CH 74

“Do you know this?”

Squatting down, making eye contact with the child, Ines whispered as if she was telling the world’s biggest secret.

“What you drew is a caterpillar. It hasn’t fully grown into a butterfly yet.”

“Ha, really?”

The child looked at Ines with a puzzled face.

Ines winked one eye playfully.

“Don’t worry, I’ll use magic and turn it into a butterfly soon!”

Magic?

The child’s eyes were filled with curiosity.

After that,

The line that the child roughly drew became a tiger butterfly fluttering its colorful wings.

Joy stood on the faces of the children who were watching the scene with excitement around them.

“Me too, me too!”

“I want to try!”

That was how the children swarmed in.

Even the parents of the children were looking this way with their eyes twinkling.

Ines, who unintentionally caught people’s attention, smiled awkwardly.

“Well, children. Then can you wait a little bit?”

“…?”

“Yes!”

The children sang in unison.

Enoch, meanwhile, took a step back and stared at Ines, surrounded by children.

She was really special.

Regardless of age or status, she interacted freely, did not discriminate, and smiled brightly to everyone.

That carefree look…….

‘How lovely is she.’

Meanwhile,

Ines suddenly looked back at Enoch and smiled broadly.

‘Look, I’ve completed the mural!’

Her eyes seemed to say.

At that moment, Enoch felt his heart stop beating.

“You’re so cool!”

“I want to see flowers!”

Excited children chattered.

Ines, standing against the backdrop of a red dusk, a slightly chilly temperature, a cheerful atmosphere, and a refreshing forest painted by her fingertips.

She was the center of all this spectacularly beautiful landscape.

The presence of Ines was perfecting this moment.

“…….”

His mouth was dry.

This time was engraved in his mind, and he couldn’t forget it for the rest of his life.

Ines, who finished all the painting, said goodbye to the children.

“Then have a good time, little ladies and gentlemen!”

“Bye, sister!”

“The painting is so pretty!”

The children waved their hands.

Only after greeting, Ines briskly walked up to Enoch.

“Your Excellency!”

“Oh, Countess of Brierton.”

Enoch came to his senses at her call.

Ines, standing next to Enoch, whispered in a heart-rending voice.

“Look, everyone’s having fun.”

Both the artists and the audience who participated in the exchange exhibition were full of joy.

There were people who brought a violin and played like water, and sang spontaneously accordingly.

Audiences sat on the floor or leaned against the wall to watch the performance.

Meanwhile,

“I..I….”

A young man with a red face spoke carefully to the girl sitting next to him.

“If you could dance with me?”

He was so embarrassed that he stuttered.

At the same time, the girl with her eyes wide open smiled shyly.

“Of course.”

Starting with the two, the atmosphere of dancing naturally between young men and women was created.

Lovers held  hands and went out to the open space.

Ines watched the scenery with pleased eyes.

Then,

“Countess of Brierton.”

At the low call, Ines looked up at Enoch in amazement.

Before she knew it, Enoch was politely reaching out to her.

“May I ask the Countess to dance?”

“…Duke.”

Suddenly, she remembered what she said yesterday.

[“More than that, I became the Duke’s partner for the first time, but it’s a shame that we couldn’t dance properly once.”]

Ines smiled faintly.

Straight up, she held Enoch’s hand.

“All right.”

A light violin performance, a singer’s humming gently on top of it.

Round and round people danced and stepped to the beat.

The warmth felt in her hand.

Enoch’s tender eyes looking at her.

The whole thing was so perfect.

“It’s fun.”

Ines’s chest was bursting with waves.

* * *

After all the day’s schedules, they were on the way back to their homes.

Ines and Enoch returned home in a royal carriage side by side.

In the first place, only licensed carriages could be used for safety for the exchange.

“Ugh, I’m so tired.”

Leaning against the carriage seat, Ines sighed satisfactorily.

“You look very happy, though.”

“Well, I was honestly proud.”

Enoch’s mischievous question made Ines blush.

“Well, can you elaborate more?”

Ines, who thought carefully about what to say, continued quietly.

“What should I say? These days, I feel like I’m a person who can achieve something.”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, should I say that I am able to think of myself more positively?”

Ine’s smile deepened a little.

“And the reason for that was, perhaps, meeting the Duke.”

Enoch’s Art Exhibition, the Divorce, and the Exchange Exhibition.

All of them were accomplished by meeting Enoch.

Ines continued with sincerity.

“So this is all thanks to Your Excellency. Thank you very much.”

“No, this was all done by the Countess.”

Enoch shook his head firmly.

“To be precise, I just gave the Countess a little platform to move freely.”

“But, Your Excellency.”

Ines opened her mouth calmly.

“Some people in the world don’t have a foothold, so they have to live under the shadow of others for the rest of their lives.”

Her dark green eyes sank deep.

It was because the past came to her mind before the regression.

Those times when everything was lost to Ryan and she had to live in misery.

What Ines didn’t have at the time was her willingness to change her life.

Then Enoch happened.

And the present became real.

Didn’t meeting Enoch change her life?

“…….”

Ines gave strength to her voice.

“You’ve really helped me a lot.”

“Countess, that is…”

“You saved my life.”

Enoch paused at the serious voice.

“The Duke is generous, but I want you to accept my thank you.”

Enoch suddenly thought, facing Ines’ eyes, which were still and unshakable.

‘The Countess…meant it.’

She really thought of Enoch as a lifelong benefactor.

Enoch, who had hesitated for a while, nodded.

“I’m happy that the Countess thinks so.”

“I do. I hope I can repay this favor someday.….”

“You say that again.”

Enoch playfully bashed Ines.

“Maybe if my name remains in history, I will be credited as the patron who discovered the Countess of Brierton.”

“What?”

“So I was rather indebted to the Countess. Don’t you think so?”

When he said so half-jokingly and half-seriously, Ines burst into laughter.

“I really hope so.”

“It will be.”

Enoch said, quite rightly.

At the sheer faith in her, Ines somehow became a little ashamed.

Even so.

‘I’m happy.’

After that, Ines talked about this and that.

Whether she liked today’s exchange exhibition or what she liked about the artists she met during the day…….

After a while,

She stared at the window with her eyes wide open, as if she were holding back a yawn.

The effort not to fall asleep as much as possible was difficult, but…….

“You’re asleep.”

Enoch clicked his tongue briefly.

Unable to overcome the surging sleepiness, Ines head was bent to the side while sleeping.

She looked very uncomfortable as she was leaning against the window.

Enoch, who had been agonizing for a while, took off his coat. 

When he folded and put his coat under her head, Ines hummed and looked satisfied.

“…….”

Enoch looked at Ines, who was fast asleep, for a long time.

Before he knew it, there was a faint smile on his lips.

* * *

After a long time, the royal carriage arrived at the Brierton mansion.

“Oh, I’m sorry!”

Ines woke up and looked at Enoch in horror.

“I’m sorry I fell asleep, but you even lent me your coat. What should I do?”

“Never mind about that.”

Enoch shook his head, his eyes bent gently.

“It’s just because I wanted to do it for you.”

“But…….”

Ines looked like she was about to cry.

“Well, I’ll wash your coat and return it!”

“Sure. You did a great job today.”

“……and the Duke too. Go home safely.”

Ines greeted Enoch and hurried into the mansion with embarrassment.

Then,

“…….”

Ines looked down at the coat in her arms.

Something deep in her chest tightened for some reason.

‘I have to return it…’

Though she thought so in her head, Ines couldn’t take her eyes off the coat for a long time.