Epilogue (Part 2)

Originally, Montague had been the one who should have won the bid for Duke Felice. When Eden heard this, he had shown interest and even suggested to Sienna that he meet Montague someday and spar with him.  

It seemed like the meeting would be easily arranged, but the problem lay elsewhere. Montague had vehemently opposed the idea of meeting Eden.  

“That’s impossible. How could I possibly…?”  

Montague, looking like he was about to throw up, had declared that meeting Duke Felice might give him a heart attack. He said it was already difficult enough to accept that His Grace was his sister’s lover. If the two of them appeared together before him, the sheer unreality of the situation would overwhelm him, and he might even fail his final exams.  

As infuriating as it was, there wasn’t much Sienna could do since Montague himself was so adamant. When she told him to forget about meeting Eden, however, he caused yet another commotion. 

Montague begged, saying he would mentally prepare himself by the end of this semester, so she should kindly take back what she said.

He pleaded to be allowed to meet Eden, but when she agreed, he would then say he couldn’t meet him. He even seriously questioned how his sister could have ended up in such a relationship with the Duke.  

“You’re someone who only cares about magical plants and locks yourself away, indifferent to the world. Just being pretty doesn’t explain it. There are plenty of beautiful noblewomen out there, so how…? U-uh, don’t tell me you gave His Grace a love potion or something—ouch!”  

Montague, hit on his back, teared up, spouting nonsense about how the Duke must have been scared off by her fiery hand.  

Even though every sentence he spoke began and ended with “His Grace the Duke,” when she actually offered to arrange a meeting, he couldn’t even make eye contact and refused outright.  

Fed up, Sienna declared that if Montague didn’t attend her graduation ceremony, she would cut ties with him. With his final exams over and unable to skip his one and only sister’s graduation, Montague had no choice but to attend.  

Tears welled up in one of Montague’s eyes. To meet the idol he thought he would never reach, and to see him so close—it was unbelievable, even as he stared with wide-open eyes. Montague timidly approached Eden and bowed deeply.  

“Greetings to His Grace Duke Felice. I am Montague Onyx, the second son of the Onyx family!”  

Fortunately, he didn’t stutter, likely because he had practiced this greeting hundreds, if not thousands, of times before coming here.  

As he nervously gazed at the Duke, Sienna, buried in bouquets, raised an eyebrow in warning.  

“Don’t be rude to His Grace, Montague.”  

“I haven’t done anything yet….”  

Montague looked at his sister with a face full of injustice, then folded his hands politely.  

Eden, intrigued by the siblings who shared the same hair and eye color but exuded entirely different auras, spoke.  

“So, you’re Montague Onyx.”  

“Y-yes, Your Grace….”  

“I heard you’re enrolled in the swordsmanship department. Are you aiming to become a knight?”  

“N-no, not at all. Once I graduate, I plan to assist with the trading company’s work.”  

Recently, Montague’s aspiration to become a strong knight had shifted to becoming a prominent trading company leader. He had decided that his true aptitude lay in inheriting the family business, leaving swordsmanship as a mere hobby.  

Even so, his wish to spar with His Grace just once remained unchanged, as he believed doing so would help him completely let go of his lingering attachment to swordsmanship. He couldn’t miss the opportunity to fulfill his lifelong dream.  

“Y-Your Grace, p-please spar with me just once….”  

“Montague? Could you speak properly?”  

Worried about how her brother’s first impression might come across to Eden, Sienna jabbed Montague’s side and gave him a warning glance.  

Eden found it amusing to watch the large man, at least two hands taller than Sienna, shrink and become subdued under his sister’s glare.  

Though he was meeting Montague for the first time today, perhaps because he had heard that Montague was the reason he and Sienna had met, or maybe because of their identical hair color, eye color, and gaze, Eden felt an unexpected sense of familiarity and warmth toward him.  

He wanted to make a good impression on his lover’s family. According to Sienna, Montague was already a fervent fan of his, so the conditions couldn’t have been better.  

“I’ll invite you to the villa sometime soon. It’ll be better than the Academy’s training grounds.”  

“U-uhhh.”  

As Montague let out a sound akin to a death cry and almost fell to his knees, Eden quickly reached out to steady him. The moment Eden’s hand touched him, Montague’s body stiffened like a wooden plank.  

To be invited to the place where His Grace resided! I could die without regrets now.  

No, he still hadn’t sparred with the Duke, so there was one regret left. Montague, who had nearly passed out clutching his neck, barely managed to regain his composure. Stroking the area of his arm where Eden had touched him, he repeatedly relived and cherished this moment of blessing.  

I’ve succeeded as a follower. It’s been a happy life.  

“Th-thank you. It’s an honor, Your Grace.”  

Montague, on the verge of tears, expressed his joy. Seeing such a large man act like a child brought a sigh and a shake of the head from Sienna.  

Yet, as she watched her brother’s delighted expression, an inevitable soft smile appeared on her lips. Seeing Sienna happy made Eden feel even better.  

They say when a knight draws their sword, they should at least cut a turnip. Perhaps it was time to extend the invitation right now.  

Come to think of it, Eden hadn’t asked Sienna whether it was alright to spend time with him after the graduation ceremony. Since it was graduation day, she might have wanted to spend time with her family. 

Was I holding onto her too much?  

He held Montague’s bouquet in her stead, using it to block some of the attention directed at her, and asked,  

“Sienna. What’s the plan for the rest of the day?”  

“Hmm, I haven’t thought about it….”  

That was true. What should she do now? She had vague plans about what to do after graduating from the Academy, but she had never really thought about what to do today. Preparing for the graduation ceremony had taken up all her attention.  

Her parents were on an extended vacation in the eastern continent while handling Trading Company matters, and her grandfather was living a leisurely life at the southernmost villa. Even if she returned to the family home, she would be left alone in an empty house.  

“If you don’t have any plans, why don’t we head back to my house, Sienna? Now that I’ve met Montague, I’d like to treat him to a meal.”  

Noticing that Sienna didn’t seem to have any plans, Eden spoke with a sweet smile. Hearing this, Montague clamped his hands over his mouth, wearing an ecstatic expression as though he had ascended to heaven.  

Sienna, too, was captivated by Eden’s sweet smile and nodded her head. She didn’t even notice how he had deliberately emphasized the words “my house.” Cradling her diploma and noble title certificate carefully in her arms, she headed to the villa of Duke Felice’s household.  

That day, Montague, who looked as though he might faint while touring the villa and finishing the meal, finally got to fulfill his wish at the training grounds.  

Even though Eden went easy on him, Montague ended up sprawled on the stone floor after just five exchanges. By the end, he was drenched in sweat to the point where he couldn’t even wiggle a toe, but the happiness never left Montague’s face.  

***

For Eden, everything was a first. Not only the kisses and passionate nights with Sienna but also feeling attraction toward a woman in the first place.  

She, with her quirky charm, was not only his first date but also his first lover, someone who made him feel utterly fulfilled just by being with her.  

Through her, Eden was finally able to cast aside the lingering trauma of his past and learned how happy life could be when he lived true to his desires.  

Eden hoped that all the “firsts” he would experience in the rest of his life would be with her. And he had a faint certainty that Sienna felt the same way. He was sure of it.  

“Isn’t it amazing?”  

“…Indeed.”  

Eden nodded as he gazed at the large glass greenhouse that was nearing completion. Regardless of his personal feelings about the greenhouse, it was undeniably magnificent. So magnificent, in fact, that it seemed larger than the main mansion nearby, giving the impression that the priorities were reversed.  

“I had spent all my money on… acquiring you, Your Grace—I mean, Eden—so I thought I’d have to give up on this greenhouse, but I didn’t expect it to be built so quickly.”  

“You don’t regret spending all that money to acquire me?”  

“Not at all.”  

Her slightly furrowed brows, as if she found his question utterly ridiculous, were adorable. Unable to resist, Eden smiled and kissed the crease between her brows, his lips gradually moving lower.  

When he nibbled gently on her plump, red lips, Sienna jolted, her body shivering as she quickly pushed him away with wide eyes.  

“Not outside…!”  

“What does it matter? No one’s watching.”  

It was a remark that completely ignored the workers who were busily focused on constructing the greenhouse. Sienna shot him a sideways glance but, deciding it wasn’t worth arguing, held his large hand and turned her gaze toward the greenhouse.