Epilogue (Part 10)

Early in the morning, after diligently tending to the plants in the greenhouse and finishing the magical potions she had to deliver, Sienna sat absentmindedly in the garden. When she saw Eden approaching from a distance, she suddenly stood up.  

Just seeing his figure made her complicated feelings from earlier disappear, and her heart began to beat pleasantly. If things were good now, there was no point in worrying further—it wasn’t good for her mental health. She skillfully pushed her problems aside and quickly walked toward Eden.  

“Eden!”  

“Sienna.”  

A pleasant smile appeared on Eden’s lips as he saw her approaching.  

Usually dressed in comfortable shirts, he was now wearing a sharp suit—probably because he had come straight from the Imperial Palace. He looked so incredibly handsome that Sienna involuntarily swallowed hard.  

“You said you were going to the palace. Did you come straight here afterward?”  

“Because I missed you.”  

With those sweet words, he planted light kisses on her cheeks. Sienna giggled at the ticklish sensation, and Eden held her hand as they entered the mansion.  

As always, his fingers lingered on her left ring finger, making her ears burn with warmth. Then, Eden gently guided her to sit on the sofa before kneeling on the floor and looking up at her.  

He brushed his lips against the back of her hand, his expression serious. Sienna blinked slowly at the unfamiliar intensity in his gaze.  

“Was there something that happened at the palace?”  

“Sienna.”  

Eden paused, as if carefully choosing his words, before slowly parting his lips.  

“I’m curious… In the future you imagine, am I there?”  

His face was visibly tense as he spoke. He stared at her with a desperate intensity, as if he couldn’t bear to look away. Yet, whenever Sienna’s lips moved even slightly, he would press his face to her soft hands, unable to meet her eyes directly. It was the first time she had seen such a vulnerable side of him.  

“Ah…”  

Sienna stared at him blankly. Her heart sank.  

She had been so caught up in her own thoughts, so preoccupied with hiding her feelings and worrying on her own, that she hadn’t considered Eden’s heart.  

I made Eden feel insecure.  

The realization hit her like a storm, stabbing her heart with a sharp pain.  

She didn’t know where to begin. As she hesitated, perhaps Eden thought her silence was a form of rejection. His earnest voice interrupted her before she could say anything.  

“You’ve only just graduated, so I’m not trying to pressure you. What I’m curious about is just…”  

Whether, at the end of the future you envision, I’m there. Whether you’ve ever even once wished to stand by my side. That’s all I wanted to know.  

Eden whispered softly as he repeatedly kissed the back of her hand.  

“Eden, I…”  

Sienna, her dark green eyes trembling with unease, helped him to his feet. Seeing him sit quietly beside her, ready to listen, she felt as though if she didn’t speak now, she might never be able to share the thoughts she had been agonizing over.  

Instead of giving him an answer, she began to explain the reasons for her hesitation, one by one.  

“I’m not even a noble…”  

“His Majesty appointed you as Baroness Onyx, so how can you say you’re not a noble? And I don’t care about status, no matter what it is.”  

“Eden, you’re too good for me, and also…”  

“To me, you’re the one who’s too good, Sienna.”  

Sienna blinked in surprise at Eden, who rebutted her words so quickly and precisely. Why did it suddenly feel like he was the one comforting her? It felt like their roles had reversed, but she didn’t stop speaking.  

Once she started letting it out, even her smallest worries spilled out naturally.  

“The elders of the ducal council might oppose me, you know.”  

“Who would dare?”  

Eden replied with an ominous tone, baring his white teeth. He exuded such a sharp aura that it felt like he might draw his sword and obliterate anyone who dared to oppose them with magic, leaving no trace behind. Sienna pouted slightly at his fierce response before confessing her final concern.  

“To stay by your side, I’d have to become the Duchess. I don’t know if I could do it well. I’ve never learned how, so I’m just a little…”  

“You don’t have to do anything. If you’ve never learned, you can just learn. You were the top student at the Academy, so what is there to worry about, hmm?”  

Her confession gradually turned into a lament, and Eden, forgetting his own heavy heart, began to comfort the complaining Sienna. At his words, Sienna shook her head slightly, furrowing her brow.  

“I’m not skilled enough to manage the household. I’d have to host parties regularly, too.”  

“The butler and the head maid have done well so far, so there’s no need for you to feel burdened.”  

“Still, my heart doesn’t feel that way.”  

Sienna bit her lips tightly, then sighed as she began to pour out her worries. Eden, who had been holding her close, gazed at her quietly, trying to comfort her. Suddenly, however, he froze in place.  

It struck him that Sienna’s concerns were far too specific.  

The unease in Eden’s crimson eyes slowly dissipated. Where the anxiety had been, hope and joy began to creep in. Sienna noticed the sudden shift in his mood, finding it strange that he seemed so cheerful all of a sudden. But before she could dwell on it, she was caught off guard by his next words.  

“So, you’ve imagined it, haven’t you?”  

“W-what do you mean?”  

“Marrying me and becoming the Duchess.”  

The heat that had risen to her neck climbed all the way to her forehead. To think that he had discovered her private musings about what life would be like after marrying him!  

‘Imagined it’ didn’t even begin to cover it. She had thought about everything—how many children they should have, how they should raise them, and even how she and Eden would spend their days together once the children were grown.  

Unable to meet Eden’s amused crimson gaze, she buried her face in her hands. Eden, finding her utterly adorable, let out a laugh before pulling her into his arms. He lifted her onto his lap and began to kiss her everywhere.  

“I love you, Sienna.”  

“…I love you, too.”  

Even knowing the path ahead might be difficult, she loved him so much that she was willing to walk it without hesitation. Overcoming her embarrassment, she looked into Eden’s crimson eyes, which were brimming with joy, and gave him a bashful smile.  

It was the end of winter, a day and a half before Eden sent a marriage proposal to Sienna.  

***

Two days hadn’t even passed when Eden, as if he had planned everything in advance, sent a marriage proposal to the Onyx family, throwing her family into chaos. As soon as Sienna gave her consent, he brought her to the ducal estate and began preparing for the wedding with fervor.  

It goes without saying that the Empire was once again in an uproar over the news of Duke Felice’s wedding.  

The fact that the legendary jewels—the Dragon’s Heart and the Mermaid’s Tear—were included among the vast dowry sent from the ducal household to the Onyx family caused a stir. But what truly dominated the front pages of every daily newspaper was an even more astonishing announcement that followed.  

The Emperor, overjoyed by his nephew’s marriage, declared that he would graciously lend the Hall of Glory in the Imperial Palace for the wedding.  

It was an exceptionally rare occurrence for a wedding to be held in the Imperial Palace, especially for someone who was not a direct member of the imperial family. To hold a wedding in the Hall of Glory—a place even most nobles had never set foot in—was the clearest sign of the Emperor’s favor.  

Nobles scrambled to get closer to Sienna, sending all kinds of gifts and invitations to Duke Felice’s household.  

Ironically, thanks to Eden’s consideration, Sienna was able to maintain a peaceful daily life, as if she were an isolated island amidst the chaos.  

The day after bringing Sienna to the ducal estate, Eden had her entire laboratory moved there. Three days later, he even relocated her magical plant greenhouse to the ducal estate’s rear garden.  

Occasionally, she had to make decisions regarding the wedding preparations or spend time learning the duties of a Duchess, but Eden, the butler, and the head maid helped her with everything. Thanks to them, it was more manageable than she had expected.  

Sienna continued her peaceful routine, moving between the greenhouse and the laboratory, creating magical potions and conducting experiments, just as she had before. Other than having a few additional tasks, it wasn’t much different from the time she had spent with Eden at her two-story house.