Chapter 9.2

“……”  

Love. The feeling in his eyes was love.  

The man who had loved her for so long was asking for her answer so earnestly.  

“Herace, I…”  

Swallowing a shaky breath, Brienne moved her hand to his cheek as if entranced. Even with the same gesture as that day, Herace didn’t avoid her.  

Nor did her gaze, which refused to leave his face.  

A beautiful person.  

In the quiet, Brienne studied his face and smiled softly. The sunlight pouring from the window seemed to avoid only his face.  

Or perhaps Herace had always been in her shadow, just like now. Yet he was so radiant she never realized it was a shadow.  

“…Yes.”  

No longer afraid, Brienne gently closed her eyes. She simply liked him. She didn’t mind giving him permission.  

As she whispered her answer, their noses touched.  

Was it now?  

Brienne listened to the loud heartbeat, unsure whose it was, and waited for the warm touch to settle on her lips.  

“Brienne.”  

Herace let out a low laugh at her cute affirmation.  

“I hope you never regret those words.”  

With that soft whisper, Herace’s large hand, which had been holding her chin, moved to the nape of her neck. Her toes curled with tension. The warmth from their bodies pressed together was intense.  

He dyed Brienne in his slow, gentle way. Even though he’d waited so long, there was no impatience. The gentle kisses that traced her nose and chin slowly moved toward her lips.  

“Mm…”  

As the heat touched her, Brienne gasped in surprise. Her fingers, tightly clutching his shoulder, tingled and buzzed. She couldn’t control her ragged breath.  

His firm arm around her waist tightened.  

“…Sir Herace!”  

Bang, bang bang! Bang!  

“Are you in there? It’s urgent!”  

‘…Aaron?’  

Startled, Brienne’s eyes flew open. Herace also furrowed his neat eyebrows, clearly flustered by the situation.  

“Sir Herace, please open the door quickly!”  

Aaron’s voice rang out again, even louder.  

“…I’m sorry.”  

Herace sighed, turned toward the door, and gently set Brienne down on the sofa before heading over. Brienne quickly tidied her hair and clothes, catching her breath.  

Of course, she didn’t forget to hold the now-cold teacup to hide her flushed cheeks.  

“What is it?”  

Herace opened the door, frowning, just as Aaron rushed in, pale-faced.  

“S-Sir Herace, the Duke of Belif…”

Aaron took a deep, trembling breath and shouted loudly.  

“They say it was a riding accident…!”  

* * *

“Why are you like this, Dear?”  

Olivia, who was boarding the passenger ship with Shylo, grabbed Damon’s arm as he stood still, looking back. Only then did Damon seem to come to his senses and shook his head at his wife.  

“…Ah, no, let’s go.”  

But despite saying that, he seemed unable to turn away easily. Olivia, realizing what he was worried about, patted his arm gently with a kind voice.  

“You were fine in front of Brienne, so why are you like this again? I told you, nothing will happen.”  

“But I… I just keep feeling uneasy. I keep thinking maybe I should have told Brienne the truth after all.”  

“It was right not to tell her. She’s already been through a lot lately, and if we’d brought it up, it would have just given her more to worry about.”  

Olivia, watching Damon’s dark expression, held both his hands tightly.  

But of course, she hadn’t forgotten about what happened ten years ago that Damon was worrying about.  

Those days when their daughter, whom they thought only had a mild cold, suffered from a high fever for unknown reasons.  

The Ford couple summoned every physician from all over Rontiano to treat Brienne, sparing no effort.  

But no matter which renowned doctor came, no one could diagnose Brienne’s illness, and she suffered a severe fever, unable to leave her bed. No matter how much reward they offered, no physician was able to cure her.  

When Damon thought Brienne might die like this, he finally went to the Emperor of Rontiano and knelt before him.  

The holy power said to revive even those at death’s door.  

It was to borrow the great power of the Holy Kingdom of Roeta, where Alexei the Emperor’s mother resided.  

Damon, too, seemed to recall that day’s memory, anxiously rubbing his face.  

“Olivia, if something like that happens again, I really…”  

“Dear, didn’t those priests say so? That as long as Brienne didn’t come into contact with holy power again, she’d be fine.”  

Interrupting Damon, Olivia gave a reassuring smile.  

“Roeta may be a Holy Kingdom, but Brienne is only studying magic at the Academy. What chance does she have to be exposed to holy power? Even Shylo, who’s been here for four years, has never seen it.”  

“I know, but still, just in case…”  

Damon, speaking anxiously, finally let out a sigh.  

They had already decided to hide the truth from Brienne, but he couldn’t understand why it still weighed on his mind.  

“…Sorry, you’re right.”  

Damon bowed his head and held Olivia’s hand tightly.  

Olivia’s face was calm as she stroked the back of his hand, but she wasn’t entirely at ease either.  

She simply thought that if it happened again, they could seek the Emperor’s help once more.  

Alexei the Emperor.  

Olivia was well aware that the ambitious Emperor—who could hardly be called a sage—demanded everything the Ford family enjoyed as noble faction members in return for helping Damon.  

It was precisely because of that unreasonable demand that her husband had returned the Ford family’s private property and land to the Imperial Family.  

How did the noble faction react then?  

The noble ladies who used to chat with her every day locked their doors and pretended not to know Olivia. And the same went for the imperial faction families who’d been forced to accept a noble faction colleague against their will.  

The Ford family, having lost its wealth and status, had been on the verge of collapse ever since, but the Emperor, as promised, did everything in his power to heal Brienne.  

Since then, Damon had loyally served by the Emperor’s side for ten years. Now, the Emperor trusted him enough to entrust him with the affairs of Earl Harrington.  

So, if the same thing happened again, they could count on the Emperor’s help.  

That was Olivia’s firm belief and the reason she kept all this from Brienne.  

“Come on, let’s go now.”  

With a calm smile, Olivia led her husband onto the ship. Though her steps were not light as she turned away with a slight unease, there was no turning back now.  

* * *

‘Will Herace be all right?’  

Brienne’s brow furrowed as she nervously paced her room. It had been a while since she’d seen Herace off and returned, but her startled heart wouldn’t calm down.  

That something like this would happen to the Duke of Belif.  

It hurt her heart.  

Thinking of how hard it must be for Herace after hearing the news made her even sadder.  

He had already experienced the loss of his mother a few years ago. The more Brienne recalled Herace’s shaken eyes at the news of his father’s accident, the more her heart ached.  

Brienne let out a worried sigh.  

‘I hope nothing bad happens.’  

She wanted to go after Herace and comfort him, just as he had been there for her father—hold his hand, reassure him, tell him everything would be all right.  

That the Duke would be safe. She wanted to be a source of strength for Herace, who must be struggling.  

But she couldn’t do that. Of course, it wasn’t because she lacked the courage to face her feelings.  

<It won’t take long.>  

Before getting into the carriage, Herace, with a stiff face, had kissed the back of her hand—because he was, after all, the Young Master of Belif.  

Brienne knew.  

In the Holy Kingdom of Roeta, she could just be Brienne with Herace, but the moment they returned to Rontiano, that was no longer possible.  

The ship carrying the Fords and the Belifs was headed for entirely different destinations.  

The decision of the next head of the family would determine the future of the house.  

Herace Belif was in a position to disembark from Brienne’s ship and board whichever one he wanted, but Brienne simply didn’t have the right to make such a choice.  

Only close associates could visit a critically ill head of house; if she followed him without having clearly defined her position, it would cause an even bigger scandal than at the engagement ceremony.  

Brienne bit her lip and swallowed her concerns for him.  

Tap, tap.  

She heard a steady noise by her ear as she was preparing for bed, straightening her sheets.  

‘…What is that?’  

Realizing the sound was coming from the window, Brienne curiously opened the curtain. The tapping stopped for a moment.  

“Hey, Miss!”  

Instead, a deep male voice called out.  

Brienne, wide-eyed, opened the window and looked down at the flowerbed.  

A large build, black hair, sharp features.  

“…Zen?”  

Garzen, who met her eyes from below the window, grinned and waved.  

“Long time no see. Have you been well?”  

Hiding behind a tree, Garzen looked just as he had in Rontiano. Brienne, surprised to see his familiar face, nodded.  

“Yes, I’ve been well. But what are you doing there?”  

“What else? I was waiting for you, Miss.”  

“For me? Why?”  

“What’s that reaction? Didn’t you get my note?”  

A note? Brienne, staring at Garzen in confusion, shook her head, equally puzzled.  

“No, I didn’t get anything?”  

“D*mn, someone must have intercepted it again…”  

Garzen scowled and muttered a curse. Looking up at Brienne again, he sighed regretfully.  

“Sorry. Looks like someone intercepted my note. Anyway, since you didn’t know, it can’t be helped. If you’re busy, should I come back another time?”  

“Ah, no, I’m not busy. What’s going on?”  

“It’s a bit awkward to say this, but my neck’s about to break from looking up at you. Won’t you let me come inside?”  

Without hesitation, Brienne shook her head firmly.  

“No, I’ll just come down.”  

“…Really? All right, then. I’ll wait here, so take your time.”  

Garzen, looking a bit disappointed, plopped down in the bushes. Brienne went straight down without any special preparation.