Chapter 13 (Part 3)

At his words, Grace glanced at the wall where Hymen had scribbled earlier, her face showing newfound curiosity.  

Leonardo, too, looked at the wall where Hymen had drawn the sorcery circle before leaving and continued,  

“Judging by the fact that our bodies haven’t changed since morning, it seems to be working as intended.”  

At his words, Grace nodded.  

Though she couldn’t understand the glowing characters of the sorcery circle, its effectiveness was clear.  

‘That must be why our bodies haven’t changed.’  

Then she recalled that he had said their bodies wouldn’t change “while we’re here.”

“So as long as we’re here, but once we leave, we’ll change again?”  

“Probably.”  

“…I see.”  

For some reason, after hearing that, this place truly felt like a so-called “paradise” to Grace.  

A paradise meant only for her and Leonardo.  

A small paradise where no one could find them, and no matter what happened, they wouldn’t be disturbed.  

‘But we can’t just leave things unresolved and stay here forever. No matter what, it has to end.’  

After that, the two of them continued eating in silence.  

More than half of the food on the table ended up in Grace’s stomach, yet she still didn’t feel full, as if she hadn’t eaten much at all.  

Seeing Grace’s satisfied expression, as if she had eaten a proper meal, Leonardo muttered to himself.  

“…I really need to earn a lot.”  

Grace, who happened to hear his comment while clearing the dishes, turned around and tilted her head.  

“Huh? What do you mean by that?”  

“—It’s nothing.”  

Flustered by Grace’s reaction, Leonardo tried to brush it off but was left feeling regretful.  

There’s a saying in the Eastern Continent about drinking kimchi soup before even being offered rice cakes. Leonardo realized he was the perfect example of that right now.  

(The Korean proverb “Don’t drink kimchi soup thinking that someone will give you rice cake” (김칫국부터 마시지 말라) means you should wait until the scheduled outcome occurs before taking action. It’s the Korean equivalent of the English idiom “Don’t count your chickens before they hatch”.)

‘What a foolish thing to say.’  

Grace probably wasn’t thinking about anything, yet here he was, planning for a future with her.  

‘Does Grace really have no intention of being with me, not even a little bit?’  

As he watched Grace humming a tune while clearing the dishes, Leonardo became lost in thought.  

From his perspective, it didn’t seem like she was entirely indifferent. If Grace truly wanted nothing to do with him, she wouldn’t have brought “that kind” of item with her.  

‘So she must have some thoughts about it….’  

Could it be that she only wanted my body?  

He had heard rumors that such relationships were becoming popular among young people these days.  

And he distinctly remembered Grace once saying she liked his body. He was sure of it because it had come from her own lips.  

But Leonardo didn’t want to believe that.  

‘No, she doesn’t seem like that kind of person.’  

If she were, she wouldn’t have missed the opportunities they’d had since the first night they were together.  

But life was unpredictable, as he and Grace were proving right now.  

‘Who would have thought that lifelong rivals would end up enjoying each other’s company like this?’  

So even if Grace turned out to be the type to pursue such relationships, it wouldn’t be surprising.  

If that were the case, and his assumptions were correct, then he was the only fool working hard and dreaming of a bright future with her.  

While he was lost in thought, Grace finished clearing the dishes and even washing them. She wiped her wet hands on her clothes and approached him.  

“What were you thinking about to look so spaced out?”  

The moment Leonardo saw Grace’s face as she sat beside him, he realized that the time to define their relationship was drawing near.  

But he also knew now wasn’t the right time.  

‘She might run away again.’  

Just like that day when she said she regretted everything, they might end up hurting each other and growing further apart. That day had left a deep scar on Leonardo.  

So, pretending not to know, he gently took Grace’s hand and said in a soft voice,  

“I was wondering when you’d reward me for serving you such a delicious meal.”  

Grace stared at him quietly.  

There was still something Leonardo didn’t understand.  

Having been raised under Amelia’s care—a woman who wasn’t very expressive—Grace had become skilled at reading people’s expressions and moods.  

‘It’s not fair to compare him to my mother, though.’  

To be certain that Amelia loved her, Grace had spent her childhood constantly observing and analyzing her mother’s subtle expressions.  

It was the only way she could be sure of her mother’s love. That’s why she had always been confident in her ability to read people.  

‘Besides, sometimes that’s my body he’s using.’  

In the past, she wouldn’t have been able to read Leonardo’s expressions or emotions, but now she could.  

She had become so familiar with his face that she could picture it with her eyes closed, knowing exactly what each expression meant.  

‘What was he thinking of looking so gloomy?’  

Yet, despite his somber thoughts, he still managed to say something playful and suggestive.  

It wasn’t something Grace particularly liked, but she also couldn’t be completely honest with him, so she pretended not to notice.  

“Well, that depends on how you behave, Sir Leo.”  

Grace said this while watching Leonardo deliberately act disappointed. Then she asked,  

“Do you think we’ll catch the Pla tomorrow?”  

At her question, Leonardo fell silent for a moment before replying in a subdued voice,  

“Do you want to leave so soon?”  

His words sounded as if he was perfectly content with the current situation, which struck Grace as odd.  

“Weren’t you the one who wanted to resolve this situation as quickly as possible?”  

“…At first, yes.”  

Hearing his hesitant and low voice, Grace stood up and pressed her hands against his cheeks.  

Leonardo’s lips puckered in the middle like a fish as he blinked at her.  

“I’m not saying I don’t find this situation enjoyable. I’m saying we can’t stay like this forever.”  

“……”  

“Things have to end before they can begin, don’t you think?”  

Leonardo’s eyes widened at Grace’s words.  

Just moments ago, he had been worried that she might want to cut things off with him entirely. But with just a few words, all his worries vanished.  

Leonardo held Grace’s hand and rubbed his cheek against her palm as he said,  

“You’re absolutely right.”  

“Then, shall we go to bed early tonight? We’ll need to save our strength if we’re going to move tomorrow.”  

Leonardo nodded at her suggestion.  

Grace gently pulled her hand away from his and shifted her position, intertwining her fingers with his as she smiled.  

“Shall we wash up first?”  

At her words, Leonardo’s face lit up.  

Like an eager puppy promised a treat, he followed her to the bathroom. However, after brushing his teeth and washing his face, he emerged looking disappointed.  

“You really only washed up and came out.”  

His voice was full of dissatisfaction, and Grace chuckled softly.  

The man, who had no idea why she had suggested going to bed early, seemed upset at the thought of simply sleeping without anything happening.  

“Well, do you expect something to happen when we might go hunting tomorrow? Especially when you don’t let me rest all night?”  

At her pointed remark, Leonardo flinched.  

He had no excuse, knowing he was guilty of overindulging.  

When he fell silent, Grace opened the door to their quarters and pushed him inside.  

“Go on in first. I have something else to do.”  

Leonardo looked at her with a face full of resentment, but the door soon closed with a thud.  

Feeling dejected, he trudged to the bed, torn between hating himself for being so insatiable and resenting Grace for not understanding his feelings.  

‘She’s just going to act like nothing happened once we leave anyway.’  

Was it so wrong to want to get along while we were here?  

As he lay there, lost in thought, the door creaked open, and Grace walked in.  

Pretending to be asleep, Leonardo didn’t turn to look at her.  

Grace poked his side and asked, 

“Are you asleep?”  

“Yes, I’m asleep.”  

“How can someone who’s asleep answer?”  

“Well, I’m asleep anyway.”  

His sulky yet endearing tone made Grace laugh.  

Sitting lightly on the edge of his bed, she shook him gently and said,  

“I was going to give you the reward I couldn’t give earlier. Are you going to refuse?”  

Hearing this, Leonardo reluctantly turned his head. His eyes widened in surprise, and then he sat up straight.  

Grace, her long pink hair cascading down, was sitting there wearing nothing but a mage’s cloak.  

“…Grace, Sir?”  

And underneath, she wore nothing but revealing lingerie.