Chapter 5 (Part 2)

‘For this vacation, we should ride in a carriage instead of using the teleportation sigil!’

Every winter, the previous Duke and Duchess of Felice, along with young Eden, would travel to their villa on the southern coast. Since it was far from the capital, they always used the teleportation sigil, but the plans were changed to a carriage ride at Eden’s earnest request.  

Several months ago, Eden had heard from his nanny about the joys of traveling by carriage. Encouraged by her subtle persuasion, he had pleaded with the Duke and Duchess for days, insisting that he wanted to experience a carriage ride.  

The route planned by Marquis Mazar, the carriage tampered with by the coachman who colluded with the nanny, and the magical restraint sigil embedded inside the carriage to prevent the use of magic—all of this led to the inevitable accident that shattered Eden’s life in an instant, just as he was dreaming of a happy family trip.  

The carriage plunged off a cliff and shattered into pieces. He survived only because the Duke and Duchess had wrapped themselves around him, shielding him completely. When young Eden learned the full truth of the situation, he was so shocked that he fell into a state of mutism for some time.  

The guilt of feeling responsible for his parents’ deaths did not disappear, even after the traitors were identified and punished, and Marquis Mazar was overthrown. He gradually became unable to trust others, blaming and punishing himself as a form of penance.  

Even expressing emotions began to feel like a sin, so he worked hard to suppress them. From that point on, he avoided carriages entirely and relied only on teleportation sigils or magical transportation.  

Although time helped to heal his emotional wounds little by little, Eden couldn’t help but feel intrigued when he learned about what Sienna was researching. After hearing her story, the desire to confront the past he had buried deep within himself began to grow.  

As his calm confession continued, Sienna’s gaze grew more and more clouded. She already knew the previous Duke and Duchess had passed away in a carriage accident. She had also heard rumors that it was suspicious for Duke Felice, a skilled magician, to die so suddenly. But she never imagined such a story could be hidden behind it.  

So that’s why he seemed uncomfortable whenever they rode in a carriage. Thinking about how he had suffered over something that wasn’t his fault made her heart ache.  

A fervent hope arose within her—that her magical potion would work, for his sake. If Eden could see the situation from the past, he would clearly understand that it wasn’t his fault.  

Forgetting that she was still n*ked, she grabbed his arm firmly and spoke resolutely.  

“Let’s go back right now.”  

Without hesitation, she hastily threw on her clothes, and with Eden’s teleportation, they immediately returned to the Academy.  

Sienna, without even having time to marvel at the sudden sight of the laboratory that unfolded before her eyes, quickly picked up the magical potion placed on the table. She opened the bottle cap and confirmed that the potion had matured without any issues. With trembling hands, she handed the vial to Eden.  

“Just take one sip.”  

Eden, who had taken the vial, leaned lazily against the sofa in the corner and took a sip of the potion before closing his eyes. His demeanor was calm, showing no signs of fear or doubt.  

Sienna, unable to take her eyes off Eden as he slowly drifted into sleep, bit her lips nervously, her emotions a mix of trembling anticipation and worry.  

Much time had passed. Sienna noticed his eyelids, which had been completely still, twitch slightly. She sat closer to him, carefully observing his face.  

Moments later, his eyelids lifted slowly, and his gaze met hers, filled with concern. His crimson eyes, as clear and red as pomegranate seeds, appeared more vivid than ever. Receiving the full force of his fiery, flickering gaze, Sienna opened her trembling lips to ask,  

“How was it?”  

“…It worked. It was quite a remarkable experience.”  

His words, spoken slowly as if savoring the lingering sensation, carried a sense of relief. Eden appeared somehow lighter, as if a burden had been lifted. He felt the warmth of her hands clasping his and allowed a faint smile to grace his lips.  

Confronting the memories of that day so vividly, he finally felt as though the remaining fragments of his past had fallen into place, and the lingering regrets had dissipated. Even though he had already avenged his parents, the emptiness in his heart had remained. Now, however, it felt as though it was finally beginning to fill.  

The final moments of his parents came back to him vividly—the way they had held him tightly, whispering words of love, which now echoed gently in his ears. Despite realizing that everything had been a conspiracy targeting them, there had been no trace of resentment or reproach toward their son. Instead, even in that dire situation, they had only worried about him, trying to comfort him.  

How could he ever misunderstand such love? Knowing now that what they had wished for most was his peace and happiness, he realized that further self-reproach was meaningless.  

The faint smile on his face made him look more at ease than ever. Seeing this, Sienna finally felt relieved and broke into a bright smile. Eden, leaning toward her, pulled her into an embrace and whispered softly into her ear,  

“Now, it’s time to complete your thesis, Sienna.”  

Completing the thesis was not difficult. After revising it dozens, no, even hundreds of times, it was as easy as eating cold soup. Sienna quickly finalized her thesis and headed to the professor’s office with Eden, bringing along the magical potion.  

The sudden appearance of His Grace the Duke, Eden Felice, caused a brief moment of confusion, but Professor Erba, who reviewed the thesis and the magical potion, showered her with great praise for her research achievements. Graduation was now practically confirmed. She was truly on the verge of leaving the Academy. Now, all that was left for Sienna was to idle around and wait for the graduation and degree conferment ceremony.  

However, even though she had used Eden Felice to achieve her long-desired graduation, Sienna found herself not as happy as she had expected. A new concern had arisen—there were only two days left in her contract with Eden.  

And so, while she idled around with Eden back at the villa, the end of their contract crept up until it was already today.  

‘Staying here will also end today.’  

While Eden briefly stepped out, Sienna, alone for the first time in a while, sat by the table and stared blankly out the window. Perhaps because they had spent so much time together over the past two weeks, it now felt strange not having him by her side. And yet, it was ending.  

Looking back, her recent days had been unexpectedly filled with happiness. His constant presence brought her a strange sense of stability, his sweet voice and kind actions making her heart flutter day after day. She even felt as though she had become Eden’s lover.  

Ever since Eden became her slave mate, her previously stagnant research had finally succeeded, and she was even able to graduate. Although she had suddenly exchanged three hundred million Er for this two-week period, she found herself thinking it wasn’t such a waste after all.  

With her graduation confirmed, her previously cluttered thoughts became clearer, and she was able to understand her feelings toward him more distinctly. It was only natural to feel affection for someone as wonderful and kind as Eden, but her feelings had grown far larger than she had anticipated, to the point where it was becoming difficult to hide them.  

How wonderful would it be if I could stay by his side like this forever?  

But Sienna knew all too well, through countless experiences, that the walls of reality were far higher than her feelings. There was no way she could dare to reach for him—a royal and a Duke.

Moreover, Sienna could not tell whether Eden’s feelings were the same as hers, which left her even more unsettled. Duke Felice, who approached every situation with seriousness, might have simply been trying to fulfill the terms of their contract this time as well.  

Once the magical contract binding him lost its effect, would he bid me farewell with a cold demeanor as if nothing had ever happened? 

The thought of his warm, glowing crimson eyes suddenly reverting to the emotionless gaze she had seen when they first met was enough to make her feel despondent.  

As she kept her lips tightly shut and stared out the window, tears welled up and spilled over in sorrow. Realizing that the end was approaching, she had started secretly wiping away tears whenever Eden wasn’t looking.  

Eden, too, seemed to be aware that the end of their contract was drawing near. For the past few days, he had shown signs of wanting to bring up something related to their agreement.  

Although Sienna knew it was selfish, she wanted to extend this dreamlike moment, even if only until the period stated in the magical contract. That was why she deliberately sought his embrace or kissed him. She was terrified that he might tell her never to appear before him again once the contract ended.  

And so, Eden would swallow his words as if he had no choice, smile tenderly, and kiss her back. What followed were physically demanding moments, but even those were bittersweet.