“Right now… what am I seeing?”
Erin hoped that the sight in front of her was an illusion. But everything was real. Aiden and Julia were holding hands. Moreover, Aiden was saying something to Julia with a slight smile. At that moment, it felt like the world in front of her was out of place.
“….”
Erin bit her quivering lips. She realized that it wasn’t good to add imagination here for no reason.
Aiden’s intervention in the disturbance caused by Karson’s henchmen was perfectly natural.
“But….”
Even though she understood it in her head, Erin was still shocked.
What shocked her the most was not the fact that they were holding hands, but Aiden’s reaction. Aiden looked perfectly composed while holding Julia’s hand, showing no hint of hesitation.
“Is Julia Charte okay?”
Over the past ten years spent with Erin, Aiden hadn’t reacted as vehemently or suffered as deeply as when he was young, even when coming into contact with others.
However, that didn’t mean he was completely okay.
He still felt uncomfortable and reluctant inside, even though he didn’t show it outwardly, and Erin could immediately sense his reaction.
However, just now, Aiden wasn’t like that at all. He seemed unaffected, and even appeared comfortable.
Just like in the original. In the original work, this was the decisive moment in the development of Aiden and Julia’s relationship.
Julia was the first person to calm Aiden’s seizures, which had previously exhibited a strong aversion to contact with others.
From that moment on, Aiden became concerned about Julia and developed affection for her.
As the physical contact with Julia became more comfortable, and under her influence, Aiden completely overcame his trauma. Erin had only been able to accomplish half of that so far.
I’ve always been secretly worried about it.
“Is it unrealistic for me to help Aiden fully overcome?” So, it seemed as if that recent sight was proving itself to Erin.
This time too, Aiden could only overcome it through Julia.
“What should I do if it’s true?” Then, did Julia become a special presence to Aiden?
As the situation was somewhat salvaged, Aiden immediately returned to Erin’s side.
Then, he just looked at Erin as if nothing had happened. But the more he did that, the more confused Erin became.
She felt stifled. Erin took a few steps back and then turned as if running away.
She doesn’t remember how she left the banquet. She just hurriedly walked and got into Lienster’s carriage.
“Erin, what’s wrong?”
Despite Aiden desperately following her and continuing to worryingly talk beside her, she couldn’t answer.
“I suddenly feel tired. I’ll rest for a bit.” It was all she could manage to say with great difficulty. Erin’s lips trembled and the trembling of her fingertips didn’t subside.
Upon arriving at Lienster, Erin wanted to quickly go back to her room.
“It’s fortunate that it’s nighttime.”
Erin, with her unfocused and vacant look, seemed unsteady. Aiden, who got off the carriage with her, also looked at Erin with concern.
“…What’s the matter?”
Even at a glance, Erin didn’t seem well. Mona carefully asked. But Erin didn’t hear anything. Her head was buzzing.
A myriad of thoughts raced through her mind. Even though her mind was tangled and chaotic, Erin tried her best to hold onto reason and organize her thoughts.
“No. Let’s not make rash assumptions.”
At any moment, Erin had to trust Aiden. She had decided that. However, no matter how hard she tried, there was an image that wouldn’t be erased from her mind.
The image of Aiden holding Julia’s hand. Aiden, who didn’t seem uncomfortable at all in that situation and even appeared relaxed, kept flashing in her mind.
Erin repeatedly opened and closed her palm. Aiden had only ever touched Erin without hesitation.
There was a sense of superiority in that fact.
“I am the only one who is special. I stand within an area that others can never reach.”
“But… is it not the case anymore? Am I no longer special?” Erin’s anxious mind caused her fingertips to tremble.
“Erin.”
Aiden’s worried voice was heard. However, Erin remained silent, gazing fixedly out the window. As soon as Erin entered the room, she lay on the bed, pulled the covers over her head, and closed her eyes.
Her mind was too muddled to be able to see anyone’s face. That’s when it happened. Unbeknownst to her, Aiden, who was worried about her, followed her.
Aiden sat by the bed and spoke toward the covered Erin, “Erin. Are you okay? Are you in a lot of pain?”
Even though Aiden’s concerned voice could be heard, Erin pretended to be asleep, keeping her eyes closed.
“Shouldn’t we call a doctor?”
“She said she wants to rest instead.
For now, it’s best to let her rest comfortably.” Mona spoke cautiously. Whether her words got through or not, Aiden’s voice was no longer heard.
Judging by the lack of sound, it seemed like Mona was silently watching from the side.
“…Just a little. I want to sort out my thoughts right now.”
Completely hidden under the covers, Erin squeezed her eyes shut even tighter.
She couldn’t help but keep thinking of the images of the original Erin and Aiden that she had been trying not to think about.
***
Julia, who had attended the royal palace banquet and found it boring, came out to get some fresh air. While strolling around, she discovered an interesting statue near the fountain.
As Julia leaned down to take a closer look, she sensed movement on the other side of the statue. It seemed like two people had arrived.
However, they started to engage in a conversation that Julia couldn’t understand.
Despite not knowing the content of their conversation, she could sense from the atmosphere that it was something that others should not hear.
Julia crouched down and waited until the movement vanished.
When the footsteps faded away completely, she tried to stand up and turn around.
“Ah!”
However, just behind Julia, a man stood firm like a solid pillar. Julia was so startled that she almost fell backward, reaching out her arms to regain balance and finally grasping the man’s arm.
After steadying herself, Julia raised her head to verify the identity of the man. “Duke Lienster…?” He was staring at Julia with a stern expression.
Just his expressionless face alone conveyed a sense of intimidation and a dangerous atmosphere.
Julia’s body was trembling, perhaps out of fear. When she looked at his face, she felt the impulse to run away, causing her to take a step back. Suddenly, she realized she was still holding onto his arm.
“…?”
Moreover, his arm was trembling unstably. Julia had initially thought she was trembling out of fear, but in fact, it was his arm that was shaking.
She looked back and forth between his face and his arm.
At that moment, his previously expressionless face turned momentarily flustered. He urgently pushed Julia’s arm away and stepped back.
His breathing became ragged, and his face began to redden as if out of breath.
“Duke?”
It seemed like he wanted to say something to Julia, but his breath seemed to be interfering with his ability to speak.
He hesitated, still holding onto her arm, before attempting to turn away.
“It’s this way. If you go past the fountain, there’s a greenhouse.”
With the sound of many footsteps, a lady’s voice was heard. She seemed to be passing through here.
Then, his eyes wandered almost aimlessly. Julia quickly noticed his unusual behavior while watching his unsure expression.
Why was he so flustered? And also, it seemed that he was trying to hide such behavior from others.
Julia grabbed his wrist. His lips opened in surprise at this sudden action, but Julia used her other hand to cover his mouth.
Then she hid behind the statue she had just been looking at. The statue was large enough to fully conceal the two of them.
As soon as she hid herself, Julia removed all contact with him.
His eyes were now reddened with a mix of confusion and anger. He glared at Julia with a fierce gaze.
However, as the ladies approached the fountain, he had to hold his breath and couldn’t do anything.
After the ladies passed the fountain, disappearing towards the greenhouse, he stepped back and took a deep breath.
Nevertheless, his condition was still not great. To make matters worse, knowing that Julia had witnessed everything made it even more difficult for him to regain his composure.
“Are you okay?”
“…I must have looked terrible.”
He barely managed to speak through his rough breath and was about to hastily leave when Julia grabbed his hand firmly.
“Let go of this!”
Aiden pushed her away fiercely and looked at her with a threatening glare, as if he wanted to kill her on the spot, unlike a little while ago. However, Julia remained completely fearless and spoke calmly with a composed expression.
“It’s okay.”
“Now that you know my weakness….”
Eventually, losing his composure and getting agitated, he tried to threaten Julia. Nevertheless, Julia grabbed his hand tightly with both of her hands without any concern.
“Don’t be uneasy. Holding hands like this between people can share warmth. Just doing this alone can give you strength.”
Then she looked into his eyes and spoke in a quiet and gentle voice.
“That’s how it was for me when I was younger. I grew up in an orphanage where several of us slept in a small room. There were children who cried every night because they missed their parents and children who were scared because of nightmares.”
As Julia continued speaking, it felt like even the surrounding air was becoming peaceful. Aiden’s deep gaze was fixed on Julia.
“Whenever we held hands and slept, we all slept peacefully without waking up at night. It was about relying on each other and giving strength to one another.”
“…”
“So, this hand is the strength I am sending to you, Duke. It means it’s okay.”
As if by magic, Aiden’s breathing calmed down. Each of Julia’s words resonated gently and quietly in Aiden’s heart.
Julia was the first person to show him a new meaning.
