EDTATO 15

Chapter 15

“If you’re all right with it, may I stay by your side until you fall asleep?”

“Until I fall asleep?”

“Yes. I think I’ll be able to return to my room with peace of mind if I do.”

Noticing how precarious my state of mind was, like a flickering lantern, Ian carefully sat down on the edge of the bed.

My heart swelled with indescribable warmth.

The peaceful blue of his eyes, lingering beside me, instantly calmed the anxiety that had been rising like flames.

“If you would… I’d like that.”

With Ian beside me, my circumstances as a fugitive seemed like someone else’s problem.

‘At this rate, maybe I really can win the bet without any trouble.’

Amid the drowsiness washing over me like waves, I caught a vague glimpse of hope.

‘Thank you, Ian. For finding me.’

Relieved like an innocent child, I closed my eyes.

Ian’s gaze remained on me for a long time.

Until I fell asleep and sank deep into the darkness, he did not look away.

I woke early in the morning with a troubled heart.

Because I had been unexpectedly swept along by Ian in the library I had entered to escape the troublesome Dant, the excitement in my heart refused to settle down.

‘All I have to do is stay quietly by Ian’s side, just as I am now.’

‘According to what Paiden said, at least Ian isn’t “him.”’

I was confused about where I should believe that High Priest’s words and where I should stop.

‘Should I go back to the temple?’

No. Visiting again after only a day would probably be dangerous.

I was already a topic of interest as Ian’s fiancée, so I had to be careful about my actions.

Even if it was the temple, visiting Paiden too often might arouse unnecessary suspicion.

For now, I simply had to wait for that illustrious High Priest to return to the Grand Duke’s residence on his own.

“My lady.”

At the faint voice coming from outside the door, I pressed a hand against my forehead.

I had wanted to spend a little more time sorting through my thoughts alone, but for some reason, irritation began to rise.

‘The people in this estate simply refuse to leave me alone.’

I delayed answering for a moment, biting down on my lips, before forcing myself to respond elegantly.

“Come in.”

“Excuse me.”

Bonnie entered and greeted me.

From her voice and manner of speaking to the way she moved, she was as shy as a wildflower.

“How are you feeling today?”

“Very well. How about you, Bonnie?”

I kindly put on a fake smile, but Bonnie was perceptive, like a young animal placed before a predator.

“Um, then, is there perhaps anywhere that feels uncomfortable—”

“Not at all. I’m fine.”

“…Is that so?”

I quickly cut her off, and Bonnie gave a bitter smile, seeming embarrassed by her own concern.

I thought I had become skilled at pretending to be a kind mistress.

Had she noticed?

‘No matter where you go, there are always perceptive children like this.’

And Bonnie seemed to be especially sharp among them.

“The young master asked if you could have lunch with him today. He also suggested that we go out early and stop by a few shops in the shopping district.”

“I see. Then I should hurry and get ready. Could you call Dant as well?”

To reassure the fidgeting Bonnie and show her that there was nothing to worry about, I gave her a bright prediction.

“For some reason, I feel like today is going to be a fun day.”

With that certainty, I rose from the bed, forgetting the man with the red eyes so much like my own.

Reno’s boutique, a place said to cater only to the most distinguished guests.

Ian had come here with me, and after carefully considering his options, he pointed to a necklace.

“How about this one?”

I couldn’t understand why he was putting so much thought into nothing more than a glittering lump of stone, but I responded sincerely to his question.

“It’s pretty.”

“Really? You’ve been saying everything I pick is pretty.”

I flinched.

Feeling a little guilty, I added,

“It really is pretty. I’ve never seen a design like this before.”

I wasn’t sure whether he would believe me, but I was being sincere in my own way.

In fact, this was my favorite piece out of everything I had seen today.

“Hm. I see.”

Ian gave me a playful sidelong glance.

The necklace he had chosen was the kind of thing that even a woman with no interest in jewelry would stop and admire at least once.

The delicate craftsmanship and countless diamonds set closely together gave the entire necklace a subtle brilliance that even I found beautiful.

“Then shall we go with this one? It’s a little extravagant, but I think it will suit you very well.”

“Thank you.”

I gave an elegant little nod, and Hubert slowly applauded in admiration.

“As expected of the young master! Your eye for these things is remarkable.”

Our butler already had hair that had gone completely white, yet even after more than two hours of shopping, he showed no sign of fatigue.

Instead, he created a pleasant atmosphere with his gentle words of praise.

It was almost enough to earn my admiration.

The necklace, which had been nothing more than a lump of jewels, seemed to shine with a special significance once it was held in Ian’s hands.

“Heine, come over here.”

He carefully swept my long hair aside.

The moment Ian’s fingers touched me, my face quickly flushed at the strange sensation.

‘Did he just deliberately brush the back of my neck?’

I flinched and squeezed my eyes shut before opening them again.

That was when I noticed Hubert discreetly nudging the boutique attendant in the side.

She had been staring at us absentmindedly, but quickly followed him out of the area.

“It will look good with the dress you’re wearing today, too.”

Ian didn’t seem bothered by them at all.

He whispered softly.

His voice lingered around my ears like a sweet piece of candy.

‘Is that the only good thing about it? If you’ve already made up your mind like that, I suppose it wouldn’t be so bad if you became my real fiancée…’

Why had his words from yesterday suddenly come back to me?

Why couldn’t I hide how flustered—and yet happy—I felt?

A faint blush of embarrassment tickled my heart in the most annoyingly obvious way.

I subtly shifted my eyes and quietly stole a glance at Ian through the mirror.

His lovely face was focused on fastening the necklace.

Strangely, whenever I was faced with those blue eyes of his, all the worries I had been carrying seemed to disappear.

And trivial thoughts would take their place.

Thoughts like how the black of his hair could possess such an elegant sheen.

How blue could look so sweet.

How a man could be such a beautiful creature.

Things I suddenly found myself realizing.

“It suits you, Heine.”

The necklace seemed to shine even more brightly around my neck than it had when I had simply looked at it.

It was somewhat heavy because of the densely set jewels, but I didn’t mind.

Even if this were a pair of shackles meant to restrain me, if Ian were the one putting them on me, I would gladly let myself be bound.

“You’re so beautiful.”

As he murmured those words, his lips lightly brushed the back of my neck before pulling away.

At the unexpected, fleeting sensation, I flinched like a cat that had just been splashed with water.

I gently raised a hand and touched the place where his lips had been.

“Ian?”

“Did I surprise you?”

He asked as playfully as he could, his lips close enough to brush against the back of my hand.

“You seem to be thinking too much about it.”

“About what?”

“About what I said—that I wouldn’t mind if you became my real fiancée.”

“Ah…”

“I wasn’t trying to confuse you.”

His lowered voice was endlessly gentle.

I was afraid of how easily he had seen through me without any malice.

And I was even more frightened that he might notice the truth hidden beneath it all.

The reason I stayed by Ian’s side was not the innocent affection he seemed to believe it was.

‘It’s because I need you.’

The things you offer me.

Because if I want to win the bet someday, I have to love someone.

‘And you fit that someone far too perfectly.’

Ian leaned toward me and gently tugged at both my cheeks.

Then, smiling like spring, he playfully distorted my face as though he were having the time of his life.

“Should I keep going, or should I stop here?”

Because he was acting so innocently—and yet so wickedly like a mischievous child—I could do neither, and my face crumpled as though I were about to cry.

“Ian…”

“Yes, I’ll stop.”

Ian immediately released me and gently stroked my cheeks, which were red from his teasing.

In his eyes, I must have looked like a delicate, beautiful young noblewoman, so fragile that I might break if he squeezed too hard.

‘That isn’t me.’

I knew better than anyone that I was by no means an innocent little lamb.

I was the kind of person who wanted to turn a man like him into something rougher, someone who would eventually develop a fierce enough desire to conquer me.

And yet, despite everything, the sight of myself with tears glimmering in my eyes was strangely surreal.

‘No… it’s disgusting.’

What had I been willing to do all this time just to survive?

What would I have to do to die?

“I’m sorry! Did I hurt you?”

Perhaps Ian realized that his teasing had gone too far, because he anxiously asked me.

When I shook my head instead of answering, his careful hands personally straightened my disheveled appearance.

His eyes, still asking me nothing, were as clear as ever—so clear they were almost transparent, just as they had been when I first met him.

And so, like a snowman melting beneath a sun that wasn’t even hot, I suddenly became miserable without any preparation for it.