After I, a Penniless Noble, Entered a Fake Engagement with the Most Elegant Duke’s Daughter at the Academy, For Some Reason She Started Showering Me with Love - Chapter 08.3: The Reason I Invited Her Out—and How I Really Feel

Chapter 08.3: The Reason I Invited Her Out—and How I Really Feel

Despite the cloudy sky, the town square was full of life.

The cheerful voices of people and stall vendors created a buzz of excitement,

Like they were trying to drive away the gray sky itself.

“I didn’t expect so many people…”

Behind her lensless glasses, Yuri’s eyes widened in surprise.

Her reaction had a hint of childlike wonder to it, and I couldn’t help but laugh.

“Too overwhelming for a sheltered noble lady?”

“Not at all. I do step out into the garden, you know.”

She gave me a chilly look that clearly said, How dare you.

But whether it’s her room or the garden,

If she never leaves the estate, it still counts as being sheltered in my book.

Come to think of it, even at school, she mostly sticks to the rose garden.

Her world’s limited to that, her classroom, and maybe the girls’ dorm.

“So, does that mean… going into town like this is kind of rare for you?”

I asked while weaving through the crowd.

Yuri looked around at the sea of people and gave a small shrug.

“Hmm… now that I think about it, this is actually my first time leaving the academy.”

“A true recluse, huh.”

“I am not a recluse.”

For someone who normally takes everything in stride,

She didn’t seem too thrilled about being called “sheltered” or “withdrawn.”

She puffed her cheeks slightly in protest.

Still…

So this really is her first time going out like this.

I already felt pretty motivated to make this a good day,

But now I was even more determined.

This was her very first outing since entering the academy—

The last thing I wanted was for her to walk away with a bad memory.

“Well then, since we’re here, might as well go all out and check every stall from one end to the other.”

“…With this kind of crowd, just don’t get lost, alright?”

As she said that, Yuri gave my hand a firmer squeeze.

That little action was oddly heartwarming.

“Nervous?”

“Not at all. It simply means, since you’re the one escorting me today, you’d better do your job properly.”

“Haha, sure, let’s go with that.”

“…You’re a bit cheeky today, dear husband.”

Even when she shot me a sharp glare, I played it cool.

She always teased me, after all.

I wanted at least a moment where I had the upper hand.

“When we get back… no, never mind.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry for getting cocky. Just please don’t finish that ominous sentence.”

The way she chuckled quietly to herself was honestly terrifying.

With Yuri, payback probably wouldn’t be double—it’d be tenfold.

I had to be careful not to get carried away and bring doom upon myself.

“Let’s start with that stall over there.”

“I won’t forget this, you know?”

“Why are you so scary?”

Grinning nervously, I steered us toward a nearby vendor, carefully weaving through the crowd.

It wasn’t packed to the point of gridlock,

But if we got separated in this mess, finding each other again wouldn’t be easy.

…Well, this is a date.

Using that as an excuse in my head,

I gently tightened my grip on her hand.

Yuri looked up at me like she wanted to say something—
But I didn’t have the courage to meet her gaze,
So I kept my eyes locked on the next stall ahead.

“Hey there! You two lovebirds! How about some of our grilled skewers, huh? Just got in some really good chicken!”

As we were about to pass a smoky food stall, a burly man with a towel wrapped around his head called out to us.

“Lovebirds, huh…”

“Fufu, he’s not exactly wrong, is he?”

Yuri raised our joined hands and gave them a little swing.

“From a distance, I guess it does look that way.”

“Oho, already got you wrapped around her finger, huh? Rough life, kid.”

“I’m actually struggling with a rather shy fiancée.”

“Ahaha! That’s great! Alright, I’ll throw in a little extra for you two!”

Well, whether he was just good at business or not—

After all that, there was no way I could not buy something.

The smell of grilled meat and heavy spices hit me hard.

A bit much right before lunch, to be honest—

But I chuckled and paid the man anyway.

“Hope you two stay happy!”

Waving us off with a wide grin, the skewer vendor handed over a generous portion.

Four meat skewers ended up in my hand…

While Yuri held just one.

“…I only ordered two. Why do I have four?”

“He said it’s because I’m pretty.”

“…I mean, it’s not exactly flattery if it’s true, but still.”

Guess that’s just what vendors say to noble ladies.

She is a duke’s daughter and stunning to boot.

She must be used to hearing compliments like that by now—

So why does she still look so pleased?

I glanced at her, wondering if she was secretly weak to compliments.

She was tilting the skewer sideways, then upright again, like she was trying to figure out how to eat it.

…What is she doing?

This girl.

“If you’re not one of those nobles who’s all ‘ugh, commoner food’, then you might as well give it a try.”

“I’d love to, but… there’s no knife, no fork—not even a plate. How am I supposed to eat this?”

“Ah…”

Right.

She’s a duke’s daughter, after all.

Of course she’s probably never eaten something like grilled skewers before.

She took the skewer so casually from the vendor, I just assumed she knew how it worked.

“Guess the best way is to show you.”

…Except, my right hand was still holding hers,

And my left was holding four skewers.

I tried to figure out if I could somehow manage a bite like this,

But gripping four skewers in one hand was clumsy, and I felt like they might fall if I bit into them carelessly.

So…

“Yuri, can you hold that skewer up to my mouth—just like that?”

“…Like this?”

Looking a bit confused, she did as I asked.

She brought the skewer to my mouth, and I took a bite—pulling off a piece of meat in one go.

“Like this”—I swallowed—“That’s how people usually eat it.”

“…That was… bold.”

Yuri’s eyes widened in disbelief as she glanced between me and the now-missing chunk of meat.

Well, I guess to a high-class lady who was probably taught strict table manners,

That kind of eating probably looked wild.

At least she didn’t outright call it uncivilized. I’ll take that as progress.

“I mean, I’m not gonna force you to eat it like I did. Let’s just find somewhere to sit—”

“nom.”

“…Huh?”

I turned to look—

And there was Yuri, biting into the skewer.

Her mouth was too small to pull off a whole chunk like I had,

So she was struggling to tear the meat with a determined “Nnggh…!”

Her head bobbed slightly from the effort.

“Hey, don’t hurt yourself trying, alright?”

“~~…!”

Just as I said that, her head jerked back.

I flinched instinctively, startled—

But it looked like she’d managed to bite off a piece.

A small bite mark was left on the remaining meat—

Clear proof of victory.

“…Mmm. It’s good.”

“Well, as long as you like it.”

Even as she chewed, Yuri covered her mouth with delicate fingers—

That little gesture still carried the grace of a noble.

As I let out a small sigh of relief,

There was something weirdly adorable about the whole thing,

And a wave of secondhand embarrassment swept over me.

“You really didn’t have to copy the way I ate it, you know?”

“But these kinds of things are about the experience, right? The food, the atmosphere, how you eat it—all part of the fun.”

Then she looked up at me with those deep blue eyes.

“This is a date, and you’re the one escorting me. Wouldn’t it be a waste not to enjoy everything from beginning to end?”

…Looks like I was the standard for today.

That thought made my face feel even warmer—

Especially when Yuri giggled softly beside me, her laughter like wind chimes in the breeze.

Flustered, I took a big, exaggerated bite of meat out of sheer distraction.

“Wah—!” Yuri let out a surprised little yelp.

“You’re such a boy.”

“…I was just hungry, that’s all.”

At my excuse, Yuri let out a soft laugh.

“Sure, let’s go with that.”

She said it like she already knew the real reason.

That smug expression of hers annoyed me a little,

And I found myself pouting without meaning to.

But the more I reacted, the more she seemed to enjoy it.

At this rate, even my smallest movements were probably comedy gold to her.

And it stayed like that the whole time afterward.

At one point, she made me wear a weird mask.

Then she slipped a cheap ring onto her finger and gave me this mischievous grin, like she was plotting something.

Before I knew it, the square had turned a soft shade of crimson as the sun began to set,

And the once-bustling crowd had started to thin out.

“…Already this late, huh?”

I muttered, and Yuri lifted her head, looking around the square.

“I guess time really does fly when you’re having fun.”

She said it quietly, like she didn’t want the moment to end.

Just as I thought it might be time to wrap up the date,

Our eyes met.

Maybe it was the light of the sunset—

But there was something delicate about her expression that caught me off guard.

Then, like the wind easing up,

She relaxed and smiled softly as she asked me a question.

“…Why did you ask me out today, dear husband?”

A small breath slipped from between her slightly parted lips.

How should I answer that?

Should I joke about it, like I did when I invited her?

For a second, I considered it.

But the sincerity in her eyes made it impossible.

So instead, I just let out a quiet breath—

And let my real feelings spill out, as naturally as if I’d been holding them in all day.

“I just thought… something was off with you lately, Yuri. You stopped touching me like you usually do, and even when we talked, it felt kind of awkward. Like there was this distance between us.”

“That’s why you invited me on a date?”

“Well… yeah. But also, not exactly.”

I couldn’t quite put my feelings into words.

I kept fumbling for the right way to say it—

But I didn’t feel rushed.

Because Yuri was standing there, waiting quietly,

With that calm and patient look on her face.

And because of that, I was able to find the exact words that fit how I truly felt.

“…Because I didn’t want you to hate me.”

That was it.

It sounded silly, even childish.

Inviting someone on a date just because you didn’t want them to dislike you?

I nearly laughed at how ridiculous it sounded once I said it out loud.

“You really are just a kid sometimes.”

“Shut up. You’re the one who started acting all weird.”

It wasn’t my fault.

Though I was already bracing for her usual response—

‘It’s your fault, dear husband’—and expected her to win the argument as always…

But instead—

“You’re right. That really is true.”

She accepted it without a fight, and that completely caught me off guard.

“…Sorry, dear husband, for making you worry.”

“You’re being surprisingly honest today. Did you eat something bad?”

“If I did, I guess it’d be your affection.”

“I didn’t give you any of that.”

It was the same Yuri as always.

Nothing had really changed—or maybe, she’d just gone back to how she was before?

If that was the case, then everything should be fine…

But for some reason, I still felt a little unsettled.

What did I actually want from her in the end?

While I was tilting my head, lost in thought—

Yuri suddenly hugged my arm with a cheerful “ei!”

“…Why are you clinging to my arm?”

“Well, dear husband looked a little lonely.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

Sure, I did say it felt weird when she stopped touching me.

But going straight to full-on arm-hugging felt like a bit much.

“There’s such a thing as appropriate distance, you know.”

“We’re engaged. This is appropriate.”

“Fake engagement.”

“Fufu. Hearing you say that always puts me at ease.”

…That’s not exactly supposed to be a comforting phrase.

Though, to be honest, I kind of get what she means.

I let out a silent sigh, wondering if I was starting to get used to this odd rhythm between us.

Then Yuri added, almost offhandedly,

“And besides, I figured I’d follow your example and be honest with myself today.”

“I’m always honest. And that’s what led to the arm-hugging?”

I looked at her—

She was beaming.

The soft red tint on her cheeks…

Was probably just the setting sun, painting the streets in warm shades of amber.

“I’ve decided to accept the helpless part of myself. The girl who can’t help but be like this.”

“…Huh? You’ve completely lost me.”

What was that supposed to mean?

What was Yuri trying to say?

“Fufu… you’ll understand eventually.”

“Yeah, I seriously doubt that.”

“When that time comes…”

—Yuri glanced up at the sky, as if searching for an answer,

Then gave me a teasing little smile.

“…Maybe I really will have you marry me.”

“Wait, what? No. Hard pass.”

The words were barely out of my mouth before she smiled silently—

And twisted the skin on the back of my hand.

Ouch.

And with that mild pain lingering in my hand,

My first-ever date with Yuri came to an end.

In the end, I never really figured out what had made her act so strangely in the first place.

But things seemed back to normal between us, so—

Happily ever after, right?

…If only it had ended there.

“—Care to explain this, dear husband?”

The holiday was over. We were back in class.

Yuri appeared during lunch break to come get me,

Wearing a smile so cold it sent chills down my spine—her eyes half-hidden in shadow.

Behind her stood a group of girls…

All blushing, and all staring straight at me.

…What the hell happened?

◆ End of Chapter 8 ◆

To be continued.