Chapter 32
In the end, tonight’s dinner menu was decided by rock–paper–scissors.
“Good thing I fought so hard to win.”
I couldn’t hide my delight when the roasted turkey was placed on the table, cooked to perfection.
Suddenly, I remembered a line from the original novel.
[‘The last supper? I don’t like the sound of that.’]
[‘Still… I’d like turkey roast for dinner tonight.’]
Even though he said he didn’t like the phrase “last supper,” Martin had chosen turkey roast as his final meal before starting his rebellion.
That alone showed how much he loved the dish.
And he had even added:
[‘Make plenty, since I plan to eat it tomorrow as well.’]
But in the novel, the rebellion failed, and he never got to eat it again.
I felt a pang of pity.
“Tonight, I’ll make sure you eat plenty.”
Just then, Erica sniffed the air and walked into the dining room.
“Huh? Why turkey all of a sudden?”
I almost blurted out, Because your brother ate this as his last supper before his rebellion, but I barely held it back.
Instead, I asked, “You don’t look happy about it. Don’t like it?”
“Well… it’s not my favorite.”
Oh no. A problem I didn’t expect.
“Just for tonight, please?”
At my wink, Erica stroked her chin, circled the table, then clapped her hands.
“Brother, did you do something nice for Sister-in-law today? Wait—more importantly, I didn’t even know you liked this dish so much.”
Martin glanced at me, then smiled faintly.
What was with that look?
Erica instantly picked up on the strange mood. Her sharp intuition switched on, and now she wasn’t targeting Martin, but me.
She poked me in the side and whispered suspiciously, “You two are hiding something, aren’t you?”
“There’s nothing to hide.”
“Nonsense.”
Both Martin and I denied it firmly, but Erica just narrowed her eyes at us, then scampered back to her seat.
She wasn’t the type to drop things so easily, but hunger must have won. She grabbed her fork eagerly.
“Well, whatever. I don’t care.”
Her words said one thing, but her sly grin said another.
Still—hadn’t she just said she didn’t like turkey?
“Alright then, I’ll eat well!”
With Erica’s cheerful declaration, dinner began.
Martin and I exchanged helpless smiles as we watched her dig in.
It was a warm, peaceful dinner—at least on the surface.
But something felt off.
I paused with my fork midair.
Martin and I had just finished a big day at the palace, so of course we felt relieved.
But what about Erica?
She was humming as she ate, smiling from ear to ear.
She hadn’t been this happy at dinner in a long while.
“Erica, did something happen?”
“What do you mean?”
“You seem in a good mood.”
“Hehe… is it that obvious?”
Her wide grin gave everything away.
Martin, who normally would’ve scolded her about table manners, was also curious.
“What happened?”
Erica looked at us both, popped a big bite of turkey into her mouth, chewed it down, and finally answered:
“I’m going out tomorrow. By myself.”
I blinked.
Erica, who usually dragged me everywhere, was planning to go out alone?
“With who?”
“I’m meeting Aaron.”
Martin’s hand froze. His expression turned unreadable.
So Aaron—the older brother of the child Erica had wanted to sponsor.
Erica nodded brightly.
They were really friends now.
The thought wasn’t bad, but for some reason, unease prickled inside me.
And then, Martin surprised me.
“Good. Get some fresh air while you’re at it.”
What?
I almost dropped my fork.
Martin, who doted on Erica to the point of obsession, was allowing this? Without a fuss?
Wasn’t Aaron still a boy—and technically a male friend?
I stared at Martin, expecting him to take it back.
Instead, he met my eyes and asked calmly, “Do I have something on my face?”
“No, but…”
His expression was perfectly calm. No anger. No worry.
Not the Martin I knew.
And then Erica added fuel to the fire:
“Brother, don’t you dare change your mind later. I’m not bringing a knight with me, so keep that in mind.”
“What?!” I cried.
She was planning to go out without a bodyguard?
“What if something happens?!”
But Erica waved off my worries.
“Come on, Sister-in-law, you know Aaron’s a commoner. Having a knight follow me around would just make things awkward. I’ll at least bring the coachman, okay?”
Martin nodded, accepting her logic.
He even took another calm sip of water, as if nothing was wrong.
“See, Sister-in-law? Isn’t Brother great for agreeing so easily?”
“You’re old enough now to handle yourself,” Martin said gently.
Something was definitely different.
This wasn’t the Martin who used to hover over her every step.
I decided to bring up something else before Erica noticed my unease.
“Ah, by the way, Erica. We’ve scheduled a luncheon with Prince Oscar.”
“…Prince Oscar?”
“Yes. Soon, he’ll be coming to the mansion.”
Erica’s eyes sparkled with interest.
“No wonder you prepared turkey roast tonight.”
“You’ll have to attend too, alright?”
“Sure. As long as it’s not tomorrow.”
She smiled brightly—clearly thinking of her meeting with Aaron again.
I had a bad feeling.
After Erica went upstairs, I returned to the dining room and sat across from Martin.
“Why did you allow it?”
“I thought you’d actually be happy about it.”
“Happy? She’s going without a guard! That’s dangerous!”
Martin chuckled.
What was with that smile of his lately? It felt like he was teasing me on purpose.
“Why are you smiling?”
“Because I can tell how much you care about Erica.”
“Don’t you care?”
“Of course. But Erica is already seventeen, a young lady. She can’t stay under my wing forever.”
He was right. One day Erica would leave the house and live her own life.
But hearing him say it still felt strange.
“Eventually, she’ll be independent. And the one who will stay by my side… is you.”
“…What?”
“My job from now on is to worry about you, not her.”
His gentle smile left me speechless.
Martin Cloud, saying things like this so casually?
The Martin from the novel never would have.
“You… you’re not this kind of person.”
“And you’re not the same as before either. You’ve changed. So I’ll change too.”
His voice was strong and certain.
And my heart pounded so loudly I couldn’t focus anymore.
The effect lasted into the next day.
My hand never left my chest.
Why wouldn’t my heart calm down?
[‘You’ve changed, so I’ll change too.’]
Just one sentence.
But it had stolen my sleep.
When morning came, I could only watch Erica nervously as she prepared to leave.
“Am I really allowed to go?” she asked again, doubtful.
“Yes. Sister-in-law already agreed, right?” Martin grinned down at me, sly as ever.
I jabbed his side and forced a smile.
Erica looked between us, confused.
“Really? You both mean it?”
“O-Of course.”
“Then don’t take it back later!”
She jumped with joy, hugging me tightly before running off.
“Be careful. Watch out for carriages and strangers!” I called after her.
“Oh, Sister-in-law, you worry too much.”
She winked and left the mansion, light on her feet, excitement written all over her.
Watching her go, I sighed.
She looked so happy, as if she’d been waiting forever for this day with Aaron.
That was when I felt a tug on my sleeve.
I turned, and Martin was holding onto me.
“Don’t worry. Erica will be fine. You’ve taken such good care of her until now.”
His words warmed me—until he added:
“But more importantly…”
“…?”
What was he leading up to?
Sunlight streaming through the window made his red eyes shine.
His throat moved slowly, nervously.
“Would you… spend some time with me today?”
“…Why?”
He scratched the back of his head, looking shy—like a boy about to confess.
“I just want to have tea with you. Quietly. Just the two of us.”
His voice was unusually soft, almost tender.
And in my ears, it lingered.
Oo progresss