Before Edmond could turn his head, I covered his eyes with my palm. I felt the wrinkles on his forehead under my hand, tickling my palm.

“What are you doing?”

I quickly turned my blushing face toward a couple emerging disheveled from the bushes, gesturing for them to go away. They scurried off like thieves.

This is my chance.

“May I let go?”

Startled by his cold voice, I let go, and Edmond frowned at me disapprovingly.

“Sorry. There were some young lovers over there. I understand, but I wasn’t sure how you, as the lord, would react. We don’t know how they might have perceived us.”

“How would we appear? Eating grapes, I suppose.”

Edmond seemed confused.

“Come on, there was a man and woman in the vineyard.”

“You thought they were up to something?”

“Not exactly, but…”

Stumped on how to explain, I looked around and then whispered in his ear.

At that moment,

Thud-!

‘Ow, my backside!’

Dropped to the ground by his sudden release, I rubbed my aching backside and glared at him accusingly.

‘You said you wouldn’t let go!’

Edmond, not knowing what to do with his hands, closed his eyes as if to avoid my gaze.

Apparently immune to such talk, he groaned and propped his waist with one hand. His half-covered face was as red as a ripe grape.

“If you hadn’t been talking nonsense, I wouldn’t have dropped you.”

“I was just speculating that they might have seen us in the same light.”

“They might just be passersby.”

“Two people leaving the vineyard with damp eyes and flushed faces, carrying their clothes – isn’t that obvious?”

What…! Edmond dropped his hand and was about to explode when he clenched his teeth. I could see the veins throbbing on his forehead.

“Don’t think by your standards. What on earth is in that small head of yours?”

“Oh, you think my head is small? Thank you.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

As I brightened up, Edmond’s face twisted even more. After a while, as if deciding to end the conversation, he extended his hand to help me up.

“Please get up.”

“Thank you.”
While I was brushing dirt off my dress, Edmond grabbed a grapevine. His thick forearm twitched, and then he deftly snipped off a bunch and handed it to me.

“Eat your fill.”

He plucked a grape and deftly pushed it into my slightly open mouth. My lips were softly pressed by his fingertips. For some reason, this touch made Edmond’s forehead crinkle even more.

“Use these grapes to keep that mouth of yours busy.”

Sighing heavily, Edmond impatiently untied his hair and turned away.

Left alone, I squinted my eyes and crunched on the grapes.

“Why is he acting like that?”

Instead of getting closer, it felt like we were drifting further apart.

Swoosh-. In the early summer breeze, a delicate tree rustled softly, swaying gently.

Edmond quickly ascended the hill and stood under the tree, stepping on the murmuring shadows.

He sighed deeply, rubbing his heated face. The cooler temperature seemed to quell the burning heat.

Edmond suddenly stared at his thumb, the very spot that had touched Etrisha’s lips. He recalled the smooth, soft sensation against his skin and swallowed a groan.

‘What’s with that woman…’

Usually, he could ignore her flattery, but occasionally, she put him in such awkward situations.

For Edmond, who wasn’t immune to women, these encounters were exasperating.

Sighing with a sense of self-reproach, Edmond scowled. He looked at the tree trunk somewhat irritably.

“Enough of this, come out.”