-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 19
Chapter Title: What It Feels Like to Hear My Name
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Ding.
As I entered the shop to the clear chime of a bell, the people inside froze as if time had stopped.
The high ceilings and luxurious interior were certainly novel, but the flood of stares was quite burdensome.
“Your Maj— No, Enoch.”
I had almost used his title out of habit.
[“When you go out, you don’t have to use a term of endearment, but at least call him by his name. What kind of couple in this world addresses each other so stiffly as ‘Your Majesty’ and ‘Little Marquess’?”]
Remembering the Elder who had nagged me until my ears rang, I called Enoch by his name. Gasps could be heard from all around.
“Yes…?”
Of course, the man whose name I’d called was no exception.
His sharp eyes were the roundest I had ever seen them.
“Hm. I guess calling you by your name is a bit much, right? I’ll just go back to—”
“N-no!”
At my words, Enoch, who had been frozen like a broken doll, hurriedly grabbed my hand.
Though, even then, he only held the very tip of my pinky, ensuring the absolute minimum amount of contact.
“Please… call me that.”
“Pardon?”
His voice was so quiet I couldn’t hear him well. As I instinctively moved closer, Enoch’s ears turned red again.
This time, however, he managed not to run away, instead raising a hand clad in a sleek leather glove to cover the lower half of his face.
“Please call me by my name.”
“Oh, is that all? Understood.”
I wondered why he had to make such a simple request so difficultly.
I was about to take a step, watching Enoch, who seemed to have grown much shyer lately, when I tilted my head.
“Huh?”
I had definitely taken a firm step forward, so why wasn't my body moving?
Each time I stepped forward, I was pulled back to my original spot as if on rewind. Puzzled, I turned my head to see Enoch holding onto my sleeve, standing rooted to the spot.
“Aren’t you coming in?”
I waved my hand in front of his face, which showed no intention of moving. His red lips parted.
“Will you call me by my name?”
“Call you….”
Ah. His name? Does he want me to call him by his name right now?
“Umm… E-.”
Thinking it wasn't a difficult task, I was about to say his name when I narrowed my eyes.
“?”
Swoosh.
I suddenly thrust my palm in front of Enoch’s face, and the corners of his sharp eyes twitched.
I gave him a dissatisfied look and laid out my own conditions.
“If you hold my hand, I’ll say it.”
“Pardon?”
“If you don’t want to, then I won’t either. Let’s go, Your Majesty.”
Hmph. If you don’t want to, then neither do I.
Still sulking and feeling hurt, I tried to shake off Enoch’s hand on my sleeve and head to the second floor.
Just as I was about to place my foot on the first step, a large hand gently enveloped my own, which had grown cold in the chilly weather.
Recognizing the familiar feeling, I spun around and looked up at Enoch’s stiff expression.
“If you were going to hold it this easily, why were you like that all this time?”
“This was not easy.”
“Are you angry with me or something? Enoch, you have to tell me so I can understand.”
“How could I be…?”
Enoch, answering as if perplexed, slowly blinked as he belatedly registered his own name, which had been woven naturally into the conversation.
Then, a beat too late, he covered his mouth with his gloved hand, but the very corner of his slightly revealed lips was faintly turned up.
So faintly, you had to focus to see it.
At that reaction, I thought, *no way*, and called his name again with more emphasis. This time, a more distinct smile appeared.
“Pfft!”
Seeing his smile for what felt like the first time in a while, I burst out laughing. This time, Enoch called my name.
“Riana? Why are you laughing?”
“Why are *you* laughing, Enoch?”
“Am I laughing?”
At my words, Enoch touched his own mouth with a surprised expression.
He seemed momentarily flustered, as if unaware he was smiling, but then his face slowly relaxed.
“Perhaps… it’s because I’m happy.”
“Huh? About what?”
“My name. It’s been a very long time since someone called me by it.”
The smile that started at his lips gradually spread across Enoch’s entire face.
“I never knew that having someone call my name could feel this good.”
Thump.
“Huh? Did you hear something?”
As I gazed at his eyes, which curved gently like beautiful half-moons, I looked around at the sound of something heavy falling.
“What sound do you mean?”
At my question, his beautifully curved gray eyes went wide.
Thump. Thump.
Even as I watched the scene unfold, a sound like a drum beating rang chaotically in my ears.
Then, the moment I finally realized the source of that sound was my own heart, I covered my mouth.
*Am I crazy? What’s wrong with me?*
Once I acknowledged it, my heart began to beat even more violently.
Panicking at the sudden physical change, I wondered if this body had some kind of heart condition.
“Riana?”
Enoch’s face drew closer before my eyes.
At that, my heart began to race wildly, as if it were sprinting with all its might.
“W-wait a minute. Don’t look!”
Having found the cause of my suddenly accelerated heart rate, I quickly tried to cover my eyes, but Enoch caught my hand and let out a small laugh, his throat vibrating.
“What are you doing now?”
“D-don’t laugh!”
That was it. That was it! That’s what broke my heart.
It wasn't the first or second time I’d seen him smile, but today, his smile was suddenly too beautiful.
And his face was just so handsome.
That was it. I had been caught off guard while watching him, and my heart was pounding simply because I had seen something too handsome.
Realizing that the cause of this sudden, strange reaction was Enoch’s unnecessarily handsome face, I raised my hands to block the source.
At my action, the corners of Enoch’s eyes drooped as if in disappointment.
“Isn’t that too harsh? What am I to do when I’m so happy that I can’t help but smile?”
“Why are you so happy just because I said your name… Anyway, no. Don’t smile.”
“‘Just,’ you say?”
At my words, Enoch placed a hand over his own heart.
“Every time you say my name, it tickles right here. Just like when you first climbed on top of me and touched me—”
Smack!
Before he could continue, I soundly slapped Enoch’s arm.
“There you go again, saying things people will misunderstand!”
“What did I say wrong this time? I was merely trying to express how happy I feel…”
“S-stop!”
But the employees who had been eavesdropping on our conversation were all avoiding our eyes, whatever they might be thinking.
Because of them, my face turned as red as a ripe tomato. Unable to bear it any longer, I fled, running up to the second floor as Enoch followed in surprise.
“Riana! You’ll fall!”
***
Embarrassed, I had hastily picked out some clothes without even knowing what I was choosing. After leaving the shop, we were now in a nearby café.
“The other clothes suited you well, too. Why did you choose in such a hurry?”
They were my clothes, so why did he seem more disappointed than I was?
I left Enoch to gaze wistfully at the clothing store visible through the window and gulped down the ice water in front of me.
And then,
“Aah!”
With a refreshing exclamation, I wiped my lips. A breathy laugh escaped from Enoch, who was resting his chin on his hand with his head tilted.
“Why are you drinking water like it’s alcohol?”
“I’m trying to sober up.”
“Pardon?”
I stared at Enoch while grimly crunching on the ice, then let out a sigh of relief and patted my chest.
*Okay. I’m back to normal.*
It seemed my heart had been racing earlier because I was startled by the sudden assault of his handsome face.
Now, even looking at the smile on those captivating lips, my heart rate was perfectly stable.
To be absolutely sure, I boldly grabbed the large hand resting on the table and smiled in satisfaction.
*Good. Nothing’s happening. I worried for nothing.*
Proud of my heart for returning to its perfectly normal state, I was vigorously patting my own head when Enoch’s hand slowly slipped away.
“Huh?”
There he goes again.
After I called him by his name, he had been making eye contact and staying close for quite a while.
But soon enough, Enoch began to slowly distance himself again.
I crossed my arms as I watched him, his earlier relaxed expression now replaced with one full of bewilderment.
“This won’t do, Enoch. We need to talk.”
“About… what?”
His gray eyes darted away, as if he had a guilty conscience.
“Why do you keep avoiding me? Do you dislike it when I touch you?”
“Of course not. You’re mistaken.”
When I finally brought it up after holding it in, Enoch wore a nonchalant expression as he took a sip of his coffee, as if to say, *when did I ever do that?*
“Then hold my hand again. You haven’t held it once since earlier.”
I held my hand out in front of him, but he pretended not to notice. He choked on his coffee, letting out a series of small coughs.
“Cough, cough…!”
“Hm? I said, hold my hand.”
I showed no sign of backing down, wiggling my fingers in front of his eyes. Enoch reluctantly removed his glove and placed his hand over mine.
The problem was…
“Ah, what are you even doing!”
It was embarrassing to even say he had placed his hand over mine, given how little of it was actually touching.
He was only lightly holding my index finger with his fingertips. When I glared at him, Enoch sighed with a troubled expression.
“This is the best I can do.”
“Did you not hear what the Elder said?”
“I heard him.”
“He said to check for changes in my body’s condition by maintaining as much contact as possible to see if the ice melts well. Did he or did he not?”
“He did.”
I paused, wondering if I was being too harsh, as it had turned into something of a scolding.
But the sight of Enoch sitting before me with his eyes drooping so meekly steeled my resolve. I bit my lower lip, feigning sternness, and an excuse tumbled from his lips.
“That’s why I have been maintaining contact. Like right now.”
He then wiggled our hands, which were in a strange state of neither being held nor let go.
“Do you really think the ice will melt if you touch me like this? If we’re going to do it, we should do it properly.”
“W-wait a moment…!”
Frustrated, I halfway stood up and pulled on his hand, intending to wrap my arms around his neck. He covered his face and spoke urgently.
“M-my heart hurts, that’s why!”
