91.

Norma Diazi was, without a doubt, remarkably fortunate.

“…What on earth?”

“…Hello.”

But luck alone couldn’t have prepared Norma for Aisa actually opening the window and stepping out. He felt a bit embarrassed by the awkward, bumbling greeting that had slipped out of him without realizing it.

Seeing her was a mix of joy and bashfulness, yet Aisa’s face was subtly scrunched up for some reason, clearly needing an explanation.

Norma knew that Aisa frequently assumed he was someone’s spy, as casually as one would eat a meal. Her mind was sharp and subtly imaginative—he could practically guess what was running through her head.

The excitement of their fateful meeting was short-lived; Norma readied himself to soothe her surprise.

***

‘People really do need work to stay sane.’

Having succeeded in tackling my duties early in the morning for the first time in a while, I chuckled quietly, buried in a mountain of documents. My body was tired, but my mind was at ease.

Every time I let out a faintly ominous laugh, Erika and the other aides would glance at me with a “Has the Lord lost it?” expression. But soon enough, they returned to their tasks, used to my odd behavior by now.

“You’ve done well, my lord. I’ll fetch the next set of documents from the storeroom, so please take a brief rest.”

After concentrating on the tiny letters for quite some time, Erika excused herself along with another aide.

Only then did I rise from the chair. Every joint that had been cramped in that seat for hours seemed to scream in protest.

‘Ah, this is the feeling. My eyes are dry, my legs are numb.’

With a strange sense of satisfaction, I rolled my stiff neck.

Suddenly, perhaps from being cooped up in a confined space for so long, the air felt stifling. The approaching summer only added to the stuffiness.

I glanced around the room.

‘I’ve moved all the important documents to the storeroom for now… Should I just open the window a bit before Erika returns?’

Ordinarily, I would have summoned a servant to open the window briefly, but I didn’t want anyone intruding on this rare moment alone.

I impulsively approached the window. The layered curtain gave it a complex appearance.

Until now, I’d never actually opened this study’s window myself. I hadn’t realized it was designed to open only from the inside, nor had I known that a simple push outward would do the trick.

With no real expectations, I pushed the window with both hands. The next moment, it creaked open with a loud clatter.

“…”

I barely had time to be surprised by how easily the window opened. My brow furrowed gradually at the unexpected view outside.

“What on earth?”

“…Hello.”

Hello, indeed.

As I murmured in a daze, the figure outside responded in a similarly deep, muffled voice.

I stared at the person standing beyond the window for a long moment, my mind flashing through countless thoughts in an instant.

Finally, Norma, looking somewhat sheepish, opened his mouth with a reddening face.

“I didn’t expect you to suddenly open the window and step out.”

“What are you doing here?”

“Ah, I was on my way to meet Archie. And then—”

“And then?”

“I remembered that you mentioned you’d be working in the study today.”

With that, Norma gave me a playful smile. The innocent curve of his lips made my fingertips twitch against the window frame.

‘Well, he certainly doesn’t seem like a spy.’

But what Norma had just said didn’t quite add up. It seemed odd for a mere side trip, especially given that the summer tea room and the study were on opposite ends.

‘What’s gotten into him? Why’s he acting so blatantly sly? What’s he scheming this time?’

I narrowed my eyes, scrutinizing his face before finally asking, “So… are you saying you came to see me?”

Norma’s eyes widened, as if surprised I’d guessed correctly. Then, he softened his gaze, smiling as he replied, “Yes, exactly. I came because I wanted to see you.”

There was a hint of reverence in his expression as he spoke, which made me feel a bit sheepish. It was embarrassing, how eagerly he reacted to each little word of mine.

Just then, Norma glanced over my shoulder into the study and asked, “Am I interrupting you?”

“No, I was just taking a break while my aide retrieves more paperwork.”

“Is that so? Fascinating.”

“What is?”

“It feels like the world is on my side.”

With a sentiment that sounded almost poetic, Norma laughed like a young boy and reached out his hand. From experience, I knew he’d soon be brushing his fingers over my forehead and behind my ear.

I didn’t avoid his approaching hand. Maybe it was because I’d grown accustomed to it. And besides, there was a strange sense of calm that his touch brought, so I quietly allowed him to proceed.

Sure enough, Norma gently brushed aside the stray strands of hair near my temple. As expected, but still, every time his fingertips grazed my skin, I flinched slightly.

While arranging my hair with a satisfied look, Norma’s gaze shifted to the mountain of papers piled up in one corner of the study. His gentle smile quickly turned to a look of concern.

“You’re very busy today as well. It’d be nice if you could take a walk instead of sitting here all day.”

“I’ll try, though it might be difficult today.”

“Trying is enough to make me happy.”

It wasn’t meant to be a joke, but he chuckled anyway, amused by something.

Norma had a way of laughing at any time, often at the oddest moments. I could never quite pinpoint what he found funny, nor was there any clear pattern to it.

Yet, when he laughed, it reassured me.

This peculiar sense of relief was probably because I subconsciously cared about finding the hundred little ways to make Norma Diazi happy.

I glanced at the pile of documents, then back at Norma, who already seemed to know what I was about to say and had a resigned look on his face.

Feeling a bit guilty, I prepared to inform him that I’d have to miss tea time once again.

But before I could open my mouth, a shadow fell over my head, and suddenly, something soft pressed against my forehead, followed by a now-familiar faint sound.

‘A kiss, really.’

Too late, I raised my hand to cover my forehead. Even though we shared far more intimate moments at night, I couldn’t help but startle at his sudden touch.

When I snapped out of it, I found Norma leaning in close, his hand resting over mine on the window frame, his torso now half-invading the study.

With him close enough for our noses to almost touch, memories of last night began replaying in vivid detail.

‘Damn it. I feel like a teenager.’

I felt my face heat up as Norma, with the sun behind him, smiled. For a moment, it seemed as though his golden eyes glinted just like they did at night.

He leaned in and whispered softly, “It’s all right.”

“I haven’t even said anything.”

“I’ll explain it all to Archie.”

Before I could react, he leaned in closer, the faintest kiss brushing against my nose, and then another on my chin. Realizing I’d allowed him three kisses in rapid succession, I could only open and close my mouth like a fish, feeling as though he’d stolen away my composure.

“To catch even a glimpse of you…”

“….”

“It seems today is a very lucky day for me.”

‘He purposely went out of his way to come to the study, nowhere near the tea room, yet here he is talking about luck. Hardly seems like a coincidence.’

“You really have a way with these corny lines…”

Though I had a mental rebuttal ready, the only response that actually escaped my lips was weak and mumbled.

Norma chuckled at my muttering and leaned in as if to kiss me again. This time, I managed to muster the strength to step back, holding my ground.

“Enough. I’m still working here.”

“Were you displeased?”

Norma’s eyes widened as he asked, his expression a mix of faint disappointment and shyness, with a dash of the confidence of someone who knew I wouldn’t actually mind.

Faced with that inexplicable boldness, I was momentarily at a loss for words.

“…I wasn’t displeased, but doing this in the middle of work—”

Another kiss. Norma persisted with a quiet stubbornness, as if he only pretended to be unassuming but truly did whatever he pleased when no one was looking.

The real issue was that, instead of feeling irritated, I found myself yearning for more.

Norma stared at my likely bewildered face. He had a way of looking at people as though he could see right through them.

And in those moments, I could never guess what he was thinking. Whatever it was, it finally made him blush.

“You gave me an unexpected gift, so here’s a return gift.”

He always knew just the words to make me blush, yet he wore that same bashful expression himself, as if his face might explode. My own cheeks were still warm from earlier and showed no signs of cooling down.

‘He really does like seeing me in the daytime.’

I prided myself on being someone who kept their promises. In line with the vows made at our union, I’d been steadily working on a list of “100 Ways to Make Norma Happy.”

I’d nearly completed the list, having observed what he enjoyed and what made him smile. Fortunately, his tastes were simple, so the list had come together easily. Among other things, I knew he liked the colors white and purple, had a soft spot for bustling places like markets, and was particularly fond of Teressa.

And one of the items on that list was his love of sweets. Suddenly, I remembered a little gift I could offer him.

“Wait here a moment.”

Norma nodded compliantly.

I retrieved a small, jewel-like box from the corner of my desk and returned to him. I hadn’t expected that the sugar candies I’d set aside for Archie would come in handy like this.

‘He calls my face a gift? This is a real gift.’

Feeling a bit proud of my quick thinking, I held out the bejeweled box to him. Norma looked at it with a pure, surprised expression.

“What is this?”

“Sugar candies. I know you like sweets.”

Seeing his face light up, just as I’d hoped, a wave of satisfaction spread through me. I held back a smile, waiting for him to accept the box.

But instead, he closed his eyes gently and leaned down, leveling his gaze with mine, opening his mouth with a quiet “Ah.”

For a moment, I was confused about what was happening. But soon enough, I realized. After all, thanks to Norma, I’d become quite acquainted with these blush-worthy situations.

‘He wants me to feed him.’

That didn’t mean I was immune to it, though. I froze, while Norma, ever patient, waited in that same position.

‘Is he missing hands or something?’

The ticklish atmosphere made me instinctively want to resist, sparking an internal debate in my mind.

‘What does it matter? It’s just… putting a candy in his mouth. Really, it’s not such a cringe-worthy thing. He feeds me well enough when he wants, doesn’t he?’

Besides, he was the one who’d asked, his mouth open, waiting.

If it was what he wanted, the answer was clear.

I realized, in that moment, that I wanted to see him smile again.