An Early Engagement - Chapter 7
Yet, the two of them clung to each other without hesitation, and after finishing what they were doing, they calmly returned to their respective fiancés and danced.
That scene, which she couldn’t share with anyone—not even Melissa, with whom she had shared almost every secret since childhood—completely shook Shirley’s life.
If only they had been strategically arranged marriage partners, it might not have been so bad.
*Why did it have to be a betrothal from the womb?*
And why did their ages have to be so similar, making it impossible not to see herself and Damian in them?
Even though they had been entangled with someone else in the lounge, they weren’t neglectful of their fiancés.
The two of them appeared elegant and courteous, like a pair of swans that couldn’t have been more perfect in the eyes of others.
That, too, was strikingly similar to Shirley and Damian.
In the Empire’s social circles, Shirley and Damian were a famous couple.
With their doll-like beauty and handsome looks, their betrothal from the womb, and both families being prestigious nobles of the Empire—wherever they went, the two were always popular.
But in the end, wouldn’t we also end up like that couple? Leaving our fiancés behind and being drawn to someone else, our bodies burning with passion…
*“Sigh.”*
Shirley grabbed a fistful of her neatly combed hair.
Damian, Damian, Damian.
She wondered what he truly felt. Was it possible for Damian to marry her and spend his whole life looking only at her?
Shirley knew. She knew that her parents were very different from most other couples in high society.
But she wanted to live like her parents. Shirley believed that a married couple should be affectionate and burn with passion for each other.
However, that wasn’t usually the case in high society. Among couples married for family alliances rather than love, it was common for them to openly keep lovers and indulge in affairs.
*…There’s no guarantee that we won’t end up like that.*
“Even now, there’s no passion.”
Shirley, having let go of the hair she had been tugging at, picked up another nearby stone. She threw it with all her might toward the center of the pond.
But this time, she didn’t manage to scare the poor frogs.
“Are you trying to kill all the frogs in the pond?”
The harsh sunlight was suddenly replaced by shade. She didn’t even need to turn her head to know who was casting the shadow.
“…Damian.”
In the man’s hand was the stone Shirley had just thrown. She stared blankly at the stone in his hand, then slowly looked up at Damian.
“When did you get here?”
“Just now. I was about to leave since they said you were taking a nap.”
“……”
Shirley couldn’t find the words to respond to Damian’s answer and closed her mouth. Seeing her like this, Damian tossed the stone far away and tilted his head toward her.
His strikingly blue eyes were filled with a gentle smile. For some reason, Shirley felt a turmoil inside and turned her head away.
“Your forehead is hot.”
The hand that landed on her head was cool. Regardless of the season, Damian’s hands were always cold.
“……”
The weight of his large hand, big enough to cover her entire head, seemed to gradually calm the chaotic thoughts swirling in her mind.
“Why are you like this?”
At his affectionate question, Shirley finally looked up at Damian.
“Huh? Shirley.”
Though the backlight was strong, his well-defined features didn’t lose any of their radiance. Under the June sunlight, his face seemed to glow.
“Are you okay?”
His voice was soft, almost like a whisper, but it carried a weight that made Shirley’s heart ache. She wanted to ask him so many things—about his feelings, about their future, about whether he could truly love only her. But the words stuck in her throat.
Instead, she just nodded, her eyes still locked on his. Damian’s expression softened, and he gently brushed a strand of hair away from her face.
“Let’s go inside. It’s too hot out here.”
Shirley nodded again, letting him guide her back toward the house. As they walked, she couldn’t help but wonder if the calm she felt in his presence was enough to quiet the storm of doubts in her heart.
But for now, she decided to hold onto that small moment of peace, even if it was fleeting.
…his golden hair and sapphire-blue eyes shimmered under the sunlight.
*He really is handsome…*
No matter how accustomed she had become to her father and brother’s looks, Shirley wasn’t blind enough to overlook Damian’s beauty.
Damian’s face wasn’t just handsome—it was beautiful, almost ethereal.
The Duchess of Elpart, who had always wanted a daughter, often dressed Damian in dresses and tied ribbons in his hair. Every time, his beauty was truly dazzling.
For the sake of his frail mother’s happiness, Damian willingly endured the cross-dressing. Shirley sometimes thought that if they stood side by side at their wedding, more eyes would be drawn to Damian than to her.
Shirley stared at Damian for a while, and Damian, in turn, gazed back at her intently.
“You don’t like getting sunburned, do you?”
The hand that had been on her head slid down and gently brushed her cheek.
“Huh? Oh.”
Only then did Shirley realize her cheeks had turned red from the sun.
Her pale skin, almost porcelain-like, didn’t tan under the sun—it burned bright red. Her flushed cheeks made her look like she was drunk, which was why Shirley hated getting sunburned.
She always avoided direct sunlight and carried a parasol whenever she went out. But today, she had been so lost in thought that she hadn’t even noticed the sun beating down on her.
All because of what Melissa had said earlier.
“Why are you out here when the sun is so strong?”
Damian stood still, shielding her from the sunlight. His back must have been burning under the sun, but he didn’t move.
This wasn’t the first time Damian had done something like this. Whenever there was no shade, he willingly became her shade.
“Let’s go somewhere cooler.” Damian extended his hand.
