Chapter 85
“The One Who Crossed the Line.”
Sunlight streamed in warmly through the window by the bed, announcing morning.
But still feeling tired, I burrowed deeper under the blanket to avoid the brightness.
The freshly washed blanket smelled cozy and pleasant, making me smile without realizing it.
Even in midsummer, my cold hands and feet always searched for warmth, something firm yet gentle…
…Firm yet gentle?
The strange realization made me fumble for what had been sharing warmth with me all night.
It was like something solid, wrapped in warm skin—almost like a rock covered in soft leather.
“If your hand goes any lower, that could be a problem.”
A deep voice spoke right next to my ear. It wasn’t unfamiliar. I had heard it before.
The moment I wondered whose voice it was—my eyes flew wide open.
“…?”
In front of me was a man’s broad chest, and my hand… had slipped inside his white tunic.
“Or… was that your signal for me to cross the line, and I just didn’t realize it?”
“Kyahhh!”
I screamed and bolted upright, clutching my pounding chest as if my heart would leap out.
Instinctively, I pulled the blanket up to cover myself, stammering at the man still lying there.
“Wh-what is going on right now?!”
“Don’t you think that’s what I should be asking?”
“Huh?”
Calliere gave a short laugh, as if my reply was ridiculous, while I only blinked in confusion.
Resting his arm across his forehead, his tired face turned to look straight at me.
His steady gaze made me lower my eyes—and there, I noticed his clothes were disheveled.
Did he toss and turn a lot in his sleep? But then I realized—no, it was me who caused it.
His tunic had ridden up, exposing his toned abs, and the embarrassing memory from a moment ago came rushing back.
I wanted to believe it was all a dream, but the warmth lingering in my hand told me otherwise.
Watching me silently bite my lip in panic, Calliere finally sat up, running a large hand through his messy hair.
I couldn’t meet his eyes. I shifted awkwardly, trying to avoid his gaze—but then our eyes locked again.
“….”
His tired eyes seemed to hold countless emotions and stories I couldn’t read.
Unable to endure his intense stare, I blurted out nervously:
“Wh-why are you looking at me like that?”
“It was the longest night of my life.”
“…Huh?”
Night? He said the night was long?
His sudden words puzzled me. But Calliere only gave a small laugh.
“You really shouldn’t share a bed with anyone else.”
“Ah, ab-about last night, I’m so sorry! I didn’t know my sleeping habits were that terrible.”
He squinted his eyes with a faint smile and answered:
“You don’t need to apologize to me.”
“…?”
“Because I actually enjoyed discovering a new side of you.”
“Th-that’s…!”
“And I also learned that my patience is stronger than I thought.”
His words made my face flush hot again.
I glared at him in embarrassment, but Calliere only gave me a sly smile and added:
“And I made a decision.”
“…A decision?”
“That I won’t make promises carelessly again.”
“What do you mean by—”
At once, last night’s memory flashed back—
‘Don’t ever cross the line. That’s a promise!’
And yet… it was me who had crossed the line. Not only crossed it, but even fumbled around in my sleep.
“Sorry, I-I really didn’t mean to cross the line…” I stammered, covering my burning face.
Calliere’s lips curved upward playfully.
“You don’t need to apologize for that.”
“…?”
Leaning on one arm, he moved closer, his face lowering to my ear.
His breath brushed against my skin, his scent surrounding me, making me freeze. His low voice whispered:
“Because I wanted you to cross the line.”
His lips curled lazily like a tease, but his eyes were completely serious, without a hint of playfulness.
The air between us grew heavy and strange.
“….”
As I stared at him blankly, unable to process his words, he chuckled softly and pulled back.
I finally exhaled the breath I’d been holding, feeling relief as his presence retreated.
Standing up from the bed, he asked casually:
“What are your plans for today?”
“Plans?”
I blinked and answered hesitantly:
“W-well… nothing special. I was planning to finish cleaning the first floor. I couldn’t do it yesterday.”
“That’s all?”
“Hmm… If I have time, I’ll collect some firewood from the forest. The nights and mornings are chilly. Oh, and I need to heat water for bathing too.”
“And?”
“Ah… before worrying about heating water, I should fetch some from the stream first. We also need drinking water. Maybe I’ll check for fruits or mushrooms in the forest as well. Our food is running low.”
It wasn’t much, but they were all necessary daily tasks. Just thinking about them made me feel tired already.
Calliere nodded thoughtfully.
“That’s a lot of work if you’re doing it all alone.”
“Well… I don’t really have anyone to help, so it can’t be helped.”
I said it lightly, but my heart sank a little.
As I got ready to leave the bed, Calliere reached out his hand and spoke:
“Then, can I add just one more thing to your schedule today?”
“What is it?”
“Have breakfast with me.”
Only then did I realize—I hadn’t even thought about his meal.
Flustered, I gave a sheepish smile.
“…Would soup be okay for breakfast?”
“Since I was treated to a meal, I should at least pay for it.”
When I first heard him say that, I honestly thought he wouldn’t be much help.
After all, Calliere was the only Grand Duke of Hestonia—a high noble who had probably never touched rough or troublesome work in his life.
I couldn’t bring myself to refuse his offer, so I nodded reluctantly… but to my surprise, his help turned out to be very useful.
“This mushroom is edible, but you need to cook it first. The poison disappears when heated, so it’s better roasted or boiled.”
“You’ll need firewood for a lot of things. Best to stack it in advance. Ah, but small branches won’t work—they burn out too quickly. Sit down, I’ll handle this.”
“I’ll go to the stream. You should hang the bedding out while the sun is strong, so it dries well.”
His efforts were worth much more than the plain cream soup without any ingredients that I had served him for breakfast.
If there was a problem, though…
“Your Grace, where are you? You said you’d be leaving today!”
I shouted in frustration, searching through the forest near the house as if combing through every tree. But no matter where I looked, Calliere was nowhere to be seen.
My voice echoed through the dense woods.
“Ugh, seriously, where did you hide this time?!”
Yes, the problem was that this capable helper of mine had no intention of actually going home.
I gritted my teeth, remembering how naturally he had taken over my house for the past week.
The first two days, I couldn’t bring myself to wake him when he collapsed into sleep after helping me despite not being fully recovered. The third day, he claimed the roads were too dangerous because of heavy rain, so he didn’t leave.
I let that slide, but then he insisted the horse wasn’t in good condition, raising my suspicions.
The next day, when he completely disappeared at the time he should have left, I felt hurt, thinking he had gone without even saying goodbye.
But then he appeared, looking perfectly calm, and said—
“Ah, I accidentally dozed off. It’s gotten late. Let me stay just one more night, Rebellia.”
“Just wait, I’ll definitely make you leave today!”
I stomped through the forest, making loud noises as if to scare him out of hiding.
Then—I heard footsteps behind me. My lips curved upward.
Got you.
Taking a deep breath, I spun around suddenly.
“Don’t say anything strange today, just—!”
But the words froze on my lips.
Standing there was not Calliere, but a man I had never seen before, silently staring at me.
