Chapter 53

Lionel was deep in thought about the cause of his discomfort when, before they knew it, the two had arrived at the passenger ship pier. At the pier, a grand, large ship floated gently, its lanterns glowing.

“That must be the ship. I’ll go check.”

Lionel quickly handed the luggage to Clarette and went to buy the tickets. As expected, he intended to pay for this trip as well. Clarette, a step behind, could only guard the luggage and wait for the Duke’s return.

The ship they were to board was so large it seemed more suited for the sea than the river. While Clarette gazed up at the huge vessel, the Duke returned with the tickets. All the while boarding, he seemed to be in high spirits.

“Duke, you seem to really enjoy passenger ship trips. You look much happier than when you took the train.”

“There’s one thing that’s much better than the train.”

“Is it faster?”

“It’s not really about speed…… Ah, the cabins are this way.”

Clarette followed the Duke as they walked across the wide deck. People were milling about, and on the freshly painted white railings, a few waterbirds perched and fluttered.

“This way, Clarette. We’ll use this corridor.”

At the entrance to the corridor where the Duke called her, a sign read ‘Special Cabin.’ As Clarette followed, she suddenly realized something important.

“Duke, do I get to use the special cabin too?”

“Yes, of course. We’re traveling together.”

“I’d be fine in a regular cabin. Should I go switch my ticket?”

Clarette asked cautiously, but the Duke shook his head with a smile.

“It’s fine, Clarette. We’re about to depart anyway.”

“But the price difference……”

“Ah, this is the room.”

The Duke took a key from his jacket pocket and unlocked the cabin door. Watching him, Clarette couldn’t help but ask,

“Duke, do you have my cabin key too?”

“No, actually…… There’s just this one key, Clarette.”

“What? So you mean we’re sharing a room?”

Clarette stared at him wide-eyed. Before she could voice any protest, the Duke quickly opened the door.

“There’s a reason. On this ship, all cabins are for two people. So, rather than booking separately, it’s better to just get one room……”

As Lionel entered the special cabin, he stopped for a moment. His gaze at the room was unusual, so Clarette approached to see what was going on.

Peeking past the door, the special cabin was very spacious. So much so, it could rival a luxury hotel suite.

There was a large living room with a table and sofa, a balcony with a tea table and stools, a bathroom right beside the door, and two doors next to the living room.

There were two bedrooms.

* * *

“Did you sleep well, Duke?”

“……Good morning.”

Having gone to bed early due to travel fatigue, Clarette woke up at a reasonably late hour. When she yawned and came out to the living room, the Duke was already dressed and ready to go outside.

“Aren’t you tired? What time did you wake up?”

“I’m not good at sleeping in.”

Was it a basic trait of soldiers? Clarette stared at his back, leaning against the balcony doorway.

For the next three days, there was no need to go far, so the Duke wore a comfortable shirt and vest without a coat. Clarette quickly washed up and stood beside him.

The large ship was moving smoothly along the river. Clarette admired the sparkling morning river and the riverside scenery from the high balcony.

“This is such a nice room. The view is great, everything is comfortable. My bed was so soft—was yours okay too, Duke?”

“Yes, mine was fine.”

She looked up at the Duke with gratitude, but his expression was somehow ambiguous.

In truth, Lionel had no complaints about the room’s condition.

His only dissatisfaction was that there were two bedrooms. He wondered if he’d made a mistake by simply asking for the most expensive cabin.

“Well, the ship has already left, so I’ll just have to accept it……”

At Lionel’s muttering, Clarette, who was looking outside, paused.

Was it because it cost a lot? 

She spoke carefully, not wanting to hurt his pride.

“Duke, I’d be fine staying in a cheaper cabin. I’m curious about the regular rooms too.”

“No, no. It’s not about money, really.”

It truly wasn’t about money, but Clarette kept being considerate.

“Well, next time let’s plan together and save on expenses. I can sleep well in a carriage, so that’s fine too……”

“‘Next time’?”

The Duke looked at her in surprise. When their eyes met, his gaze quickly curved with delight.

“Is there a next time? Clarette, are you planning to travel with me again?”

The Duke, who had seemed dispirited, regained his energy at her words. Of course, Clarette hadn’t thought about another trip, but she nodded to encourage him.

“Yes, for now…… I’ll think about it once we return safely to the ducal residence.”

* * *

The onboard restaurant was below the special cabin where Clarette and Lionel were staying. When they entered for lunch, people’s gazes lingered on them for a while.

Lionel was very used to being stared at, so he didn’t care. But Clarette, conscious of the unfamiliar attention, found herself worrying about her clothes and hair. As she followed the Duke to a window table, she realized something belatedly.

‘Ah, it’s because of the Duke. People are curious. A woman like me traveling with a man like him.’

After all, today the Duke looked even more relaxed and comfortable than in the ducal residence. Wearing clothes that fit him better, he suited informal, free settings far more.

Clarette stared at the Duke’s golden hair shining in the sunlight and his flawless skin.

His features were beautifully defined and masculine. His eyebrows were thick, his nose high, his jaw sharply angled. Yet his eyelashes were long, and his slightly drooping eyes gave off an elegant aura.

He was certainly a strikingly handsome man. Such beauty was rare, and surely should be preserved forever in a portrait. As Clarette seriously considered this, the Duke spoke.

“Clarette.”

“Yes, Duke.”

While quietly looking at the menu, the Duke gently spoke to her.

“If you’re uncomfortable, let me know. Even if it’s inconvenient, we can have our food brought to the room.”

“Huh? Uncomfortable?”

“People are staring. Pointlessly peeking over.”

Clarette was a bit surprised by his unexpected words. She’d thought the Duke didn’t care at all about such attention, but apparently she was mistaken.

“I hadn’t noticed, but you must be uncomfortable in public places, Duke. Since you stand out, everyone stares……”

“Huh? No, what are you talking about.”

The Duke hurried to clear up her misunderstanding.

“They’re looking at you, not me.”

“What?”

Clarette glanced around, embarrassed. When she met the eyes of a few people watching their table, she realized the Duke was right.

People were looking at her. Of course, some women couldn’t take their eyes off the Duke, but most gazes were directed at Clarette.

Isn’t that woman the one? The famous portrait’s subject, Flower in a Frame. The masterpiece by young artist Thiago Salto.

She looks just like the painting, the painting is better. They whispered among themselves.

Clarette quietly turned her eyes to meet the Duke’s. She couldn’t hide her flustered expression, but spoke in a relatively calm voice.

“There are a lot of people from the capital here. Not just nobles, but commoners can enter the art museum, so everyone……”

As she continued calmly, Clarette suddenly found her situation amusing and let out a short laugh.

“But I didn’t expect it to be like this. Thiago really became a famous artist. And I really became a famous model.”

With both nobles and commoners recognizing her, Clarette couldn’t help but be shaken. Lionel wanted to protect her in any way he could.

But Clarette, undaunted by the attention, firmly opened the menu. Seeing this, Lionel couldn’t help but smile.

She was not a woman who ran away.