CH 42.2

“Ah . . . I didn’t mean to offend you . . . You’re not offended, are you?”

“You’re laughing at me, but honestly, I don’t feel very good about it.”

Even considering her liberal nature, his reaction was unpleasant, so she spoke frankly. Luciel’s eyes quickly became moist.

“I’m sorry. It’s because Anne is so cute.”

She never thought she’d hear someone say she was cute. It was a description she had never heard in her life. Anne assumed a solemn look.

“The word cute is not appropriate for a Grand Duchess.”

“Hmm . . . Then, can the beautiful Grand Duchess forgive me with her endless generosity?”

Luciel closed his eyes and continued with his snarky words. The problem was that his tone seemed so bright and selfless that her heart melted quickly. Anne agreed to let go of the fact that he had entered her room carelessly, as well as his rude remarks from earlier.

“So why did you come to see me all of a sudden?”

“My purpose . . . By the way, Anne, could you give me your hand?”

Clad in wrist-length black gloves, Luciel glanced at her hand. His gaze was very specific, probably because she had avoided his greeting a moment ago. But strangely, she was reluctant to give her hand to another man.

“What are you going to do with my hands?”

“I want to touch you.”

Anne’s eyebrows furrowed slightly at those blunt words, even though he was being straightforward. His confidence in asking for the hand of a married woman reminded her of their first meeting.

“Sir Luciel, I was quite in trouble by that last time.”

Luciel, who read her expression becoming more determined, raised his lips prettily.

“If it’s about  Lord Daymond, he’s not here right now. If you give me your hand, I will tell you something about Daymond that Anne does not know.”

She, about to say no, paused at that moment.

Something I don’t know about His Grace?

As she continued to stare at him, Luciel raised both of his hands, professing that he was no a liar. As though showing an honest attitude.

“You mean if I give you my hand, you give me a piece of information?”

He nodded once.

“A deal.”

Luciel smiled, narrowing his eyes. Then he suddenly nudged his face in the middle of the table.

“If you think of it as a deal, it could be a deal, or if it was a conversation between friends, it could be a conversation. It’s up to Anne.”

“All right.”

Anne held out her palm without the slightest hesitation. Perhaps waiting for it, he grabbed one of her fingers and looked down at it gently. As Anne, who had been watching him, waited for his next words.

He kissed the back of her hand lightly, and suddenly something cold dripped onto her hand. Surprised by the cool touch, she let go of her hand and saw that a necklace was placed on top of her palm.

“This . . .”

A ring with blue diamonds studded densely like seeds, hung on a gold chain as thin as a thread. It was the only thing she had brought with her from her parents’ house, and it was a precious thing that she had long since forgotten.

“This is a present for Anne. I got it at the market at the entrance of the town.”

“You got this from the town? Where is this market?”

Luciel smiled, and instead of answering her question, he made fun of her by saying that the jewels matched well with her eyes. He still spat out his own words and used his own style of speech.

“Tell me where you got it. It’s important to me.”

Luciel widened his eyes and explained further.

“I was passing by the village store and I could see this necklace right? Strangely, as soon as I saw the jewelry, I immediately thought of Anne. I thought you would like it, so I got it for you specially . . . But why are you like that?”

“No . . . No . . . This. No, that’s fine.”

She couldn’t understand how an item lost in the castle could have appeared in a store downtown, but she didn’t say anything.

Is there a maid with bad intentions?

Every time she asked the maids, she only got back parrot-like answers saying they couldn’t find it, but she was looking in the wrong places. It was clear that among them was a maid who had stolen and sold it.

Ange, who was briefly excited about getting her ring back, raised her head, realizing that the topic had changed.

“By the way, you said there was something you wanted to tell me. This is a gift.”

“Anne, you’re smarter than I thought. Good. I made a promise, so I have to keep it.”

The words ‘smarter than I thought’ was jarring, but she listened intently to his next words. He made small gestures and wanted her to come closer. She, too, tilted her face closer for his secret whispers.

At that moment, cool fingers touched her forehead and then went away. Her head throbbed as if a warm energy had penetrated her, but she felt nothing special.

When her eyes met his, Luciel’s long eyes curled gently.

“I told you everything.”

Luciel grinned at Anne as she rubbed her forehead with a bewildered face. Anne tilted her head, but Luciel said nothing more. He just smiles, like wanting her to figure out the rest on her own.