I Got My Engagement Annulled… Even Though We Were Never Engaged - Chapter 24

“You’re always cute, but there’s something different about your aura today, Adeline. That hairstyle really suits you.”

Lord Fevan chuckled softly while watching me slumped against the carriage seatback.

Apparently, he interpreted my exhaustion as being due to the unfamiliar preparations.

Lord Fevan took a strand of my softly curled hair in his hand and gently kissed the ends. At his sudden action, my face flushed warm all at once.

“I’m glad you dressed up for me.”

Just moments ago I’d been frightened by how cunning women in this world could be, but now I grew terrified thinking about how men in this world might praise women like this on dates.

While I was flustered, his hand tightened around mine.

“It’s still early for lunch. There’s somewhere I’d like to go first, if that’s alright?”

“Y-yes…”

We hadn’t even arrived yet and I was already overwhelmed.

Nodding while acutely aware of my burning cheeks, Lord Fevan told the driver our destination. It sounded like the name of some shop, but since I don’t shop much, I wasn’t quite sure.

We passed through the noble district, crossed the bridge over the canal flowing into the royal capital, and entered an area lined with shops.

Tall stone buildings stood in neatly organized blocks, with crowds of people coming and going along the wide streets.

When the carriage stopped in front of our destination shop, Lord Fevan sent the carriage away after telling them the pickup time and location. Since the designated time was evening, he probably intended for us to leisurely stroll around town after finishing our business at this shop.

Holding my hand, Lord Fevan pushed open the glossy brown door.

The doorbell chimed lightly.

Display cases stood in a vertical row, and behind them stood a man in his fifties wearing round glasses. Apparently, this was an eyeglass shop.

“Lord Fevan, are you buying glasses?”

“Not for me, for you.”

“For me?”

I wear glasses, but my eyesight is actually quite good. My current glasses don’t have any prescription.

As I looked puzzled, the man from behind the display cases came toward us with a smile.

“Women’s glasses, I presume?”

“Yes. They’re for fashion, so I’d like ones without prescription.”

“Understood.”

“Um, Lord Fevan?”

Tilting my head in confusion, Lord Fevan smiled warmly.

“Adeline, you always wear glasses, right? So, I want to give you glasses as a gift. I considered accessories, but in your case, you’d wear glasses much more often than accessories.”

I still didn’t quite follow.

“Um… meaning?”

“It’s my possessiveness – I want you to always wear something I gave you.”

Lord Fevan made a playful face and winked.

Whoosh – just when I thought my face had calmed down, the heat rushed back, and I unconsciously dropped my gaze.

How could he say such things so casually?

I wanted to tell him to stop because it was embarrassing, but I was too embarrassed and could only manage incoherent mumbling.

While I was flustered, the man brought over several pairs of glasses.

They all had vibrant frames in colors like red, light brown, green, and orange.

“Among young women, larger glasses have been trending for the past few years. Rectangular rather than round… something around this style would likely suit the young lady well.”

The man recommended larger rectangular glasses with red frames.

Lord Fevan deftly removed my current glasses and tried the red ones on me.

“Nice. Do you have a mirror?”

“Right here.”

Lord Fevan took the hand mirror from the man and showed it to me.

“What do you think? I think they suit you. They make your complexion look brighter than your previous glasses, and I think they match your hair color too.”

“W-well…”

Certainly, these glasses were cute.

But for me, glasses were just something I wore to make my eye color less noticeable – I wasn’t particularly seeking cuteness.

Or at least, I hadn’t been…

“Cute.”

Lord Fevan peered at my face wearing the red-framed glasses with a melting smile, making it impossible for me to refuse the glasses—

“I’d like you to start wearing these glasses from today, if possible.”

While I was still blushing, Lord Fevan had already briskly completed the payment.