Gigi puffed her cheeks, looking everywhere except at Sevan. It was as though her eyes had a built-in sensor aimed in his direction. Keeping her hands behind her, she tried to enjoy the night breeze.
Minutes had already passed since they started this walk, but they had only exchanged a few words.
Yet, despite the silence, she didn't feel the slightest awkwardness. That didn't necessarily mean she felt comfortable either. She didn't need to impress him, knowing his heart belonged to someone else. And being friends with him wasn't part of the plan.
The goal was for Aqua to be able to choose her endgame. If that would bring Gigi back to her world, then fine. However, if not, she planned to live this life on her own terms, without dreading any horrible endings.
I wonder, though…
Her eyes lowered.
Am I still alive in my world?
With how she ended up in this world, there was so much uncertainty in her mind. However, she wanted to believe there was still some hope for her—that all the hard work she had put into that mission wasn't just futile.
Gigi pressed her lips together, her face growing stern.
As her mind drifted to some of the things she thought about every single night, she didn't notice the pair of cerulean eyes on her side.
Sevan tilted his head, his eyes studying her curiously. "Is something wrong, Miss Valentine?"
"Huh?" His naturally soothing and gentle voice brought her back from her thoughts. "Ah, yeah. Ha ha… nothing. Just thinking, and a bit sleepy—probably because I overate."
"Should we go back then?"
"Well, sure." She nodded.
They had been walking for minutes now, but looking at him, he seemed fine. Yet, her feet were already screaming, "bish, stop! You're killing us!" Curling her toes a bit, she offered him a smile to hide the growing pain in her feet.
Turning on her heel, Gigi hummed as she lowered her gaze.
"Should I carry you?"
"Huh?" She shot him a confused look before laughing. "You, carry me? Haha. Please, no. I'm fine. We haven't walked that far anyway."
"You've been walking for the past thirty minutes in those heels."
"Thirty—what?" She gasped. No wonder her feet had been starting to hurt. "Wait, thirty minutes, and we're still in the garden?"
Sevan chuckled, his laughter like the hum of ocean waves. "We're already in the neighbor's garden."
Horror immediately dominated her face as her mouth dropped.
They were—WHERE?
"I'm joking," he laughed. "Your home has a vast garden with a maze in it. I heard Mrs. Valentine loves flowers, so Mr. Valentine built her this garden."
"Oh…" Gigi rocked her head. "We have a maze, huh? I didn't know that. I haven't explored this entire home yet."
She wasn't that interested, after all.
"Understandable, considering you were still in recovery." He faced her squarely, his brows rising. "Are you sure you don't need my help?"
Gigi smiled. "I'm fine, but thank you."
As she turned, she winced as the strap of her heels grazed her skin. The bottoms of her toes felt like they were peeling — burning — but she kept going.
Meanwhile, Sevan remained standing for a while, gazing at her back. Sliding his gaze down her exposed back, a shallow breath slipped past him.
As he followed her, Sevan took off his blazer suit.
Seriously, how did I not notice we've been walking for thirty minutes?
Gigi's face soured, realizing she had just punished herself because she hadn't used her head. She wondered if Bubbles was having the same dilemma, since that friend of hers seemed to have plans on passing her brain down to their family's next generation with how rarely she used her head.
It's a good thing Bubbles was cute, though.
Amid her thoughts, she paused as something warm landed on her shoulder. Looking over her shoulder, she saw a blazer suit draped over her. Slowly, she looked up and met those gentle, smiling eyes.
"The night is quite chilly," he said with a gentle smile. "And with how your dress is at the back, I'm afraid you'll catch a cold."
"Oh…" Gigi blinked, then blinked again. "Thanks."
She clasped the lapel across from her, offering him an appreciative smile. However, she said nothing more as she resumed her steps.
"Should we take a rest?" he suggested after a few minutes of silence.
"It's alright. I forgot I told Bubbles I'd wait for her but ended up wandering around," she sighed. "Knowing her, I'm afraid she'll make a big deal out of it."
She simply hoped that being gone for thirty minutes wouldn't compel her parents to call the police. In her original world, that might have been possible, but only if it involved a child. In this world, however, she wasn't so sure.
"Ouch…" she whispered, her steps slowing even more as she gazed down at her feet. The redness on her skin from the straps was now even more apparent.
But just as she planned to continue, she caught a hand offered to her.
A hum slipped past her closed lips as she looked up at Sevan.
"If you don't want me to carry you, let me assist you, at least," he offered. "Don't worry about going back immediately. I'm sure everyone would rather worry for nothing than know that you hurt yourself because you were trying not to worry them."
His smile was short, but reassuring. "Let's make a stop while there's a bench nearby. Don't be stubborn anymore."
"..." Gigi looked into his determined eyes before gazing at his palm. A defeated sigh escaped her, but instead of holding his hand, she clasped his sleeve. "Thank you."
With his assistance, Gigi groaned faintly as she sat down on the bench.
"These heels are killing me," she grumbled as she bent over to reach for the straps of her heels. But as she did so, Sevan quietly bent in front of her and held her foot.
His action made her pause, looking at him in surprise. "What are you doing?"
"I'm a doctor," he said without meeting her gaze. "I'll be gentle. Let me check."