Ian, who had just stepped out from the balcony and was closing the large window, paused at my question.
“…”
Indeed.
This lavish suite had only one bedroom and one bathroom.
Realizing this, I felt like I had been hit over the head, leaving me momentarily stunned.
Ian, who had been frozen in place for a while, stiffly turned his head to look at me. Our bewildered gazes met in the air.
“…”
“…”
After what felt like ages of exchanging blank stares, Ian was the first to snap out of it. He closed his eyes tightly before opening them again.
“Well, we are married, after all. It’s not strange.”
True enough.
For most couples, it would be perfectly normal to share a bedroom.
The problem was that Ian and I were far from a normal couple, and since our marriage, we had never once shared a bed.
I had never even considered the possibility of sharing a bedroom with him, so the thought left me dizzy for a moment.
‘There are probably other empty rooms on the third floor…’
But with the emperor and empress in the same building, it would be quite awkward if word got out that we were using separate rooms.
Who knows what kind of uncomfortable situation that could lead to?
‘So, am I really going to have to share a room with Ian for a whole week…?’
The room that had seemed so bright and beautiful just moments ago now felt more like a circle of hell.
The only saving grace was that, though it was called a “room,” it was more of a suite, with a living room, a small reception room, and a study.
The not-so-lucky part was that there was only one bed in the bedroom.
As I took in the situation, my head began to spin.
While nothing significant would probably happen just because Ian and I shared a bed, the fact that we might have to sleep together was the problem.
“We… have to share the bed, right? The duke and I?”
I cautiously asked, watching Ian’s reaction.
But with my mind still half-gone, my voice came out sounding oddly off, unlike my usual self.
Realizing the state I was in, Ian ran a hand over his face.
“…It would be uncomfortable for you, so I’ll sleep on the sofa.”
He nodded toward the living room couch.
The blue velvet sofa was small compared to the bed, but just wide enough for one person to lie down.
‘Here? For a whole week?’
I narrowed my eyes. The thought of tall, lanky Ian sleeping uncomfortably on that couch made me feel… a little bad for him…
“So, you’ll do that, then?”
Of course not!
Obviously, he should sleep on the floor or the couch.
I’m the woman, after all. It wouldn’t be right for me to be the one scrunched up on the sofa. Gotta stick to the “ladies first” rule.
“…”
Ian seemed momentarily at a loss for words, staring at me in stunned silence as I quickly responded with a sparkle in my eye.
Hey, you brought it up first.
I didn’t say it.
I shrugged shamelessly in his direction.
Ian looked at me with a conflicted expression before closing his eyes tightly again and reopening them.
“Yes, let’s do that. It’s just for a week.”
“Yay.”
“…My lady?”
“I didn’t say anything.”
I was thrilled.
I was going to sleep in that spacious king-sized bed, all nice and comfortable.
While the thought of spending an entire week sharing a room with Ian did weigh on my mind, I felt fortunate enough that we would at least be sleeping separately.
“Well then, I’ll have Vivi move all my luggage into the bedroom!”
As I cheerfully dashed into the bedroom, I thought I heard Ian let out a faint chuckle, but I didn’t care.
Long live the private room!
❖ ❖ ❖
By the time the servants had finished unpacking, and Ian and I had made our way back down to the first floor, the emperor and empress were already there, having changed their clothes.
Judging by their grand attire, it seemed they were about to go out.
“We greet His Majesty the Emperor and Her Majesty the Empress. It’s nearly time for lunch—are you heading out somewhere?”
The emperor greeted us with a warm smile.
“Ah, you’re already down! We were just about to leave for the Edward Marquisate nearby.”
“The Edward Marquisate?”
The Edward Marquisate was a coastal estate about a 30-minute carriage ride from here.
“We were invited for lunch by the Marquis and his wife.”
“Ah, I see.”
Now that I thought about it, the emperor and empress had mentioned they’d be busy visiting nearby estates even while staying in the South.
I nodded in understanding.
The Emperor, who had been looking at Ian and me with a pleased expression, raised his eyebrows.
“We’ll give you two some space. This is a perfect opportunity for the both of you to spend some time together. When else will you get the chance to enjoy each other’s company like this?”
He gave me a playful wink before turning to Ian with a sighing look.
“I bet this stiff here has just been using work as an excuse to hole up in his office, hasn’t he? Always so rigid.”
Well, it’s not just Ian. Unless we have business with each other, we both usually spend our time holed up in our respective offices.
Of course, I couldn’t exactly say that in front of the emperor, so I simply responded with a cheeky smile.
Ian, on the other hand, didn’t seem too pleased with being singled out for criticism, his face betraying his displeasure.
The emperor quickly picked up on his expression change and chuckled as he playfully poked Ian’s cheek.
“My brother is so cute when he gets like this.”
“Your Majesty.”
“I’m still waiting for the day he calls me ‘brother.’”
Ian tried to put on a serious face, but it had no effect on him.
“Anyway, take this chance to go on a date or something. There’s plenty to see around here, especially the night market—it’s quite the sight.”
The emperor’s tone was full of teasing as he withdrew his hand from Ian and spoke.
“Thank you for your consideration, but we are here to ensure the safety of the princess. Our focus will be on attending to her.”
At my polite response, he blinked in surprise.
“Huh? But the princess has already gone out with her guards.”
“…What?”
“Haha, she’s turning fourteen this year, and will be fifteen soon. Surely she’s old enough to go on a little outing by herself.”
His nonchalant and shameless words left me speechless, my mouth hanging open.
‘…Didn’t they say I was here to watch over the princess? That it would be helpful if I accompanied her?’
I was utterly dumbfounded.
The emperor, fully aware of my reaction, merely winked at me with a mischievous grin.
‘Can an emperor just blatantly lie and deceive people like this?’
Sure, I had known from the beginning that the princess was just an excuse, but I hadn’t expected them to shift gears so brazenly as soon as we arrived at the villa.
I glanced at Ian, and he seemed to have expected this all along, his expression calm and resigned.
Clearly, this wasn’t the first time he’d been caught in such a situation.
It made me wonder if, in some ways, they weren’t much different from ordinary siblings. I seriously considered it for a moment.
The emperor, checking his pocket watch, realized they were running late and quickly left the lobby with a hasty farewell.
After the two disappeared from sight, leaving Ian and me behind, I let out a dry laugh.
‘Well, this is awkward…’
I felt like an extra, standing here with nothing to do.
I scratched my cheek awkwardly. If we were at the ducal estate, I’d gladly head up to the bedroom and spend the day lazing around.
Unfortunately, here, I had to share the room with Ian.
Even though the bedroom was technically mine, I couldn’t fully relax knowing Ian was just one door away. I wasn’t thick-skinned enough to completely ignore his presence.
‘This is the first time since I got here that I’ve had absolutely nothing to do…’
As I pondered whether I should at least get something to eat since it was around lunchtime, Ian suddenly spoke to me.
“…Would you like to go for a walk?”
I turned to look at him. For someone who had initiated the suggestion, he looked quite awkward himself.
“A walk?”
“I used to visit this villa frequently when I was a prince. I know the area fairly well.”
“Ah.”
Of course, it made sense that Ian had been here several times before as a member of the royal family.
After hesitating for a moment, he slowly added,
“…There’s a sandy beach connected to the sea below the cliff. I know a shortcut. If you’d like to see the sea up close, I could take you there.”
Was he… trying to accommodate my interests after hearing me rave about the sea earlier?
Without saying another word, Ian extended his hand toward me.
His gaze lingered on me, unusually intent.
♧♧♧
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