Chapter 43: only you

Chapter 43: Chapter 43: only you

"Good morning."

Vivienne froze.

...

Slowly...

Very slowly...

She turned her head.

Only then did she realize that Lord Damian Blackwood was standing right beside her.

Their faces were suddenly much closer than she’d expected.

For one suspended heartbeat...

Neither of them spoke.

Vivienne’s eyes widened.

"...!"

Heat rushed straight to her cheeks.

How long has he been standing there?

Please don’t tell me...

No.

No, no, no...

He couldn’t have seen all of that... could he?

The answer was written plainly across Damian’s face.

He had.

Every second of it.

Vivienne made the tiniest sound of despair before lifting both hands and covering her face completely.

"..."

"..."

She wanted the ground to open beneath her feet.

This was far too embarrassing.

After all that careful planning...

After waking up early...

After pretending she was only there to "become familiar with the stables..."

She had been caught peeking at the polo grounds like an absolute fool.

I can’t believe this...

She stood there, frozen behind her own hands, wishing she could simply disappear.

A moment later...

Curiosity won.

Very carefully...

She parted two fingers just enough to steal the smallest glance.

Immediately...

She regretted it.

Damian had turned slightly toward her.

One hand rested casually in his pocket.

The morning sunlight fell across his dark hair, catching the faint smile that had somehow grown even wider.

He was trying.

He was genuinely trying not to laugh.

His lips were pressed together.

His shoulders remained perfectly composed.

But the amusement in his eyes gave him away completely.

Then...

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

He lowered his head for the briefest moment as though attempting to hide it.

It didn’t work.

Another laugh followed.

Soft.

Warm.

Entirely unrestrained.

Vivienne stared through the narrow gap between her fingers in complete disbelief.

...How unfair.

He was laughing at her.

And somehow...

Even while doing so...

He looked infuriatingly handsome.

The sunlight behind him softened the sharp lines of his profile.

The breeze stirred a few strands of dark hair across his forehead.

His blue eyes crinkled ever so slightly with genuine amusement.

It looked so effortless.

So unfairly attractive.

Vivienne immediately shut the gap between her fingers again with a tiny groan.

Stop laughing...

You’re making this even more embarrassing...

Damian finally managed to compose himself, though the smile never quite left his face.

He looked at the girl hiding behind both hands and, for reasons he couldn’t quite explain, was struck by an odd sense of familiarity.

When they were children, she’d reacted very differently.

The moment he caught her doing something embarrassing, she’d puff out her cheeks, stomp her foot, glare at him with all the seriousness a little girl could manage, and declare—

"I’m never talking to you again!"

Or—

"Don’t follow me!"

She never really meant it.

By the next day, she’d be chasing after Anthony through the gardens again as though nothing had happened.

Back then, teasing her had been irresistibly entertaining.

Now...

She’d grown up.

The childish tantrums had quietly disappeared.

Instead of pouting and protesting, she hid behind her hands, her ears tinged pink with embarrassment, as though she genuinely wished she could disappear.

It was... unexpectedly endearing.

The little girl he remembered was still there somewhere.

Only now, she’d learned to be shy instead of loud.

The realization made the corners of Damian’s mouth lift once again.

She’s changed...

...but some things never really do.

Vivienne slowly lowered her hands just enough for one eye to peek out.

"...Are you finished laughing?"

Damian met her gaze.

A grin tugged at his lips again.

"...I’m trying."

That, unfortunately, made him laugh all over again.

"...You’re terrible."

"I’ve been told."

His answer was so matter-of-fact that she almost laughed.

Almost.

Instead, she quickly covered her face again.

"...Damian."

Her voice was barely above a whisper.

"...Can you please forget everything you just saw?"

Damian looked at her with exaggerated thoughtfulness.

"Everything?"

She nodded earnestly.

"Everything."

"Hm."

"I’m afraid that’s asking rather a lot."

Vivienne let out the tiniest groan.

"You laughed enough already."

"I did."

"So stop."

"...I’m trying."

The corners of his mouth betrayed him almost immediately.

Another quiet chuckle escaped.

Vivienne closed her eyes.

"...You’re hopeless."

"So I’ve been told."

She sighed in defeat.

"I was hoping you’d deny it."

"I’m afraid I can’t."

For a brief moment, neither of them spoke.

The silence wasn’t awkward.

It was simply... comfortable.

Vivienne risked another glance toward the polo grounds.

Anthony and Evelyn were still talking.

Not for much longer, perhaps.

But long enough.

Long enough that she had already convinced herself the opportunity had passed.

Before she could think any further—

"Anthony!"

Damian suddenly called, raising one hand high into the air.

His voice carried easily across the open polo grounds.

Vivienne’s eyes widened.

"...!"

She spun toward him in horror.

"Damian, what are you—"

Too late.

The call was loud enough that several polo members instinctively turned toward the sound.

Even the stable attendants nearby glanced over.

Anthony, who had been speaking with Evelyn, looked up.

His eyes immediately found Damian.

Then...

They shifted to the young woman standing beside him.

Vivienne.

For the briefest moment...

Anthony simply looked at her.

Lady Beaumont...?

A flicker of surprise crossed his face.

She was here?

His gaze drifted briefly toward the old oak tree where she had been standing only moments ago.

Then back to her again.

How long has she been there...?

An oddly familiar feeling surfaced.

It reminded him of years ago, when a certain little girl seemed to appear wherever he happened to be.

Sometimes she peeked from behind one of the garden pillars.

Sometimes from beneath the old maple tree.

Sometimes she simply appeared beside him with an excited—

"Anthony!"

He had thought those days were long behind them.

And yet...

Here she was.

Standing beside Damian.

Looking as though she’d very much like the earth to swallow her whole.

Anthony almost sighed inwardly.

...Some things never really change.

From across the field, he gave a small, courteous nod in acknowledgment.

Vivienne’s mind went completely blank.

He’s looking this way...

He’s looking at me...

Oh no...

Every instinct told her to hide behind Damian.

Instead...

She managed the tiniest, most hesitant wave.

The movement was so small it was almost comical.

"...G-Good morning..."

The words disappeared into the morning breeze long before they could possibly reach him.

Still...

Anthony seemed to understand the gesture.

He inclined his head politely.

Another polo member said something to him, and he turned back toward the conversation with Evelyn and the others.

The entire exchange had lasted only a few seconds.

Very...

Very slowly...

Vivienne lowered her hand.

Then she turned toward Damian.

"..."

Damian met her stare with perfect innocence.

"What?"

Vivienne opened her mouth.

Closed it again.

Then, with the deepest sigh she’d released all morning—

"...Why would you do that?"

Damian blinked.

"You wanted to greet him."

"I..."

She faltered.

"...That’s not the point."

"No?"

"No."

Her ears had turned pink again.

"I wasn’t ready."

A grin tugged at Damian’s lips.

"I noticed."

Vivienne covered half her face with one hand.

"...You’re doing this on purpose."

"I might be."

She let out another sigh that sounded suspiciously close to surrender.

"...You’re terrible."

"So you’ve said."

He nodded toward the path leading to the equestrian grounds.

"Come on."

"I’ll walk you over."

Vivienne looked at him in confusion.

"...Your club is the other way."

"I know."

"I’ll head back afterward."

She blinked.

"...Why?"

Damian looked genuinely puzzled by the question.

"Because we’re already walking together."

He said it so naturally that it almost sounded obvious.

"As simple as that."

He started walking at an easy pace.

After a brief hesitation, Vivienne found herself falling into step beside him.

For a little while...

Neither of them spoke.

The morning breeze drifted gently across the fields.

Finally, Vivienne glanced sideways at him.

"...Do you always do this?"

"Hm?"

"Tease people."

"Embarrass them."

She looked at him with narrowed eyes.

"...Walk them halfway across campus."

Damian answered almost immediately.

"No."

Vivienne blinked.

"...No?"

He shook his head.

"Only you."

She stared.

"...Only me?"

He nodded as though it were the most ordinary thing in the world.

"I’ve always teased you."

"You make the funniest expressions."

He glanced at her briefly before looking ahead again.

"And they’re remarkably easy to read."

The answer came so effortlessly...

So matter-of-factly...

That it didn’t even occur to him how unusual it sounded.

Vivienne looked at him for several long seconds.

"...Damian."

"Hm?"

"...That’s a terrible reason."

"It has served me quite well over the years."

She tried very hard not to smile.

She failed.

A tiny laugh escaped instead.

Damian noticed immediately.

"There."

"What?"

"You’re smiling."

Vivienne instinctively pressed her lips together.

"...Whose fault do you think that is?"

"I’m willing to accept partial responsibility."

She shook her head, unable to stop the smile this time.

"...You’re unbelievable."

"So I’ve been told."

Before either of them realized it...

They had already reached the entrance to the equestrian grounds.

Damian came to a stop.

"Well."

"This is where we part ways."

Vivienne looked toward the arena.

Then back at him.

The embarrassment from earlier still lingered.

But somehow...

It no longer felt quite as unbearable.

"...Thank you."

Damian raised an eyebrow.

"For what?"

Vivienne thought for a moment.

Then smiled sheepishly.

"...I’m not entirely sure."

He chuckled.

"I’ll accept it anyway."

With an easy wave, Damian turned back toward the polo grounds.

Vivienne watched him go for a brief moment before taking a quiet breath.

Then, gathering herself, she turned toward the equestrian arena.

There would be other mornings.

Other chances.

Next time...

She wouldn’t spend so long hiding beneath a tree.

--

Tbc

An: I love this Chapter ao much hahaha