An Early Engagement - Chapter 8
“…Hurry up.”
Shirley didn’t respond, only staring at the hand Damian had extended.
At his urging, she cautiously placed her hand in his. The moment their hands touched, Damian’s large hand enveloped hers firmly.
Though his face was delicate, his hands were large and strong, with a solid structure. Shirley’s small, pale hand fit perfectly within his.
*When did his hands get so big?*
The realization made Shirley feel awkward.
It wasn’t just his hands that had grown. Damian, who had been about her height as a child, had shot up so much that she couldn’t even dream of catching up.
Now, even if she stood on her tiptoes, she could barely reach his chest, let alone his shoulders.
Shirley, who had been crouching on the ground, was pulled up by Damian’s hand.
“Up we go.”
His exaggerated tone, as if he were lifting a child, made Shirley’s cheeks flush even more.
Without much effort, she was suddenly standing upright in front of him.
“Stop treating me like a kid. It’s been ages since my coming-of-age ceremony.”
“Just two months ago, really.”
Damian grinned. At the ball celebrating their coming of age, the two had stood side by side, dressed in a white dress and tuxedo, dancing as everyone congratulated them.
It had only been two months. No matter how much she insisted she was an adult now, it was pointless.
“But I’m still an adult.”
“Sure, you’re an adult.”
Damian replied nonchalantly, brushing off the grass stuck to Shirley’s dress. His hand naturally moved to remove a leaf stuck near her hip, causing Shirley to flinch and step back abruptly.
“I-I’ll do it myself.”
One of her hands was still held by Damian.
“……”
As Shirley used her free hand to brush off the leaf stuck to her hip, a faint smile appeared on Damian’s lips.
“Let’s go over there.”
“To cool off.”
The direction of their held hands changed. He adjusted his grip on her hand and led her under the shade of a large tree.
Damian pulled out a handkerchief, spread it on the grass, and gently guided Shirley to sit down. Even with just a slight tug, she had no choice but to follow him.
“You sit too.”
She wanted to ask him to sit with her, but the small handkerchief obviously didn’t have enough space for both of them. Damian chuckled and plopped down beside her.
“Feeling better now?”
“Yeah.”
The cool shade felt like a lifesaver. She couldn’t understand how she had been sitting by the hot pond earlier.
“You’re sweating so much.”
Damian carefully wiped the sweat from Shirley’s forehead with his sleeve. His tender and warm tone made her feel inexplicably small.
Damian was a good friend. He had been by her side for almost every moment of her life, and he would continue to be for the rest of her days.
A perfect groom.
A kind friend who always shielded her from the sun and wiped her sweat without fail. Flawless in every way.
It felt ridiculous to be questioning whether she could spend her life with Damian as his wife. Now, of all times? They had just celebrated their coming-of-age ceremony, and it wouldn’t be long before they held their wedding.
Her head spun again as the chain of thoughts began once more.
“But seriously, were you trying to kill all the frogs in the pond?” A playful voice broke through her thoughts. His gaze was filled with mischief.
“…No.”
“Unless you’re planning to become a frog murderer, why were you doing that? Did the heat get to you already?” He tilted his head, clearly unable to make sense of what he had just witnessed.
“That’s not it either.”
Her cheeks were still flushed, but her mind was clear.
“Still hot?”
Damian’s hand touched Shirley’s burning cheek. His large hand was big enough to cover not just her hand but her entire face.
“I said it’s not that.”
“Shirley?”
“……”
Shirley turned her face away slightly, but Damian gently cupped her cheek and turned it back toward him.
Damian frowned, looking puzzled.
Damian was always like this. He always took care of her, was affectionate and kind. But that kindness was only that of a friend.
*We’ll never be a passionate couple, will we?*
That thought made Shirley gloomy. Even though they were this close, even though he was holding her face with both hands, her heart didn’t race—it just felt comfortable. Probably the same for Damian.
*There’s no fluttering between us. No passion. It’s because we’ve been together since before we even saw each other as romantic partners.*
“What’s wrong?”
Damian’s sharp eyes carefully observed Shirley’s reaction.
“I told you, it’s nothing.”
Shirley tried to pull away the large hand cupping her face, but no matter how much she struggled, his grip didn’t loosen.
His sapphire-blue eyes followed her movements. Feeling awkward in this situation, Shirley desperately wanted to escape.
“What is it? You can tell me anything.”
*…I can never tell him.* What she was thinking about, what she had discussed with Melissa in her room earlier—she could never reveal any of it. She was so embarrassed she wanted to hide.
“You always get quiet and gloomy when something’s bothering you.”
*…Do I really do that?* Shirley thought about how complicated yet simple it was to have a childhood friend like Damian. He knew her too well. While that was comforting, it also meant…
*I probably have no sense of mystery to him.*
Damian even remembered the time she wet herself while listening to scary stories on a summer night.
Just thinking about it made her gloomy again.
*If we were both girls, we’d probably be the best of friends. Maybe even closer than Melissa.*
But Damian and Shirley were destined to be husband and wife. Shirley was supposed to live her life as the Duchess of Elpart. That was an unchangeable reality.
“Ha.”
A sigh escaped her lips without her realizing it. What was the difference between being a couple and being friends? Sharing a bed? Having a physical relationship?
*”Maybe I’ll understand if I try it once.”*
If they really tried it, would she finally understand?
