Chapter 16
“What can I do to make you feel better? If there’s anything you want, tell me everything.”
“…I want to learn how to read and write.”
“I’ll find you a good teacher.”
“I also want to learn proper etiquette…”
“Alright.”
“And I want to go back to the garden we visited last time.”
“As soon as it gets light, we’ll go.”
The moment her hesitant words came out, his answers followed without a trace of doubt.
Inael sniffed once, then lifted her face with a faintly playful expression and looked at Ruban.
“What if I keep asking for more? What will you do if you promise to grant everything?”
“Keep talking. I’ll listen to anything.”
His tone was still serious, which made her laugh.
“I was just joking. Hearing you say that already makes me feel better.”
The tangled thoughts that had filled her mind seemed to loosen little by little as she faced Ruban.
Her tear-dampened eyes curved beautifully into crescents.
Ruban looked down at her quietly, then slowly—very slowly—lowered his head.
As his face drew closer, Inael’s clear eyes widened.
Slowly.
While staring into his deep gray eyes, Inael tightly grasped the hem of his clothes and closed her eyes.
Ruban’s lips overlapped with her soft, slightly flushed lips.
When their lips parted after a brief, gentle contact, Inael bit her moist lips.
Then, as embarrassment finally rushed in, she muttered,
“Y-you said you weren’t trying to seduce me…”
“I feel like I’m the one being seduced.”
Ruban whispered near Inael’s ear without pulling away.
His breath, carried on a soft laugh, tickled her flushed cheek.
Seeing her cheek twitch, Ruban carefully cupped it and then wrapped his strong arms around her again.
Wrapped in his warm body, the cold fear inside her slowly faded away.
Morning sunlight seeped in through the slightly parted curtains.
Inael blinked lazily as she woke up, a smile forming on her lips.
Had the overwhelming anxiety from before completely melted away thanks to his comfort?
It was such a refreshing morning that even yesterday’s self, who had cried endlessly, felt ridiculous.
Inael lightly brushed her fingertips over her lips.
Remembering the warm, soft touch from before made her heart pound.
“Stop turning red already…”
She patted her heated cheeks and got out of bed, then tidied the rumpled sheets.
When she rang the bell rope, Jeanne and Sophia entered right away.
“Shall we tie half of your hair up today?”
“That sounds good. Please do it.”
Unlike Sophia, who chatted warmly, Jeanne stood quietly beside her, handing over the comb and hairpins.
I should try talking to Jeanne.
If we’re alone, what should I say first?
She was choosing her words in her head when Sophia confidently finished her hair, and Ruban arrived.
As he stepped over the threshold and approached Inael, the maids withdrew and lowered their heads.
“I thought you’d still be sleeping.”
“I woke up early.”
“Let me see.”
Standing in front of Inael, who was seated at the vanity, he bent down and cupped her cheek with one hand.
Startled by last night’s memory, she shrank her neck like a turtle.
No—there are people here.
She hesitated, wondering if she should push him away, but he didn’t move closer. Instead, he quietly examined her face.
“Your eyes are still swollen. Do they hurt?”
“…They don’t hurt.”
“Then why is your face red?”
The large hand that had been on her cheek moved to her forehead.
“There’s no fever. You’re not sick, are you?”
“No, no. I’m fine.”
Inael pushed away Ruban’s hand as he kept checking her forehead with a worried look.
Afraid he might realize she was blushing because of her own thoughts, she hurriedly changed the subject.
“Then why did you come? It’s still early for breakfast.”
“We said we’d go to the garden as soon as it got light.”
“Ah, right.”
“Let’s go.”
Ruban gently pulled her shoulder and helped her up from the chair.
As they went down the stairs holding hands, the servants in the hall bowed.
Butler Oliver approached them.
“Did you sleep well, Your Highness, Lady Inael?”
“Good morning. We’ll go for a walk, so tell the kitchen to prepare breakfast slowly.”
“Yes, sir.”
Seeing their tightly held hands, a satisfied smile spread across Oliver’s face.
As they headed toward the main entrance, Inael subtly stepped one pace away from Ruban.
It wasn’t the first time they had held hands.
Yet today, she was acutely aware of their touching skin and the brush of his clothes against her shoulder.
When she glanced up, Ruban looked extremely pleased.
As they walked through the garden, he couldn’t seem to keep still with her small hand.
He gently rubbed the back of her hand with his thumb, intertwined their fingers, and fidgeted endlessly.
“Walking in the garden this early in the morning is new for me too.”
He spoke as if it were unconscious habit, his expression no different from usual.
But Inael couldn’t focus on the conversation at all.
When she awkwardly avoided his gaze and increased the distance between them step by step, Ruban suddenly stopped.
“What’s wrong?”
“What do you mean?”
“You keep walking farther away.”
“….”
“And you won’t look at me.”
“…Did I?”
Inael rolled her big eyes around and pretended not to know.
Was last night’s kiss unpleasant for her?
Ruban, watching her with slight anxiety, felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
She’s aware of the closeness between us.
The moment he noticed the pink-tinted tips of her ears, joy surged inside him.
He might have teased her more, but the emotions written plainly on her innocent face were too similar to his own to ignore.
Ruban struggled to force his rising smile back into a straight line.
Then, pretending to be hurt, he lowered his voice.
“After we even kissed, that’s a bit cruel.”
Meeting her startled gaze, he spoke again.
“Don’t you remember last night?”
“Ru-Ruban!”
Startled, Inael jumped up and covered his mouth with both hands.
She glanced at the servants standing far away, flustered, and Ruban burst into laughter.
When she lowered her hands, her face looked like a girl who had been tricked by a mischievous prank.
“Why are you teasing me!”
“Because you’re cute.”
He grinned and said the shameless words, then took her hand again and continued the walk.
Maybe it was the scent of flowers. Her mouth felt sweet, like it was filled with slightly melted candy.
“I found teachers for language and etiquette. If you choose a day that’s comfortable for you, I’ll tell them to start then.”
“What?”
“I said I’d grant everything you wanted.”
Inael stared at Ruban with wide eyes, and he shrugged casually.
“Don’t tell me you thought I was just saying it.”
“It’s not that, I was just surprised. It hasn’t even been half a day since I said it.”
“It’s not a difficult task.”
“…Thank you. I’ll really work hard.”
“You can take it slowly. If you’re tired or want to rest, just tell me anytime.”
Inael nodded and quietly looked at the hand she was holding.
Thinking that he must not have slept after leaving her side last night made her heart feel heavy.
A few days later.
Sitting under a large tree, Inael flipped through the book on her lap page by page.
“No matter how much I look, I just can’t get used to it.”
She had tried to at least learn the shapes of the letters before classes started next week.
But without knowing their meaning, none of it made sense.
Tracing the letters with her fingertip, she suddenly lifted her head at a distant sound.
“…Jeanne?”
Jeanne was crossing the garden quickly, holding a small bag in both hands.
Her steps were hurried, and she kept looking around.
Because Inael was sitting in the shade under the large tree, Jeanne didn’t seem to notice her.
At that moment, something shiny fell from Jeanne’s bag with a soft clink.
“Jeanne! You dropped something!”
Inael stood up and called out as she hurried over, but Jeanne was already too far to hear.
What should I do? Should I follow her?
As Inael picked up the fallen object, her eyes widened.
A necklace with a large blue gemstone that looked expensive at a glance.
Should I give it to another maid at the mansion?
After hesitating briefly, Inael began walking in the direction Jeanne had gone.
She thought Jeanne would be very startled if she realized she’d lost something so valuable.
Returning it directly to the owner seemed best.
Entering the back path of the garden, she saw a gate large enough for carts to pass through.
Jeanne stood at the slightly open door, talking to someone outside.
Panting slightly, Inael called out to her.
“Jeanne.”
“Ah!”
Jeanne’s shoulders jolted in surprise.
Inael walked up to her and held out the necklace.
“You dropped this…”
“D-don’t come any closer.”
“Pardon?”
“I’ll come to you, so don’t come closer!”
Jeanne threw the bag she was holding toward the person she had been talking to and moved to close the door.
For a brief moment, Inael met the eyes of the person outside the gate.
It was a man with a long scar deeply carved across one side of his face.
His curious gaze slowly swept over Inael.
