Silence fell in the corridor. Ian was staring at me, literally piercing me with his gaze, and I stood frozen, blankly facing him.
“……”
“……”
How much time had passed in silence?
Slowly, my brain started to function again.
“Um…”
Is he really concerned about how I address him?
The great Ian Cloud?
This man, who never seemed to care how he was addressed—no, he acted like he was completely disconnected from such concerns—was now asking me this, and I couldn’t help but feel flustered.
“Well, Duke Roger told me to address him comfortably.”
You never gave me permission to call you by your name.
I tried to explain indirectly, and Ian squinted slightly.
“Oh, that’s why.”
“……”
“Then should I give you permission now?”
What is with him today?
The hand holding mine felt so hot, it was practically burning.
“You mentioned wanting to show intimacy as a couple, yet you call me ‘Duke’ in such a formal way. Isn’t that a contradiction? Am I wrong?”
His gaze was stubborn.
Why, after all this time…?
I felt a wave of confusion, but I couldn’t ignore his question.
Eventually, I slowly nodded.
“Okay, fine.”
I can call him by his name, right?
Even though I answered obediently, he showed no sign of letting go of my hand. Feeling even more confused, I hesitated before speaking in a small voice.
“Ian Cloud… Your Grace?”
“Drop the title.”
“…Ian.”
“Yes.”
Only then did the grip on my hand loosen.
“I thought you might’ve forgotten my name.”
‘What on earth…!’
Beyond the awkwardness of saying his name, this whole situation was unbearably embarrassing.
And at that moment—
“What’s going on? You two having a fight? A lover’s quarrel?”
A small figure with platinum-blonde hair suddenly peeked between us.
“Goodness!”
Startled, I flinched, and Ian quickly grabbed my arm to steady me.
The princess, who had appeared out of nowhere, was smiling warmly at the two of us. I didn’t know why a fifteen-year-old was making a face that reminded me of a kindly middle-aged manager.
“A lover’s quarrel… You two really are—mmph.”
“Ha ha, there’s no such thing. We’re not fighting.”
I hurriedly covered the princess’s mouth and awkwardly smiled.
The princess rolled her eyes playfully before I let go of her, and she giggled.
“Oh my, don’t be so shy.”
Her smile was full of mischief.
Meanwhile, Ian, who had been looking at the princess indifferently, asked in his usual calm tone,
“What brings you here, Princess? I thought we greeted each other earlier.”
No matter how you interpreted it, his tone clearly implied that he found her a nuisance.
‘Couldn’t you be a little nicer to her on her birthday?’
I considered nudging him to make him more aware, but I held back.
The princess, however, seemed unaffected, shrugging her shoulders casually.
“Well, I was looking for you in the ballroom, and a servant told me you were in this hallway. Since I was already heading to see His Majesty, I thought I’d stop by.”
“What’s your business?”
He still insists on asking her for her reason, even with a child.
I was thinking that he still had a long way to go when, suddenly, the princess, who had been so confident, started fidgeting and glancing around nervously.
“It’s not exactly business… I just have something to give you.”
As soon as I saw her behavior, I knew.
‘Ah, it’s time.’
The princess’s birthday gift for Ian.
If I recalled correctly, she was supposed to give this gift on the last day of our vacation at the palace.
However, because I was attacked and injured, it must have been delayed.
Knowing what she was about to give, I glanced sideways at Ian.
He, as usual, was watching the princess with an unreadable expression.
‘At least his blank expression is helpful in moments like this.’
I had been half-worried that he might realize I had already seen the princess’s gift, but it seemed I wouldn’t be caught.
Meanwhile, the princess, who had been wriggling around, seemed to gather her resolve and extended a box toward Ian.
“Here! This is my gift for you.”
She smiled brightly.
“The Emperor, I mean, my brother, told me that a birthday isn’t just about receiving, but about appreciating the important people around you. Since you gave me a gift before, I wanted to give you one too.”
Ian’s expressionless gaze shifted to the box in her hand.
It was a luxurious box, wrapped in silver paper that matched his hair, and tied with a purple satin ribbon.
“……”
“Wow, Your Grace, you must be so happy to receive this.”
I nudged Ian lightly, encouraging him to take action as he stood there holding the gift.
He finally accepted the box, prompted by my awkward encouragement. The princess, scratching her cheek awkwardly, stole a glance in my direction.
“Sorry, I should’ve prepared something for the duchess too, but I completely forgot. To be honest, things were still a little awkward between us back then…”
Well, that’s true. Back then, she tried to act all dignified, calling me “Duchess” and whatnot.
I gave her a soft smile as she rambled on, making excuses.
“Don’t worry about it, Princess. I’m fine.”
“No!”
Oh my, what a loud voice.
The princess, who had let out a loud squeal, clenched her small fists as if she’d made a firm resolution.
“Your birthday is coming up this fall, right? I’ll make sure to prepare something amazing for you! Something really spectacular!”
If I tried to turn down her offer now, it felt like she might make a huge scene.
“Alright, thank you.”
But seriously, why hasn’t Ian reacted yet? He’s already received the gift.
I poked his side and teased,
“Your Grace, aren’t you going to open the gift the princess gave you?”
“…I’ll open it now.”
It seemed he finally caught on to my hint, and Ian began untying the ribbon on the box.
As expected, a beautifully embroidered handkerchief was revealed.
I hadn’t known during the preparation process, but now that I saw the finished product, it was clear how intricate and perfectly suited to Ian it was.
The geometric patterns, especially the sword motif, were meticulously embroidered.
It was obvious the sword design was chosen because Ian was a swordmaster.
“Wow, it’s really beautiful…”
I couldn’t help but be genuinely impressed this time.
Although the princess had mentioned preparing a gift when we ran into Madam Zed that day, I hadn’t realized just how much effort she had put into it. But now it was clear to me.
‘She must have put a lot of work into designing this pattern.’
The princess had definitely created the design herself and entrusted Madam Zed with the embroidery.
As I looked closely at the handkerchief and then turned to Ian, I gave him a pointed look.
‘You should say something when you receive such a thoughtful gift.’
Ian, who had been quietly staring at the gift for a while as if savoring it, finally met my gaze.
At that moment, I raised my eyebrows, giving him an unspoken signal to react.
As if he understood my message without much difficulty, Ian turned toward the princess. Slowly, his lips moved.
“…I like it.”
His voice sounded a bit awkward.
“I’ll make sure to use it often.”
The princess’s eyes widened to the point they looked like they might pop out.
“Really? Really? Your Grace—no, Brother! You like it? I worked so hard on it!”
Her round cheeks flushed red as she bounced on her feet, looking every bit like a young girl her age.
Watching her, I felt both affection and pity.
‘She’s this happy over just a simple compliment.’
I couldn’t help but think Ian had been too distant with her until now.
Sure, there were reasons for it, but Princess Louisa had been born much later, growing up without knowing why Ian was so cold and distant toward her.
‘Well, it’s never too late to get closer.’
As I alternated my gaze between the princess and Ian, I clapped my hands together with a sudden idea.
“I have a great suggestion.”
“Huh?”
“How about the princess places the handkerchief on Your Grace herself?”
Both of them turned to look at me. The princess looked confused, while Ian shot me a glance as if asking, “Are you serious?”
When have I ever not been serious?
I brushed off his incredulous look and spoke in a lively tone.
“Since the princess is the one who gave it to you, it’s only fitting that she be the one to place it on you. Isn’t that right, Your Grace?”
♧♧♧
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