“…Mmm.”
I frowned at the sunlight brushing against my closed eyelids, tossing and turning in the bed.
…It wasn’t common for sunlight to stream into the room like this in the morning.
Groggily opening my eyes, I caught a blurry glimpse of an unfamiliar ceiling.
Unlike my room, it was blue and white….
“…Huh?”
Startled, I blinked my eyes wide open.
Staring blankly at the unfamiliar ceiling that had come into sharper focus, I finally let out a sigh of realization after a few seconds.
‘Oh, right. I changed rooms.’
I rubbed my cheek awkwardly, feeling embarrassed at how slow my thoughts had been.
It seemed like my brain was still sluggish from falling into such a deep sleep in the early hours of the morning.
‘I didn’t even dream.’
It must’ve been around dawn when I finally passed out.
The sunlight pouring in through the large garden-facing window felt strangely unfamiliar.
“…….”
I blinked at the already bright sky, attempting to sit up and pushing off the bed with my arms.
“…Ugh.”
But as soon as I tried, I groaned, my body freezing halfway up.
“Wow… My entire body feels like it’s been beaten.”
Not even the first time I did personal training hurt this much.
Finally managing to sit upright and lean against the pillow, I pulled the blanket up over me.
Under the bright sunlight, I noticed the red and purple marks staining my arms, already dreading what the rest of my body might look like.
Letting out a dry laugh, I turned my head to the other side of the bed.
There, Ian was sleeping soundly, facing me with gentle breaths.
‘So, after leaving me in this state, he sleeps peacefully, huh?’
I grumbled inwardly, gazing down at him.
“…You sleep so beautifully.”
It was my first time seeing him asleep in such bright daylight. I’d only briefly peeked at him in the dead of night during a visit to the side palace, but the atmosphere now felt entirely different.
How could someone’s sleeping face look this stunning? Not just handsome—elegant. He looked like a work of art.
Still clutching the blanket in one hand, I leaned slightly, reaching out toward him.
His silver hair, messy and unruly, sparkled like a shimmering surface under the sunlight.
Carefully running my fingers along the strands, I brushed over his smooth forehead and down the bridge of his nose.
“…….”
Just before my fingertips could touch his soft-looking lips, I stopped and blinked, pulling my hand back.
Watching him sleep so quietly and peacefully, I suddenly felt a flutter in my chest.
I knew this feeling well.
…The person I love.
Unable to hold it in, I murmured softly, “The person I love.”
Bringing my knees up and resting my head on them, I continued watching Ian as he slept beside me.
It felt unfamiliar yet precious to see him lying there, and I didn’t want to waste this moment of simply observing him.
‘Just yesterday, I spent all day agonizing over it…’
It was strange.
The moment I woke up and realized he was next to me, all the lingering doubts and endless worries seemed to dissolve effortlessly.
I didn’t want to part from this man.
Even though I wasn’t the real Eloise and was just someone who had accidentally filled her place,
Despite all that, I had come to love him too much.
To the point where I could no longer dismiss this world as mere fiction.
So, the conclusion was simple.
‘I need to find a way.’
A way to stay by his side for a long time without disrupting or ruining his world.
“…….”
I wasn’t some wise sage with grand ideals or a hero capable of self-sacrifice for the greater good of the world.
For me, being with the person I loved was the most important thing.
And for that to happen, his world couldn’t be distorted or destroyed because of me.
“A way…”
As I murmured, reaching out to touch his silver hair again,
A hand suddenly shot out and grabbed my wrist without warning.
“Ah!”
Startled by the unexpected contact, I flinched, only to see Ian slowly open his drowsy eyes.
“Waking up to someone touching me like this is a bit troubling, you know.”
What… What?!
How long had he been awake?
And why did my heart feel like it was about to burst as if I’d been caught stealing?
“When did I ever touch you? I just brushed your face for a moment,” I retorted, feigning nonchalance.
Ian, his eyes still heavy with sleep, blinked slowly as he stared at me.
…Why are you looking at me like that?
Are you trying to seduce me or something?
Feeling the heat rising in my cheeks under his strangely seductive gaze, I raised my voice to cover it.
“T-Then again, you’re the one at fault, Ian! Last night, you—”
I froze, cutting myself off with a strangled gasp.
The moment I realized the meaning of the nonsense I’d just blurted, I clammed up, pressing my lips tightly shut.
‘Oh my god, what’s wrong with my mouth? Do you have no shame?’
It was clear my brain wasn’t functioning properly after staying up all night, tormented and sleep-deprived.
As embarrassment swept over me, I rolled my eyes nervously, only for Ian to exhale through his teeth, pull me in by the wrist, and roll us both over.
“Ah!”
“What exactly did I do last night, hmm?”
His deep voice whispered against my ear, raspy and edged with amusement.
More than his teasing tone, the firm embrace and the warmth of his body against mine set my face ablaze.
“L-let me go.”
“Not until you finish what you were saying.”
“I said let go!”
Thud.
With all my strength, I slammed my elbow into Ian’s chest and quickly wriggled free.
Ian let out a pained groan, curling up slightly.
Oh no. Did I hit him too hard?
In my panic, I’d clearly miscalculated my strength.
“Are you… okay?”
More startled than guilty, I leaned toward him hesitantly, checking for any signs of real pain.
“Ah…”
“Does it hurt?!”
I widened my eyes in concern, thinking I might’ve seriously hurt him. Suddenly, Ian lifted his head without warning and pressed a quick kiss to the bridge of my nose.
I froze in place.
“…What was that?”
“What do you think?”
He responded shamelessly, and it took me a second to process what had just happened.
My face scrunched up in disbelief.
“Wait, were you acting?!”
“It did hurt, a little.”
A little, my foot. Sword master that he was, there was no way a blow like that did anything to him.
Ignoring my pouty glare, he chuckled mischievously, sitting up and leaning toward me. Then, he planted kisses on my forehead, eyelids, nose, and even my lips, one by one, as if marking his territory.
“Now we’re even.”
“…Ugh.”
A helpless sigh escaped my lips.
At this point, calling Ian Cloud a “cold robot” no longer felt accurate.
The man smirking in front of me now was nothing short of a cunning fox.
“Did you sleep well?” he asked.
“Bit late to be asking that, isn’t it?”
I clearly remembered seeing the sun rise before I’d finally fallen asleep. If he cared about that, maybe he should’ve let me sleep earlier.
Momentarily forgetting my earlier heartfelt confession, I gave him a sharp look.
Ian, however, seemed entirely unbothered.
“…What about you? Did you sleep well?” I grumbled reluctantly.
In response, he lightly hugged me, burying his face in my hair.
“Yes. Rarely this well, as you can see.”
“Why are you hugging me again…?”
Since when had Ian Cloud become this overly affectionate?
Feeling my shoulders tense once more, I muttered under my breath.
He chuckled softly, his laughter tickling my ear.
“Last night, Eloise, you kept asking me to hold you…”
“Stop!”
He was clearly determined to turn me into a tomato this morning.
With a face as red as it could get, I slapped my hand over his mouth to shut him up. Ian’s eyes widened briefly before curving into an amused smile.
Gently pulling my hand away, he shrugged.
“Alright, alright. Time to get up now. The sun’s already high in the sky.”
“…Fine.”
One glance out the window confirmed it was well past noon.
If the servants hadn’t come to wake us by now…
‘Oh no, this is so embarrassing.’
Feeling the heat creep up my neck again, I watched Ian, now clad in a robe, rise from the bed. He turned to me with a casual expression and asked,
“Care to join me in the bath?”
“Get out!!!”
Thud. The pillow I threw hit him square in the face.
Ian’s low laughter rumbled as he left.
❖ ❖ ❖
“Ouch, my back…”
In the end, Ian had carried me bridal-style to the bathroom, and I didn’t get to eat breakfast—or rather, lunch—until late afternoon.
Rubbing my sore back, I plopped down on the chair in his office.
Despite the chaos earlier, the office was impeccably clean, as if nothing had happened.
“…….”
Staring absentmindedly at the tidy desk, I slowly revisited the thoughts I’d been dwelling on.
Finally, I pulled out a ruby ring from the second drawer.
Rubbing it twice, I watched as its familiar dazzling glow filled the room, and Kyle appeared.
“You called for me?”
“Kyle, I need your help.”
• • •
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