Chapter 38. can i kiss you?
2022.12.24.
The long-awaited promised day has come.
Without question, the Marquis of Gardenia allowed them to go out on the condition that they be accompanied by a maid and an escort.
Siana went to the meeting place she had set up with Esteban through correspondence.
She left earlier than expected, but Esteban had arrived and was waiting for her.
Standing at a distance, Ciana looked at Esteban standing in the shade of a tree.
‘Originally, he’s a person with such a cold face.’
When he was alone, the man had a strangely indifferent face.
His expression did not change despite the small flowers blooming on the roadside, the slow-flowing river, and the scattering of birds that suddenly took flight.
Eyes without warmth, devoid of affection, whether living or inanimate.
But for some reason, Siana seemed lonely.
The man leaning on the railing of the bridge raised his head. As soon as I put Siana in my eyes, my cold impression changed completely.
Esteban, as before, walked towards her as if he had met a very nice person.
“It’s been a while, Siana.”
“It’s only been a few days since I last saw you.”
“It’s been a long time since the days of waiting for today flowed so slowly.”
At those words, Shiana licked her lips to say something, but eventually stopped. I didn’t know what answer to give.
Because I wasn’t immune to such open manipulation.
Cyana’s maid and escort whispered and glanced at Esteban.
“That driver is really active. Isn’t that right sir?”
“…Marie, do you see it that way too?”
“yes.”
“Say it, say it.”
The escort, who knew Esteban’s true identity, moaned, covering his face with one hand.
I didn’t dare to imagine what kind of misfortune would happen if his master found out about this.
‘Your Excellency Marquis might kill me.’
However, the emperor right in front of him was more terrifying.
Whether they did or not, Esteban was just happy to see Siana face to face.
Ciana looked up at him and asked cautiously.
“Are you okay with the wounds you received then?”
“Thanks to your first aid.”
At the low voice, Siana held out her hands, avoiding Esteban’s gaze.
“Then please return the handkerchief.”
However, it was not the handkerchief that was on Siana’s hand.
“I forgot and left it.”
Esteban smiled brightly as he placed his large hand on top of Siana’s.
“…yes?”
Isn’t it an overly confident attitude for someone who left behind something he promised?
Shiana blinked her big eyes. Esteban added an excuse.
“I washed it well and dried it, but it looks like it was left there.”
“Then it’s okay if you don’t really give it back.”
When Cyana refused to return the handkerchief this time, Esteban made a sad face.
“It was really hard to drain the blood. I washed it hard to give it back to Sianna…”
“Is that so?”
“yes. Have you eaten?”
It was a natural topic change, as if they had practiced it thousands of times.
Before Shiana could even answer, Mari answered instead with her eyes shining.
“no! You haven’t eaten yet!”
“Good. Then would you like to dine with me? There are good restaurants nearby.”
Shiana was not the type to refuse such a question.
As she nodded, Esteban pulled the hand he was holding.
It felt like the skin it touched was tickling.
For some reason, Sianna’s maid who is kind to her and her escort who is silent while watching.
It was a perfect condition.
***
After the meal, at Esteban’s recommendation, the two of them took a walk along the Pokosi River.
The sound of people outing and laughing as they rode the ferry could be heard from here and there.
The awkwardness disappeared and the two walked in step while sharing personal stories.
“Siana is an only child.”
“yes. Maybe that’s why I feel lonely sometimes. When I was young, my sister said she wanted to have it, so she bullied her father. How about Evan?”
“Um… I have a sister.”
“Wow, I envy you.”
“I left for Langard when I got married, but I haven’t been in touch for quite some time.”
“I will miss you.”
“I guess so.”
The conversation between the two went on and on.
Favorite food Things I experienced as a child A passage from an impressive book What happened a few days ago.
As we walked and chatted, the sky along the Pokosi River turned pink.
Even the people who had gone out had returned home, and the evening by the river was quiet.
Realizing that it was time to part, Esteban stood facing Sianna. He was a little nervous.
“Then, I’ll be sure to return the handkerchief next time.”
To those words that promise the following.
“all right.”
Shiana replied with a smile.
Esteban raised her hand and kissed the back of it.
At that brief contact, Siana’s cheeks turned red.
Something was starting.
A feeling that is affectionate, tickling, and unbearable at all.
***
The next time we met, Esteban spoke shamelessly.
“I forgot to bring it.”
And at the next meeting.
“I forgot.”
The next day…
“I forgot.”
“Yes…”
Even Ciana, who had no sense of the opposite sex, could tell that Esteban was lying on purpose.
It was an excuse. A plausible excuse to meet Siana somehow.
But what I couldn’t understand more was my own mind listening to it.
‘I don’t like it.’
Shiana, too, had been waiting for the day she would meet Esteban. I felt like I wanted to go along with Esteban’s lies.
As long as there was an excuse between the two of them, the handkerchief, the meeting continued.
Driven by that momentum, Esteban actively seduced Siana. They didn’t confess their feelings to each other, but they were like lovers.
The two of them sat across from each other at a cafe that had been rented out in advance without Siana’s knowledge, and ordered dessert and tea.
“Siana. It has cream on it.”
“Here you go?”
As Cyana wiped the corner of her mouth smeared with cream, Esteban wiped her mouth with his thumb.
“no. here.”
Seeing Esteban licking her fingers with a nonchalant face, Siana laughed lightly.
Naturally, Esteban, thinking that Cyana would blush and be ashamed, was taken aback.
“Siana?”
“Evan-sama, too, has cream on it.”
“ah. Did you bury them here?”
“no. here!”
Cyana wiped his mouth with her thumb, just as Esteban had done. It didn’t lick like he did, but that alone made Esteban’s face red.
At Esteban’s reaction, Cyana burst into a bright smile.
Esteban stared at the eyes that folded beautifully before kissing Sianna.
side. There was no doubt that Siana’s eyes widened at the brief touch and falling contact.
“ah.”
Cyana covered her mouth with her hand and looked at Esteban with round eyes. he replied bluntly.
“Because of the cream.”
“That excuse is over, Evan.”
“…Siana, because you’re pretty when you smile.”
Esteban’s expression on his face was so serious that Siana pressed her pounding heart.
Esteban asked in a low voice.
“Siana. May I kiss you?”
A short kiss wasn’t enough. On the contrary, the thirst only increased.
I want to hug you until your whole body crumbles. I want to kiss you until my breath stops.
Esteban suppressed the urge to simmer and waited for Siana’s answer.
Like a hound that can’t control its instincts after being trained for a while.
Esteban was vaguely convinced after meeting Siana quite often. I hope she feels the same way as you.
Before long, Shiana wiggled her hands and nodded slightly.
allow.
Esteban’s patience ran out at that moment.
rattle-.
Esteban stood up, put one hand on the table and cupped Siana’s cheek with the other.
Across the table, he took her full breath.
***
Esteban was troubled before he was happy that he was finally dating Sianna.
‘It’s time to reveal my identity.’
Esteban asked Cyana subtly.
“Siana. I have a question.”
“Say yes.”
“What do you think of His Majesty the Emperor?”
At that question, Shiana slightly frowned. Esteban instantly doubted his own eyes at the negative reaction, which was not like Siana.
‘I must have seen it wrong.’
But I wasn’t wrong.
“He is heartless. They said there was no blood or tears.”
No matter how positively Esteban tried to interpret it, it was useless.
Siana seemed to be reluctant to the emperor.
Esteban felt a great sense of crisis.
‘The rumors aren’t good, but I thought even Siana would think so.’
If you knew this was going to happen, you would have cracked down on rumors earlier.
But it’s already too late to regret it. Esteban, driven into danger, hurriedly defended himself.
“Not necessarily. Your Majesty the Emperor is different from rumors. He’s kind and kind, and…”
Shiana also didn’t completely believe the rumors surrounding the emperor. However, the emperor’s attitude towards Pacifica was enough to make him hostile.
“is that so? But I don’t really want to know.”
With a kind voice, Shiana just cut off the conversation.
“…yes.”
Esteban, who was scorned in the face, kept his mouth shut.
There was no difference, but it felt like a difference.
He smiled as he looked at Sianna, who was chatting with him, but was immersed in anguish.
‘How did you hide your identity?’
When they first met, she didn’t reveal her identity because she was wearing a maid’s uniform, fearing she would run away if she knew she was the emperor.
At the second meeting, she knew that Ciana was the daughter of the Marquis of Gardenia, but she pretended to be a knight in case she felt burdened.
Moreover, there was no announcement of divorce from Pacifica externally, so it was difficult to disclose.
I was going to talk about it as we gradually became closer… but I never thought I’d be reluctant to the emperor.
no. She didn’t want to admit it, but Siana hated the emperor quite a bit… no, very much. It wasn’t to the point of reluctance.
However, the truth could not be hidden forever.
The Gardenia family also attended the emperor’s birthday banquet that was just around the corner.
What could be worse than having Sianna find out about her true identity?
Somehow, before that, I had to reveal my identity.
“Phew…”
Esteban, whose eyes were closed, held Sianna in his arms. Sianna patted him on the back with a friendly hand.
“I don’t know what’s going on, but do your best, Evan.”
“…Yes Siana.”
Esteban became even more distraught at the consolation of the source of his agony.
***
One day, a few days before the emperor’s birthday banquet, the news of Pacifica and Esteban’s divorce spread all over the capital.
While the announcement of the divorce was postponed, Pasifika was able to return to the Donovan family with confidence by stably building her own power within the family.
It was the return of the beast that had been hiding sharp fangs.
Esteban stopped by the Donovan family to complete the paperwork with Pacifica.
In fact, there was an intention to give her strength while meeting Pacifica as if to show off.
After finishing all the paperwork, Esteban stood up.
“You’ve put in a lot of hard work, Lady Donovan.”
At the title other than empress, Pacifica smiled lightly and nodded.
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
The conversation ended with that. When I came out of Duke Donovan’s mansion, the cloak I was wearing fluttered in the rough wind. Esteban looked up at the sky.
‘The weather isn’t very nice.’
The sky was overcast with dark clouds, as if it was going to rain at any moment.
“Gustav. What about the wagon?”
“yes. I called earlier. Just wait a little bit, Your Majesty.”
“You should have prepared in advance.”
“Your Majesty came out too early.”
It was just then that Gustav quietly grunted and answered.
Esteban turned his head at the presence he felt from a distance.
“Your Majesty…?”
Cyana was there.
Cyana, with a pale complexion as if she would collapse at any moment. His amber eyes were stained with shock.
“…!”
Esteban’s and Siana’s eyes were entangled in the air. Esteban, who belatedly realized the situation, reached out his hand toward her.
“Siana!”
Siana turned around and ran.
