Our Summer Isn't Over Yet - Chapter 37

The conversation they had at night became a non-existent story when the day broke. Mia didn’t ask about it further, and Dylan didn’t bring up the words he had said during the night either.

He simply smoothed Mia’s clothes, tidied her hair, and helped her prepare to go to the royal banquet. Mia, touched by Dylan’s hands, looked at her more beautiful self. She felt quite unfamiliar, unlike her usual self. While the servants came in to adorn Mia’s face, Dylan went into the dressing room, changed into a neat military uniform, and came out. Seeing him with his hair swept back, she asked, “Dylan, we’ll only be at the banquet for a short time, you didn’t have to sweep your hair back, did you?” “Does it look bad?” “It’s not that, it’s just uncomfortable for a long journey. The train to Rhodia doesn’t have a separate shower facility.” Mia’s calm voice filled the space once. When no particular answer came from Dylan, Mia glanced at the mirror.

Dylan, covering his mouth and seemingly lost in thought, was reflected there.

After a short time, the hand covering his mouth disappeared. At the same time, Mia’s brow furrowed slightly.

“Why are you smiling?” “Mia, I find the worries you have quite pleasant to hear.”

The servants, who were listening to the conversation between the Richard couple, rolled their eyes. Only for a moment, they sped up and finished adorning Mia. “Then, Your Excellency, Madam.

We will excuse ourselves now.” The servants left like flowing water. Hearing the sound of the door closing, Mia slowly got up from her seat and approached Dylan. Even at the closer distance, he didn’t back away. Mia, tidying the ornament on his chest, opened her mouth.

“I don’t know how it sounded, but I just wanted to say that you don’t have to do things that make you uncomfortable.”

“I’m not uncomfortable.” At his firm words, Mia shook her head slightly, expressing some concern. She knew that Dylan had been overdoing it since yesterday.

“Don’t overdo it.” “I’ll try.”

His blunt answer was very Dylan-like. Mia tapped Dylan’s chest and gave him a loose smile.

Somehow, his overdoing it seemed to be based on concern for her, hence the smile that escaped her lips.

Seeing Mia’s smile, Dylan didn’t react otherwise, but fixed his eyes on the corner of her lips. His gaze was so persistent that Mia dropped her head down. At the end of her lowered gaze, an envelope peeking out of Dylan’s pocket filled her eyes. ‘Like His Excellency’s letter?’ It was Walter’s letter. She wondered why Dylan had his letter in his pocket. She also didn’t understand why he was carrying it around so dangerously.

Come to think of it, last time too… It was a similar situation to when she saw Walter’s letter in the office. Mia’s eyes quietly narrowed as she recalled that time. ‘Is it not His Excellency’s letter?’

If so, why did Dylan have this in his pocket? Usually, Dylan wouldn’t carry invitations or letters on his person, no matter how urgent, because of the risk of them getting crumpled. She wanted to check what it was. Seized by a strange feeling, Mia reached out towards his pocket and muttered. “Dylan, there’s paper sticking out of your pocket…” At the same time, Dylan grabbed Mia’s hand and replied. “I’ll take care of it.”

It was as if it was nothing.

When Mia slowly raised her head, she saw Dylan’s face, as neat as ever. He carefully let go of Mia’s hand and stepped back. After a couple of steps, he stopped moving when he bumped into a small desk. Mia, watching that series of actions, felt a strange sense of alienation.

The same tone, the same expression, and the stiff gait. There was nothing strange, but she felt unsettled. Mia tilted her head at the unpleasant sensation rising up her spine. But her thoughts didn’t go deep. The candle precariously placed on the edge of the desk caught her eye.

“Candle…!”

Before she could do anything, the candle fell down. Clang. It was instantaneous for the glass surrounding the candle to shatter. The candle broke in two, and the glass became fragments, scattering everywhere.

It was clear that it couldn’t be used again. As luck would have it, the green and blue parts of the wax were exquisitely cut off. She felt worse than when her favorite white dress was ruined. Seeing the shattered glass, her heart beat uneasily for some reason. Hastily gathering her emotions, Mia turned her back without making eye contact with Dylan. “That can’t be used, I’ll ask the servants to clean it up.”

All that remained in Mia’s mind as she hurried towards the door were Walter’s letter and the broken candle.

“…”

After taking a few steps, Mia suddenly found it strange that Dylan wasn’t saying anything. She slowly turned her head and looked at him, who was standing still in that spot. At the same time, she gasped. Dylan’s face, with his fine brow deeply furrowed, looked fiercer and colder than usual. He clicked his tongue lowly as he looked at the scattered fragments.

Mia’s feet froze at the unfamiliar sight. As if noticing her not moving, he slowly raised his head.

“Mia?” The bright sun was still piercing through the window. The light and sunlight in the room were intertwined, making his eyes look particularly clear. “Dylan, you…” Shadows fell on his face in the sunlight, but Dylan’s eyes remained clear. Mia, scanning his face slowly, moved her lips, entangled in a strange sensation.

Because the expression he was making was terribly familiar. It resembled the one Jose made when he was tempting her to speak out. ‘Why is Dylan making that expression?’

The shadow on his face disappeared in an instant. As if what Mia had just seen was an illusion. But it was already clearly etched in her mind. There was no way she could forget the expression of someone creating a trap to slowly ensnare someone, especially the same expression as the person who had abused her for so long.

A very unpleasant sensation rushed in instantly. Dylan opened his mouth in a monotonous voice. “Mia, since it was ruined because of me, I’ll have to give you another one.” Mia rubbed her arms at the chill. Mia, who had been moving her lips for a while, tried hard to erase Dylan’s expression from her mind. “Okay. I’ll wait.” Her heart was beating fiercely as if she had been running, but Mia gently raised the corners of her lips.

Dismissing it as something she had firmly mistaken.

As promised, Dylan escorted Mia to the royal banquet. He had to make it in time for the five o’clock train, so he couldn’t dance with her, but he left, telling the other ladies to take good care of Mia. Although Morgan, the king of Hippolyte, had not yet appeared, no one questioned Dylan’s departure from this place. It was only natural, as adding words to his actions, which were in accordance with Morgan’s orders, would be tantamount to ignoring Morgan. After Dylan left, Mia took her place in the banquet hall familiarly.

There was a lot of interest in the position of the Queen of Hippolyte, so there were quite a few nobles in attendance.

The banquet hall was more crowded than usual, but Mia’s mind was filled with Dylan’s expression she had seen in the room. “…Madam.” She didn’t show it in front of him, but it bothered her like a hangnail. She felt like she was starting to know Dylan Richard a little as a human being, not just in a contractual relationship, but it had been overturned in an instant. “Duchess Richard?” “Ah, where were we?” Mia tried to focus on the conversation, pushing Dylan, who had filled her head, to one side.

The noble ladies, watching her actions, gestured to each other and moved their lips. One of them sighed as if feeling sorry and comforted Mia. “As expected, you must have been very concerned because it’s your first banquet after the strange rumors spread, Madam.”

They seemed to think that Mia was concerned about the rumors that had shaken Hippolyte before. “Gossip always follows celebrities.” “Don’t take it too much to heart. Worrying about bad rumors only makes you feel uneasy.” One by one, they opened their mouths and showed enthusiastic reactions.

Mia smiled without adding any particular words to the noble ladies’ misunderstanding. Someone, watching Mia’s reaction, added a word. “I think this incident happened because the royal family didn’t sufficiently sanction the newspapers.”

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