A voice tone one octave higher than usual and childish pranks. Laughter spreading like paint and meaningless jokes exchanged back and forth.
I knew she was excited from the moment she suggested running in the rain—no, from the moment she smiled brightly through the window before rushing outside.
Of course, Edmund felt the same excitement.
He wondered if he had ever been this happy and joyful in his life. And if he had ever wanted to be so mischievous with someone.
The sound of Etricia shaking off the mud from her clothes after passing through the wall reached his ears.
“Edmund, come over.”
“Understood.”
Edmund, who had entered through a hidden iron gate behind a bush next to the wall, casually headed toward the building.
“Let’s go in, Etricia.”
Just as Edmund took a few steps while trying to suppress his grin—
“Edmund…!”
A few seconds later, she let out a sharp yelp, like a hissing cat, making Edmund burst into laughter.
“Hahaha!”
Even as he groaned from the playful slap on his back, he couldn’t stop laughing.
When he turned around, he saw her with her beautiful eyes narrowed, barely holding back her laughter. When he gently pulled her into his arms as if to soothe her, she leaned in without resistance and let out a laugh as clear as rolling beads.
Under the moonlight, their overlapping shadows disappeared into the building.
After exploring the annex, the two finally arrived at the second-floor lounge. There were bookshelves filled with books, a spacious sofa for relaxation, and a piano.
The triangular windows provided a clear view of the ivy-covered wall outside, making sure guests wouldn’t feel confined.
Etricia placed a tulip she had brought with her on the table next to a chessboard before sitting down.
“Sit down.”
Following her gesture, Edmund smiled lightly and took a seat opposite her.
As she picked up the white pawn and made her move, the game naturally unfolded. Their gentle conversation flowed like a spring breeze.
“There’s something I’ve been curious about.”
Etricia suddenly shifted the mood and spoke up.
“Why do you think I like chests?”
It had been on her mind for a while.
Edmund placed his chess piece down and smirked slightly, a hint of mischief in his expression.
“My sister told me.”
“Lilien did?”
When Edmund nodded and continued his explanation, Etricia jumped up as if she had sat on a hot chair, denying it fervently.
“No, that’s not true!”
“I understand.”
“What do you mean you understand? I said it’s not true!”
As their playful argument continued, Edmund picked up the queen, and at that moment, Etricia placed a hand on her forehead, realizing her mistake, and let out a helpless laugh.
“Check,” Edmund murmured, placing his piece down and withdrawing his hand. Seeing the inevitable outcome, Etricia closed her eyes tightly before opening them again.
Her green eyes widened as she noticed something rolling down the polished chess piece.
Clink.
A silver ring fell onto the chessboard.
The dazzling ring featured a diamond set in the shape of a sun, with a pomegranate-colored gemstone at its center.
While Etricia blinked slowly in a daze, Edmund picked up the ring and stood.
Her gaze followed him the entire way.
Then, kneeling on one knee before her, he took a deep breath and lifted his head, his expression full of tension.
“My queen, Etricia.”
Amber eyes met hers. The warm glow in his gaze made her feel as if a golden light had blossomed within the dim room.
“Will you marry me?”
Time seemed to freeze as Etricia held her breath, stiff as a wax figure.
“Etricia?”
The silence stretched on for quite a while.
Edmund even wondered for a moment if his proposal had turned to stone, like some kind of spell.
“Ah.”
After a moment, Etricia let out a soft exclamation, tears falling in droplets. She covered her face with both hands.
Edmund, startled for a moment, quickly realized that her tears were from overwhelming emotion. With a gentle smile, he cradled her head and let her lean against his shoulder.
“You didn’t give me any hints.”
She sniffled, her voice trembling with a mix of tears and laughter.
“Who proposes without any warning? You scared me.”
Edmund smiled softly; his eyes filled with warmth.
“Considering how often you surprise me, I figured a little payback was in order.”
Etricia lowered her hands, revealing her tear-streaked face.
“This isn’t revenge…”
She raised her head, wiping the tears that had trailed down her nose with a trembling hand.
Their eyes met.
Etricia instinctively held out her hand. Edmund slid the ring onto her finger and pressed his lips to it.
“I’ll make this annex our sanctuary.”
Etricia, still sniffling, moved her fingers to admire the ring before asking,
“What kind of space will you create?”
“Anything you desire.”
So that, in the future, if you ever feel exhausted and need to escape, you’ll have a place to run to.
She was to become a duchess after remarrying, facing the weight of outdated marriage traditions. He could only imagine how heavy that burden would be. If there was anything he could do, he would give her everything—his very soul.
“I’ll take care of the wedding preparations, so don’t worry. Just focus on cherishing what’s important to you.”
Hearing his kindness, a mischievous thought suddenly surfaced in Etricia’s mind.
Since the first time they met, he had always been someone she wanted to tease.
She wiped her wet eyes and sighed dramatically.
“Now that I think about it, the idea of remarrying bothers me.”
Edmund’s eyelids twitched.
“Then…”
“Maybe we should just date instead. Wedding dresses are so cumbersome—”
“I’ll wear it.”
Etricia barely held back her laughter.
“Hmm. Really?”
She blinked her lashes, where tiny drops of tears had formed.
“But my shoes are hurting my feet…”
“I’ll wear them for you.”
“And the tiara is heavy—it hurts my neck…”
“I’ll carry that too… Ugh. Etricia, are you teasing me?”
Unable to hold back her laughter, Etricia covered her mouth with both hands and giggled. Edmund, seeing that, shook his head and gently bit her nose in mock protest.
Their silver and red hair mingled at a close distance, and their eyes locked onto each other.
Edmund’s lips curved smoothly into a smile.
“From now on, I’ll do everything you don’t want to.”
“Alright.”
The two stayed close, like they were trapped together in a small box, unable to part.
Edmund tilted his head slightly, languidly. Then, naturally, he kissed her lips, red and shiny like pomegranate seeds.
Much later, Etricia pulled away with a smile and whispered,
“What do you think about getting married in early spring? Before that, we should visit my uncle to discuss the matter of inheriting the title.”
“So I’m finally keeping my promise to visit him with you.”
“He’ll be shocked out of his mind.”
She scrunched her nose and giggled, then leaned her forehead against his, like she was finally relaxing.
With her eyes closed, finding peace in the moment, Etricia was the one to speak first.
“Where should we go for our honeymoon?”
“There’s a flower festival in a foreign country around that time. They say there’s a whole grove of camellias.”
“That sounds lovely.”
Both of them opened their eyes slightly.
They shared a quiet, gentle laugh as their lips drew close again. Just as their noses brushed and their lips touched—
Bang!
“Eek!”
Startled by the sudden door swing, Etricia let out a sharp scream and leapt into Edmund’s arms. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders, Edmund’s sharp yellow eyes turned toward the source—and wavered slightly.
Standing at the door, holding a lamp, was Baron Montree, staring at them with a mixture of disbelief and exasperation.
“…What on earth are you two doing in here?”
It was a voice Etricia hadn’t heard before.
She peeked up shyly.
She remembered him—they had met briefly when she first visited the duchy.
“Oh, hello.”
Etricia gave him an awkward smile and bowed her head lightly, her eyes darting around to avoid his gaze. Baron Montree returned the bow with a dry expression before turning back to Edmund.
“You should come out now. The alarm magic was triggered, and the knights are on their way.”
“Tch… Since when were you so diligent?”
At that moment, the heavy stomps of armored boots echoed through the building and stopped just outside.
“Baron Montree, are you alright?”
The knight’s voice rang through the hallway. Baron Montree shut his eyes in mild despair and sighed through his nose.
Raising a hand, he answered, “I’m fine. They’re acquaintances of mine.”
“They are? But why are they here at this hour, sneaking arou—”
Baron Montree squinted at the couple still pressed closely together.
“…They had their reasons.”
“Then I’ll report this to His Grace via the communicator—”
“Stop.”
“…Pardon?”
“Put the communicator away. That could make things… unnecessarily awkward for everyone involved.”
Do you have a communicator?
Etricia lowered her head and whispered. Edmund gave a small nod, then motioned with his chin toward Baron Montree.
“You should go now.”
At his command, Baron Montree instructed the knights to withdraw. The sound of heavy boots soon faded, and Etricia let out a long sigh as she stood up.
“Whew… I nearly lost the baby.”
The eyes of the two men snapped wide open and flew to her.
“……”
Her grayish-blue eyes flicked back and forth between them.
“…I didn’t mean that.”
“……”
“……”
“I said I didn’t!”
