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Chapter 21
“Kai?”
Finding his sudden silence strange, Roabellin called to him softly. At her voice, Kaisertarn was pulled back from the distant thoughts he had been lost in.
“Ah, sorry. Let’s check the second floor too.”
The two of them went up to the second floor via the stairs.
“On the second floor, there’s the bedroom here… and if you go out to the terrace connected to the bedroom—”
They stepped out onto the terrace. Nothing blocked the view ahead of the wide terrace, and the scenery opened up completely.
“Here, you can sit on the outdoor sofa and look at the night sky.”
Roabellin admired the city’s nightscape spread out below the hill.
“Wow… this place is amazing. You can even see the downtown area down there! The view is incredible!!”
The entire city, glowing with countless lights, lay spread out beneath them.
“That’s right. But when the time comes for the two moons to overlap, all those lights are turned off. Then only white moonlight fills the sky. It’s done so people can see the moons better, but lovers take advantage of the darkness to get a little handsy. There’s even a legend that couples who kiss at the moment the two moons overlap will love each other forever. I don’t know if you’ve heard it, but there’s also a festival song called ‘When Two Moons Overlap, and Our Lips Overlap.’”
“Haha, what kind of song title is th—”
Roabellin tried to laugh it off, but suddenly the kiss she had shared with him earlier came to mind, and her face flushed bright red.
That was my first kiss!
But she didn’t feel wronged or regretful.
I said I didn’t plan on marrying anyway, and that I wanted to at least try dating a heart-flutteringly handsome man. If it’s this man… I want to try. Love.
As Roabellin stole a discreet glance at his profile, making a quiet resolve of her own, Kaisertarn—who had stood up and was calmly observing the night sky—spoke.
“At this rate, the moons will be hidden by clouds. We’ll have to wait here until the rain stops.”
“Yes… that’s a shame.”
“But you never know. It’ll be cold, so while we wait, you should wash up first.”
He said this while looking at Roabellin, soaked from the rain.
“Ah, I’d like to, but… I don’t have any clothes to change into.”
Roabellin said, glancing around the spacious, elegant bedroom.
“There should be spare gowns. Put one of those on for now, and I’ll light the fireplace so you can dry your wet clothes in front of it.”
Kaisertarn took a nightgown from the wardrobe and handed it to her. It wasn’t fluffy like a bathrobe, so it looked like it might be cold, but she had no other choice.
“Th-thank you.”
Roabellin took the gown and went into the bathroom. It felt good to bathe in such a luxurious bathroom for the first time in a while, so it ended up taking her a bit longer.
After washing in warm water and putting on the gown, she realized it must be Kaisertarn’s—it was far too big for her.
Ugh, I really need to tie this tightly. If I don’t, the front will gape open and the shoulders will slip off—what a mess…
Pulling the gown snug around herself and tightening the belt firmly, Roabellin came out of the bathroom.
While she was washing, Kaisertarn had lit the fireplaces in the living room and bedroom.
“Finished?”
Sensing her presence, he turned around, looked at Roabellin for a moment, then raised one eyebrow.
“It’s quite big on you. Hand it over—I’ll use it.”
“W-what?! I—I’m only wearing this right now—”
Seeing her flustered, helpless expression, Kaisertarn chuckled softly.
“Teasing you really is fun. Haha. Don’t worry, there’s another one.”
He lifted a different gown that he had been hiding behind his back and headed into the bathroom.
“What was that?!”
Leaving behind a sputtering Roabellin, Kaisertarn lightly closed the bathroom door. Roabellin could only stare, mouth hanging open, at the closed door.
He always looks so serious, so that side of him is really unexpected. Honestly…
Grumbling inwardly, Roabellin curled up on the sofa in front of the fireplace.
Ah… I’m so tired… I’m getting sleepy…
She had been cold from the rain, then warmed by a hot bath, and now she was sitting in a cozy place. Before she realized it, her eyes slowly closed.
Meanwhile, Kaisertarn washed his hair repeatedly under the pouring water. Amid the white steam rising thickly, hot water streamed endlessly down his well-built muscles.
The image of Roabellin emerging from the bath kept flickering before his eyes.
Her damp hair and lips, her pale skin flawless even without makeup, beads of moisture clinging to her. When his gaze unconsciously drifted from her white nape down toward her chest, it genuinely felt like blood was rushing to his nose. The oversized gown had slipped off her small shoulders, exposing the curve of her cleavage.
Slender lines combined with feminine volume were a trait the daughters of the Hoo family were born with.
Knowing how easily such a figure drew attention, Roabellin and Estina usually wore plain clothes that hid their bodies. Given their situation—having changed their identities and living in hiding—they had to conceal anything that might draw others’ eyes.
Because of those modest clothes, Kaisertarn had thought she was simply delicate and slight…
As if trying to scrub the lingering image of her from his mind, Kaisertarn roughly splashed water over his face. In truth, he had cracked jokes and fled to the bathroom precisely because he didn’t want her to notice how his mind went blank in front of her.
It took him longer than usual to finish his shower as he struggled to shake her from his thoughts. When he came out, the house was quiet, though she should have been there.
“Hena?”
Looking around, he found Roabellin lying on her side on the sofa, breathing softly in sleep. Seeing her sleeping so peacefully, in stark contrast to the turmoil in his own heart, somehow drained all his strength.
Hoo… you stir my heart up this much, and then you fall asleep this defenselessly. What kind of young lady is this…
Careful not to wake her, Kaisertarn approached with softened footsteps.
After standing for a moment in front of the sofa and looking down at her, he lowered himself to one knee on the floor. Her sleeping face was right in front of him—small and pale. Kaisertarn gently brushed her soft cheek with his finger.
As he gazed at Roabellin’s face, he found himself lightly pressing his lips to hers.
He couldn’t understand why he was drawn to her like a magnet. It was nothing like his usual self.
Clueless and half-asleep, Roabellin woke a short while later at the sound of clinking.
“Kai…?”
At her voice, Kaisertarn—who had been in the kitchen—turned to look at Roabellin as she rubbed her bleary eyes.
“You’re awake. I was preparing some wine and snacks to have on the terrace.”
At the welcome news, her face instantly brightened.
“Wow, that sounds great.”
Outside, the rain was still pouring down.
After finishing their preparations, the two sat side by side on the sofa on the second-floor terrace. A glass ceiling covered about half of the terrace, shielding them from the rain.
The sound of raindrops striking the glass added to the cozy atmosphere. Thanks to the yellow lights illuminating the garden below on the first floor, the terrace was neither too bright nor too dark.
The mood was wonderful, but it was a rainy night. Wearing only a thin gown, Roabellin began to shiver slightly from the cold.
Come to think of it, I’m alone with a man wearing nothing but a gown…
When she thought about it, the same was true for Kaisertarn. The realization made her feel strangely unsettled.
Unaware of her thoughts, Kaisertarn spoke as he watched the rain fall.
“Usually, the rainy season starts after the two moons overlap, but this year the rain began even before they did.”
He poured wine into a glass and handed it to Roabellin. Listening to the rain, the two of them took small sips of the richly scented wine.
After gazing into the distance in silence for a while, Kaisertarn spoke in a low, subdued voice.
“Hena.”
At the unfamiliar alias, Roabellin responded a beat late.
“…Yes?”
“Are you really… going to seduce the Emperor?”
Roabellin couldn’t answer right away. Not because the question was unexpected, but because he was the one asking it. There was no way she couldn’t sense what lay in his gaze as he looked at her.
“That is…”
“You don’t even know what kind of man he is. Instead of going into the imperial palace… how about staying with me?”
Ah…
Roabellin couldn’t bring herself to reject him outright. She was surprised to see such a proud-looking man cling to her so earnestly. She could tell what kind of feelings drove him to say this. After hesitating briefly, she replied deliberately in a joking tone.
“…I’ll see how Kai does.”
Roabellin smiled sweetly, but Kaisertarn’s expression grew complicated.
Having just come of age, today was the first time Roabellin had ever drunk alcohol. As the intoxication rose, her vision grew slightly dizzy, and a sense of grievance mixed with an unidentifiable courage bubbled up inside her.
That’s right. I wanted to try dating a handsome man. Once I enter the imperial palace, I’ll never be able to see this man again. If I succeed in returning with the Emperor’s child, I’ll spend my life raising that child. Just like Kai said, I don’t even know what kind of man the Emperor is—how is it fair that a man I don’t love would be the only man in my entire life?
Lost in those thoughts, she suddenly looked at Kaisertarn and found him quietly watching her, as if trying to read her mind, his gaze intense and unwavering.
“What are you thinking about?”
Was it the alcohol? Or the romantic mood created by the sound of rain? Even just sitting there, his face—overflowing with sensuality—felt dangerously alluring.
Given what she had been thinking, Roabellin’s heart skipped. Unable to answer, she only met his gaze with a flushed face. Perhaps because of the wine, the earlier chill had vanished, replaced by a growing warmth.
“……”
Without a word, Kaisertarn reached out and cupped Roabellin’s waist and cheek.
She wasn’t drunk enough to lose her judgment, yet she didn’t want to push his hand away. No—if she was honest, she liked that he was drawing closer to her.
In Roabellin’s wavering vision, Kaisertarn’s face slowly came closer. Unable to endure his gaze at such close distance, she gently closed her eyes.
And in the next moment, their lips met softly.
