You Are Gentle, But You Don’t Love Me - Chapter 7

“What are you thinking about so much that you’re barely eating?”
His rare, vibrant red hair framed a face that, as always, wore a gentle smile.

His light green eyes, reminiscent of early summer foliage, sparkled so brightly they seemed to glint gold for a moment.

“It’s nothing. I just…”

“Just?”

“I was thinking of letting everyone rest early tonight.”

His eyes, curved like crescent moons, gazed at her. But Juliet lowered her gaze, as though staring directly into the sun.

“That sounds nice. We should open a few bottles of wine, too.”
“Yes.”

“And before that, Juliet, make sure you eat properly.”

“…Okay.”

While Juliet was lost in thought, the hands that had been paused began moving again.

The faint clinking of utensils and plates echoed across the table as the attendants swiftly served food, filling their masters’ plates.

‘What’s gotten into him?’

She had heard just the previous night that he had initially come to ask if she’d have dinner with him.

‘Actually…’

It was the old physician of the duchy, Juan, who had told her that. He had made an unexpected visit, fussing over her with a temperature check and a hot cup of tea, before carefully sharing the news.

“Truthfully, the Duke said he would dine with you last night but returned early. He was concerned you’d been exposed to the cold air for too long and sent me to check on you.”

Cassio had been worried about her.

“Please let the Duke know if you’d like to dine with him tonight,” the physician had added.

Thanks to that, she had passed on the message to Cassio first thing in the morning. He hadn’t responded immediately, and Juliet hadn’t thought much of it until he found her strolling in the garden later that day and nodded in agreement.

“Of course. I’d love to, Juliet. Anything with you would be wonderful,” he’d said, smiling as brightly as ever.

“Juliet, again.”

“…Ah.”

Juliet snapped out of her thoughts, startled, as Cassio called her name. She lowered her head, embarrassed. Cassio chuckled softly and took a sip of water while Juliet grasped the cold stem of her wine glass.

“If you keep getting distracted, I’ll have to feed you myself.”
“….”

“I’m not joking.”

Surely, he wouldn’t actually do that. Juliet wasn’t a child, after all.

But her expectation was promptly dashed when Cassio picked up a fork with a playful flick.

“Let’s see. How about this white fish? It looks fresh.”

“I’m fine—”

“Or would you prefer the lamb? Though I remember you’re not particularly fond of it.”

“I’m fine, really.”

When his fork gracefully speared a piece of the fish, Juliet panicked.

“Then eat. I’ll be watching to make sure you do.”

“…Yes.”

Reluctantly, she picked up her fork again. She placed a thick piece of fish into her mouth and, wide-eyed, chewed carefully before pressing her lips tightly shut.

Out of the corner of her eye, she caught Cassio’s face—smiling unabashedly.

Perhaps it was because of the nearby candelabra, but her cheeks felt uncomfortably warm.

“Actually, there was something I wanted to discuss with you,” Cassio said when the meal was nearly finished. Most of the dishes had been cleared, and dessert, along with after-dinner drinks, was being served.

“But you were eating so well that I didn’t want to interrupt.”
“….”

“I held back, just in case it would bother you.”

Juliet’s cheeks burned.

“That’s not true…”

Surprisingly, Juliet had sampled nearly every dish on the table that evening. What she hadn’t realized was that Cassio, with his ever-present smile, had been watching her the entire time.

She should have stopped avoiding his gaze earlier—or at least looked away now. But Juliet’s wandering eyes, which had avoided Cassio’s face all evening, found no place to escape this time. Her gaze slid across the table and met his.

“Well, we can talk anytime.”

His long fingers tapped lightly on the table. Through the wide sleeves of his shirt, the bones of his wrist stood out.
Following the line of his arm, her eyes reached the broad shoulders clad in a dark vest.

He no longer wore bandages.

Occasionally, when walking beside him, a faint bitter medicinal scent lingered, but outwardly, Cassio appeared fine.

“But… is he really better?”

A faint crease formed between Juliet’s brows.

Cassio, however, was the type of man who never allowed her to dwell on needless worries.

“I’d have been sad if Juliet didn’t eat properly because she was distracted by something else,” he said.

His eyebrows drooped in a convincingly sorrowful expression, his face, as always, brimming with sincerity.

Moments like this always reminded Juliet of one thing.
Her husband was beautiful.

Not just his face but in so many ways.

“And if it was because of me, I’d have been even sadder… Oh, thank you.”

A servant approached to place a dessert plate in front of him, and Cassio offered a warm word of thanks.

The startled servant hastily bowed and retreated, almost stumbling, which was mildly amusing. Yet even more striking was Cassio’s natural ease in the situation.

He treated the servants with as much respect and gratitude as he showed anyone else, smiling kindly at them. Even when his gentleness elicited startled reactions, he seemed completely accustomed to it.

A man with delicate beauty and a warm, generous disposition.
“As a husband… he’s… less than ideal,” Juliet thought.

But that didn’t matter. Without debate or deliberation, he was already hers.

“Is that a good thing or a bad thing?”

“Juliet, listen while you eat,” Cassio said, picking up his fork. His quick movements belied how little he had eaten earlier.

Juliet followed suit, lifting her fork. The cold cream and sugared fruit softened effortlessly under the pressure of the utensil.

“Mmm…”

A bright sweetness filled her mouth, making her jaw ache pleasantly. Instinctively, her hand reached for her glass.
“I did tell them to prepare dessert to match his taste…”

She took a sip, the drink clearing her palate, but her hand hesitated as she reached for the fork again.

“I didn’t expect it to be this sweet.”

She glanced across the table. Cassio, apparently delighted by the cloying dessert, gleefully wielded his fork, his eyes sparkling as he savored every bite.

The situation had reversed. Cassio was now busy indulging in the syrupy cream while Juliet, barely eating, watched him with a quiet smile.

An elegant, kind man, a great hero, and a soldier with a tall, sturdy frame—yet here he was, utterly captivated by something as trivial as a sweet dessert. It was oddly charming.

“…”

He moved his fork silently, as though he’d forgotten he was in the middle of saying something. In that moment, he seemed almost boyish.

“I know he’s several years older than me…”

She found herself thinking of ancient legends from the distant East—of a boy warrior who had been born a son of the gods, so close to immortality, yet tragically felled when an enemy exploited his fatal flaw.

Or perhaps he resembled the noble warrior who donned the boy’s helm, diving into battle to shield others from spear and sword.
Maybe he was like the hero who had willingly ventured into a labyrinth teeming with monsters to save others.

“Or perhaps, he’s like the beautiful youth said to have earned the favor of a goddess with nothing but his looks.”

Perhaps it was his strikingly handsome features that prompted such thoughts.

Lost in her musings, Juliet didn’t realize that Cassio had already eaten more than half of his dessert. He placed a bright red cherry on his fork, dolloped with cream, and popped it into his mouth, his eyebrows wiggling playfully. Juliet couldn’t help but let a faint smile linger on her lips.

“I’ve been utterly absorbed,” Cassio admitted belatedly, his expression turning sheepish. Juliet’s smile deepened.
“You could have said something.”

“Well, you looked so lovely eating, I couldn’t bring myself to.”
“My goodness.”

“You did say we could talk anytime.”

Juliet returned the earlier remark, and Cassio frowned slightly before giving in with a resigned laugh.

Juliet set her fork down. She had made a polite effort to eat a few bites, but she couldn’t manage any more.

When Cassio made a move to put his own fork down as well, she stopped him, instead sipping leisurely from her glass as she watched him finish his dessert.

Time passed slowly, and at last, when his plate was empty, Juliet made a suggestion.

“Shall we take a walk in the garden?”

“…Sure,” Cassio replied, a beat late. Juliet, hiding her smile behind her glass, chuckled quietly to herself. She found it amusing that some cream still clung to his cheek.

Had Cassio not quickly caught her gaze and wiped it away, she might have spent the entire walk stifling her laughter.
“Shall we?”

Leaving the dining room side by side, the couple naturally gravitated toward the rear garden.

“Juliet, are you a bit tipsy?”

“I’m fine.”

“I’m not so sure. If you feel dizzy, lean on me.”

“Really, I’m fine. You don’t need to worry.”

“It’s not worry—I’m just using this as an excuse to hold your hand.”

“….”

“So, pretend you don’t notice and let me.”

Exchanging lighthearted banter, they descended the stairs and exited through the colonnade. As soon as they stepped outside, they fell silent, as though by mutual agreement.

“…”

The soft crunch of their footsteps on the grass accompanied them. Juliet stole a glance upward at Cassio. It was their first time taking a walk together so late at night.

They usually only met during the afternoon. When evening fell, they naturally retreated to their respective rooms without a word. Juliet had always seen him under the bright sun.

But now, it was night.

The blazing golden sunlight was gone, replaced by the gentle glow of the moon. Shadows retreated beneath the trees, but a cool blue hue lingered, as though biding its time.

When clouds drifted across the moon, a lukewarm darkness crept in, filling the space like a rising tide.

Walking beside her, Cassio seemed unusually calm and…
“Grown-up,” she thought.