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“Mm…”
I slowly opened my eyes at the faint sensation of being jostled. My heavy eyelids lifted with effort, and in front of me were Lucius, smiling gently, and Rael, wearing a mischievous grin as they looked at me.
What… what’s going on? Did I fall asleep?
Judging from the numbness in my neck and left arm, I must have dozed off while leaning on Lucius’s shoulder for quite some time. But then, why were both of them looking at me like that? Lucius I could understand, but Rael too?
“You’re awake, I see. You were fast asleep just now. Has your headache passed?”
“…Yes. Thanks to you.”
The embarrassment nearly made me want to vanish into the ground. Honestly, Lucius! If I fell asleep, you should have woken me up! Of all times, why in front of Rael? Flustered, I cleared my throat and whispered to Lucius.
“How long was I asleep?”
“Not long at all.”
“Don’t lie. At least an hour must have passed… You should have woken me up.”
“You looked so deeply asleep… And His Majesty said it was fine, so don’t worry. Your health comes first, Tiana.”
“I know, but still…”
It wasn’t as if Rael would scold me for dozing off, but I hated the idea of showing such a defenseless side of myself in front of him. That’s not something I can show just anyone.
No matter how much Rael was Lucius’s brother and how close we’d gotten, at the end of the day, he was still another man. My unguarded self—I wanted only my husband to see that.
Whether Lucius knew this or not, he simply sat there with his usual innocent expression. He trusted, respected, and admired his brother so much that he probably didn’t even think of him as “another man.”
A sigh slipped out before I could stop it. I couldn’t scold him here, so… later. Oh, just you wait, my dear husband.
Thinking of the nagging I’d give Lucius later, I quickly fixed my tousled hair and straightened my posture as if nothing had happened. Rael’s grin deepened at the act.
“You didn’t look strange at all. No need to worry.”
“…But still, to have fallen asleep before Your Majesty… I’ve been terribly rude. Please forgive me.”
“There’s no need to stand on ceremony. Falling asleep isn’t an insult. If you weren’t feeling well, it’s only natural. Seems you’ve been quite overworked lately?”
“There has been a lot to do, yes. I tried to rest and recover, but… it seems it wasn’t enough.”
“It happens. Push yourself too hard, and you won’t even realize when you’ve crossed your limits. It’s best to make sure you take real rest, even if only briefly.”
“…Yes. Thank you, Your Majesty.”
Though I was grateful for his warm advice, it left me feeling strangely awkward. His kindness was welcome, but the suddenness of it caught me off guard. Today, he seemed unusually talkative, laughing more often, showing more emotion than usual.
Did something happen?
It was nice, of course, but not what I was used to—so it felt unfamiliar, almost strange. As though the usual Rael had doubled his kindness. Maybe he had a meeting with Angelica later? In any case, he looked to be in good spirits, and that alone was reassuring.
Because I had fallen asleep mid-conversation, quite a bit of time had slipped away. After checking the hour with his chamberlain, Rael rose from his seat.
“Well then. If more evidence about the deaths of the three ladies comes to light, I’ll inform you again. Until then, just remain as you are. The wedding preparations are proceeding smoothly, so don’t trouble yourself.”
“There’s only a month left. Are you truly all right with that? And did Angelica agree to it?”
“She did. I explained everything properly and asked her permission. She gladly accepted.”
“That’s a relief. Then I understand.”
Since Angelica herself had agreed to move the wedding forward, there was nothing more I could say. All I could do was trust that the preparations were in order.
“Then I’ll take my leave today. I’d love to stay for lunch, but I have another engagement. My apologies.”
“That’s all right. I think I can guess who the engagement is with.”
If there was anyone Rael would actually apologize to me for, it could only be Angelica. I nodded with a smile, unsurprised. He didn’t seem intent on hiding it either, as he lifted Rose—who had been tugging at his trouser leg—into his arms.
“The advice you gave me before was helpful. Today, I plan to introduce this one to the kitten I gifted her.”
“Oh my, really? That’s wonderful news. I’m looking forward to Rose finding a fine partner.”
So the proposal had succeeded! Well, of course it would—he had used the same method as in the original story. That meant Angelica would be bringing the kitten today… the one with sleek black fur and red eyes, resembling Rael himself.
I’d heard it was a male. I couldn’t help but feel curious about what he looked like in person. I’d have to ask Angelica to introduce us another time.
“I just hope the two of them get along. Though this one isn’t exactly the friendliest.”
“Meow!”
“There isn’t a prettier kitten than Rose. She’s affectionate, graceful, and charming. That little one will surely fall for her.”
“Meeow~”
At my words, Rose suddenly wriggled free from Rael’s arms, padded over to me, and let out a sweet cry with her tail curled upward. The sight was too cute to resist—I scooped her up at once.
“Meow.”
“How could anyone not fall in love with our Rose? Isn’t that right?”
“Meow!”
“You’re so beautiful, my Rose.”
Her cry almost sounded like, Of course! I hugged her tighter, enchanted by the sound, and she purred contentedly in my arms.
“Such favoritism. See? I told you she’s temperamental. She snarls at me but melts for you.”
Rael scolded her half-heartedly as he came closer with a chuckle, lightly tapping her nose before taking her back.
Rose squirmed at first but soon calmed under his gentle stroking. Her reluctant little tail flick made me nearly laugh out loud at the cuteness.
Together with Rael, Rose, and Lucius, we strolled out of the secret garden, pausing to take in the view glittering under the warm sunlight. Only now did I realize how fine the weather was today—probably because I’d been rushing about since morning.
The sun blazed hot, but a refreshing breeze kept it bearable. As we walked along the flower- and tree-lined path connecting the secret garden to the imperial palace, Rael spoke again.
“Since you’ve come all this way, it would be a shame to leave without visiting Alexandra. Why not have lunch with her? Unless, of course, you’re still unwell.”
“No, I’m fine now. That sounds wonderful. I was hoping to see Alexandra anyway.”
“Good. Then I’ll have my head chef prepare a meal there for you. Think of it as compensation for not dining with you myself.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty.”
His personal chef’s cooking! Breakfast earlier had already been delicious—how exquisite would lunch be? It was bound to be even more lavish and flavorful.
Excited, I looked to Lucius, who smiled back at me.
We left the imperial palace and made our way to the Princess’s Palace, where Alexandra lived. Walking there took a little time, but the distance wasn’t far, so we arrived quickly enough.
“Welcome, Your Grace, Your Highness.”
The knight guarding the entrance bowed with a cheerful face upon seeing us.
“Hello again. We meet once more. Have you been well?”
“Yes, of course. For Your Highness the Grand Duchess to ask after me—what an honor.”
“I’ve been here often enough to recognize your face. Next time we meet, I’d like to learn your name.”
“It would be an honor, Your Highness. Ah, please, go in. Her Highness the Princess awaits you in the drawing room.”
“All right, thank you.”
I gave the bashful knight a smile and entered with Lucius. As we walked arm in arm toward the drawing room, he suddenly stopped.
“Lucius?”
“….”
He looked at me with an oddly sullen expression, his brows furrowed tightly. He seemed upset. But why?
“Lucius, what is it? Did something bother you?”
“…That knight just now. Why were you so kind to him?”
“…Pardon?”
“And why should you need to know his name? You mustn’t. To you, he’s simply ‘the knight.’”
“…What? Wait, are you… oh.”
At first, I couldn’t believe what he was saying. But when I thought it over, it clicked. He’s jealous. He was jealous just now because I’d asked the knight for his name.
Really, Lucius… You weren’t like this with Rael.
How could he be jealous over a knight I only ever exchanged a few words with? If only he showed that same jealousy toward Rael, it would ease my mind.
And to insist I only think of him as “the knight”—his tone was so firm it startled me, though inwardly I found it a little amusing too. My husband really was jealous over me learning one knight’s name.
He’s changed.
Since yesterday, Lucius had been different. More direct with his thoughts, more open with his feelings—almost assertive.
It was a good change, and I was glad. But it also surprised me, made me a little flustered. And curious enough to want to test him.
“But that knight always greets me warmly when I visit. Wouldn’t it be fine to at least know his name?”
“No. It won’t always be the same knight on duty. If you learn one name, you’ll want to know the names of them all.”
“…Well, maybe I would.”
“Exactly why I refuse. I know you’re always kind to the servants and knights, but they are still men. And I don’t want you showing interest in any man other than me. Nor do I want other men showing interest in you.”
“Then… what about His Majesty?”
“…What?”
“The Emperor. I know his name. Lately, he’s been showing a side of himself I hadn’t seen before, and it made me curious. Is that also not allowed?”
I carefully slipped Rael into the conversation, curious what Lucius’s reaction would be. He hesitated for a moment before quickly answering.
“Of course it’s not allowed. Even if he’s my brother, I don’t like the idea of you being interested in him.”
“Then why did you let me show such a defenseless side of myself to His Majesty?”
“…What?”
“When I fell asleep earlier, you didn’t wake me. Because of that, His Majesty also saw me at my most unguarded. What do you think about that?”
“That… I…”
The question seemed to catch him completely off guard. Lucius froze, struck speechless. I slipped my arm free from his and clasped his hands instead.
“Lucius. Isn’t His Majesty just as much a ‘man’ as the knights you spoke of? Then why is it that you don’t feel the same caution toward him as you do for them?”
