You Said You Wanted Us to Break Up - Chapter 20

That day, Sioden really talked a lot. He didn’t know he was such a talkative person.

She was a woman whose interest in him was uncertain. Yet, just for the reason that he wanted to keep conversing with her, he found himself answering her questions one after another.

If his assistant Ben had seen him, he would have fallen over in shock.

What was even more surprising was that he didn’t find his irrational behavior strange at all.

He knew it was unlike him, but he didn’t want to stop.

Ella spoke in a voice that was pleasant to hear.

“I can’t believe it. Me, jumping off the terrace railing.”

A soft sigh followed, as gentle as her voice.

“It was really my first time doing something like that.”

“How did it feel?”

Ella narrowed her eyes at his question. Her softly shaped lips pursed slightly.

“I felt like a bad person.”

The reason he felt a twinge at her words was probably that, unlike her, he had rather impure intentions.

Ella clearly didn’t notice his true feelings. She looked too innocent to understand what the man beside her was thinking.

“Even though I broke the rules, I’m enjoying myself.”

The woman added, laughing lightly. It was a sound as pleasant as music from a piano.

After that, Ella continued to say various things. Sioden responded accordingly, capturing her image in his mind. The woman who wore his clothes held his hand and showed him her sparkling eyes full of joy.

Suddenly, he remembered something Evelyn often said.

“Spring comes to the capital.”

It was something she used to say when comparing the north and her hometown, often while lamenting her husband’s land.

Sioden had always lived without truly understanding the meaning of those words. He had spent his entire life in the north, and Evelyn was not one to kindly explain things to her son.

The only somewhat informative explanation he had was from a day when Evelyn felt good enough to face her son, who resembled her husband.

“In spring, everything is bathed in a golden hue: the dewdrops on the leaves, the flowing river, and even the smiling cheeks of people. Everything is fresh and soft.”

Since he wasn’t very imaginative, her description didn’t resonate with him.

Thus, spring remained an abstract noun to him. He had neither seen it nor touched it.

Yet now, he wondered if this was exactly what spring was like.

Of course, he knew that this weather would be considered autumn in the capital.

But the woman beside him was radiant with golden light and truly appeared fresh.

He could tell how soft she was just by the touch of her fingertips.

He thought that this could be compared to the perfect image of the season that remained in Evelyn’s memory.

Suddenly, he became curious about the family of this beautifully raised woman. He wanted to know what her parents were like and what her siblings, if she had any, were like.

Having such a lovely daughter, her family must always be harmonious. Her parents surely cherished her dearly.

Though he had never been a parent himself or experienced being someone’s beloved child, Sioden was convinced that it must be so.

Even if he were her father, he would have cherished his daughter above all else.

He hoped that Ella’s family would like him.

Sioden wanted to become more intertwined with her. Though he hadn’t yet voiced it, he wanted to officially ask for a meeting during the bright daytime.

Then at least, her family shouldn’t disapprove of him.

Just because he hadn’t grown up in a normal family didn’t mean he thought others should live in discord. Most people listened most closely to their family’s words.

As he walked, lost in various thoughts, he noticed that the woman’s gait was awkward.

When he asked her about it, she slightly flushed and replied, “Ah, it’s because I’m wearing new shoes today…”

He didn’t need to hear the rest of her sentence.

It seemed that the new shoes were rubbing against her heels.

He had heard that this sometimes happened when wearing high-heeled shoes. He thought the servant who prepared the shoes should have been more attentive, but Sioden chose not to say anything.

Instead, he suggested a way to improve the situation.

“I’ll call a servant.”

It was then that a soft hand grabbed him.

“No, please don’t.”

And Ella whispered in a voice that sounded unbelievably sweet, “If you call a servant, it’ll be discovered.”

She slightly lowered her clear eyes, and her fair cheeks flushed a bright red.

“Right now, I’m just having too much fun…”

At that moment, Sioden had to really work hard not to laugh out loud. He was just happy, and he didn’t want to embarrass her with an expression that could be misunderstood.

He was most concerned about whether Ella was enjoying this time as well.

But now it seemed that he didn’t need to worry about her being kind and accommodating to him.

Still, he couldn’t let her continue walking if she was hurt.

If she didn’t want to meet a servant, then he could do what was needed instead.

Sioden sat the woman down on a bench set up in the flower garden. Standing in front of her, he confessed, “There’s something I didn’t say when you asked if I liked the capital.”

The woman looked up at him. The most vibrant green, covered in trees all around, illuminated him.

“I don’t like the capital.”

It was a somewhat unkind thing to say, given that she hoped to like the north, but it was the truth.

From the temperature of the air to the people living here, there was nothing that appealed to her.

No, rather, there was a fundamental issue at play.

“I had no intention of paying attention to anything in the capital.”

This was only natural in a land rooted in Capren Rowen and the Litherin royal family.

“Until Ella brought me onto the terrace.”

Pulling the hand that had been resting on the woman’s knee was purely an impulsive act.

With gratitude and a hint of selfishness, he kissed it, and Sioden was convinced that he could continue doing this in the future.

Some things just feel that way from the very first time.

“Thank you for helping me, even though we’ve just met.”

Sioden brought his hand to the jacket she was wearing. He carefully removed the jewel engraved with his family crest. Ella stared at him with round eyes.

When he placed the brooch, bearing the family seal, into her hand, Sioden caught sight of the corners of her mouth lifting.

He said, “My name is Sioden Laslet.”

If he wanted to become more intertwined with her, he needed to start with his name.

Still, wanting to give her a way to retreat, Sioden added, “I won’t ask for your real name, Lady. If you wish to meet and part as Ella and Den, I will respect that.”

Of course, he thought it would be truly disappointing if it came to that.

However, if that disappointment was something the woman before him was willingly offering, it seemed bearable.

Hoping that Ella would feel it was okay to bring him into her life, Sioden spoke with the utmost politeness.

“However, in the future, I would appreciate the opportunity to repay the help I received today.”

Ella seemed a bit surprised by his words. Sioden realized he needed to give her time to think.

“I’ve gone on too long; I’ll go fetch the medicine.”

With a brief bow, he turned his back.

He wanted to look back and see what expression Ella had, to understand how she felt about him, but he restrained the impulse. It was hard to feel respected if he didn’t maintain an appropriate distance.

Still eager to return quickly, he rounded the corner and unexpectedly ran into someone.

“…Lord Raslet.”

“Lord Rowen.”

It was a man with slightly disheveled silver hair and sharp golden eyes.

Demian Rowen.

The words Ben had warned him about came to mind.

“Do not get involved with the second lord of Rowen. His temperament is quite formidable… Ah, and the Lady of Rowen as well. The entire Rowen family is troublesome; if you get entangled with the lady, it will be endless, starting with Lord Rowen.”

Even so, Sioden had no intention of associating with them.

The Rowen family, on both his father’s and children’s sides, had uniformly repulsive behavior.

The second son of Rowen looked disheveled, as if he had just come from some trouble. However, what was more untidy than his attire was his expression.

Demian wore a face that could not hide his hostility, his brow deeply furrowed.

He asked with a mocking tone, “Where are you rushing off to?”

It seemed as if he believed I would respond to that remark. Sioden easily scoffed at him.

“Milord, you need not concern yourself with that.”

With those final words, Sioden passed by Demian.

He thought he saw the man’s lips twitch, but he didn’t pay it much mind.

When he returned a short while later, Ella was no longer in her seat.