/
Before Derek’s words were over, Reukis and Gwen coughed violently.
“Coughㅡ”
“Ahem
”
Reukis’ ears turned in an instant, perhaps surprised.
Unlike Gwen, who had stopped coughing several times, Reukis’ cough didn’t subside easily.
“Are you okay? Have some water.”
When Merria hurriedly hands him a glass of water, Reukis sips the lukewarm water to calm his cough.
While Reukis drank water, Merria answered instead, hiding the corners of her trembling lips.
“Derek. What are you talking about all of a sudden?”
“His Highness didn’t even touch the food and just stared at you. My father said that if you like someone, you’ll want to keep seeing that person.”
Derek said with his cute eyes wide open.
Reukis, whose face color returned to normal in the meantime, slowly reached out and held Merria’s hand.
He overlapped his fingers with her on the table.
“It’s true that I’m in love with Merria, but it’s not a one sided love.”
As the fingers of the two interlocked, Derek’s green-colored eyes gradually widened.
Reukis giggled and gave Derek a relaxed, victorious smile, who was speechless and unable to speak.
Derek immediately glanced at Merria, asking for an explanation.
“Well, Reukis
 He’s my lover.” (Merria)
“Wha-, howㅡ!”
Derek’s expression collapsed at Merria’s words of acceptance.
Derek quickly spoke with teary eyes.
“Are you getting married?” (Derek)
“Huh?”
“It was clear from the book that a nobleman introduced to a noblewoman’s family was about to get married
” (Derek)
“It’s not necessarily like that, Derek.”
Merria smiled lightly and shook her head, this time the one holding her hand was engulfed in shock.
Reukis, who was planning to greet the Rackester’s as soon as possible, hardened like a person who was punched.
Derek, as green as a dewy leaf, leaned his head against Merria.
“In fact, my mother told me to stop going out to play and sleeping with my sister. If we go on a trip, she can’t date because she’d be taking care of me.”
Derek confessed with a pitiful face.
“Really?”
Merria replied back, holding back her laughter.
His mother, Natalie, apparently thought that the reason Merria grew up without a fiancee was because she was taking care of Derek.
It was a completely wrong expectation, but it was cumbersome to explain it, so I decided to appease Derek for now.
“It’s not because of Derek, so you don’t have to think about that.”
“Then sister, you couldn’t marry and leave me, okay?”
“After all, marriage wasn’t something that could happen that quickly.”
If everyone had to get married just because they had a lover, only single and married people had to exist in the world.
Merria burst into laughter at the simple thoughts of a child.
Merria lightly stroked Derek’s cute hair.
“Would you like another cake?” (Merria)
“Yes!”
Derek sat right next to Merria, fumbling like a petted cat.
On the other hand, if Merria wants to, preparing the wedding ceremony, flowers, and dresses today to announce the wedding news to the whole Empire, and then hold a wedding tomorrow evening, and along the way, Reukis’ ability to teleport to one the villa of the Grand Duke with a beautiful beach and enjoy their honeymoon.
Reukis pupils fluttered violently with plans he had in his mind.
‘Merria
 Thinking about getting married
’ (Reukis)
Reukis couldn’t stand the thought of Merria leaving him
‘May Merria stay by my side forever.’ (Reukis)
It was something that Reukis could never give up on.
So, from now on, he decided not to put up with this feeling only for Merria.
So that all his love, respect, and dependence could be conveyed to her.
So that Merria could pity him, comfort him, and adore him, and continue to make him happy.
The fact that Merria allowed him to be greedy and that he could be honest was enough of an excuse for Reukis.
‘So from now on, I had to work hard on this clever brain to figure out how to make Merria want to stay with me forever.’ (Reukis)
✿
“Derek, would you like to go back first?”
Merria told Derek, who was tapping her chubby belly.
Derek, who was in a high mood thanks to excessive sugar intake, readily nodded.
“Instead, you have to come quickly. Since the three of us have to play cards with Sister Serinia.”
“Yes.”
Merria answered with a smile.
Derek couldn’t send the carriage alone, so Lexie decided to go back together with him.
Merria spoke to Gwen, who didn’t get in the carriage until the end.
“Gwen, you could go back as well.” (Merria)
“However
”
When Gwen responded with a blunt face, Reukis cut him off.
“I’ll accompany her, so you don’t have to worry.” (Reukis)
“Oh, I see.”
Gwen, persuaded by Reukis’ existence itself, shook his head.
The three of them left, and even Kalix, who was unaware, left Reukis with an excuse to run an errand.
Reukis seemed very pleased with the situation now that they were left alone.
“Do you have a place in mind?”
Reukis asked, holding a dark green umbrella over Merria’s head.
She pondered for a moment, then pulled out her finger and showed it.
The cut yesterday had now faded that it was almost invisible.
Since it was a shallow wound in the first place, it didn’t take long for it to heal.
However, contrary to Merria’s thoughts, Reukis asked with a troubled expression.
“Did you get hurt?”
‘It’s not like I got hit by a sword on the battlefield.’ (Merria)
Merria slipped her finger in response to Reukis’ excessive reaction.
“It was just a little cut.”
“Aren’t you sick?”
Reukis, holding an umbrella in one hand and Merria’s hand in the other, couldn’t do this or that and looked sad.
Merria boldly snapped her fingers, proving that it was fine.
“Don’t worry too much, I’m in very good shape. Rather than that, I met Count Haster’s son yesterday.”
“
?”
Reukis tilted his head in wonder.
Merria mentioned an unfamiliar name, so Reukis didn’t seem to recognize it right away.
“The owner of Dylan.”
“Oh.”
After explaining it in an easy way, Reukis nodded slightly.
“I had no choice but to borrow a handkerchief from him because of the cut in my finger when I ran into him yesterday. I told him to throw it away because there was blood on it. It’s hard to wash and return the blood stained handkerchief, right?”
Merria, who fully explained that it was an inevitable situation, drew a conclusion.
“So I thought I should give a handkerchief to that person as a gift.”
Gifting a handkerchief between a man and a woman, who are completely strangers to one another, was also used as a sign to show affection.
Just in case Reukis misunderstood, I expressed that it didn’t have any meaning.
“
Was that so?”
Reukis answered with a more stern expression than expected.
Merria, who had expected him to act like a puppy whose snack was stolen, suggested.
“Yes. I’m thinking of buying it now, but if you don’t mind, let’s go together.”
“Of course.”
Reukis answered Merria even before she finished speaking.
Merria didn’t notice the dream-like smile on his face.
The two headed to a general store that has recently gained popularity in the shopping district.
This was a store that has recently become popular, and it was a place where fountain pens, handkerchiefs, and light trinkets were gathered.
Merria first headed to the place where the handkerchiefs were gathered.
‘I didn’t know what Deston would like, so I decided to get an appropriate recommendation from the staff.’
“This was the most popular design. And this one
”
Merria, who was listening to the staff, turned to ask Reukis.
“What do you think was the best?”
“I think this
 No, this one was better.”
Reukis picked up a white handkerchief with red embroidery on it, then put it down and chose any light gray nearby.
Instinctively, he picked a handkerchief with the same color of Merria’s eyes, and recalled the person receiving the gift, and quickly overturned it.
Merria watched his actions curiously and told her staff.
“This
 And this.”
She first pointed to the white handkerchief that Reukis first chose and the most popular navy check pattern.
After she had finished paying, Merria suddenly reached out her hand.
Reukis, with a puzzled face, received her hand.
It was the same posture as a well-trained puppy, not a grown-up adult.
With a smile on her lips, Merria grabbed his hand and gently turned it over.
“Ta-da!”
Then she put one of the boxes she had just received from the staff in his hand.
Reukis blinked and soon smiled broadly.
“Was this for me?”
“I want to give you the first gift before I give it to someone else.”
Merria smiled and nodded. Reukis took the box containing the handkerchief with both hands.
“I’m very happy
”
A twinkling joy flowed out of his golden eyes.
If it were a handkerchief, he would already have plenty, but he acted like it was the first handkerchief he had.
When I saw Reukis, who was overjoyed about what I did impulsively, it felt that I should give him gifts often in the future.
Reukis who was still in the afterglow, Merria grabbed his hand and dragged him.
“Let’s take a look over there, too.”
The place the two of them headed was a small accessory corner.
Instead of expensive jewels, they were studded with finely crafted crystals.
Because of its cute designs that were difficult to find in specialty stores, Merria also found it interesting.
“Do you like it?”
When I turned my head, Reukis was staring at me with a sparkling gaze.
“Well. It’s cute.”
Merria nodded lightly.
As if her answer was a signal, Reukis’ eyes persistently focused on Merria.
Since it was Merria, who usually wears simple accessories, he was taking this opportunity to understand her taste.
He could have given all the extravagant and precious things, but he wanted to give Merria a present that she liked.
Like a beast observing its prey, Reukis did not miss Merria’s little gaze.
To the extent that her gaze stayed a little longer, or to the extent that Merria’s lips smiled lightly.
Merria was unaware of his gaze, and she was being grasped immensely.