Chapter 20

The prickling sensation on the back of Neria’s head was not just because of the midday sun.

“Um, Duke.”

Having just confidently left the gathering on Aaron’s arm, Neria lowered her voice, even though no one was listening.

“If it’s a philosophical conversation, wouldn’t those gentlemen over there know better than me? Just looking at their faces, you can sense the aura of ‘the real thing.’”

Neria pointed to the men whose faces looked like they spent their days pondering existence at their desks. But Aaron’s goal was not a philosophical conversation. He ignored the direction Neria’s finger pointed.

“Who knows.”

The only reason Aaron attended this nearly pointless outdoor salon was Neria. He needed an answer to something. But he didn’t even know what kind of answer he was seeking.

The two were walking arm in arm, and to avoid Neria’s questions, Aaron walked a bit faster.

“This way.”

“Ah.”

Watching Neria, who was at a loss as she was led along, Aaron smiled slightly. She looked like a pitiful bird caught in the trap of his arm. Maybe it was the yellow dress, but she resembled a cute canary. It was a severe case of infatuation.

Aaron approached a small ferry by the riverside. He paid a little money to rent the boat, then suddenly suggested they ride together.

Before she knew it, they were alone on a pleasure boat. Neria was confused.

‘Why is he riding this with me?’

Such doubts vanished the moment Aaron took off his gloves and jacket, rolled up his shirt sleeves, and showed off his impressive forearms as he rowed.

‘Well, that’s understandable.’

The way the veins stood out on his forearms was irresistibly attractive.

‘It’s understandable…’

She wanted to ask those hands to do something else. Neria swallowed hard.

“It’s fine. The boat won’t capsize easily.”

Seeing Neria gulp, Aaron thought she was nervous and tried to reassure her. Neria wasn’t actually afraid of the rocking ferry, but she pretended to be, just as he said.

Neria glanced at Aaron and then spoke.

“Um… But why did you help me earlier?”

“They were saying the wrong things, so I just corrected the error.”

Aaron replied calmly, and Neria nodded. She was grateful that Aaron made it impossible for her to misunderstand.

Relaxed now, Neria smiled slightly and joked.

“Anyway, I’m glad you stepped in at the right time. I thought I had plenty of patience, thanks to my father, but I was almost at my limit.”

She raised her tightly clenched fist to emphasize her point.

“Actually, I’m stronger with my fists than my words. I was about to throw a punch.”

In truth, Neria had never thrown a punch. Aaron smiled at her bluff.

“Oh my, so scary.”

Neria glanced sideways at Aaron and spoke.

“You’re a fascinating person, Duke. I mean, I thought you were rude at first. Of course, now I know you’re not.”

Aaron had nothing to say, so he nodded. But contrary to Neria’s assessment, Aaron was someone who was equally rude to everyone.

He supposedly read philosophy books often (Neria had never said that), but she seemed to have a good eye for people. Aaron felt oddly proud of her, even though she wasn’t his own child.

“But… Are you okay with this? Boating with me like this. Did you forget we’ve had a formal meeting before? If a scandal breaks out, you might not like it…”

Neria hesitated, watching Aaron’s reaction. He found that unfortunate.

A woman with violet eyes looked best when she smiled confidently and swayed. If she sat on his lap and rocked her hips, she’d be truly beautiful…

‘Ah, d*mn. What am I thinking again…!’

Maybe exposure to his own desires had made his mind strange. He tried to focus on something else, coughing as he struggled not to lose his composure in front of the innocent woman. He nearly ruined his dignity and his face.

“Duke?”

Seeing Neria’s pure, clear eyes, Aaron felt a pang of guilt and grew much softer than usual. So he replied gently.

“There’s no need to care about idiots who make assumptions about you and me.”

His tone was nice, but the content wasn’t.

“Is that so.”

Neria smiled weakly, then reached out to play lightly with the sparkling water.

“You know, I once thought I’d like to live in the North, where you are, Duke.”

“You can still visit if you wish…”

A nearby duck flapped its wings, and Aaron’s softly spoken words were drowned out.

Neria leaned forward. The sunlight reflected on the water made her clear face look pale and beautiful. Aaron stared at her blankly.

He almost said it.

‘Marry me and come to the North.’

He snapped back to his senses.

What did he even know about this woman that would make him propose?

“……”

The walls he’d built in his heart pressed down, protecting him from the impulse to propose.

Aaron frowned slightly. Maybe it was the cramped little boat, but he was completely absorbed in Neria. It was a warning sign, but it didn’t feel dangerous. On the contrary, it felt stable and exhilarating.

Just then, Neria sat up straight. The little ferry rocked for a moment. If she’d been startled by something in the water, he meant to reach out to reassure her, but she spoke brightly first.

“Do you know, Duke? People say I’m funny. My friends do.”

“Lady Neria?”

He was skeptical about that assessment, but listened anyway.

“Yes, so maybe…”

Neria paused, lost in thought, then looked at him with serious violet eyes and asked,

“How much does the Denicar Duchy’s castle jester get paid per month?”

Aaron, who had been unconsciously staring at Neria’s lips, exhaled sharply.

“Are you saying you want to get hired as a jester at my castle?”

There were plenty of ambitious young ladies who tried to seduce him and take over the ducal residence as a bandit. But a jester—now that was a fresh approach.

“Haha!”

Aaron burst out laughing.

“See? I’ve already made you laugh at this interview.”

Neria, still arm in arm, lifted her chin confidently, and Aaron felt a mischievous thought arise. He spoke with lingering laughter in his voice.

“You’d have to wear face paint.”

“In this day and age? …How?”

“Like this.”

Aaron dipped his finger in water and mimed drawing a circle around Neria’s mouth. It was a face paint he really didn’t want.

“When I was little, the jester at the Seiran Royal Palace wore makeup that looked like a beard. You’d look cute with it, Lady Neria.”

Neria wiped the wet spot with her hand, looking displeased.

Suddenly, she remembered the first time she met Aaron Denicar. The forced meeting that had left her feeling insulted.

Back then and now, Aaron was arrogant and every inch the perfect Duke, but one thing was different.

“……”

His gaze. The gentle, affectionate look in his bright blue eyes gave her chills—not because she disliked it, but because she sensed warmth. Her heart fluttered.

Neria considered bringing up the story of Aaron’s past she’d dreamed about recently. She wanted to comfort his pain, as she had for the little prince. But was it right to dredge up his painful memories?

While she hesitated, Aaron spoke.

“Come to think of it, I had a strange dream a few days ago. Would you like to hear it?”

Neria wanted to shake her head, but the moment she met his blue eyes, she forgot her reluctance and nodded.

Aaron leaned back, smiling faintly. His expression changed his image dramatically.

“It was a dream from my childhood. I was so surprised to see a royal palace I didn’t even remember. Anyway… In the dream, I hid in a wardrobe to avoid Helga. I just wanted to be alone for a while. Ah, Helga was my nanny.”

A royal nanny, once her charge grew up, would often secure a position of power or become a famous figure in society. But Aaron’s nanny had died long ago from illness, and her presence had vanished completely.

Now, few even knew her name. Neria herself hadn’t known who had raised Aaron as a child.

Not until she had that dream.

Neria unconsciously clasped her hands together in nervousness. The persistent déjà vu gnawed at her.

“But then, someone opened the wardrobe door. Who do you think it was?”

Aaron gazed intently at Neria, silently demanding an answer. Neria licked her lower lip before replying.

“Um, I don’t know. Maybe… wasn’t it Helga, your nanny?”

Aaron gently shook his head.

“No, it was someone I’d never seen before, who said they were my imaginary friend. When I woke up and thought about it, it made sense—a child that age would have an imaginary friend. Haha, an imaginary friend… Lady Neria, you must have had one too, right?”

Neria’s shoulders flinched. The dream Aaron described matched hers perfectly.

Her heart pounded and her vision blurred. Sharing dreams—this was impossible. Her mind fiercely battled between ‘maybe’ and ‘no way.’

“Lady Neria? I just asked you a question.”

“Oh, yes. Uh, maybe. I think I had an imaginary friend too.”

Aaron narrowed his eyes.

“Hmm, now I’m curious. What was your imaginary friend’s name?”

Right now, he looked like a hunter waiting by a trap. If she got caught, she’d be devoured instantly. Neria swallowed hard, then gave a vague smile and replied.

“Well… it was so long ago… I can’t remember…”

“Is that so. Well, I suppose that makes sense.”

Thankfully, Aaron didn’t press her. Checking the small pocket watch at his waist, he rowed toward the shore. As the shore approached, Neria spoke politely.

“Thank you for taking me on the boat.”

There should have been a polite reply, but the other person maintained an awkward silence. When Neria lifted her chin, Aaron was staring somewhere at her face. With a slightly awkward voice, Neria touched her face and asked,

“Duke? What are you looking at so intently…?”

Aaron let out a short “Ah,” then answered.

“Your lips. No, your mouth.”

‘Isn’t that the same thing?’

Neria blushed. Maybe her makeup around her mouth was smudged, or her lipstick had smeared.

“I want to ask you something.”

“Yes, Duke.”

“The name of your imaginary friend when you were little. Was it… Bingbong?”

The ridiculous name came out of nowhere. Neria almost bit her tongue.

“Uh, um, as I said earlier, I don’t really remember…”

Aaron stared at the clearly flustered Neria. She grew even more nervous.

“I see.”

Aaron ended the conversation in a tone that made it clear he wasn’t convinced. When the boat reached the shore, Neria carefully got off.

Once Aaron set foot on land, he seemed to return from being a gentle, romantic man to his usual cold and indifferent self. He looked lost in thought.

When they returned to the outdoor salon, everyone watched Neria and whispered before falling silent. Neria had a good idea what rumors were circulating, so she pretended not to notice.

Aaron’s aide, who hadn’t been visible before, approached him. It looked like Aaron was about to leave the salon immediately.

“Are you leaving already?”

“Duke, after this, at our mansion…”

“Please come again next time!”

Quite a few people hovered around Duke Aaron, trying to get his attention. Neria quickly put distance between herself and the crowd. Aaron left the salon with his aide. He didn’t even say goodbye to Neria, who had just spent time with him, but she didn’t have the energy to feel hurt.

She was too shocked and confused by her new realization.

“This can’t be.”

Aaron Denicar knew the name of Neria’s imaginary friend, which she had never told anyone.

“We… had the same dream…”

And Aaron suspected that the woman in his dream was Neria. She wasn’t sure why he’d only realized now, but perhaps the eye mask had played a role.

‘So that shameless act… wasn’t just my own fantasy!’

‘I’m confused. So confused.’