Epilogue (Part 6)

From that day onward, Eden practically lived in Sienna’s mansion. While some worried that his aides were being overworked, he alleviated Sienna’s concerns by commuting to and from the Duke’s estate using teleportation, expending a significant amount of magic in the process.

Though Sienna often worried about whether it was appropriate for a Duke to leave his estate unattended, she couldn’t stop him when he insisted it was fine. In truth, Sienna also found happiness in the time they spent alone together at the mansion.

Eden would have breakfast with Sienna before heading to the Duke’s estate to handle his duties, only to return before dinner to share the evening meal with her. While he was away, Sienna spent her time in the newly completed greenhouse, crafting magical potions, tending to magical plants, and conducting her research.

The mansion, which the two nurtured together, grew cozier by the day, and Sienna even became skilled enough to prepare simple dishes. Though, of course, Eden still prepared most of their meals.

There were no butlers, attendants, or chefs, so they couldn’t enjoy the same exquisite meals as they would at the Felice household or its villa. However, that new clumsiness brought a refreshing happiness to the two of them.

Eden, who had recently graduated, had also grown closer to Montague, who had become busier since he started learning the trade business. Montague, who used to act as if he would faint every time he came to pick up the potions supplied by Sienna, had now grown quite accustomed to Eden, to the point where they could engage in casual conversations.

Sitting across from each other in the drawing room, the awkwardness that once lingered between the two was no longer present. This time, perhaps because the supply was unusually large, Sienna had told them to wait a little longer and showed no signs of leaving the laboratory.

“Montague.”  

“Yes, Your Grace.”  

“What does Sienna like the most?”  

At the sudden question, Montague’s dark green eyes shifted momentarily. 

Was he asking because he truly didn’t know?  

“Well, she seems to like rare magical plants the most…”  

“As expected.”  

“…She did seem to like those, but now, it seems like she likes you the most, Your Grace.”  

“……”  

Eden felt a heat rising to his neck. He didn’t want to lose his composure and blush in front of Montague, but hearing those words had triggered an uncontrollable reaction.  

‘She likes me the most.’  

Could it really be true? Was Sienna’s heart so transparent that even Montague could see it that clearly? 

As if reading Eden’s hesitation and disbelief, Montague let out a soft sigh and elaborated further.  

“Every time she looks at you, her gaze is fixed on you, Your Grace. She can’t seem to take her eyes off you. Even when I visit after a long time, she barely acknowledges me… but just seeing your hair makes her blush. It’s honestly… well, it’s clear what Sienna likes the most.”  

Montague’s tone became slightly irreverent, as if he couldn’t believe Eden didn’t already know. Every time Eden looked into Sienna’s eyes, he felt a strange ticklish sensation in his chest, almost to the point of nausea, and yet… Did he truly not realize it?

Normally, Sienna, who prided herself on her indifferent personality, might seem completely infatuated with the Duke in her own eyes, but perhaps from a third person’s perspective, it might not appear that way.  

Even the various newspapers couldn’t stop endlessly chattering about how deeply Duke Felice was enamored with a woman named Sienna Onyx. But, even if others didn’t know, there was no way the Duke himself wouldn’t be aware.  

Montague glanced at the reddened nape of the Duke’s neck and the tips of his ears, biting his lips tightly. Just hearing Sienna say that he was her favorite made him this happy.  

Every time Montague saw the two of them together here, his already hollow heart felt as though a cold wind was blowing through it. His dark green eyes, filled with envy, turned toward the clear sky. As early winter set in, the wind had grown colder, freezing Montague’s chest solid.  

Eden, too, was busy trying to cool the heat rising within him as he looked up at the blue sky. Thankfully, the wind was cold. The effort he put into trying to seduce her had clearly paid off.  

Sienna might liked him the most. While it might have been an obvious statement since they were lovers, Eden was deeply moved by the fact that he had won against magical plants.  

He wanted to embrace Sienna and kiss her right away, but with Montague nearby, it was difficult to do so. Instead, he clenched and unclenched his hands, trying to calm himself down.  

He was contemplating whether he should run a few laps around the garden to cool himself down when Sienna appeared, pushing a small cart loaded with potion bottles as she came out of the greenhouse.  

“All ready. Montague!”  

Sienna’s call rang out as she waved her hand, and two men sprang to their feet. Sienna, who needed to briefly stop by the Onyx Trading Company due to a new contract matter, smiled brightly as Eden approached her.  

“I’ll be back soon.”  

Contrary to her cheerful tone, Eden’s expression was somehow heavy. As Sienna tilted her head at his deepened gaze, the tips of her ears turned red as well. 

Why was his face so deadly attractive?  

Eden’s gaze, quietly looking down at her, seemed to be urging something. Sienna hesitated for a moment before rising on her tiptoes and planting a kiss on his crimson lips.  

“I’ll be back.”  

“That makes me not want to let you go.”  

Sienna shrank her neck slightly at the whispering voice, which pressed his lips against her forehead as he pulled her waist closer. She laughed lightly, unable to delay any longer, and pushed him away. However, her palms felt oddly tingly.  

Eden, who had obediently stepped back at her slight push, gently tucked a strand of his light grayish-blue hair behind his ear as he said, 

“Go ahead. I’ll be waiting.”  

Montague, who had been awkwardly staring off into the distant mountains pretending to see nothing, was then dragged by Sienna, whose temples were flushed red. Meanwhile, Eden returned to the now eerily empty mansion.  

What should he do while waiting for Sienna? Normally, he would return to the Duke’s chambers and handle work, but all his tasks had already been completed earlier that morning.  

He lingered by the doorway for a moment before letting out a hollow laugh. He wasn’t some dog suffering from separation anxiety, so why was he acting like this?

The place where his long strides soon led him was the small study on the first floor. He planned to wait for Sienna there while reading a book. As he entered the study, the scent of old paper greeted him warmly, permeating the space.

Come to think of it, he hadn’t had any reason to step into this room when he was with Sienna. Aside from the time they toured the house, this was his first visit here.

He carefully browsed the books lined up on the sturdy wooden shelves, selecting one to read. Books related to magical plants, marked by Sienna’s touch, were the first to catch his eye. It seemed she had gathered all the books she had studied so far, and it felt as though he was peeking into her mind, which delighted him.

His gaze slowly shifted to the sections containing general literature, dictionaries, ancient texts, and history books. Then, on the bottom shelf, Eden noticed several books placed with their spines facing inward. Unable to help himself, he burst into laughter.

Even after being caught once, it seemed old habits were hard to break. Eden pulled out one of the reversed books to check its title, covering his mouth with the back of his hand as he chuckled softly.

The title, written in bold red letters, read [The Wolf Prince’s Mating Season]. Without even opening it, the content was easy to imagine. The thought of Sienna trying to hide something so obvious was endearing.

Come to think of it, the catalyst for their more intimate relationship had been these very kinds of novels. If he hadn’t decided to tidy up Sienna’s laboratory—if he hadn’t stumbled upon the pulp novels and various tools, spilling them in his flustered state—would their relationship have turned out the way it did now?

As Eden pondered this, a confident smile spread across his lips. Even without such coincidences, he would have ended up falling in love with Sienna. She was, after all, his destiny.

He began to slowly pick up and examine the popular novels that had once connected him with her, one by one. He had only glanced at the titles before, but this was his first time actually reading them.  

The reason he decided to read these books wasn’t anything special. He thought that if he could understand Sienna’s tastes, he might be able to make her even happier.  

Perhaps because these novels were purely for pleasure, their content wasn’t particularly long. In just a few hours, Eden had finished reading and analyzing all the books. He neatly placed them back on the shelf, ensuring their spines were clearly visible, and then stood up.