Chapter : 32
Sunlight filtered down through the thickly overgrown leaves, and two people—whose faces were even more dazzling than that light—reached out their hands toward me……
If someone saw this, they might say there could be no happier dilemma than this……
But right now, I was climbing a mountain path at a pace faster than my own, so out of breath that it felt like my lungs were about to burst.
When I couldn’t respond because I was gasping for air, a loud and cheerful voice rang out from behind.
“There are two fine gentlemen here, and you can’t even escort one young lady? Everyone, make way!”
“If you’re tired, you can just rest down there.”
Eloy, with her pink hair twisted up high, and Viviana, with her red hair braided to one side, each grabbed one of my hands from either side.
The two of them looked at me and smiled brightly. Even as I was being dragged along with my arms held, I couldn’t help but feel dumbfounded.
How are they not even out of breath, and not sweating at all? Are all people who don’t live in bed like this?
To explain why I—who had planned to quickly meet the prophet on my own and then return straight to bed—ended up in this situation, I need to rewind time a little.
It all started when we had just returned to my house from the Grand Duke’s estate.
* * *
A few days earlier, when I set out for home, I refused both the comfortable imperial carriage and the Grand Duke’s carriage—said to be the sturdiest in the empire—and instead boarded my own, relatively small and plain-looking carriage.
Because…… if I had ridden in another carriage, I wouldn’t have been able to lie down like this.
Yurie, who had been carefully watching my complexion, took a seat facing me, but in the opposite direction.
“Miss, please lie down and rest.”
“If you sit like that, won’t you get dizzy? I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine at all.”
At Yurie’s firm words, I slowly lay down.
“Sorry about this.”
“For what?”
“For dragging you along and just making you tired.”
Yurie folded a blanket and placed it under my head, then smiled softly.
“Just coming to the Grand Duke’s estate was an amazing experience for me. It was really fun, so please don’t worry about that.”
“Then that’s a relief.”
When I slowly opened and closed my eyes, Yurie clapped her hands lightly, as if something had just occurred to her.
“Miss, is it true that you stayed up all night nursing the Grand Duke on the evening he was ill?”
“……How did you know?”
When I returned to my room that morning, I never told Yurie—who pressed me for answers—where I had been.
I thought no one had seen me, so there was no way she could know. There was no reason for Sirinu to have told her either. I tilted my head in confusion.
Yurie narrowed her eyes.
“There’s always a way to know.”
For some reason, a chill ran down my spine, and I decided that I really shouldn’t do anything secretly behind Yurie’s back in the future.
“It’s just…… he went through all that because of me, so it didn’t feel right to do nothing. Out of courtesy……”
“Oh my, how kind-hearted you are. Out of courtesy, is it? No matter who the other person is……”
As drowsiness began to wash over me, I shifted my body to find a more comfortable position. Seeing this, Yurie lowered her voice.
“Come to think of it, the Grand Duke’s butler said something quite astonishing.”
“What was it?”
When I tucked my hand under my cheek, Yurie brushed my hair back.
“He said he hoped you would visit again.”
I couldn’t stop a hollow laugh from escaping.
“Oh dear. I don’t think I can come here a second time.”
Yurie nodded.
“You went through so much. Just being with him must have been hard, right?”
“Huh? Not really that bad.”
With a look that said she understood everything, Yurie gently patted my arm.
It feels like we haven’t quite been on the same wavelength for a while now.
But my eyelids were far too heavy to ask what she meant. As I felt myself slipping into sleep, I closed my eyes.
A little later, I woke up because the carriage was bouncing along, and a familiar landscape came into view. When I sat up, my waist screamed in protest.
As I stretched and twisted my body this way and that, Yurie took out a comb and fixed my hair again.
Since I had slept lying on just one side, my body felt lopsided, and I desperately wanted to lie on the other side too, just to even things out.
When the carriage stopped, Arkas—who had set off on horseback—arrived first and held out his hand to me.
After stepping down, I looked at the carriages lined up in front of the mansion.
The carriage with golden ornaments pulled by large white horses belonged to Noel.
The imposing carriage drawn by black horses belonged to Sirinu.
Seeing the two men step down and walk toward me, I lifted the hem of my skirt.
“Then, I’ll be in your care.”
When I gently raised my head to look at them, the two of them glanced at me, then at each other, and fell silent.
I awkwardly lifted the corners of my mouth. What now? Could you please just go home already? The words stuck in my throat.
Arkas, standing beside me, spoke.
“I’ll see the guests off, so you go up to your room first.”
It was exactly what I wanted to hear at that moment. With a 100-percent sincere smile, I hurried off toward my room.
* * *
There really was nothing better for shaking off exhaustion than a hot bath.
“Ah… this is nice……”
I sank into the tub, sweetly scented—probably from added fragrance—and let out a groan.
As soon as I made a sound, there was a knock.
“Miss, would you like some help?”
Hearing Luri’s voice, I felt a moment of sweet temptation. She changed my clothes every day anyway—should I just ask her to wash me too?
But the last remnants of my dignity as a human being stopped me.
“No, it’s fine.”
After slipping into my loungewear with my thoroughly melted body, I dove straight into bed.
This is it.
This was the texture I had been craving.
The princess bed at the Grand Duke’s estate had been wonderful too. Made of the finest fabric, it hugged the body nicely and was wonderfully soft.
But it couldn’t compare to the blankets in my own room.
Isn’t it always like that? Even if hotel bedding is amazing, you always sleep better with your own familiar, beloved blanket.
The familiar feel, the cozy scent of sunlight. Sleep began to gently claim me.
As I squirmed deeper under the covers, Luri—who had brought in my luggage—approached the bed and tugged on my arm.
“Miss! The refreshments should be ready by now!”
“Yeah…… sounds tasty……”
“I heard some very important guests have arrived at the mansion! You need to go out and greet them!”
Letting my arm go limp as she shook it, I answered with my eyes closed.
“Just five minutes……”
* * *
At that moment, outside—
Luri left Selene’s room and informed the butler of the young lady’s condition.
The butler looked troubled for a moment, then approached Arkas in the drawing room and spoke in a low voice.
“She was preparing to come out, but she seems to have been very tired and fell asleep for a moment.”
From the sofa across the room, Noel, who overheard this, waved his hand lightly.
“She must have been very exhausted. Let her sleep.”
The butler withdrew, and the door to the drawing room closed.
After taking a sip of tea, Noel looked down into his teacup and spoke.
“By the way, Grand Duke. I have something to ask.”
Sirinu leaned back against the sofa, turning only his eyes slightly to look at Noel. Receiving his gaze, Noel continued.
“I heard you promised Miss Selene that you would go meet the prophet.”
Sirinu tugged the corner of his mouth up in a faint smirk.
“Do you think I’d lie with her sitting right there listening?”
At Sirinu’s casual tone toward him, Noel raised an eyebrow slightly. They had known each other since before Noel entered the imperial palace, so they spoke like this when no one else was around.
Noel looked at Sirinu skeptically. His personality might be terrible, but he wasn’t the type to lie. Noel spoke again.
“Why did Miss Selene insist on going alone with the Grand Duke?”
“Why should I tell you that?”
“Well then.”
Noel made a helpless expression and changed the subject.
“Come to think of it, you said you were stepping away from the Demon King subjugation, yet here you are.”
Sirinu picked up his teacup and crossed his legs elegantly. A rare smile played on his lips.
“I still have duties to fulfill. Or are you saying you won’t hunt the Demon King?”
“Hm. Of course, the seal must be restored.”
As Noel rested his clasped hands on his knee, Sirinu looked at him over the rim of his teacup and spoke.
“What are you thinking?”
“You mean that remark?”
“Yes. You’re not the type to just let things go the way that woman wants.”
Noel smiled faintly.
“Oh my, you’ve been thinking quite a bit. That’s dangerous—your head must hurt.”
Since Noel made no effort to hide his sarcasm, the smile vanished from Sirinu’s lips. He stared at Noel coldly.
“You always have to get your way—whether by persuasion or threats. What are you plotting?”
Noel lightly lifted his teacup and slowly rotated it as he spoke.
“I know exactly what I want, and for that, I need Miss Selene. You must be thinking the same thing, Grand Duke, so wouldn’t it be best if you cooperated?”
“You’ll dump the dirty work on others and take only the good parts. Why should I?”
The two men stared straight at each other.
At that moment, Arkas’s low voice echoed through the previously silent drawing room.
