Chapter 31. Chapter 6. Still the same, yet different (2)
Tak.
Even after the office door was closed, Cyril looked down at the grass ring given by Adrienne.
Adrienne was embarrassed after receiving the bracelet. The grass ring was given out of fear of the stiff atmosphere, so she made excuses not to be misunderstood.
‘Pretending to be all grown up—’
She wouldn’t do that in the past. She will just like it and laugh. Of course, yesterday’s Adrienne also happily accepted the present. But it was quite different from the old days when she just liked it without thinking.
She seemed to care about the family’s face — which had already been ruined by the time she made the grass ring— and she was well aware that there were no unconditional favors.
Cyril was surprised by it all over again.
When did a child with blood-stained cotton in her mouth become so big, who cried out that she had grown up with a leaky pronunciation because she had no front teeth.
‘How can I have this?’
Even with that thought, the hand that touched the grass ring was cautious.
When he imagined Adrienne, who would have made this alone, sitting in the corner of the greenhouse, he couldn’t help but smile.
To be honest, Cyril didn’t feel very good when he first saw Adrienne, who couldn’t take her eyes away from the rose. Of course, he expected her to think of Lionel, so it was natural for him to express his discomfort.
He thought she only had Lionel in her heart when she said she needed to organize some things—.
But that’s not the reason. He felt relieved when she said she just needed to sort the rumors. At the same time, he pondered how much pain she had gone through to say such a thing.
That’s why Cyril ordered Maxel to collect newspapers.
He was curious as to how much Adrienne, who is slow at her job, cares about it. He thought that he’d check it out with his own eyes. Then, one after another, Cyril, who was looking back on the events of yesterday, hardened for a moment. It was because the shocking remarks came to mind again.
‘I don’t want you to be tied to this marriage.’
Adrienne said something that Cyril couldn’t even think about. In addition, she has a really soft and generous face. The most annoying was her expression, which seemed to say, ‘I think you’d agree, of course.’
‘What do you know so well about me—.’
Cyril had an experience of rising anger for no reason. When it comes to it, nothing is wrong, but it was a strange experience that felt strange.
‘Where are you going?’
‘What do you mean? I’m going to go in now.’
‘We haven’t finished playing the married couple yet—.’
‘Then let’s finish it.’
‘Ah, Cyril. Don’t go. Let’s play a bit more, okay?’
A cloudy, hazy vision flashed into his mind. It was a scenario he had seen many times when he was young.
Adrienne rushed to grab Cyril’s sleeve and blinked really quickly when they finished the game. He remembered purposefully replying back because it was fun to act that way.
‘Just a little bit.’
‘Okay! Just a little bit!’
Still, in the end, Adrienne’s wish came true.
Cyril would play a little more pretending he couldn’t win if the young Adrienne begged so much. He used to create circumstances even when they were only playing.
The reason why old memories suddenly came to mind was probably because of Adrienne, who had the same face and acted too differently.
‘In the past—.’
It has been more than five years since Cyril left Cassinel. It wasn’t a terribly long time, but it wasn’t short enough to look back on his old days.
Everything has changed as much as the level of the eyes opened, but Adrienne in Cyril’s memory is still Adrienne at that time, so it was a little difficult to face the change.
Adrienne who wanted to give him freedom and Adrienne who didn’t want to bind him were all unfamiliar to Cyril.
‘Don’t you like to be free? Or— No way, do you want to bind me?’
The memories that had been blurred by longing for a moment became clear in an instant.
Cyril gritted his teeth.
‘Be free and do whatever you want.’
If she was still dreaming of that freaking first love, Cyril thought she would be happy if he helped. Because that’s what she wants.
In an era where everyone is doing whatever they want, adding one more Adrienne will not make much difference.
I’ll help you, so do whatever you want—.
When the thought of crossing the two poles reached the end, Cyril glared at the grass ring. It was quite a bitter look, but it was only for a moment.
‘Should I just throw it away?’
Cyril, who had been thinking for a long time, put the grass ring back in a separate case. It was exactly what he first brought from the mansion.
A grass ring in a high-quality velvet case—.
Cyril pointed to his temple at the belated reality. Unexplained anger collapsed with a long sigh.
‘You crazy punk! You’re saying all sorts of nonsense.’
The moment he came to his senses, self-hatred came like a lightning bolt.
What the hell are you talking about, what the hell are you helping—.
It’s only been three months since they reunited, and since they suddenly got married, Adrienne must have been considerate of Cyril.
Looking back, there was no reason to be angry. He couldn’t say thank you, but he said a lot of things that he shouldn’t have said.
After objectively looking back on the situation, belated regret poured in. Cyril fell face down on the desk. He was these days, feeling pathetic for himself like never before.
******
The sun poured over the carriage running through Ruther’s smooth road. The shadow created by the carriage shading was darker than ever.
The carriage was on its way to Thesar. Since the marriage had already been decided, all that remained was for them to meet the adults from both families in earnest.
Considering Thesar’s short summer and early winter, the first place to visit became Cyril’s territory.
“Adrienne.”
“Hm?”
Cyril crossed his arms and glanced at Adrienne’s head. He didn’t see it because he wanted to, but because she didn’t look at him when he called, he couldn’t help but stare.
The round head, as if made of clumped red wool, tilted left and right at times.
He had no idea what she was so concerned about in a letter.
“—Do you want to do it here?”
“It’ll take ten more days to get to Thesar. There’s nothing to do, so it’s better to do it now.”
Adrienne was still staring at the paper even as he said that.
She was serious as she chose the list to prioritize the marriage news and picked the greetings to send to each family.
He wondered if it was necessary to be anxious about the wedding, which was still half a year away, but Adrienne seemed to have a different opinion.
Well, Adrienne had been Cassinel’s hostess since the day she was born. He couldn’t help but notice that she didn’t want to ruin Cassinel’s precious name.
Adrienne, who had been staring at the paper for a long, instantly puffed one cheek.
Cyril, who witnessed this, let out a laugh that sounded like a sigh. After several years, the habit of popping out while she was focusing remained.
Cyril closed his eyes. A young Adrienne fighting with etiquette was naturally drawn through the dark vision.
“If you had studied so hard, you would have been in the finance department, not Reid.”
“Why are you suddenly picking a fight?”
Adrienne immediately lifted her eyes and raised her head as he muttered in low voices.
“What do you mean to fight. I said it in the hope that the Viscountess Parte would be delighted to see it.”
Cyril, who opened one eye lightly, looked down at Adrienne. She leaned her head back and leaned against the soft wall, looking relaxed.
Cyril felt a little welcome to the shallow anger of blue eyes. Earlier, she didn’t even look at him when he called her, but now she seemed to want to say a word.
“Since when have you been thinking of Viscountess Parte?”
“Who did Viscountess teach when you started to look ten years older?”
“Be quiet.”
“Ah, yes, should I be quiet for all ten days? I’m confident.”
At the relaxed response, the fine brow wrinkled without mercy. “Kill that thing, save it—” Adrienne’s feelings were fully revealed in the growling sound.
Cyril, who secretly opened the other eye, pretended to turn his head and glanced at Adrienne with a squint. Small lips were pouting everywhere. They pretended to be so grown up, and at times like that, they were like a child.
Is it because it’s funny? He kept trying to let out a laugh. It was a moment when Cyril was trying to keep this expressionless face by biting his lips.
“You really have to thank me.”
Adrienne, who breathed out briefly, said with her eyes down.
“You? To you?”
Adrienne’s eyes were wide open to the way he spoke confidently that it couldn’t be. It was quite fierce, but Cyril only shrugged his shoulders.
Adrienne even put down the paper he was holding, perhaps because the trivial action set the fire. There was strength in the big round eyes.
“Let’s see how you persecute me like this. What’s quiet— The silence froze to death. I’m protecting Captain Thesar’s status, you.”
“Who told you to protect it?”
“Mademoiselle who adores you should see you now— but I’ll let you go because you’re my friend, really.”
It was a look on her face that she was really sad and regretful. Adrienne shook her head and couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“Hooray!”
“Hooray? It’s not hooray! But ‘Thank you—.’ It’s not even enough. Can’t you see this effort not to get in the way of your relationship?”
“If you disturb it, it will be a hindrance.”
What love affair gets in the way of something he never even thought of—.
Cyril swallowed the words and clicked his tongue. He thought she’d be annoyed again because he responded bluntly.
“That’s true, but. Come to think of it, Cyril, you were very popular.”
But Adrienne wasn’t angry. Instead of getting angry, he even pushed Cyril up.
The very ordinary compliment of being popular did not somehow sound as good as it is.
She didn’t do anything wrong, but he felt like he was being stabbed.