"Why is that person here again?"
Although his face was covered by a cloak, he was clearly Duke Bernhard. Murphy and Thompson clearly recognized Duke Bernhardt and seemed to have taken a back seat.
Shioana quickly turned around and pretended not to see him.
'Could it be that he came just to see me?'
There might be another errand like yesterday.
'Does he need another clown to drag into the banquet hall while talking about gold coins?'
It wasn't even a topic to refuse, and somehow she felt reluctant. The wave of followers who had followed him at yesterday's banquet was clearly visible.
She was his partner, but honestly, it didn't matter who it was. Feeling annoyed, Shioana bit her lip.
'What does that have to do with me?'
Having let go of her lingering attachment to the man standing at the fountain, Shioana began to walk, looking straight ahead. She shook her bag back and forth for no reason, humming a tune that wouldn't even come out.
How many steps did she take?
Someone strode over and quickly caught up to Shioana.
"You got home safely yesterday, right?"
Shioana slowly turned her body.
"...?"
Seeing the dim figure of the person with his back to the sunlight, her eyes instantly welled up with tears.
It was not unreasonable to mistake the Duke's current appearance for Etienne.
'How could I have held back thoughts of Etienne...'
Shioana tried hard not to get sentimental. Because she didn't want to appear weak.
But whenever she met the Duke, this resolution crumbled easily.
'So don't come near me.'
Shioana's fear-filled eyes spoke to him.
However, her request was completely ignored, and the Duke, having lowered the cloak covering his head, took another step closer.
Soft blonde hair flowed down over his smooth forehead, and his deep red eyes were intently following her expression.
Curling the corners of his lips, he asked.
"Does this look like you fell for me because I'm handsome?"
"...Yes?"
'Do you think I would have fallen for you just because you're handsome?'
It resembled what Shioana had said to him the day Etienne saved her from the broken swing. Afraid of being caught in the foolish delusion she had just made, she deliberately spoke calmly.
"Are you passing by again, Your Excellency Duke Bernhard?"
"That is impossible."
Having given up on understanding the other person, Shioana spoke in a voice mixed with resignation.
"Then, what business do you have with me today?"
"Are we in a kind of relationship where we need a reason to see each other?"
At the Duke's words, Shioana quickly looked around. She was concerned that someone might have overheard. It was far too grandiose to say to a stand-in lover whom he only needed to meet ten times to repay a debt.
"Assuming there is no reason, why have you come to this place?"
Having stared at documents all day, the very act of engaging in this verbal sparring was exhausting. As Shioana placed one hand on the yard, a strange emotion flickered across the Duke's face. Soon returning to his usual expression, he let out a sigh.
"I'm lost."
"...What do you mean? Where is Viscount Conrad? Where is the carriage?"
"I got out of the carriage because I wanted to walk a bit, but everyone has vanished without a trace. I only came here to see you, so I have absolutely no idea where to go."
To think Duke Bernhard was lost in District 8— Shioana was dumbfounded and speechless.
"So please stay with me for just a moment."
"I'm on my way home, so..."
"I think Cedric will be looking for me in about an hour."
Sparks flew between Shioana, who was trying to return by any means, and the Duke, who was trying to hold onto her.
“Time is not important.”
Shioana wanted to say that she absolutely hated the very act of being with him.
"I'll count this as ten gold coins too, how about it?"
"...Ah."
She really hated it, but Shioana's resolve wavered at the ten gold coins.
'It's only an hour, so wouldn't it be okay? But where and what should I do to pass the time?'
While she was deep in thought, the Duke was already walking quite a distance ahead.
'I haven't even answered yet...'
Shioana hurriedly chased after him, and they came back to the front of the fountain.
It was a place she passed by every day on her way to and from work, but it was the first time she had come this close. The fountain's water splashed onto her and the Duke's faces.
"...Ah."
As Shioana saw the Duke's wet bangs, her eyes traced the past.
One rainy day, Etienne's bangs were pressed tightly against his forehead, and his red eyes were filled with Regbell. His moist lips, beneath his sharp nose, had captivated her gaze.
'It's exactly the same as back then.'
Seized by an irresistible, strange energy, she reached out her arm. Her hand soon brushed against the Duke's cheek. Startled by the sudden contact, the Duke leaned his back against the fountain.
As her hand touched his wet bangs, her legs swayed.
It felt moderately cold and soft, just as she had imagined.
Shioana, now in the position of being held by the Duke, rested her cheek against his firm chest.
'Just for a moment...'
She wanted to think of the Duke as Etienne.
Because they have the same body temperature, scent, and eyes.
"Are you admitting now that you've fallen for me?"
Shioana snapped back to reality at the sound of the Duke's voice and quickly pulled away. However, a group of curious children and their parents were watching them.
"Sister, are you going to kiss too?"
Shioana covered her flushed face at the child's question.
"Oh my god!"
"We'll keep our eyes covered."
Startled by the child's subsequent words, she grabbed the Duke's hand and fled the scene. She didn't know how frantically she ran.
Much later, as Shioana straightened her back, she felt a strong wind. It seemed they had reached the vicinity of the harbor before they knew it.
As the flustered Shioana looked around, the Duke, having pulled his cloak back down, whistled.
"You run fast."
"Ah. Well..."
She should apologize, but the words wouldn't come easily. Not only had she touched the Duke's face without permission, but she had also brought him all the way to this terrible place.
"I'm thirsty from running for so long. Why don't we go in there?"
Where the Duke's fingertips pointed, there was a small tavern. And at the entrance, a wooden sign read an advertisement that if you drink two, one is free.
'So this is the place Murphy was talking about earlier.'
Since it was an awkward situation and she had to do something, Shioana quickly nodded.
Shioana, sitting in a corner of a small pub, kept looking around. She couldn't seem to adjust to the noisy atmosphere inside the shop. She felt like she should order something, but since it was her first time in a place like this, she didn't know how.
As she looked at the menu, the Duke spoke leisurely.
"Is there anything you particularly like?"
Since the only wine she had ever tasted was during meals, everything hidden on the menu was unfamiliar.
“Oh, no.”
“I’ll order.”
The Duke sprang up from his seat, immediately said something to the waiter, and returned. Shioana fidgeted with her fingers and timidly opened her mouth.
"I will buy this for you."
"Well."
The Duke, with his arms crossed, wore a reluctant expression. Shioana also knew that this was ridiculous.
"It feels uncomfortable always being a burden. Besides, I got my weekly pay today."
Even though it wasn't much money, it was the result of her hard work all week long.
The Duke nodded as he examined the ink on Shioana's sleeve and the back of her hand.
The drinks they ordered arrived soon, but the atmosphere hardly improved.
Having little to say, he just quietly stared at the breath contained in the rustic wooden cup. After gulping down the drink in one go, he picked up a small glass and ordered another.
'It's so strange.'
Because the high-ranking nobleman didn't look unfamiliar at all in the shabby tavern of District 8.
'Come to think of it, he's dressed a little differently than usual today.'
There were no glittering jewels on his shirt or cloak, nor was it embroidered with gold thread. That said, he didn't look like a person from District 8 at all.
She quickly brought a breath to her mouth to clear my mind of useless thoughts.
"...Ugh."
The alcohol was so bitter that it felt like the roof of her mouth was burning, and her throat stung. As she scowled with a grimace, the Duke laughed at the sight.
'So that's how he knew how to smile.'
She took another sip while gazing at the Duke's face. Soon, she felt a warm sensation circulating through jer veins, and she felt dizzy.
"I apologize for earlier."
Taking advantage of the alcohol, Shioana apologized for not being able to speak the words she had been unable to say.
"What exactly were you sorry for?"
As he brought the new cup to his lips, the Duke asked indifferently.
"I laid my hand on such a precious person's face without permission."
"You touched everything as you pleased, and now you call it an apology—"
As expected, the Duke did not immediately accept her apology. Shioana, stroking her cheeks flushed from the alcohol, said what she had wanted to say for a while.
"It might sound strange, but Your Excellency is very much like a person to me."
“Someone you knew...?”
"So, Your Excellency, I feel a bit uncomfortable."
Her head told her she shouldn't, but her mouth kept moving on its own.
"You mean I'm uncomfortable? Why?"
"It’s hard because seeing a lookalike keeps reminding me of it."
"It looks like someone you knew has become your enemy."
Shioana, resting her chin on one hand, read the strangely bitter look in the Duke's eyes.
"Th-that can't be true."
It was ridiculous to think that Etienne was an enemy.
The Duke, staring at Shioana's bewildered face, asked again.
"Did you love that person?"
"...Ah."
Shioana let out a groan at the unexpected question.
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