Chapter 4.11

Gentle waves lapped at her legs, tickling them.  

The blazing sun, the white sandy beach, the endlessly stretching sapphire-blue sea, and the men and women splashing water at each other joyfully—  

This was the scene Elena had envisioned.  

“Wow, isn’t this seaweed? Haha. Seaweed just washed up!”  

“Haha! It really is. It’s so slippery!”  

Receiving the seaweed from Lennon, Elena excitedly joined in, laughing like a child. Then, a sudden thought crossed her mind.  

‘What am I even doing right now?’  

Her plans had long since gone awry.  

If everything had gone as planned, she would have already changed into a beautiful swimsuit, enjoyed playing in the water with the Grand Duke, and subtly brushed back her wet hair to exude a sexy charm…  

Instead, she tossed the seaweed in her hand aside and looked back toward the beach. In the distance, the Grand Duke was lying on a hammock, resting.  

Letting out a short sigh, she lowered her gaze, only to lock eyes with tigers exuding an overwhelming presence through the dense foliage.  

Why on earth did swimsuits have to feature tiger patterns? Was it the islanders’ longing for the forest and the mainland?  

The swimsuit she had hastily purchased from a nearby shop was both tacky and absurdly expensive.  

Perhaps all the pretty ones had already been sold, or maybe this was simply the local fashion trend. If it was the latter, their taste was truly baffling.  

The sleeveless, knee-length one-piece swimsuit had a design she liked, but the pattern and color were far too bold for any ordinary person to pull off.  

Still, this was better than nothing. Diana had lent her money to buy it, so she had to be grateful.

Even when Bianca smirked and openly mocked her as she stepped out in her swimsuit, she didn’t care.

‘If it were me, I’d rather die than wear something like that.’ 

She even muttered sarcastic remarks disguised as monologues… but Elena endured it.  

She could bear it all, thinking about the fun water activities she would soon enjoy with the Grand Duke.  

“Your Grace.”  

“You were right. Hammocks are truly comfortable and cozy.”  

The Grand Duke, who had been lying in the hammock for quite some time, finally opened his eyes when she called him.  

As he began to sit up halfway, he suddenly paused, showing a strange expression.  

It wasn’t a smile, nor was it a frown—it was a look she had seen before.  

Yes, it was the same expression he had when she appeared wearing makeup that Anne had done for her.  

“Hmm… is this another one of those? A challenge to the art world? Oh, wait—was it called innovation?”  

Recalling that moment, the Grand Duke stretched his lips into a long smile. His deep golden eyes sparkled with mischief.  

‘Adorable!’  

But that wasn’t the gaze she had been hoping for. She had gone to the trouble of baring her arms and legs, yet there wasn’t even a hint of a sultry look in his eyes.

This wasn’t because of her figure. It had to be the tiger patterns on the swimsuit, which had diminished her sexiness by at least 90%.  

If she had known this would happen, she would have packed her swimsuit from home.  

Well, she could still make up for it in the water.

“Let’s head into the water now.”

At her suggestion, the Grand Duke’s body visibly stiffened.  

“I have no intention of going into the water.”  

What on earth was he talking about?  

“You’re not going into the ocean after coming all the way here?”  

“Is it mandatory to enter the water just because we’re at the sea?”  

“Of course it is.”  

“Let go of your fixed ideas. Just looking at the sea is enough.”  

“That’s ridiculous. Then at least dip your feet in.”  

“I said no, didn’t I?”  

The Grand Duke’s stance was firm. She had thought that if she pestered him a little, he would eventually give in and join her, but she had been gravely mistaken.  

“I’m going in, then.”

She hadn’t even realized he was there, but Lennon, lying in the hammock next to her, chuckled as he got up.

No, she hadn’t been inviting him.  

“It’s great that you’ve found someone to join you. Have fun. I also prefer admiring the sea from afar.”  

Bianca, who had been watching the situation unfold from a nearby table, sneered sarcastically.  

Adelina, too, chose to stay behind, citing that her body hadn’t fully recovered yet.  

Diana had given up on wearing a swimsuit altogether due to Pharone’s persistent stares, so in the end, it was just her and Lennon.  

“Not having fun?”  

Lennon’s voice broke her brief reverie.  

“No, it’s not that I’m not having fun…”  

“I know. You’re upset because Helio didn’t come with you, right? But if you show how disappointed you are, this time I’ll be the one feeling hurt.”  

Lennon brushed his wet hair back and flashed a bright smile.  

‘Ah, that’s exactly what I was going for.’  

That was the appeal she had wanted to show the Grand Duke. It was ironic that Lennon was doing what she had intended.  

His wet honey-blonde hair sparkled in the sunlight, as though sprinkled with gold dust.  

The sight was dazzling. Lowering her gaze slightly, she caught a glimpse of his broad shoulders and firm chest muscles.  

It was a different vibe from the Grand Duke, but Lennon was undeniably handsome.  

If the Grand Duke was like a perfectly sculpted masterpiece, Lennon exuded a masculine charm with his defined features.  

Without realizing it, she found herself momentarily captivated. 

What was I doing? 

She quickly shook her head from side to side.  

“I’m really enjoying myself. The waves feel nice, and it’s been a while since I’ve been to the sea.”  

“That’s good to hear. Don’t feel too bad. Helio has hated water since he was a child. Maybe he didn’t want anyone to find out he couldn’t swim.”  

This was the first she’d heard of it—Helio hated water. Come to think of it, she didn’t really know what the Grand Duke disliked.  

The idea of the Grand Duke not being able to swim was unexpectedly adorable. The thought made her chuckle. He always seemed like someone who could do anything.  

“Now you’re smiling. You were laughing earlier, but then your expression suddenly darkened, and I got worried.”  

Was my face that easy to read?

Feeling a bit embarrassed, she quickly changed the subject.  

“Have you been close to the Grand Duke since childhood?”  

“I wouldn’t say close… Let’s just say we’ve known each other since we were kids.”  

“Still, I envy you. I first met the Grand Duke when I was 14. I bet he was incredibly cute as a child.”

“Well, he was cute, at least in appearance. By the way, you’ve known Helio for quite some time yourself, too?”

Ah, I had slipped up. 

Her five-year-long unrequited love was still a secret.  

“It’s nothing. I just saw him from afar at a ball and remembered him on my own. The Grand Duke is so famous, after all.”  

“That’s a shame. If it were me, I would have definitely remembered. A lady as beautiful as you.”  

This man—she had felt it earlier—was undoubtedly a charmer. His manners were impeccable, but every word he said was dripping with smoothness…  

Even if it was just flattery, the fact that he could say such things while looking at her in this odd swimsuit was proof he wasn’t an ordinary person.  

Not knowing how to respond, she simply smiled awkwardly. That’s when she noticed Anne waving at her from a distance.  

“Oh? It looks like everyone’s heading back. Let’s hurry too.”  

“It seems the enjoyable time has already come to an end.”  

At that moment, she couldn’t be more grateful to Anne for calling her at just the right time.  

* * *  

“Hurrying back like that—did something happen?”

Lennon shook his wet hair lightly as he approached Helio.  

“I heard a guest has arrived for the Lord.”  

Helio quickened his pace, answering curtly without even glancing at him.  

“A guest, huh. Could it be the rumored smuggler?”  

“We’ll have to wait and see.”  

While everyone else headed to the beach, Helio had secretly left the Knight Commander, Pael, behind at the castle. Fooling Pharone, who was infatuated with Diana, had been easier than expected.  

Pael, who had been observing the movements of the Lord, quickly noticed the change and reported it to Helio without delay.  

“Why don’t you take your time getting changed? I’ll handle it.”  

Water dripped steadily from Lennon’s hastily wrung-out pants, leaving a trail on the ground.  

Lennon didn’t seem to care, but everything about him irritated Helio. He didn’t even want to walk side by side with him.  

“It’ll probably dry before we get there.”  

The sea breeze felt cool, but the island’s sun was even hotter than Castia’s. So, there was some truth to his words.  

“By the way, going into the sea really does cool you down. You should’ve joined us. Elena seemed quite disappointed.”  

“……”  

“Lady Elena, I mean. She’s pretty cute, don’t you think?”  

Lennon casually threw out the words, sneaking a glance at Helio’s expression from the corner of his eye.  

To be continued in Volume 2