From deep within the dark hallway, the sound of steady footsteps echoed.
At that moment, a silhouette wavered in the dim light, and a pair of polished shoes stepped into the glow.
All eyes turned toward the shoes entering the grand ballroom.
Soon, those shoes led to sleek legs, a commanding upper body, and finally, a face that emerged from the darkness into the light.
Gasp. The ballroom attendees held their breath.
The prince’s aides would break into a cold sweat whenever they had to describe his appearance.
Some, skilled with words, would vaguely say he had a fine physique and a manly charm, while others would simply brush off the question with an awkward laugh.
A prince of half-baked qualities.
A bald, crooked-nosed misfit.
A recluse who avoided foreign envoys due to his social anxiety.
But the man who stood before the ballroom guests now had a beauty so striking, they could only swear he had been sculpted by the gods.
For several minutes, their eyes remained locked on him, as if in a trance.
Jake leisurely scanned the ballroom and then offered a brief opening greeting to the esteemed guests.
His voice carried an air of overflowing confidence and elegance.
His sharp eyes and chiseled jawline captivated the young ladies in attendance, who listened to him in a blissful daze.
Once he finished his prepared speech, Jake let out a subtle sigh of relief and glanced around the hall.
Upon confirming the absence of the person he was looking for, his gaze lowered in disappointment.
“So she didn’t come.”
Was it too much to ask after all?
Suppressing his deep disappointment, Jake ignored the eager gazes directed at him and moved toward the corner of the room.
The noble young ladies, who had been watching him anxiously, suddenly sprang to life. Hiding half of their faces behind their fans, they began to subtly hover around him.
Some pretended to trip over their own feet in his path, while others squeezed through tight spaces just to brush against him. Some tried to catch his eye, hoping for a fleeting moment of attention.
Of course, their efforts went unnoticed by Jake, whose vacant gaze remained indifferent.
Then, suddenly, his eyes snapped back to a particular spot he had just passed.
Thinking he might have imagined it; Jake blinked his misty eyes.
In the far corner of the hall.
A familiar woman sat among the noble ladies.
Her soft, half-tied hair cascaded gently over her shoulders as she sighed deeply in self-reproach, her voluminous dress fanned out like petals around her.
Jake, as if entranced, moved toward her.
The moment he confirmed that she was indeed the person he had been waiting for, he swallowed the surge of emotions rising within him and offered a faint smile.
“Why are you here, my lady?”
“…!”
Lilien quickly lifted her head at the sound of his smooth, melodious voice.
Jake stood before her, backlit by a dazzling glow.
“Ah…”
The sharp gazes of the other ladies immediately fixated on her, the recipient of Jake’s attention. Compared to their poised, upright figures, Lilien felt insignificant as she sat slumped on the marble floor. She lowered her head in embarrassment.
Just then, a hand appeared in her view and gently lifted her chin.
A ripple of murmurs spread through the ballroom as the music faded.
When Jake knelt on one knee, the murmurs grew louder.
Lilien, feeling the weight of jealous stares pressing down on her, broke into a nervous sweat.
“Look at me.”
She flinched at his firm voice and turned toward him.
His commanding tone made not only her but the entire hall falls silent. The previously noisy room grew calm in an instant.
Jake’s gaze softened like melting cream.
His affectionate eyes, as if whispering for her to only see him, made Lilien feel as if she were shielded from all the hostility around her.
For a long moment, they were lost in each other’s eyes.
Overwhelmed with emotion, tears welled up in both Jake’s and Lilien’s eyes.
Ah. The onlookers sighed in admiration. The longing glances, the smiles filled with affection—they were witnessing the perfect fairytale ending.
At last, Jake spoke first.
“You came.”
“…You told me to take a step forward.”
“You didn’t trip on the way, did you?”
“Those obstacles? I took care of them myself.”
“Hah.”
Jake chuckled softly, a gentle smile appearing on his face. Dimples formed on his cheeks.
“I want to hear everything that happened.”
Lilien, eyes glistening, returned a faint smile.
“I promise to tell you.”
“I’m looking forward to it.”
After a brief moment of contemplation, Jake let out a small smile.
“Since you found the courage, I should do the same.”
“What kind of courage?”
At her innocent question, he hesitated for a moment, lowering his gaze with a slight smile.
“The first emperor, Vandrov, once said this to his fated lover.”
“…?”
“Last night, you came to me in my dreams.”
Slowly, Jake lifted his eyes, his deep gaze shimmering with warmth.
“Lilien, last night, you came to me in my dreams.”
Then, he held out his hand to her.
Lilien’s wide eyes instinctively fell to his trembling fingertips.
For someone always so composed, his hands trembled like the beating of her own heart.
Tears of overwhelming emotion trickled down her cheeks.
“Since you kept me awake all night, won’t you make it up to me with your time?”
As a teardrop slipped from her chin and landed on his hand, she placed her trembling hand over his and smiled brightly.
“Gladly.”
Later, attendees of the ball would recount that as Jake and Lilien stepped onto the golden dance floor, they looked as if they had stepped into a painting, blurred by a radiant light.
“Looks like winter is coming.”
A white breath came from Etricia’s lips as she leaned on the terrace railing, looking out over the garden.
Edmund naturally draped a velvet jacket over her shoulders and stood behind her to block the wind.
Etricia felt the cold wind fade behind the large shield and smiled softly.
Suddenly, Etricia turned around to face Edmund. Her smile deepened after she glanced behind his shoulder.
Reflected in the semi-transparent terrace window was a beautiful couple dancing on the floor.
“Now, only our problem is left.”
“…Problem?”
Etricia frowned slightly, displeased with his strange reaction.
‘How rude.’
She pulled on Edmund’s shirt collar with a firm grip.
When he leaned back in surprise from the sudden closeness, her gaze grew sharper.
“See, again…! Why do you keep avoiding me?”
“I didn’t avoid you.”
“You just did.”
“I’ll say it again, I didn’t—”
“Don’t lie!”
Her voice suddenly rose, and Edmund’s eyes shook slightly, not understanding.
As her jade-green eyes grew teary while glaring at him, he was at a loss for words and couldn’t even ask why.
Etricia let go of his collar and spoke with a trembling voice.
“What’s wrong with you these days?”
“……”
“Why… Why do you leave me alone every night?”
So anxious.
She lowered her fluttering lashes and covered her heated face with the back of her hand.
‘To think I ended up saying something like this…’
It was embarrassing, but since she had decided not to hide her feelings anymore, she was ready to let out every complaint, even if it was a bit ugly.
“Are you planning to make me feel lonely even after we get married?”
“……”
“Do you even plan to marry me?”
“……”
Wait, why isn’t he saying anything? And why am I the only one saying all this?
Suddenly feeling hurt, she bit her lip. Wasn’t it just her chasing him anxiously?
As she sighed through her nose and rolled her eyes to check his reaction—
Edmund pulled her into his arms. She gasped as her back lifted with her breath.
He patted her back gently and kissed her head in small pecks.
“I’m sorry for making you feel lonely.”
Even if she pretended not to, she was someone who felt lonely easily. A fragile person who got hurt easily. Someone who had experienced her life falling apart from her husband’s affair, making her extra sensitive to small changes.
Edmund closed his eyes tightly and let out a self-blaming sigh.
“According to Lova, right now your body is like a paper boat swaying in the wind, so you have to be careful.”
Etricia, who had been dazed until then, suddenly blinked.
‘What? I wasn’t told anything like that.’
She pulled away from his embrace, and Edmund turned his head to avoid her eyes.
“Especially…”
As if unsure how to say it, he rubbed his forehead and looked at the air.
Judging by how red his ears were, it was definitely something embarrassing.
“Especially what?”
“She said… we shouldn’t try to have a child…”
“…A child?”
Etricia spoke in near shock. Then her face lit up bright red.
“Ah, so… but we can use protection.”
“Even with that… there’s always a chance.”
“Ahh.”
She gave a short answer and fanned her face with her hand to cool down, glancing up at him.
“…Then, what about marriage?”
“Well… I didn’t want you to lose anything just to marry me.”
The heat in her face began to fade, and Etricia slowly lowered her hand, looking up at him with soft eyes.
‘Really… this man always thinks of me first.’
She let out a quiet sigh and said,
“Edmund, I don’t mind giving up the title of Count. It’s not about losing something, it’s about taking a step to gain something bigger. And I’ve already made my decision. Now it’s your turn.”
“My decision?”
Etricia lifted her chin slightly, stepped toward him, and showed the back of her hand.
“So when are you going to put a ring on this finger?”
Surprised by her sudden move, Edmund’s eyes widened a bit—then he smiled gently.
He took her hand and softly kissed her ring finger.
“Come to think of it, I promised you once, didn’t I? That I’d place a ring on this lovely finger. Please look forward to it. Soon, I’ll slip on a ring to show that you are mine.”
“I’m excited to see what kind of ring it’ll be.”
Their misunderstanding resolved, their bond grew deeper.
Every time they opened up, it felt like another thin wall between them disappeared.
Wearing a deep smile, Edmund planted small kisses on each joint of her fingers.
Etricia, excited, giggled as she looked at his handsome face.
Then, as the laughter faded, a strange tension settled on their faces.
After holding each other’s gaze for a while—
“Etricia.”
A brief moment where even their breathing couldn’t be heard.
“Will you marry me?”
His sincere and calm voice filled the silence between them.
The confession she had waited for was sweeter than she imagined, as if pieces of the world’s beauty had been placed gently into his words.
Looking into his clear golden eyes, Etricia let out a deep, emotional sigh.
Maybe everything she had gone through had simply been to meet this man.
To begin this sweet journey together.
With that thought, even the painful memories felt like dazzling snowflakes, turned into something beautiful.
Then, with a wide smile, she wrapped her arms around Edmund’s neck and jumped into his arms.
“Of course!”
Spinning once with Etricia in his arms, Edmund whispered to her,
I will shine on you forever. Brighter than the moon.
Etricia, hearing his beautiful vow, smiled deeply and closed her teary eyes.
Looking forward to a new life with the person she loved, after a long and winding journey—
–To be continued in the side stories.–
