158: Chapter 158

Chapter 158

Kate was stunned by the sudden confession. Her body stiffened when Henry's warm breath tickled around her earlobe and neck.  0

She was caught off guard by his indirect confession, and she didn't know if it was right for her to say yes, though she wanted it.

The idea of having a complete family was also in her mind, but that was more like a teenage dream.

She was raised in a conservative family to be a traditional housewife, and she thought she could have it with Matt.

She'd be lying if she said that Henry's invitation didn't lure her. But she still thought that Henry was rushing things. Henry's love and affection felt so dreamy that it seemed unreal to Kate, especially after she got hurt by a man with zero quality.

Henry felt like a daydream, and she feared he'd leave her after she decided to give in.

Henry's gaze darkened once he realized that Kate didn't seem to reciprocate his indirect confession. What he said was true.

He never had a complete family for so long, and his status didn't help either.

Whenever he saw what his father did, he couldn't help but feel disgusted.

That irresponsible, heinous, lecherous bastard didn't deserve happiness for what he did to his mother and late big brother. 

So he always dreamed of having a complete family and visioned himself to be a good man, loyal and loving to his wife, and responsible to his children. 

'Is it still too fast for me to say it to her?' Henry asked himself. 'As expected, staying with her gives me strange ideas.'

Henry chuckled and pinched Kate's cheek lovingly, "Hey, why are you so tense? I'm just kidding, alright. My fantasy when I was young was to be one of those Power Rangers. I want to be a Red Ranger and lead a transformation to fight crimes."

"Oh—haha, okay then," Kate tried to laugh it off, though she was still awkward. "Well, why don't we go inside and explore the castle? It must be even cooler inside!"

Henry smiled and nodded. They held hands as they entered the castle and began exploring around.

Kate tried to curb her enthusiasm, but she couldn't help it once she realized that Casa Loma was precisely the kind of castle she had in mind when she imagined herself as a daughter of a marquess or a viscount, crying in her room as she got forcefully betrothed to a mysterious Duke that she barely knew, only to find that Duke to be the man she truly wanted her whole life.

Kate couldn't hide her excitement anymore as they entered the ballroom area and were awed by how beautiful it was.

"Oh wow, look at this place, Henry!" Kate said as her eyes stared at the beautiful chandeliers. She released her hand from Henry and walked into the middle of the ballroom.

She twirled again, imagining herself as the noble young Lady dancing with her betrothed. 

She was glad nobody except Henry was around to see her twirling like an idiot. 

'Ah, is it wrong for me to imagine myself as a noble lady at this age? I feel like it's fine for me to fantasize,' Kate thought. 'After all, I will never meet the mysterious, yet handsome Duke in my life. It's all just a harmless fantasy.'

Kate was enjoying herself, so she didn't realize when Henry gazed at her for a while. He mustered his courage to approach her and stood about two feet away from her.

He bowed while stretching his hand, "Milady, may I have this dance?"

Kate gasped when she saw Henry waiting for her to accept his invitation to a dance. He acted just like the mysterious Duke in her fantasy, and the thin smile full of secrets, alongside his handsome face, only made it even more believable!

But Kate quickly snapped out of her daze and looked around in panic. She was scared someone else might visit this area and laugh at them for being childish. 

Luckily, it seemed that they happened to be the only couple that visited Casa Loma right now.

"W—What are you doing, Henry? Someone might see us!" Kate said as she tried to scold Henry. 

But Henry was still in his character. His posture, gait, appearance, and courtesy were similar to a noble from hundreds of years ago.

So he repeated his question, "I saw you alone in this ballroom, Milady. I have been enchanted the moment I saw you. So I am here offering myself, may I have this dance, Milady?"

"Henry…" Kate was surprised by how in character he was. It seemed that Henry wanted her to relive her childhood fantasy, and this was the perfect time for her to do so.

Kate swallowed her saliva, and she mustered her courage.

Maybe it was the right time for her to ditch all of her bitter life, just for a few minutes.

She wanted to be a child again without any burden. She wanted to live in the fantasy that she had long ago.

So she made slight curtsy and put her hand on top of his as a sign that she was willing, "Pardon me, Your Grace, I didn't realize that you've been here the whole time. I should've been more polite to my betrothed."

Henry's heart skipped for a second, 'My betrothed….'

Henry took a deep breath to calm himself, and his smile deepened, "I'm glad to be betrothed to you. Lady Katherine, you're truly a marvel, a work of art that I will treasure for the rest of my life."

Henry pulled Kate towards him and said, "You're even more beautiful up close, Milady."

"And you are truly the most dashing man I've ever met, Milord," Kate replied. They began their slow dance, and Kate was a little surprised by how natural Henry was. It was rare for a man these days to know how to do an old-fashioned slow dance. 

"Are you surprised by the way I dance?" Henry asked. He grinned and said, "To tell you the truth, I am even more surprised by how you can match my step. You are truly a noble lady that befits to be my wife, Lady Katherine."

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