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 - V2 Chapter 03

Chapter 03.1: The Duke’s Daughter Turns Into a Child

“Haaah? I see, I see?”

While doing my absolute best not to think about the sweat trickling down my back, I gave Yuri a rough explanation of the situation.

She slowly lifted the corner of her lips, clearly entertained.

Her gaze shifted from me to Lady Obsidian.

The instant it did, Obsidian’s shoulders jumped like a startled rabbit.

Yuri narrowed her eyes, amused by the reaction, and finally turned to Prince Lionel.

“So this is why Your Highness called me? My, my. Perhaps I should express my gratitude for inviting me to such an entertaining event?”

“…I am currently regretting calling you here on impulse.”

“Then please allow me to offer my deepest thanks, Your Highness Lionel.”

Yuri gave a flawless, elegant bow—precisely what one would expect from a duke’s daughter.

But anyone with eyes could see what she was truly thankful for: being summoned into something amusing.

Prince Lionel’s expression hardened like stone.

Understandable. That had been pure sarcasm.

“And this young lady would be Chaton, I presume?”

“H-Haha—y-yes!?”

Lady Obsidian’s voice shot up an octave from the sudden attention.

“I-I am Chaton of the Viscount Obsidian house…! I-It is an ho-honor to meet you, L-Lady Arrose—!?”

She stumbled over nearly every word.

Her face had drained of all color, and she looked seconds away from fainting.

Her panic was so intense that even Yuri—who usually never flinched at anything—turned to me with a slightly troubled expression.

“Dear husband, do I truly appear so terrifying that I have reduced this gentle young lady to trembling?”

“Well… depending on how you look at it?”

“I see…”

Yuri lightly pressed her ring finger to her lower lip, as if considering something of great importance.

“But of course, to you, dear husband, I appear as a delicate and beautiful wife, don’t I?”

“More like a very sharp rose.”

“A confession of love?”

She placed a hand against her cheek and flushed faintly.

“Oh my, how embarrassing.”

As expected, a bit of sarcasm wasn’t enough to shake a duke’s daughter with nerves of steel.

She probably wasn’t embarrassed at all, but annoyingly enough, that blushing face really did look delicate and beautiful.

Which only made it worse.

“It’s not easy to act natural around a duke’s daughter, you know.”

Lady Obsidian nodded so hard her head nearly bounced.

As a fellow viscount, I understood that feeling all too well.

One mistake—just one—and who knew what might happen? Even being noticed the wrong way could affect not only her, but her family and the people in her territory.

That was the kind of gap in power we were dealing with.

Sure, the kingdom had laws. A duke couldn’t simply do whatever they pleased.

But if they were willing to tolerate a bit of inconvenience, crushing a viscount wouldn’t be impossible. That was the weight carried by that title.

Her fear might have been excessive—perhaps even slightly rude in its own way—but I couldn’t blame her.

“And yet you seem perfectly at ease with me.”

“Shall I begin showing proper reverence now, Lady Yuliana?”

“Hahaha—don’t. I’m getting goosebumps.”

Wasn’t that incredibly rude for a duke’s daughter?

Though, to be fair, I wasn’t much better.

At least I hadn’t said it out loud.

I rubbed my arms. Even through my coat, my skin prickled.

“You two are as close as ever, I see.”

—Are your eyes just for decoration?

The retort nearly slipped out—but I swallowed it.

He was the prince, after all.

And yet, Prince Lionel narrowed his eyes sharply at me.

“If you believe thoughts must be spoken aloud to be understood, then you lack imagination.”

“Dear husband, your face looks like a frog.”

“Like it’s been squashed?”

Yuri giggled.

I touched the corners of my eyes and felt the deep lines there. So I really had been making quite a sour face.

I began rubbing at them, as if I could smooth the wrinkles away, when Yuri suddenly reached out.

Her thumbs pressed lightly at the corners of my eyes. They were cold—like snow. My skin shivered at the touch.

She flashed a grin.

“Are you unhappy that we’re close?”

“Which part of that exchange looked close to you?”

“Fufu… who knows? Who can say~”

Instead of smoothing anything, she merely stretched my skin a little.

She kept tugging at my face, and it felt strangely ticklish.

“…You really are close.”

Which part?

Even Obsidian—who had never once spoken to me in class—was labeling us as “close.” In reality, I was just being bullied one-sidedly. Why did this never look like a clear case of victim and offender?

“Well, we are husband and wife.”

“No, we’re enga—”

Yuri’s lips curved into a wicked smile.

“Ah, that’s right. We’re engaged, aren’t we?”

I walked straight into that one.

I had almost denied it out of habit—like I always did, insisting it was fake. But technically, we were publicly engaged. There was no need to stack lies on top of lies. I could have simply let it pass.

Instead, my mouth moved before my brain could catch up.

I bit down on my lower lip.

“Even when you’re sulking, dear husband, you’re quite charming.”

I was keeping my mouth shut precisely to avoid saying anything unnecessary.

Still, that smug look on her face irritated me, so I peeled Yuri’s hands away with a light shove.

She clasped her hands together and smiled softly.

“You’re not very honest, are you?”

“My personality’s just twisted.”

“That’s serious. I suppose I’ll correct it for you.”

“Don’t you dare.”

Her blue eyes gleamed mischievously as she reached for me again.

I instinctively stepped back.

But perhaps retreating only triggered her hunting instincts, because she came after me with both hands outstretched.

“Waaah.”

“Don’t ‘waaah’ at me.”

Is she a child?

Does she even intend to catch me?

Slipping slightly on the snow, Yuri toddled after me.

A chase in the snow.

Except if I got caught, I’d be the prey. It was dangerously unfair.

“You really are close… even though one of you is a duke and the other a viscount.”

Lady Obsidian’s quiet voice fell into the snowy air like something lost.

I glanced at her.

She was watching us, and in her dark eyes there was something almost like envy—

“Guh—!”

“Fufu! Got you.”

Yuri tackled me from behind.

We both collapsed into the snow, and before I knew it, she was sitting on top of me.

Somewhere nearby, Prince Lionel let out a long sigh.

“I would like to continue rescuing the cats. How long do you intend to keep playing?”

Sorry.

◆◆◆

And so, we began rescuing cats.

According to Prince Lionel, he didn’t know the exact number roaming around, but there were definitely fewer than ten. With the weather this bad, we would just search around the dormitory area and call it a day.

“Place any captured cats into this basket.”

“So you actually came prepared.”

He handed me a wooden basket with thin bars fixed across it.

At least he hadn’t planned to grab them blindly and carry them in his arms.

“I simply never reached the stage where it became necessary.”

His expression carried both quiet sadness and frustration.

…Yeah. Considering how things had gone, I could understand why. Catching even one must have been difficult.

“Understood. Let’s finish quickly before someone catches a cold—”

“Wait for meee!”

““…””

We both fell silent at the same time.

After exchanging a glance, we slowly turned our heads.

Yuri was chasing a fleeing cat.

With a bright, sunflower-like smile on her face.

“Why has your fiancée regressed into a toddler?” 

There are moments when embarrassment goes so far that you simply lose the ability to respond.

Can you believe it?

She’s a seventeen-year-old senior.

A duke’s daughter.

That one.

Chapter 03.2: The Duke’s Daughter Runs Wild with Cats

If you asked whether I liked snow or not, I’d say I didn’t—at least not now.

When I was a child, just seeing snow fall was enough to excite me. If it piled up, I’d throw snowballs with my little sister and the other kids my age. We’d race down hills on sleds and laugh until our hands went numb.

We even built strange, completely unrecognizable snow statues and laughed for no real reason at all.

Back then, snow was something fun.

But as you grow older, it becomes something that used to be fun.

If it piles up, it’s cold. You have to shovel it. It turns into work. The more you understand reality, the more it starts to feel like a hassle.

That’s probably what it means to grow up.

It’s a little sad, when you think about it.

Some people might say sixteen is still a child. But I had already graduated from playing in the snow until my fingers froze.

…At least, that’s what I thought.

“You’re not catching meee—!”

“…You look like you’re having a great time.”

“I am!”

Yuri had just dived headfirst into the snow like Prince Lionel earlier.

And yet, when she popped her head back up, her expression was utterly innocent. Her voice rang with pure delight.

For a moment, I honestly wondered who she was.

“You actually like snow?”

“Not really.”

My shoulders sagged.

You’re having that much fun and you don’t even like it?

Is that supposed to be an excuse?

She looked like she had completely abandoned dignity and pride.

Snow had piled on top of her head, so I brushed it off for her.

“I never had any particular feelings about snow before. But now? I like it.”

“You reminiscing about your childhood or something?”

“No. I never even played outside on snowy days to begin with.”

The breath I had just drawn suddenly felt cold all the way down to my stomach.

I had always assumed playing in the snow was something every child did.

But in a ducal household… perhaps that wasn’t the case.

So what kind of games did she play instead?

All I could picture were elegant tea parties in warm rooms.

But seeing her like this—running around without a care—maybe she hadn’t truly “played” much at all.

I cut the thought short.

It wasn’t fair to construct an entire story about someone based on pure imagination.

Still, my impression of her being strange remained.

She was a duke’s daughter. Older than me.

She carried herself with grace and nobility.

She loved teasing people.

And yet, here she was, laughing and running like a child.

I wouldn’t ask, “Which one is the real Yuri?”

I knew all of them were her.

It was simply the sheer range of it that surprised me.

“About the cats…”

“Hmm?”

Yuri hummed in response.

“After we gather them… maybe we can play a little. In the snow.”

Her blue eyes lit up instantly, sparkling so brightly that just seeing that expression almost made it worth it.

…It did.

“My dear husband suggesting that? Of course we will.”

She said it so boldly, smiling like she owned the world, that I almost wanted to take it back.

I wasn’t sure “honest” was the right word for this.

There had to be something more fitting.

Innocent?

No… maybe mischievous.

Though even that didn’t quite capture it.

“Anyway, cats first.”

“Right.”

We were just about to return to the serious task of rescuing cats when—

“Nyaaa!?”

A cry that sounded half like a meow and half like a scream echoed through the snow.

Even though I could already guess what had happened, I turned around anyway.

“H-Help… help…”

“Wait—hold on. You’re reaching too quickly. Just wait.”

Lady Obsidian had been knocked over by a swarm of cats again.

Prince Lionel was slowly edging closer to her.

I already thought diving headfirst into the snow had been questionable behavior for a prince.

But watching him crawl toward a fallen young lady in the snow?

I didn’t want to say it—but the scene looked dangerously suspicious.

“Hmm.”

And yet—

“Is he planning to use his authority to take advantage of a helpless young lady?”

“Please choose your words more carefully.”

Yuri said it so casually that Prince Lionel froze mid-step.

He definitely heard that.

That was far too blunt.

I mean… yes, it did look that way.

But you’re not supposed to say it out loud. Seriously.

“‘Please stop, it’s my first time’?”

“Are you truly a duke’s daughter?”

The fact that I understood exactly what she meant was deeply frustrating.

Where does she even learn this kind of thing?

Are those romance novels noble girls read actually that extreme?

The conversation kept drifting further and further off course.

And the content was getting worse.

The fact that this was a conversation between me and the kingdom’s only duke’s daughter—rather than between two delinquent boys—made me question the future of this country.

I glanced at the frozen pair—Lady Obsidian and Prince Lionel—and stepped forward.

The snow crunched sharply beneath my boots.

“It’s rude to interrupt a secret meeting between a man and a woman.”

“Go get scolded later.”

By His Highness.

“Cats.”

I pointed at Lady Obsidian with two fingers.

“Wouldn’t it be faster to gather the ones already clustering around her?”

“…That’s true.”

I didn’t know just how beloved she was by cats, but if they were going to gather around her on their own, chasing them through the snow was clearly inefficient.

Using her as bait felt a little unfair.

But in this freezing weather, I had no desire to sprint after cats.

So I started walking toward her, intending to finish this quickly—

But Yuri’s quiet “However…” made me stop.

I turned.

She wore an unexpectedly serious expression, as if she were carefully weighing something important.

Was there a flaw in my plan?

And then—

“But then we’d miss the fun of chasing them.”

“…………”

Apparently, even in winter, there are fields of flowers in full bloom.

◆◆◆

White, brown, black.

My coat had become a canvas of cat fur.

No matter how much I brushed at it, it wouldn’t come off.

Do I have to pluck it out strand by strand?

I’d never owned a cat before, so I had no idea.

“Thank you. I’m grateful.”

Prince Lionel had returned from the boys’ dormitory.

“It was nothing,” I replied, waving it off.

“I’ve temporarily left the cats with the dorm supervisor. We’ll prepare a proper space for them… or search for their owners. We’ll figure something out.”

So even the “rescue” had been somewhat improvised.

It wasn’t as if the academy had a ready-made cat facility waiting around.

I suppose that’s how these things go.

“Why are there even cats at the academy?”

I had wondered that the last time I saw them, too.

This wasn’t some random town. It was an academy for noble sons and daughters.

Security was strict. One stray cat wandering in might be believable—but several? That raised questions.

And more importantly, the academy sat in a mountainous region.

It had been built in a relatively livable basin, yes, but still over a thousand meters above sea level. There weren’t many trees, and food sources were limited. Wild animals weren’t exactly common.

Cats? You almost never saw them.

“I would rather not say ‘because they’re nobles.’”

“Selfishness, then?”

“Your imagination is likely not far off.”

So perhaps a noble’s pet had escaped and eventually gone feral. Something like that.

For strays, they were surprisingly well-groomed. That fluffy white one, for example, would definitely be popular with young ladies.

Technically, bringing pets into the academy was prohibited.

But perhaps that rule bent easily when nobles were involved.

From the stern look on Prince Lionel’s face, though, it was clear he did not approve.

As someone lower in rank, it was reassuring to see that at least someone at the top recognized the problem.

It would be nice if things like this stopped happening—

Thwack.

A snowball hit me square in the face.

I didn’t even brush the snow off.

I simply shifted my gaze to the culprit.

There she was.

Yuri.

In a surprisingly bold throwing stance for a noble lady, already winding up for a second shot.

Behind her, Lady Obsidian stood frozen, face completely pale, hands fluttering in panic at Yuri’s outrageous behavior.

The contrast was almost artistic.

My cheek twitched.

“What are you doing?”

“Didn’t you just say?”

Yuri flashed a radiant smile.

“Playing in the snow.”

A sharp whoosh sliced through the air—

Smack.

Another snowball hit me square in the face, fueled by Yuri’s pure, innocent enthusiasm.

Hahahahaha…

—Fine.

You’re on.

Chapter 03.3: Figuring Out How to Deal with High Nobles—While Freezing in the Snow

Maybe this was what it meant to tremble from the very core of your body.

Inside the snow hut we had built, I was shivering without pause.

My hands were so numb I could barely feel them, yet they kept shaking in small, helpless tremors—like they no longer belonged to me.

“Are you cold?”

“…Wouldn’t the better question be why you aren’t?”

We had made the snow hut fairly spacious, but with four people inside, it still felt cramped.

Yuri nudged me with her shoulder, clearly telling me to move further in, and watched my trembling hands with open amusement.

“I was moving around, remember!”

The tip of Yuri’s nose was bright red.

Her cheeks were flushed like a child’s, and she was even lightly sweating, as if her body temperature were too high. You’d never guess she’d been bedridden with a cold just days ago.

“She’s nothing like the fragile noble ladies you hear about.”

“No air of delicacy at all?”

Yuri smiled faintly, almost deliberately.

With that expression and her features, she could easily pass for a refined young lady raised in a sheltered mansion.

Unfortunately, the backdrop was nothing but snow, completely ruining the illusion.

“You look perfectly healthy to me.”

“How disappointing. I was aiming for the sickly young lady type.”

Aiming for who, exactly?

I shook my head at her nonsense and took a sip of the tea her maid had brought us.

A warm breath slipped from my lips.

Yuri’s tea was always good, but in this cold, it felt especially comforting.

Today, though, the maid had prepared it beforehand.

Still, it was probably the same tea leaves.

…Probably.

“This is my first time playing like this.”

Inside the cramped snow hut, Prince Lionel—sitting across from me—said it calmly.

Well, of course it was.

Playing in the snow was something commoners did. The higher a noble’s rank, the further removed their life became from such things.

If nobles “played” with snow, they probably had craftsmen build elaborate snow sculptures while they stayed warm indoors. Then they’d invite guests to admire them. That was likely what snow fun meant in noble circles.

Even in the heat of the moment, I still couldn’t believe I’d actually thrown a snowball at a prince.

“You are a prince, after all.”

“Yes. I am. But… it was enjoyable.”

A faint smile touched his lips.

Beside him, Lady Obsidian lifted her teacup to hide her mouth while sneaking glances at his profile. She swayed slightly back and forth, looking quietly delighted.

“Lady Obsidian, I’m sorry you got dragged into this, by Yuri… Lady Arrose.”

“N-No! I had fun too!”

When I said that, she waved both hands in flustered denial.

The tea in her cup sloshed dangerously.

For some reason, watching her made me anxious—like she might spill it at any second. Perhaps it was just her lack of confidence that created that impression.

Yuri and Prince Lionel, on the other hand, had the steadiness of towering pillars.

Was that confidence born from status?

Hard to say.

After all, Lady Obsidian and I were nobles too.

In the end, it probably came down to personality.

“Then… that’s good.”

“And, um… Chaton is fine. I think it’s easier to say. And you don’t need formal speech either… yes, it’s really fine.”

“Is that so?”

She nodded quickly, like a squirrel.

Since she said it was fine, I decided to call her by name.

Normally, even friends among nobles wouldn’t drop honorifics. But if the person herself permitted it, there was no need to cling stubbornly to unwritten rules.

You simply separate public and private. Like I did with Yuri.

…Though lately, even in public, I had been leaning more toward private with her.

I should rein that in.

I turned a carefully practiced polite smile toward her.

“Then I’ll address Lady Yuliana properly, as always?”

“That’s cruel, dear husband. If you don’t call me Yuri with love, as usual, I’ll be hurt.”

“Hawawa…!”

She said it in that smooth, seductive tone, and Chaton’s face instantly turned into that of a startled little animal.

I had already been calling her Yuri since we rejoined earlier, so it was too late to pretend otherwise. I had only handed her another excuse to tease me.

I took a slow sip of tea.

“Yes, yes. Yuri, Yuri.”

“How cold… Have you forgotten that I am the daughter of a ducal house?”

“Haven’t you forgotten that I’m the son of a viscount?”

When I threw her logic back at her, Yuri blinked in surprise.

Just as there were proper ways for a viscount’s son to behave toward a duke’s daughter, there were proper ways for a duke’s daughter to treat a viscount’s son.

Speaking as equals? Unthinkable.

Calling her by name? Already pushing the line.

Sitting together inside a cramped snow hut, sharing tea? In truth, I wasn’t even in a position to complain if I were told to leave.

A heavy silence settled inside the snow hut, filling the space like cold water.

“Of course I know.”

Yuri smiled and brushed the tension aside with effortless ease.

Right. Of course she knew.

If she didn’t, we wouldn’t be like this now.

“Does that make me unfit to bear the name of my house?”

“Who knows.”

There wasn’t a real answer to that.

Don’t ask something like that, I shot her a sideways glare.

But she only kept smiling, as if she already knew the answer.

If we were speaking in terms of society, then yes—perhaps she was.

This country operated under a strict noble system. Status differences were unmistakable.

From a duke’s perspective, a viscount was scarcely different from a commoner. We lived in entirely different worlds.

For her to deliberately step down and say, “You and I are equals,” would likely provoke anger among many other nobles.

If such an idea spread, the noble system itself would begin to tremble.

And if the system trembled, so would the foundation of their power.

So yes, from a public standpoint, the way Yuri treated me might disqualify her as a proper daughter of a ducal house.

But that was only from the world’s perspective.

“From my personal point of view, I rather like it.”

“Oh my. A love confession from my dear husband.”

I did not say that.

“Are your ears functioning?”

“Perhaps not. Why don’t you touch and check?”

She really does get carried away—or perhaps she’s perfectly aware and simply enjoys provoking me.

She brushed her silver hair aside with fingers so pale they almost seemed translucent and tilted her head, exposing her small ear.

It was usually hidden, and with a faint sheen of sweat on her skin, it looked strangely… inviting.

My index finger twitched before I could stop it.

I wanted to touch it.

But there were other people here.

Actually, even if there weren’t, it’s not something you casually do.

And what kind of logic is “check if my ears work by touching them,” anyway?

“Let’s just go home.”

“Impotent.”

“Excuse me, Lady of the ducal house?”

Where does she even learn words like that?

I wanted to protest, but saying anything in front of Chaton—who was blinking in utter confusion—would only worsen the situation. And with Prince Lionel staring at me like that, it would cross from rude straight into criminal territory.

Why am I the one getting glared at, anyway?

“Sigh… Whatever. It’s freezing. Let’s head back before someone catches another cold.”

“So we return to our room and warm each other up?”

“Sure, sure. Whatever you say.”

I was too exhausted to argue properly.

“Then my dear husband has given his permission,” she declared, somehow managing to grow even more excited on her own.

What a troublesome fiancée.

…She’s not actually serious about that, right? About the “warming up” part?

While I was anxiously overthinking it, Prince Lionel called out, “Wait.”

“How may I help you?”

“I call Chaton ‘Chito.’”

“…I see?”

He looked completely serious.

Why was His Highness suddenly bringing this up?

“If you call Chito by her name, then you should call me Lionel.”

“That would be far too bold of me.”

This was bad.

The sweat on my back felt icy.

Even if I interpreted this as him wanting to treat Chaton and himself equally, there was still an undeniable gap in status. I wanted to go along with his wish—but calling a prince by his first name? That was an entirely different level of risk.

“Besides, I rather like you. Is it arrogance to wish to treat you as a friend?”

“That is more honor than I deserve…”

Like me?

Since when?

The first time we met, I was introduced as Yuri’s fiancé. (Fake, but still.)

From Prince Lionel’s perspective—who had hoped to marry Yuri—I should have been closer to a rival.

The second time, he even asked for my help with the engagement, and I refused.

…Looking back, what have I actually done to a prince?

How am I still alive?

No matter how many times I replayed it in my head, I couldn’t find a single moment that should have earned his favor.

Even today, I had forgotten he was a prince and hit him with a snowball.

If anything, shouldn’t he dislike me?

What am I supposed to do here?

As my head began to throb from overthinking, someone suddenly hooked their arm around mine.

“He’s my dear husband, you know?”

Yuri wrapped both arms around me.

The sudden softness of her body against mine made my thoughts freeze.

I had let my guard down, and I wasn’t mentally prepared at all. Instead of staying calm, I became painfully aware of how soft she was.

Prince Lionel let out a quiet, amused breath.

“Lady Yuliana has always been possessive of her toys.”

“…Could you refrain from discussing my childhood?”

Yuri’s voice turned sharp.

That startled me more than anything.

She rarely allowed negative emotions to show. But now, there was a distinct edge in her tone—one that clearly said, Don’t go there.

What surprised me wasn’t that she might have unpleasant memories. It was that she let that feeling surface at all.

Whether it was her personality or the strict upbringing of a ducal house, I had always believed she was skilled at controlling her emotions.

Was it truly that painful a subject?

Or was it because it was the prince who mentioned it?

I opened my mouth—then closed it again.

A strange tightness rose in my throat. I tapped it lightly with my fingers.

Maybe I really was starting to feel unwell from the cold.

Prince Lionel’s expression softened as he looked at Chaton.

She had lightly tugged at his sleeve with her fingertips.

“We’ll leave that story for another day.”

“We won’t.”

Even though it concerned her, Yuri refused immediately.

“For today, you helped with the cats. I will offer my thanks.”

—You have something you wished to consult me about, do you not?

Prince Lionel gave a small, knowing nod.

◆◆◆

Outside the window, the world was nothing but white.

A silver landscape, as though someone had bleached the entire earth.

I let out a slow breath against the glass. It fogged instantly.

Tracing the mist with my finger, I wondered what to draw.

A rabbit, perhaps?

I added long ears—just as I heard the soft clink of a cup being placed onto a saucer behind me.

“Fufu. Now we can spend the entire winter alone together, dear husband.”

“…Don’t emphasize the ‘alone.’”

I drew a second rabbit beside the first.

As thanks for helping rescue the cats, Prince Lionel had offered us the use of a small detached cabin. Apparently, it belonged to him personally.

Just like Yuri’s rose garden.

For a public academy, there were certainly a lot of privately owned spaces.

Perhaps that was simply the privilege of royalty and dukes. Or perhaps other nobles had similar arrangements. It wasn’t impossible that the academy itself favored them.

Still, lending it to us so casually felt… questionable.

“Our love nest.”

“That’s not—… well.”

I started to deny it, then hesitated.

Yuri had been consistent from the beginning.

The one calling it fake and brushing it aside had always been me.

Saying nothing simply because she never directly demanded an answer… that was cowardly.

I needed to say something.

A sense of obligation—or perhaps urgency—tightened in my chest.

Something close to panic stirred within me.

I pulled my hand away from the window and sat down on the sofa.

Yuri sat across from me.

I glanced at her from beneath my lashes, laced my fingers together, then loosened them again.

My face felt warm.

…Let’s just blame the fireplace.

“There’s something I need to say… I mean, I’ve kept you waiting long enough. Yuri, about your confession—”

“You don’t have to.”

“—my answer to it is… …huh?”

My voice cracked.

The fire in the hearth gave a sharp pop.

All the warmth and nervous courage I had gathered felt as though it had been doused with cold water.

I lifted my head.

Yuri looked exactly as she always did.

Calm. Smiling.

Her sapphire eyes reflected my bewildered expression.

“About your answer to my confession—”

She paused gently.

“Could you not give it?”

Why?

In that moment, I felt that question more intensely than I ever had in my sixteen years of life.

◆ End of Chapter 3 ◆
To be continued.