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Chapter 37
“Harna, are you all right?”
I ignored Cardin’s question as he looked at me after I dropped my spoon. Pretending to look at the spoon that had fallen to the floor, I lowered my head and didn’t lift it.
In the novel, Cardin was the cold type. Otherwise, why would the word “cold-blooded” be attached to him?
Something like this could never happen in the original work. That Cardin would fall for Harna, receive her aegyo, and then do something as shameless as referring to himself in the first person!
‘Is Cardin really this slick?’
I admit that things have changed a lot from the original novel, but this is going way too far.
“Harna?”
A worried voice came again at my 모습 as I fell into serious thought. I hurriedly organized my thoughts and honestly admitted it.
I lost.
To him—who would tear up saying he’d dressed up just for me even if he came on a date looking like a clown, and who would respond with Cardin-style aegyo whenever Harna showed the aegyo she used to detest.
Only now did I foolishly realize it. Just how thick the rose-colored glasses he wore for me really were.
“Your Grace.”
In a weary voice, I tore my gaze away from the fallen spoon, lifted my head, and weakly continued.
“Let’s eat.”
Vera said this restaurant was the most popular place among lovers.
But when I came in, there wasn’t a single customer, and I felt strange when countless employees bowed their heads toward me all at once.
As the food was brought to the table and I was waited on, my suspicions slowly piled up.
‘Don’t tell me he rented the entire place?’
I shook my head, recalling a scene I’d filmed while dating a chaebol heir in a drama.
Don’t worry about it. Considering Cardin still tells me I’m pretty even when he sees me like this, it wouldn’t be strange for him to rent out the whole restaurant for me.
Stopping my thoughts, I began to eat. The food was clean and delicious. The seasoning was just right, and the plating was pretty. The cute, cozy interior a woman would like, and the music played by the ensemble a little distance away, pleased the ears.
Everything was perfect—except for Cardin, who was gazing fondly at me as I ate.
Throughout the meal, his stare burned, and his eyes folded into crescents and his endlessly lifted lips spoke volumes about how happy he was.
It felt like the smile of a victor who had easily defeated me despite how firmly prepared I’d been, and it made my chest ache a little.
“Does the meal suit your taste?”
“Yes, it’s delicious.”
“I’m glad. It’s a place Cardin agonized over choosing for his first date with Harna.”
“I—I see.”
I replied through clenched teeth to Cardin, who kept referring to himself in the first person. Perhaps my answer sounded odd even to him, because Cardin tilted his head to the side and asked with regret in his eyes.
“Won’t you do it?”
“Pardon?”
“Calling yourself Harna with those cherry-like lips of yours.”
Today’s acting, which would become a lifelong source of embarrassment, would be sealed away and never done again.
Unaware of my rage swelling with shame as I bit down harder on my molars, Cardin continued.
“It was lovely.”
“I won’t do it anymore. So please stop too, Your Grace.”
“Hm, very well. If that’s what you want, gladly.”
If I’d known he’d agree so readily, I should’ve firmly told him to stop much earlier. I feel stupid for having continued to listen to his humiliating remarks. Still, he was someone who could communicate with reason—
“Instead.”
I looked at his lips as he added a condition with a playful face.
“Will you call my name from now on?”
“What? How could I possibly—”
“Cardin thinks he’d like it if Harna called Cardin’s name…”
“Ca…rdin.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, hating the sound of that “Cardin,” and barely forced the name out.
But when no reply came for quite some time, I cautiously opened one eye. There was Cardin, blushing and delighted at hearing his name.
‘What the—he’s cute.’
He’s this happy over just hearing his name once.
After shyly fidgeting for a while, Cardin lifted his hand, his face still slightly red. Then an employee who had been waiting behind us walked over to me holding a large bouquet.
I was surprised to receive a bouquet of red roses. But that wasn’t the end. Another employee behind him presented a bouquet of yellow roses.
“What is all this?”
As I sat there like someone receiving piles of bouquets at an awards ceremony, the final bouquet was offered. Cardin handed me a bouquet of orange roses, the same color as my hair.
“It can’t compare to your beauty, but I heard you like roses, so I prepared them. Do you like them?”
Receiving the orange roses he gave me left my mind blank.
“Thank you. I didn’t prepare anything in return.”
“Just having you sitting in front of me is a gift more than I deserve. Don’t think that way. And…”
Suddenly, Cardin dropped to one knee and presented an elegant velvet box that fit in the palm of his hand.
“Ah.”
“Will you accept it? It’s my heart.”
These days, the hottest lovers’ spot, “From,” where Harna and Cardin were on a date. Next to it stood another restaurant. Unfortunately, it was “Bailey,” a restaurant that targeted the same clientele as From.
Bailey, which had been getting by decently, was now swatting flies because of From opening next door without a shred of conscience. On top of that, word had spread that a special noble guest had rented out an entire restaurant today for a high price.
Meanwhile, Bailey’s first customers were two gloomy-looking men with their faces hidden under hoods.
‘They look like they should be slurping cheap stew at an inn—why come to my high-class restaurant?’
The owner, Jatro, felt a bit disappointed, but since they were still precious customers, he attended to them.
“Welcome. I’ll show you to your seats.”
Wearing a friendly smile, he guided them to the most popular seats in the restaurant, but was ignored. The two men passed right by Jatro and, despite the empty first floor, deliberately took the stairs up to the second floor.
Snubbed despite his smiling face, he hurriedly fixed the expression that was about to crack and followed them upstairs.
The men sat by the window on the second floor. If you opened the curtains, you could clearly see the inside of From next door—perfect seats for spying.
‘What is this?’
With a suspicious expression, Jatro approached the men and offered the menu he was holding.
“May I take your order?”
“No food.”
Jatro, who had been holding back, grew angry.
No—if you’re not ordering food at a restaurant, why come in?
Unable to endure it any longer and about to angrily chase them out, Jatro instinctively accepted the pouch the man held out.
“What is this?”
“We’ll rent this place for the entire day.”
“Pardon?”
“No food needed. On the condition that no one comes up.”
Jatro stared at the man’s hooded face, then turned and opened the pouch. When he saw it filled with glittering gold coins, his back bent politely.
“Thank you. Please enjoy your time.”
After bowing respectfully and tucking the pouch safely into his arms, Jatro hurried down to the first floor and locked the restaurant door.
Once they confirmed that all signs of people were gone, the men removed their stifling hoods. Orange-tinted hair and golden eyes, just like Harna’s, were revealed. They were her father, Derek, and her brother, Haren.
Unable to endure the wait out of worry for Harna on a date with Cardin, the father and son decided they couldn’t just sit back. They had the butler find out the date location and sent people ahead to locate a building suitable for spying.
When they clearly saw Cardin’s face as he sat alone, seemingly waiting for Harna, they felt relief—and at the same time, anger. It was annoying enough that he was boldly dating Harna, but his flashy outfit was also infuriating.
Still, the two believed that Harna wouldn’t fall for such superficial appearances.
Soon, at the appointed time, they saw the staff bustling about.
Derek and Haren exchanged glances and nodded. Pressing their faces close to the window, they stared at the building next door with burning eyes.
Before long, their beloved Harna was heading toward Cardin.
“…!”
The two men froze in shock, their faces still pressed to the window.
“No!”
“Why?”
Laments spilled from both of their mouths almost simultaneously.
Ever since she’d matured, Harna no longer wore the flashy dresses she used to enjoy. Instead, she dressed neatly and elegantly, showing a classical beauty—but now, she was dressed up to an excessive degree, clearly to look good for Cardin.
Heavy makeup at a glance, a dress dripping with jewels, emerald accents in her hair, on her neck, and on her chest.
Seeing how much effort she’d gone to just to please Cardin, father and son clenched their fists almost at the same time.
Harna sat down across from Cardin with a beautiful smile.
They couldn’t see her clearly anymore, but Cardin’s expression—beaming and blissful from the moment she arrived—was all too visible.
Thus, the two spied on the date with fists tightly clenched as time continued to pass.
Cardin kept flirting with Harna. Watching him prop his face in his hands, smile, and put on that disgusting display of aegyo, the two nearly burst out several times, barely managing to restrain themselves.
The worst moment was when Cardin leaned toward Harna and puckered his filthy lips, trying to steal a kiss.
“That bastard…!”
Veins bulged on Derek’s clenched fist. Haren grabbed his father’s hand to stop him, his own eyes already bloodshot.
“Let’s watch just a little longer.”
I was furious too, but I forced myself to stay calm as I soothed my father. Derek barely managed to suppress the murderous intent spilling out as he took deep breaths. Thankfully, Harna smacked those lips away with a sharp slap, and they thought the crisis had passed.
But their efforts ended in vain.
Because Cardin gave Harna three bouquets, then dropped to one knee and held out a small box—just like someone proposing.
They had endured enough. They had seen enough.
Peeling their faces away from the window, father and son leapt up without a word, roughly threw open the window, and jumped at the same time.
Landing lightly from the not-insignificant height of the second floor, Derek and Haren began to run with terrifying expressions—straight toward the place where that damned Cardin was making his moves.
