154 - Pieces of the Broken Glass Slipper
Shattered Glass Slipper Shards 154
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His passionate shout makes me take a step back without realizing it. Not out of fear, but out of embarrassment.
But Sir Ayres seems to have thought otherwise, as he releases my shoulder with a wounded expression. His face is wretchedly contorted.
Is that why? I unconsciously grab one of his fingers. Meeting his wide eyes, I start to make excuses. Strangely, my body is acting on its own, beyond the control of my reason.
“As you said, I betrayed my lord. That would be a big problem…”
The touch of another's finger on my palm is surprisingly hot. It feels like I'm about to get burned. So startled, I let go again. It was that unbearable.
“So, you’re worried about me…”
Sir Ayres can’t finish his sentence and just stares at me. The dazed look is fleeting, and his softly curved eyes are filling with joy.
I feel a strange, indescribable sensation and quietly avert my gaze. The pity that has seeped moistly into the cracked mask is whispering to me.
It's okay to indulge a little now.
The pitiful girl who was desperately stomping her feet, longing for the affection of others, is whispering to me with a pleading look.
How about opening your heart for this poor knight for just one day? If that's difficult, you can deceive yourself by thinking of it as a thank you. This level of rationalization is nothing, right?
Yes, just one day should be fine, right? He even came to save me…
“I was rude to you, who came for me. Please forgive my slip of the tongue. Thank you for saving me.”
I move my stiff tongue and barely manage to speak. Adding that I’m really glad Sir Ayres came.
Over the mask stained with pity, the man's affections flow down softly. The sensation, which I can't refuse or resist, makes my vision blur.
Even more so when I see his face, smiling brightly like a young boy.
I should have actively stopped him when he said he would have a rematch that day. Or, I shouldn't have listened to Sir Shilfis. If not that, I should have just kept looking at Sir Halberd's face.
But I couldn't, and in the end, I wavered. That wavering was turning my feelings for Sir Ayres upside down.
He says it's just for one day, but will I be able to maintain my composure in the future? The 'shadow of Sissae' I was looking at wasn't like this…
In the end, what triumphed over the mask and affection was the relentlessly persistent heart. I felt miserable at the clear outcome, with no chance of a draw. Even I didn't know what to do now.
But what is certain is that I must take the hand he is offering now and not let go.
I take his hand, which he offers with a polite gesture to escort me, and let out a light sigh that is barely audible.
At this moment, I don't think about Jack, who is trotting along behind me, or Beatrice, who went to Perinnil, or the Crown Prince, who used me again. Only the sensation in my hand matters.
And so, Sir Ayres and I, no, we, fell into our own thoughts in silence until we escaped the dangerous alley. Before we knew it, it was almost evening.
