The Secret Affairs of the Fake Duke Couple - Chapter 35

“Cain……”

“Shut your mouth. The more we talk, the worse I feel.”

Jane bit her lower lip.

Cain, disliking the lips that would soon turn red, tapped her lips with his thumb.

As he expected, Jane’s lower lip had reddened in that brief moment. It even swelled slightly, looking like a ripe cherry.

What did cherries taste like again? Cain, briefly imagining, irritably pulled Jane’s body closer.

Their chests touched. Jane wriggled her hands to try to widen the excessively close distance, but the man like a massive castle wall did not budge.

Cain glanced down at Jane and nonchalantly led. In an instant, his lead melded with the waltz rhythm.

Unlike his irritated face, his lead was very courteous. Jane soon focused on dancing with him.

Meanwhile, Cain was looking for the right timing to speak to her.

Judging that she had somewhat gotten into the waltz rhythm, he spoke.

“Why did you wear that kind of dress?”

Again. Cain was too close. Jane’s concentration wavered due to Cain’s lips brushing against her ear, then pulling away. She almost lost the rhythm.

His spear-like gaze lingered on Jane’s earlobe for a while.

“Those earrings.”

Jane jerked her head up. Naturally, her chin lifted, fully revealing her straight collarbone. And below that, the connected feminine chest line.

Her eyes sparkled, full of expectation for something.

What she was wearing now were the earrings Cain had gifted her at 18. A treasure to Jane.

Actually, Jane hadn’t planned to wear these earrings today.

But she had no choice but to wear them because of Lady Burnett.

The jewelry set Cain had chosen was all stuffed into a drawer. Lady Burnett had turned Jane’s room upside down and finally found the pearl earrings Jane had hidden away.

As she put on the earrings, Jane had a slight hope. That Cain might recognize them. It was a very faint hope. But Cain mentioned the earrings.

Jane’s heart pounded.

“What about the earrings?”

Cain’s brow furrowed slightly.

“They’re tacky and terrible.”

Jane’s eyes trembled finely.

“Don’t you… remember?”

It wasn’t that he didn’t remember, but that he shouldn’t remember. Those earrings were proof of Cain’s stupidity when he was infatuated with Jane in the past.

The small pearl earrings with a faint pink tint were a gift he gave on Jane’s 17th birthday.

A memory that must be forgotten.

“Well. Is it something I should remember?”

But he pretended not to know. Because it was a memory he wanted to erase.

However, the more he tried to ignore it, the clearer the memory became.

Jane’s smile at the time, the flower scent that enveloped them, the feel of her cheek against his lips…

Damn it!

Cain inwardly cursed.

“You don’t… remember?”

Jane lowered her eyes. The shadow cast by her long eyelashes turned Cain’s insides upside down.

Why on earth did she still have those worthless earrings? Was it because she couldn’t sell them?

And why did she wear them to her debutante ball of all things? She already had plenty of flashy and expensive jewelry sets. Did she want to point out his past incompetence?

It must just be a whim.

Cain sneered. She acted like there were reasons for the dress and pearl earrings, but there was nothing.

Just like the reasons she added when saying goodbye to him were meaningless.

“From now on, wear what I tell you to wear. It may have sounded like a suggestion to you, but it’s an order.”

Jane felt wronged. She was out of breath from dancing, but she really wanted to say this.

That she didn’t wear it because she wanted to, that Lady Burnett made her.

But Jane lost the will to defend herself at Cain’s next words.

“Throw away the dress and earrings you wore today. I don’t want to see them ever again.”

Jane’s lips, which had been moving, closed tightly. That sight touched something in Cain’s mood.

“Answer me, Jane.”

Cain stared at Jane without blinking. It was the look of a hunter facing his prey.

When he focused like this, an overwhelming aura flowed that could turn any beast into a herbivore in an instant.

At times like this, one should unconditionally agree with his words and back down. But Jane couldn’t do that and kept her mouth shut.

Cain looked at Jane with disapproval.

“Go straight home when the dance ends.”

“Weren’t we supposed to go together?”

Cain burst out laughing as if it were ridiculous.

“Jane, don’t be presumptuous.”

Cain warned and stepped back. The music had ended without them realizing.

He turned his back on Jane without hesitation. Jane was left alone on the floor.

The murmur of people grew louder, but Jane couldn’t hear anything. Jane stood dazed on the floor for a while. A few words Cain had said repeated in her ears.

As new music started playing and people began dancing merrily, Jane was swept here and there.

Jane’s mind was only half awake. Half was still caught up in the conversation with Cain. The words that it was an order, not a suggestion. Did that mean she really had to throw away these earrings?

“Ow!”

Someone stepped on the hem of Jane’s dress. Both Jane and the person who stepped on her staggered greatly.

But only Jane fell. The person who stepped on her had a partner to catch them, while Jane didn’t.

“What are you doing here!”

The woman who stepped on Jane’s dress hem was irritated.

“If you’re not going to dance, get off the floor! Don’t inconvenience others!”

The woman thoroughly criticized Jane. If you think about it, they were both at fault, but Jane just listened.

She didn’t want to make a scene.

“I’m sorry. I……”

Jane apologized. Suddenly, another voice cut in from behind.

“You should be the one apologizing.”

Cain sharply pulled Jane’s hand. Jane fell into Cain’s arms as if being shoved. Cain’s firm arm wrapped around Jane’s lower back.

“Jane, are you alright?”

Jane’s eyes widened at Cain’s gentle tone. His acting was top-notch. She almost believed he was genuinely worried about her.

After confirming Jane’s dumbfounded expression, Cain raised his head.

“Miss Scott, your partner seems a bit inexperienced. When dancing, it’s basic to lead while being aware of your surroundings. Miss Scott deserves to dance with a better gentleman.”

He lightly patted Jane’s lower back the entire time he spoke. It may have been a meaningless gesture, but Jane bit the inside of her mouth hard as it felt like he was reassuring her.

‘Don’t misunderstand.’

Jane repeated those words to herself several times. That his kindness was just an act.

“It would be better to receive an apology from your partner, Miss Scott.”

Cain smiled gently, but everyone in high society knew. That this was a formal smile no different from a blank expression.

“Let’s go, Jane.”

Cain wrapped his arm around Jane’s shoulder and helped her down from the floor as if supporting her.

Jane looked up at him in surprise. Having discarded the formal smile, he had a strange expression.

“Cain, I’m fine. I’m not hurt.”

He moved without looking at Jane. He left the ballroom and put Jane in a carriage.

“Go home.”

“Cain, I need to say goodbye to Countess Carolina.”

After all, she had successfully completed her debutante ball, so she needed to thank her. That was the custom.

“And Lady Burnett is still inside.”

“I’ll take care of it, so go home.”

Just before closing the door, their eyes met. Jane flinched. Cain’s blue eyes were as dark as an abyss. And his expression.

It looked very complicated.

* * *

After sending Jane home and entering the reception hall, Cain headed straight for the balcony. His aura was so ominous that even Lloyd, who was about to speak to him, stopped.

Once outside, Cain closed the balcony door and drew the curtains. He didn’t want to be disturbed by anyone.

He frantically searched for a cigar, then let out a frustrated sigh. Soon after, he chuckled.

When attending a party, one doesn’t bring belongings to create a proper silhouette.

So of course there wouldn’t be any cigars!

He had forgotten such an obvious thing, showing how messed up his mind was.

The reason was… though he hated to admit it, because of Jane.

What expression did Jane have when she asked that?

He wanted to recall, but couldn’t remember.

At that time, he was walking through the past. His efforts to give Jane those earrings, that is.

Those earrings had a special meaning for Cain. Because they were the first thing he bought with money he earned himself, not as Cain of the Hastings family, but as an ordinary Cain.

At the time, Cain wanted to give Jane a gift with special meaning.