One Day, My Fiancé Brought His First Love Along - Chapter 124

“Sorry. I’ll have a drink with you at the banquet.”

“Oh, come on! That’s not fair. Aren’t you supposed to have at least one drink with us now?”

Setz joined in with a mock whine.

“Nope. The banquet’s still two days away. Let’s have fun then.”

With that firm but light refusal, Setz finally threw up his hands in surrender.

“Alright, but you’d better keep your promise and drink with us at the banquet.”

“I will.”

Aileen smiled softly.

She honestly did want to have a drink with her fellow knights—it had been a while. But she already had plans with Carlisle. Ever since their reunion, he had been trying to make up for lost time, constantly asking to be with her whenever he could.

—I want to make things right, Aileen. Please… meet me.

Aileen smiled as she remembered how Carlisle had quietly pleaded the night before, his expression calm but full of sincerity.

She couldn’t bring herself to refuse. She had nodded then—and that was how she ended up here now, sitting across from him at a quiet café.

“How is it, Aileen?”

Carlisle asked gently, his voice tinged with nervousness.

Aileen took a small sip of her juice through the straw and pushed the glass toward him.

They had come here straight after training. Carlisle had suggested the place, saying it was a well-known café he wanted her to try.

Though the two had spent nearly every day together in the past, they had never once visited a café. Looking back, she wasn’t sure why. Most of their time had been spent sparring, eating, or taking walks.

This felt different—strange, but pleasant. Like something warm and fluttery stirred in her chest.

A café… with Carlisle.

Cafés were usually places where women went together. Men generally preferred places with drinks or card games.

And of all people, Carlisle didn’t exactly pair well with sugary desserts. He probably didn’t even know much about cafés.

He must have asked someone for help and carefully chosen this place just for her. That thought made her smile again.

“Well…?”

The longer the silence stretched, the stiffer Carlisle’s face became. He was clearly worried that she might not like the place he had chosen.

It was… endearing.

Still, Aileen decided to stop teasing him. As tempting as it was to let him squirm, she figured he had suffered enough.

She pushed the juice toward him again and smiled.

“Try it.”

Carlisle leaned forward and drank from the straw—the same one she had used.

Sip.

A bit of the strawberry juice disappeared.

“How is it?”
Now it was Aileen’s turn to ask.

“…It’s good.”

“Yeah, I think so too.”

Finally, the tension in his face faded. Aileen took the juice back and drank from the straw once more.

“…How do you like the café, Aileen? Is it okay?”

Carlisle asked in a quiet tone, taking small sips of his tea. He was already thinking of finding more places like this if she liked it.

“Mhm. I like it. Talking like this at a café—it’s new. I always thought sparring with you was the most fun, but this… this isn’t bad either.”

“…I like everything when it’s with you.”

His quiet words made Aileen smile.

“Then I’ll try to enjoy everything with you too. I’ll be looking forward to it, Carlisle.”

Her playful words brought a faint, but genuine, smile to Carlisle’s face.

“Gladly. Look forward to it, Aileen.”

His soft laughter floated in the air like gentle bubbles.

Two days passed quickly, and soon the night of the banquet arrived.

Unable to win against Sera’s enthusiasm, Aileen woke up an hour earlier than usual to get ready. She nodded off here and there from drowsiness, but before she knew it, everything was done.

“Alright! All that’s left is your dress!”

From the three dresses Sera had prepared, Aileen chose one in a deep navy blue—the color of Carlisle’s eyes.

The gown hugged her neck gently and flowed down her figure, spreading slightly from her hips. The soft fabric clung lightly to her legs with each step, tracing a delicate, graceful curve.

Aileen’s shoulders were fully exposed, her sharp collarbones half-visible beneath the dress. From the chest downward, tiny white diamonds were scattered like snow, starting large and growing smaller as they cascaded down the fabric.

“You look absolutely stunning today!”

“Thank you, Sera. I’ll be off now.”

After pulling a few curls loose by her temples and attaching a silver hair ornament to her styled hair, Aileen headed down to the lobby.

“Aileen.”

Dressed in a deep navy suit—as if it had been matched with hers—Carlisle reached his hand out to her.

“Shall we?”

His formal tone made Aileen suppress a smile as she replied.

“Yes.”

The two climbed into the carriage.

The rest of the family had already left. They had arranged it so that Carlisle and Aileen could arrive together.

Carlisle had wanted to meet with the members of House Revart sooner, but it hadn’t been possible. The Duke had firmly refused, saying the time wasn’t right.

Ashite, perhaps because she had already seen Carlisle at Renzi Fortress, didn’t say much. But the Duke was the problem. Now that the chaos had passed and things were calm again, he found it hard to face Carlisle.

Aileen understood. Her father couldn’t fully forgive Carlisle, but he also couldn’t entirely reject him either. Knowing that, and knowing she had chosen to see Carlisle again, it must have put him in an incredibly conflicted position. As a father who dearly loved his daughter, it was only natural that he’d need time to sort through his feelings.

“Count Carlisle Avergue and Lady Aileen Revart have arrived!”

As the carriage reached the banquet hall entrance, the attendant, eyes wide with admiration, announced their arrival in a loud voice.

The doors opened, and light from the crystal chandelier filled their vision. Escorting Aileen, Carlisle walked in step with her as they entered the hall.

With each step they took, the noise in the hall died down. Conversations hushed, and a path opened naturally before them. Eyes burned with intensity, as if trying to capture the moment forever.

But unlike before, those stares were no longer cold—they were filled with admiration and awe.

“I’ve never been this much in the spotlight before,” Aileen murmured.

“If it makes you uncomfortable, we can leave,” Carlisle said gently.

“Not at all. I’m fine. It’s all thanks to a certain hero, after all. Actually, I’m kind of enjoying it.”

“As long as you’re happy.”

Far off, Aileen caught sight of the Duke of Revart watching her. She gave him a warm smile. He lifted the glass in his hand ever so slightly toward her, then turned his gaze back to the noble he was speaking with.

Aileen and Carlisle found a place to stand together in one corner of the hall—not exactly tucked away, but close to the center.

The other nobles had instinctively kept a bit of distance between themselves and the two of them, creating a strangely secluded space. Even so, it was clear some of them were eager to speak with them, sneaking glances their way.

If Aileen wanted to, she could easily hear what they were whispering about—but she chose not to. Just as it had always been, the opinions of strangers meant nothing to her now that everything had been resolved.

Instead of paying attention to the nobles, she looked into Carlisle’s eyes.

Within them, the depths of a midnight sea shimmered. Meeting his gaze so directly suddenly made her feel shy, and she lowered her eyes.

Tap.

Just then, her hair ornament fell to the floor. She had taken it out during the carriage ride and pinned it back loosely—it must not have been secure.

She barely had time to register the thought when Carlisle bent down. Dropping to one knee, he reached for the fallen piece.

“Carlisle?”

Instead of standing right back up, he took a handkerchief from his breast pocket and gently dabbed at the hem of her dress. A bit of dust or something unseen came off on the cloth.

“Carlisle, get up,” Aileen whispered quickly, glancing around.

A noble never kneeled. And certainly not in front of others. It was a matter of pride, of status.

But Carlisle had knelt in public—just to wipe off something barely noticeable. And he wasn’t even a noble by birth, which only made it more likely others would talk.

And they already were. She could hear the soft murmurs from nearby.

Aileen frowned ever so slightly, but Carlisle remained calm. He tucked the handkerchief away, picked up the ornament, and finally stood.

“Why did you do that? You didn’t have to.”

“It was dirty. I couldn’t just leave it like that.”

“Next time, don’t. Just leave it. You don’t need to bend down like that.”

“Aileen.”

Carlisle looked at her quietly and said her name in a low voice.

“I don’t care about kneeling. I don’t care what others think. All that matters… is you.”

He spoke with such sincerity that Aileen was left speechless, her lips softly parting but unable to respond right away.

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