Episode 30

“Oh my.”

The princess sitting next to me gasped.

I stopped praying and looked up.

People were staring at one spot.

“Eve.”

I turned my head towards the voice calling me.

Standing in the light streaming through the window, he looked like an angel or a divine being descended to earth.

Even without fine clothes or embellishments, he was dignified and beautiful.

As he moved, his light-colored hair shimmered as if breaking apart in the light.

I sat still, holding my breath. Igon, with his long strides, walked across the red carpet of the chapel towards me. I watched him, entranced.

“I’m back.”

Looking at Igon as he said this, I nodded.

I wanted to say, “Welcome back” or “You must have had a hard time,” but the words wouldn’t come out.

Before Igon, it was Eunice, who was staring at him as if mesmerized, who caught my eye.

In such moments, my heart would occasionally plummet.

Like a ticking time bomb, Igon appeared, and behind him, I saw Eunice.

The princess, unaware of my turmoil, whispered praises about Igon’s appearance, marveling as if seeing him for the first time.

Her words barely registered in my ears.

I could hear them, but my mind was elsewhere.

My dizzying view slowly returned to focus.

Despite his sudden return, which left everyone startled, Igon smiled beautifully, albeit annoyingly.

Though he looked a bit tired and worn out, he was remarkably neat for someone who had just returned from another Kingdom.

I remembered how I had just been admiring the craftsmanship of the glass artisan.

Igon’s eyes sparkled as if crafted by a master artisan.

I stood up from my seat, but the narrow space between the pews made it awkward.

As I gathered my things, my hand slipped.

The small scripture I was holding fell with a heavy thud.

In my disoriented state, nothing seemed to go right.

The princess picked it up, brushed it off, and handed it back to me.

“You should head back since the Duke has returned.”

With a gentle push, I naturally stood up and moved towards Igon.

“You returned early.”

Both the Viscount, who knew the progress of events in Dekido as a representative of the Duke’s residence, and I, who received a letter saying, “Things might wrap up soon,” were surprised by his unexpectedly early return.

Igon smiled.

“I didn’t expect a grand welcome, but that doesn’t seem like the right greeting for a brother you haven’t seen in a while.”

His tone was meltingly kind, and his gaze soft and affectionate.

Though Igon often acted this way, it was dangerous given all the eyes on us.

The thought of Igon hugging me or showing excessive affection here was horrifying.

If he did, imagine the rumors that would spread.

It was already odd enough.

A brother coming to fetch his sister at the chapel right after his return?

He briefly nodded to the familiar faces he recognized among the group and quickly made his way towards me.

“You’re walking fast.”

I knew he was teasing me.

The fact that he spoke in a low voice, so only I could hear, was a clear sign he was trying to provoke me.

I forced a smile, smoothing my furrowed brow.

“It’s not that I’m fast, but rather that you’re slow, Your Grace.”

“So, I’m not your brother anymore, just the Duke?”

Please.

Hurry.

I signaled him with my eyes.

With a chuckle, Igon slowly started walking.

“You seem brighter, perhaps because you’ve made some friends.”

Brighter? Friends?

The Igon I knew wasn’t one to talk about such things.

He had always been possessive, encircling me like a protective barrier, disliking anyone else influencing me.

Igon said I had changed, but I felt he was the one who had changed.

What had caused him to become so lenient about my social interactions?

No, it didn’t matter what he said or thought.

Yes, for now, everything was fine.

All I focused on was getting out of there as quickly as possible.

As we exited the chapel, I saw the carriage waiting for us.

I got in first and waited for Igon to join me.

“I didn’t expect to return to find my sister burdened with even more urgent matters,” Igon joked leisurely as he climbed into the carriage.

The door closed, and I let out a breath I had been holding.

My shoulders slumped as I rested my head against the window.

“Igon.”

I murmured his name like a sigh.

“Were you surprised?”

“Why wouldn’t I be…?”

I replied, feeling utterly drained.

My heart was still pounding from the shock.

“If you had let me know in advance when you were close…”

“I wanted to surprise you.”

Igon finished his overly concise explanation with a bright smile.

I opened my mouth to say something but then closed it again.

Seeing his innocent expression, like a child who had successfully pulled off a prank, made it hard to stay angry.

I couldn’t keep scolding someone who had just returned from a long journey.

I averted my gaze, forcing a smile and nodding my head.

For a brief moment, we couldn’t speak.

I looked into his eyes, unsure of what to say, and then fell silent.

The dress I had liked for its high neck now felt stifling.

I tried to unbutton the collar with my fingers, but I couldn’t manage it, fumbling in frustration.

“Come closer. I’ll do it.”

Igon reached out his hand.

I tilted my head up, waiting for his touch.

His hands, much larger than mine, skillfully unbuttoned the collar.

Once it was undone, I could breathe again.

I took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, my gaze meeting his piercing blue eyes.

The raw intensity was mesmerizing, and I had to look away first.

I heard him laugh as his arm wrapped around me, and I leaned into his familiar embrace.

I breathed in his scent and closed my eyes.

I felt his lips press gently against my hair.

It made me feel small and cherished.

His hand stroked my back, and his familiar warmth melted my tension.

“How much I’ve missed you.”

His low, sighing words made me think I had spoken them.

* * *

I wasn’t the only one shocked by Igon’s return.

The Viscount, who hurried out with the servants to greet him, looked more stunned than ever.

“I already discussed it with His Majesty before I left.”

Thus, Igon justified his early return with the use of greater authority.

The Viscount, who seemed to have much to say, could only open and close his mouth.

We promised to have dinner together, and Igon went up to the office with the Viscount.

“This is quite unexpected…”

The maid who accompanied me to my room reViscounted Igon’s return.

She said Igon came back with a surprisingly small entourage, barely fitting the image of a duke’s retinue.

No one knew of his quiet return until his familiar figure crossed the city gates.

Upon returning to the duke’s residence and finding me absent, he quickly washed and changed clothes before taking the carriage to the chapel.

The Viscount, hearing the news late, could only watch as Igon’s carriage disappeared.

Hearing the details made it even more astonishing.

“Shall I bring you some tea?”

I declined and sat on a chair in my room.

He’s back.

Igon has returned.

That evening, Igon mentioned something I had never considered before.

I stopped cutting my meat with the knife.

“Where are you going?”

A trip?

I was surprised by the sudden news.

More surprising was the idea that he had such leisure.

Could it be that Igon returned early for this reason?

“A villa.”

Igon answered with a smiling face.

I heard his answer but couldn’t figure out which villa he was referring to. The Duke’s family owned more than a few villas.

“It was a gift from the Emperor after my first battle victory.”

I still didn’t know where it was, but I remembered when Igon won his first battle.

Ah, back then.

“It’s beautiful. It really was.”

I trusted Igon’s sense of aesthetics quite a bit. Although he had experienced the harshness of the battlefield, he was born into nobility, raised amidst the best, and had a refined eye for beauty.

Most of the things I wore and received compliments on had passed through Igon’s hands at least once.

If he said it was beautiful, it must be.

I began to feel excited about this trip, like a child on their first journey.

* * *

It was a sunny day.

I turned my head away from the swaying scenery outside the carriage window.

Igon was sitting upright, reading the documents he had brought along.

I didn’t want to disturb him, but I had many questions.

“Is it safe to go outside?”

It was a reasonable question, but I had never experienced life outside the city walls directly.

And above all, beyond those walls lived ‘those things.’

Remembering the terrifying beasts I had seen before—their huge limbs, sharp teeth, and the saliva and blood dripping under the stall—made my fingers curl involuntarily.

Igon stopped reading and placed the document beside him.

He looked into my eyes, as if to reassure me.

“It was originally a populated area, and I’ve spent years preparing it, always wanting to take you there. The area is safe. I made sure of that.”

He said this with a smile that seemed oddly light-hearted.

There was an ease about him, like someone who had finally achieved a long-term goal.

It was the first time Igon had spoken so openly about this. Whatever it was, it must be a place he truly liked.

The sky was clear.

I had a feeling this would be a pleasant journey.

Tl/N: Sorry guys but I dont feel comfortable with their relationship. But… for you guys I will continue it don’t worry.