Chapter 8.1
Chapter 8.1
Richard looked at her and then shifted his steps with an expressionless look. Jasmine, staring up at him with a rigid gaze, burst into a mocking chuckle. If it had been the old her, she might have burst into tears and apologized for what she said. It was easy to feel guilty back then.
But that agape-like love had already faded away. There weren’t any remnants left, and it wasn’t about Richard anymore. She knew she wasn’t as pretty and worthy as he was. So, Jasmine disliked herself for acting this way more than her intense admiration for Richard. However, she found his kindly demeanor even more irritating.
It was an endless cycle. Honestly, Jasmine was completely fed up with it.
So, she wanted to distance herself, but that wasn’t working out well either. Of all times, why did they have to run into each other now? Well, to be fair, he was a renowned duke, so it would be difficult to avoid him in their lifetime.
Now, even though she didn’t want to, it felt like she was being drawn to his powerful magnetic field. That’s why she disliked it even more. Escorting her like a gentleman until the end felt like climbing a steep slope.
I’m easily swayed by your gestures, but you probably don’t find this significant. After all, your dignity is so precious to you that you’d die protecting it.
“You’re quite gracious. If it were me, I’d just leave her be.”
It’s akin to a gentleman having descended from the sky. Jasmine snorted dismissively.
Richard didn’t seem pleased, but he didn’t respond either. Now, he walked on indifferently without acknowledging her. ‘Such a people-ignoring person.’ Her alcohol-soaked brain, muddled and illogical, reacted negatively and irritably.
“Let me down. You’ve done all you need to.”
“…”
“I said let me down.”
Richard completely ignored her. It infuriated and embarrassed her.
“Lord Richard.”
“…”
“Duke.”
“…”
“Can’t you hear me? Hey!”
Only then did Richard come to a halt. She flinched when he moved only his blue eyes to look down at her. His expressionless face was chilling and imposing.
But the mild cat had evolved into a swift cat a long time ago. Ignorant of what he was saying, Jasmine grumbled and muttered to herself.
“Are you ignoring me because I followed you out of affection? I despise you and your cooking! Got it?”
Richard, patiently listening to her reproaches, tilted his head slightly. When he looked at her as if urging her to say more, an inexplicable feeling rose within her chest.
“Do you find me amusing when I’m like this? Funny?”
“Well…”
For the first time, he opened his mouth. “I don’t think it’s worth compromising your own dignity for someone you dislike. If you don’t want to be involved and want to cut off your emotions, you can do so with proper manners. There’s no need to pour in more feelings or harm yourself. Unless self-punishment is your hobby, of course.”
With smooth words, he quickly demoted Jasmine from a lady of decorum to a woman who clung to undignified and worthless pursuits. It was the first time she had been humiliated in person, so instead of getting angry, Jasmine felt stunned and gradually felt ashamed.
What is this jerk blabbering about now?
“I understand Lady Reovanni’s perspective well. You’re not the only one who’s said such things. I’ll do my best to avoid you as much as possible.”
Under the guise of offering a knightly farewell, Richard leaned in, gently covering her with a blanket as he placed her back into the carriage. His manners were impeccable, as always – polite, considerate, and flawless.
“Good evening, then.”
Jasmine exploded. “What the hell did you just say?”
The finely-arched eyebrows that had been so composed suddenly shot up. Thinking he might have misheard, he turned to check, revealing her distorted expression.
Unfortunately, the noble Duke Aion still didn’t know the troublemaker Jasmine Reovanni. Jasmine hardly showed a fraction of her true temperament.
“What the…?”
“You, you said ‘hell.'”
While Richard remained stunned, she repeated added, “You said ‘hell.'”
It felt like the anger was enough to evaporate half the alcohol in her system. Perhaps the heat was intensifying her intoxication. It didn’t matter. Jasmine just wanted to give this guy a piece of her mind, even if it meant cursing at him.
“If you’re annoyed, why pretend to be noble and just? Curse if you want to and drop the facade already.”
Richard’s expression, which had been composed all along, shifted. Whether by chance or purpose, Jasmine was poking at every one of the sensitivities he secretly harbored.
He chuckled briefly and began to stroke his chin. He gazed down at the lady who was revealing her disdain with a face that was part sneer and part cold derision.
“Is this your true personality?” he asked.
“You, of all people, should know my true nature,” Jasmine spat.
“Is being polite to an impolite person such a foolish thing?”
“Wouldn’t it be better to be impolite? Isn’t your obsession with manners just as artificial? Acting like you care, pretending to worry, when you’re indifferent. All that matters to you is to be perfect without a single flaw in the eyes of the people around you. If there’s even a slight opening, it feels like you’ve done something wrong.”
Jasmine’s derisive laughter held a sense of satisfaction, just like when she had first pierced through his façade. Richard rolled up his sleeves and looked at her with a hard stare before slowly relaxing his arms and slipping his hand into his pocket.
He finally looked casual, almost insolent. A sneer was on his perfectly-shaped lips. “So?”
“What’s with the ‘so’? You’re an unlucky guy.”
An awesome story 💖💖
Thank you for the translation 💜
You are welcome, Israella!