Chapter 9

The longer Demian hesitated, the more anxious she became.  

“…Just say it. I’ll think about it.”  

Unable to endure the silence, she deliberately answered coldly. But at the same time, she was scared.  

‘What if Demian asks me to run away with him again?’  

Her lips tingled, as if she wanted to bite her nails.  

“I’m leaving in a few days. Before that… I’d like to go to the festival with you one last time, Your Grace.”  

“…A festival?”  

The request was so unexpected, it deflated her mood. For a moment, she felt as if cold water had been poured over her.  

The Grand Duchess enjoying a festival with another man? Someone would surely recognize her—was he asking her to die together?  

“Ah, when the crowds gather, monsters can easily hide, so everyone wears masks.”  

Noticing her doubt, Demian calmly added.  

“Then… when is this festival?”  

“Tomorrow.”  

“Tomorrow?!”  

She shouted in surprise. Even if Demian was leaving in a few days, tomorrow was too soon.  

“…Is it too difficult?”  

“Of course it is. It’s not like last time, sneaking out at night. How do you plan to avoid all the servants…”  

“Leave that part to me.”  

She already knew it wasn’t just bravado. She was sure she’d refuse, but for a moment, she found herself wavering, and that was unfamiliar.  

“No, wait. This isn’t what I came to say today.”  

“Then you really did come to water the flowers?”  

“Ah, really…”  

Even now, Demian didn’t miss a chance to tease. He seemed amused by her irritation, a faint smile on his lips.  

“Understood, Your Grace. Please speak. I’ll listen.”  

“…I wish you wouldn’t leave the knight order. Your skills are too precious to waste.”  

“If I stay, and you suffer because of my feelings, Your Grace, I won’t be able to bear it.”  

“Still…”  

“And even if it’s not here, I can take care of myself anywhere.”  

Considering how he subdued monsters in an instant and snuck into her room past the ducal residence’s tight security, his confidence was well-founded.  

“I may not be able to live in luxury, but perhaps even you, Your Grace…”  

“……”  

“Hmm, I’m being presumptuous again, aren’t I?”  

“…Why do you ask when you already know?”  

Demian smiled sheepishly and gazed at her for a long moment, as if trying to memorize her face. His eyes, like silver-gray mirrors, reflected her—a woman unable to hide her hesitation.  

If they had met somewhere else, under different circumstances, would everything have been different? It was a meaningless thought.  

“Your Grace, if you change your mind, let me know anytime. There’s still time before the festival tomorrow.”  

“I’ll think about it. You should reconsider whether you truly want to leave the North.”  

“My feelings haven’t changed.”  

“……”  

“Ah, wait. Your Grace…”  

As she turned to leave, Demian’s voice stopped her.  

“May I see your hand for a moment?”  

“…Why my hand?”  

She instinctively held out her wrist before hearing his answer. His long eyes curved gently.  

Once she permitted, Demian quickly tied something around her wrist. Every time his fingers brushed her skin, her heart throbbed.  

“…What is this?”  

“It’s nothing special. I made it while waiting for you.”  

It was a bracelet woven from flowers in the garden. It was so cliché it made her cringe, but coming from a man with such a face, it would always work…  

Compared to the Grand Duke’s lavish gifts, this simple flower bracelet made her nose sting. She’d always been the type swayed by sincerity rather than money.  

“I thought a ring would seem arrogant, and a flower crown would mess up your hair…”  

Demian looked at her with gentle eyes. That kind consideration made her heart waver again.  

She tried desperately to think of something else. Yes, the butler. What would the butler say at a time like this? He’d surely say something to ruin the mood…  

“…You’re quite handy, aren’t you?”  

“Ah.”  

The flutter in her heart was instantly cut off. Demian gave a small laugh. Her cheeks burned, feeling as if all her thoughts had been exposed.  

“There’s nothing I can’t do. If you want, you can test me.”  

He replied with a cheeky smile, as if willing to go along.  

“…No need.”  

“Still, please don’t throw it away.”  

He was probably talking about the bracelet, but the double meaning made her heart skip.  

Demian carefully reached out, straightening the slightly twisted bracelet back into place. For the first time, she noticed a distinct, long scar on Demian’s index finger.  

“What’s this scar?”  

“Ah…”  

“It looks pretty deep. Must be old.”  

“I just got hurt when I was young. Nothing worth worrying about.”  

Demian’s gray eyes darkened. It seemed to have a story, but he didn’t look like he’d share it with her.  

“Ah, it’s late. Your Grace.”  

“…I’ve seen your face, that’s enough. I should go.”  

Demian obviously changed the subject, but she was glad to leave before she got swept up in his proposal. She turned away, but unfinished persuasion lingered in her heart.  

“My wish for you not to leave because of me hasn’t changed.”  

“…Your Grace.”  

“No need to see me out.”  

She hurried out of the greenhouse before Demian could say another word. If he tried to stop her, she felt she wouldn’t be able to move her feet.  

Her steps grew louder as she walked faster, but the pounding of her heart was even louder.  

As soon as she left the greenhouse, she leaned against the wall and closed her eyes. Even as she struggled to calm her rough breaths, all she could picture was that beautiful man, standing alone in the greenhouse with a wounded expression.  

She felt as if she was already too late for something.

* * *

“Your Grace!”  

When she returned to her room, the butler was already waiting at the door.  

“…What is it?”  

She broke into a cold sweat, worried she’d been caught meeting Demian. She bit her lip, trying to hide her tension, but luckily—or not—the butler looked rather pleased.  

“His Grace, the Grand Duke, has a message for you.”  

“…I told you to tell His Grace to speak to me directly if he has something to say. And I don’t want you to be put in uncomfortable situations as a go-between.”  

“Ah, this time His Grace really intended to come himself. But due to the aftereffects of the monster subjugation, he’s in urgent need of rest… Instead, he ordered me to show you something.”  

“…For me? What is it?”  

“Yes, His Grace has collected treasures for his future wife since childhood. It’s actually a Northern tradition…”  

“Treasures collected for his future wife?”  

She interrupted the butler impatiently. Did this mean the Grand Duke intended to treat her as his wife? Hope she thought had died suddenly stirred, and she was foolishly swayed by his words again.  

“Yes. These treasures are as good as yours, so please come with me and take a look.”  

“…Alright. Lead the way.”  

The butler smiled with relief, as if finishing a difficult task. He asked her permission and entered her room. Just as she wondered what he was doing, the butler went to the bookshelf in the corner and pulled out a book.  

She’d never paid attention to the bookshelf, but it slid aside easily under the butler’s hand. There must have been a special mechanism. Beyond the bookshelf, there was a door she’d never seen before.  

“……”  

The butler took out a key and unlocked the door, stepping aside for her.  

“Please go in first.”  

From the innermost pocket of his coat, the butler produced an antique key and handed it to her. Feeling a bit uneasy, she took it and headed inside.  

Inside was a spacious drawing room. It seemed to connect the bedrooms of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess—a place where the couple could come and go freely, away from prying eyes…  

She’d never had reason to use it since arriving, but it was always kept spotless.  

“That door leads to His Grace’s bedroom, but today it’s difficult to show you.”  

“Why? Is he not in his bedroom?”  

The butler pointed to a door beside the fireplace and lowered his voice. She naturally whispered back.  

“Ah, he’s taken sleeping medicine and is in a deep sleep.”  

“He took medicine to sleep? Was he badly hurt by the monster?”  

“Not a major injury, but he’s been so busy day and night lately… He needed rest immediately.”  

Drawn in, she approached the door to the Grand Duke’s bedroom and quietly placed her hand on it. Beyond this wall, the Grand Duke truly existed.  

Maybe because she hadn’t seen his face, he’d always felt like a character in a book, but now he suddenly felt real.  

“…He’ll be alright soon, won’t he?”  

“Yes, he’ll recover quickly.”  

The butler smiled at her thoughtful imitation of a Grand Duchess. She bit her lip and bowed her head. Her chest churned, but she couldn’t tell what emotion it was.  

“Your Grace, this way.”  

The butler led her to the opposite bookshelf. He pulled out another book, and the shelf slid aside again, revealing another door.  

Following the butler’s signal, she inserted the key into the lock. Unconsciously, she glanced up at the butler, tense for no reason.  

“You may look forward to it.”  

“Promise?”  

“I dare promise. His Grace prepared this almost his entire life, solely for the one who would become the Grand Duchess…”  

What was so grand? As she wondered, the key turned with a click.  

Excitement bubbled up, but a strange anxiety crept up from her toes.