Na-Isekai Ako
Chapter 60: Not a Date, Not a Date—Definitely Not a Date

Chapter 60: Not a Date, Not a Date—Definitely Not a Date

No matter how much time passed, Katherine still couldn’t get over Adolfo’s ridiculous proposal.

Marriage? Seriously? Was he joking? He had to be joking.

And yet... the memory of his expression—calm, assured, and completely serious—kept replaying in her mind like an annoying song she couldn’t shake off.

She’d be lying if she said she wasn’t interested in him. He was handsome, charming when he wanted to be, and alarmingly intelligent. But that was exactly the problem. Adolfo wasn’t the type to act on a whim. Did he actually like her, or was she just... interesting to him? There was a difference. A big one.

Ugh. She needed a distraction.

The festival was today, which meant she needed something decent to wear. And that meant there was only one person to turn to.

"Arianne," she called, stepping into her maid’s workspace.

Arianne looked up from her sewing, eyes bright with curiosity. "Yes, my lady?"

"I need a dress for the festival."

Arianne’s expression sharpened immediately, like a cat sensing a juicy piece of gossip. "Oh? And who will you be going with?"

Katherine hesitated. "Just... out."

Arianne squinted. "Out?"

Katherine sighed. "With Adolfo."

Silence. Then—

"Oh my," Arianne practically sparkled. Hands clasped, eyes gleaming, radiating so much excitement that Katherine immediately regretted speaking.

"It’s not what you think," Katherine said quickly.

"Of course it isn’t," Arianne replied in a tone that suggested she absolutely thought it was exactly what Katherine was denying. And before Katherine could protest further, her maid was already on the move, pulling out dresses with the determination of a woman on a mission.

"This is a special occasion," Arianne declared.

"It’s just the festival," Katherine argued.

But in the end, after much, one-sided, deliberation, Arianne settled on a simple yet undeniably pretty red dress, tied at the waist with a delicate ribbon. It was cute but not overly frilly, flattering without being too extravagant—right in that sweet spot between casually elegant and this is totally not a date outfit, okay?

Katherine gave her maid a look. "You seem suspiciously pleased with yourself."

Arianne only smiled, adjusting the bow at the back. "Nonsense, my lady. I just believe in making sure you look your best."

Katherine glanced at her reflection and hesitated. It wasn’t too much, but it was definitely one of her nicer dresses.

Her maid had absolutely misunderstood the situation.

But Katherine decided to let it be.

***

"Phew, finally done!" Roiselin stretched, rolling his shoulders with an exaggerated groan. "I can’t believe you actually pulled an all-nighter on me, my liege. You do know sleep exists, right?"

Adolfo, busy fastening his cuffs, didn’t even glance up. "I’m leaving now."

Roiselin arched a brow. "It’s still early. Are you that eager to see the lady?"

Adolfo sighed, running a hand through his hair. "Yeah."

Roiselin blinked, then grinned. "Oh? You’re not even denying it this time?"

Adolfo shot him a flat look. "What’s the use of denying something you don’t believe anyway?"

Roiselin smirked. "Oh, sure. Because nothing says ’casual acquaintance’ like pushing the poor lady into an engagement."

Adolfo smirked right back, effortlessly adjusting his coat. "Forced? I merely presented her with a logical solution."

"Uh-huh. And you just happened

"Exactly," Adolfo said, entirely unbothered. "Anyway, I’m going now, Roi."

"Wait, one last thing," Roiselin said, eyeing him critically. "You should really wear something lighter in color, my liege."

Adolfo paused, frowning. "Why?"

"It makes a better impression on the ladies."

Adolfo shot him a dry look. "Since when did you become an expert?"

Roiselin grinned. "Oh, I don’t have to be. I just watch you and learn what not to do."

Adolfo let out a low chuckle, shaking his head before striding out the door.

Roiselin watched him go, the amusement lingering in his golden eyes. Ah, young love. Absolutely worth the sleep deprivation.

***

Katherine waited in the garden, feeling strangely jittery. The warm air was calming, and the scent of flowers filled the space around her, but it was the thought of seeing Adolfo again that made her stomach do flip-flops.

True to form, Adolfo arrived right on time, looking effortlessly composed, like he was too cool for the world around him. But there was something different about the way he looked at her today. His usual charming smile was absent, replaced by a gaze that lingered a little too long—like he was seeing her for the first time.

"You’re early," she teased, quirking an eyebrow at him.

Adolfo didn’t flinch, not even a little. "And you’re late," he shot back smoothly, hands casually in his pockets.

"I’m not late!" she huffed, crossing her arms. "You’re just weirdly punctual today, that’s all."

He flashed her a sidelong glance, his lips tugging at the corners. "Maybe I just wanted to see you."

Katherine blinked, caught off guard by how casually he said it. "You’re insufferable."

A smirk tugged at his lips. "I try."

Katherine rolled her eyes and opened her mouth to fire back, but then something in his expression made her pause. He was being... oddly still. Like the usual arrogance was dialed down just a touch. And for a moment, there was this weird quiet between them, only the soft rustling of leaves breaking the silence.

She shifted on her feet, suddenly self-conscious under his gaze. "What?" she finally managed.

Adolfo leaned in just a little, eyes glinting with something mischievous. "You know," he said, his voice low and teasing, "you look... different today."

Katherine’s eyes widened. "Do I? I feel like my maid was way too excited about dressing me up," she admitted, feeling the heat creep into her cheeks. "Hearing you compliment me, my lord, is... kind of weird."

"Don’t act so surprised," he replied with a lazy grin. "I compliment people all the time."

"You do?" Katherine sputtered, clearly thrown off by his nonchalance.

"Sure," he said with a wink, taking a step closer. "Maybe you just didn’t notice, but I appreciate beauty in all its forms."

"You—you’re ridiculous." She looked away, trying to hide the blush spreading across her cheeks. Her usual confidence was failing her today.

"And you’re terrible at taking compliments." He sounded amused now, watching her with a little too much interest. "Shall we work on that next? I can keep saying nice things until you get used to it."

"Oh, please don’t," she groaned, feeling her face burn even hotter.

"But why not?" he prodded, moving just a little closer. "Wouldn’t it be fun?"

"Just stop, my lord, please," she said, rolling her eyes. "Thank you for the compliment."

Adolfo chuckled, clearly enjoying her flustered state. He took another step closer, eyes twinkling with mischief. "By the way..." he trailed off, leaning in slightly.

She glanced up at him, heart skipping a beat. "What?"

Without warning, he tilted his head and, with an amused smile, said, "Can I call you... Noraleigha?"

Katherine blinked, caught completely off guard. "What?" she asked, her voice soft with surprise.

He leaned in a bit more, his voice playful but with a strange sincerity to it. "I mean, I can call you that, right?"

Katherine looked up at him, her mind racing. He was still smiling, but it was different than his usual smug smirk. She looked away, feeling the heat rise again. "W-well, since you already know my name, I suppose I don’t mind you calling me Noraleigha," she muttered, the words coming out quicker than she expected.

Adolfo’s grin widened, and for a moment, the world around them felt like it faded into the background. The teasing, the playful bickering—it all felt lighter, somehow, like they were starting something new.

"Good," he said softly, his tone almost warm. "Then I’ll take that as my privilege, Lady Noraleigha."

***

As they strolled through the lively festival, the atmosphere around them buzzing with excitement, Adolfo suddenly shifted his attention, his tone turning a little more serious—but still teasing.

"So, Lady Noraleigha," he began, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips, "have you given any more thought to my proposal? You know, the one about introducing you as my fiancée?"

Katherine’s eyes practically popped out of her head. She felt her cheeks heat up instantly. Oh my god, does he never stop? She quickly looked away, trying her best to hide her embarrassment. "I-I’m fine with it, my lord," she stammered. "I just... really need to know what happened to my brother first. That’s all."

Adolfo’s smile only grew, clearly enjoying her flustered reaction. Is he seriously enjoying this? Katherine thought, her face practically on fire. "Oh, just that?" he teased, his voice dripping with amusement. "Here I thought you might be reconsidering my offer. After all, not everyone gets the privilege of being my fiancée."

She rolled her eyes, trying to keep her cool. "I just... I want to know what happened to my brother, my lord," she huffed, her cheeks still burning. "I do appreciate your help, though."

Adolfo’s playful expression softened a little. "I understand," he said, his tone gentler now. "We’ll talk about that later, I promise. But for now, why don’t we just enjoy the festival?"

He offered his hand with that same charming smile. "Come on, my dear lady. Let’s go."

Katherine looked at his outstretched hand and for a moment, her heart did a weird little flip.

With a sigh and a roll of her eyes, she accepted his hand, trying her best to ignore the butterflies fluttering in her stomach. "Yes, my lord," she said, finally giving in with a small smile.

As they walked toward the festival, Katherine couldn’t help but wonder just how this was going to go. Adolfo, with his charming, infuriating ways, was slowly starting to feel like a puzzle she wasn’t sure she wanted to solve.

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