EDTATO 44

Chapter 44

The day after the Hunting Festival had been designated as a day when everyone in the Duchy of Ainz could eat their fill and rest.

In other words, Ian was staying at the estate as well.

But because of what had happened yesterday, my room remained quiet until midday.

“I heard the young master is in his room.”

Bonie, who was surprisingly perceptive, casually let the words slip while pretending to adjust my jewelry.

She seemed to have mistaken my lowered gaze and bored expression for someone lost in serious thought.

I beckoned her closer and whispered into her ear.

“Thank you for telling me.”

“N-no need to thank me!”

Perhaps embarrassed by my sudden gratitude, Bonie blushed and fussed with my silver hair several times.

She seemed to have guessed that I would soon be heading to Ian.

I wore a violet dress with shorter sleeves than before, made from a cool, lightweight fabric.

And just as Bonie had expected, I rose and headed toward Ian’s bedroom.

My fiancé was apparently feeling rather lonely, and surely there was no reason I couldn’t offer him a little consolation.

After all, he’s going to be my salvation.

Perhaps summer was approaching, because the garden was busy covering itself in green. I walked through it while humming softly.

When I arrived at Ian’s bedroom, I dismissed all the servants and knocked on the door myself.

“Yes?”

“Ian, it’s me.”

When I announced my arrival, I heard something drop with a thud.

There was also a slightly flustered sound, as though he’d been reading a book and accidentally dropped it in surprise.

I couldn’t help but smile at the unexpectedly adorable image.

A moment later, the door slowly opened.

“Heine?”

Since he had been resting, his hair was slightly messier than usual, and the broad expanse of his chest beneath his loose shirt came into view right in front of me.

Only then did I see Ian’s face.

Perhaps he hadn’t slept well, or perhaps yesterday had been particularly exhausting, but he looked somewhat tired.

“What brings you all the way here…?”

“Because I missed you.”

I boldly stated the reason I had come to see Ian.

Ian, who had been casually leaning against the doorway, suddenly lost his balance and staggered as though he might slide to the floor.

Then he coughed awkwardly and barely managed to repeat my words.

“You… missed me?”

“Yes. Very much.”

I gently raised my hand and covered his face, which was smiling uncontrollably.

Then I slowly closed the distance between us, almost as though pushing Ian backward.

“What about you?”

“Of course I… Well, come inside first.”

Having barely regained his composure, he hurriedly ushered me into the room.

He had shown me this place once before, as though giving me a tour, but this was the first time I had suddenly entered his private space in the middle of everyday life.

As I stepped into the neat room, filled with his clean, almost snow-white scent, I suddenly felt shy.

Perhaps it was because of the enormous bed occupying the center of the room.

Ian pointed toward a table situated near the terrace.

Several books, apparently ones he read as a hobby, were piled there in no particular order.

“Shall I have some tea brought in?”

“No. Right now, I don’t want anything to interrupt my time with you.”

When I smiled like summer itself, Ian, following behind me, anxiously ran a hand through his hair as though he couldn’t bear it any longer.

“Heine.”

“Yes?”

“I’m sorry.”

Then, as though by habit, he suddenly revealed his feelings, just as he had when he proposed to me and confessed his heart.

“About yesterday at the Hunting Festival… No matter how worried I was, I shouldn’t have acted that way. I’m sorry for being cold and telling you to go back, and for everything harsh I said to you.”

His apology was filled with such sincerity that I finally realized that I was the reason those blue eyes of his had become clouded with worry.

My gentle and beautiful fiancé had probably agonized over it until late into the night.

Wondering how to apologize to me, regretting why he had said such things in the first place.

I turned away from the terrace and closed the distance between us.

Then I gently clasped his large hand and shook my head.

“I should be the one apologizing. I’m sorry too.”

In truth, I didn’t particularly feel sorry.

I had hidden the fact that I had fallen into the trap simply because I didn’t want to worry him.

But if apologizing could ease Ian’s heart, I could do it as many times as necessary.

“I shouldn’t have planned to keep secrets from you. I promise I won’t do that again.”

As if I wasn’t already hiding everything from him.

What difference would one more insignificant secret make?

Compared with what I was truly concealing, there was no reason to hide something as trivial as this and create unnecessary conflict.

“I heard you stayed up late last night investigating the cause of my accident.”

It was pointless, considering I couldn’t die anyway.

“You must have had a hard time…”

See? If I had hidden everything perfectly, you wouldn’t have had to waste your time.

“After worrying you, I thought about a lot of things.”

Still, because Ian had returned home late, I had been able to talk with Fayden and receive the medicine.

Besides, I had fallen into a very deep sleep while dreaming about recovering my memories.

Thanks to that, I learned everything.

With a heart as light as a feather, I gently stroked Ian’s hair.

It was wonderfully soft beneath my fingertips, smooth and silky just as it appeared.

After enjoying the sensation for a moment, my hand slid down to his face.

His eyes were clearly expecting something.

I knew how amusing it was to disappoint that expectation, so I teased him by slipping into his arms.

“I think… I really like you a lot.”

Then I buried my breath against the exposed skin where he hadn’t fully buttoned his shirt and whispered softly,

“Actually, I didn’t hate it that much when you said you might lock me up.”

I had even thought that perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad if you did, I added under my breath.

Ian’s upper body visibly jerked.

I couldn’t tell whether it was because of my sudden confession or because my breath against his skin had stimulated him.

“Ian, are you angry because I said something like that?”

“N-no.”

When I looked up at him as though I genuinely didn’t understand, I saw his face had turned bright red.

“I’m just… so happy.”

His strong arms wrapped around my body.

“I’m so happy that you feel the same way I do.”

After briefly burying his face against my shoulder, Ian lifted his head and smiled as though he were about to cry.

He looked so heartbreakingly beautiful.

For some reason, I wondered whether his blue eyes would be even more beautiful if they filled with tears, like a transparent sea.

“Ian, are you really sure you’re okay with this?”

“With what?”

“I still haven’t recovered my memories. I might never remember anything, and I might have to spend the rest of my life as the daughter of Count Verdandi, living under the identity you gave me.”

Then, pretending to ask a question whose answer I already knew, I narrowed my eyes slightly.

“Would you really be okay with me like this?”

Ian’s eyes trembled.

Certain of his answer, I whispered,

“Do you really… love me?”

Instead of answering, Ian gently took my hair, which had fallen beautifully over my face, and kissed me.

Perhaps he could no longer resist those red eyes filled with sweet heat.

“Of course I love you.”

After lingering against my skin for quite some time, he must have realized that if he continued kissing me, he would inevitably cross a line.

He finally pulled his lips away and gave me his belated answer.

“Everything is fine. So don’t worry about anything.”

His answer was even more resolute than I had expected.

I touched my lips, which had been pressed beneath his, and blinked.

“Then I want to know more about you. Truly, as people who are in love.”

When I deliberately softened my voice, I could clearly see Ian swallow nervously.

His hand finally slipped around my waist.

Instead of his hand, his lips brushed against my cheek.

Now pretending to be innocent, I gently pushed Ian away.

“Oh, when I said I wanted to know more about you, I meant going on dates, talking more, things like that…”

As I slowly pulled away, Ian blinked blankly like a child whose present had just been taken away.

Then he rubbed both hands over his face and looked away, unable to hide his embarrassment.

“You really are mischievous.”

Even the resentful look he gave me was adorable, so I cooled the heated atmosphere with a playful tone.

“Haha. If this is already enough to make you say that, will you really be able to handle me in the future?”

There will be plenty of times when being with me will be so much more than merely mischievous—it’ll probably leave your heart crushed.

Ian had no idea what was going through my mind.

How cute.

I covered my mouth with my small, curled hand and laughed.