“The two of you would look great together!”
The employee's comment didn’t bother him at all.
Of course, he had unconsciously imagined what it would be like to wear similar outfits alongside Serafina.
But that was all.
Really, truly.
“How about we just buy everything in similar designs to my clothes?”
“Sounds good.”
The answer came out immediately, almost without a pause.
It was a response that left no room for breath.
Oh my?
The employee, who had been watching us with a sly glance, now wore an even more cunning smile.
“Oh my! It seems your husband loves you very much! Hohoho. You two look so good together; I’m so envious!”
Dante and Serafina instinctively looked at each other.
And the moment their gazes met...
Ah.
Dante felt as if lightning had struck his head.
Love?
Do we look good together?
It was an epiphany.
An answer to feelings he had dared not even guess at.
Feelings he might have known but had forcibly tried to ignore, yet now they surged within him, making his heart pound in confusion.
Love.
So that’s what it was.
Only then did everything make sense.
From the moment he recognized those strange feelings to the guilt he felt while looking at Serafina after having those cursed nightmares...
It was because he dared to love Serafina.
“Therefore, don’t even think about dreaming of love. That would be for your own good.”
Carrying an indelible curse in his heart, it was because he loved Serafina that he had felt this way.
Dante’s face gradually turned red as he came to this realization.
Serafina remained unaware that Dante was burning up beside her.
“Wow. We really do look like a well-matched couple.”
With her eyes narrowed playfully, Serafina stood on her tiptoes and whispered teasingly to Dante.
However, no matter how much she tiptoed, her whisper reached not his ears but rather the back of his neck due to their height difference.
“...!”
Dante held his breath and grasped the spot where her breath had touched his neck.
“What’s wrong? Are you feeling unwell?”
Her innocent question made Dante let out a deep sigh.
All he could do was shake his head helplessly.
Oh no. This is really bad.
This newfound understanding of his feelings seemed to swell within him like never before!
Everywhere her breath touched felt like a hot flame blooming forth!
It was truly absurd!
* * *
“Y-you want me to send it to Duke Richter’s residence?”
“Yes. Not ‘RiriRiriRicher,’ but please send it to Duke Richter’s residence. I’d appreciate it if you could do so without delay.”
At my response, the employee’s face turned pale as a ghost.
Oh dear. Her eyes seemed ready to pop out!
It appeared she had thought of us as just wealthy customers, but now realized we were actually the Duke and Duchess of the North!
Well, I had treated them casually too; if I found out the Prime Minister was here, I’d be shocked too!
However, worried that Dante might retreat into his shell again due to the employee's reaction—I quickly took Dante’s arm and led him out of the shop.
Fortunately, Dante didn’t seem inclined to dig himself into a hole after all.
Instead, he looked somewhat flushed and dazed.
“Was it a bit warm inside?”
“...Yes? Yes?”
“Your face is red. You seem a bit out of it. Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine. I’m perfectly fine.”
Well then, that’s a relief!
“So we’ve finished everything we needed to do.”
Contrary to my expectation that we would need to visit more than two tailor shops—we managed to get everything done in our first stop!
The place turned out larger than expected with plenty of employee available—thankfully!
As a result—now we were free as birds!
“Well then, where should we go now for some fun?”
Dante nodded in agreement.
I always feel that Dante’s responses are quite extreme.
They’re either excessively long-winded or incredibly quick!
“Is there anywhere you’d like to visit or recommend?”
“Well…”
Dante hesitated before answering,
“I don’t go outside often enough to know.”
Well then. We really are a pair of reclusive couples!
In some ways—it seems we match each other quite well?
Thinking positively—I pulled out the note Marie had prepared for me earlier:
“In case you didn’t know—I’ve jotted down some popular cafes and restaurants lately. Especially—the first cafe mentioned is supposed to be super popular! It’s a bit unique but their desserts are delicious and the ambiance is fantastic! And... well... it’s just nice!”
The note Marie gave me was filled with names of various restaurants and dessert shops.
The first one that caught my eye was the very first shop listed:
<The Secret of Snowflakes.>
Next to the poetic name of the café, there were several stars drawn to indicate it was highly recommended.
“Well then, how about a dessert shop? I have a place that Marie recommended.”
“If it’s somewhere Serafina wants to go, I’m fine with anywhere.”
Oh my. What a romantic thing to say!
It made my heart flutter for no reason.
It was true. How could I not feel my heart race when such a handsome man said, “I’m fine with wherever you want to go”?
Moreover, perhaps it was because we had just been called a “loving couple” by the employee earlier.
Or maybe it was the unfamiliar setting and attire, but Dante’s words today felt more impactful than usual.
Things that I could normally brush off suddenly resonated deeply within me.
Honestly speaking, when I heard the employee say, “Your husband seems to love you very much,” I felt quite flustered.
Love?
Dante loves me?
I found it absurd but couldn’t help thinking it wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
This was all because of Dante’s looks and personality.
Who else could be so handsome, fit, and cold on the outside yet warm on the inside?
But I had to suppress my desires.
After all, Dante had a clearly defined happiness with “Flora.”
I had an obligation to protect his happiness.
So I shouldn’t get swept up in the atmosphere and harbor strange desires.
If I were unhappy, and Dante were unhappy too, Flora would be baffled, and so would the original author!
However, just a few minutes later...
“...Hah.”
My heart began to act up again without any awareness of it.
It was because of Dante’s large, slightly cold, firm hand that wrapped around mine.
Ah. This man had sexy hands.
The events leading up to this moment traced back just a few minutes earlier.
As we checked Marie's drawn map while heading towards "The Secret of Snowflakes"...
“...Is this the right way?”
Somehow, the path felt a bit off.
We had left the lively and spacious square behind and were now in a more secluded area.
Could there really be a popular café where people line up in a place like this?
Of course, there were shops lined up around us, but they seemed more like places for locals rather than cafés or tailors.
Moreover, the incline made walking difficult.
Oh, why did I wear these shoes?
In that moment, I missed the comfortable shoes I used to wear at the mansion.
Sure enough...
“Ah!”
As I climbed up the slope—I inadvertently twisted my ankle. I was already calculating how far I would roll if I fell when—
Thud.
“Are you okay?”
Dante’s solid chest cushioned me as he caught me from falling.
I nodded dazedly.
“...Yes. Thanks to you.”
“I’m glad. You seem to be struggling with this hill…”
As he continued speaking—Dante glanced at me momentarily as if deep in thought.
“Would you like me to carry you?”
“No. That’s a bit much.”
“Oh, right.”
A chilly breeze seemed to blow from somewhere.
I thought I might have been too cold in my refusal.
But it was embarrassing!
Even though we were in a secluded area—there were still quite a few people passing by. And here he was suggesting carrying me?
Given his tall stature and handsome appearance—everyone would already be looking at him; I didn’t want to add to that by being carried around!
“Then how about this instead?”
I gently reached out and took Dante's hand.
I felt his large, firm hand jump slightly at my touch as it enveloped mine completely.
“If you don’t want to hold hands—you don’t have to.”
As I contemplated pulling away awkwardly—the large hand firmly grasped mine instead.
“I don’t mind.”
No! Why is he saying that so shyly?
He keeps confusing me!
His serious responses and bashfulness made me feel shy in return as well.
“...Hah.”
This isn’t like me at all; how strange...
In the meantime—why is his hand so big and firm? My hand seemed completely hidden beneath his!
I walked earnestly while relying on our joined hands.
Just holding hands made walking feel much easier than before!
By the way—his hand really is cold!
After that exhilarating feeling passed—I suddenly noticed how cold Dante's hand felt against mine.
It didn’t seem like this before...
I couldn’t help but think that this must be why Flora worried about Dante’s health by feeding him medicinal fruits!
With hands as cold as ice—it made me worry about his health subtly too!
“Dante. You’re not feeling unwell or anything, are you?”
“Yes?”
“Guess not. If not then good.”
Fortunately—it seemed like he didn’t have any serious health issues after all!
Still worried—I thought maybe I should start researching medicinal fruits again soon...
“Is it because your hands are cold?”
Was he echoing my words back? Dante cautiously asked me again.
I nodded honestly in response.
“Yes. I’m worried if you’re feeling unwell.”
The answer didn’t come back immediately.
He stared at me intently before awkwardly shaking his head slightly.
“...I’m perfectly fine. What about you? Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m perfectly fine! Really!”
Except for just having bitten my tongue earlier; other than that—I was truly fine!