A moment of silence lingered, and soon I came to my senses around the time I faintly heard a deflating laugh escape Sylvia’s lips.
“Pfft, I’m sorry. You looked so serious, Lord Lyard, that I tried teasing you a bit. I didn’t expect you to freeze up like that.”
Where does she even get that boldness to casually joke like this?
At first glance, she looks so delicate—no, not just delicate but like a fragile glass sculpture that might collapse under sunlight. Yet, she’s needlessly bold.
Though it was absurd, I also felt somewhat reassured.
She was just the Sylvia I knew.
Even in the past, her unique playfulness and mischievous nature hadn’t changed much.
It felt like proof that she hadn’t lost her innocence, which secretly made me happy and determined to preserve her current self.
“… There’s no need to change how you address me. After all, it will be publicly announced that we’re in a relationship.”
Even as my heart sank momentarily under Sylvia’s alluring gaze scanning me from head to toe, I managed to maintain a businesslike tone.
“That’s great. Honestly, I’ve never been in a relationship before.”
Sylvia responded with a sparkle in her eyes, bouncing up and down in place.
That habit of hers must have been innate. She used to do the same thing in her past life whenever she got excited.
With her white skin and hair, she truly resembled a rabbit.
But still, is she really okay with all of this?
This whole situation, where she was practically handed off under her father’s approval, forced to act as though she’s dating a stranger she’s never met before—doesn’t it bother her?
“Aren’t you uncomfortable with all of this?”
“Uncomfortable? What do you mean by that?”
“Everything. If I were you, I would’ve kicked the man in front of me in the shins.”
“Kicking someone I just met in the shins? That’s hardly acceptable behavior.”
“……”
It’s not wrong, but hearing Sylvia talk about common sense feels oddly out of place.
So, does that mean her actions now fall within the bounds of common sense?
“Pfft, I’m just teasing. I understand why you’d say that, Lord Lyard.”
“I see.”
Noticing my dumbfounded expression, Sylvia covered her mouth and burst into laughter.
Even the feigned ignorance earlier must have been a form of her joke.
At least she’s aware.
As much as I hate to admit it, with Sylvia, it’s easy to imagine her genuinely not knowing and saying such things. I was already struggling with how to start explaining things.
“It’s just that no matter how much I resist, it won’t change the situation. If Father had truly sold me off to a slave trader, I would’ve fought tooth and nail. But since he didn’t…”
“Isn’t this situation almost the same as being sold to a slave trader?”
“Is it? I’m at least certain Lord Lyard would treat me more kindly than some mere slave trader.”
I can’t understand her standards.
In her past life, she used to call me kind and say things I couldn’t comprehend, and now, she’s trusting me without any apparent reason.
And yet, oddly enough, while I don’t understand her thoughts, I find myself strangely happy about her pure trust.
“I won’t treat you badly. After all, you’re an important card to me.”
“That’s reassuring to hear. They say clear mutual interests build stronger bonds than vague ties of affection, don’t they?”
“That’s quite the saying.”
Impressed by the seemingly profound remark, I clapped lightly, and she laughed before suddenly extending her right hand toward me.
Confused by the gesture, I stared at her blankly like a fish, and she waved her hand playfully with a mischievous grin.
“Now that we’re in the same boat, I thought we might as well shake hands to seal the deal.”
“I’ll be in your care.”
Though I was hesitant to take her hand, I preferred it to making her feel awkward, so I pretended nothing was wrong and shook her hand.
As I did, I noticed once again how delicate her hands were.
These were the hands that could have saved me—the warm hands I had once pushed away.
From now on, I’ll make things right.
I’ll ensure that your hands remain as pure as they are now, free of anyone’s blood.
As I let go of her hand, Sylvia stared at it for a moment before looking up at me with her wide eyes.
“Is there something else you’d like to say?”
“No, I’m just amazed. Lord Lyard, your hands are huge.”
“It’s likely due to the difference in our builds. A man’s hands would naturally be larger than a woman’s.”
Even considering that, Sylvia’s hands were smaller and more delicate than anyone else’s I’d ever seen. But I didn’t feel the need to say that aloud.
From what I’d heard, she was somewhat self-conscious about it.
In any case, we’d spent more time than I expected. Just as I was about to turn to leave, she stopped me.
“Lord Lyard, would it be too much to ask if I could hold your hand one last time?”
“My hand…?”
“Yes. I’ve never seen such large hands before, so I’d like to try it again.”
Sylvia’s unexpected request made me freeze momentarily with a puzzled expression.
It wasn’t difficult to comply, but… were my hands that big?
From what I recall, even Creed Eleonore’s hands seemed relatively large compared to her petite frame.
Maybe it’s simply because she hasn’t interacted with many men.
Nodding, I decided to indulge her.
“As you wish.”
“Really? Thank you.”
When I raised my hand to her eye level, Sylvia bounced up again, eagerly pressing her hand against mine.
“They’re truly huge. It feels like your hands are twice the size of mine.”
“Perhaps your hands are just too small.”
“That’s mean! I’m actually quite self-conscious about that, you know.”
“My apologies.”
The words slipped out before I realized it.
I knew she was sensitive about the topic, yet I couldn’t stop myself.
This mouth of mine always causes trouble.
By now, she must have gotten a sense of the size difference.
It should be fine to let go now—
Grip.
Before I could even think about it, Sylvia’s hand, which had been lightly touching mine, suddenly grabbed it and intertwined her fingers with mine.
The soft sensation between my fingers caught me so off guard that I widened my eyes. Sylvia, with her characteristic innocent smile, looked at me and said:
“Heh, this is a punishment. You were too thoughtless, Lord Lyard.”
“…Punishment, you say?”
“Yes, a punishment. Until you return to the castle, the feeling from just now will keep coming back, I think.”
She gave a mischievous smile, one that was unusual for her, and pointed to her left hand. I couldn’t help but chuckle. That was certainly a novel form of punishment.
If this is the kind of punishment, I wouldn’t mind it at all, but it definitely feels harmful to my heart.
“Anyway, I feel bad keeping you any longer, so shall we leave soon?”
“Leave? Do you have business elsewhere, my lady?”
“To see you off. I learned that it’s customary to at least escort guests to the castle gate when they leave.”
I understood why she was so excited. She probably never had the chance to see off a guest before, so it made sense why she was acting this way.
Although I wanted to tell her to rest, since she seemed to genuinely want to see me off, I decided to go with her.
“Looks like that’s the one.”
The carriage, which must have arrived earlier, was waiting anxiously for me in front of the castle gate. The horse, apparently tired from waiting so long, was drooping its head, making a soft sound.
“Then, Princess Eleonore, I’ll see you again.”
“Yes, I’ll see you again. I had a wonderful time today, Lord Lyard.”
As I exchanged my final goodbyes with her before getting in the carriage, I felt a bit strange. Just before I came here, I was prepared to get slapped by her when we parted, but now I was leaving hearing that she had enjoyed herself.
Life really doesn’t always go as expected. There are times when that’s frustrating, but moments like this make me feel that it’s not so bad.
“Go!”
As I got into the carriage, the coachman shouted with energy, and the scenery around me began to slowly change.
“Thank you for your hard work, young master.”
“Yeah.”
I responded absently to Alf’s voice as I silently opened and closed my right hand, just as Sylvia had said.
The sensation kept resurfacing in my mind. The brief but intense warmth and touch she had given me.
When this feeling eventually fades, I’ll probably start remembering her face naturally.
In some way, this might actually be a kind of punishment, too.
Loving someone, but drawing the face of someone you shouldn’t approach.
Meanwhile, Sylvia, who had been waving her hand until the departing carriage was completely out of sight, turned around once the sandstorm had subsided a little.
“Honestly… You still never look back when you leave.”
She murmured softly, with a hint of disappointment in her voice. Her slightly puffed-up cheeks seemed to reflect her sulkiness, but her smile never left her lips.
As she walked lightly and gracefully with her hands behind her back, she paused for a moment, looked down at her left hand, and began to softly fidget with it.
“Heh…”
Should I be thankful that I achieved the result I wanted?
She felt a bit guilty, as if she had deceived him, but rationalized that she had no other way to hold his hand so tightly at that moment.
She had known from the start that his hand wasn’t particularly large compared to other men, but it was still much bigger than hers.
She had only been trying to create an excuse to hold his hand, just like in the romance books she had read. She never expected to be so easily caught in his grip.
“You haven’t changed, either.”
Despite trying to appear harsh on the outside, inside, your nature is still as pure as ever.
As Sylvia realized this, a strange sense of relief washed over her.