“…Hmm.”
I alternated my gaze between Vivi, whose face looked ready to burst from how red it was, and Kyle, whose face was burning just as much. Then, quietly, I rose from my seat.
At times like this, avoidance is the best policy.
“You said the Grand Duke called for me? Then I’ll go right away.”
Without even thinking about fixing the situation, I started walking immediately. Kyle looked at me with an exasperated expression.
Don’t look at me like that. Just follow me quietly. I’m dying of embarrassment here.
As if reading my resolute gaze, Kyle got up reluctantly, still looking dissatisfied, and followed behind me.
“Vivi, you go ahead and rest.”
“What? Oh, okay.”
Keeping my back straight and walking with an air of composure, I hurried my steps. As soon as I exited the greenhouse and closed the door, Kyle quickly caught up and shouted,
“My Lady, are you seriously going to do this?”
“…What did I do?”
At this point, I feel like being a Grand Duchess has only taught me shamelessness.
Kyle looked at me with a betrayed expression at my feigned ignorance.
“What did you even talk about while I was gone? No, more importantly, since when—!”
To think I’d live to see Kyle flustered like this.
It’s been ages since I last saw him this nervous—probably not since he found out I was the author of the Aria Gazette.
Narrowing my eyes, I asked, “I should be the one asking. Since when has this been mutual? I thought Vivi was the only one with feelings.”
“What?”
Kyle’s face turned pale as he realized he had essentially dug his own grave.
“Ahh.”
“…”
“Kyle?”
“Anyway! I have rights, you know! Just because His Grace, no, the Grand Duke, keeps ordering me around doesn’t mean I’m not entitled to my dignity—”
“Who said you didn’t have dignity or rights?”
Cutting him off mid-sentence, I threw my words at him with a smirk. Kyle clamped his mouth shut.
And honestly, isn’t it a bit late to start talking about dignity now, after all the teasing you and I have done to Ian?
Raising an eyebrow, I added, “It seems you’re not in a position to tease the Grand Duke anymore. I’ll be keeping an eye on you.”
“What?”
Kyle looked utterly baffled as he gaped at me.
“Behave yourself, is all I’m saying.”
“No, hold on—”
“And let me be clear: I’m on Vivi’s side. The Grand Duke is on my side, so I guess that leaves you without any allies.”
Mess with Vivi, and you’re done for.
I sent him a silent warning with my eyes, chuckling lightly as I walked past him. Still stunned, Kyle scrambled to follow half a beat late.
“Your Grace!”
❖ ❖ ❖
Kyle led me to Ian’s study.
Standing before the wooden door at the far end of the third floor, I tilted my head thoughtfully.
“Now that I think about it, this is the first time I’ve been here since I declared war on him.”
A few months ago, I boldly asked Ian out on a date after reading the Aria Gazette. While we’d crossed paths since then, I’d never actually visited his study.
Realizing this made the changes in our relationship feel strangely new.
After a brief moment of reflection, I carefully opened the door.
Near the large windows stood Ian, wearing glasses and reviewing documents.
I instinctively held my breath.
‘A man at work really is attractive.’
Of course, a good eight-tenths of it was thanks to his ridiculously handsome face.
The worries that had plagued me in the greenhouse seemed to dissipate the moment I saw him.
Sensing my presence, Ian lifted his gaze a few seconds later.
“You’re here.”
“…I didn’t disturb you, did I?”
“No. I’ve been waiting for you. I was planning to visit, but I heard you weren’t in your quarters.”
“I was in the greenhouse.”
Sorry, I had a lot on my mind.
“Ah, the greenhouse.”
Ian gave a small nod and took off his glasses, setting them aside on the desk.
Then he stood and walked across the room to close the door.
Before I could react, he wrapped his arms lightly around me from behind.
“Ian?”
“Just stay like this for a moment. I’m tired.”
Startled, I froze, while Ian rested his head on my shoulder as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
‘…I’ll never get used to this.’
Lately, Ian had been initiating casual touches like this more often. The problem was that I was still caught off guard every single time.
After standing stiffly for a moment, I awkwardly reached out and patted his head.
“…Are you very tired?”
“A little.”
His voice sounded much more exhausted than his words suggested.
I used to think he was a workaholic machine who functioned perfectly on just four hours of sleep, but now I realized Ian was human too.
Of course, no one could handle such a grueling schedule without wearing out.
As my fingers combed through his silken silver hair, I asked,
“So, why did you call me here? It must be important if you summoned me to your study.”
“There’s something I wanted to ask.”
Only then did Ian lift his head from my shoulder and guide me to the desk.
‘What kind of work requires my opinion?’
Curious, I followed him to the desk and noticed unfamiliar maps and books scattered across it.
Upon closer inspection, the maps weren’t of the Levant Empire.
“…What’s all this?”
When I asked, bewildered, Ian sat down and effortlessly pulled me onto his lap.
“There’s a matter in Jeseth this coming spring. Progress has been made in the shipbuilding project I’ve been working on with Duke Seraph under His Majesty’s orders.”
“Duke Seraph? Oh.”
A faint image of the middle-aged man who had called Ian during the Imperial Princess’s banquet surfaced in my mind.
‘I thought he was just part of Ian’s faction, but I guess they’ve been collaborating on a project.’
Fixing my gaze on the map, I mulled over the thought.
Jeseth was the kingdom located south of the Nomos Empire, right? I’d heard it was surrounded by the sea on three sides and famous for its developed maritime cities.
As I stayed nestled in Ian’s arms, scanning the documents on the desk, he casually added,
“It’s a business trip, but it shouldn’t take long. I just need to verify the terms we agreed upon in writing. At most, it’ll be five days.”
Considering I had stayed in the Nomos Empire for a full ten days, this was certainly a shorter trip in comparison.
“Hmm, I see. So why did you call me here for this?”
I couldn’t hide my curiosity.
The trip wasn’t until next spring, leaving plenty of time to prepare. And frankly, this could’ve been mentioned casually over breakfast.
Ian answered as if he had been waiting for the question.
“I wanted to see if there’s anywhere you’d like to visit among these.”
“…Anywhere I’d like to visit?”
He handed me a stack of papers from the side of the desk.
The documents listed various places to visit during the stay in Jeseth. But some of the locations seemed a bit unusual for a business itinerary.
Flipping through the pages one by one, I tilted my head and asked,
“…Ian, what does the shipbuilding project have to do with an arboretum?”
“You enjoy going on walks. I heard they have rose species that you can’t find in Levant.”
“…And this beach isn’t a dock for ships; it’s a tourist spot.”
“You like walking along the shore.”
Page after page revealed places that seemed far more suitable for a date than a business trip.
Finally, I closed the stack without even getting halfway through it and turned to look at Ian.
This feels suspicious.
“Um… Is this itinerary tailored for me?”
Ian, who had apparently been watching me the entire time rather than the documents, met my gaze and nodded without hesitation.
“Yes.”
“…Yes?”
My incredulous question slipped out.
“How can you dedicate half of a five-day business trip to me? This is supposed to be a business trip!”
Anyone would think it was a honeymoon itinerary.
But Ian only looked puzzled by my objection.
“Is there a problem?”
“Of course there’s a problem! And why am I even included in the business trip itinerary in the first place?”
“Because you’ll be coming with me.”
Excuse me…? What about my opinion?
His sheer confidence left me speechless. Since when was that a given?
Besides, isn’t spring still six months away?
Looking into Ian’s clear, unwavering eyes, I found myself unable to voice the sarcastic remark forming in my mind.
Instead, I alternated my gaze between the papers and Ian before lightly flicking his forehead with a soft thunk.
“Even so, this feels like the purpose of the trip has flipped. What are you going to do if I can’t make it when the time comes?”
At my casual remark, Ian, who had been holding me, froze.
With a slight furrow of his brow, he asked,
“What do you mean by that?”
…Uh-oh. That wasn’t what I meant.
• • •
Support my translation for more and faster updates 🐳
