Chapter 84.2
Chapter 84.2
Risha had practically skipped her debut and never participated in noble events, choosing instead to live in seclusion and pursue the path of a prodigious scholar from a young age. Being Richard’s sister, such an illustrious career somewhat made sense.
“I also received a recommendation from someone I met by chance today.”
“Lucky you.”
Richard added with a short laugh, noticing Jasmine’s slight surprise. “I meant for me.”
“…”
“As soon as I arrived, I saw a young lady wobbling along, greedily gathering acorns like a squirrel. Thanks to that, I got a bread roll.”
“A squirrel…”
Is this man teasing me? She glanced at his profile, which seemed serious. She was unsure, but upon closer inspection, she noticed a hint of amusement in his eyes as he looked at her.
Feeling a bit indignant, she thought, Was he always someone who smiled so easily? Why does he keep smiling at every little thing?
Ding, ding, ding!
“We’re all out of bread today! Please come back tomorrow!”
The baker, covered in flour and wearing an apron, came out of the bakery and rang a bell while shouting.
The people standing in the nearly diminished line sighed in disappointment and dispersed. Jasmine thought momentarily, then took a few pieces of bread from the bag and handed the rest to Richard.
“Take these. You couldn’t buy any because of me.”
“Didn’t you buy them because you wanted to eat them all?”
“Well, I don’t have to eat them all.”
In truth, she wanted to try them all. She planned to take a bite of each type and share the rest with her family. Especially the cream bread—it was delicious. Perhaps her disappointment was evident in her eyes because Richard, fortunately, picked out the cream bread and offered it to her.
“Then let’s eat together. I happened to miss lunch.”
Jasmine hesitated. Is this okay? She wondered. Seeing her flustered, he offered the bread again as if it were no big deal. After a bit more deliberation, she slowly accepted it.
“You must have been busy.”
“No, I’m not busy.”
The perpetually busy workaholic Duke replied with uncharacteristic decisiveness. Jasmine opened her mouth to speak but felt that asking for reasons would lead the conversation into too personal a territory, so she just continued chewing the bread. The delicious taste quickly made her forget the slight awkwardness and the discomfort of the situation.
When Jasmine didn’t ask, Richard spoke first.
“Aren’t you going to ask why I’m not busy?”
Jasmine blinked and then responded. Indeed, such a question would naturally follow in the flow of social conversation, although not many people would actually point it out.
“Why, weren’t you busy?”
Instead of answering, Richard let out a short laugh. Annoyed, she furrowed her brows and asked.
“Why are you laughing?”
“You seemed completely uninterested.”
“…”
It seemed that, just like in the past, she couldn’t manage her expressions in front of him. Jasmine couldn’t find the words to respond.
Richard leaned back on the bench, silently watching the pigeons fly across the blue sky and the clock tower. His gaze into the distance seemed empty.
“It’s just that… if I say I’m not busy…”
If she were the curious girl she used to be, the one who cared about him, the Jasmine who liked him—she would have asked without hesitation.
With her eyes sparkling, sneaking glances at him, her innocent face showing every emotion like a child. She would stare at his face, and if he smiled ever so slightly, she would bite her lip and steer the conversation to a cheerful topic.
She was confident in expressing love but also easily embarrassed, and he liked her so much for that.
Richard lowered his head and laughed softly.
“…I thought it would seem strange to say I wasn’t busy. Everyone else seems to think so.”
“You seem to enjoy the attention more than you appear to.”
“Hahaha.”
It was meant as a joke and a bit of payback, but Richard just chuckled. His gently curved eyes looked like a blue moon had risen. She stared at him without realizing it, and Richard met her gaze steadily.
“Why? Did I laugh too loudly?”
“I just thought you have a nice laugh.”
She wondered if he had always been like this, but she wasn’t sure. Jasmine had done her best to erase that brilliant week from her memory until now.
His smiling face was familiar. But if asked whether he laughed easily, she couldn’t say for sure. So… what Jasmine and Richard knew about each other was clumsy and perhaps overly personal, different from their ‘usual selves.’
So, as neither friends nor lovers nor even close noble acquaintances, how could she dare to say anything definitively?
Jasmine simply wondered how he could smile as if nothing had happened.
As if this moment was endlessly joyful and pleasant.
Didn’t he feel uncomfortable? Didn’t her repeated rejections make things awkward and hard to bear?
Richard spoke to her.
“I always laughed when I was with you.”
“…”
“I don’t know if you remember.”
His low murmur reached her ears. Jasmine clenched her skirt. Richard’s eyes moved to her tightly clasped hands, and as if to stop her, he placed a small cookie in her hand. When their eyes met, he smiled again. A surge of irritation welled up inside her.
“Stop smiling.”
Richard’s smile faded slightly, then he chuckled again.
“Why, do you hate seeing me smile now?”
“What’s so good that you’re smiling?”
“Isn’t it my choice to smile?”
She knew it was an unreasonable complaint, but she couldn’t ignore it. Perhaps this was her own issue.
“It’s too much.”
“…”
“All I can do right now is smile.”