TDWO Chapter 14

“…….”

 

Edwin looked down at Anri with a silent yet somewhat persistent gaze.

Anri, with her hands elegantly clasped around the reticule, was gazing up at him intently.

The curve from her round, slender face to her moderately long neck, as well as the bare shoulders framed by her flowing hair, was delicate and soft.

It wasn’t that Anri didn’t understand his words.

Rather, there was a hint of bemusement mixed with a slight rebuke under her expressionless face, as if wondering who he was to claim to be her Perseus.

Thus, Edwin felt a bit embarrassed about the words he had impulsively spoken, but he tried not to dwell on that feeling.

He certainly didn’t say it out of anger or as a joke.

 

“Why do you ask?”

 

As expected, Anri replied casually and curiously.

Her round, sweet eyes blinked two or three times as if she were genuinely curious.

Looking at each other like this for a long time, he could see the crystalline structure and the intricacies of her pink sapphire-like eyes.

He wanted to count how many there were just once.

 

“Ahem!”

 

It was just as Edwin was about to speak. The elderly gentleman coughed loudly, as if he intended for them to hear.

Anri and Edwin’s heads turned simultaneously in the same direction.

There, several pairs of eyes of all ages were waiting for them to move aside.

 

“Oh, excuse us.”

 

Anri quickly stepped aside, lifting her dress slightly with one hand.

It turned out they had been standing in front of a painting for too long.

Anri glanced at the man, but he turned away without a word of apology to the other spectators.

Anyway.

 

“I’ll escort you home after you’ve finished viewing.”

 

The man who finished speaking turned to Anri again.

 

“……?”

“Oh, I have a favor to ask.”

 

He doesn’t know what her taste is like, but it’s probably better than his.

It’s kind of annoying.

Edwin asked Anri to pick out a painting to take home.

Anri noticeably liked the idea, as if she had become a different person.

She asked in detail how many paintings he wanted to buy and what kind of atmosphere he preferred.

It didn’t matter how many paintings there were or what kind they were.

If his mother didn’t like them, it was her fault for not coming to the exhibition herself.

Anri chose five paintings, including the one of Andromeda and Perseus that she had been looking at earlier.

 

“The paintings you bought today; are you planning to resell them later or give them as gifts to someone else?”

“Well, I’m not sure.”

“Then you might regret it.”

“I don’t know why, but I’ll convey your words to my mother.”

 

As they left the exhibition hall, Anri felt strangely fulfilled.

Having chosen five expensive paintings made her feel proud, as if she had bought her own paintings.

They were all works by the same artist.

The price was so staggering that it made her hands tremble just to buy one, yet the man didn’t seem to care at all about how much he spent.

So instead, Anri enjoyed it.

It felt thrilling to spend a wealthy person’s money so freely. Since it wasn’t her money, she didn’t feel guilty at all.

As they headed toward the carriage, she could feel the glances of passing noble ladies assessing the man.

Under the small parasol in their hand, beyond the fan.

Now that she thought about it, the man’s polished appearance was bound to attract the attention of women. At least his appearance.

Moreover, today, the man’s glamorous yet restrained demeanor seemed more attractive than usual. The formal attire he donned for the exhibition likely contributed to this.

Despite any personal grievances with the man, Anri couldn’t deny that his appearance was faultless.

It was like being with a living statue, a handsome hologram, or the hero of a novel.

Come to think of it, what is the real male lead doing?

Though she found herself living in the same world as him, it still felt surreal, as if she were from a different realm.

 

‘But who is that man, really?’

“Get in, miss.”

 

Just then, the man’s coachman opened the door, and Anri stepped into the black carriage first.

It was the very carriage she had admired when they first met.

 

‘Oh.’

 

Anri sat down on the seat facing the coachman.

Naturally, the man would sit opposite Anri, with his back to the coachman.

It was common knowledge and the norm for men and women to sit this way when riding in a carriage together.

Anri casually adjusted the folds of her dress.

She wanted to take a closer look at the interior of the Roses and Hounds, probably the most expensive model, but she pretended not to care.

She accepted the offer to be escorted to Wentworth Manor without hesitation, not simply because she wanted to experience the highest model from Roses & Hounds. It was then.

 

“Huh?”

 

The man sat down next to Anri, and the door closed.

 

“Aren’t you supposed to sit over there?”

 

It was strange.

Except for family members or husbands, men and women couldn’t sit side by side in a carriage.

While Anri might not know much else, she wanted to adhere precisely to this norm.

Because sitting next to the man would be extremely uncomfortable.

Especially for a journey that would last half a day.

However, the man’s natural response was absurd.

He casually leaned back against the seat and crossed his legs comfortably as he spoke.

 

“If I sit facing backward, I’ll get motion sickness.”

“…….”

 

He truly was an extraordinary man.

While he wasn’t looking, Anri subtly glared at him and then pressed herself against the window.

With a gap of about five spans between them, she felt somewhat relieved.

 

“Hmm.”

 

Then, with a low and seemingly meaningless sound, he moved slightly closer to Anri.

Anri clasped her hands together politely in her lap, startled again.

Without even asking, the man spoke.

 

“I get motion sickness even sitting near the entrance.”

“…….”

 

Anri was slowly getting frustrated.

She quickly got up and deliberately sat across from him, smiling sardonically.

Next to her was a stack of wrapped paintings.

 

“I’m sorry I was so inconsiderate; I didn’t even think about it when you offered to escort me. Of course, the owner of the carriage should sit in a good seat.”

“…….”

 

Finally, Edwin, who had monopolized the forward-facing seat, moved closer to the window.

Although Anri’s expression was polite, her true sentiment was, ‘Are you satisfied now?’

Anri’s graceful and fresh aura was always pleasant, no matter when he felt it.

It almost made him want to provoke her unnecessarily.

Well, it was true that he got motion sickness when sitting backward.

It felt like he was being dragged into a cart, making him nauseous.

Just the thought of it made him feel like vomiting.

 

“…….”

 

There was an unnatural silence for a while.

Indeed, the carriage was peaceful without a single creaking noise. It seemed like even a sleeping baby wouldn’t wake up.

How long has it been?

Strangely, Anri’s stomach felt uneasy.

Well, it was her first time sitting backwards. Ladies weren’t supposed to sit here in the first place.

Anri put her hand on her stomach, looking a little sullen.

A little later, the man shifted his buttocks towards the door.

 

“……It seems Miss Anri is also prone to motion sickness.”

“…….”

 

Anri stared at the space the man had vacated. He seemed quicker on the uptake than she had thought.

So, even Roses and Hounds couldn’t ward off the curse of sitting backward.

Anri, who had expected the man to occupy the window seat instead of the entrance, looked at him with surprise.

Anri held her dress with both hands and finally changed seats.

 

“Ahem.”

 

Should she thank him?

In her hesitation, she missed the timing to express gratitude.

Anri glanced out the window for no reason, sitting up straight.

Her soft, flowing hair cascaded down one shoulder in thick waves.

Sitting side by side, Anri keenly felt the significant difference in physique between her and the man.

His knees protruded more than twice as much as Anri’s, and his frame was noticeably different.

Come to think of it, this was the first time Anri had been alone with a man who wasn’t her father, relative, or servant since she was born.

 

‘No, that’s not true! I’ve been alone with boys before!’

 

Anri had been very popular with the boys in Courtney, her hometown.

Among boys her age, there wasn’t a single one who didn’t have a crush on her.

They seized every opportunity to be alone with her and confessed their love.

There were so many that she couldn’t even count.

Just to name a few, there were Gilbert, Davy, Fred, Charlie, Roy…

Yet, somehow, not a single one of them seemed like a man to her.

To even consider their confessions, she would have had to see them as potential romantic interests.

Instead of finding the numerous expressions of affection sweet, Anri wanted to avoid them as soon as possible.

The awkward atmosphere with boys she couldn’t even hold hands with was truly unbearable.

However, being alone with a man in this kind of atmosphere was truly a first for Anri since birth.

At least she didn’t want to leave right away.

Meanwhile, with a sidelong glance, Edwin’s attention was focused on Anri.

Though he couldn’t openly stare, Anri was caught in his gaze.

 

“You seem to be getting along so well with your …… sisters.”

 

At some point, Edwin broke the silence and asked.

After hearing his unexpected remark, Anri turned to him and gave him a polite smile.

 

“Yes, we do. So much that I worry about when they’ll get married.”

 

A faint smirk played at the corners of Edwin’s lips. It was sardonic.

 

“It will take quite a while before it’s your turn, Miss Anri.”

“These days, sometimes younger siblings get married first.”

 

Anri’s complexion still glowed with warmth.

 

“That’s good.”

 

It hardened quickly, though.

 

“No, I mean, I’m worried I might have to wait until then.”

“……?”

 

Her eyes widened in surprise.

Ever since he mentioned Perseus, Anri had sensed that he had something to say to her.

So Anri remained unfazed and didn’t avoid the gaze that met her.