Chapter 18 : Museum Date (1)

For a while after Theron suddenly left the piano room, Selene thought of him.
It wasn’t that she regretted that day, or that she missed him.
It was just that his moderately fine smile felt somewhat unnatural at that moment.
As if he had seen something he shouldn’t have in the piano room, or as if his mood had suddenly soured, as if he were forcing a smile despite not feeling well.
As someone observing him, Selene couldn’t help but be concerned.
Although what she wanted to observe was the appearance of a person in love, just as one cannot choose to see only what they want to see in the world, she naturally became aware of other aspects of Theron.
Since she had decided to use him for the improvement of her piano playing skills, she needed to properly understand the object of her observation.
In fact, spending time with Theron Cox was quite helpful.
It was probably because he had shattered, at least a little, the typical image of men that had taken root in her mind.
He knew when to back off at an appropriate line, and had an eye for quickly grasping the other person’s mood or condition.
The conversation also flowed in an unpredictable way, allowing her to focus on the moment to some extent.
Just by the fact that she didn’t wish for the moment to pass quickly because she felt the time spent was a waste, Theron was a pretty good conversation partner.
And Selene knew.
That there weren’t many men she could treat this way.
In that sense, Selene wanted to observe Theron a little more.
To do that, she had to find out why he had suddenly rushed out of the piano room like a wounded baby bird.
Selene lowered her gaze and looked down at the grand piano under her hands.
‘So it’s the piano, after all.’
She secretly believed that was all there was to it.
When he said he couldn’t play the piano because he had injured his finger, Theron Cox’s eyes had briefly darkened like a frozen winter lake.
She could understand his feelings without thinking deeply.
If that happened to her and she couldn’t play the piano, she would be incredibly devastated.
No, beyond devastated, she would want to die.
She didn’t know how important the piano was to that man, but the momentary sadness shown by the always-smiling man didn’t seem so light.
The reason she couldn’t ignore him was also due to the sense of responsibility and morality that had taken root in Selene.
If he had experienced unpleasant feelings because of her, it was her responsibility to resolve it.
It was also true that when Theron Cox was around, men didn’t cling to her like insects.
So, Selene, worried that Theron might run away like this, suggested they meet first.
She had a crisis of wanting to let him go while searching for the letter she had thrown somewhere to confirm his address, but she finally found it and sent the letter.

[To Miss Selene.]

Contrary to her worries, Theron sent a reply the very next day.
As always, he wrote the content politely and like a man in love.
As if the dark gaze she had seen in the piano room was just a hallucination.
Selene, for a change, left the piano room and prepared to go out.
Today was her monthly visit to the art museum, and she had decided to see him there.
Whether they had similar tastes, Theron also said he often visited the Kilberry Art Museum on the second Wednesday when new paintings came in.
Thanks to that, it wasn’t difficult to decide on a meeting place other than the ducal estate.
Although Selene didn’t believe in things like fate, this was a pretty good coincidence.
People these days didn’t particularly like art museums or museums.
And she didn’t have to waste her time in places like coffee houses.
As Selene got into the car, the driver closed the door and started.
‘It’s a little hot.’
In the meantime, the weather had gotten closer to summer.
Still, it was fortunate that it wasn’t hot enough to make her sweat.
As she was blankly looking out at the passing scenery, she soon reached the largest downtown area of the capital, Cantora.
Her vision was filled with people.
Among them, there were not a few couples walking the streets with their arms linked affectionately.
It was probably because of the conversation she had with Evelyn before that she started to look at that sight, which she had previously felt no emotion for, more attentively.

“Erotic feelings are much more intense and stimulating than you imagine, Selene.”

The love between a man and a woman that she had scoffed at.
Selene still didn’t understand that love well, so she also didn’t know what was so great about sticking so close together in this humid weather.
That’s why she had asked Theron.
If he had ever kissed someone.
He had said that she was the first woman he had met seriously, but you never know.

“…I haven’t.”

But contrary to her expectations, he said he had never experienced a kiss.
By the time the car stopped in front of the large art museum, Selene had lost interest in things like kissing or love that she couldn’t understand.
It was a meaningless contemplation anyway.
As Evelyn had said, even if she heard about it, it would only be an indirect experience, and she wouldn’t know the specific feeling unless she tried it herself.
“Miss Selene.”
As she was about to get out of the car, a man who was leaning against a black sedan with his hands in his pants pockets in front of the art museum acknowledged her.
The awkward smile she had last seen in the piano room was gone, and Theron Cox was smiling as naturally as when they first met.
Theron held the car door and helped Selene get out.
“I was glad to receive your letter. To think a day would come when you would send me a letter first, Miss Selene.”
Theron’s hand, which held hers in support, was firm.
Suddenly, Selene recalled the moment she had waltzed with him on the ship.
Come to think of it, his chest and arms were also very firm.
Like stone.
For Selene, who had no men around her, it was a physical difference that came across quite strongly.
“I’m glad you like art museums too, Mr. Cox.”
Theron hesitated for a moment.
“…Art museums can be said to be a collection where one can feel the souls of great artists. I see it as a big problem that people these days distance themselves from art museums or museums.”
Selene nodded in deep agreement.
“But it’s not that I don’t understand. People are more interested in money or flashy things than these static things, right? It’s also an era where those things are important.”
Theron, who had taken the parasol from Selene’s hand and opened it, asked as if surprised.
“Do you think so too, Miss Selene?”
“I don’t, but everyone is different.”
Although Selene didn’t particularly like people who went on and on about money, she believed that everyone had their own circumstances.
She wasn’t interested enough or passionate enough about others to force or insist on her own preferences.
Theron was silent for a moment.
He seemed to be thinking about something complex.
It was when a car that hadn’t slowed down approached quickly that Theron, who had been silent until they crossed the street to go to the art museum, opened his mouth.
“You crazy…!”
Whoosh!
The car brushed past Selene by a hair’s breadth.
The accident didn’t happen thanks to Theron, who wrapped his arms around Selene and spun her around in an instant.
If he hadn’t stepped in, Selene, who was walking a step slower, would have been in a big accident.
As if to represent that dizzying situation, the parasol that Theron had dropped was rolling on the ground.
In the meantime, the rough words ‘you crazy’ that Theron had shouted for a moment echoed in her ears.
Theron hurriedly checked on Selene.
“Are you alright? You almost got seriously hurt.”
“Yes, I’m fine thanks to you…”
Rather, Theron didn’t look okay.
His expression was too grim even as he asked with concern.
“Oh my…! Are you hurt anywhere?”
Just then, the driver who had almost caused the accident stopped the car after a long way and got out, rushing over here.
Theron roughly pulled at the knot of his tie.
“Not hurt? So you were hoping this lady would get hurt because of your trashy driving?”
“N-no, of course not…. I was just worried I might have hit someone while I was looking away for a moment…”
“Ah, so you realized you almost fucked up somebody’s life and rushed over to check. You should be thankful she’s not hurt.”
Theron glared at the man as if he would chew him up and swallow him whole, and pressed him.
The other person looked like he would burst into tears like a child at that fierce momentum.
Selene found this side of him unfamiliar.
It was as if she were looking at a different person, not the polite Theron Cox she knew.
Like the word ‘two-faced’ she had used to criticize him once.
“If you’re going to drive like that, you might as well pull out the steering wheel and throw it away right now. If it’s too much trouble, I’ll do it for you…”
“Mr. Cox.”
Theron, who had been sneering fiercely, stopped talking at Selene’s call.
“I think that’s enough. The police are coming over there.”