Chapter 44

"What?"

"You."

Leon, who was about to say that peeking is bad, was at a loss for words.

"You really are very pretty."

The girl covered her blushing cheeks with her hands and smiled sweetly.

While being called pretty was new, being called handsome was something he had heard to the point of exhaustion. Even his mother, who didn't particularly like him, said that his noble appearance was to her liking.

"To a man, you should say 'handsome' instead of 'pretty.'"

"Wow…, even when you're angry, you're still pretty."

She was really a strange child. Looking into her sparkling teal eyes, it felt strangely warm even under the shade of a tree.

"Hey, you know."

The girl clasped her hands behind her back and twisted her body as if she had something to ask.

"What is it?"

"Can I touch your hair just once?"

Leon was once again at a loss at this unexpected request.

'Why is she acting like this with someone she just met?'

Seeing Leon's less-than-pleased expression, the girl hurriedly explained her strange request.

"Sorry, but you're just so pretty, I wanted to touch you! I bet it's soft and smooth."

"I'm not a dog."

"That's not what I meant…."

"I've never seen a girl like you before."

The girl pouted. Her large eyes became moist. Leon was worried she might start crying at any moment.

"No, that's not what I meant…."

He didn't mean it in a bad way.

He was used to girls who always sugar-coated their feelings, so it was surprising to see a girl who spoke her mind so openly. Honestly, it was amusing. He was curious to see how far she would go and what other strange things she would say.

"Here."

Leon bent his head. Even then, he was still too tall, so when the girl stood on tiptoe, he bent his knees.

Her hand touched his smooth, pomade-coated hair. He chuckled at the thought that anyone seeing this would be shocked to see Colonel Winston's son being petted like a dog by a common girl.

But when the girl smiled like an excited puppy, his crooked mouth straightened into a symmetrical smile.

"Wow, it's soft. I thought it would be cold because of the cool color, but it's warm."

"It's summer, after all."

She really was an odd child.

"It feels like touching sunlight."

When the girl withdrew her hand, he straightened his bent body.

"Thanks."

"I hope your curiosity is satisfied."

The girl nodded.

"I'm envious. I wish I had blonde hair too. Everyone in my family has blonde hair, but I have brown hair."

She started talking about things he didn't even ask about.

Usually, Leon would avoid such situations by making an excuse and leaving when girls started talking about themselves, things he had no interest in. He could have left by making an excuse about his upcoming riding lesson, but for some reason, his feet wouldn't move.

She chattered away to herself, then suddenly blushed and rummaged through the small bag slung diagonally across her body.

"Here, chocolate."

The chocolate, from a cheap brand from a distant area, seemed to have been in her bag for a long time, as the corners of the wrapper were worn.

Leon didn't like sweets. He always refused, but this time he took it without thinking. Moreover, it was a cheap chocolate that his mother would tell him to throw away if she saw it….

"Why is this?"

"For peeking."

"I saved it to eat myself." She added, blushing and smiling.

This was like taking candy from a poor child's mouth. He was about to give it back.

"I'll come back to peek again."

The girl waved her hand and hopped away. He didn't even get a chance to tell her to stop peeking and to look at him boldly next time.

'She's really a strange kid.'

He realized he had forgotten to ask her name.

Forgetting such a basic thing… Leon blamed it on the strange behavior of that girl, who had left him flustered.

He planned to ask her next time, but it rained all day yesterday.

She seemed a bit clumsy. He was worried she might come to peek even on such a bad day.

Perhaps the one who was clumsy was Leon himself. He sat by the window all day, where he could see the wall where the girl often lingered, waiting for her. He even had an umbrella by his side.

But she didn't come. He was relieved, yet why did he feel annoyed?

'Is she not coming today?'

As soon as class ended, Leon headed to the window where he had been sitting all day and was disappointed again. He turned away, staring at the orange tree with only oranges hanging from it.

"Where are you going? We have guests."

As he was taking out his bicycle from the parking lot, a bookworm with a butterfly tie whined.

"Yeah, I know."

"Mother called some people to introduce you."

"Jerome Winston, for the sake of your mother who wants you to be the eldest son, you will play the role of the eldest son today."

Leon mocked in the commanding tone his father often used as he got on his bicycle.

"I'm not your subordinate!"

Jerome shouted from behind as Leon pedaled. Leon stopped and turned to look at his brother.

"Why didn't you be born first?"

"Damn you!"

"That kid is just a tattletale like a girl."

He repeated another of his father's catchphrases. Jerome, hurt in his pride, pursed his lips and huffed.

"Jerome, you're too serious and boring."

Leon gave his brother a quick smile over his shoulder and pedaled again.

'If she doesn't come, I'll go to her.'

The problem was that he didn't know where the girl lived. Did he have to search every orange tree in Abbington Beach? After about an hour of searching the hills with high-end villas and the shops below, he felt discouraged.

The sun rose higher. Under the scorching sun, his throat was parched from riding his bicycle. As he was following the beach, Leon stopped when he saw a makeshift stand selling ice cream.

Just as he was about to lean his bicycle against the roadside railing,

"Can I have it on credit?"

It was the girl's voice.

'I found her.'

Leon smoothed his hair, which might have been disheveled from riding the bicycle.

"I'm so hot and thirsty… I'll definitely bring the money tomorrow."

Grace clung to the stand and pleaded again.

"Bring your parents."

But the ice cream vendor didn't budge an inch.

I don't know where my parents are. I clearly got money from my father this morning, but it disappeared after playing at the beach.

I'm so upset about losing the money. If I get caught, I'll be scolded by my father. So today, I'll have to eat oranges from the street? In our town, it's not like this. Do people outside our town all have hearts of ice?

Tears welled up in her eyes. Heartbroken and hurt in her pride, Grace took a step back and grumbled at the innocent uncle.

"Why not? It's so unfair. It's fine in our town."

"Then go back to your town. Don't act like a beggar and cause trouble."

"I'm not a beggar…."

Just as she was about to bow her head and leave, a stranger's hand gently gripped her shoulder.

"To not only fail to help a lady in distress but to also reveal your rudeness is quite unbecoming."

Grace's eyes widened as she looked up.

'Wow! He's so handsome.'

Her cheeks flushed. It was partly because of the hand on her shoulder and partly because of the shame of showing her worst side.

"I'll have a bottle of soda. Not Appenzeller, but Châlet. And for the lady…?"

The boy called her a lady again and asked politely. Grace fumbled for an answer.

"I, I'll have a popsicle. Just that is fine."

The boy buying a soda was cool. He read the difficult foreign brand name and ordered, making the soda seem like a fine wine.

In contrast, ordering a popsicle made her feel like a child. So she added that she ordered it because she really wanted to eat it, not because she didn't know better.

"What flavor?"

The boy was not only handsome but also kind, asking her what flavor she wanted.

"Chocolate and vanilla are the most popular. If you don't like them, there's orange, lemon, strawberry…."

The uncle, who had been scary to Grace earlier, was a different person in front of the boy. He took out popsicles of all flavors from the ice box and showed them to her. Even if Grace had brought money, he probably wouldn't have been this deferential.

It made sense, as the boy looked like a noble.

Even without the expensive polo shirt and wristwatch, his upright posture and calm demeanor exuded a noble aura.

"I'll have strawberry…."

At the boy's nod, the uncle quickly took out a strawberry popsicle and offered it to Grace with both hands.

"Yes, a strawberry popsicle for the lady. Here you are."

She was taught that nobles were bad. Adults called them greedy piglets.

But after coming out of her town, she wasn't sure. It seemed like everyone liked nobles.

Grace liked this boy, even if she didn't know about other nobles.

"Thank you."

The boy smiled elegantly.