CHAPTER 16

How The Male Lead Cures The Young Lady Who Has A Limited Time

"Count! What kind of dress do you like?"

"Well, I don't know, but I hope it's comfortable. I don't like the hassle of walking around."

"Then, we should avoid the type of dress that’s heavy or has too many laces."

While riding in the carriage, Philia meticulously wrote down Yvette's words. Thinking that her Mistress was going to wear it, her enthusiasm seemed to spring up.

While Philia took notes, Yvette glanced out of the window.

The carriage, which was rattling along, was entering the city.

'Huh?'

Yvette stopped trying to turn her head.

It was because she found a familiar face.

"......Huh? Hey, isn't that Duke Averon?"

Perhaps in response to seeing the same person, Philia shouted out loud and pointed out the window.

Then, Noel, dressed up and walking with Sid, caught my eye.

The two were discussing something with serious expressions, Perhaps because of work.

"Aren't you supposed to go and say hi? You're the Duke's fiance."

Said Philia in an excited voice.

However, Yvette was not willing to step forward. It's the first time we've seen each other since the jeweler. Somehow she felt embarrassed to approach first.

"Well, is that really necessary? Noel looks busy, too."

When she hesitated, Philia opened her eyes, asking what she meant.

"He's not someone, he's your fiancée. At least say goodbye!"

"But….."

It was just then.

At the same time as the moving carriage stopped, Philia took an audible deep breath.

Yvette, who had turned her head to see what was going on, was startled as soon as she looked out the window.

What startled her was the sight of Noel, who had already approached her, looking straight at her.

* * * *

They had now moved to a bustling cafe full of conversating customers.

Yvette sat facing Noel with a cake in between.

Philia, who was quick-witted, left the place to go grocery shopping, Sid followed her claiming to be a *porter.

*Porter : a person employed to carry luggage and other loads, especially in a railroad station, airport, or hotel.

Which left only two people in the table, Yvette and Noel.

"What brings you downtown?"

Noel was the first to break the silence between them.

A look of tiredness was spread across his face as if he had not slept properly the night before.

"I'm out shopping. So what are you doing downtown, Noel?"

"I have something to buy around here, too."

Noel responded in a manner as swift as the flow of water, Yvette continued with another question.

"What did you come to buy?"

"I'm here to buy a dress. I think I'm going to have a lot of parties soon."

Yvette, who was responding with simple answers, narrowed her eyes at Noel.

"Speaking of which, I have so many invitations piled up in my study right now that I can't afford to read all of them. What do you think of this situation Noel?"

"......I think it’s unfortunate."

Noel replied with an expression of no regret, and Yvette opened his eyes wide.

“You are responsible for half of this, and I just can’t end up regretting it”

"Why is that my responsibility?"

"You're making the engagement announcement more of a fuss because you've added unnecessary things!”

"......did I do that?"

Noel pretended not to know and shrugged his shoulders.

Yvette looked around and lowered her voice so that only he could hear it.

"Who else, except you, can make rumors that we're in love passionately."

"Oh my. My fiance is smarter than I thought."

Noel smirked as if he had no intention of denying it until the end.

With his brazen attitude, Yvette almost threw the fork at the table.

"Why did you have to spread that rumor? You could have just said you were getting engaged."

“Because the engagement was too sudden for that. I just gave the dogs the right food to avoid unnecessary suspicion."

Noel answered calmly and lifted the teacup to his mouth.

"Of course, it was also convenient for chasing away the buzzing flies that cling to me."

"So now, you're saying you're using me to get rid of flies?"

"You also used me to step on your uncle, aren't you two so tired of each other?"

Yvette, who had nothing to say for a moment, picked up the fork with a sullen face. Then she poked a piece of cake and brought it to her mouth.

The cake filled with lemon cream was refreshing and sweet enough to revive the appetite that had not been there.

'.....what is this. How can a cake be this delicious?'

Yvette forgot that she was angry for a moment and blushed.

"You seem to like the cake in this house cake."

Noel, who was watching the scene with interest, stated.

Yvette continued to stuff the cake into her mouth.

"Yes. I like it more than my fiance."

Noel let out a short laugh in response to the boney answer.

"Aren't you too cold-hearted towards your fiancé?"

"That's what my fiance does."

Yvette answered arrogantly, then focused on the cake again.

After she moved the fork a few times, more than half of the cake that was the size of a palm was gone.

"You said thank you to me once. As expected, it was all talk."

Noel muttered looking a bit upset, Yvette paused and put down the fork.

She looked at Noel with a softer look than before.

"Did I seem to say something that made you upset?"

"What if I say yes?"

When he answered with a smile on his face, Yvette, who had been thinking for a while, opened her mouth.

"......Do you want a bite of cake? This will make you feel better."

Yvette poked the cake with a fork and took it to Noel's mouth.

Noel looked at the cake she had offered with a somewhat bewildered expression.

"…..Are you trying to comfort me with cake?"

"People feel better when they eat sweets. Take a bite too, Noel."

Yvette grinned and made a small sound saying "Ah!".

Noel smiled as if it was ridiculous, but he quietly took the cake that Yvette had offered him and ate it.

Glad there's no one around.

If anyone had seen it, it would have been on the front page of the newspaper the next day.

"How is it. Are you feeling better?"

Yvette neatly finished the last piece and asked Noel.

Noel gracefully swallowed the cake in his mouth, then said.

"It's too sweet."

"Cakes are supposed to be sweet. Noel doesn't even know that."

Yvette kicked her tongue, and put down the fork she was holding.

"Anyway, it's not the cake that matters right now."

"I don't think that's what someone who stared at the cake the whole time would say."

Noel muttered, pointing to the empty plate, but Yvette pretended not to hear him.

"Since I met you today, tell me which family I shouldn’t be friends with."

"......why should I?"

“Regardless of the truth, people know me as your fiance. A woman whose name is your fiancée can't go to a party hosted by Averon's enemies, right?"

Yvette whispered in a low voice so that she could not be heard around.

Then Noel tilted his head with a calm face.

"An enemy. Did I have that?"

"Wow. Do you know that I just had a bad time?"

As Yvette let out an exclamation, Noel lightly shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't know, I hear it a lot."

"Don't keep joking around. Is there no such thing as a real enemy? A rival that you are concerned about at least?"

I read the original to the end, but I couldn't remember the detailed settings like the conflict between the families.

That's why I asked him this question just in case……

She forgot for a moment.

The man in front of her is not a human being who will stand still and watch his enemy.

"I'll probably find out by now. There is no family in this country that dares to take Averon as its enemy."

Yvette quietly stuck out her tongue in response to his brazen answer.

"That's a lot of confidence."

"Because I worked so hard to make that doesn't happen."

Noel answered lightly and pointed to the plate Yvette had emptied.

"If you like it, do you want more?"

"No, thank you. If I eat too much, I may come out big when I measure myself later."

Though she was eager to eat more, Yvette managed to suppress her instincts.

"Come to think of it, you said you were out to buy dress."

Noel, who was tapping the table with his fingertips, opened his mouth.

"I can introduce you to my exclusive designer if you want. What do you say?"

"…..Is there an exclusive designer in Averon?"

"Of course."

When Noel nodded, Yvette was impressed inwardly.

'He's a duke, of course there's nothing missing.'

It was a moment when I realized that he was a great noble.

"Thank you for introducing me, but what if the designer feels uncomfortable?"

"If you ask me, I will grant you. That's the kind of person he is."

".......You're not threatening the designer, are you?"

When Yvette asked half jokingly, Noel smiled innocently.

"No way."

Seeing a smile that seemed to be made up, Yvette thought.

There's no doubt, he will threaten the designer.

"I'll just leave it to someone else, so please don't threaten people."

Yvette shook her head in a hurry.

I didn't want to hold on to an innocent designer to make a dress.

Even if it wasn't that person anyway, there were many designers who entrusted the dresses.

"Threatening is a joke. Of course I'll ask her."

".......was the exclusive designer a woman?"

When Yvette asked with her eyes wide open, Noel smiled.

"Why. Are you jealous because it's a woman?"

"What? No way."

Yvette shook her head with a straight face.

"I'm more comfortable with female designers than men. That's just great."

"Let's go back and ask her today."

"You know you can't threaten her, right? I'll ask her everything later."

"I'll keep that in mind."

With that said, the two left the cafe.

While waiting for Sid and Philia to return, Noel told Yvette.

"Leave the party to me. I'll pick a place that's less troublesome."

"…...A less troublesome place?"

When Yvette questioned, Noel raised the corners of his mouth.

"You'll find out when you get there."

"Now that Noel says that, I'm suddenly starting to feel uneasy."

"There's nothing to be nervous about. You'll come with me anyway."

Noel glanced at Yvette and slowly continued.

"The designer will come to visit soon, so make sure you match the dress then."

"Then there was no point in coming out of town today."

Yvette muttered, then sighs, and Noel bent down to meet her eye level.

"It doesn't make any sense."

Then he whispered softly.

"You met me."

-to be continued

Translated by Aria

Not 100% correct

Credit to the Author

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