Chapter 5.6

“Sally, what happened?”

Her mood had completely changed from when she had gone to the training grounds. She saw me and let out a deep sigh.

“My Lady, when I was in Quinze-Nouais.”

“Yes.”

“Even back then, I thought Sir Cedric was incredibly handsome.”

I knew that all too well. Sally would say that every time she saw Cedric.

“But it was just… like that. Like how our Leo is handsome. Being handsome is the best, isn’t it?”

“Of course.”

I nodded in strong agreement.

“But, when I saw Sir Cedric again here, I guess I subconsciously wanted to be remembered by him. I guess I thought the day he came to save me was a little special.”

I couldn’t say anything to Sally, who was smiling bitterly.

“This is Turk, after all, and I can’t go to Quinze-Nouais. And even if I went there, I’m just a maid. So I approached him without a second thought. I guess I thought it was okay since I had nothing to lose. I didn’t even know he disliked me so much.”

“Cedric dislikes you?”

“No, it’s not that, but he said he doesn’t eat cookies.”

“What? That guy who loves sweets?”

“I know, right? I saw him eat a lot of cookies. But, that’s not the important part.”

“Then what is?”

“He didn’t even know my name. It’s only natural, but I was sad. It was so arrogant of me to be upset. So I’m going to stop. That fan stuff.”

Oh, I wanted to do something for Sally.

I grew up as an orphan, so I couldn’t know for sure, but I always thought that if I had a sister, she would be like Sally. Suddenly, I hated Cedric so much. Even more than when he found me in the north.

I thought I should trip him up a few times when I saw him tomorrow.

That night, I couldn’t sleep and tossed and turned, and Leo started shaking my arm, demanding I play with him. It seemed he had a really good nap.

“Let’s play hide-and-seek.”

“Now? No. This place is too big, and Mom won’t be able to find Leo.”

“Then let’s play tag.”

“Hmm, then no going outside this room.”

Leo smiled brightly in response to my words. And as soon as I finished, he bolted out like a flash.

“Leo!”

But there was no escape from the annex.

“You rascal, come here.”

I circled around him as if to catch him, then intentionally swiped at the air with my arm.

But at that moment, Leo’s eyes sparkled a little more, and he suddenly opened the annex door and ran outside!

“No, Leo!”

I tried my best to catch the child, but it was incredibly difficult to follow him in my indoor slippers.

After a while, Leo’s destination became clear.

“Leo, not there!”

I knew that telling a child “no” was the same as telling them to try harder, but this time, I was genuinely desperate. The child ran toward the guest annex where Adrian was staying.

And as the child approached, the knights guarding the annex immediately opened the door. And they had smiles on their faces. It was clear that this wasn’t Leo’s first time coming here.

When I hesitated with a flustered expression, they opened the door even wider. It was such a natural movement, as if I had been expected. But I had to catch the child, so there was no time to think.

“Come here, Leo.”

I whispered in a small voice. But the child deliberately waited for me to come, and when my face appeared, he smiled brightly again and ran up to the second floor. And with a giggle, he ran into the annex’s main bedroom.

Feeling flustered, I squeezed my eyes shut. But even so, my feet were running with the sole purpose of catching the child.

“Got you, you rascal.”

I succeeded in catching the child right at the door, but in the end, I came face to face with Adrian, who had come out after hearing the commotion.

“Hah, hah.”

I was out of breath more than usual, probably because I was running so tense. In the meantime, the child had slipped into his room.

“Ah, hello? I hope we didn’t wake you?”

As I panted and smiled awkwardly at Adrian, he slightly furrowed his brow and pulled my wrist, leading me inside.

Leo was already snuggled into Adrian’s bed, with the blanket pulled up to his head.

“I’m sorry, Adrian. Leo wanted to play tag, and, hah, I didn’t know he’d come here.”

But Adrian gently pulled me toward the sofa in the bedroom.

“Just a moment.”

He then went to Leo’s side, stroked his hair, and stayed there for a while.

“No, don’t put him to sleep.”

“Shh!”

I spoke in a hurry, but Adrian didn’t listen to me. And Leo was already closing his eyes as if he had never been a troublemaker.

I had no choice but to wait for him to fall asleep, thinking I would carry him back then.

And as if by a miracle, the child began to breathe softly. Adrian confirmed that the child was asleep and slowly placed a kiss on his forehead. And then he walked toward me.

“Want a drink?”

He must have already been drinking, as half the bottle was empty.

“No.”

At my answer, he filled his glass again. I watched what he was doing and then firmly grabbed his wrist.

“Don’t drink. It’s harmful for insomnia, even if you don’t feel it right now.”

He obediently listened to me and put the glass down on the table. When I tried to let go of his hand, Adrian grabbed mine instead.

The moment I thought the air in the room had suddenly changed at the meeting of our eyes, I quickly stood up.

“Leo is asleep, so I’ll take him with me now.”

But Adrian took a large step toward me.

“Are you seducing me right now?”

“What are you talking about, out of nowhere?”

“Your clothes, the front is all undone.”

I quickly looked down and saw that the laces on the front of my pajamas were very loose. It seemed to have happened because I moved around so much while playing tag with the child.

But even so, ‘seducing’ him? I glared at Adrian with a flushed face and spoke in a low voice.

“Can’t you just pretend not to see something like that?”

“No, I can’t.”

“Why? A gentleman should.”

“Then other guys would see it, wouldn’t they?”

“What?”

“I’d like to… all the guys who saw you just now…”

But he didn’t finish his sentence. I glared at Adrian, who had been saying strange things all along, and then stopped.

To try and understand him. It didn’t make sense from the start. I quickly clutched the front of my pajamas.

“Why don’t you look somewhere else?”

As I moved, worried about Adrian’s gaze, my hands kept fumbling. And I wasn’t used to this since Sally always helped me.

Just then, Adrian gently took my hands off the laces. Then, he carefully pulled on each one and tied them up properly.

“Th… thank you.”

“Stay the night.”

“What? Are you out of your mind? I think you’ve had too much to drink.”

“Not you. Let Leo sleep here.”

Adrian gave a faint smile.

“And I haven’t had much to drink.”

“Hah, but it’ll be uncomfortable for you.”

‘Ah, why am I stammering so much?’

“No, I don’t sleep much anyway. And I think I’ll sleep better with Leo here. Is it not okay? If you don’t like it…”

“No, I don’t like it. I’ll take the child with me.”

Adrian stepped back from me neatly. He then went to get his own gown, draped it over my body, went to the bed, and picked up Leo.

In the end, he came all the way to my bedroom.

“I could have brought him.”

He silently laid the child down in the bedroom and then came close to me.

I instinctively took a step back from him. But Adrian came right up to me without hesitation and then smoothly snatched the gown off my body.

“Because this is mine.”

After saying that and grinning, he left my room. I felt my legs give out and sank onto the sofa. It was the moment I most truly felt the five years between Adrian and me.

***

Today was the day Duke Henry Kabyl was to discuss the punishment of criminals with the territory’s judge.

On this day, to honor the fairness of the sacred Turk goddess Sha, Duke Henry Kabyl would head to the courthouse instead of the ducal estate.

The courthouse of the Kabyl territory, unlike what we know, was located within a temple-like structure.

And on this day, Henry Kabyl was especially cold and collected, displaying his frigid demeanor without reserve.

Lately, I had been working mainly in the library on the same floor as the Duke’s office, as there were too many books I needed to reference.

The scale of the ducal estate’s library was immense.

Rows of labyrinthine bookshelves stood in a line, reminiscent of the Royal Central Museum. And in the middle, my typewriter and documents were scattered on a long desk.

“Welcome back.”

Duke Kabyl always came to find me on the days he had court. He sometimes seemed to want confirmation from me as to whether he had made the right judgment.

He ran his light-brown hair over his forehead and sat down across from me.

This was his usual behavior when something wasn’t going well.

“You look tired. Was there a difficult verdict?”

“Well, you see. A woman killed her husband.”

The laws of Turk were especially harsh on women. In such a case, the death penalty was unavoidable.

“For what reason?”

“She was beaten for a very long time.”

Hearing this, I thought there was no way to save her. Such things were very common in this empire.

“I see.”

“But that wasn’t all of the reason.”

“Then what was it?”

“The man… he committed a bestial act against his own daughter…”

He seemed to have difficulty speaking in front of me and chose his words carefully for a long time.

“And his wife found out.”

“That’s right. Because she hated it so much, she got her husband drunk and stabbed him with a knife while he was sleeping.”

“So… what was your verdict?”

“I did as you told me.”

“What did I tell you to do?”

“Yes, I imagined myself as that woman.”

“Ah… and?”

“I thought from her perspective. And I understood.”

Until recently, Henry Kabyl’s emotions had been very dry. But he was a very talented student. In no time, he began to properly learn emotions.

“So I decided not to sentence the woman to death but to exile her from this empire.”

While it sounded like a good thing, a woman going to another empire alone was a very dangerous thing. It wasn’t a small punishment.

“You did well.”

“Do you think so?”

“But there will be a lot of opposition. There has never been a precedent of not executing a woman who killed her husband.”

“It’s like an unwritten rule, so it will probably be that way. I’m not confident. Whether I made the right judgment…”

“Of course. I commend you. You made the right judgment. He was a person who committed a bestial act. Some consideration for her situation is necessary.”

He finally smiled a little as if he were relieved.

“Well, get back to work. I will see you in my office in a moment.”

I watched him leave the library for a moment and then went back to organizing my documents.

The contract was almost finished.

There would be a lot of things to revise once the project started, but for now, a contract of a suitable standard for this world would be born. Just then, I heard something fall from somewhere in the library.

“Is anyone there?”

There was no answer, but I felt a presence and walked toward the sound.

After passing a bookshelf, I saw Adrian standing there.

“Adrian? How long have you been here?”

He looked a little embarrassed, but then he smiled faintly.

“Long before the Duke came here.”

Adrian was sitting under a bookshelf in the labyrinthine library, reading a book.

Then he heard the sound of Claire typing. He had seen the documents she had created many times, but it was not often that he saw her use a typewriter in person.

The clattering sound pleasantly tickled Adrian’s ears.

Then he suddenly heard the sound of the door, and the Duke’s low voice came in.

At that moment, Adrian’s mood began to plummet.

After finding out that Leo was his son, he decided to be brave one more time. Of course, he knew that Claire was going to marry the Duke.

But they weren’t married yet, were they?

And based on what he had seen so far, the Duke might love Claire, but she didn’t. At least that’s what he had thought until now.

But while listening to their conversation, a crack began to form in Adrian’s belief.

Claire’s love was a fire.

She was obsessive and wanted what she wanted. But time had passed, and just as he had changed, she might have changed too.

Right now, they were tightly bound by a mutual trust and familiarity. Adrian was so envious of the trust and comfort between them that he felt like he was going insane.

A thirst rose up inside him from an unbearable emotion. Claire’s love had changed, but his love was still a fire.

Adrian couldn’t stand it and took big strides toward Claire.

And as always, as soon as she saw him, she became wary and started to back away.

The fact that she could have such a natural conversation with that man but not with him made his heart clench with pain.

“Why, why are you like this?”

Adrian ignored Claire’s words and came closer. It was only when she backed into a bookshelf that Adrian could come forward.

Adrian placed one hand on the bookshelf and gently touched her cheek with the other.

“If you don’t like it, I won’t touch you.”

“You’re already touching me.”

“And do you dislike it?”

‘Say you dislike it, say you dislike it.’

But my will could not win over my instincts. What on earth did I want?

Fortunately, he seemed to have thought that my silence was a refusal, and he stepped back from me. But he soon came close to me again.

“Why did you praise the Duke just now?”

“What?”

“You told him he did well just now.”

“Well… he was understanding of a poor woman’s situation and gave a generous verdict.”

“Then will you praise me too?”

“For what?”

“For not doing anything you dislike.”

I was so dumbfounded, so genuinely flustered, that I just stared at him.

“Praise me too.”

‘Are you really the guy I used to know?’

I reached out with a look of unease and stroked Adrian’s head.

“I… I admire your effort. You did well, Adrian.”

And as if by a miracle, his angry and hurt face softened and looked comforted. For some reason, I was reminded of my own Adrian, the dog I had left with the neighbors.

In the spot where he had been, a single book was left behind. I walked over and picked it up.

‘What was he reading just now? The Art of Persuasion to Move People’s Hearts?’

 

***

And soon after, an invitation from the Turk Imperial Family arrived.

“Me? Why me?”

“Your name is on the imperial invitation as well.”

“But what about Leo?”

“While you are away, the child will be well-protected at the ducal estate. Your maid, Sara, will be with him.”

“It’s Sally.”

“Yes, Sally.”

Henry Kabyl was the youngest son of the former Duke of Kabyl. In truth, his family was known for its military prowess, but Henry was like a mutant of the family, uninterested in swordsmanship or war.

With a sensitive personality and sharp intellect, he lost both his father and brothers in the continuous small and large wars.

Having become the head of the Kabyl family, he was now a figure who had earned the trust of the Empire as the “brain” of Turk.

I was now watching the beads of sweat dripping down his face.

It hadn’t been long since the head of the family started appearing at the family’s training grounds. If my memory served me right, he had started his sword training the day after he came back from the lake.

I continued to nag him as I wiped the sweat from his face with a towel.

“Seriously, why can’t you remember a person’s name after all these years? What did I tell you was the most important thing when dealing with your subordinates?”

“Mutual trust.”

“That’s right.”

“Then tell me your real name.”

“What?”

My actions stopped for a moment at Duke Henry Kabyl’s sudden question.

“Your name that he knows, but I don’t.”

“Who… who is he?”

“You said mutual trust was the most important thing. You are a person whose theory and practice don’t match.”

Henry Kabyl had completely shed his previous socially awkward demeanor.

His green eyes sparkled more intelligently and gently than ever before. To change the subject, I quickly stated the reason for my visit.

“The contract is almost done.”

He nodded and smiled at me. It was a somewhat relieved smile.

“You’ve worked hard. It will be over soon.”

“After we visit the Turk Imperial Family, that is.”

Hearing me sigh, Henry Kabyl gripped his sword again.

“Wow, Your Grace. You’ve developed muscles in your arms.”

I was genuinely impressed. Thinking of my first impression of him, this was a huge change.

As I couldn’t take my eyes off his arm, a chill suddenly ran down my spine from behind.

Henry Kabyl took a step back from me and bowed his head. I turned around, still holding the towel in my outstretched hand.

For a moment, Adrian seemed to be looking at my hand, but he soon passed me indifferently and began his sword training with his knights.

I quietly left the training grounds, watching Adrian swing his sword so fiercely it looked like someone would die.

“Something is strange about His Majesty lately.”

Owen called over Cedric, who was looking at the emperor with a bewildered expression.

“Cedric.”

“Yes?”

“Do you remember?”

Cedric thought it had been a long time since Owen had spoken to him first. That’s how close they were; they didn’t need words.

But Owen had heard about what happened to Cedric and Sally a few days ago, and he thought he should explain things properly this time. Cedric was truly clueless.

“Remember what?”

“Do you remember the Battle of Horoden?”

“Ah, that was truly amazing. I was completely convinced that our Emperor was the incarnation of the god of war.”

“Yes, our Emperor is of course the strongest in the world with a sword, but back then, his intellect was more remarkable than his strength.”

“That’s right. I don’t know how lucky I am to be a subject of our Emperor. Just thinking of him as an enemy makes my blood run cold.”

“His Majesty is a genius.”

“Yes, he is.”

“And with that brilliant mind, he’s currently waging a war to win a woman.”

“What?”

“Cedric, do you remember that our Emperor used a different strategy for every war?”

“Yes, I do.”

“I think he’s using the same strategy he used to reclaim the Pen territory.”

Cedric’s face lit up at the thought of that time.

“So that’s it. Then victory is guaranteed this time, too.”

But despite Cedric’s confident expression, Owen’s face was grim.

“But Cedric, this time, it seems victory is far from certain.”

“What? Why?”

“His Majesty doesn’t have any weapons this time, and Lady Ianster is already much stronger than him.”

As if to prove Owen’s words, the emperor, who had been destroying the wooden dummies at the training grounds, suddenly threw his wooden sword and ran off somewhere.

“I guess so. He wasn’t the kind of person whose emotions you could read back then…”

“I think all we can do is pray.”

“Yes.”

Adrian ran to the annex where Claire was staying. And he was able to catch the woman who was about to go inside from the garden.

“Claire.”

“Adrian?”

He had clearly been at the training grounds, breaking human-sized wooden dummies, but somehow, he was standing in front of me again.

My mind went blank as he came closer, huffing as if he were out of breath. Why did his face have to be so handsome?

“What in the world did you say to the Duke to make him look like that?”

“Huh?”

I had been staring blankly at his face, but only then did I see that he was full of frustration. Just like Leo.

“What did you say to him to make his face so red?”

“Oh, I just said that his arm… but why do I have to tell you all this?”

Despite my protest, Adrian didn’t back down.

“What about his arm?”

“I just said that he was getting muscles from working out. What’s the big deal?”

Adrian tilted his head toward the sky at my words and let out a sigh.

“I have that too.”

‘Oh, really?’

“I know. I know your whole body is made of muscles. Do you think I don’t?”

I said that and immediately regretted it. I didn’t know why my mouth was just saying anything. But Adrian came closer to me at my words.

“So you still remember all that.”

“What, what?”

“It was pretty dark, you know.”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“But, things are very different now from back then.”

“Huh? What? They don’t seem very different.”

I raised both hands and covered my mouth again. I saw Adrian grin.

“And I’m sweating, too. I ran here from the training grounds really fast.”

“So?”

“Wipe me, too.”

Was that book Adrian was reading really about the art of persuasion to move people’s hearts?

I was careful not to let any curses slip through my closed lips. With the mindset of giving a bully a piece of rice cake, I pulled out my sleeve and wiped his face. This situation wouldn’t last much longer.

This situation, where I was completely at his mercy whenever he asked for something, would end once I returned from the Turk Imperial Palace.

“I’m going to the Turk Imperial Palace.”

“I heard.”

“When that’s over, I’ll go back to Quinze-Nouais.”

My hand, which was wiping Adrian’s sweat, stopped.

“Yeah, I know.”

Adrian became more and more unsure of himself. Every time he saw her with Duke Henry Kabyl, the fear he had been hiding began to reveal itself.

He still wanted her so badly, but he didn’t want Claire to be unhappy.

He knew that her kindness to him now was just an act of an old friend.

But even so, Adrian wanted to lean on her kindness.

Even if she didn’t love him at all, Claire was kind and gentle, so she might treat him well until the day he left.

There wasn’t much time left.

Thinking many thoughts, Adrian, who had returned to the training grounds, was approached by Owen.

“I’ve brought in reinforcements. You never know what might happen at the Turk Imperial Palace.”

“Okay.”

“The knights of Quinze-Nouais should be arriving by ship soon.”

“Mhm.”

“Cheer up.”

“What?”

“Buck up, Your Majesty. It’s too early to give up.”

“Is that… so?”

“Yes. Look for a good opportunity, apologize sincerely, and tell her how you feel. Then the Lady might at least consider it. You can’t give up without even trying. Think about when you reclaimed the Pen territory.”

Adrian nodded, listening to his loyal aide’s words. He puffed out his chest a little, trying to shake off the feeling of shrinking every time he stood in front of Claire.

***

Finally, it was the day before our departure for the capital of the Turk Empire.

Leo was very sad when he heard that Adrian and I were leaving. But Sally consoled him with his favorite snacks, and when she got a calendar and marked the day his mom would return, he was finally appeased.

“I want to see Adrian.”

“Huh? Which Adrian?”

“Our Adrian.”

“The puppy?”

“Yeah.”

“Okay, then I’ll ask His Grace the Duke if it’s okay to bring Adrian over.”

“And I want to see Emperor Adrian, too.”

The child’s mouth moved as if the pronunciation of “emperor” was difficult.

“Then, let’s go to the training grounds later. Okay?”

Adrian had said he would leave for Quinze-Nouais directly from the Turk capital. This might be the last time Leo would ever see his father.

As I entered the training grounds with the child, Leo started running toward Adrian before I could stop him.

“Leo! Be careful, you’ll fall!”

And as if it were the most natural thing in the world, he too threw down his sword and prepared to lift the child into his arms.

For a moment, I wondered if this was all just my own greed. I had never imagined the child would love his father so much.

Lost in these thoughts, I was just staring at Adrian, but when our eyes met, he quickly turned his face away.

‘What’s wrong with him today?’

But there were so many things to prepare for our departure tomorrow.

And Adrian, holding the child, looked at him as if there were no one else in the world, and they immediately moved away from me.

As I was leaving the training grounds, I saw the dog Adrian coming into the ducal estate.

I put our puppy in the annex’s garden and went to the Duke’s office. He seemed to have a lot to prepare for tomorrow.

“Thank you for your consideration.”

“For what?”

“For allowing Adrian to come to the ducal estate.”

He looked up from his documents with a confused expression.

“Oh, the puppy. Our dog’s name is Adrian.”

“Ah…”

The Duke knew that Lady Taylor and Leo called the emperor Adrian. But a dog named Adrian? He thought she had a truly peculiar taste, no matter what their past connection was.

“His name is… impressive.”

“Yes, hahaha. The pronunciation is soft…”

“Are you all ready to leave?”

“Yes, I just finished organizing the items, and Butler Gary is handling all the preparations. I hope the contract is settled quickly so we can return home soon. I’m worried about the child, too.”

“It will be. We will be able to return to our home sooner than you think.”

I thought of him emphasizing “our home.” I knew what a great proposal he had made to me.

A woman whose status was not even certain, a single mother with a boy, a lower-ranking noble with no title or territory. The lord of the Kabyl territory had proposed marriage to such a woman.

Not only that, but he had promised the position of Duke’s heir to Leo, who was not even his own child. But…

“I’m also greedy and want to resolve everything at once when we go to the Turk imperial palace.”

“What?”

“A Duke’s marriage requires the permission of the Turk Emperor. So if you accept my proposal, we will have to go to the capital again.”

“I…”

“No, I spoke incorrectly. Going to the capital twice is not a problem at all.”

He would sometimes bring up his feelings like this when I least expected it. It would have been right to refuse him quickly, but I couldn’t make any decision right now. When I didn’t answer, he emphasized it again.

“I am absolutely not trying to rush you. Please take your time to think it over.”

“Sir, by the way, Your Grace.”

He put down his documents and looked at me, as if telling me to speak.

“Do you love me?”

“Love…”

He seemed unfamiliar with the word and rolled it around in his mouth.

“I don’t know exactly what that emotion is. However… if wanting you to be in every part of my future is love, if feeling at peace just by thinking of you is love, then yes. I love you.”

I thought I had asked a foolish question. His expression was so warm and peaceful. But ironically, if that was his love, it was very different from mine.

“Sir, I…”

“No. Don’t answer now. This is a very confusing time for you. Go to Turk, and when everything returns to normal, then tell me. I think I can only accept your answer then, when it’s just us.”

In the end, I couldn’t say a word and hurried to prepare for our departure.

I came back to the annex only at night after finishing my work. We had to leave at dawn tomorrow, so I decided to just stay up all night. I didn’t think I’d be able to sleep anyway.

After many carriage trips, I knew that it was easier to endure if I just slept in the carriage.

Sally wasn’t accompanying me, so there would be no one to talk to.

The Turk Imperial Family was in a hurry to conclude this matter, saying a decision had to be made before winter arrived.

Winter was a harsh season for everyone in both Quinze-Nouais and Turk. At that time, everyone had to hold their breath and focus on surviving.

But if the matter was settled before then, they would be able to move forward with the project as soon as spring came and the ground thawed. This project was clearly something that would be of great help to both countries.

***

I brushed my hand through the sleeping child’s hair and then went to sit by the window. I had heard the sound of rain pouring outside for a while.

When I pulled back the curtains, I saw that the autumn rain was soaking the Kabyl territory. The ground was wet, making the night darker than usual. But then I saw a lone figure standing in the rain outside.

When I looked closer, that pathetic figure was none other than the Emperor of Quinze-Nouais. The same man who had turned away from me at the training grounds earlier was now standing motionless in the rain. Just like that night in Quinze-Nouais, years ago.

And our eyes met.

“Come here, Claire.”

It couldn’t be, but I had that illusion again, that he was calling me. But it wasn’t me who first left, avoiding eye contact, it was Adrian.

However, I didn’t run to him like I did back then. He was a person I truly wouldn’t have to see again once the contract at the Turk Imperial Palace was finished. I just got into bed and held my child in my arms.

Knock, knock.

At the sound of the knock, I jolted up from the bed. My heart knew who was at the door before my mind did.

And with a “bang,” my hand opened the door before I was mentally prepared.

“Adrian!”

Adrian, soaked to the bone, was standing at the door.

Worried that someone might see, I quickly led him inside. White steam was rising from his body, which was drenched in rain.

“How long were you out in the rain?”

I quickly grabbed a towel and began to thoroughly dry Adrian’s body. As if to stop me, Adrian held my hand tightly.

“Why?”

He looked at me for a moment and then wordlessly brought his lips to the inside of my wrist.

My heart pounded painfully. His actions were so natural that I couldn’t say a word to stop him.

“Why were you standing out there?”

“Because I missed you…”

‘What?’

“I couldn’t believe you were so close… so I came. I didn’t even know it was raining until you opened the window, Claire.”

Adrian mumbled, his lips still on my wrist.

“I had something to say, something I absolutely had to tell you, so I waited every day.”

Every time his warmth spread through my wrist, the urge to throw away everything—Celine, Quinze-Nouais—and run away to live with him grew stronger and stronger. So I twisted my hand and pulled it away from him.

“We… we can’t do this.”

“Why? Because of Henry Kabyl?”

“Either way, this is not right.”

“Alright. I won’t do anything you don’t like.”

A moment later, he reluctantly backed away from me.

“Adrian, you should change your clothes. You’ll catch a cold, and we have to leave at dawn. Your immunity drops when you’re tired.”

At my words, Adrian let out a small chuckle.

“You’ve always said strange things. What’s ‘immunity’?”

As he said that, he grabbed the shirt near his neck and pulled it up.

“Wha… what are you doing?”

“You said I should change.”

“I meant you should go to your room and do it.”

“No, I can’t. If I get any more wet on the way, my immunity will drop.”

His witty reply, even though he didn’t know what “immunity” meant, was shameless.

“Where would you find clothes that would fit you here?”

Adrian looked at me as if I was the one saying strange things, then went to the fireplace with his clothes. He stoked the fire a bit and hung his shirt on a chair.

“You already lit the fireplace?”

“Yes, Leo gets cold at night. You used to get cold easily when you were little, too.”

I wanted to slap my mouth after saying that. But Adrian showed no sign of noticing.

“Yeah. You were the one who secretly brought me a blanket to my room in the orphanage every time.”

Of course, that was the Claire Ianster from the original story, not me, but I knew from reading the novel that Adrian feared the cold more than hunger or pain.

“That’s right.”

He squatted down and poked the fire in the fireplace with a fire poker.

The fire flared up and died down with his every touch. While he was doing that, I naturally found myself looking at the whip scars on his back. When I saw those marks, I couldn’t help but feel drawn to him.

As I brought my hand closer to his back, Adrian’s body stiffened, but he didn’t react as sensitively as he used to.

“They’ve faded a lot.”

“Yes, the imperial physicians are very skilled.”

Since he didn’t seem to mind, I boldly placed my hand on his back.

“I think it’s very fortunate that you can’t see your own back.”

“…Why?”

“Because it would be horrible to think that you have to face my sin every day.”

Adrian suddenly stood up, causing me, who had been leaning over his back, to stand up abruptly as well.

As I staggered back, he pulled me into his arms. I could barely handle his handsome face, but his body, which was a threat to my sanity, was a different story.

“Ah… Adrian!”

“I… I’ve never thought of it that way. I swear, I really haven’t.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“I don’t think it’s your sin… I forgot about it a long… long time ago. Don’t say that. Have you been feeling that way every time you see me? If you tell me that, I can’t bear it.”

“But that event won’t just disappear. That’s my burden to bear.”

He pressed me tightly against his bare chest, his heartbeat hammering in my ears. My cheek was pressed against his chest.

“No. Don’t do that. Please.”

His heartbeat was thundering so loudly in my ears. I was the one who was supposed to be comforting him, but I was just struggling in his arms.

“I get it, so please let go of me…”

As if he couldn’t hear me, he put more strength into the arms that were holding me.

“I said I had something I absolutely had to tell you, didn’t I? I should have said it the moment I met you, but it’s too late.”

“What… what is it?”

“I think I owe you an apology.”

“An apology?”

He pulled my face away from his chest and locked his blue eyes with my purple ones.

“I’m sorry, Claire.”

“Huh?”

“I committed a crime that you can’t forgive. I was wrong. I truly…”

“No, I’m alr…”

A single tear, for a reason I couldn’t pinpoint, fell from my eye. Was I alright? Had I been alright?

Was one ‘I’m sorry’ really something that can move a heart so much? All the countless things I had done since I fell into this world flashed through my mind.

Everything else was fine. But Leo… was I really alright watching my child grow up alone?

I averted my eyes from Adrian, who was sincerely apologizing.

“What are you sorry for?”

My voice sounded quite cold, even to my own ears. As I looked away, Adrian’s bewilderment came to me clearly.

“Just, everything.”

I snorted at his answer. That’s the wrong answer. That’s an answer that would be unthinkable in Korea.

“If you just say ‘everything,’ I have no way of knowing what you’re truly sorry for.”

We had already grown used to each other’s warmth. Adrian was lost in thought, his arms still around my waist.

“I imprisoned and tormented you.”

“Wrong. I did that to you, too.”

“Then… I yelled and got angry at you.”

“That’s also wrong. My voice was probably much louder than yours.”

Adrian agonized as if he had been given a truly difficult problem.

“I said hurtful things to you at the hunting grounds.”

“That one… yeah, that’s a maybe.”

“A maybe?”

“Listen closely. There are three things you did wrong. But I’m not going to tell you a single one. No hints, either. And don’t even dream of forgiveness until you figure them all out.”

Adrian just looked at me with the face of a student who had been given a huge assignment. But I, looking at him, was inwardly cursing the author.

‘Author, why did you have to make him so handsome?’

It’s not my fault that I feel like forgiving him for everything just by looking at Adrian’s face.

In the original story, he dies before he turns twenty-four. So the person who wrote this story probably never imagined he would become this beautiful.

Leaning against the roaring fire, lost in deep thought, he was already an unearthly beauty. I had to get away from him before his face enchanted me and I ended up forgiving him for everything.

“Your clothes must be dry now.”

“No way.”

“Yes, they are if I say so. Now, let go of my arms.”

At my words, the emperor’s face was that of a dog named Adrian, who was begging for a walk.

I pushed him away, forced the still-damp shirt onto him, and looked out the window. The rain had already stopped.

Adrian, who had been given his assignment, obediently moved away from me and went back to his room.