Chapter 17. I’ll Come by Tonight

“Oh, that’s…!”

Christopher smiled brightly, as if he had been waiting for such a question, and tried to sit down. But Aster wasn’t going to let that happen.

“Sir Christopher.”

At Aster’s low, cold voice, Christopher froze and looked at him. The tone was so different from before that he immediately understood.

“So, what’s your business?”

“Pardon?”

“You wouldn’t have barged in so urgently without a reason.”

This implied that if he had no reason, there would be consequences.

I looked at Christopher sympathetically. Fortunately, his innocence protected him from the harsh tone. Anyone else would have knelt and begged for forgiveness by now.

Christopher, remembering his purpose late, widened his eyes and exclaimed,

“Oh! There’s a report of a suspicious rift appearing in the northeastern forest on the outskirts of the capital. The local branch has asked for confirmation.”

Aster, startled by the mention of a rift, stood up abruptly.

“How could you delay such news? Go prepare immediately!”

“Yes, sir!”

At the command, Christopher quickly saluted and left the room.

Rifts, caused by distorted mana, were also known as gates to the demon realm. If not purified promptly, the rifts could expand, allowing demonic beasts to emerge. They had to be purified as soon as they were spotted.

Nobles with special abilities had a duty to protect ordinary people. Only they and elite soldiers could handle the demonic beasts from the rifts.

Preparing to depart, Aster looked at me with a troubled expression.

“What should I do? I wanted to escort you.”

“It’s fine. Take care of yourself. I can take a carriage.”

I waved off his concern, and Aster grabbed the door handle. Instead of leaving immediately, he turned back and approached me. Before I could react, he kissed my right cheek.

Smooch.

The brief contact of his lips lingered as he moved to my ear and whispered gently.

“I’ll come by tonight. Leave your window open.”

With that, he kissed my cheek once more and left the room gracefully.

I stood there, dazed, for a while. His sudden kisses always caught me off guard, leaving me flustered.

“He’s coming to visit? To our house?”

And he asked me to leave the window open.

Puzzled by the meaning, I stared at the closed door, wondering if he intended to enter through the window.

* * *

That evening.

I paced around the same spot, glancing at the window repeatedly.

I had left the window open as instructed, but would Aster really come?

Maybe he was joking, and I took it seriously. It was hard to imagine Aster sneaking into the Francis estate to open my window.

It was also too late for him to enter through the main gate openly.

I had heard that lovers sometimes secretly sneaked into each other’s homes for nighttime dates. The thrill of sneaking around, avoiding the parents’ eyes, was unmatched for young couples.

Even though Aster and I were pretending to be lovers, it wasn’t impossible. But the idea of the young duke of Blanche sneaking into the Francis estate was risky.

After all, it was the estate of an enemy family. If he got caught, it would be a big problem.

Especially if Father found out, he might seize the chance to denounce the Blanche family, claiming they couldn’t be in-laws with a family that trespassed before marriage.

“He’s not really coming, is he?”

I was torn between wanting him to come and hoping he wouldn’t. The fact that I left the window open showed that I wanted him to come more.

Deciding to send him away quickly if he did come, I approached the window.

Feeling frustrated, I opened the window wide and leaned against the sill. The gentle breeze played with my pink hair.

The night outside was already dark. The bright moon made it not completely dark, but it was still a night where someone could sneak in unnoticed.

“I hope he handled the rift well.”

Even a small rift could be dangerous. Seeing how urgently he left, it seemed quite serious, which worried me a bit. Still, I trusted his experience and assumed he handled it well.

As I enjoyed the cool night air, the sound of crickets chirping filled the air. I closed my eyes and listened to nature’s symphony.

Then, I heard a rustling sound below the window. It was louder than the crickets, more like a person’s movement. I perked up my ears and looked around, but the sound had already stopped.

I thought I might have imagined it until I saw familiar silver hair glistening in the moonlight on a tree branch near the window.

Our eyes met.

“Goodness, Aster?”

What are you doing there?

Aster seemed to be quite adept at climbing trees. Not only had he climbed up that tall tree in a single bound, but he was also maintaining a stable position.

“Hello, Camilla.”

Aster greeted me with a graceful smile and a wave. His movements were as leisurely as someone out for a nighttime stroll.

His neatly swept-back bangs swayed gently in the night breeze. His red eyes sparkled beautifully as they looked at me.

It seemed quite dangerous, as there was a considerable distance between him and the room. Surely he wasn’t planning to jump over here, was he?

“Wait. I’ll open the back door for you.”

I turned around, intending to get him down from that dangerous tree.

“There’s no need for that.”

“What?”

“It’s dangerous, so step back.”

“What?”

“Hurry.”

With those words, Aster crouched down. Judging by his posture, it looked like he was about to leap over here.

‘Is he out of his mind?!’

I was shocked and tried to stop him, but Aster jumped before I could. He landed lightly in front of me as I quickly stepped back.

“I told you to step back, but you didn’t listen.”

He said this as if he had almost collided with me. He sat on the window sill, looking down at me.

He moved lightly and elegantly, like a bird flying to the window. A red aura shimmered around him like a mirage before disappearing.

For a moment, I thought the red moon had fallen. The sight was so beautiful that I stared at Aster in a daze.

Aster hesitated, sitting on the window sill without entering the room. It was amusing if he was trying to be modest now.

His face was even clearer up close than from afar. The round moon behind him suited him perfectly.

I smiled and said,

“You really came.”

“I promised, didn’t I?”

“Still, I didn’t expect you to sneak in. What if you got caught?”

I knew he was bold, but I never imagined he would sneak into the Francis estate. Aster chuckled and muttered,

“It’d be better if I got caught. I’d take responsibility.”

“Forget it.”

I let out a helpless laugh at the absurd direction of the conversation, and he gestured inside, asking,

“May I come in?”

“You’re already halfway in.”

“Still, I’d like to get your permission.”

It was funny to see him acting like a gentleman now. I stepped aside and said,

“Come in. Unless you want to talk on the window sill.”

As soon as I gave permission, Aster came inside, simultaneously pulling me into his arms and asking,

“Did you wait long for me?”

The sudden closeness made me swallow nervously. His eyes sparkled with subtle anticipation.

I could have said I waited or I didn’t, but I didn’t want to give him the answer he was looking for. It felt too embarrassing.

So, I responded coolly.

“Wait? I just happened to open the window to get some fresh air when you arrived.”

“Really?”

You seemed to spend quite a bit of time by the window.

Aster whispered softly, making me flinch and look at him. This meant he had been here for a while.

“You didn’t just arrive?”

“I enjoyed the view for a bit. You looked so beautiful gazing out the window.”

Aster smiled lazily and lightly brushed the back of my hand. His nonchalant demeanor made my earlobes heat up.

So, he had been watching me for a while.

I didn’t dislike his casual remarks. I had grown accustomed to his touch.

“You could have just said you were here.”

Feeling embarrassed, I mumbled and fanned myself with my free hand. Aster kissed the back of my hand.

“Honestly, I thought you’d be asleep since I finished late.”

“I usually go to bed late.”

“So, you weren’t waiting for me?”

“Well, you did say you’d come….”

Trailing off awkwardly, I tried to explain, but he smiled. His lips felt hot against the back of my hand. I must have been quite deprived if I was hoping for his lips to touch other places too.

Was I falling for this fox? I barely managed to pull my hand away and changed the subject.

“By the way, how did the rift situation go?”

“It was larger than expected, so I had to patrol the area, which took some time. As you can see, I’m unharmed.”

“You must be tired, but you still came.”

“I have someone here who takes away my fatigue.”

“You’re quite the smooth talker.”

“Only for you, Camilla.”

“If only you didn’t talk.”

I chuckled at Aster’s smoothness. Then, I noticed his intense gaze and stopped laughing. His eyes were so hot that I felt like I might get burned.

It was strange how the atmosphere kept turning this way. I had been alone with men before, but none had made me this nervous.

I suddenly became conscious of Aster being in my room. I hadn’t intended to let him in, even though he said he would visit.

The fact that I had let him into my bedroom without much thought made me realize his earlier comment about my lack of caution wasn’t entirely false. Feeling defensive, I explained,

“I’m not the type to let just anyone into my room.”

“That sounds like you’re saying I’m special.”

“Well, you are my fiancé! I can’t treat you like a complete stranger.”

Aster laughed at my awkward response.

“Why are you so tense?”

“Well….”

As his face came closer, I shrank back, and my voice trailed off. Aster followed me closely and whispered,

“Were you expecting something?”

“I-I don’t know what you mean.”

“Really?”

Aster smiled and stepped back. When he released his hold on my waist, I felt an odd sense of loss.

As I rolled my eyes, Aster said,

“I guess I was the only one expecting something.”

“…….”

“You don’t need to be so wary. I really just came to see your face tonight. It’s quite late.”

Aster moved toward the window as if he was about to leave. Instinctively, I grabbed his arm.

“Why are you like this?!”