Chapter 13 – Part 1

Eliana saw her new items scattered around the room—cat-shaped candles, flowers, books, and even a warmer shawl. Nothing was missing. They were all things Calix had brought. Without realizing it, she was surrounded by traces of him—it wasn’t just the objects.

“Even life itself.”

If it weren’t for Calix, her life would have sunk and been extinguished in murky waters long ago. As her thoughts reached that point, she felt strange. Her heart fluttered once more, just like when he kissed the back of her hand. But it didn’t stop there. It was becoming harder to stop thinking about Calix.

Eliana stood up. She wobbled a little in her haste and quickly grabbed the bedpost for support.

“Haa… I should just go for a walk.”

She stopped, intending to go alone, when she heard Calix’s voice outside the door. He was talking to Mila.

“Lady Eliana is in her room.”

“Understood.”

With his low voice came a soft knock on the door.

The one she had been waiting for. As he knocked and called for her, Eliana, for some reason, found herself unable to respond right away.

“Eliana, can I come in?“

“…Yes.”

After a pause, she answered, and the door opened. Calix stood tall enough to almost touch the doorframe, holding his usual bouquet of flowers.

“……”

Eliana gazed at him quietly.

‘More and more, I find myself waiting for him… much more than the day before yesterday, more than yesterday. Today, I even wondered if he was too busy to come, and the thought made me feel strangely sad.‘

“What’s wrong?”

Finding it odd that Eliana was staring at him, Calix stepped inside. She should have asked why he was late, but she said nothing. Worried she might be unwell, he placed his hand on her forehead.

Feeling his touch, Eliana instinctively leaned back.

“Are you sick?“

“No, nothing’s wrong. I’m fine.“

‘She’s definitely acting different than usual.’

Calix stared intently into her blue eyes as if trying to confirm her well-being. She didn’t seem feverish or dizzy, which was reassuring, but…

‘Did something happen while I was gone?’

Though she didn’t seem physically unwell, her strange behavior concerned him.

“Did you wait for me?“

“Yes.“

“Lady Eliana has been waiting for you,“ Mila chimed in from behind him. Her words, as if she could see straight through Eliana’s heart, left her flustered.

“No, I didn’t wait that long…”

Watching her awkward denial, Calix chuckled softly.

“Let’s go for a walk.“

“……“

“Why are you just standing there? Let’s go.”

Calix skillfully took her wrist and gently led her outside.

The air was cool and crisp. The town, now quiet with people returning home, felt different from the bustling daytime. Only their footsteps broke the silence of the night.

Calix walked at her pace, firmly holding her arm. He liked this time, the tranquility. He had been eager to head to her house as quickly as possible all day.

Eliana spoke as they passed the clock tower and entered a dim alleyway.

“You’re busy because of me lately, aren’t you, Calix? You come to the capital to see me even when you should be at your estate.”

At her words, Calix stopped walking. Since he stopped, Eliana had no choice but to stop, too.

“……“

“Your estate is far from the capital, but you come daily.”

She continued.

At the mention of distance, Calix’s expression hardened slightly.

‘Is she going to say I don’t need to come every day anymore because of the distance?’

Her unusual earlier expression made sense to him, coupled with this conversation.

“Does it bother you that I come so often?”

Calix asked. Eliana looked into his eyes. Due to the darkness, she couldn’t see them clearly, but they didn’t seem as relaxed as usual.

“Hm?”

He asked again.

“No, that’s not it.”

Realizing that Calix was misunderstanding her, Eliana quickly shook her head.

“It’s not that it bothers me…“

“Then what is it?“

“I’ve just gotten too used to it. That feeling is a bit… strange.”

Her words trailed off. Calix didn’t miss the moment when her eyes didn’t quite meet his.

“Lady Eliana has been waiting for you.”

The maid’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Have you been waiting for me, Eliana?“

“……“

“Lift your head.”

At his words, Eliana lifted her head. Her blue eyes shimmered in the darkness, their beauty unmatched anywhere. Her gaze was fixed on him, but there was something different about it now, a new emotion. There was hesitation, but the change in her feelings was unmistakable.

“I’ve been waiting too—for the time I can come to you.“

“……“

“There was a small delay because of an issue with the soldiers. I would’ve come straight to you even if it had been midnight. Coming to see you is the most important thing to me.“

“If it was about the soldiers, that’s a serious matter. You don’t have to come for a day if it’s something like that.“

“Do you really mean that?”

Eliana found herself both meaning it and not meaning it, surprised at the change in her own heart.

“For a day, sure…“

“And two days?“

“……”

“Three?“

“Calix…“

“Even an hour without seeing you is hard for me to bear.”

His emotions began to knock on Eliana’s heart again.

She would have felt lonely if Calix hadn’t come to see her today. She would have felt the absence of the warmth that he had so naturally filled by her side. Yet, she still hesitated to tell him he had to come because they had never made any special promises.

‘A special promise.’

That phrase, which suddenly came to her mind, startled Eliana.

Calix reached out. His fingers gently touched her cheek, where no words came from. As his fingers softly brushed against her skin, Eliana met his gaze. There was a new emotion in her blue eyes, one he had never seen before.

“Eliana, hypothetical situations like this are pointless. I’ve always dreamed of coming to you.“

“……“

“Even when I was trapped alone in my mansion. Even when I heard you were heading to the palace.“

“……“

“I’ll never miss a day coming to your house, so please don’t say I don’t have to come if I’m busy. It would hurt me to think you don’t want me here.”

It was the most vulnerable part of a man otherwise so strong. What made him terrifyingly strong could also make him unexpectedly weak—all because of her. Eliana felt this truth hit her deeply again. At that moment, the barriers she had firmly built around her heart started to fall away.

“Calix…“

“Yes?“

“When I was drowning… at the very end, all I could think about was you. I still had so much I wanted to say to you.“

“……“

“Will you ask me again? The last question you asked?”

At her words, Calix felt a surge of joy so strong he wanted to shout it for all to hear. He lowered his head for a moment before looking back at her. Eliana was telling him that her feelings were the same as his.

Calix pulled her into an embrace. Her thin, frail body felt so delicate that he was careful even as he held her. Then, he gently released her for just a moment.

But that brief space between them didn’t last long. His lips met hers.

‘A kiss.’

Unlike the other times they had touched, Eliana’s heart pounded wildly, much faster than before.

‘It feels like my heart is going to burst.’

Her heart raced so fiercely that it filled her with fear.

Behind them, the clock tower began to chime.

Ding—ding—

The sound echoed repeatedly, and until it stopped altogether, their passionate kiss continued.

* * *

When Eliana and Calix returned from their nighttime stroll, their atmosphere had changed entirely. The awkward tension that had lingered earlier was gone, and now they were holding hands tightly.

‘Oh my, the Duke and our young lady have finally!’

Suppressing the urge to let out an excited exclamation, Mila bit her lip.

‘I thought Lady Eliana was waiting for the Duke, staring out the window like that, but once he arrived, she couldn’t even say she had been waiting, so I said it for her…’

Though she wondered if she had been too forward, she decided it was for the best.

‘Yes, it was the right thing to do.‘

“It must’ve been chilly outside. Please come in.”

At Mila’s words, Eliana approached.

“You two seem especially close tonight, My Lady, Duke,“ Mila remarked, hinting that she had noticed the change. Eliana smiled shyly as if she had just introduced Calix to her home for the first time.

Even after returning to their room, their conversation didn’t stop, as if they had endless things to talk about after their long walk.

Mila was happy. Eliana woke up safely, and the two grew closer, precisely what she had hoped for.