By the time Ian and I returned to the outdoor banquet hall, most of the guests were starting to make their way home.
Even so, the lingering excitement from the breathtaking fireworks seemed to keep the attendees gathered in small groups, their faces glowing with delight as they chatted.
“I’ve never seen such beautiful fireworks before. It must be magic, right?”
“They were even better than the ones I saw at the southern resort last year.”
“This was definitely the best party I’ve attended this year, don’t you think?”
Hearing their voices brought a faint smile to my lips. It seemed that the ambitious event prepared by the princess had left an impression on more than just me.
As we bid farewell to the departing guests one by one, the grand duke’s residence gradually emptied until only a handful of people remained.
It was then that the princess appeared out of nowhere, hovering around us with a sly grin.
“Humph!”
With her hands clasped behind her back and a haughty air about her, she looked quite pleased with herself.
Unable to ignore her blatant stare, I offered a polite greeting.
“Princess, thank you for today. It will undoubtedly be a birthday I’ll never forget.”
“Heh-heh. You liked it, didn’t you?”
“Yes, truly.”
Her round cheeks puffed up with pride.
“So, Lady Grand Duchess, how was the final gift? My surprise—did it meet your expectations?”
The princess alternated her gaze between Ian and me, her tone playful and teasing, the corners of her mouth curling into an impish smile.
‘How is this girl really fifteen?’
I was grateful most of the guests had already left. Otherwise, the nobles with their ever-curious ears would surely have eavesdropped on this conversation, leaving me in utter embarrassment.
“…Thank you very much. I didn’t expect the fireworks display.”
“You couldn’t fully enjoy yourself at the villa last time, so I pulled some strings for this one!”
With an exaggerated toss of her hair, the princess puffed out her chest proudly.
“That cabana I set up was my masterpiece. Romantic, wasn’t it? Didn’t it make love blossom where there was none? Hmm? Wasn’t it nice to spend time together, just the two of you?”
“…Pardon?”
Caught off guard by her blatantly inquisitive tone, I instinctively let out a bewildered response.
The princess narrowed her eyes.
“Ah, don’t pretend you don’t know. You liked it. I can tell.”
She flapped her small hands theatrically, her cheeky behavior far from what you’d expect from a newly-turned fifteen-year-old.
‘Is there a middle-aged soul inside that girl’s body?’
Honestly, with the way she carried herself, it wasn’t entirely implausible. After all, I was someone who had been reincarnated into this world—who’s to say the princess wasn’t in a similar situation?
While I was indulging in my silly musings, her gaze became increasingly pointed.
Unable to withstand her fiery curiosity, I tried to subtly inch away from Ian’s side.
But my attempt was swiftly thwarted when Ian firmly took hold of my hand, threading his fingers through mine just as he had done earlier in the garden.
This time, he made no effort to hide the gesture.
My shoulders flinched in surprise.
“…Ian?”
“Oh my, oh my! What is this?”
The princess gasped dramatically, covering her mouth with both hands.
“What’s going on here? What happened between you two? Spill!”
“P-Princess, please.”
My face turned beet red from a mix of embarrassment and discomfort.
I desperately wanted to come up with an excuse to escape this situation, but unfortunately, Ian, who was still holding my hand, didn’t seem inclined to cooperate.
“Come on, what is it? Tell me! Did you two kiss or something?”
Her eyes sparkled mischievously as she leaned in closer, practically demanding an answer.
“Well, Princess…”
“Well?”
Her violet eyes gleamed like stars, eagerly awaiting my response. But faced with her enthusiasm, I found myself at a loss for words.
What could I possibly say to this mischievous girl?
‘I can’t exactly tell a fifteen-year-old I just kissed her brother, can I?’
As I hesitated and averted my gaze, Ian calmly intervened.
“Princess, isn’t it about time you returned? The knights are waiting for you.”
Ian, still holding my hand tightly, gestured with a casual nod of his chin toward the knights waiting behind the princess. They had been standing by to escort her.
The princess looked utterly flabbergasted.
“What? Are you seriously kicking me out, Grand Duke? Me? After all the effort I put in for today?”
“No, that’s not it, Your Highness…”
“I thought it might help the outcome you’re hoping for.”
“Ian!”
My face flushed a fiery red in an instant.
What was he even saying?
The princess froze in place, her jaw dropping in shock.
“…Good heavens.”
“……”
“Why is the Grand Duke acting like this? Don’t tell me… are you two actually… dating?”
Clearly startled, the princess pointed at us in disbelief, her voice rising.
I quietly placed a hand on my forehead.
‘She does realize we’re married, doesn’t she…?’
At any other time, I would have gently corrected her misunderstanding, but right now, I couldn’t muster any protest.
‘Technically, she’s not entirely wrong…’
And it seemed the princess took my prolonged silence as confirmation. Her round eyes grew impossibly wide.
“No way. Seriously?”
Covering her mouth with her hands, she began hopping in place, exclaiming excitedly, “Oh my gosh, it’s true!” Her delighted murmurs were punctuated by little cheers, as if her favorite couple from a romance drama had just gotten together.
‘What is she, an audience member?’
“……”
Unable to rebuke her childish antics, I turned my glare toward Ian instead.
Sensing my stare, Ian calmly met my eyes. Then, with his usual composed demeanor, he raised his eyebrows slightly, a smirk tugging at his lips.
“I haven’t said anything untrue.”
“…What.”
Exasperated by his shamelessness, I let out a resigned sigh.
The problem was…
‘How is it possible for someone to look that good while being so infuriating?’
My heart, which had recently started to become more aware of him, was pounding wildly, completely ignoring my frustration.
‘I give up…’
In the end, unable to refute anything, I simply averted my gaze, my face burning red like a ripe tomato.
Meanwhile, the princess, who had been silently observing us, shook her head as if coming to a decision.
“Now that I think about it, I really should get back to the capital. I’ve taken up way too much of your time, haven’t I? I’ll be off now! Enjoy your time together, you two!”
Before I could even say goodbye, she bolted toward the carriage, climbing in with alarming speed.
“Wait, what…?”
I stared blankly as the royal carriage swiftly exited the grand duchy, leaving nothing but silence in its wake.
With the rowdy princess gone, the garden, emptied of all its guests, was now eerily quiet. Only Ian and I remained.
“……”
“……”
The sudden silence felt overwhelming, and I cleared my throat awkwardly.
Being alone with Ian again made me so nervous my mouth went dry.
“Well, um… shall we head inside now?”
Unable to meet his gaze, I fumbled over my words.
Unlike me, Ian seemed unfazed, his piercing gaze fixed on me with unusual intensity.
After a moment, he nodded.
“Yes, Eloise.”
Come to think of it, he had been calling me “Eloise” instead of “my lady” since earlier.
‘Is he trying to make my heart explode? Because I really can’t take this anymore.’
Whether he was aware of my turmoil or not, Ian gently guided me back toward the manor as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
I barely remembered walking up the stairs or crossing the lobby. By the time I came to my senses, we were standing at the end of the second-floor hallway—right in front of my room.
And Ian was still holding my hand.
‘Wait…’
Usually, Ian’s escort ended at the central staircase, where our paths diverged. This was the first time he had walked me all the way to my door.
I glanced at him, confused.
His room was on the opposite side of the hall, so he should have let go by now. But for some reason, he showed no intention of releasing my hand.
“Um… Ian?”
Unable to hold back any longer, I hesitantly called out to him, sneaking a glance.
“I… I can’t go into my room if you don’t let go of my hand…”
Ian, who had been glancing back and forth between me and the door behind me, finally spoke in a low voice.
“If it’s all right with you…”
“……”
“May I escort you inside?”
…What?
• • •
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