Chapter 14

After returning to Zain's side, I was escorted by him once again, and we walked toward the exit of the theater, hand in hand.

"What do you want to do next?"

"I still want to be with you, Zain-sama."

When I said this straightforwardly, he invited me to have tea at a café. Even though I should have wanted to go home quickly, I was touched by his kindness.

We walked through the town, and eventually arrived at a calm, all-white store. Inside, only people with the aura of upper nobility were present.

The people in the café also seemed surprised when they saw Zain-sama and me.

"This is a very nice place."

"Yes, I like it and often come here."

I was surprised that he would bring me to such a place, but it made me feel happy.

Everything had a distinctly luxurious atmosphere, different from the cafés I knew. I was guided to a window seat and sat down across from him.

"Miss Grace?"

"Ah, I'm sorry. I was just admiring the place."

While I was thinking how Zain-sama looked like a painting even just sitting in the café, I must have been staring at him. I especially liked his honey-colored eyes.

"…………!?"

When I casually looked at the menu that was handed to me, my eyes nearly fell out. I didn't understand the brands, but a single cup of tea costing 2000 Mia was outrageous.

Was the cup filled with gold leaf or something?

"Have you decided?"

"…I'll have this tea."

"Anything else?"

"This is fine."

Of course, I knew that in such a place, the men would pay, and I also knew that Zain-sama was incredibly wealthy.

Still, it was too early for me. I couldn't help but think about how much each sip cost, which was frustrating.

"Right now, our seasonal tart is recommended."

Despite this, I ended up ordering a cake set after being recommended by a skilled server.

The cake set was 5500 Mia, which made me dizzy. Thinking about it, it was equivalent to my food expenses for half a month. It was clear that my sense of money wouldn't change easily.

"…………!"

However, the lemon mousse tart that was brought to me was surprisingly delicious.

I genuinely thought that the phrase "cheeks falling off" must describe this kind of experience.

"Um, it's really delicious! It's fluffy yet crispy… Wow, it's so good…!"

The sweets I usually ate at the Marquis's mansion were also delicious, but this tart was in a league of its own. I was frustrated by my lack of vocabulary to express my feelings.

Zain-sama watched me eat with a quiet expression while drinking coffee. Did I get too excited?

"I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Thank you."

In this life, I can have many experiences that I couldn't in my previous life, and I felt genuinely happy and grateful.

"Zain-sama, do you not eat sweet things?"

"No, I sometimes have them made at the mansion."

"Is that so? Can I make some next time?"

Zain-sama let out a puzzled "Huh" in response.

"…You? Make sweets?"

"Yes, I'm quite good at it. Ah, of course, I won't put anything strange in them!"

Despite my desperate explanation, Zain-sama looked genuinely confused.

Indeed, it sounded very unbelievable for a Marquis's daughter and a villainess to be good at making sweets. It seemed more likely that she would have a maid make them and claim they were her own.

"Still, the opera was really wonderful! Do you often go to see it?"

"Not really. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Yes! Especially the proposal scene was so—…"

After that, I couldn't help but talk passionately about various memories, and Zain-sama kept nodding along.

◇◇◇

On the way back to the Marquis's mansion in the carriage, I sat facing Zain-sama and bowed my head slightly.

"I had a lot of fun. Thank you very much."

It was a truly enjoyable day, thanks to not having to pretend to be a villainess, the wonderful opera, the nice café, and Zain-sama's consideration. It was my first date, but it became a great memory for me. Although I wasn't sure if his affection for me had increased, I hoped we could go out together again.

Still, I could feel that his wariness toward me hadn't completely disappeared.

"Miss Grace, you—"

"Kyaa…!?"

I thought there was still time and that I would try to call him by his name next time, but Zain-sama started to say something. At the same time, the carriage came to an abrupt stop.

"Sorry, are you okay? A child ran out."

As a result, I lost my balance and fell onto Zain-sama's side of the seat.

"I'm fine. Is the child okay?"

"Yes, no problem."

"That's good…"

I was relieved that the child was safe and that I hadn't hit Zain-sama, and I raised my head.

"Miss Grace, your bag—"

"Ah, I'm sorry…!"

I got up with Zain-sama's help, and it seemed that my bag had also flown and was badly damaged, caught on the carriage's metal parts.

It was definitely expensive, and I was on the verge of tears, wondering if I could fix it by sewing it when I got home. I picked up the scattered contents of my bag.

Zain-sama was also helping me pick up items like cosmetics and handkerchiefs.

"Our carriage, I will provide a replacement—"

He stopped mid-sentence. I stopped picking up items and looked at him, and I gasped.

"A, ah… Did you… see it…!?"

There, in front of his eyes, was the "10 Goals to Get Closer to Zain-sama" list.

I felt the blood drain from my face and hurriedly picked it up.

When Zain-sama, looking puzzled, said "a little," I felt deeply despair. It was the worst. He might have thought I was a pervert.

I wanted to leave it behind, but Evan insisted it was a good luck charm and forced it into my bag, making me want to cry.

I clutched the paper and couldn't raise my head. Suddenly, my vision blurred, and it was filled with beautiful gold.

"– Do you want to do this kind of thing with me?"

I realized I was pressed against the wall, with Zain-sama's face right in front of mine. Our noses were almost touching, and my heart pounded.

His large hand touched my cheek, making my face even hotter. Zain-sama smelled incredibly good, and everything was so beautiful that I felt dizzy.

He must have seen the entire list.

"…S-Sorry…"

As a result, I felt so embarrassed and overwhelmed by the unfamiliar closeness to a man that I panicked and started crying.

Zain-sama's eyes widened in surprise.

Feeling ashamed and guilty for everything being my fault, especially after he had been so kind to me today, I couldn't stop crying. I couldn't help but resent my bad luck and lack of experience with men.

"……"

Unable to bear it any longer, I said thank you again, got out of the carriage as it stopped, and fled back to the mansion.