-49-

After hurriedly dashing out of the room, I paused briefly to catch my breath. I glanced back, wondering if Roan might follow, but he was nowhere to be seen.

For a moment, I thought there was no need to feel so embarrassed over just a kiss, given that we were already at that level of intimacy. However, touching my burning cheeks, I felt it was indeed the right reaction.

I kissed him, and now I was blushing. It felt like I was doing everything by myself—playing the drums, cymbals, and gong all at once.

I stepped out into the garden to cool my heated cheeks. In the pitch-black darkness, only the bright moonlight illuminated the expansive garden.

The full moon shining into my eyes appeared even larger than the one I had seen on the night of a supermoon in my past life. The brilliant moonlight and the vast satellite’s presence reinforced the feeling that I was in another world.

The serene night air and the fresh scent of grass and flowers created a pleasant night atmosphere. The cool air brushing my face gradually cooled the heat from my cheeks.

“Ah. This is nice.”

It truly was. There were still unresolved issues and many things to take care of, but at this moment, everything seemed beautiful and peaceful. I wished for this tranquility to continue forever. If things stayed like this with Roan, I would have no other desires.

“You’ve come again.”

“Huh!”

Startled by the sudden voice, I nearly jumped out of my skin. I turned towards the sound to see a figure in the darkness. It was Alexandra. Since there had been no indication of her presence, I couldn’t help but be shocked.

Are you a ghost? If not, could you make some noise?

I almost had a heart attack… These thoughts swirled in my head, but I couldn’t voice them. Complaining to Alexandra would likely result in a not-so-pleasant outcome.

I took a moment to steady my breathing.

“Ha. Hello?”

Seeing my swift greeting, Alexandra smirked and said.

“Such formal greetings. Why are you out here at this hour?”

“I just wanted to get some fresh air. When did you arrive?”

“Just now.”

“Did you see me coming?”

“Yes. Since you were sniffing around.”

Her words made my face heat up again, and I laughed awkwardly. Haha… I wasn’t sniffing around; I was just enjoying the night air.

“By the way, it seems like I always run into you here. Do you like the garden?”

“I don’t particularly like it.”

Huh? I had assumed she liked the garden. Anyone would think so. Unable to contain my curiosity, I asked.

“Then why do you come here often?”

“It gets stuffy staying indoors all day. Being confined to the mansion all the time… Isn’t it frustrating for women?”

Her voice sounded dry and crackling, like parched leaves. She spoke casually, but I sensed a cloud of something dark in her words.

It was strange. Whenever I saw this side of Alexandra, I felt a vague sense of futility. Her true feelings were often as inscrutable as a cloudy sky.

“Waiting in a vast mansion without knowing whom you are waiting for, endlessly.”

Waiting? Whom could she be waiting for in this house?

“Waiting… Do you mean for the late duke…?”

Alexandra’s face stiffened momentarily. Oh no, did I go too far? Mentioning that man, who was nothing but trash…

“Perhaps in those days long forgotten, I might have waited foolishly.”

…Huh? Her unexpected response left me dumbfounded. After a moment, her stiff expression softened, and she smiled wryly.

“He was a man not worth associating with. Selfish and utterly depraved. Who knows? There might be children I don’t even know about.”

Alexandra spoke harshly about her husband.

“I truly despise this place.”

The old emotions she had accumulated over the years were palpable. Her face, speaking of her hatred with such vehemence, appeared oddly serene.

“I wonder if a day will come when you, too, will despise this place. I’m curious.”

It was a question tinged with both curiosity and perhaps a curse. I didn’t know how to respond.

At that moment, a long shadow cast by the moonlight appeared at my feet. Looking up, I saw a familiar silhouette backlit.

“…Roan?”

He stood at the garden entrance, some distance away. Like mother, like son—Roan and Alexandra both moved silently, like twin shadows. As Roan approached, Alexandra asked.

“Did you two plan to meet here tonight?”

“What? No, we didn’t.”

Roan approached and bowed his head slightly to Alexandra in greeting. Alexandra looked at him silently. An uncomfortable silence ensued, making me want to run away.

Some people worry because their husbands and mothers-in-law get along too well, but I found myself in the opposite situation.

After a while, Alexandra broke the seemingly endless silence.

“Have you been eating?”

The question was sudden and out of place.

“You seem to have lost some weight since I last saw you.”

Her additional remarks carried a tone that might be sarcastic. The content itself sounded like a caring mother, but it lacked any warmth. If it weren’t for that cold tone, it might have felt sincere. Her cool, expressionless face also contributed to shattering any sense of kindness.

“Yes.”

Roan responded calmly to her words.

“What brings you here?”

“I heard voices and came to check.”

“Voices, you mean this child’s?”

Alexandra pointed at me, who was standing idly. Roan found her words somewhat ambiguous.

“…What.”

“Hmph.”

Seeing Roan’s reaction, Alexandra snorted briefly.

“I guess I should leave since I might be a distraction.”

With that, Alexandra turned and leisurely exited the garden.

“…Hmm.”

Watching her figure recede into the distance, I felt as if I were looking at the sky rather than the ground from atop a cloud. It seemed like there was something I hadn’t yet noticed. Alexandra seemed to avoid Roan for some reason… Could it be that she was trying to avoid him? Or was it just my imagination?

Considering her actions so far, it didn’t seem like she harbored enough hostility toward him to dislike being with him. What was I missing? Despite the considerable time that had passed since Alexandra arrived at the mansion, it was still unclear what kind of relationship she had with Roan. Should I have asked subtly while she was talking earlier?

What is it, what could it be…

“…In.”

Roan’s voice cut through my thoughts. I was so lost in my musings that his words startled me back to reality.

“Pardon?”

“What are you thinking about so deeply?”

There was a hint of disappointment in Roan’s voice, likely because I had been distracted.

If David were here, he would have certainly asked, “Who?”

“Ahaha, the trees are just so beautiful.”

“…….”

Roan silently looked at the trees, which were hard to see in the deepening darkness.

“Even if you can’t see them, you can feel their beauty. At this rate, I think I might even succeed in sensing the presence of mana.”

What am I even saying? I was just rambling.

“Mana?”

Fortunately, Roan didn’t press further and switched to the topic I brought up.

“Yes. I need to sense it to move on to the next magic lesson.”

Roan’s face briefly showed a hint of confusion.

“Shouldn’t you first memorize the basics? Have you already learned everything?”

“You knew about that?”

As far as I knew, Roan had never learned magic. How did he know the order of learning it? Is he really that much of a genius?

“I’ve looked into magic before.”

“Oh, really? Were you interested in magic too?”

“No. I just looked into it because it’s something my wife is learning.”

What? Hearing his words, a tiny curiosity sprouted in my heart.

“Hmm? You looked it up just because I’m learning it?”

I tried not to show it, but my question was already laced with mischief.

I caught a glimpse of slight embarrassment on his face.

Gotcha.

Seizing the opportunity, I bombarded him with questions.

TL NOTE: More advanced chapter of this story is already up on the site. Visit dusk blossoms for more advanced chapters and stories