Chapter 36

***

***

“How could this be? That b*tch is so rude to me….!

“Shut up, Charlotte!”

Charlotte protested as if it was unfair, and Ryan ferociously scolded her.

In the meantime, seeing the conversation cut off, perhaps they ran into the escorts Ines brought with her.

Ines, who was listening to the sound of fighting, clicked her tongue briefly.

‘They need to ventilate first.’

The smell of alcohol and cigarettes in the room made her head ache. Ines strode towards the window and opened the curtains.

The bright sunlight poured into the room like a waterfall.

The traces of the night before were fully revealed.

Bottles and glasses lying around, alcohol marks left on the carpet, food plates were pushed into a corner without eating.

Cigarette butts piled up in ashtrays.

Ines wrinkled her forehead.

“Even if it’s a lounge, how could they drink and smoke in the art studio…..”

It was something she could never have imagined.

But then.

“Countess of Brierton.”

Hearing the voice calling her, Ines quickly turned around.

Unexpectedly, Enoch was standing there.

“Sir, Duke of Sussex?”

Ines opened her eyes wide.

“What’s going on here…… ?”

“Are you feeling better?”

Enoch strode towards Ines.

“You had a fever yesterday. I called the house and they said you came here…..”

Enoch’s words were seldom long.

As if he was trying to explain why he came to see Ines in person.

In fact, it was the other way around.

It would be enough to send someone to check her status, but why did he bother to come to the studio?

But Ines couldn’t ask what she was wondering.

It was because Enoch narrowed his forehead.

“What’s wrong with your cheek?”

Enoch discovered one of Ines’ cheeks was swollen and red.

“Oh my.”

Ines unconsciously raised her hand and stroked her cheek.

She felt a sharp pain and frowned.

“Ugh.”

Enoch narrowed the distance and reflexively covered her cheek with his hand. 

“If you touch it like that, the pain will get worse.”

“….”

For a moment, Ines held her breath.

A shadow cast gently under the shade of golden eyelashes.

Blue eyes half buried beneath them.

That gaze of concern and focus solely on Ines.

Even the touch of his long fingers gently caressing her cheek. 

‘Strange.’

Every time Enoch was in front of her, her heart kept beating wildly.

Feeling her mouth dry, Ines took a step back, biting her lips.

“Thank you. But it’s okay.”

Reflexively speaking, Ines closed her eyes tightly and opened them. Wasn’t her voice trembling badly for saying it’s okay?

Enoch looked at her blankly, then looked down at his empty hand.

After a while.

A voice like a sigh came out.

“I’m sorry I touched your cheek. If you are surprised, I apologize.” 

“That, no. I don’t mean that…… ”

“But even if you say it’s okay with your face swollen like that.”

Then Enoch continued with a strangely angry face. 

“It doesn’t look okay at all.”

At the end of those words, Enoch turned around.

He looked around, and found a jug of water lying nearby.

Enoch took out a handkerchief and wet it with water, and handed the handkerchief to Ines.

“Keep it on your cheek. It’s a temporary measure, but it’s better than nothing.”

“… thank you.”

Ines meekly took the handkerchief and cooled her cheek.

‘It’s cool.’

As the cold water touched her cheek, the burning pain subsided a little.

At the same time, Enoch suddenly asked a question. 

“So what happened to your cheek?”

“Ah……my cheek?”

For a moment, she was speechless, and Ines only rolled her eyes.

To say that she was slapped by Charlotte and she slapped Charlotte back…

‘You’re not a kid, but you’re too childish!’ 

Her face was burning hot, and Ines wanted to hide in a mouse hole. But if Enoch did not listen to a proper explanation, he would never back down. 

‘No, why is he in such a bad mood?’

Ines muttered to herself, but in the end, she was defeated by Enoch’s bloody eyes.

She struggled to open her mouth.

“… Actually.”

Ines told the childish story about her and Charlotte slapping each other and she oppressed Charlotte using the status of Countess of Brierton.

“You must think it’s childish, right?”

Ines glanced sideways at Enoch.

Unexpectedly, however, Enoch didn’t show any signs of rebuking Ines.

Rather.

“Well done.”

“What?”

At that blunt compliment, Ines doubted her ears.

‘Somehow, the Duke‘s face looks relieved, am I mistaken?” 

At the same time, Enoch resolutely praised Ines again.

“I told you you did well.” 

“Huh… … is that so?”

“Yes.”

‘If he said it like that, I guess I’m not mistaken?’

Ines blinked her eyes blankly.

“Good job. If something like this happens in the future, pay them back the same way.”

“… Are you serious?”

“I’m serious.”

“Oh, I see… .”

Looking at Enoch’s calm face, Ines was at a loss for words.

‘I’m so awkward, isn’t the Duke uncomfortable?’

In the end, the one who regrets loses.

Ines tried to change the subject.

“I didn’t know the Duke would come to the studio like this.”

“Yes, because the Countess looked so ill yesterday.” 

Enoch shrugged his shoulders and smiled.

At that bright smile, Ines shuddered and hardened her shoulders without realizing it.

‘Really, that smile is so bad for my heart.’ 

No matter how much she thought of Enoch as a ‘respectable supporter’, there was a realization that he was of the opposite sex.

Just like seeing beautiful things reflexively makes you feel good, so did Ines.

Every time Enoch smiled like that, her heart continued to soften. At the same time, Enoch continued to speak while examining Ines’s complexion.

“But I’m glad that you seem to have recovered quite a bit now.”

“….”

Because the voice asking for her regards was very kind.

Ines somehow felt emotional.

“….Did I bother you too much yesterday?”

It was not only outrageous to hold onto Enoch for a long time and cry, but also he had to almost carry her to the carriage….

As she recalled what happened yesterday, Ines felt she wanted to run away from this place once again.

“Oh, don’t worry about that.”

The only good thing was that Enoch didn’t seem to care.

“It can’t be helped if a person is sick.”

“Do you think so…?”

“Of course, I was a little surprised when the Countess burst into tears…”

… What she just said, cancel.

Ines shut her mouth and lowered her gaze.

Enoch looked at Ines, holding back the laughter that was about to burst out. Suddenly, the back of her ears turned bright red.

Enoch called her playfully.

“Countess of Brierton.”

“Yes…..”

Ines answered in a hoarse voice. Enoch thought it was cute and wanted to tease Ines a little more.

‘The reason why my brother always tries to make fun of me… Maybe it’s because he feels something like this?’

Enoch unintentionally understood Edward’s feelings.

‘I really hate it.’

He groaned inwardly and spoke to Ines again. 

“Countess, your face is red. Is it possible that the fever has risen again?”

“….”

“I think we should see a doctor as soon as possible.”

At that mischievous voice, Ines glared at Enoch with a resentful gaze.

“Are you teasing me on purpose?”

“You’re right. However, you are quick to notice.”

Enoch answered slyly.

Ines felt her stomach boil.

‘Hold on, I have to be patient. Because this time I was really indebted…’

So Ines took a big deep breath and controlled her heart.

Enoch, who had been looking around, suddenly asked a question.

“By the way, what happens with this studio now?”

In an instant, Ines stiffened.

“This studio seems to have been used by Young Master Gott until now.”

“… … … Yes, that is correct.”

Ines wanted to answer as calmly as possible, but she couldn’t help it that her voice was trembling.

Enoch seemed to notice it, but he didn’t say anything.

Instead, he calmly reminded Ines of what she had achieved.

“Now that the divorce is over, isn’t this studio going back to the Count’s property?”

It was then that Ines felt her heart calmed down a little.

‘Yes, I am divorced now.’

The Count of Brierton was Ines, not Ryan. Upon recognizing that fact, her head cooled a little.