Special Story 1

After the wedding.

Sister Sabina and Brother Adrian took a vacation for the very first time in ages and decided to set off on a honeymoon.

To suit my sister’s taste—since she doesn’t particularly care for people—the honeymoon destination became an uninhabited villa belonging to the Valencia Duchy.

“Have a safe trip.”

It was a bright morning with clear sunlight beating down.

I had come out to see the two of them off.

Dominic had wanted to come out too, but couldn’t make it due to being overwhelmingly busy with affairs of state.

‘Just how busy is he anyway?’

Watching the two set off on their honeymoon, for some reason I found myself missing Dominic, too.

That was only natural, considering I hadn’t even caught a glimpse of a single strand of his hair since the wedding.

“May, make sure you eat well even without your sister. Sleep well. Okay?”

“Yeeees.”

I let Sabina’s nagging go in one ear and out the other.

Giving me a suspicious glare for a long while, my sister finally climbed into the carriage.

Well, strictly speaking, she tried to.

“Oh right, almost forgot.”

Abruptly whipping her head back, Sister Sabina opened her mouth with a fiery gleam in her eyes.

“Don’t you go doing anything foolish with Dominic while I’m gone. Understand?”

…What on earth is the benchmark for “foolish”?

Staring blankly at my sister, I attempted a small act of rebellion.

“Um, Sister? We’re lovers now, you know…”

“No, I know that, but!!”

Yet Sister Sabina quickly put on a stern face.

“You two are still young. Just hold hands when you’re out.”

“…”

Um, excuse me.

Hadn’t we already kissed, though?

However, I didn’t dare say those words aloud.

If I had said that, I felt like my sister really would have grabbed the back of her neck and collapsed.

Rolling my eyeballs around, I cautiously tossed out a question.

“Hey, weren’t you and Brother around our age when you first met?”

For a split second, both of them stiffened and tensed their shoulders.

Not missing that reaction, I narrowed my eyes and asked again.

“Back then, you guys didn’t just go around holding hands, did you?”

“…”

“…”

Simultaneously, a heavy silence descended.

Just as my sister’s face flared a brilliant red—

“W-We’re different!”

She shrieked out loud.

“We’ve got age on our side, and we’ve known each other for a long time!”

“Right, we’re adults, aren’t we?!”

Brother Adrian, too, with his face turned as red as a well-ripened tomato, flusteredly chimed in to help.

Staring blankly at the two of them, I said, “I’m an adult now too, you know?”

“…”

“…”

As silence fell once more,

I shrugged my shoulders with an indifferent expression.

“And as for me and Dominic, we’ve known each other for well over ten years, haven’t we?”

“…”

“…”

Their pupils were trembling as if undergoing an earthquake.

I stared intently at my sister and Brother.

The quiet atmosphere stretched on.

“Ahem.”

Giving a short, forced cough, Sister Sabina opened her mouth.

“W-Well, anyway. Just don’t go having unwholesome dates. You guys are still young…”

“I get it, so just go already.”

I snapped back at my sister with a bored look.

Honestly, it wasn’t like she was teasing someone.

To begin with, Dominic couldn’t even make it to see me off because of affairs of state.

How on earth was I supposed to go on a date with a guy that frantically busy?

‘Ah, I miss Dominic.’

Come to think of it, I didn’t think I’d had a proper, lengthy conversation with him since my sister and Brother’s wedding.

I pouted my lips with dissatisfaction.

‘Doesn’t he even miss me at all?’

I had definitely been thinking that, but…

***

That evening.

I was staring down at my dinner plate with a dejected expression.

Though I was sitting at the dining table, I didn’t feel like touching the food at all.

‘It feels kind of lonely.’

In the past, Sister Sabina and I were together every single day.

Now, my sister wasn’t coming back to this house.

She said that once her honeymoon ended, she would move into a newlywed home prepared near the capital.

I knew that was only natural, but…

“Sigh.”

I let out a short sigh.

The warm dishes laid out in front of me slowly grew cold.

After repeatedly poking uselessly at the butter-sauteed asparagus, I eventually put my cutlery down.

Right at that moment, however—

“Lady Maybel.”

Someone called out to me in an excited voice.

It was the maid my sister had left behind to take care of me when she moved out.

“There is someone here to see you.”

“Someone came? Who?”

I asked back with a puzzled voice.

That’s strange, there’s nobody who would come looking for me?

‘Wait.’

For a split second, I narrowed my brow.

This house was protected by my sister’s ward magic.

And the number of people who could pass through the ward magic without my sister’s or my permission was extremely limited.

Yet for someone to have visited this house…

‘Could it be?!’

I widened my eyes into circles.

The moment I sprang up from my seat, I saw a young man striding purposefully in this direction.

The moment he spotted me, the owner of those softly curving violet eyes was…

“Dominic!!”

I scurried right over to Dominic’s side.

His smile grew even brighter.

“May, have you been well?”

I immediately and tightly threw my arms around Dominic’s arm.

“What is this, didn’t you say you were busy?”

“I am busy, though.”

I stiffened my shoulders.

Because a dark shadow had drifted across Dominic’s face as he acknowledged being “busy.”

W-Was he really that busy?

However, that shadow was soon cleanly swept away.

“It’s just that it’s been way too long since we had a proper date.”

Dominic smiled gently a moment later.

Then, with a resolute look in his eyes, he declared to me: “We can’t possibly miss this chance entirely, can we?”

I completely agreed with that sentiment.

Sister Sabina and Brother Adrian’s watertight boundaries.

An opportunity to escape those watchful eyes was never, ever common.

Dominic finished affectionately,

“I came to spend at least today together with you.”

At that moment.

I felt a gaze staring intently in our direction.

Glancing sideways, I saw the maid watching us with a bright, beaming smile.

I couldn’t hide my suspicious expression.

‘Does that maid really only have the intention of waiting on me?’

If that wasn’t the case…

At my sister’s thoroughness, I felt a chill run straight down my spine. I quickly turned my head back toward Dominic.

Staring at my handsome boyfriend, did my mind and body finally feel a little at ease?

“So, have you eaten dinner?”

“Not yet. You?”

“I was just about to eat, too. Sit down quickly.”

Giggling happily, I led Dominic into the dining room.

Laughter kept bubbling up.

How should I put it—knowing I wouldn’t have to eat alone…

‘I had no idea it would feel this good.’

***

After finishing a hearty meal, the two of us sat side by side on the living room sofa and chatted cozily.

“Dominic, isn’t work hard for you lately?”

“No, it’s hard.”

With a face that looked haggard once again, Dominic answered decisively.

“We’re reviewing the budget proposal right now, and why are there so many unnecessary ceremonies? So when I suggested deleting the ceremonies and reallocating funds elsewhere, the Ministry of the Imperial Household…”

Listening to the endless complaints pouring out, I grew a bit dazed.

Dominic, he wasn’t normally a guy like this?

He must have really had a hard time…

“Still, it’s fine. It’s rewarding, after all.”

However, Dominic wrapped up with those words.

Because the expression on his face as he said that looked genuinely fulfilled, I was able to feel at least a little relieved.

At the same time, Dominic asked me affectionately,

“How have you been doing lately, May?”