Episode 138
“That day, everyone was frantically searching for you. But who would’ve thought you were here crying yourself to sleep? Crybaby.”
I held back the tears that were threatening to spill and teased my brother on purpose.
“No, I wasn’t! I didn’t cry that much. Just a little, a very little.”
“Sure, sure. Let’s say you only cried a little.”
“I’m not just saying it; I really did only cry a little.”
“Alright. I’ll think of it that way.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Luke’s indignant expression made me burst out laughing.
“Pfft.”
“Seriously, you enjoy teasing me, don’t you?”
“You live for teasing me too. You’d grab onto something and tease me all day long.”
“Hmm, that’s true. So after you left this house, life became boring.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But now…”
“But now what?”
He started to say something but then stopped and clamped his mouth shut.
Seeing that, I suddenly remembered the secret he had mentioned earlier.
“What about now?”
I pressed him, determined not to let it go.
There was a brief hesitation in his eyes before he finally spoke, as if he had made up his mind.
“Do you remember Lady Uclens from the last banquet?”
“Lady Uclens? Oh, yes, I remember. Her name is Veronica Uclens, right?”
“That’s right. The truth is, I’ve been seriously seeing her.”
“What? Lady Uclens?”
He nodded cautiously.
I was shocked, but as I recalled their interaction, I quickly understood.
Luke had behaved quite differently that day compared to his usual self.
“Are you serious?”
“Yes, I’m serious. I’m even thinking about marriage.”
“Marriage?”
Marriage?
Honestly, I was even more surprised to hear the word “marriage” come out of my brother’s mouth than anything else.
It made me curious about the young lady who had captured the heart of someone as free-spirited as Luke when it came to love and relationships.
“This is unexpected. You’re not just sharing your heart this time, right? You’ve given it fully?”
“What? No, it’s real this time. My whole heart is hers. From the moment I wake up in the morning until I fall asleep at night, I can’t stop thinking about her. This feeling will never change, even if I die.”
Wow, this really is surprising.
“Later, you have to introduce Lady Uclens to me officially.”
“I will. You’ll be the first I introduce her to.”
“Okay.”
As Luke talked to me, he kept smiling absentmindedly, likely thinking about the young lady.
It was the first time I’d seen him like this, and though it was quite a shock, he seemed genuinely happy.
“By the way, it’s your turn now.”
“Huh?”
“I shared my secret, so now you have to tell me yours.”
“Oh.”
I nodded slightly in understanding and then continued speaking.
“I’m completely cured.”
The first time I said this to Father, I was extremely nervous and trembling, but now, after saying it a few times, it came out rather calmly.
“What?”
As expected, the reaction was almost the same as with the rest of the family, and Luke was no different.
It seemed like my words didn’t register with him as he repeated them back to me in disbelief.
“I don’t fall into deep sleep anymore. I’m completely cured.”
“…Really?”
His pupils dilated, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.
“Yes, really. It’s been a while, but I wasn’t sure before, so I didn’t say anything. But now I’m completely certain that I’m cured, so I’m telling you now.”
“Oh…”
Luke was so shocked that he just stood there with his mouth open, unable to speak.
“Brother?”
“Wait a minute. I’m just too surprised to think straight. Ayla, you mean your illness is cured? You’re saying you won’t fall into long sleeps anymore?”
“Yes, that’s right.”
I smiled brightly at him, reassuring him that there was no need to worry anymore.
“How… I can’t believe it. I mean, I knew this day would come, but…”
“Right? It’s all thanks to the Duke.”
“The Duke? Oh, right. Duke Blighton cured you.”
“Yes, that’s right. The Duke’s magic had an effect on me.”
“I see…”
After that, Luke just stared blankly at the ceiling.
I waited for him to collect his thoughts.
And then, suddenly, he stepped forward and hugged me tightly.
“Ayla…”
“O-Oh, Brother?”
He held me close, refusing to let go, and kept murmuring my name.
His voice was thick with emotion.
“…Are you crying?”
“No, I’m not crying.”
“Right? This is a good thing, so why cry?”
“I’m not crying, I told you.”
But even as he said that, his voice was still trembling.
‘He really is like a little brother sometimes.’
I embraced him in return and patted his back affectionately.
“Are you really that happy that I’m cured?”
“I never thought this day would come. Well, I knew it would, but still…”
He was still so overwhelmed that his words came out jumbled.
“I understand. I feel the same way.”
“But why are you so calm?”
“What?”
He pulled back slightly, holding onto my shoulders, and stared directly into my eyes, as if interrogating me.
“You’re so calm.”
It was as if he felt it was unfair that he was the only one getting emotional at this moment.
“Of course. I’m used to it by now.”
“Oh, is that so?”
“Yeah. But I’m glad you’re so happy for me.”
“Of course.”
“Yeah, you’re a bit more… intense than the others, but I don’t mind.”
“What? Am I the last to know? Does Father, Mother, and Jade all know?”
“Yes, I told them all.”
“What? How could you tell me last? I told you my secret first.”
“Hmm, it just happened that way. Sorry.”
“Alright, I’ll let it slide this time.”
“Huh?”
I expected him to keep pressing the issue, but to my surprise, he backed down easily.
“Only because this is something we all desperately wanted. Just this once.”
“Oh… okay. Thank you.”
My heart warmed as I realized just how much he cared about me.
Luke was sometimes like a little brother and sometimes like a big brother, and we continued talking until it was time for dinner.
Afterward, I enjoyed the meal Mother had prepared for me with my family, and then returned to the Blighton estate late at night.
About a week passed after that.
During this time, I kept pondering over what to do about the situation with the Crown Prince.
But no clear solution came to mind.
Neither Father nor Jade had contacted me, which made me think they hadn’t come up with a plan either.
Today was the day I was scheduled to meet the Princess.
‘Jade must have spoken to the Princess, right?’
I hurriedly prepared and left the estate to meet with the Princess.
As I rode in the carriage, I mentally organized the things I wanted to discuss with her.
Soon, the carriage stopped in front of the Princess’s palace.
As I got out, the Princess welcomed me.
“Has the Duchess of Blighton arrived?”
“Greetings to Your Highness, the Princess.”
“Come in quickly.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
However, something seemed different about the Princess today—her mood seemed subdued.
‘Is something wrong?’
Could it be because of what I told her?
As I followed the Princess inside, various thoughts crossed my mind, and I couldn’t help but notice that there seemed to be more guards stationed around the palace than usual.
“There seem to be more knights around.”
“…Do you think so?”
“Yes. Don’t you?”
The Princess responded with a gentle smile but didn’t answer my question.
After a short walk, we arrived at the drawing room, where the Princess immediately dismissed all the maids.
“Please, have a seat here.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
I sat across from the Princess at a table near the window.
“Have you been well?”
“Yes, I’ve been well. I heard from Marquis Anaïs.”
“Oh, you’ve heard.”
The Princess brought up the subject directly, without any preamble.
“I didn’t expect His Highness the Crown Prince to act that way…”
“Neither did I. The situation is not good right now, and I don’t know what to do.”
“I can imagine. I wish I could help, but I’m unable to take action at the moment.”
“Unable to take action?”
“Yes. I can’t leave the palace right now, so I haven’t been able to meet the Marquis. We’ve only exchanged letters.”
“Oh, I see.”
Unable to leave the palace? Why?
I was curious but felt it would be too rude to pry, so I stayed silent. But the Princess spoke up on her own.
“His Highness the Crown Prince ordered that I stay within the palace…”
“What? Why?”
The words slipped out before I could stop them.
“Oh, I’m sorry. I just… don’t understand why His Highness would do that.”
“…Well.”
She hesitated, her lips parting and closing again, as if unsure whether to reveal the reason.
