shirley’s answer, Damian nodded.
“Alright. But…” Damian’s expression darkened for a moment.
“What’s wrong?”
When Shirley asked, confused, Damian chuckled and said,
“Don’t dress up too prettily. I don’t like the idea of the village boys eyeing you.”
“What are you talking about?”
Shirley lightly smacked his arm. The spot where Damian had kissed her cheek felt like it was burning even more now.
“It’s because you’re too pretty.”
“……”
Under the intense gaze of his blue eyes, Shirley’s awkward cough grew louder.
“Now get out. I need to change.”
“Okay.”
Damian chuckled and left the room.
Left alone, Shirley pretended to look elsewhere until the door closed, then immediately sprang up.
She went to the mirror, tidied her messy hair, and began pulling out clothes from the closet.
***
“Wow.”
Damian’s eyes shimmered softly as he looked at Shirley.
“Why?”
Shirley tilted her head away from his intense gaze. Damian smiled and walked closer, circling around her.
“You’re making me nervous, Shirley.”
He smiled awkwardly, and Shirley’s face turned even redder.
“Stop saying things like that. I picked the most modest outfit I could.”
She couldn’t wear an expensive, ornate dress to a village festival, so she had to dig through her entire wardrobe to find something both practical and eye-catching.
In the end, she settled on a linen dress with puffed sleeves and a lace hem that fell just below her knees.
The dress had pink roses embroidered near the chest, giving it an even more charming vibe.
Damian’s gaze lingered on her hair, which was braided and draped over her shoulders.
“…Does it look weird?”
Was it too childish? Shirley felt inexplicably anxious. She didn’t know why, but Damian’s opinion suddenly felt incredibly important.
“Not at all.”
After staring at her seriously for a while, a smile spread across Damian’s lips.
“You look absolutely beautiful. So much so that I don’t want to show you off.”
At his words, Shirley felt her body tremble slightly. Was it because the temperature had dropped in the evening? She felt a little cold.
“Are you cold, Shirley?”
“Ah, no. Just a little…”
Damian wrapped his arms around Shirley’s slightly trembling shoulders and pulled her closer.
His broad frame was more than enough to envelop her small body completely. As he pressed closer, Damian whispered into her ear,
“By the way,”
