You Are Gentle, But You Don’t Love Me - Chapter 15

“Whales… you say?”

“Yes, whales.”

On a peaceful afternoon under the gazebo in the garden, a tea table was set.

A white lace cloth covered the newly placed table. Plates held neatly arranged cookies rolled in powdered sugar and buttery scones. Raspberry jam, orange marmalade, and fresh cream each had their place.

There was also a white teapot adorned with a pattern of two blue birds, along with two matching teacups.

Even the number of chairs at the table had increased—from one to two.

“Are whales really that big?”

“The one I saw was. It was so massive that at first, I thought it was a small island or a rock.”

“…Surely not.”

“I’m telling the truth.”

Juliet smiled faintly as she broke a scone into smaller pieces. It was hard to believe, but if Cassio was speaking with such conviction, it might actually be true.

A whale so large it could be mistaken for an island or rock from a distance—what would it feel like to witness something like that up close?

“You don’t seem convinced.”

“…No, that’s not it.”

“Well, it doesn’t matter if you believe me or not. It’s the truth.”

Cassio’s mildly grumpy tone made Juliet chuckle softly. She placed a bit of jam on the broken scone and popped it into her mouth before picking up her teacup.

From the half-full cup, the rich scent of black tea wafted faintly. As she lightly wet her tongue with the lukewarm liquid, its subtle bitterness lingered briefly before sliding down her throat.

“Oh, has the tea gone cold?”

“It’s fine.”

“Still, I think we should toss this and brew a fresh pot.”

“It’s really all right…”

Ignoring her protest, Cassio waved at the waiting maids with a playful smile. One of them quickly ran over, handing him a large copper kettle and a new teapot. He whispered something to her quietly.

“With a fresh pot, we’ll have more time to sit and talk like this.”

“…”

Instead of responding, Juliet handed her now-cold teacup to the maid.

Cassio stood and began brewing the tea himself.

Juliet watched his hands move smoothly and without excess, the rolled-up sleeves of his shirt revealing his pale forearms. Her gaze lingered on his face, focused downward as he waited for the tea to steep.

Then, she dropped her eyes to the table.

Under the soft afternoon sunlight streaming in at an angle, the powdered sugar and jam sparkled like jewels. Beside them, two pale pink floral teacups sat serenely, waiting.

“Juliet.”

“Yes?”

“On second thought, saying it was the size of a small island might have been an exaggeration. Would you believe me if I said it was as big as this gazebo?”

“…I believe you.”

“Doesn’t seem like it.”

“I mean it, really.”

The peaceful afternoon drifted by, along with the still-slightly-unfamiliar routine.

＊ ＊ ＊

“Do you know how to ride a horse?”

Juliet blinked blankly.

Before her stood two spotless white horses. Both were stunningly beautiful.

But she felt a bit intimidated.

It’s not that I’m scared of horses themselves…

After a moment of hesitation, she spoke softly.

“If it’s just at a walking pace… maybe.”

Even as she said it, she wasn’t sure. It had been far too long since she’d last ridden a horse.

And I’ve never ridden one this large before.

She had never been confident in riding to begin with. Juliet wasn’t particularly skilled at anything requiring physical effort.

Her hesitation before the horses was, of course, because of Cassio.

“Juliet, why don’t we go out for a bit?”

As they strolled together, as they often did, he had suddenly suggested an outing.

“There’s this beach I’ve been wanting to see.”

Somehow, Cassio had pinpointed a stretch of Escalus land with an especially beautiful white sandy beach.

“It’s not that far. And since it belongs to the duchy, there won’t be anyone around.”

“Hmm…”

When he first proposed it, Juliet hesitated for a long time. But then…

“Come with me.”

“Hmm…”

“I want to go with you, Juliet.”

Cassio’s gentle smile and soft plea left her no room to refuse. In the end, she nodded.

I shouldn’t have agreed.

If she had known they’d be riding horses, she wouldn’t have been so quick to accept.

“Hmm.”

Did I seem hesitant? Cassio let out a short sigh, as though pondering something. Then, with a resigned shrug, he smiled, as if there was no other choice.

“It’s fine. We can ride together.”

“Excuse me…?”

“Come over here.”

He extended his hand, inviting her as if to a dance. Juliet instinctively placed her hand in his. His large, warm hand enveloped hers, and before she realized it, she was gently but firmly pulled closer. Cassio guided her to the horse as naturally as water flowing downstream.

Standing beside the horse, still dazed, Juliet heard Cassio’s soft, reassuring whisper.

“Pardon me for a moment. Don’t be startled.”

Before she could reply, his arm wrapped around her waist.

“…!”

In a blink, she was lifted off the ground, and before she could process what was happening, she found herself seated on the horse.

Caught off guard, Juliet didn’t even have the chance to scream. She blinked in shock, now perched on the horse, while Cassio, unfazed, busied himself adjusting her posture to ensure she was seated securely.

“Is this uncomfortable? Would you like to change into riding clothes?”

“I… I don’t have any…”

“Well, then we’ll make do. Just hold on for a moment.”

A soft whoosh cut through the air.

With a swift, graceful motion, Cassio mounted the horse, settling behind Juliet. Given her dress, Juliet was seated at an angle, and her shoulder brushed against his chest.

Feeling as if she were suddenly enveloped in his embrace, Juliet tensed, drawing her shoulders inward. Cassio, however, gently steadied her, encouraging her to lean back against him.

“Hold on tight.”

“To what?—Ah!”

The horse neighed loudly, rearing onto its hind legs. Juliet, barely holding on, felt her body lurch forward.

Panicked, she instinctively threw her arms around the nearest thing—Cassio. His warmth spread through her trembling arms as she clung to him.

“Well done,” he said with a soft chuckle, his playful praise falling lightly over her head.

But Juliet couldn’t muster a response. The horse neighed again and began to move, its hooves pounding against the ground.

Juliet squeezed her eyes shut, clinging tighter to Cassio’s waist.

“Hold on. We’ll be there soon.”

No sooner had he whispered those words than—

“…!”

The horse bolted forward, galloping at an astonishing speed.

Terrified, Juliet buried her face in Cassio’s chest, gripping him tightly as the rushing wind whipped past her.

Is he saying something?

She couldn’t hear him over the roaring wind. All she could feel was the faint tremor of Cassio’s body against hers. Was he… laughing?

How infuriating.

Biting her lip, Juliet felt her irritation bubble up. Was he amused by her clumsy, desperate grip? If so, it was utterly maddening.

Even so, she didn’t dare loosen her hold on him.

Each time the horse’s hooves struck the ground, her legs bounced unsteadily. She couldn’t even begin to guess how fast they were going.

“Juliet… Juliet?”

She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when Cassio suddenly called her name.

“Lift your head for a moment.”

“….”

“Come on.”

“I don’t want to. I’m scared.”

Cassio’s laughter burst forth again, hearty and unrestrained. Juliet pouted, annoyed by the sound, only to realize something—his voice was too clear.

The howling wind had quieted. The pounding hooves that had thundered beneath them were now softer. Though her body still rose and fell with the horse’s movements, the pace had slowed significantly.

“Lift your head. It’s safe now.”

“….”

“You’ll regret it if you don’t.”

Reluctantly, Juliet bit her lip and slowly raised her head. Peeking out cautiously from the safety of Cassio’s arm, her eyes widened in wonder.

“Wow…”

The first thing that struck her was the salty scent of the sea.

That familiar yet distant aroma was followed by sunlight so bright it made her squint.

She blinked a few times, her vision gradually clearing to reveal a breathtaking view. The ocean stretched out endlessly, its deep blue hues filling her sight.

“It’s beautiful…”

The distant horizon shimmered faintly in the summer heat.

The boundary between sky and sea was so seamless, it was hard to tell where one ended and the other began. Today, the ocean was especially calm.

The tranquil sea looked as though the cloudless summer sky had spilled onto the earth.

“What do you think? Wouldn’t you have regretted missing this?”

“Yes.”

Beneath them, the sound of water splashing against the ground was audible. Waves must have lapped at the horse’s hooves as it trotted along the sandy shore.

Tiny droplets of water sparkled in the sunlight as they leapt into the air. Watching the shimmering droplets, Juliet murmured softly.

“Truly.”

Cassio’s warm laughter rang out in response, carried away by the sea breeze.

Juliet instinctively turned toward the sound of his voice but stopped, choosing instead to look ahead. The end of the beach was drawing closer.

At that point, Cassio brought the horse to a halt.

Dismounting gracefully, he bent one knee slightly and extended a hand toward Juliet.

“…Thank you.”

Taking his hand, she stepped down, using his knee for support. The moment her feet touched the ground, the sun-warmed sand shifted beneath her, and her heels sank slightly.

Stumbling briefly, Juliet regained her balance before letting go of his hand. Feeling strangely awkward with her now-empty hand, she clenched it into a small fist.