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Chapter 05
I couldn’t help but slightly stiffen my expression.
Why is he showing me men’s gloves?
But the employee seemed too focused on explaining to notice my reaction.
“As you can see, these are lined with high-quality wool imported from the kingdom, so their warmth is excellent. On top of that, they match uniforms, tailcoats—anything, really. They’re extremely popular among noble young lords these days.”
“……”
Seeing that I didn’t respond, the employee looked slightly flustered, then suddenly seemed to remember something.
“Ah! These would be the perfect gift for your fiancé, Young Lord Andrew Erteisha.”
“!”
“I heard his hobby is horseback riding. When riding, the reins can rub against the hands and cause injuries. So instead of rough fabric gloves, soft leather gloves would be better for protection.”
Only then did I understand why he had shown me men’s gloves.
‘Come to think of it, I’ve never once bought anything for myself at this shop. Everything I bought here was for Andrew.’
Normally, noble ladies would come to buy things for themselves rather than gifts for their fiancé or lover.
But I was completely the opposite. Every time I came here, I would think things like, “This tie would suit Andrew…” and end up buying gifts for him.
Thinking back, I lightly touched my lips and smiled faintly.
“Thanks for the explanation. But what should I do? I didn’t come to buy a gift for Young Lord Andrew.”
I almost said, “We broke off our engagement,” but I barely held it back. Just as I told Andrew, I didn’t want unnecessary rumors spreading.
‘It’ll spread in noble society soon anyway. There’s no need for me to go around announcing it.’
I steadied my thoughts.
The employee looked quite confused.
“P-Pardon? Not a gift for Young Lord Andrew?”
“That’s right. I’m here to buy gloves for myself today.”
I shrugged slightly and tried on the gloves he recommended.
The design was simple, and the texture was soft. As he said, the quality was excellent.
Only one problem.
“Let’s see… these are too big for me. Well, they are men’s gloves, so it makes sense. If they were a bit smaller, they’d be perfect.”
As I turned away, showing slight disappointment despite liking them, the employee quickly changed his attitude and stopped me.
“Please wait, Lady Amy.”
“?”
“We do have women’s sizes.”
“Really?”
As I brightened up, the employee sighed in relief and immediately guided me to another display.
“Of course! Most young ladies prefer lace or satin gloves over leather ones, so we don’t stock many… but fortunately, we still have some left.”
I took the small gloves he handed me and put them on.
They fit perfectly, as if they had always been mine.
“Alright, I’ll take these.”
But somehow, just buying gloves for myself felt a bit lacking.
‘Maybe I should buy something for my parents too.’
My mother would definitely prefer soft satin gloves over thick leather ones.
After choosing a gift for her first, I returned to the earlier display where the men’s gloves had been placed.
Just then, a new male customer was heading toward the same shelf.
‘Don’t tell me he’s going for the gloves I chose.’
A small sense of anxiety rose in my mind.
And that worry quickly became reality.
As I reached out toward the gloves, his hand reached at the same time.
“!”
Our hands accidentally touched.
I froze in surprise for a moment.
The man also seemed startled and quickly pulled his hand back.
He was a rare silver-haired handsome man, with a neat and refined appearance.
“Pardon me, lady.”
“It’s alright.”
Since it was clearly a mistake, I just smiled lightly.
But there was something more urgent.
I reached for the gloves again.
However, once again, we reached at the same time.
“!”
“Oh dear.”
It happened again.
At this point, it didn’t even feel like an accident anymore.
Silence fell between us.
This time, he spoke first.
“Lady, I’m sorry, but I was the one who intended to buy this first.”
Despite his polite tone, his intent was clear.
I refused to lose either.
“I’ve also been interested in this item for a while, sir.”
“……”
“……”
A tense silence filled the air.
We both clearly wanted the gloves.
‘We probably just have similar tastes.’
But I had my own reason, so I couldn’t back down.
Just then, his expression subtly changed.
“…Could you be Lady Amy?”
Hearing my name from his mouth, I froze.
‘He knows me?’
Silver hair… someone I know?
After thinking quickly, only one person came to mind.
My childhood friend I hadn’t seen since my debut—Perlian Cyrmal.
‘But this man looks nothing like the Perlian I remember.’
Still uncertain, I asked.
“Perlian?”
At my question, the man brightened.
“Yes. Perlian Cyrmal. So it really is you, Lady Amy.”
“!”
I was shocked.
This man claiming to be my childhood friend looked nothing like the Perlian I remembered.
Perlian Cyrmal, the youngest son of the Cyrmal Grand Duke family, was my childhood friend.
Back then, he was small, quiet, and had a gentle impression. He was very shy and mostly interested only in magic.
‘That was how he was.’
But the man in front of me now was completely different.
His long bangs were neatly cut back, revealing clear eyes. His soft, round cheeks were gone, replaced with sharp features and a refined jawline.
‘This is unbelievable.’
The quiet boy had turned into a full-grown gentleman in just three years.
He murmured,
“So you did remember me.”
“……Well, yes.”
But I couldn’t properly respond.
I had no right to act confidently in front of him.
‘Of all places, I meet him here.’
We had been childhood friends because our families were close.
Even after he left for the Magic Tower at 16, we kept in touch through letters.
But after my debut at 17, everything changed.
It was my fault.
After I fell in love with Andrew at first sight, I focused only on him, and naturally lost contact with Perlian.
‘Actually, I just stopped reading letters that weren’t from Andrew…’
Memories surfaced.
“Miss, Lord Perlian has sent you a letter.”
“…Really? I’m busy right now. Put it on the table, Mary. I’ll reply later.”
His letters piled up.
Eventually, they gathered dust.
‘And I think I threw them away while cleaning my room.’
A sigh escaped me.
It was clearly my mistake.
Ignoring letters was extremely rude.
Maybe Perlian, after recognizing me, was now remembering all that and was angry at me.
