Lay Your Eyes on Jasmine - Chapter 33.2

Chapter 33.2

No, when Jasmine looked into those eyes… she did not doubt that there was something between them. After all, how could the nobles familiar with the Duke of Aion’s poker face be calm about this?

“Richard”

“Yes.”

When Jasmine tilted her head and called him in a hushed voice, Richard immediately responded. He was as obedient and composed as a well-trained wolf, but he didn’t seem concerned about how others were busy looking at him kneeling.

It was clear. He wasn’t interested in anything other than her. Reputation or external rumors, nothing mattered. Jasmine couldn’t help but giggle.

“I didn’t ask for all this commotion.”

At her words, Richard’s eyebrows raised. “Wasn’t what you wanted my clear intention?”

Jasmine was momentarily speechless at his decisive assertion. Did he know? As she blinked her eyes, he grabbed her wrist.

The onlookers gasped. The nobles who said the Duke always had a stone face regarding women could only shut their mouths. Duke Aion showed respect and grace by touching the back of Lady Liovanni’s hand with his forehead.

It was reverent and elegant, like a courtesy a knight would show to the one and only lady he adores in his life, or like a man wooing a woman, which made it all the more surprising. The act was the highest courtesy that a gentleman could offer to his lady.

This alone was no different from officially revealing that she was not a light person to him.

Alone in the stillness, the dignified man lowered himself to kiss Jasmine’s fingers, then looked up at her. His deep blue eyes closely examined her somewhat bewildered expression.

“I want to give you everything I can express. We… as you said, we don’t know much about each other yet,” he added the last part for emphasis.

“But,” he continued, “we can start closing that gap now, can’t we?”

“Um… yes.”

Naturally, that was what Jasmine hoped for as well. When she made a slightly confused expression, Richard spoke up right after.

“You said I’m moving too fast, but I’m impatient.”

“Why?”

In her dazed state, Jasmine stared into his earnest and fiery eyes and found herself asking without thinking.

She didn’t understand. Jasmine had always liked him and was finally connected to Richard. Still, she didn’t ask for much.

Just… Jasmine would even be content to spend the whole day holding hands and having conversations with Richard, walking through the beautiful forest, and just breathing the same air.

She didn’t know. It was hard. Richard seemed to understand it, but it was still tricky and confusing.

Could it be because her unrequited love had lasted so long? There was a subtle yet clear difference in temperature between them. Or it could be about their closeness or distance.

What was certain was that both of them instinctively felt that slight gap and their ways of dealing with it were different.

Jasmine naturally wanted to catch her breath a little more carefully, and the more Richard sensed her distance, the more she tried to pull away to regroup, the more closely he pursued her and tried to pin her down.

“I don’t know. When I see you, I feel greedy and impatient.”

In truth, he was restless and anxious. But these emotions didn’t seem very trustworthy as a man. He swallowed his words for fear that these feelings would further burden Jasmine, who was already agonizing at the speed of their relationship.

From a rational standpoint, Jasmine’s words were all correct. She was right in her thinking.

The strange thing was him. He didn’t understand the mass of emotions that had swallowed him up, but he didn’t want to try to explain it, either.

Looking into her eyes like this, he suddenly thought that if she found out what was inside him, she might be confused and find him strange.

Jasmine’s pretty violet eyes widened and then gradually returned to normal. Richard looked at her moist lips with a hint of nervousness. He had no idea how she would receive his words.

“I understand.”

And she said it after a brief pause. It was calm and composed.

Richard, who had been as restless as a wild animal on the hunt right before, almost asked, “What do you understand?” but he suppressed it with his long-learned reason, patience, and composure. These days, he often forgot that those traits were in him, but they were his nature that had been learned over a long time.

Instead of urging, Jasmine looked at Richard’s raised dark eyebrows and unconsciously reached out to touch them but stopped and held them back.

Richard’s body almost reacted. He was surprised at himself. His sensitivity to sense every slight movement from her was astonishing. Recently, he was just beginning to realize that he had such a sensitive temperament.

‘So what I want to say is…’ He exhaled.

“I thought it would be better for us to have a more formal relationship to get to know each other better. Wouldn’t it be nice to spend time together without worrying about what others think?”

Several expressions appeared on Jasmine’s fair face as he spoke coaxing words that were a mixture of persuasion and excuses.