So were we Lovers before?

Beatrix did not regret that choice.
No matter what people outside said, Nicholas, as expected, led the Ashcombe ducal family well.
He married a spouse who was just like him and lived happily.
Although Orlando seemed to be hurt by the issue of the title, she believed that he would gradually accept it as time passed.
Just as she was concluding that, a great tragedy occurred.
The war shook the entire continent.
Beatrix prayed every night for her two sons to return safely, but in the end, she was left with only one son.
And with a terrible secret.
Just recalling the old memory for a moment made her feel dizzy.
Beatrix squeezed her eyes shut for a moment.
“Are you alright, madam?”
Gwendolyn, surprised, stood up from her seat and supported Beatrix.
Beatrix, leaning heavily on her, managed to let out her voice with difficulty.
“Gwen, I will continue to watch Orlando. So that he can’t do anything foolish to Selene. Because Orlando probably won’t stop here.”
Beatrix’s eyes hardened, as if foreseeing a dark future.
Unbefitting of the cold atmosphere of the sunroom, a pair of butterflies, looking very friendly, were flying in the sunny scenery outside the window.

Selene, after parting with Logan after a light argument, was gauging the right time to meet Theron again.
Although Theron would rush over day or night if she just called him to the ducal estate, the reason she was being more cautious than before was because she had a clear goal: to find out what kind of person Theron Cox was.
So, sitting face to face in a room and exchanging formal questions was a waste of time.
The answers obtained in that way were not only not smooth, but also not detailed and vivid.
Selene wanted to feel the person named Theron more.
But perhaps because her deliberation had been long, Selene, unlike herself, made a mistake.
She had not put away the vase in the piano room, even knowing that Evelyn was visiting.
In the vase was the flower that Theron had brought when he was introduced to Logan.
It would have been better if it had been overlooked, but Evelyn did not miss that trace.
Evelyn’s gaze immediately became as sharp as a private detective’s.
“…What’s this flower?”
“…”
“You wouldn’t have bought the flower yourself, Selene, so that means a man has been here.”
“Logan… was here a few days ago.”
Even though Selene, who was clumsy with lies, tried her best, Evelyn did not seem to believe her at all.
“There’s no way Logan would have brought flowers.”
‘Yes. It certainly would be strange for Logan to bring flowers.’
As there was no answer from Selene, Evelyn urged her on.
“Tell me honestly, Selene. Who was it?”
“…”
“It couldn’t be Theron Cox, could it?”
Although Selene remained silent, Evelyn seemed to have found the answer without difficulty just from that.
“How could you…!”
“…”
“Are you out of your mind? How could you let that fraud, Theron Cox, in and out of this house!”
At times like these, Selene found the past Theron Cox to be annoying.
Why did she always have to defend and hide him in his place?
Whatever Theron’s true feelings were now, his initial, ugly purpose of approach was already engraved in many people’s minds.
“I’m just watching him.”
“That means you’re giving him a chance!”
“It’s the last one.”
‘Really the last one.’
At Selene’s excuse that was not an excuse, Evelyn sighed several times, like a person who was troubled by a child’s problem.
And then she began to pour out words like, “Why didn’t you cut off Theron Cox firmly, is he the only man in the world, you should meet Logan instead.”
So, Selene had to prove for quite a long time that Theron genuinely liked her.
It was a truly tiring and tedious process.
‘It would be easier to practice the piano all night.’
Still, at the end of that effort, Evelyn’s voice had subsided a notch.
“So, you’re saying… your heart was won over by the sight of Theron Cox demolishing a building.”
“It wasn’t won over.”
“Forget it. If you want to prove that Theron Cox has changed that much, bring him to this picnic.”
‘A picnic.’
Selene, lost in thoughts of Theron, had completely forgotten about that schedule.
Evelyn had suggested they go for a swim at her fiancé Rupert’s villa before the summer was over.
But if she were to reveal here that she had forgotten even that promise, Evelyn would stay in this piano room for another 30 minutes and pour out nagging.
Selene had no choice but to nod her head without showing it.
“I’ll ask Theron.”
“Let me know as soon as it’s decided.”
Fortunately, it seemed Evelyn was about to be done.
“I’m going, Selene.”
Evelyn, who had let out a deep sigh, finally left the piano room.
However, after Evelyn returned, and before asking Theron about the picnic schedule, Selene was lost in thought for a moment.
Time was passing faster than she thought, and there wasn’t much time left until her study abroad, which she had postponed to the winter.
She didn’t know if it was right to spend time with Evelyn or Rupert when she didn’t have enough time to get to know Theron alone.
‘It was chaotic even when the three of us met with Logan.’
But come to think of it, it seemed she had discovered a new side of Theron that she had never known before when the three of them were together.
Theron’s social side.
His effort to get along with Logan somehow stood out.
‘Wouldn’t the working Theron be similar to that time? Smiling without showing his dislike, and talking to anyone nonchalantly.’
‘It was a side of Theron she wouldn’t normally see. That would also be a process of getting to know Theron.’
Selene, after much thought, concluded that it would be better to ask Theron for his opinion on the picnic.
No matter how much she pondered how meaningful this time would be on her own, it would be useless if Theron refused this uncomfortable picnic.
Selene, who had practiced the piano in the piano room after dinner until the sky grew dark, picked up the receiver when the clock hand pointed to 9 o’clock.
Beep, beep.
Not long after, the operator’s voice was heard.
-Wentworth Mansion. How may I help you?
“I’d like to speak with Theron Cox, who lives on the fourth floor, room 3.”
-Yes, please wait a moment.
Not long after, the ringing tone was heard again.
-Hello.
“Theron.”
-….
Theron was silent for a moment.
He was surely surprised that she had called out of the blue.
-What is it, Selene?
A hint of laughter was in his voice.
She could picture Theron, trying to control his rising smile, even without seeing him.
“I was thinking of going for a swim this weekend, and I thought it would be nice to go together.”
-A swim?
“Yes. Since summer is ending.”
-Are you going to go in the water?
Theron asked a random question.
She had thought he would ask something like, “A swim, how unfitting,” or “When is it scheduled for?”
‘Am I going in the water?’
Although the pretext was a swim, Selene hadn’t thought about it in advance, so she stalled for a moment.
“I’m not sure, but I’ll probably dip my legs in at least, right?”
-And you might go all the way in.
“I might.”
-Hmm…
“Why are you asking such a question?”
Selene was genuinely curious.
About Theron’s intention in asking such a useless question out of the blue.
Theron hesitated for a moment, as if hesitating.
-I’m not going in the water anyway, but I don’t want your wet body to be seen by others.
It was a very Theron-like concern.
“We’re going to Mr. Rupert’s private villa anyway, so there won’t be anyone else.”
-Rupert…? Are you talking about Rupert Shearsmith?
At Theron’s question, Selene realized she had forgotten to mention something important.
She hadn’t told him who she was going with.
“Yes. Not just Mr. Rupert, but Evelyn will also be going. It’s a picnic that Evelyn planned.”
-Can I even be there…?
“In the first place, it was Evelyn who mentioned bringing you. I think she plans to observe you.”
-…She’s going to test me.
‘It might be similar.’
“If you feel burdened, you don’t have to come. I don’t want to bother you.”
-What are you talking about? Miss Evelyn is like a sister to you.
For a moment, the name he had called her was heard more clearly in Selene’s ear than Theron’s answer.
‘Miss Evelyn.’
It was the first time Selene had seen Theron call a woman by her first name.
For some reason, that name, which Theron had called affectionately, remained strangely in her heart.
-And winning favor is my specialty.
At Theron’s subtle words that followed, Selene’s eyes narrowed.
-I’m used to it. It’s the most important virtue in business.
As if to tease Selene, an explanation that quickly cleared up the misunderstanding followed.
Selene, finding this side of herself unfamiliar, wanted to hang up the phone quickly.
“Alright, then.”
-Ah, wait!
Theron shouted urgently.
By now, she was a little used to Theron holding onto her like this, preventing her from hanging up.
Selene, as if she couldn’t refuse, brought the receiver closer to her ear again.
“Why?”
-No, well… on that day, even though I know you’ll get wet, don’t wear clothes that are too tight.
Even without asking for the reason, she felt she knew that Theron Cox’s mind was filled with lewd fantasies.
“You really only think about such things all the time.”
-I’m definitely not imagining anything.
“Then?”
-It’s just… you have a large chest, so I thought it would be heavy if it got wet.
It was a crazy thing to say.
Selene felt that this time she was spending holding onto the receiver was a waste.
“Theron Cox, just because I’ve agreed to see you doesn’t mean we’re going back to our former relationship. We’re not lovers right now. So, keep the line.”
-So you’re saying we were lovers before?
At Theron’s voice, which seemed to be moved by something useless, Selene’s brow furrowed.
‘It’s impossible to have a conversation.’
In the end, Selene announced her farewell.
“Hang up.”