At the low voice coming from very close by, Letier flinched and turned her head.
She saw the silhouette of a man sitting on the edge of the bed, looking down at her.
Right in front of her eyes were the man’s thick thighs.
“…Huh?”
Still not fully awake, she couldn’t quite process what was happening.
Letier furrowed her brows tightly, trying to understand if the person before her was really the prince—and if so, why he was in her room, and what exactly this situation was.
Tap.
At that exact moment, another droplet landed on the bridge of Letier’s nose.
The droplets that had woken her were falling from the ends of his hair, still damp from a recent wash.
“Sorry, you looked cute while sleeping, so I just watched you for a bit.”
“Your Highness…?”
Finally realizing this wasn’t a dream, Letier shot up from the bed.
With wide eyes, she stared at Dante sitting before her.
“What are you doing in this room?”
“That’s what I should be asking you.”
Dante replied with a smile that never left his lips.
Letier looked around the room, confused.
But this is… the room I claimed as soon as I came upstairs…
“I got out of the bath, and there was some lady sleeping on my bed.”
“Huh? This is your room, Your Highness?”
“As far as I know?”
He pointed to the luggage placed in a corner of the room.
“I dropped it off here about three hours ago. Looks like it’s mine.”
“Ah…”
So it was right, not left after the stairs…
Why was the door left open…
Letier swallowed her words and fiddled awkwardly with her skirt.
Blaming Kyledian in her mind for no real reason, she began to shuffle toward the edge of the bed.
Time to leave…
“Where are you going?”
“To my room…”
“And where exactly is your room?”
“I’m sure I’ll find an empty one somewhere.”
At her answer, Dante let out a small breathy laugh, like air escaping a balloon.
As he moved, the soft scent of soap drifted from his warm body.
Though her words hadn’t been all that funny, Dante laughed fully before turning to her.
“I know which room your assistant is in. I’ll take you there.”
“Thank you.”
“But—after a bit.”
Letier started to climb off the bed, relieved, but then a strong arm suddenly blocked her.
She looked at him, puzzled.
“It’s been a while since I saw you.”
His gentle voice brushed against her ear.
“Are you saying… you just want to chat a little?”
“Something like that?”
“On the bed?”
“Does it feel strange?”
Strange is putting it mildly.
Letier looked down at the bed she was sitting on.
“In a place like this…”
Dante, realizing she might suddenly feel uncomfortable with the situation, quickly spoke up.
He’d forgotten this could feel awkward to Letier.
“Ah, right. A man and woman alone, at night, on a bed…”
“It’s not proper.”
“Huh?”
Letier looked at him seriously.
“This isn’t the right place for me to formally greet Your Highness after so long. I’ve never had a proper conversation with someone in a setting like this.”
“Well, that’s fair.”
“And it’s also very late.”
“…You’re right.”
Dante let out a laugh that sounded a little defeated.
What was I even expecting…
“I’ll properly greet you tomorrow morning.”
“Whatever you’re comfortable with. But really, there’s no need to be so formal with me, Letier.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t want you to feel nervous around me.”
Dante met her violet eyes directly.
They still held a bit of sleepiness, and they sparkled faintly.
Letier, turning his words over in her mind, slowly opened her mouth.
“I don’t feel nervous.”
“Then I’m glad.”
Without even thinking, Dante reached out and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear.
His hand brushed her soft, warm cheek.
He suddenly felt his mouth go dry and clenched the fist resting on his thigh.
“……”
“……”
Letier had nothing particular to say, and Dante couldn’t bring himself to say anything, so silence fell between them—tinged with a strange tension.
Maybe because she’d just been lying down, the top of her dress was slightly askew.
The curve of her slender neckline, exposed by the shift in her clothing, kept catching his gaze.
Dante quietly drew a breath, doing his best to hold onto a clear mind.
“Do people often say you’re careless?”
“Not at all.”
Letier replied primly.
She truly had never been called careless.
What she usually heard were things like “perfect,” “smart,” and “thorough.”
“This is exactly why I can’t leave you alone in the estate.”
Dante murmured.
He raised one large hand to cover his eyes and lowered his head.
Letier didn’t understand what the connection was between those two statements, but she chose to stay silent—thinking if she asked, he might end up calling her careless after all.
****
A moment later, Letier stood in front of the guest room door and looked back at Dante.
With his hands behind his back, Dante nodded toward the door in front of her, as if to say, go on in.
“…Then, good night, Your Highness.”
“Sleep well, Letier.”
The door wasn’t locked.
When she gently turned the knob, she saw Lucy sitting on the sofa inside, organizing their things. She looked up as the door opened.
So this was the room…
“My lady!”
“Mmm…”
Letier looked once more at Dante still standing in the hallway, then turned and stepped inside.
“Where were you? Did His Highness call for you?”
“Ah, no, he didn’t exactly call me…”
I barged in on my own…
Letier avoided Lucy’s eyes and quietly shuffled toward the bathroom.
Lucy quickly stood up and followed her, speaking brightly.
“You must be tired, right? I’ve already filled the tub with warm water! I added some bath salts too, so it should help you relax.”
“Lucy, you’re the best.”
Letier gave a smile of pure happiness and pushed open the bathroom door.
The room was filled with a soft, white steam, likely from the heat of the water.
After waiting a moment, the steam drifted out through the open door, revealing a clean, simple bathtub—not large, but inviting.
“If you need anything, just call me. Please enjoy your bath!”
“Thanks.”
Letier nodded at Lucy, then slowly undressed and slipped into the warm water.
The heat enveloped her body, and she could feel every muscle loosening, her whole body relaxing.
Letier let out a deep sigh of contentment and leaned back against the edge of the tub.
“This is so nice…”
With a satisfied hum, she stared blankly up at the ceiling.
Being in the bathroom naturally brought her thoughts back to the prince, and the droplets of water that had fallen from the tips of his hair after his bath.
Letier blinked slowly, her thoughts drifting to him once again—without even meaning to.
****
The next morning, Letier had breakfast provided by the hotel and finished getting ready to depart.
When she stepped outside with Lucy and Ephron, they saw all the carriages lined up and arranged as if they could leave at any moment.
Knights moved between the carriages in single file, tending to their horses or loading large luggage onto the back of the wagons.
“Oh…”
Letier spotted Kyledian among the moving knights and fixed her gaze on him.
He was placing a saddle on his horse, and just as he looked up, his eyes met hers.
Is he going to say hello?
But the moment passed quickly. He turned his head away as if he hadn’t seen her at all.
Of course…
Letier, who watched him return to caring for his horse as if she hadn’t been there, shook her head with a look that said she hadn’t expected anything in the first place and started walking toward her carriage.
It seems I’ll never get along with that knight commander…
“Letier.”
Just then, Dante’s voice called out from behind.
“Oh, good morning, Your Highness. Did you sleep well?”
“Ride with me.”
He approached her and gestured toward his own carriage.
She noticed the royal carriage—a larger, taller one than the others—and asked:
“The royal carriage?”
Is that really necessary?
Letier kept the second part of her thought to herself and looked up at Dante.
He casually placed a hand on her back, as if the answer should’ve been obvious.
“This one’s roomier.”
Not wanting to make a fuss over nothing, Letier reluctantly turned her head toward Lucy and said,
“Lucy, I’ll be riding with His Highness in the royal carriage, so go with Ephron in one of ours.”
“Yes, my lady!”
As Lucy hurried off, Letier followed Dante to where the royal carriage was stationed.
When the knight at the door opened it, a spacious and luxurious interior far grander than the Lenever family’s carriage came into view.
Letier stepped in with Dante’s help and couldn’t help but marvel silently.
Wow… this really is spacious…
Dante followed her in and took the seat across from her.
“Thank you. You didn’t have to go this far for me…”
Letier said as she lightly stroked the velvet-covered seat.
Dante glanced at her and gave a small, vague nod.
“You’re only doing this because I’m supposed to be useful to you, right?”
“What? No.”
Dante frowned immediately at her words.
Letier looked up at him in confusion, surprised by his quick and sharp reaction.
“Then… what is it?”
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you ask me to ride with you?”
At her direct question, Dante was momentarily speechless.
He stayed quiet, quickly scrambling to come up with an answer—one that would make sense and not upset her.
