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Chapter 21
A week had passed since the promised time.
Reno still hadn’t returned. She had expected him to come back within a week, but he didn’t.
The business trip Reno had undertaken wasn’t something that could be reported back in just seven days.
Morgan had simply set seven days, regardless of Reno’s return.
He had said that Reno could stop helping once the time was up, but Maricel had volunteered to continue assisting until Reno returned.
It was partly out of simple loyalty, but she had another motive.
By giving him a sense of indebtedness, she could gain the upper hand at the next negotiation table.
She was more than willing to seize this golden opportunity.
But the problem was her stamina.
Maricel’s shoulders ached, her neck was stiff, and her eyes felt gritty, as if sand had gotten in them, after more than a week of intense labor.
She was now holding on purely through sheer willpower.
“Tonight… I’ll have to do some compresses and get some rest.”
On the other hand, Morgan seemed to have the stamina of steel.
How could he stay so energetic while poring over documents all day?
She even observed him closely, wondering if perhaps he was so absorbed in his work that he wasn’t aware of his own physical condition.
Sure enough, looking closely, dark circles had formed under his eyes, and his face looked a little worn.
“Of course… anyone would be tired after staying up nights on end.”
Then, a refreshing early-summer night breeze drifted through the window, brushing her hair.
It seemed the wind carried a sense of longing, stirring emotions in her skin and putting her in an unexpectedly sentimental mood.
“I can’t work like this. I need to get some fresh air for a bit.”
The breeze itself was so pleasant that staying indoors felt like a waste.
Looking up, the sky was scattered with stars like a spread-out Milky Way.
It was perfect weather for a nighttime stroll.
“Um… Your Highness? I’d like to take a short walk.”
Morgan, focused on the documents, looked up at the sudden interruption.
“At this hour? Alone?”
“Yes, at this hour, alone. I simply can’t resist the allure of the early-summer night sky and this breeze. It’s too nice to just stare at papers…”
Maricel smiled faintly.
“What danger could there be inside the Grand Ducal Palace? I’ll just be back shortly.”
Morgan observed her for a moment, then slowly set down his pen and spoke.
“I’ll go with you.”
“Eh? You too, Your Highness?”
“Of course. There’s no reason to doubt the security of my house. But my chivalry won’t allow a woman to wander alone at night. Whether you realize it or not, I can’t just let it happen. And it’s a good chance for me to refresh myself as well.”
“Oh, you really don’t need to…”
Before Maricel could finish, Morgan had already stood and opened the door.
Unexpectedly, she had a partner for her night walk.
A man who took it upon himself to be her bodyguard—the ruler of the Grand Duchy, a man with an impressive title—was going to escort her.
Maricel expected to feel uncomfortable, but surprisingly, she didn’t.
What should she call it? Not discomfort, but rather a pleasant tension.
The uniqueness of a nighttime walk seemed to create a peculiar atmosphere.
Maricel awkwardly brushed her skirt.
“Shall we go?”
Seeing her hesitate even after the door was open, Morgan urged her on.
“Ah, yes. Let’s go.”
Maricel walked alongside Morgan.
Stepping out of the mansion’s main hall, the well-manicured garden came into view under the night sky.
Gardens at night had a completely different charm from gardens in the daytime.
Another gentle breeze blew, and Maricel unconsciously inhaled the night air deeply, stretching her body in delight.
“Ah… this feels wonderful.”
Morgan watched her and gave a soft smile.
“Does it feel that good?”
“Ah.”
‘Right, I came out with Morgan.’
In the breeze, she had momentarily forgotten she was walking with him, and she felt a bit embarrassed and apologetic.
Morgan watched her, wearing a bittersweet smile.
‘Am I really that invisible?’
It was a bitter thought.
“You seem to have forgotten I’m here. Am I really that invisible? I shouldn’t be… invisible.”
“Oh, no… maybe it’s because Your Highness made me feel at ease?”
“You’ve forgotten. That’s disappointing. I’ll have to make more of an impression if I want to be someone noticeable to you.”
Maricel was startled by the direction his words had taken.
“No, there’s no need for Your Highness to make yourself more noticeable. Your presence already feels like it reaches the heavens…”
‘How much more is he going to torment me?’
She turned her gaze to the sky to divert the topic.
“The stars are so beautiful.”
The star clusters were as one might see only in the countryside, far from the city lights.
“I’ll show you a place where they look even prettier. Shall we go?”
“Yes!”
Maricel had no reason to refuse.
She followed Morgan along the neatly trimmed lawn path to a bench by a pond.
“Is this the place, Your Highness?”
Morgan nodded lightly.
The small pond was charmingly decorated. At first glance, the shrubs seemed haphazardly placed, but upon closer inspection, they were carefully arranged in order around the pond.
“Sit.”
Morgan spread a handkerchief on the bench and invited Maricel to sit.
She was impressed by his gentlemanly consideration.
“Thank you… Your Highness.”
Maricel sat on the spot he had prepared.
The pond’s surface shimmered under the moonlight, disturbed gently by the breeze, reflecting beautiful sparkles.
The light glimmered both in the sky and on the ground.
It was truly a sight of wonder.
“As you said, it’s really beautiful.”
Maricel’s gaze lingered where the night sky met the pond as she spoke in admiration.
Morgan looked at her steadily.
To him, she was more beautiful than the stars above or the moonlight reflected in the pond.
Her violet eyes, reflecting the moonlight, were deep and mesmerizing.
“…?”
Maricel felt his gaze and turned her head.
Morgan was looking at her with a deep, intense expression.
‘Is it because it’s night? Why does he look so melancholic?’
It was awkward to continue staring at him in silence, so she spoke.
“You seem to come here often.”
“No, it’s the first time since I was a child.”
Morgan slowly shifted his gaze, scanning somewhere between the sky and the pond.
“It must be a place with good memories.”
“Good memories…”
Morgan seemed lost in thought for a moment.
“Why do you think that?”
‘Why does he have to ruin the mood with this?’
Maricel frowned internally.
‘He seems incapable of even a shred of romance.’
“Of course. Who would invite someone to a place they associate with hardship?”
She answered somewhat sulkily.
But Morgan smiled faintly at her.
“That’s true. I asked a foolish question.”
“There’s no need to call it foolish…”
Before she could finish, Morgan quickly turned to her.
“…!”
‘Why am I like this? Why do I keep teasing him like a reckless fool? Do I want to die? How many lives do I even have?’
Maricel lowered her eyes, about to apologize, but Morgan spoke first.
“You are certainly not intimidated by me.”
His expression was hard to read—pleasant yet serious, his eyes and mouth giving slightly different signals.
Maricel felt a mix of relief and concern.
“Your Highness, I am truly sorry. I’ll try to remain silent in front of you from now on. I seem to upset you too often.”
“…You don’t.”
“Eh?”
“You don’t upset me. So speak freely.”
After saying this, Morgan’s face flushed slightly, though the change was subtle in the moonlight.
“Ah… yes…”
Maricel was puzzled.
He had always corrected her at certain points before.
But now he was telling her to speak freely? Why was he suddenly so generous?
Maricel felt uneasy about his sudden change.
‘He’s not going to contradict me later, is he…?’
“Still, thanks to Your Highness, this has been the happiest time of my day. I’m grateful you came out for a night walk. If I had come alone, I’d have just walked a few steps in the well-lit area and never discovered a place like this.”
‘Thanks to Your Highness, this has been the happiest time of my day.’
Her words lingered in his ears.
Even if it was just a routine expression of gratitude, it sounded intoxicatingly sweet.
He selfishly wished that all of her happiness came from him.
The thought, one he had never had before, filled his mind, surprising him.
He looked at Maricel.
She was smiling gently at him.
In that moment, his heart felt like it had been struck violently, like pierced by a dagger, aching and throbbing.
The rapid heartbeat he had experienced many times before was nothing compared to this.
