A strange, intense light flashed in the pair of dark eyes. 

 

At that moment, the same thought, without a single word out of place, must have occurred to both of them.

 

‘…Would you look at this bastard?’

 

Theodoro had thought Silvano’s flirting with Liliana was just a tasteless prank, driven by some low intention. 

 

But now, in Theodoro’s eyes, his reflexive reaction was absolutely not something that would stop at a mere prank.

 

Just how much sincerity was mixed in? 

 

If it were the reckless Silvano he knew, he would have just watched on with interest, finding it amusing. He wouldn’t have gotten up from his seat just for a simple measurement.

 

As Theodoro, who had completely forgotten that he himself had also stopped the tailor, narrowed his eyes at Silvano… a faint, sneer-like smile suddenly brushed the corner of Silvano’s lips.

 

‘…What is it?’

 

But there was no time to gauge what it meant. 

 

Silvano nonchalantly turned his head and began walking toward the tailor.

 

“Ah, sir. Why don’t you go take a rest? Stop doing that.”

 

“…Huh? Me?”

 

“Yeah, you. Who else here is ‘sir’ besides you?”

 

The tailor’s eyes behind his glasses wavered in confusion. 

 

Liliana was equally clueless, and she bit her lip as she looked at Silvano. He, receiving everyone’s attention, simply raised the corner of his mouth nonchalantly.

 

“Our Lily is a bit on the sensitive side. I’ll finish up what you were doing. Don’t worry.”

 

“Ah…”

 

“It’s just the chest measurement, right?”

 

“Ah, uh… Yes…”

 

He snatched the measuring tape from the tailor’s hand, almost like he was seizing it. 

 

As ownership of the situation slipped away uncertainly, Liliana flustered, looked back and forth between the two men, and took a step back.

 

“Wh-what’s this all of a sudden… Silvano, what are you trying to do?”

 

“What do you think? I’m better than a strange man, aren’t I? Isn’t that right?”

 

Is that really so? 

 

Neither option sat well with Liliana. 

 

Entrusting herself to a stranger in an unfamiliar space, or permitting a man who was determined to fight for his life one more time… Neither was agreeable.

 

Ah, if she had to choose the lesser of two evils, it would be the former. 

 

At least there wouldn’t be any dirty ulterior motives, right?

 

“It’s fine, so just go and take care of your other business—”

 

“Mmm~ What? My job is protecting you.”

 

Silvano patted her shoulder and looked back at Theodoro. 

 

A blatant sneer had already found its way onto the corner of his mouth. It was as if he was saying, ‘Theodoro, you just stand there and watch.’

 

“…!”

 

Theodoro’s face instantly hardened, a chill settling over it. 

 

But was Silvano the type to care about such a thing? He turned away, his lips twitching as if he was delighting in that murderous expression.

 

“Now, now. Lilly, lift your arm a bit.”

 

Even as he said it, Silvano took hold of Liliana’s arm and raised it himself. 

 

Unable to do anything else, she stood posed in front of the mirror. She seemed quite flustered.

 

Well, that was understandable. When she entered the room for measurements, who could have imagined this development… that two men would simultaneously stop the tailor and step forward?

 

Silvano’s shadow steadily overlapped hers on the floor.

 

In that brief moment, Liliana instinctively looked back at Theodoro. She herself didn’t know why she did it. 

 

It wasn’t intentional.

 

But the moment Theodoro met her unusually large, clear eyes directly,

 

‘…Ah.’

 

Without another thought, he shot to his feet. Then he strode purposefully toward the mirror where the two stood.

 

“Mm~ Hmm~ Mmm~.”

 

Around that time, Silvano was humming a tune. 

 

As heavy, thudding footsteps drew near, he started to unroll his measuring tape but then turned his head.

 

However, Theodoro was faster, snatching the tape measure from Silvano’s hand before he could even fully react to the noise.

 

“…!”

 

“Get out.”

 

A low, grating voice issued a high-handed command directed at Silvano.

 

“Huh?”

 

“Go get your damn suit fitted.”

 

“…Huh?”

 

Silvano’s voice was dumbfounded as he retorted, not seeming particularly annoyed for someone who had just had something snatched from him. 

 

Sure, he let out a disbelieving scoff, but his grinning face was the picture of nonchalance.

 

“No, seriously, why are you telling me to get out all of a sudden?”

 

Theodoro ignored him completely, turning his gaze to the tailor.

 

“You get out, too. Go measure this man for his clothes or something.”

 

“Ah, well… then what about the lady…”

 

“I’ll handle it, so get out.”

 

A sinister glint flashed in his shadowed eyes. His low, cracking voice carried a palpable murderous intent… 

 

The tailor sucked in a sharp breath, hunched his shoulders, and promptly fled the room, his face deathly pale.

 

“Whew, scary.”

 

The remaining occupant, Silvano, shook his head as if he’d caught a chill, rubbing his arms. But anyone could see there wasn’t an ounce of genuine feeling in his words or actions. 

 

A vein bulged angrily on Theodoro’s forehead.

 

“…Silvano Giacone.”

 

“Ahh, alright, alright.”

 

Silvano raised both hands in a gesture of surrender.

 

Finally turning to leave, a profoundly insolent smile was plastered across his entire face. 

 

A smile that held not a single shred of regret about being thrown out.

 

By the time Theodoro realized something was wrong, it was already too late. Silvano gave his shoulder a couple of insolent pats and was already on his way out.

 

“Good luck!”

 

Rage instantly boiled up inside him. 

 

So much so that he wanted to pull the pistol from his inner pocket and blow Silvano’s head off right then and there.

 

Theodoro suppressed his explosive aggression and gripped the table.

 

“Haa…”

 

He took a breath and thought about it. 

 

Had his emotions ever been this erratic in the last few years? But no matter how far he searched his memory, it had never happened.

 

Lately, he had become noticeably more emotional. He could feel that he was getting angry more often. 

 

Where was all this coming from?

 

‘…Liliana Moretti.’

 

Theodoro slowly raised his head and stared straight at her, frozen in place. He shouldn’t have done that. He shouldn’t have looked.

 

What was she, a rabbit? 

 

The way she flinched and blinked her big eyes… 

 

A look of utter defeat began to spread across his face, which had been sharp just moments before.

 

Seeing her flustered like that made even his will to get angry disappear.

 

‘Damn it.’

 

Theodoro gritted his teeth and stood up.

 

The room had grown quiet after Silvano left. He jerked his chin toward the mirror and bit out a short command.

 

“Go stand properly over there.”

 

💫

 

Liliana was utterly bewildered by the whole situation.

 

What was the big deal about taking measurements that made both men raise their voices to stop the tailor…? 

 

And then, following Silvano’s lead, even Theodoro stepped in to hold the tape measure.

 

‘Well, Silvano likes to insert himself everywhere, so that might be understandable. But this man… why?’

 

She had always believed he only held a physical desire for her. 

 

Could he possibly have other motives?

 

She tried to dismiss it as her own overactive self-consciousness, but she couldn’t help being aware of his every action.

 

Standing in front of Liliana, Theodoro was tracing the prominent line of her shoulder blade. He seemed to be starting from the relatively safe territory of her shoulders, postponing the ‘other areas’ that would undoubtedly cause mutual embarrassment.

 

However, the areas were only passable—it wasn’t exactly a great choice. 

 

All she was wearing was mere underwear and a strap-tied slip. Her shoulder blades were starkly bare, making the sensation she felt there intensely vivid.

 

Theodoro’s fingers, beginning their journey from her shoulder blade, leisurely brushed against her skin as they let the measuring tape fall. 

 

As his fingertips passed over the prominent vertebrae, a shiver ran down her spine, and her neck instinctively tensed.

 

Theodoro let out a soft chuckle and murmured.

 

“I didn’t strangle your neck.”

 

She should have just kept her mouth shut. His warm breath tickled the nape of her neck like a feather, causing her eyelids to flutter shut.

 

Moreover, true to his words, far from strangling her neck, his touch was endlessly calm as he measured the width of her shoulders. 

 

The situation felt so surreal that it put her in a strange mood.

 

What had led Theodoro here, and what had led her here?

 

Liliana, who was usually so good at talking back, just chewed on her lip in silence, leaving only the sound of carols from the radio filling the quiet room.

 

And around that time, the measuring tape draped over her shoulder gently slipped off.

 

“What are your plans for Christmas? I checked earlier, and you only have one younger sibling left in your family. Are you spending it with them?”

 

Her floating mood from the unexpected question sank in an instant.

 

‘Ah, that’s right…’

 

She had received a call from Angelo a few days ago. 

 

It was rare for him to call first, so she was overjoyed, but it was short-lived. He, who had been putting off the meeting by saying he’d definitely come visit for Christmas, told her he’d have to postpone their plans this time, too.

 

He said his boss had offered a fairly substantial bonus and asked him to work through the holiday… 

 

She had a lot she wanted to say, but what would be the point? 

 

It would only make his resentment grow stronger.

 

Eventually, Liliana had no choice but to say she understood, trying hard to hide her disappointment.

 

“They said I have to work on Christmas, too. I probably won’t be able to spend it with my brother.”

 

“…I see.”

 

With that indifferent reply, Theodoro began moving the measuring tape down from her nape along her spine.

 

“Do you have a date?”

 

The fact that his follow-up question was bewildering was secondary. 

 

It was his fingers, gently tracing down her backbone over the smooth slip, that made her head feel faint.

 

With every joint that his fingers glided over, an electric, tingling sensation spread. She bit her lip as hard as she could, but there was no way to stop her tensed lower back from arching into a curve.

 

Finally, his fingertips stopped at the deepest curve of her waist. 

 

Only then did her held-in breath escape, and the question she had been suppressing blurted out abruptly.

 

“D-do you also care about my relationships with men?”

 

Theodoro, reflected in the mirror, was looking at the number on the measuring tape. 

 

An unreadable expression, something between a smile and a frown, crossed his face as he muttered the measurement.