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“Lucius? What’s wrong?”
“……”
“Lucius…?”
Tiana’s eyes, looking up at him while leaning against the door, held a trace of unease. Lucius, gazing at her standing between him and the door, felt something stir inside him and unconsciously swallowed hard.
This is…
He had felt something similar before, but never as strongly as now.
Looking down at her, just a little below him, he thought he might go mad with the desire to have her. To keep her locked in his arms forever. The feeling threatened to swallow him whole.
So this is what she meant earlier—when she told me to stay vigilant.
Today, for some reason, Tiana seemed especially interested in Rayel. She had paid more attention to his words than usual, and had even shown interest in his head chef.
She had never been like this before. What had happened? Thanks to this, Lucius, who had never seriously thought about Tiana’s relationship with Rayel, was finally forced to confront it.
He’s my brother. The one I trust the most, the one I respect above all.
He knew that she, too, thought highly of Rayel. That much was natural—he himself had always expressed his trust and respect for Rayel. Of course she would also think of Rayel as a man worthy of admiration.
That was why he had never minded her interest in Rayel. There was no reason to doubt them. Rayel already had his heart set on Count Werner’s daughter, and Tiana had him—her husband—whom she truly loved.
But I never thought she’d actually say something like that.
For her to ask him to also be wary of Rayel—wasn’t that telling him to see Rayel not just as a “brother,” but also as a “man”?
To be honest, when Tiana had said those words, he had been utterly thrown off guard. He had never even considered it before.
Of course I know he’s a man. That’s obvious. It’s just that…
To Lucius, Rayel had always been more “brother” than “man.” That familiar bond came first, and the obvious fact of his gender was secondary—so much so that Lucius hardly thought about it.
But in that familiarity, he had let his guard slip.
And yet I still let myself get jealous over little things.
A quiet, bitter laugh rose inside him. To her, he must have looked ridiculous. Maybe even foolish. Jealous of Rayel, yet without the most basic caution. To her, he must have seemed like a careless husband.
And indeed, Lucius realized it deeply this time. Especially when he recalled how Tiana had fallen asleep earlier in Rayel’s presence—he hadn’t thought anything of it at the time, but it had been a mistake.
I showed my brother too easily how defenseless she can be. Neither of us meant for it, but still…
He had been too focused on her condition and overlooked something important. Of course, her wellbeing was always his first priority. Even if it happened again and she collapsed before both him and Rayel, he wouldn’t wake her. But next time, he would do things differently—carry her home himself, or borrow a guest room to let her rest. He would never repeat today’s mistake. Because that was what she wanted, and he thought the same.
“Lucius, what’s wrong? Alexandra must be waiting.”
Since he had held her back without saying anything, she asked again. The sound of his name on her lips was sweeter than usual. Lucius let go of the doorknob he was holding and carefully brought his hand up to her face.
Her soft cheeks, faintly flushed, displeased him. Was it because she was happy about having lunch with Alexandra? Or because she was looking forward to the emperor’s head chef’s food?
“Which is it?”
“Eh? What do you mean?”
“Are you in such a hurry because Alexandra is waiting, or because you’re eager to taste the emperor’s head chef’s cooking?”
“Uh, well… both?”
“Then which one excites you more? Right now, what is it that makes your heart race?”
“That’s…”
Perhaps his tone had been too sharp, because she faltered and fell silent, lowering her head with a tense expression. Lucius immediately regretted it.
Had he pushed too hard? Still, at least she hadn’t answered “the latter.” That was a relief.
But he had frightened her. What now? Just as he was wondering how to fix it, a small laugh escaped from Tiana, who still had her head bowed.
“…Haha…”
“Tiana?”
“Ahaha…!”
Unable to hold back anymore, Tiana burst out laughing. Lucius blinked in confusion, startled by her sudden bright laughter. Had he said something strange? She kept laughing, unable to stop.
Finally, when she managed to calm down, she spoke to him, still smiling.
“Lucius, really. You only just figured it out now?”
“…What do you mean?”
“How to really be jealous. See? When I start showing interest in His Majesty, you get restless, you hate it, don’t you? You even dislike it when I pay attention to his head chef, right?”
“That’s…”
So she’d caught him. She was quick, as always. Flustered, Lucius could only fumble for words, while Tiana smiled and went on.
“You know, Lucius, you and His Majesty aren’t even starting from the same place as other men.”
“Starting point?”
“Yes, the way you think. Most men are naturally cautious first—they guard against anyone, no matter who it is. But you’re different when it comes to His Majesty. When it’s him or someone close to him, you tend to step back. That’s the difference.”
“Ah…”
Her words hit precisely where he couldn’t. Lucius was impressed. As always, it was Tiana. She put into words what he hadn’t even defined himself. Sometimes it felt like she understood him better than he did.
“I think it’s time you change your starting point. Lucius, tell me—when I kept showing interest in His Majesty’s head chef, what did you feel?”
“…I hated it. Because it seemed like you liked him.”
“And was that because he’s just a man who cooks well? Or because he’s the emperor’s chef—and a man?”
“…The latter, I think.”
“Exactly. At first, you were wary just because he was male, but this time it was different. It was because he belonged to the emperor. Do you see? Your perspective has shifted.”
“Yes. Clearly.”
So all of that had been intentional? She had done it just to show him again? In the end, he had fallen right into her little scheme. Yet strangely, it didn’t upset him.
On the contrary, Lucius felt joy. The unease that had weighed on him lifted, and his heart soared.
Tiana—she only has eyes for me.
How foolish he had been, worrying that her heart might leave him, that she might forget him. Right now, she was looking at him and him alone. She even grew jealous for him, even told him outright to be wary of Rayel.
He knew better than anyone how rare this was. Most women would never express themselves so openly. But Tiana did—because she was Tiana.
Is it because of me? Is that why she’s showing her feelings so desperately?
Maybe it was because of his anxiety—because she wanted to reassure him.
…No. Yesterday’s events had an influence, but that wasn’t all. He knew her. She had always come to him with her whole heart, at every moment. Ever since she’d returned, she had been expressing her love openly again and again.
The one who had nearly forgotten, who had nearly let go, was him.
He confessed silently to himself: he had almost betrayed her, swayed by the unfamiliar presence of another, nearly giving up on her.
Even if it hadn’t truly been his will, the fact that he almost abandoned her was undeniable.
Tiana was different. Unlike me, even during that time apart, she remembered me. She kept her feelings for me alive.
Even when her body and memories had been stolen, even while living alone in another world, she had held fast to her love. And when she returned, it was she who reached out to him first. How had he only realized this now? Regret and guilt swelled inside him, leaving him speechless.
As his face grew darker, Tiana looked at him curiously. She placed her hand over his, which had slid down to her shoulder, and called softly:
“Lucius? Are you unwell? You don’t look good.”
“…No. I’m fine.”
“Fine? You’re this pale. Is your stomach hurting?”
“…If I said yes, would you give up lunch with Alexandra—and the emperor’s chef’s cooking—and come back with me instead?”
“…What?”
The question slipped out before he could stop it. Even as he said it, Lucius thought: What a petty, childish thing to ask. That he could even say something like this—it was embarrassing, laughable.
But it was because of her. Because of the woman in front of him, who made him want to cling, who made his growing feelings feel so fragile.
He expected no answer. He didn’t dare hope. Yet, her reply was immediate, firm, and for him alone.
“Of course. Lucius, if you’re sick, how could food matter? Obviously I’d go back with you.”
“……”
“Wait here a minute. I’ll go tell Alexandra.”
…Ah. This woman. He could never win against her.
“I’ll apologize to His Majesty later too. He wouldn’t force a sick man to eat, would he?”
How could she so easily hold his heart like this? How could she embrace him so completely?
“I’ll be right back. Wait for me. Then we’ll go home together, Lucius.”
The words “go home together” sounded sweeter than honey. Even her voice, he wanted to claim for himself now. Lucius no longer wished to hide the fire in his chest.
Tiana gave him a gentle smile as she stroked his hand, then released it to grab the doorknob. Just as she was about to open the door, Lucius closed it again.
“Eh? Lucius…?”
“…Tiana.”
She was sweet as honey, and he couldn’t let her go. Like a bee clutching its jar of honey, Lucius caught her and refused to release her.
He wanted to lock her in his arms forever.
