The Sudden Pout of a Broken Heart
“You’re saying it’s not to your liking.”
Noah muttered in the quiet moments when Adeline drifted into sleep. Albert, already worn thin by overwhelming duties, now had to endure another of Noah’s complaints.
“Is there something you find displeasing?”
Albert answered with his usual soul-less tone, exactly as he had done before. Usually Noah cared little, but any matter involving Adeline stirred his anxiety. Tonight, however, was the first time he had sought him out at such an hour.
“It’s about Adeline.”
“Ah… again.”
“She seems far too thin.”
“She’s going to collapse any moment now… What did you say?”
Albert did not entirely agree, yet he had to deliver words that would please Noah. He was on the verge of speaking when his own interruption came.
“Adeline is strange. How do I drive her away? She’s in the way…” These thoughts were fundamentally different from the ones he had voiced moments earlier.
“Too thin? You mean she’s not?”
Albert furrowed his brows at the question he had never considered. He gazed into empty space, trying to summon the image of Lady Willett.
He tilted his head.
“I’m not sure. She doesn’t seem to have much flesh.”
“Not sure, yet you’ve been looking closely?”
Noah’s sharp question struck Albert like a mistake; he fell silent. Through his glasses he studied his master intently. His lord looked… strange. Unpleasantly so, in fact.
“You have nothing better to do? Keeping a woman’s body in your memory?”
More honestly, did he sound jealous?
“Hah. I answered because you asked. I wasn’t deliberately recalling anything—I simply reported what I saw.”
Albert felt a headache coming on and released a long breath. He sensed Noah had already noticed his petty outburst, yet the other remained silent. Leaning back against the sofa, Noah clicked his tongue.
“In any case, she’s far too thin.”
“Why on earth are you so bothered that Lady Willett has become thin?”
“Who said I was bothered?”
Noah’s face twisted in disgust.
“You mentioned twice that Lady Willett is thin.”
“Well… it’s only because my patient is suffering from malnutrition. That means I’ve let the Miller Duchy down. How could I not be concerned?”
“Your words are strangely inconsistent.” Albert bit back the urge to mock. He exhaled again. As his chest slowly settled, so too did the turmoil in his heart.
In the meantime, Noah, trapped in his own thoughts, rubbed his lips and glared into the void.
“Do you know any popular desserts these days?”
“Desserts?”
The question struck Albert as oddly out of place. Anyone who disliked sweets?
“Why not? Women love them.”
Albert realized the “women” Noah spoke of were not the usual noble girls. Yet he felt no strong urge to probe further, so he stayed silent.
Well, most women did indeed prefer sweets.
“I’ll look into it.”
Albert gave a faint sigh at the added task of hunting for dessert restaurants in the middle of the night.
* * *
“Noah, what is all this?”
Noah received the assortment of desserts Albert had procured and flashed a triumphant smile. He loathed anything sweet, yet the thought of Adeline’s delight lifted his shoulders.
“I can’t eat all of this.”
Adeline gazed at the table piled high with desserts and made a face of revulsion. Yes, she understood Noah’s desire to fatten her up. As the host he felt responsible; for days he had taken meals to her and now added sweets.
Perfectly understandable. But ordering her to eat so much… was it not abuse?
“Eating will make you gain weight.”
“Gain weight? Why do you want me to put on fat?”
“Do you enjoy self-punishment? You’re so thin you might topple over any second.”
“Huh?”
“You need flesh to look healthy and… for touching. Anyway.”
Noah cleared his throat hastily and fell silent.
“So you intend to refuse my sincerity?”
With drooping brows he looked genuinely worried for Adeline. The worry itself hurt. Noah’s efforts warmed her heart.
Gazing at him with warm eyes, Adeline suddenly remembered the swell of his chest.
‘Why…’
The mere thought made her cheeks flush. She rubbed one as if to hide her face.
“Actually, I like this dessert.”
When Adeline refused to eat, Noah grew uneasy. If she took only a bite or two, claimed to be full, and patted her belly… the thought made him reckless.
He held out a deep-chocolate tart that looked so rich it would spoil the tongue. Taking a bite, he smiled as though pleased.
‘I wonder what kind of brain created this.’
Muttering inwardly, he outwardly feigned delight. Adeline’s eyes sparkled at the sight.
Thanks to Noah’s insistence she tried parfait, cake, and every dessert Albert had prepared. Noah’s stomach churned, yet Adeline watched him with shining eyes.
“What else do you like?”
He asked without thinking of eating any himself.
Noah felt he had become the zoo’s monkey, yet instead of pressing further he handed her a fork.
“I want to share the things I like with you.”
“With me?”
“Yes, Adelle, with you.”
He employed the usual charm that worked on ordinary young ladies. Noah lightly licked the cream from his fingertips, giving her a gentle wink. Adeline’s cheeks reddened. Noah almost smirked; he barely managed to hold it in.
“I won’t be able to finish it all, but I’ll try my best.”
Whether out of admiration for his effort or genuine hunger, Adeline began to eat the desserts. Noah rinsed his sticky mouth with water, rested his chin on his hand, and watched her.
Mmm… umm.
Watching Adeline savor each bite, Noah suddenly thought she looked like a little child. He imagined himself as a parent desperately trying to feed a picky eater.
‘It’s not unpleasant.’
Noah realized that the hatred he once felt toward Adeline was gradually fading.
* * *
But Noah’s efforts dissolved into nothing.
Noah, I won’t be able to visit much these days when you’re asleep. Sorry. Take your medicine strictly. I’ll make sure to eat properly too! Later, ask someone else to check if you’re all right.
The next day, upon waking, Noah found a note on the nightstand. The cute, round handwriting was unmistakably Adeline’s. The thought that her style resembled his was fleeting. The moment the content registered, a hollow laugh escaped his throat.
What could possibly keep her so busy?
Even if it was because of him, she had been running herself ragged worrying about his illness, yet paid him no attention herself. The contradiction boiled inside Noah. How many days had it been since he had regained consciousness?
“I’ll take what’s given.”
As he changed clothes his teeth ground together. He had moved the room closer to Adeline’s to keep her in sight, yet it only made her harder to watch.
Why?
Since receiving her note. Albert had been ordered to report on Adeline’s whereabouts. The thought that his father’s actions mirrored Noah’s own crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. Similar, yes. Insane.
In any case, Adeline’s daily life had not changed much—only the addition of walks.
“Adelle.”
Noah headed to the walking path at her scheduled time. Today she had left early, so he saw her retreating figure. The corners of his mouth lifted. He approached silently and embraced her from behind.
Hmph.
Suppressing the urge to sigh, he rested his chin on her stiff shoulder.
“Where are you going?”
“…Noah?”
“Yes. Your fiancé.”
Adeline hesitated, then clutched his arm firmly. The moment she pushed him away, a wave of revulsion washed over Noah.
Yet if she had looked back with concern or curiosity, he would have let it slide.
“Noah, please let go.”
Adeline turned to him with an uneasy expression. There was no trace of worry on the face of the woman who had shoved his arm away.
“It would be better if you didn’t touch me.”
“Why?”
“It just makes me uncomfortable.”
Noah’s face hardened into stone. Adeline walked past him without a glance. The brush of her shoulder made him stagger.
“To me…”
The dazed Noah turned. He watched Adeline grow distant and gave a hollow laugh.
“No interest in me?”