The view from Écontewa was truly beautiful. Since it was still midday, when people enjoyed their leisure, several boats were floating on the lake. From the window of Écontewa, you could see people lying lazily on the boats. Wine. And books. It was the same for those lying on the grass.
Sophia wondered if the seat they were sitting in was the one the Duke usually used, and if he too had seen this same scenery.
“Do you come here often?”
“Well, not that often.”
“Then?”
The Duke just smiled instead of answering. It meant he didn’t feel like replying. Sophia realized she had grown enough to understand the meanings behind a few of the Duke’s dazzling smiles.
“Being here makes me feel good. It must be even better in summer. Though I don’t know if I’ll still be around by then.”
Sophia couldn’t say anything. She didn’t know what her life would look like in the summer the Duke was talking about. And maybe, in the Duke’s heart, she wasn’t there at all. The Duke stared out the window for a moment, then turned back to Sophia.
“You said you were curious about the poison. I’ll tell you.”
Sophia was surprised that he offered to talk about it so easily. The Duke began to break his food into small pieces as he spoke.
“That poison has been passed down in the ducal family for generations. Even we don’t really know what it’s for. We don’t even fully understand its effects. I was going to give it to a poison expert I know to figure it out, but that night, you ended up taking it. So, I’m sorry, but I haven’t told anyone what kind of poison you took.”
“Then I’m the only one who’s ever taken it?”
“No, there was one other person in the past. Like you, they slept for a long time and then woke up.”
“What kind of symptoms did they have?”
“Similar to yours. Sleepwalking, strange dreams, even something like foresight.”
“Foresight?”
“Yeah.”
The Duke spoke of such magical things so lightly. Sophia was so shocked she could barely breathe. If Ronald had been here, he probably would have screamed. Meanwhile, the Duke seemed bored—even with someone possibly gaining such a strange power right in front of him. He didn’t even seem interested in her ability.
“Then isn’t that a good thing? Why didn’t you take it yourself, Duke?”
“A good thing?”
The Duke laughed.
“Do you think it’s good now, Sophia? You look unhappy and lonely to me.”
“Well…”
Sophia bit her lip. She didn’t want to admit that he was right.
“But still, it’s amazing. Most people would take that poison even if they thought it might kill them.”
“Maybe. But they would regret it in the end. Definitely.”
Only then did Sophia understand what the Duke’s mysterious attitude had meant all this time. It was just like he said—regret. He spoke as if he had experienced it himself.
But at the same time, she also began to understand why he kept asking her about her dreams and worrying if she was afraid.
“Was it because you thought I’d regret it that you gave me the poison?”
“That’s right. But if you didn’t want to take it, you could have simply refused.”
“Then why didn’t you tell me beforehand?”
Sophia asked with a bit of anger. The Duke answered casually, with a faint smile.
“You said it yourself. People would take the poison even if it meant death. And if that death isn’t their own, but someone else’s, just to find something out? I only wanted to keep you safe, Sophia. And for that, I thought even you shouldn’t know about it.”
His logic was clear. Though she didn’t want to admit it, Sophia found herself convinced. After thinking deeply for a moment, she asked another question.
“Then, is everything strange around me also because of the poison? Is it not that people have changed, but that I’m just seeing hallucinations?”
“That’s right. I told you—your dreams and reality would start to blend. Without the medicine, it would get very confusing.”
“I suspected you, Duke.”
“What?”
The Duke smiled faintly, looking slightly flustered. Sophia blushed a little but confessed honestly.
“I don’t know why I thought that. But I kept imagining you behind everything. What if that was a vision too? I keep finding it hard to trust you.”
The Duke looked genuinely surprised, as if he didn’t expect her to say that. But he didn’t seem upset. In fact, the warmth on his face made Sophia even more cautious.
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“Because you’re cute.”
“I just said I don’t trust you! Don’t you realize I came here because I couldn’t believe you?”
“Telling someone that you don’t trust them usually means, ‘Please help me believe you.’”
Sophia went quiet.
She realized how desperate she had become. She really wanted to trust the Duke. And just like he said, she wanted to lean on him. She couldn’t bear to be alone anymore, and she didn’t want to.
“Then since you’ve figured out what I mean, go ahead and prove me wrong.”
Sophia spoke arrogantly, trying to keep her pride. The Duke smiled briefly, then reached out and placed his hand over hers. The subtle warmth and touch made her instinctively pull her hand back, but that made their skin press even more tightly together.
“Doubt is something you have to untangle yourself. Like a knotted thread. Even if someone tries to help, in the end, you get frustrated and do it on your own.”
“The maids usually do it for me.”
Her childish response made the Duke laugh out loud. His eyes curved beautifully when he laughed. Although Sophia felt a bit of disappointment at his habit of dodging serious talk, she still forgave him because of that beautiful face.
“If you can’t trust me, then don’t take the medicine, Sophia. It’s all in your hands anyway. I didn’t go to your house and force you to drink it.”
“Like I said, I’m the kind of person who’d drink anything a maid brings me—even if it’s poison. That time, I only drank it because the maid gave it to me.”
“Stop whining, Sophia.”
At the Duke’s short scolding, Sophia’s face flushed. Then, as if trying to comfort her, he stood up and leaned down to kiss her forehead.
“I’ve told you what you needed to know. Now it’s all up to you, Sophia.”
The Duke said. Sophia pressed her lips together and said nothing. In truth, she already knew. That the doubt was hers to unravel. And that no matter what the Duke said now, she wasn’t going to take the medicine tonight.
She didn’t take the medicine—and she had a dream right away.
At first, she didn’t realize it was a dream. That was because “she” was lying on a bed, just like Sophia.
Moonlight faintly came in through the window. The bed looked far too real. Sophia blinked as she stared blankly at the ceiling.
“Is this really my room? Or a dream?”
Just then, the sound of the door handle turning echoed, and suddenly “Sophia” shouted in a sharp voice, as if she hadn’t been asleep at all.
“Open that door and I’ll bite my tongue and die right here.”
Her voice was strong and sounded very serious. Sophia was surprised at herself—she didn’t know she could speak like that.
But the person outside didn’t seem surprised at all. He didn’t hesitate. He opened the door and walked in.
Her eyes, adjusted to the dark, squinted at the light. She raised her hand to block it. But even with the backlight, it was easy to recognize the man.
“It’s so easy for me to fix you again, no matter what you do.”
The Duke.
Just like in the daytime, he looked calm and gentle. But “Sophia” acted like he was her greatest enemy.
“Don’t say disgusting things. How long are you going to keep me locked up?”
Her voice was like a sharp, well-forged blade.
“Locked up? Didn’t I say you can leave anytime?”
“But outside is just endless forest.”
“You don’t like forests? Should I change it to the sea?”
“I want to see people. I want to see my family.”
“I wish you could understand how merciful I’ve been just to let you keep those feelings.”
She heard him approaching. Though the carpet muffled his footsteps, Sophia could feel it. The bed tilted as he sat down. She held her breath and stared at the ceiling, unable to move.
“Sophia.”
He called her name sweetly. Like before, his hand rested over hers. “Sophia” seemed to try to pull away, but his grip was too firm.
Then he leaned in and looked into her cold eyes. Gently, he pushed her hair behind her ear. Sophia expected him to say something—but he only kissed her, naturally, as if it were something he had done many times before.
The kiss was terrifyingly soft.
