“Ahh…”

That too was an unwelcome matter. I had only put off thinking about it for a moment because the royal decree was so strange.

I let out a small sigh and said,

“Of course, I’m worried.”

Cedrion’s golden eyes, gazing down at me, darkened.

“It’s strange how they issued an exile order and are now flipping their stance as if turning over the palm of a hand. Even a small shop in Meldorf wouldn’t be this fickle.”

A brief smile flickered across Cedrion’s lips.

“More than anything… I don’t know what rumors will spread about me this time or how people will perceive me.”

“Rumors?”

“The servants who worked at the mansion might get excited about my return and start spouting who knows what. And as His Highness the Crown Prince mentioned earlier, if people believe I tried so hard to become the Crown Princess only to suddenly get engaged to you… wouldn’t I look like nothing more than an opportunist?”

From the perspective of “Flora’s Mom,” it really did seem that way.

If, in the side story of Princess Flora Is Lovely, Odelia Lure had ended up with the Grand Duke of Norhart, I could already imagine the comment section being flooded with remarks about how she needed to be “disposed of properly.”

“Don’t worry about that. As I said, there’s a gag order regarding you.”

“But since they’ve summoned me to the royal capital, won’t they lift it? It’d be strange if people couldn’t talk about me while I’m there, wouldn’t it?”

“A blood oath of Arcadia isn’t something that can be broken so easily. Regardless of the situation with Lure, considering your influence, they wouldn’t want you active in high society. Besides, that gag order only applies to the nobles, not the royal family. And most importantly…”

Cedrion’s hand reached out, brushing back the stray strands of hair near my ear that had been tousled by the wind.

“With the Black Knight of the Ice Wall by your side, what is there to worry about?”

“Pfft.”

Did he really just call himself the Black Knight of the Ice Wall?

Coming from a man with no talent for jokes, those words were enough to make me burst into laughter.

“Haha, seriously. What’s with you?”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Just don’t say things like that anywhere else.”

“I’m only saying it because it’s you.”

Thanks to him, the heavy atmosphere lightened, and the weight on my chest lifted.

Seeing me unable to hold back my laughter, warmth spread across Cedrion’s face.

“I told you that Norhart would be the safest place for you, but if I keep showing you how easily the royal family can push me around, I suppose it makes sense that you’d doubt it.”

“No, that’s not it. The royal family is just being unreasonable…”

Still smiling, I looked up at him. The corners of Cedrion’s lips carried a faint curve, as if he was relieved to see me laughing.

And when that thought crossed my mind, suddenly, I became painfully aware of my heartbeat.

Is it loud enough for him to hear…?

“Well… Ideally, we should avoid going to the royal capital, but even if we can’t, I’ll at least try to arrange for separate travel.”

Completely unaware of my flustered state, Cedrion continued speaking in his usual calm tone.

“As you guessed, they still don’t fully trust our relationship, which is why they’re making such strange demands. It’ll be difficult to send us to the royal capital right away, but at the very least, I can request a few days’ delay to send Michael away first.”

“Will that be okay?”

“Well, if a royal vassal under a gag order claims he needs time to gather gold and jewels to prove his loyalty to His Majesty the King, there’s not much they can say, is there?”

His voice was as composed as ever, but his words carried a sharp-edged sarcasm.

“So…”

The moment his expression sobered, his fingertips trailed slowly down my forehead.

For some reason, his touch felt warm.

And suddenly, I became acutely aware of how close we were.

Even closer than when we had danced earlier.

“There’s nothing for you to worry about.”

At this distance, I had to tilt my head up to look at him.

Against the moonlight, his shadowed face framed his golden eyes, which now carried a gentle warmth.

The first time I met him, his gaze had been nothing but intimidating, but now, I knew that when his golden eyes held that solemn look, there was no one more reliable.

‘Ah… So, this feeling is…’

In the end, I had already come to trust this man.

My heart pounded so loudly that I feared he might hear it.

“A-Anyway…”

To break the subtly shifting atmosphere, I hurriedly spoke.

Hiding my face slightly to conceal what was surely a growing flush, I turned my head to the side.

“We’re… standing a little too close, don’t you think?”

“Ah.”

Had he not realized how close we had gotten?

At last, Cedrion seemed to notice the distance between us and took a small step back.

It wasn’t much, but even that slight gap made it easier to breathe, as if the pressure in my chest had eased just a little.

“I… should head inside now.”

I feigned a shiver as I spoke.

The spring night air was indeed cool, but with such a large man beside me, I couldn’t feel even the slightest chill.

“Yes. It’s late.”

Cedrion resumed escorting me, leading the way.

Since the flow of conversation between us had been abruptly cut off, I deliberately tried to fill the silence.

“You should return to the banquet hall, too, shouldn’t you?”

“…Franz can handle it.”

“Not just Viscount Nielsen—your aides all looked utterly dazed. Especially the youngest-looking one.”

“You’ve memorized the faces of my subordinates already?”

“Well, since you visit the east wing so often, they end up coming frequently to look for you.”

“They must be delighted.”

Cedrion let out a short laugh.

In the past, I would have thought it was a laugh of exasperation, but now I knew it was one of genuine amusement.

It had barely been a month since we met, yet somehow, we had grown this close.

‘And those words… He still intends to marry me, doesn’t he?’

Regardless of whether our relationship was contractual or not, the people of Norhart wished for the Grand Duchess’s seat to be filled.

But I had less than ten months left to live.

I shouldn’t entertain expectations I couldn’t fulfill.

If that was the case, I had to make sure he never noticed my trembling heart. I had to strictly maintain the façade that this was nothing more than a business arrangement.

‘After all, the reason Cedrion treats me well isn’t because of me, but because of the real Odelia.’

Still, if he wanted to uncover the truth about Lure, I could at least cooperate for his sake.

For the sake of my nanny, who would need to rely on Norhart after I was gone.

The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Just as I turned my head away from him to conceal my conflicted expression—

‘Huh?’

Beyond the garden, someone was watching us.

‘A royal guard’s uniform?’

Come to think of it, wasn’t there a knight standing beside Michael earlier who gave off a similar presence…?

The white hair stood out too much to forget, yet I couldn’t recall his face clearly. He must have had a rather weak presence.

Now that I thought about it, wasn’t there a handsome knight among the royal guards?

As I frowned and tilted my head, the man met my gaze.

But he didn’t look away.

If he was meant to be keeping watch, his stare was far too blatant.

‘…Strange man.’

If there was an issue, Cedrion would have stepped in. Since he wasn’t reacting, that must mean the man’s behavior wasn’t a serious problem.

There was no way someone as perceptive as Cedrion wouldn’t have noticed a presence this close.

Shrugging off the uneasy feeling, I turned away and quickened my steps toward the east wing.

Even as I walked away, I could still feel the man’s gaze prickling the back of my head.

**

‘I feel like I’m losing my mind.’

As he crossed the courtyard after escorting Odelia to her room, Cedrion bit the inside of his lip.

‘You… you’ve truly become more beautiful. No, even more than that…’

‘More beautiful? What nonsense.’

Was he simply taken aback by how the once awkward girl had transformed into such a flawless woman?

This morning, in the aide’s office, when Franz had mentioned “Your Grace’s love for Lady Odelia,” Cedrion had finally realized something.

That the strange emotions he’d been feeling toward her lately could be interpreted as a form of affection.

But he had no thoughts of acting on it.

It baffled him that despite her being the same person—his childhood friend—his feelings had changed so drastically.

On the other hand, Odelia had said she wanted a marriage based on love.

Perhaps, in a way, that was convenient.

“Make sure to compliment her often.”

So, he had tried recalling Franz’s advice and attempted to shower her with praise.

But tending to someone else’s emotions was never his strong suit, and he only ended up misstepping over and over again.

Regardless, they had entered the banquet hall together, and though it had been due to Michael’s whims, they had even danced.

“It’s impossible to look away from you when I see you this close”

He had spoken the truth without realizing it.

And just now, while talking with her in the courtyard…

‘Without even knowing, I ended up standing that close to her.’

That wasn’t all.

To his own surprise, Cedrion had felt a sudden urge to press his lips to Odelia’s forehead.

At first, all he wanted was to protect the friend he had failed to safeguard as a child.

How had his feelings ended up here…?

‘In the end, she must have found it overwhelming and pulled away.’

Cedrion let out a sigh, his breath dissolving into the night air.

“…Sasha.”

At his low murmur, his ever-loyal shadow descended into the garden.