Chapter 2 (Part 9)

“Duke, when will the investigation into the new monsters begin?”

“Soon, the investigation team will be formed at the mansion and proceed.”

All cases and investigations are conducted at the Imperial Palace. However, Anthus had told Cloud that the mages of the Mage Tower were uncomfortable going to the palace and would form the investigation team at his ducal mansion. Cloud, knowing Anthus’s ulterior motives, had agreed.

“What? Isn’t the investigation usually conducted at the palace?”

“The mages of the Mage Tower said they are uncomfortable going to the palace.”

“Oh, I see.”

There were plenty of mages willing to go along with anything if given magic stones.

“Yuli, as a member of the investigation team, you must come to the mansion.”

“Alright, Duke Anthus.”

“You haven’t forgotten our promise when you joined the investigation team, right?”

“Yes.”

Yuliana nodded, recalling Anthus’s promise to stay by her side. As they chatted, they soon arrived at the greenhouse.

The round, opaque greenhouse glistened under the late afternoon sunlight.

“Most greenhouses are transparent, but the one at your mansion is opaque.”

“Yes, because of the flowers growing inside.”

Anthus smiled as he opened the door to the greenhouse.

“Shall we go in?”

“Yes.”

As soon as she stepped into the greenhouse, Yuliana felt a chill run through her body, but the fragrant scent of ice flowers tickling her nose made her smile broadly. The pure white ice flowers spread before her eyes captivated her.

“May I escort you?”

Anthus extended his hand to Yuliana, who was staring at the ice flowers. Without realizing it, she placed her hand on his, looking around in wonder at the flowers and trees.

“I never imagined I’d see flowers I’ve only read about in books in real life…”

“Do you like them?”

“I love them. Thank you for showing them to me, Duke Anthus.”

Anthus smiled, watching Yuliana’s pink-tinged golden eyes busily follow the flowers.

Led by his hand, Yuliana looked around before being seated on the plush crimson sofa Ferrell had prepared.

The sofa sank deeply as she sat, moving like rolling waves.

“Are you cold?”

“It’s fine. The view was so beautiful that I forgot about the cold. And this sofa is warm.”

“I placed magic stones inside the sofa to generate heat.”

“I’d love to have one of those magic stones.”

“If you want, I can give you ownership of the magic stone mine.”

Yuliana pouted at Anthus’s immediate response.

“Only Rockbellion people can enter the Rockbellion magic stone mine.”

Even children know the story of how Rockbellion’s ancestors saved a hatchling and gained the magic stone mine beneath the dragon’s lair.

“But there is one way for someone who isn’t a Rockbellion to enter.”

“How? I heard anyone who isn’t a Rockbellion will get lost and die in the magic stone mine.”

“That’s correct. Anyone who isn’t a Rockbellion will die.”

“Then how can someone enter?”

“If they have Rockbellion blood, they can enter and survive.”

“How can someone else have Rockbellion blood?”

“If a pregnant woman carrying a Rockbellion child enters, she can enter. My mother also enjoyed her time in the magic stone mine when she was pregnant with me. Conversely, if the child isn’t a Rockbellion, they will die.”

“I see.”

Yuliana awkwardly smiled and averted her gaze.

“Since I can’t show you the Rockbellion magic stone mine right now, would you like a diamond mine instead?”

“No! You don’t have to give me anything. I was just joking.”

“That’s a pity.”

“What is?”

“I want to give you everything I can.”

“What if I take all your wealth?”

“If it’s you, Yuli, you can take it all.”

“I don’t like such jokes…”

“I was expressing my sincerity. If you don’t like it, I will be careful next time.”

Anthus spoke tenderly, as if soothing Yuliana.

“And thank you for coming today. Actually… I missed you so much. I was miserable because I couldn’t visit due to work, but receiving your letter made me so happy.”

Seeing his pained expression, Yuliana felt pity. Anthus quietly smiled and sat beside her.

“Knowing my feelings, if you don’t reject being alone with me, can I hope for something, Yuli?”

“What are you hoping for?”

“Marriage.”

“We’re not even dating, and you’re already talking about marriage?”

Of course, if he pushed for marriage, Earl Loengrin would have to accept. But he didn’t push forcibly. He said he would wait until her heart opened. There was no lie in his words.

“Marrying you is my destination. As I said before, I’m a straightforward man.”

“What happens to the straightforward man when he reaches his destination?”

“He will be very happy. Because he achieved his dream.”

“Wouldn’t it be empty after achieving the dream?”

“No. Another dream will come true at the same time.”

“Another dream?”

“Yes. A happy dream that only you can fulfill.”

Yuliana felt herself reflected in Anthus’s red eyes. Despite the low temperature in the greenhouse due to the flowers, she felt hot.

Like someone under a spell, she met Anthus’s gaze. Even though she knew his face was getting closer, she didn’t avoid it. She could predict what would happen.

“My dream is to marry you, have a child that resembles you, and raise them happily.”

Anthus slowly approached Yuliana. He looked down at her as she leaned back on the sofa. Anthus’s trivial heart began to beat more loudly than usual. Even though he thought he shouldn’t approach, his body moved instinctively toward Yuliana.

Feeling a strange sensation for the first time, Anthus trembled. Calming his insignificant heart, he caressed Yuliana’s cheek and bit his lower lip before speaking.

“Yuli, if you don’t like it, push me away.”

His knee pressed between Yuliana’s dress folds. His hand caressed her face. Their gazes met, and they lightly bit each other’s lips.

Anthus embraced Yuliana’s back. Her shoulders twitched, and her red face showed she didn’t know what to do, which satisfied him.

“I love you.”

Anthus pulled Yuliana into his arms and kissed her again.

“From the moment we first met….”

Caressing her cheek tenderly, he continued. His left hand hugged her waist.

“I hope you will marry me.”

“What?”

“Surely, you don’t intend to avoid taking responsibility after kissing me like this, do you?”

Only a man with a predatory gleam in his eyes, licking his lips like a beast about to devour a delicious piece of meat, remained. Yuliana lowered her head in embarrassment.

He smiled contentedly, caressing Yuliana’s flushed cheeks and earlobes.

“Did you dislike it?”

His fingers lifted Yuliana’s chin to make her look at him. She knew she should refuse his slowly approaching lips, which were smiling contentedly.

“Surely……. You won’t avoid taking responsibility after taking my first kiss, Lady Yuliana Loengrin.”

“It was my first kiss too.”

“Since we shared our first kiss, we can take responsibility together.”

Anthus’s smiling eyes curved like crescent moons. Yuliana felt that if she didn’t run now, she might be devoured.

“9 years ago, I knew you had a fiancé due to the forced engagement by Emperor Rezeph. So I couldn’t easily show my feelings…… but I couldn’t give up my feelings either. I have no regrets about my unrequited love. In fact, just watching you from afar, those moments felt like eternity to me, and even after those eternal moments ended, thinking of you, Lia, your smile… it kept making me excited and happy.”

He continued, lovingly stroking her hair.

“Lia, unrequited love is neither a sin… nor a regret. All the time I loved you alone was a blessing to me.”

At a distance where they could feel each other’s breath as their noses touched, Anthus lifted Yuliana’s waist and kissed her again.

Unlike before, it was a passionate and quick kiss.

* * *

Without meeting Lainus, whom she liked, Yuliana left the greenhouse and fled home.

She was so embarrassed by their kiss that she wanted to hide. As soon as she reached her room at the Earl’s residence, she kicked and threw cushions and pillows on her bed.

“I’m crazy! I must be crazy! Someone, please let me go back in time!”

To the time before entering the greenhouse…

“My lady! Please calm down.”

“I can’t calm down!”

At the moment she met Anthus’s captivating red eyes, her whole body froze.

She should have pushed him away, but she couldn’t. No, she could have, but she didn’t. That’s why she felt even more embarrassed. That was Yuliana’s conclusion.

“I need time to sort out reality. Luda…”

For some reason, Yuliana couldn’t shake the feeling that she had shown Anthus every corner of her soul. She buried her face in the pillow, hitting the innocent blanket and pillow.

“Luda, what should I do?”

“Why are you acting like this as soon as you arrive, my lady? Did something happen at the Duke’s residence?”

“Well…”

Luda looked at her worriedly as she entered the room to find Yuliana kicking the blanket.

“You look like you’re embarrassed because you kissed the Duke and now you’re kicking the blanket.”

Luda narrowed her eyes and didn’t miss Yuliana’s flinch.

“Luda… how did you know?”

“It’s very obvious.”

A letter arrived at Earl Loengrin’s residence. It stated that Yuliana would return home after having dinner and watching Lainus Ellermin’s performance at Duke Rockbellion’s residence.

However, Yuliana was sitting on the bed, repeatedly burying her head in the pillow, touching her lips with a flushed face, and throwing the blanket around as if she had run away from something.

“How am I supposed to face the Duke…”

“Avoiding him won’t make the kiss with the Duke go away.”

Yuliana, at a loss, kept hitting the pillow with her palm, her face red.

She hadn’t even met Lainus Ellermin and had run away in embarrassment after the kiss. She deeply regretted not hearing Lainus sing, but Anthus’s face kept popping into her mind, getting closer and closer.

“The Duke… said I should take responsibility because it was his first kiss…”

“Do you not have feelings for the Duke, my lady?”

“I don’t know. My head is a mess.”

Luda comforted Yuliana with a pat. She sensed that Yuliana already had feelings for Anthus, given her embarrassment over the kiss, but such emotions had to be realized by oneself. They couldn’t be taught by someone else.

“My lady, it’s best to take a nap at times like this.”

“Will I feel better after a nap?”

“It seems like the best solution right now, my lady.”

“Alright. I’ll take a nap as you suggested, Luda. But my heart is pounding too loudly to sleep.”