Pride and Sanctimony

Chapter 46

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They left the banquet hall together, stepping outside.

The fall wind was blowing through, and the atmosphere felt more comfortable here than in such a loud and stuffy banquet hall. Just off in the distance was the red sun, dipping below the horizon as the white and shining moon began its ascent into the sky.

Lexus slipped off his jacket, setting it down on the bench and guiding Valentia to sit on it.

[Lexus] “I’m really sorry. I didn’t think she’d come all the way here just to bother you about that.”

[Valentia] “It’s alright. The Princess is very cute, so it was more charming than bothersome.”

[Lexus] “No, she’s not cute at all. She’s the worst.”

With what he said, it made it seem like he was sick and tired of her antics, but his voice was filled with obvious affection. She could not help but feel the slightest tinge of envy in her heart.

[Lexus] “I was hoping we could enjoy the banquet together. What should I do now?”

He was fussing, but it was useless worry.

There was no way he could know this, but for Valentia, merely being in his presence was the happiest thing in the world. Whether it was a spectacular banquet hall or the shabbiest corner alley—it was all the same to her so long as she could be with him.

The banquet was never an enjoyable affair for her. It was supposed to be fun, but the most she would do was stand quietly in a corner, trying to ignore the contempt filled eyes of others, just waiting until it was time to leave.

But today, she spoke to Aigis, Lily, and Red. And she even got to meet the lovely little Princess.

She liked how busy things felt and how many new things she experienced that surprised her. However, now there were only the two of them here, alone in a place where there was no one else. It was like reality was hitting her all at once. 

He was really here with her, and she couldn’t shake that warm feeling that came from seeing a face she hadn’t seen in so long.

[Valentia] “It’s alright.”

As long as he was here, everything was alright.

[Lexus] “Yeah, we haven’t seen each other in so long, so it’s nice being able to be with you in a more relaxed setting.”

It was like he could read her mind. She was elated and thrilled by the idea, but expressing that would be nigh impossible because she knew such a gesture was meaningless in the end.

[Valentia] “Is that so?”

[Lexus] “I see you’re still as cold as ever, though.”

She didn’t really know what to say to that, so she reflexively tried to apologize for being a cold person.

[Valentia] “I didn’t mean……”

[Lexus] “But since I’m so nice, I’ll give you a present.”

[Valentia] “A present?”

He was holding a small, rectangular box in his hand, flat in its dimension.

It was lined with velvet and it was a very distinctive mint color, making it obvious what brand it came from. It was an up and coming luxury brand, favored by the highest ranking nobles when choosing gifts for ladies they fancied.

[Lexus] “I wanted to give you this earlier, but I guess I’m doing it now. I chose it to match your dress. I know we couldn’t choose the dress together, but at the very least, I wanted to give you this in person.”

With a honeyed voice, he was far too good at speaking so sweetly. What choice did a woman have but to fall in love with him when he spoke to her like that?

And so, though she knew such kindness and sweetness was nothing special for him, she felt so much joy that she thought she might start crying. Valentia couldn’t even open the box he was giving her. She only stared at it with an empty look in her eyes.

[Lexus] “Open it.”

As if his words were like magic, she followed the softly given command.

Within the box was a simple necklace, like a delicately and gently woven chain of small diamonds, meant to be worn tightly to the neck like a choker. Hanging from it was a single jewel, shaped like a water droplet, shining splendidly in the soft light of sundown.

[Lexus] “Do you like it?” 

Valentia looked down at the necklace in total silence. Like he was feeling the energy between them, Lexus asked very carefully.

[Lexus] “Or maybe you were expecting something fancier?”

[Valentia] “Oh no, it’s very lovely. Truly, it is. I just didn’t think…….”

[Lexus] “I thought something too crazy might clash with your dress.”

[Valentia] “……Thank you.”

[Lexus] “I couldn’t act as your escort tonight, so I’d like it if you could let me put this on you.”

How could she ever reject such a wonderful request?

Valentia collected all of her voluminous hair, bringing to one side of her shoulders, revealing her pale and smooth neck. When he reached around her to put the necklace on, she could feel the slight chill of the diamonds on her chest, along with the sensation of his gloved hands brushing against her skin.

[Lexus] “Is it too tight?”

[Valentia] “No.”

He wasn’t even touching her skin directly, but she felt herself heating up. It was such a silly thing to get nervous about, and yet she still felt very on edge, which only served to confuse her.

[Lexus] “It’s a bit hard to see. I think I need to get a little closer.”

It wasn’t easy to connect the clasp at a distance since the necklace was shorter in length. Valentia lowered her head, quietly saying he could.

The mood of this situation was very curious. He was whispering towards her, so his voice was soft, and yet it was rough at the same time, like it was scratching his throat. Then came his breath upon her neck as he drew closer.

It took him less than a minute, but it felt so much longer.

They’d been closer than this before. Back when he saved both her and Goldie, he held her entirely in his arms, and then, even more than that, he embraced her tightly as their bodies became one. 

But despite that, something like this of all things was making her tremble.

All of the small hairs on her body stood up, intensifying her nerves. But she didn’t hate it. Actually, somewhere within her, she wanted it to continue on a little longer……Or a lot longer, if she could wish for more.

[Lexus] “It’s done.”

The disappointment was strong as she felt both his hands and his breath pull back. Feeling him so distantly when he was once so close was a very unfortunate thing.

It was far too strange for such a small gesture like this to feel so unfamiliar and awkward to her in comparison to everything else. Valentia thought for a moment, reaching back and touching her fingers against the clasp of the necklace.

[Valentia] “Why didn’t you contact me?”

[Lexus] “Oh, that.”

His expression stiffened. She knew she shouldn’t have asked this kind of question. As the words floated in the air, her heart shook.

[Lexus] “Considering that third-rate waste of an article, I didn’t think it would be a good idea to encourage any rumors. I thought it would be for the best if I kept my distance until things quieted down.”

She thought that might be the case, but she still felt better hearing him say it himself. And above all, she felt very grateful, knowing that he acted with her best interests at heart.

[Valentia] “Thank you.”

Nodding, Lexus looked down at Valentia, taking in the image of her in the dress he made for her.

He was a part of its creation and already got the chance to see the finished product. He’d also imagined many times what it would look like once Valentia actually wore it.

But he sorely underestimated just how beautiful she would look in it.

[Lexus] “The dress looks nice on you.”

[Valentia] “I didn’t think you would prepare something like this, so I don’t have anything to give to you.”

[Lexus] “Just you accepting it makes me feel like you’ve given me a gift.”

She had to wonder, was this man aware of how those sorts of words would make the women around him feel?

[Lexus] “Actually, I wanted to get you something that you would like, but you didn’t seem to have much of an opinion when it came to picking dresses, so I sort of went with whatever for the accessory. Do you like it?”

[Valentia] “Is that so? I actually like it very much.”

Truthfully, he had half the mind to get her enough diamonds to cover her entire upper body with, but somehow he just knew if he offered her something too extravagant, she would most definitely turn it away. With that in mind, he went with something that was a bit more simplistic, but suited her very well all the same.

And luckily, she did not find that to be bothersome, so she gladly accepted it.

But much like her, he was also very confused with himself right now. He was just putting on a necklace for a lady, so why did he feel so nervous?

He had to be careful. He couldn’t let this woman know how much his hands were shaking.

However, without even realizing it, after finishing the clasp on the necklace, his eyes started to wander to look at what lay beyond his hands.

Her shoulders and neckline were not usually exposed like this. He knew he needed to look away, but his eyes just kept zeroing in like that was all he could see.

Why does this woman have to be so beautiful?

It was such a crazy thought. Yes, it was objectively true that she was more beautiful than usual tonight, but was it possible to be this lovely?

There were many women out there who were arguably more beautiful than she was. If measured empirically, you could likely say they were certainly more beautiful. Even before he first acknowledged this woman’s existence, he couldn’t quite remember what she looked like. All that came to mind was a blurry figure.

So why does this woman look so lovely to me right now?

Lexus thought that maybe his eyes were going bad. Or maybe his head wasn’t screwed on right anymore.

But it was too late to stop this impulse.

[Lexus] “Valentia.”

He called out to her in a low voice. Valentia blinked in a daze as she looked up at him. He was backlit by the red sunset, burning against his brilliant blond hair.

Maybe it was because of the mood, but his beautiful golden eyes appeared almost orange right now. Was it just her imagination, or could she feel warmth radiating from those eyes? 

No, not warmth. 

What she was feeling was heat.

[Lexus] “I want to ask you something.”

[Valentia] “Yes? What is it?”

Lexus spoke up first, but then fell into silence. 

It was very unlike him to be so hesitant. He had once so easily spat out such verbally abusive language towards her, and yet now he was slightly biting his lip, like he was nervous.

Maybe.

Just maybe.

Somehow, in all this haze, Valentia was getting a sense within her. Though she was dense and ignorant when it came to other people, this was a difficult one to miss. That sense of maybe, just maybe, these sweet feelings weren’t entirely one-sided.

Emotions started to flood her heart, but she could not tell if it was excitement, a mere palpitation, or maybe even a heart attack. All she knew was that she couldn’t breathe because this very feeling was filling up a hole in her heart she didn’t know was empty.

[Lexus] “About me……Do you still…..?”

His words were slow, like he was trying to be careful while waiting for every word to land properly before continuing. Somehow, he was filled with a sense of expectation.

He’d never been this nervous before, nor had he ever felt this anxious in the presence of another. He stood with his back entirely straight, with his shoulders squared in a perfectly straight line.

And she seemed to quickly understand what he meant by the question. Valentia’s expression stiffened.

He could vividly remember all the horrible things he said to her back then, and he kept wondering if she still hated him for it. And if he could remember, then obviously she would remember it too.

And any woman would clearly hate a man who could say those sorts of things to her.

[Valentia] “Honestly, that’s so unfair.”

Within her tone was a sense of disappointment, but Lexus had good intuition. He could tell from her answer straight away that she did not dislike him.

But that wasn’t enough. He needed more certainty.

[Lexus] “So what’s your answer?”

[Valentia] “You’re insufferable.”

She was probably the only woman on earth who could tell him he was insufferable with a face he found uncontrollably lovely. He knew that kind of thinking made him sound like a complete loser, but his mind kept spinning.

He knew it all, but he still asked—

[Lexus] “Why?”

[Valentia] “Because I think you’ll like my answer.”

And that’s when Lexus gave a bright smile.

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