The Monstrous Grand Duke's Fake Lady

“Did you perhaps follow me?”

“……”

Strangely, he didn’t answer Vivian’s question.

Which also meant that she was absolutely right. Vivian sighed before gazing at him.

“Why are you treating me this kindly?”

It was him who didn’t actually believe in herself at first. It was also him who didn’t even try listening to her even though she had appealed several times for a single chance to speak. He was also the one who acted as if he wouldn’t have forgiven her at all no matter what she had to say.

But why would he treat herself nicely now, Vivian couldn’t comprehend it at all. She was worried that if there were people sent from the County would soon arrive, nevertheless, she could now vaguely see that it wouldn’t happen.

“Will you forgive me despite anything I’ll say?”

Knox, as Vivian had done before, took his chances cautiously. However, the confused Vivian couldn’t hastily meet his eyes.

It was too complicated for her to forgive him. There was a lot of time when she suffered alone and there had been her resentment towards him, who had made a situation where she had to move away before settling down at an unknown place, which still remained unresolved.

“…I don’t really know.”

“Is that so?”

However, unlike what Vivian had expected, Knox drew a faint smile.

“Why… are you making that expression?”

“Because I’m happy that you didn’t refuse me straight away.”

Vivian rubbed the corner of her eyes because of his tone that sounded like he was expecting a chance would be granted on him. She just couldn’t understand his intention. All the more so since his words and actions seemed to enunciate that he was in love with her, Vivian—not Alexia.

She felt like she would have blurted something strange if she kept being in front of him. Vivian then took a few steps away from him. Her arm, which had been held by him, fell off slowly, but the warmth had still wrapped around her hand entirely.

Vivian quickly hid her arms behind her back, fearing that she would drown herself in that feeling.

“I have an appointment, so I’ll be leaving now.”

“With whom?”

“The one I’m working with back at the inn.”

Knox’s gaze immediately turned behind at Vivian’s answer. His eyes, which had found Ez, suddenly shed a sharp glow.

His hand tried to lock her momentarily as if restraining her, but stopped at that instant. His fist was clenched ambiguously before it relaxed behind his back—all without her knowing.

“…Do you perhaps like him?”

Vivian shook her head at Knox’s direct question.

“I don’t know.”

“I’m fine as long as you don’t like him.”

She was dumbfounded. In contrast to her thought that he might hate it or even be mad at it, his innocent claim had made her nearly snort.

“Seriously, what is it that you’re all fine with?”

“It’s just—everything about you.”

Vivian, who almost asked if he was even this lukewarm to his feelings for her, eventually sealed her lips.

She then began leading Ez by his arm instead. Despite knowing the fact that his eyes were blatantly staring at her, she still moved ostentatiously to the side.

“Ez, let’s go.”

She proceeded quickly before Knox could even catch her. Ez, on the other hand, was walking as if he was being dragged away by the sudden movements, yet she had already done talking.

“……Ma’am.”

“Uh, uh?”

Vivian’s feet, which were moving rather swiftly, halted at Ez’s words. She was out of breath and Ez immediately looked at her worriedly.

“Are you okay?”

“Ah, yes……”

Ez’s expression gradually darkened as he looked at Vivian, who had answered quite bitterly.

“I guess all the fatigue from today has accumulated a bit.”

When he saw that she was trying really hard to smile as if to appease him, Ez approached her—looking fairly determined. Then, Ez’s hand slowly slid down her arms. As she was startled by the sudden touch, Vivian instantly shook off his hand.

After shaking it away, she became flustered as if she, herself, was also surprised. Unlike Vivian, Ez was only drawing a few lines around the corner of his mouth bitterly at the seemingly expected reaction.

“Ah, this…”

“It’s fine, ma’am. That person from earlier was actually Sir Grand Duke, right?”

“…yeah.”

She nodded slightly and Ez didn’t continue to say anything more.

He had already noticed the strange atmosphere between the two of them for a long time now. He was only pretending not to see it while ignoring it on purpose.

“You know him as well, right?”

This time, she merely nodded instead of answering straight.

Perhaps she wouldn’t have to hide it anymore. As she could no longer meet his eyes, she soon stared on the ground.

“Have you been avoiding that person?”

“Yes. I mean, perhaps I was… but I don’t really know now—about what I want to do myself.”

I just don’t know. Vivian mumbled faintly.

She couldn’t open her mouth that easily to explain her own feelings. She had tried to erase him. She tried to forget all the traces of him and began living well over here once again—before he had literally come to find her.