Chapter 8.6

“Sir Daphne Grey.”

After the audit was finished, Felix suddenly called out to her. 

What was it this time? Was he going to warn me not to think about meeting his brother?

Daphne shook her head to clear away the negative thoughts that came to mind. It was all because of those romance novels she’d read in the past. The female protagonist in those stories was always interfered with by people around her.

Not that she was the protagonist of a romance novel or anything!

Felix stared at her with an unreadable expression, and Daphne swallowed dryly as she approached him.

“Y-yes?”

Perhaps because she was too nervous, her voice came out strange. But Felix didn’t sneer; instead, he looked at her seriously.

“Is it true that the person my brother is seeing is you, Sir Grey?”

His tone made it clear he already knew. He also seemed certain that she knew his brother was Evan Clyde.

‘Should I pretend not to know?’

She hesitated, but there was only one conclusion. There was no reason or need to lie. Considering his tendency to check everything thoroughly and prefer certainty, honesty was the best approach.

Besides, hadn’t she recently resolved to be honest? Daphne looked him straight in the eye, her expression firm as she answered.

“That’s right.”

“Ah, I knew it! I was so worried because my brother was always so stiff, but you have no idea how surprised I was when I heard Eddie had someone he was seeing. He’s lacking in many ways, but I hope you’ll continue to be a good match. If he says anything strange or acts forcefully, please come to me anytime. I’ll make sure to set him straight.”

“Um…”

“Are you planning to get married? Eddie already seems to be dreaming about the future. It might feel a bit early to think about it now, but I’m curious what you think. He’s the most delicate among our siblings, but he’s got a strong core, so you won’t have to worry about him doing anything reckless.”

Then Felix suddenly grabbed her hand, leaving Daphne standing awkwardly. As he looked at her with eyes full of expectation, Evan’s face flashed through her mind.

Did the brothers really have to be this similar? Or was it just because they were brothers?

Before she could say anything, Felix’s barrage of words left her speechless. There were a few things she didn’t understand.

The most delicate among the brothers? With that build?

But seeing him from afar, he did look rather like a bear, so maybe it wasn’t wrong. Compared to Felix, Evan was like a twig.

Without a moment to catch her breath, Felix’s energy overwhelmed Daphne, and she carefully pulled her hand away. If someone passing by saw, it could cause a misunderstanding.

‘They might say I’m trying to seduce someone from the Treasury this time.’

Daphne quickly straightened her posture and put on a deliberately stiff expression.

“I’m not thinking about marriage yet, but we are seeing each other seriously.”

“I see. Well, that’s fine. Marriage isn’t the important thing, after all. You do it if you want to.”

What? Just a moment ago, he was pushing as if it was urgent!

Confused by his unpredictable attitude, Daphne racked her brain to find the real meaning behind his words.

But there was no way to find an answer in words that didn’t mean anything specific. Felix simply looked down at the still-confused Daphne, then spoke in a different tone.

“I just wanted to confirm who it was. Who it was that made Eddie fall in love.”

He smiled gently as he spoke. The person who made him fall in love. As Daphne looked up at him blankly, she belatedly understood and lowered her head. The idea that her feelings were grand enough to be called love struck her anew.

But her embarrassment was short-lived. Daphne soon raised her head again, having figured out the subtle undertone in Felix’s words.

“By the way, is ‘Eddie’…?”

“Oh, did he not tell you? That’s the nickname we used for him since he was young. There’s a big age gap, and he was smaller than the rest, so it became a habit. Eddie doesn’t like it, though. If you get a chance, try calling him Eddie. He’ll like it, for sure.”

Didn’t he just say Evan didn’t like it? And he was a grown man now, still being called by his childhood nickname…

But on second thought, it wasn’t bad. After all, it was a term of endearment. Well, if he really hated it, there was nothing she could do.

“All my questions are answered, so I’ll be going now. If Eddie does anything strange, come to me anytime. I’ll train him well.”

With a bright smile, Felix raised his fist in a show of force, and Daphne nodded before she realized it. Then, despite being the one who’d called her over, Felix said goodbye with surprising calm and walked away.

“…Is he crazy?”

And then Daphne realized. The sudden audit had only happened because Felix was curious about who his brother was seeing.

* * *

“I’ll head in first!”

“You’re on vacation starting tomorrow, right?”

Hailey’s words carried a hint of envy, and Daphne grinned and nodded. Her heart pounded at the thought of her first real vacation.

Besides, this time she wouldn’t be spending it alone, but with Evan, so she was quite excited. Contrary to her determination to plan the trip, she’d been so busy with work that she hadn’t done anything.

She felt a little uneasy about having no plans, but just the fact that she was going on vacation made her want to hum a tune.

“Have fun! You really deserve a break. I bet there’s no one your age who works as hard as you do. Enjoy it while you can. Later, you won’t have the energy, even if you want to.”

“Could you recommend a good place to go? I haven’t planned anything yet.”

“Hmm, a good place… Are you going to stay nearby?”

When Daphne nodded, adjusting her bag, Hailey thought seriously for a moment, then handed her a roughly scribbled memo.

“Try going here. It’s where I went on a date with my husband. It’s quiet and nice for walking around, and there are plenty of good restaurants.”

“Oh, this isn’t far at all. I’ll definitely make time to go.”

Hailey looked at Daphne, who was studying the memo with serious eyes, with a satisfied smile, then gave her a gentle push on the back, urging her to go.

“Hurry up and go. If you stay here, you’ll waste all your time. It’s your first vacation in ages—you can’t let it go to waste!”

Pushed out of the infirmary, Daphne burst out laughing at Hailey’s attitude, which was like that of a knight guarding the castle gates. Yes, this was a precious vacation—she couldn’t waste it. With light steps, Daphne left the building.

She and Evan had agreed to meet at the plaza, so she needed to hurry and pack her things. He, too, had taken a short leave for personal reasons, and though it seemed he’d gotten a few looks from those around him, he’d apparently replied that there was nothing wrong with using his official vacation days.

‘He’s surprisingly straightforward when he needs to be.’

Maybe it was a prejudice based on his gentle appearance, but she’d thought his personality would be the same. However, according to Jermel, Evan actually had a bit of a temper, contrary to his looks.

‘Well… I’m not so sure about that.’

But it wasn’t something to wonder about now.

Shrugging her shoulders, Daphne walked home more energetically than ever. Passing through her living room, which had become messy again despite all her tidying, she grabbed the biggest bag she had and stuffed it full of clothes and necessary items. There was no time to organize things neatly, so she just packed whatever she could get her hands on, and soon the bag was bulging.

“This should be enough. If I need anything else, I’ll just buy it there.”

Isaac had given her a considerable amount of spending money for the trip, insisting even after she’d refused. Only after pressing it into her hand did Isaac finally leave with a snort.

“I can’t just stand around like this. I need to go.”

Locking her door in a hurry, Daphne clicked her tongue at the weight of her heavy bag. It was only a four-day trip, but she wondered if she’d packed too much. Still, she’d already locked the door, so there was nothing she could do.

At the nearest public carriage stop, Daphne boarded a carriage bound for the plaza and thought of Evan, who would be waiting for her. Just imagining what expression he’d have, what clothes he’d be wearing, made her heart ache and brought a smile to her lips.

As the plaza came into view in the distance, Daphne grew restless, shifting in her seat. The people around her shot irritated glances her way, but Daphne kept her eyes fixed on the window.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Daphne leapt out and ran toward the direction of the fountain.

Perhaps it was the anticipation of vacation, or perhaps it was just the end of a particularly hectic day, but when she finally saw her lover, Daphne took a deep breath and called his name loudly.

“Evan!”

The moment she called his name, his face lit up as if someone had turned on a light, and Daphne bounded down the steps two at a time.

“It’s dangerous!”

In her haste, she nearly tripped on the last step, but Evan rushed forward and caught her in his arms. Whether it was because she was experiencing these feelings for the first time, or because all the desires she’d suppressed until now were bursting out, it was not easy to calm her excitement.

She remembered Hailey saying she looked much better now than when she used to act like a little old lady. Maybe this was her real self.

Daphne buried her nose in the crook of his neck and took a deep breath. Feeling his slightly high body temperature and the faint scent of sweat, her lower belly tightened.

“I missed you.”

“…I missed you, too.”

Barely managing to steady herself on the ground, Daphne looked up at his face, now shadowed by the sunlight behind her, and rose on tiptoe to kiss him.

At her feather-light kiss, Evan’s eyes widened in surprise, but then he bent his head and pressed his lips to hers again. His actions were a little hurried, which made Daphne laugh softly as she parted her lips.

His weight kept pushing her backward, but Evan held her firmly, letting Daphne savor his breath as much as she wanted.

Her heart pounded and her pulse raced. They really needed to catch a carriage and head to the place Hailey had recommended, but Daphne decided to put all her worries and plans aside and closed her eyes.

Because right now, this moment was the most important thing.

FIN