~ Chapter 5 ~
“As far as I know, Bianche houses are all about the same price.”
Listening to Yuri, it hit her that Hyugo seemed to moved into the next house deliberately. Despite that he absolutely had no reasons to do such thing.
“Anyway, I think Viscount Edward still has a heart for my master.”
“Yuri, if your hypothesis is correct, Hyugo won’t come to see me.”
A week has passed since he moved.
Even an uninterested person would still visit their neighbors face to face, but she didn’t even see his shadow, as if he was intentionally avoiding her.
“Is that so…?”
Yuri scratched her cheek. Her assumption was about to fall on the ground.
Yuri said her hunch confidently, but now it has been shook by Hyugo’s unexpected actions, thus she might not tell useless things again.
“If he’s indeed interested in me, he would have gone into my home. He wouldn’t stand still in his house.”
Hyugo hasn’t visited her since then.
Catherine spoke as if spilling an important information, and at that moment Yuri’s eyes fluttered wildly.
‘You are experiencing the breaking your own beliefs at last, too.’
People are talking big sometimes.
Yuri then tapped Catherine’s shoulder.
“Viscount Edward?!”
Looking over Catherine’s shoulder, Yuri shouted.
“Yuri, don’t joke—”
Catherine turned her body around. Her words were belatedly finished.
“Around…?”
Hyugo’s face came into the view as Catherine turned around.
“Catherine, I have something to give you.”
At the front of her house, there was a certain someone standing- Hyugo Edward.
Yuri poked Catherine’s arm. As if correcting that her hunch was actually correct.
Catherine gave the cotton cloth she was holding to Yuri and greeted Hyugo politely.
Hyugo’s gaze stayed at the cotton cloth for a long time.
“What happened, Hyugo?”
“As I mentioned, I came here to give you something.”
Hyugo replied bluntly and looked around Catherine House Hall.
“You decorated it well.”
“Yes, I put a lot of effort into it.”
His short compliment made her feel better.
“Ianche Hall is in a miserable state, you know?”
The feeling of happiness instantly fell into abyss after his words.
Ianche House is a mansion within Hyugo’s territory. It was where Catherine should have taken care of; supposedly.
Just now, Hyugo implied that the hall of Ianche House was a mess because it was not cared for by Catherine.
“Then please tell me when you will go to the capital. I’ll introduce you to a great interior maker.”
Catherine felt a sense of responsibility and kindly offered, but Hyugo refused at once.
“Without is fine. But, before anything else, should I keep standing here?”
He was still standing in front of the door.
“Can you continue this talk inside?”
Elbert came up and asked. But Catherine shook her head.
“Didn’t you say you had something to give me? You can simply give me that and go on your way. As you could see, I’m a busy person.”
“At least, do you have time to have a cup of tea?”
There was no reason to sit side by side with Hyugo and drink tea.
Still, when she saw him, her heart felt like jumping out of her chest.
It was heartbreaking for her to reminisce what had happened between them in the past. More importantly, she couldn’t look at him directly in the eyes due to the guilt she felt, because if it weren’t for her, he wouldn’t have to go to that miserable life back then.
Maintaining her composure while looking at him was as impossible as asking a child who could not walk to run.
Hyugo’s eyebrows wriggled at Catherine’s rejection. Suddenly, the memories of their distant past came to her mind.
In Catherine’s past life, during their 10-years marriage, two people sit face to face and drink tea.
And it was the first time in life that Hyugo has asked Catherine to drink tea together.
Was her rejection made him uncomfortable? Hyugo, who showed little change on his expression, had a visible unpleased expression.
‘But he’s my neighbor.’
He is a neighbor, and not an ex-husband of her.
When she thought of that idea, the resonance subsided a little.
‘He told me that he personally came here to return my stuffs.’
She had no reason to even decline such request. She could make enough time to give and receive her stuffs.
Catherine looked back at Elbert.
“Give me a tea to the living room. Let’s go up, Hyugo.”
Only then did Hugo’s eyebrows returned to normal.
***
“This living room is nice, too.”
Hyugo observed around the living room like a guest who had been invited home. Catherine sat on the sofa and touched her forehead.
It felt alright when they were with another people, but now it felt awkward to be alone in the living room.
Hyugo’s tour of the living room was also a self-rescue measure to avoid the awkwardness he felt.
However, it’s not possible to just tour himself around the living room when he was the one who asked for a tea.
Hyugo sat awkwardly in front of Catherine.
He straightened his back without attaching his back to the cushion. In his rigid posture, he felt uncomfortable.
‘You shouldn’t have come if you’re this uncomfortable.’
Catherine didn’t feel good seeing him uncomfortable.
“Give me the item.”
“Now?”
Hyugo asked back. Catherine put down her hand that was momentarily on her forehead, and stared at Hyugo.
As soon as he sat down, it seemed as if she was bruising him for disturbing her work.
“Yes. And from now on, even if you find my stuff, don’t bring it to me and just throw it away.”
“You can’t just casually throw away other people’s things.”
“The owner allowed it.”
“But I still feel uncomfortable.”
Hyugo and Catherine exchanged their perspective silently. It wasn’t like Hyugo who would do what Catherine said.
‘He’s still a stubborn man, isn’t he?’
Catherine sighed and reached out her hand.
“Give it to me.”
Quickly give it to me and leave.
Maybe what Yuri said was true. Although, probably the only part of moving into the next door of her house.
Of course, the reason of trying to have a good relationship with her isn’t his purpose. Hyugo was clearly displaying his displeasure whenever he meets her.
‘It’s more believable to say that you moved next door because you didn’t like me.’
Even though she knew it was a leap, it didn’t seem like she was wrong too, looking at Hyugo’s attitude toward her.
Hyugo slowly took things out of his arms. This time, it was a paper knife.
It was not an item that was expensive or had a good story enough to bring in person.
It was a common mass-produced product made of ivory of buffalo.
Catherine didn’t want to say any more, so she wordlessly received the item and put it on one side of the table.
“Do you have anything else to bring?”
“I am not sure.”
“If you have any, I’d like you to bring them all at once.”
“I don’t have time to search the house all day.”
Hyugo shook his head as if not to say nonsense.
‘Then you’re going to keep going here to give back my things whenever you found them?’
Catherine almost said she would go to Hyugo’s house and look for her things herself.
She was able not to make a mistake thanks to Elbert, who pulled out the tea in a timely manner.
“Thank you, Elbert.”
Elbert put the tea down and stood behind Catherine.
“You can go out, Elbert.”
“… Understood.”
Elbert looked alternately between Catherine and Hyugo and belatedly answered. And as he went outside, he gently opened the door.
Come to think of it, Catherine was alone with Hyugo and even closed the door tightly.
If anyone got this information, there will be rumors in the society.
While Catherine thought it was fortunate that he left the door open before anyone could see them, Hyugo looked at the opened door.
“Hyugo?”
Somehow Catherine called him, whose expression was darker than before.
‘Are you not feeling well?’
That’s possible.
He said he found her things whole organizing his luggage. That only means that he has been tidying it up for the past week.
‘It’s not easy to organize things yourself. Did you rest properly?’
She promised to forget him, and decided not to get involved with him anymore, but then again, she was naturally worried about him.
“You should go if you’re busy. You don’t have to drink all the tea.”
The topic of the tea came out, but for someone who served the tea for him and will leave without emptying is simply impolite. But it’s alright if the owner allowed it.
“Are you kicking me out?”
She said it out of consideration for him, but Hyugo responded sharply. Hyugo then picked up a teacup.
“I’m not busy.”
She forgot that he was a polite man.
“Okay, then. Finish all the tea. Catherine House is famous for its tea taste.”
She added unnecessary words.
“I should come here to drink more often. I’ve never had such a delicious tea.”
Hyugo accepted Catherine’s words. The rigid air flowed smoothly. A calm smile was caught around the mouths of the two of them.
Then Catherine recalled how it was strange to drink tea this natural with Hyugo.
They spent only one night together, and even though it was three days, we were still married.
Is Hyugo okay enough to comfortably look at her, talk to her, and came back?
Is this the weight difference of memory?
Because she doesn’t know Hyugo’s terrible 10 years of marriage which Catherine remembers hers only.
‘But it wasn’t just bad.’
It was a time when she could see her loved one as much as she wanted.
Although it became more painful as time went by.
For no reason, Catherine rinsed her mouth with the tea.
“Did you enjoy your life in the capital city?”
Hyugo broke the odd silence.
“It’s just so-so.”
Actually, it was fun. She had a hard time, yet she met good people, and had created a business system without worrying about her retirement in the future.
However, she didn’t answer directly because it would seem impolite that she liked her divorced life.
“What about you?”
And she back out of courtesy. She merely returned his question out of courtesy, but Hyugo’s face gets serious.
“Not at all.”
“Not at all?”
“It wasn’t fun.”
Catherine was embarrassed because the words sounded sincere. Her light question made the atmosphere heavy.
“I sincerely hope and please that your life in the capital will be fun this year.”
Catherine stated to deal with the chilly atmosphere.
Hyugo’s mouth was arced up, perhaps because her efforts worked.
“If you help me it is. But will you help me?”
“I’d be willing to. How can I help you?”
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She should have been said no, but her answer bounced off. Hyugo immediately replied without any time to panic.
“Please find me someone to marry. I heard you do something similar.”
“Pardon?”
Catherine put down the teacup aggressively she was holding, as if throwing it. The tea water overflowed into the plate.
Like Catherine’s fluctuating emotions.