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Chapter 11
The girl’s cheeks were red with excitement, as if she had been greatly startled.
“Oh dear, I’m sorry.”
Up close, she had sparkling eyes and a small, delicate nose. Her features were sharp and elegant, like a proud cat. When she grew older, she would surely become very beautiful.
“By the way, I saw you pulling weeds in the garden very diligently. You’re not being exploited for child labor, are you?”
“I’m sixteen, you know? And when did you see me working?”
“Ah, I’m staying near your house for a while. I wasn’t spying on you on purpose.”
In Bernhardt, it was rare to see Asians.
Perhaps because of that, he could not guess her age properly and thought she was much younger than she actually was.
“Then why is your face like that? It must hurt… Did someone hit you?”
“I didn’t get beaten. I got into a fight.”
“But fighting is bad.”
“There are fights in this world you can’t avoid, kid.”
At his words, the girl made a face as if she had just heard something ridiculous.
Damian picked up the book she had dropped on the ground, dusted it off lightly, and handed it back to her.
He glanced at the cover.
It was For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway.
“Even Hemingway, who wrote that book you’re reading, was a violent macho. Don’t you know there are rumors he beat up a film director?”
“I’m not reading it because I like Hemingway. It’s for summer homework. He uses simple words, so it’s easy to read.”
She frowned and muttered, “I seriously can’t understand what Faulkner is even saying.”
Come to think of it, her English accent sounded slightly awkward. She didn’t seem like a native speaker.
“You don’t seem American. Where are you from?”
“Ah, I’m an exchange student from Korea. It’s summer vacation now, so I’m staying with a host family.”
“I see.”
“What about you?”
“I’m actually a prince from Europe.”
Ah, I shouldn’t have said that.
After saying it himself, Damian slightly regretted it.
What if she asked for his autograph or a photo and started bothering him?
But unlike his worries, her eyes widened for a moment—then she burst into bright laughter.
“Ha ha ha! Oh, that joke just now was funny.”
“……”
“Then I’m the Queen of England. Queen Elizabeth the Third.”
She laughed so hard that tears almost formed in the corners of her eyes.
Damian stared at the girl, stunned, as she could not stop laughing.
Not only did she fail to recognize him, she thought he was some strange boy with a prince complex.
But when he thought about it, that wasn’t so bad.
He was already tired of girls who pinned his photo on their walls and dreamed of marrying him someday.
Just then—
A chime bell rang from somewhere, and an ice cream truck appeared from around the corner.
Children rushed out of their houses one by one, money clutched in their hands.
As if they were bewitched by the tune of the Pied Piper.
Yes. In this boring suburb, the summer ice cream truck must be the children’s only joy.
Damian looked down at the girl.
Come to think of it, she was a child too.
Looking into her clear eyes, he said,
“Do you want some ice cream? Since two royals met in this countryside, it must be fate. I’ll treat you, Elizabeth.”
It was humiliating.
Damian, who rarely had to buy anything himself, had forgotten that his wallet contained only Bernhardt currency.
He tried offering it just in case, but the ice cream truck owner only smiled awkwardly.
In the end, the girl bought the ice cream.
To be treated by such a little kid.
It was truly a blow to a prince’s pride.
Anyway, the two of them returned under the tree, holding their ice creams side by side.
Damian took out a handkerchief from his pocket, snapped it once in the air, then spread it neatly on the ground and gestured for her to sit.
The girl giggled and muttered, “What a gentleman.”
After sitting down next to each other, Damian took a bite of his ice cream and asked,
“Since you’re studying abroad, don’t you miss your family?”
At that question, the girl lowered her head as if her spirit had dropped.
“I don’t know. My dad is always busy, and my mom only takes care of my little brother.”
“……”
“I was almost forced to study abroad. Sometimes I feel like I’m an uninvited guest in my own family. So I think it’s more comfortable to be alone.”
The moment he heard that, Damian’s heart strangely trembled.
“I’m similar.”
The girl’s eyes widened with concern.
“Are you a victim of domestic violence?!”
“Hey, let’s make one thing clear. I wasn’t beaten up. I fought bad guys and ended up like this.”
“…I’ll believe you.”
“……”
“But it feels a little less sad when two outcasts sit together.”
“I wouldn’t call myself an outcast. I just choose to be alone. But I get what you mean.”
“Sure, let’s say that.”
“You’re a funny kid.”
Damian bit into his hazelnut ice cream and lifted the corner of his lips.
After a while, the girl licked her ice cream and asked innocently,
“By the way, how did you get up that tree earlier?”
“You’ve never climbed it?”
“I tried a few times, but I always slipped. It’s too high for me.”
“I’ll help you.”
He put the entire cone into his mouth, then held out his hand to her.
“Really?”
“I should at least repay you for the ice cream.”
As soon as he said that, the girl quickly stuffed the rest of her ice cream into her mouth and grabbed his hand.
At that moment, a sharp current ran through his palm.
It was a sensation he had never felt before. He was slightly flustered, but he did not show it.
Holding her unbelievably soft hand, he knelt down.
“Alright, step on my shoulder and climb up.”
“Is that okay? My shoes are dirty.”
“It’s fine.”
After hesitating for a moment, she stepped on his shoulder and grabbed the branch above her head.
“Yes, like that. You’re doing well.”
Damian lifted her legs, and she quickly climbed onto the branch.
Once she found her seat, Damian climbed up as well and sat beside her.
“Come closer to me. You might fall.”
Feeling strangely anxious, as if she might be blown away by the wind, he pulled her closer.
The girl leaned into him without hesitation and said,
“Wow… The view is really amazing! If I hadn’t climbed up here, I would’ve never known.”
“Right?”
“Thank you.”
She smiled beautifully at him.
Damian stared at her as if he had just been struck by something.
“Why? Is there something on my face?”
Only then did he realize he had been staring too long. Pretending casually, he brushed away an imaginary blade of grass from her face.
“There. It’s gone.”
He withdrew his trembling hand and looked ahead.
The pink sunset was already coloring the entire town.
It was strange.
It felt as if his heart was being dyed the same color.
