Chapter 95.1

Chapter 95.1

“In the end, it was my arrogance, insecurity, and selfishness that broke our trust.”

Richard sighed deeply. It had taken him so long to admit this. He had always thought of himself as someone who wouldn’t indulge in unnecessary pride or self-centered thinking, but it turned out he was no different.

Humans are naturally self-centered. Even in love, this is true. So, while one cannot be perfectly altruistic, one must recognize that everything they see, hear, and think about the other person may differ from reality.

One must understand that they should not hastily judge or impose their views on others, especially those they love.

“What I wanted was merely my own perspective, and there was no guarantee that you would feel the same. I think I was greedy in wanting to make it so. I was impatient and ignored the need to build trust and take time. My insecurities and immaturity were entirely my issues, yet I think I pushed them onto you. Jasmine, you must have felt it too—how unfair and burdensome it was to deal with my emotions.”

“That’s…”

“You were going to say it wasn’t that bad?”

Richard laughed softly, as if he had expected her to say that.

“No. That was entirely my fault. My immaturity was something you shouldn’t have had to deal with. And you shouldn’t have. You tried to distance yourself and gather your thoughts, didn’t you? Because you wanted to be with me for a long time, somehow.”

His gaze was kind as he observed Jasmine’s expression, which looked as if she had been caught off guard.

“So don’t make that face. I’m being punished right now.”

I did wrong, didn’t I?

“I acted as if your heart belonged to me, which was obnoxious. Your feelings are precious. Even if you liked me, those feelings were still yours. They say continued kindness can be mistaken for entitlement, and I was exactly that.”

Richard, resting his chin on his hand, smirked as he laid out a cynical view of himself. He was as merciless as if he were evaluating someone else.

It felt as if a frozen part of her that had stubbornly refused to thaw had finally melted, like coming inside from the cold and being wrapped in a familiar, warm blanket.

For Jasmine, who had always resolved conflicts as they arose, this feeling was very unfamiliar. She felt a mix of restlessness and relief, as if someone were scratching an itch she didn’t know she had. She murmured, caught in a whirl of emotions.

“I don’t recall asking you to open a cake shop as a punishment.”

“I know. This is, as I said earlier, for my own satisfaction. Just imagining you enjoying the food made me happy. There’s also the satisfaction of feeling like I’m doing something for you. This is all for me, from start to finish. So you don’t need to feel burdened.”

He said it shamelessly, as if it were his money and his choice, which was absurd, but she didn’t feel like arguing. Jasmine crossed her arms and let out a long sigh. She felt something inside her unwind, leaving her feeling both relieved and drowsy.

“Haa… Richard Aion, you are really a difficult person to handle in many ways.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s not like that—don’t apologize. In some ways, it’s a compliment.”

Richard’s eyes took on a curious look.

“In a good way?”

“Think whatever you want. I’ve said my piece.”

Waving her hand dismissively, Jasmine picked up her fork and started eating the remaining cake.

As she focused on the carrot cake, her frown eased, and she began to eat more quickly. Seeing this, Richard, who had been trying to gauge her thoughts, relaxed and watched her eat with a softened expression.

He poured her tea intermittently, handed her a napkin, and told her to eat slowly, all while resting his chin on his hand with a contented smile on his neat lips. She even scolded him for staring at her while she ate.

“Why do you keep staring at me while I eat?”

“Just because, I like watching you.”

“If I get a stomachache, will you take responsibility?”

“If it makes you uncomfortable, I won’t watch.”

“It’s fine. It’s not like it wears out. Besides, it’s your shop.”

Jasmine grumbled, then suddenly became curious and asked.

“But how did you find the pastry chef here? Did you personally select them?”

“Among the candidates chosen by my secretary, I hired the one who could create recipes according to my specifications and whose skills seemed the best and most likely to suit your taste. Fortunately, it seems you like it.”

In fact, she liked it so much that if the chef weren’t employed by Richard, she would have wanted to scout them for the Grand Duchy. As she tapped the remaining strawberry stem with her fork, lost in thought, Jasmine finally spoke.

“Richard.”

He met her gaze calmly, but his index finger twitched slightly. It had been so long since she had called him by his name. She lowered her eyes to avoid his and then spoke.

“Thank you for saying those things earlier. It made me feel better.”

But… As she was choosing her next words, he quickly cut in.

“Jasmine, I didn’t say those things to make you feel burdened. I told you earlier.”

This is my punishment.