Sincerely, Vanessa [EN]: Chapter 67

Vanessa straightened up, pushing herself away from the tree. She gathered every last bit of courage she could find, even the dregs, and opened her mouth.

“Gideon.”

Gideon’s gaze barely met hers. He seemed strangely stiff.

Vanessa hoped she looked nothing short of perfect. That she radiated the confidence of someone determined to move forward.

She spoke in a strong voice.

“I have something to say, and I hope you’ll listen. And give me an honest answer. Either way is fine.”

Vanessa paused to catch her breath.

The moment before she spoke felt agonizingly long.

“I like you.”

With those words, all her courage was spent.

Vanessa lowered her gaze to her shoes. Her face was flushed, her cheeks burning.

But no answer came.

*I guess it was just my imagination. It’s sad, but I feel relieved to have said it. Now I can truly let go and move on.*

Vanessa smiled and raised her head.

“It’s okay. I was just expressing my feelings, and I’m not really hurt-”

He was right in front of her. Before a surprised Vanessa could finish, Gideon wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

She buried her face in his chest, enveloped in his warmth. It was a tight embrace, as if she were bound by a strong force.

Her mind went blank, and she could only blink.

As if sensing her confusion, Gideon lowered his head, resting his forehead against hers.

She could now see the emotions he had been hiding. They seemed impossible to contain. He was beaming.

“Vanessa.”

He simply spoke her name.

But that was enough; no other answer was needed. The joy in his voice said it all.

His face, filled with happiness, was breathtakingly handsome. Vanessa cautiously reached out and cupped his cheek.

He leaned into her hand, gently blinking. Then, he whispered,

“Thank you.”

Mesmerized, Vanessa gazed at the joy in his eyes and whispered back,

“For what?”

“For telling me first.”

*Because you were brave enough to speak first, I will do better.* His voice was sweet.

Whether intoxicated by the scent of flowers or the warmth of the moment, Vanessa felt dizzy.

So, she asked a foolish question.

“Is this a dream?”

“Why do you keep asking if it’s a dream? You asked yesterday too.”

Even as she watched his smile fade and his brow furrow, she still felt dazed.

She couldn’t believe that her courage had been rewarded so richly, and her heart fluttered.

Gideon, worried she might think it was a dream and pretend not to remember tomorrow, took Vanessa’s hand, which was still cupping his face.

He kissed each fingertip as if stamping a seal, whispering,

“I like you, Vanessa.”

Vanessa just blushed and nodded.

Still, she wasn’t completely reassured. *What if it’s a dream?*

In the end, Vanessa decided to pinch his cheek instead of her own. He seemed happy even as he offered his cheek, which wasn’t very helpful.

Vanessa ended up pinching her own cheek again. It stung.

⚜ ⚜ ⚜

The two left the shade of the tree and walked back toward the castle.

The difference now was their tightly intertwined hands, their close proximity, and the constant glances they exchanged.

Throughout the walk, he couldn’t let go of her hand, constantly caressing it. Her slender, long fingers, even the calluses from holding a pen for so long.

Gideon smiled whenever he met Vanessa’s eyes. His face was so full of joy he couldn’t hide it, which embarrassed Vanessa but also emboldened her.

Vanessa cautiously spoke.

“I had no idea you liked me, Gid… Actually, it still feels like a dream.”

“I suppose I’ll have to offer my cheek again.”

At those words, Vanessa gently rubbed the spot where she had pinched him. Gideon laughed.

“You might be embarrassed, but it’s hard to find anything I dislike about you. I, on the other hand, didn’t know you liked me.”

“Why?”

“Ever since the day we fell into the cave together, you’ve been avoiding me. I wondered if you started to dislike me after that.”

His affectionate gaze was still there, but his thick eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“I wondered many times what I had done wrong.”

“I just… I felt like you were someone I shouldn’t like, so I wanted to give up. I was afraid I’d have lingering feelings if I contacted you.”

Gideon stared at Vanessa intently. She subtly shifted her gaze toward the sky.

Then, Gideon calmly spoke.

“I found one thing I dislike.”

“What is it? You found something you dislike as soon as I confessed?”

Vanessa glared at him, and Gideon chuckled softly before gently brushing her eyes with his hand. Her cheeks, which had barely cooled down, grew hot again.

“Running away from me while belittling yourself.”

*I really dislike that,* he whispered.

“You were quite… bold when you were drunk. Do you remember anything?”

“…What did I do yesterday?”

“What Vanessa did *to* me.”

Gideon stopped there, teasingly, and closed his mouth. Vanessa glared at him and shook him.

“Tell me! What did I do!”

Gideon laughed briefly and stopped walking. Facing Vanessa, who was looking up at him in bewilderment, he suddenly tilted his head.

He came so close their eyelashes were almost touching, his nose slightly brushing hers, and then he stopped. Vanessa gasped.

After a moment of silence, he lightly brushed his cheek against hers and stepped back.

“Something like that.”

Vanessa’s mouth dropped open. *I thought I was crazy, but I really was crazy.*

Gideon cheerfully watched Vanessa’s expression and led her inside the castle. The castle was bustling with noise. Everyone seemed to be moving busily.

“Perez wasn’t lying. The kitchen has been very busy since dawn. I would be very grateful if you would join me for a meal.”

“Oh, no… I’m more grateful. You’re welcoming me even though I showed up like that last night.”

Gideon gently led her toward the dining hall.

As the embarrassment, surprise, and tension she had felt since morning subsided, she could now comfortably look around Valder Castle.

Vanessa occasionally slowed Gideon’s pace, exclaiming in admiration.

Even if he disliked the hustle and bustle, it was still an old castle. There was much to see.

Gideon didn’t particularly stop her; instead, he led her to new places. The dining hall was on the first floor, but Vanessa and Gideon seemed to be wandering around the third floor.

Eventually, the two entered the dining hall only after Perez came to fetch them.

“I clearly said twenty minutes.”

Perez glanced at Gideon’s hand intertwined with Vanessa’s, smiled, and disappeared inside.

Contrary to Vanessa’s expectations, the space she entered did not contain an enormous dining table.

There was only a simple table that could seat four or five people. The lace on it was well-crafted, and small flowers were arranged in a vase with green leaves.

And, of course, it was well-lit, and the view from the window was bright. This understated atmosphere was elegant and elevated the space.

Soon, food began to be placed on the table. The kitchen had been busy since dawn, and the evidence was clear.

The food was served in order from cold to warm, without any particular formality, followed by delicate desserts, just for the two of them.

“How amusing.”

Gideon chuckled briefly. Vanessa looked puzzled, but the answer came from Perez.

“You’re not interested anyway, are you?”

“That’s true, but the discrimination is severe. Vanessa, you’ll have to come often.”

Vanessa, not understanding what he meant, tilted her head and tasted the food Gideon had served her. And she exclaimed in admiration.

“Wow. It’s delicious.”

It was a short exclamation, but it was full of sincerity. Gideon couldn’t help but smile at Vanessa’s moved expression.

Perez, who had been watching the scene with a pleased expression, said,

“It’s been a long time since the morning has been so lively. Please eat a lot.”

The man looked genuinely touched. Vanessa felt a sense of embarrassment at the word ‘lively’.

*Perhaps that man saw me being carried in by Gideon?*

Thinking about it, it was fortunate the result was good; otherwise, there would have been a huge rumor. Gideon, the Duke of Valder, was the most famous prospective husband in all of Priba.

*Someone broke into Valder Castle and confessed to the Duke while crying. What?*

“Um, well. I made a big mistake since yesterday morning….”

Perez gave her a benevolent smile.

He didn’t know about the kind young lady, but any mistake involving the master of the Valder family was welcome in this castle. *You should know how quiet this castle usually is.*

“Absolutely not. Do you like the meal? I regret we didn’t prepare many desserts for the young lady because the Duke usually eats so simply. We prepared them in a hurry… The chef was so excited to make pie crust for the first time in a while!”

Vanessa looked around the table. It seemed too extravagant for a morning meal.

There were also pies that Vanessa liked, topped with plenty of fruit and cream, making them look delicious.

“He doesn’t invite guests and only works.”

“Perez.”

“Haha.”

Perez gave a hollow laugh and ignored Gideon’s glare.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Gideon’s smile… This old man was so worried….”

Gideon scoffed.

“Spending every night working… I was relieved he hadn’t become twisted, but if it’s like this, it would be better if he *were* twisted….”

He deliberately rubbed his dry eyes, which turned red and had quite an effect. Vanessa began to look at Gideon with the same pitiful eyes.

Gideon was genuinely dumbfounded, but there were some truths in what he said, so he just listened. He decided to gratefully accept Vanessa’s affection or pity.

“If I had to choose the most pitiful person in the Valder ducal family, I would always think it was our Duke-”

But when Perez’s words continued endlessly, Gideon gave him a look that said, ‘Keep going.’

But Perez stopped there and smiled broadly. He was a person who knew where to draw the line.

“Anyway, please come often. Everyone in this castle will welcome you anytime.”

Gideon found it amusing that the people in the castle were so excited about Vanessa’s arrival, but Vanessa was unaware of this and was amazed by everything.

After finishing their meal, they enjoyed the midday sun and strolled around the pond in the forest. Vanessa enjoyed the fragrance of the flowers, which she hadn’t noticed in the morning due to her tension.

They talked and strolled for quite a while. Laughter erupted at even the smallest things. Smiles appeared whenever their eyes met. As a result, their walking speed inevitably slowed down.

Finally arriving in the forest where there was no path, they sat on a roughly hewn wooden chair under a large tree.

Gideon’s bangs, which he had comfortably let down, fluttered slightly in the wind. Vanessa carefully reached out and removed a petal from his hair. Gideon smiled brightly.

Vanessa poured out all the things she felt about the wall she had felt with Gideon. Gideon looked slightly wronged, but he nodded unconditionally to Vanessa’s words.

If she said so, it was all his fault.

“I wasn’t going to let Jonah Hill off the hook. Do you know what kind of note he wrote to me?”

As Vanessa tattled about the contents of the note, Gideon chuckled softly.

“I should send him a gift. He’s been helpful to my life for the first time in a long time.”

“Come to think of it, how did you two meet?”

“We first met at the academy. He said he was going to read a book on the top shelf and took all the ladders, then fell. He broke his leg.”

Vanessa’s skin was itching, and she wanted to scratch it with something sharp. [She was feeling overwhelmed by the intensity of her feelings.]

Whenever she saw him smile or felt his gaze on her, her fingertips tingled, and the fine hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. She was not used to this kind of affection.

Vanessa decided to get used to it anyway. If she wanted to give this kind of affection to someone, she had to receive a lot of it.

Vanessa wanted to give it back to him in abundance.

“Do you have any plans for tomorrow?”

“Oh, yes. I have plans with my friends….”

Vanessa blinked. She could feel Gideon’s disappointment all over his body at her answer. He gently touched the tip of Vanessa’s hand that was on his, then let it go.

“I see. I was wondering if we could take a walk together tomorrow if you had time. A place a little further away would be fine. If you don’t like teleportation, we can ride horses.”

“Come to think of it, it’s been a while since I rode a horse. Not a bad idea.”

“It’s a secret, but I was so nervous whenever you rode a horse during special forces training.”

Vanessa smiled at the belated confession.

“I had no idea. Thanks to you watching me every day back then, my skills improved a lot.”

“If you want to ride a horse, you can ride one now. There’s a road in the back that’s good for riding.”

Vanessa was so surprised that she had become someone who could have such a natural conversation with him.

*I’m sure just yesterday I was drinking and crying and hitting the floor.*

Vanessa barely recalled a word that felt too distant to even think about. *Lovers.*

*Anyway, I don’t want to say this on the first day of becoming lovers, but I think I have to.*