IBWMD 58

~Chapter 58~

I avoided Karl’s gaze, giving an awkward smile. My hand was still caught in his.

‘Why is that such an embarrassing thing to say?’

Friends can miss each other. Besides…

‘Honestly, I was happy and missed him, especially in this situation.’

I had just realized how lonely I could feel.

‘Being alone at the New Year’s festival… it’s like walking down Christmas streets alone.’

Not necessarily bad, but undeniably lonely. And for someone like me who was weak to loneliness—it felt especially pitiful.

In that sense, Karl arrived at the perfect time.

‘How did he find me anyway?’

My fingertips kept curling within his gloved grip, feeling ticklish.

I cleared my throat and said,

“But you really came at the perfect time.”
“…”
“Wanna make a wish? People usually do that on New Year’s—hear the bells and make resolutions—ouch.”

Karl, who had been silent, squeezed my hand. It didn’t actually hurt, but I made a fuss anyway.

He didn’t let go. If anything, his grip tightened. I looked up at him.

“As expected, Elaine…”
“…”
“You must really like me.”

…That was dangerous.

Because Karl really smiled dazzlingly just then.

Under the dim evening light,
With the bonfire glowing behind him like dawn,
He smiled softly, folding his eyes gently.

It was a different smile from his usual boyish grin. I realized a beat late that he was teasing me.

Before I could retort, he gave a pitiful look.

“What will you do without me?”
“…”
“If you miss me this much after just half a day, I’m worried.”

“I’m really regretting saying I missed you.”

“Too late. If you like me this much, I should stick by you all day, perform cute tricks for you…”

“Has anyone told you that you’re terrible at reading the mood?”

“I thought it fit the mood perfectly.”

“Forget it.”

I grumbled, trying to pull my hand away, but Karl’s grip was firm.

“Unless you plan to get lost again, you better hold on.”

“I know. There are a lot of people…”

“See? You must really want me around.”

“You should be thankful too.”

“For what?”

“You’re not alone for the festival thanks to me.”

Of course, Karl had people even if I wasn’t there—

“That’s true.”

“…”

“I’ve always been alone this time of year.”

…Guess not.

He didn’t seem like the type to have many friends anyway.

‘More like the type to scare everyone away just by smirking down at them.’

I voiced my thought honestly.

“What, you probably don’t have many friends, but…”

“But?”

“At least you have family.”

“I don’t have family.”

…He said it so casually that for a moment, I thought it was no big deal.

Why did talking to Karl sometimes make me feel like trash?

“Hahaha… you can’t have no family. You have Clark, Jeremy, the mansion staff…”

“They died in a carriage accident when I was young.”

Damn. I was trying to cover it up by saying everyone around him was like family, but failed miserably.

I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.

“Uh… I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. It was long ago.”

But it didn’t look fine. His eyes glistened with memories as he said it.

Karl chuckled softly.

“You don’t have family either, so it’s fine.”

“Why are you dragging me into this?”

My family didn’t suddenly disappear.

“A family that sends their daughter to such danger… are they really family?”

“…”

His words, coldly slicing through the warm mood, left me speechless.

I understood what he meant. No ordinary family would send their daughter to marry the monster duke.

‘But… my family wasn’t that bad.’

My father always yielded to me outside training. Raina was kind and sweet, Jayro teased me like a younger brother.

‘They were pretty decent people.’

Normally, I would’ve glared and snapped back, but…

“Sending a precious daughter to a place like this.”

“…”

‘Why does he look like that?’

Karl’s gaze was so serious. As if he was really seeing me as something precious.

“Ugh! No, that’s not it!”

I lightly hit his chest in protest.

“Stop badmouthing my family. They didn’t force me out. Do you even know how kind, gentle, and pretty my sister is?”

“They didn’t?”

“I… I chose to leave the Imperial Knights and come here. My family had nothing to do with it.”

Karl looked down at me with an expression that said, ‘But they’re not here with you now, are they?’

I pouted but couldn’t deny it.

I sighed shortly.

“Anyway, now that I’m here…”

“Here?”

“I’ll have to make a new family here.”

Honestly, I wanted to discuss a friendly divorce as soon as the duke returned.

‘No need to tell Karl that, though.’

But his reaction was strange.

“Make a family…”
“…”
“Here, with the Duke.”

“Of course.”

…Why did his eyes look so glazed over?

“Are you proposing to me?”

Why did he phrase it like that? It sounded like I was proposing to him directly.

More importantly—

“Isn’t that obvious?”
“…”
“I literally came here with a marriage contract.”

Granted, it felt more like a battle arena than a proposal, but still.

“I had my reasons for coming here.”

I squeezed his hand slightly. Karl squeezed back, pulling me along.

“But…”

Karl paused as if thinking, then smiled—this time with a wicked curve.

“So, a perfectly healthy woman with a loving family came here willingly.”

“What’s wrong with that? He’s still a Duke…”

“Are you defending him?”

…He got me.

‘He baited me into saying that.’

Karl grinned smugly, clearly enjoying teasing me.

“I thought you weren’t interested.”

“I’m not.”

“Yet you’re marrying him, planning to make a family… considering him as a husband.”

“You can do all that without interest.”

“If you say so.”

“It’s true!”

‘Why is he trying to ship me with the Duke?’

Meanwhile, he kept holding my hand tightly.

Even surrounded by festive laughter and colorful decorations, only Karl stood out clearly in my eyes.

His golden eyes glowed like jewels under the bonfire-lit night sky.

“This way.”

He reached out, wrapping his arm around my shoulders to guide me through the crowd.

I didn’t refuse.

I didn’t like bumping into people anyway.

‘If those strong arms keep people away, I won’t complain.’

It wasn’t because his warmth felt good.

Not at all.

Because like this, I wouldn’t bump into others. I wouldn’t feel lonely.

Just as I was convincing myself of that—

“But it makes me a little jealous.”

“…”

“You hold my hand, you ride on my back, you cling to me. Yet…”

“…”

“Are you just keeping me close to drain me dry before tossing me aside?”

…He really was mischievous.

All true, leaving me with no retort, pricking my guilty conscience.