Contemplation

‘Should I have refused the kiss then?’
Theron immediately shook his head.
‘No, that’s ridiculous.’
‘What kind of trouble am I trying to get myself into by acting like a gentleman again?’
Besides, he shouldn’t embarrass her by refusing a woman’s kiss proposal twice.
‘Yes, that’s something a man shouldn’t do.’
Theron inwardly made up various reasons to find a justification for kissing Selene.
In fact, the reason he was so confused was that he had never been in a serious relationship with anyone before, and this was the first time he was taking things step by step with physical intimacy.
To think that he was doing the kind of dating that only nerdy stock market guys would do.
It was as if the heavens and earth were about to be turned upside down.
‘By the way, what if Selene Ashcombe suddenly pounces on me?’
It was quite unexpected that Selene, who had spewed sharp venom at him, had rated his kiss as “not bad.”
Even though he was somewhat confident, that woman was always unpredictable.
So who knows.
Just as she had demanded a kiss, she might shyly confess that she wanted to sleep with him, using the piano as an excuse.
Of course, he knew it was an excessive fantasy, but since that day, he felt as if his body was floating, and his insides would occasionally get hot, leading him to often imagine such situations.
‘It’s because the weather is getting hotter.’
The reason he was suffering from these symptoms.
It was because he had met Selene Ashcombe when spring was ending and summer was beginning.
That’s when his throat started to feel dry and his body would suddenly heat up.
The timing was so perfect that he almost thought it was because of that woman, but there was no way that could be true.
Experiencing these symptoms due to love was something that only appeared in trivial classic romance novels that women passed around.
Similarly, the bullshit about falling in love at first sight, which often appears in such stories, could also be said to be a desperate attempt to package the fact that one was captivated by a face.
As he came to that conclusion, Theron’s mind became much more at ease.
The pounding of his heart also gradually subsided.
Even so, Theron lifted his head and meticulously checked the pile of letters on one side of the table again.
He had already checked them about four times and knew that there were no letters from Selene among the many, but what if, just what if, he had missed one?
Ding, ding!
Just as he was frowning and rereading the names on the letters, which he had seen so many times that he could almost memorize them, the phone on the wall rang loudly.
He put down the letter, walked over, and answered the phone, only to hear an unexpected voice.

• Is this Theron Cox?
  It’s Selene.
  Selene Ashcombe.
  For her to call him directly.
  He had given her his business card when he visited the ducal estate before, and the fact that she had kept it instead of throwing it away and was now calling him was deeply moving.
  Theron’s heart began to pound as hard as the frantic ringing of the phone.
• “Yes, it is. Is this Miss Selene?”

• Yes. I thought the operator had connected me to the wrong number since there was no answer.

• “No, it’s not that. I was just a little surprised… that’s all.”

• There are many things to be surprised about. Are you free next week?

• “Of course.”
  ‘…Did I answer too quickly?’
  She hadn’t even mentioned the day of the week, but he had answered like a jobless person with all the time in the world.
  Even though he was pretending to have fallen in love at first sight with all his cards on the table, being too submissive wasn’t attractive.

• Alright, then. Come to the ducal estate by 2 p.m. on Saturday.
  But the order had already been given.
  With Selene’s voice, the schedule that had been packed for Saturday was erased from Theron’s mind.
  After hanging up the phone, the corners of Theron’s mouth curved up into a silly grin.
  Yes, whether he looked like a jobless person or a submissive dog, the opportunity to meet Selene Ashcombe was a welcome one.
  Whether it was because it brought him one step closer to seducing her, or because he might get a chance to kiss those lips again.
  ‘I’ll have to sleep at the office for a while to make time on Saturday.’
  Theron, who had been sprawled on the sofa, began to move.

“You’ve already memorized the piece to some extent.”
Gwendolyn entered the piano room, placed a warm cup of tea on the table, and smiled gently.
Selene glanced at the clock and took her hands off the keys.
She had been so engrossed that she had been playing for two hours without stopping.
If she didn’t take a break in between, she might strain her fingers.
“Memorizing it isn’t difficult.”
Selene went to Gwendolyn’s side and picked up the teacup.
The fragrant scent of black tea wafted up.
Gwendolyn’s cup had a faint scent of lemon.
A recent memory flickered in Selene’s eyes as she looked down at the tray.
‘Theron Cox also said he drinks black tea with lemon and sugar.’
Suddenly, she recalled their first meeting.
When she found it strange that a young man had the same taste as the old women in her family, he had denied it out of embarrassment.
But Selene believed that even a young man could have similar tastes to an old woman.
So, she planned to prepare black tea with lemon and sugar for him when he visited the mansion today.
“That’s also a wonderful talent. And I think your sound has improved a lot. The pedaling and phrasing were appropriate for the piece.”
At Gwendolyn’s praise, Selene’s blurry eyes became clear.
“Do you think my understanding of this piece has improved?”
“Yes. Definitely.”
The corners of Selene’s mouth slowly broke into a smile.
She felt good.
Although Gwendolyn had quit playing the piano a long time ago, she had a good ear, and sometimes she would point out her shortcomings more sharply than a university professor.
Selene, feeling that her talent was a waste, had once suggested that she learn the piano again and become a teacher, but Gwendolyn had politely refused.

“I much prefer serving you by your side now, my lady. And I have to repay the kindness of Lady Beatrix, who hired me during a difficult time.”

That’s why Selene was always grateful to Gwendolyn.
Although she had initially come to take care of the troublesome ducal family’s young lady, who was left alone due to her connection with her grandmother, the love she showed her young self was sincere.
If it weren’t for her, she might have been staying in her room, cut off from the world and doing nothing.
As Selene silently gazed at the red tea, Gwendolyn’s cheerful voice was heard.
“This sudden change is probably due to the gentleman who has been visiting the ducal estate frequently these days, isn’t it?”
“Theron Cox?”
“It’s the first time, isn’t it? Inviting one person to the ducal estate several times.”
Selene silently reflected on recent events.
“Yes, you’re right. I think it’s because of him.”
She no longer denied that fact.
She could have dismissed the fact that her performance was good when she just touched Theron’s hand as a matter of mood, but receiving a good evaluation from Gwendolyn after kissing him was a clear change.
“Do you perhaps like him?”
Gwendolyn smiled faintly, as if watching her granddaughter’s budding love.
“No.”
But Selene’s answer was firm.
She didn’t know exactly what the feeling of liking someone was since she had never experienced it, but to consider this level of liking as the love Evelyn had been fussing about was absurdly insufficient.
She had kissed him, but she hadn’t magically fallen in love with Theron Cox.
“I see. But you don’t dislike him, do you?”
To that question, Selene gave a short nod.
She no longer disliked Theron Cox.
The way he presented himself didn’t seem like someone who had approached her just for her body or her fortune.
Maybe his words about falling in love at first sight were true.
But she wouldn’t apologize for misunderstanding him.
Even while not suspecting him, she thought that his words about it being his first time with a woman might be a lie, given his skilled kissing.
It wasn’t that she wanted a completely pure person as her subject of observation, so as long as he wasn’t an immoral womanizer who went around making this woman and that woman cry, it was something she didn’t need to worry about.
Gwendolyn still had a smile on her face, like the gentle fragrance of tea.
“There’s still a possibility for the relationship to develop.”
At her strangely nuanced tone, Selene asked, “Gwen, do you like Theron?”
“A little.”
“What part of him?”
“Well, I haven’t seen him properly.”
“But?”
“I trust your eyes, my lady. A man you keep close must surely be worthy of it.”
Gwendolyn, who had gently curved the corners of her lips, put down the empty teacup.
After finishing the brief teatime, Gwendolyn stood up without delay and said, “The guest will be here in an hour, so don’t get too engrossed.”
Selene checked the clock.
As Gwendolyn had said, the time for Theron Cox’s visit was drawing near.