"Oh my!"
The moment I saw Sophie's eyes sparkle like chandelier lights, I knew things were going to get a little crazy. As expected, Sophie snorted and shouted,
"I'll do your hair!"
"No, that's okay. I'm just going to give him something for a bit."
Sophie was the only person, other than the parties involved in the contract, who knew that Dante and I were not real lovers but merely in a contractual relationship. But strangely enough... she tended to get just as excited about our relationship as the outsiders who had no idea what was going on.
"Can I just braid it?"
"... No. It'll take a long time. Shouldn't you, Sophie, go home soon?"
"Well, at least this decoration!"
Sophie hurriedly ran to the dressing table and took something out. It was a thin ribbon that was transparent like butterfly wings and could be hung from the crown of your head to the back of your head. It was a hair decoration that had been popular for quite some time, and many people usually wore it indoors.
Yeah, this much. Sophie is stubborn in some strange ways. Especially when it comes to my appearance.
I nodded silently, feeling that putting on that one thing would save me a lot more time than stubbornly refusing. Sophie, who had carefully tied a ribbon in my hair, looked at me in the mirror with her eyes that were somehow sparkling.
"Look at this. Doesn't just one ribbon change your mood? If you're usually like a single daffodil blooming in the middle of winter, now you're like a daffodil growing quietly in a greenhouse!"
"... Hmm. Thank you."
Embarrassed by the dazzling adjectives, I couldn't even respond properly and left the room.
***
The hallway of the ducal residence where the sun was starting to set was giving off a strange atmosphere. The ducal residence, which previous Dukes had used whenever they stayed in the capital, had an old-fashioned feel to it, even down to the window frames and flooring as if to prove its long history.
The most splendid mansion I've ever seen was the Marquis Pedegreen residence when I was a Marchioness. The mansion where everything sparkled so brightly it hurt my eyes. The lights of the chandeliers, the size of the statues and artworks were awkwardly excessive. On the other hand, nothing that decorated this mansion was flashy. They were just there as if it were natural, but they magically colored the space with elegance. Even if they didn't show their presence, I became aware of them. Even if they didn't advertise their precious value, I became nervous. Just like the owner of this house.
I took a deep breath as I stood in front of the office. I remembered the moment I looked inside from the same spot last night.
Ah...
At that time, Dante was leaning against the terrace with his eyes closed. He was receiving the clear moonlight shining down on him, without moving a muscle.
"..."
Unlike back then, today his eyes were open.
"Lopez."
Was it because it was late? Or was it because of the amber glass he was holding in one hand as if it were a given? Dante said in a strangely languid voice.
"Good evening."
"... Good evening, Your Majesty."
Since the wedding, Dante and I have lived under the same roof, but we have rarely seen each other. I was busy preparing for the stage, but Dante seemed to be even more so.
'I don't think the position of Duke would be leisurely, but... My prejudice that he would delegate work to his subordinates and rest a little as a high-ranking nobleman was completely shattered over the past month. I don't know which one is more special, Lucas or Dante. He is a different person than I expected in many ways.
Suppressing these thoughts, I walked deep into the office.
"I came to see you because I have something to give you."
As I approached the desk where Dante was sitting, I received an unexpected reply.
"Did you spray perfume?"
"...Yes?"
I blinked at the sudden question and suddenly recognized the scent brushing my nose.
'Come to think of it... I think this smell had been strangely tickling my sense of smell for a while.'
Dante slowly straightened his body that he had been leaning against.
His long legs quickly circled the desk and stopped in front of me.
"..."
A hand suddenly approached and lightly lifted a handful of my hair. Before I knew it, my breath stopped.
"Not your hair."
His gaze blatantly went up to my hair. Even though I knew that his gaze was searching for the source of the scent, I felt faint goosebumps wherever his gaze landed. A strangely anxious feeling tightened my heart as if I was being chased by someone.
Unable to overcome the pressure, I blurted out.
"... Is that important?"
The scent was probably coming from the hair ribbon Sophie had put in. I remembered the voice that had said that spraying perfume on hair accessories was a recent trend. I was a little resentful of Sophie's meticulousness and thoroughness now.
As I was thinking that, Dante said something else out of the blue.
"Do you know what kind of flower this scent is from?"
When I shook my head without saying anything, he pursed his lips.
"Cyclamen."
I opened my eyes slightly wide at the unfamiliar name. Cyclamen. It seemed to be a flower that grew in a slightly colder region than the archipelago.
.. Perhaps the duchy was its main habitat.
"By the way, what is the flower language?"
Was it my imagination that the voice seemed closer? However, as if to prove that it wasn't an illusion, Dante's eye level had lowered a little. He bent down slightly and whispered slowly.
"Follow this scent and come to my bed."
'...Sophie.'
I repeated the child's name in my mind without any interest. Of course, Sophie probably hadn't thought about the flower language. She's not that strategic. It was just a coincidence. The problem was Dante's intention to point that out. No. In fact, the real problem was... This man was just joking around, and I was being unnecessarily agitated by the teasing.
"...I'm sorry, Your Highness."
I bit the inside of my mouth and continued slowly.
"Knowledge of flowers is one of the qualities a lady should cultivate. I think I was underprepared as a reserve agent."
"Hmm."
Dante clicked his tongue as if it was indifferent.
"You're so sophisticated in pretending not to know."
When Dante straightened his back again, my breathing eased up surprisingly. Only then did I realize that I had been holding my breath the whole time.
"So. What's your business?"
Dante asked, instantly dispelling the strange atmosphere that had surrounded him until just now. I finally felt like I could get to the main point and answer.
"I came here because I had something to give you."
Dante tilted his head slightly.
"You're empty-handed."
"It's not something I can show you... Instead, would it be okay if I played it for you?"
As I said that, I nodded to the piano that was sitting on one wall of the office. Dante's eyes flashed with my answer. It was a fleeting moment as if the chandelier light had just flashed.
"Do whatever you want."
"Then excuse me."
I sat down in front of the piano, took a deep breath, and pressed a key. The piano, decorated like a work of art, was perfectly tuned. White keys, and then more white keys. It continued like a spring with clear sounds. The melody that formed the core was clean and clear, so at first it seemed like a nursery rhyme. Of course, it was...
'Because this was the first song I ever composed.'
It was a time so distant that I can't even remember it now. In the garden, where the afternoon sunlight softly poured down, I often took a nap with my head on my mother's lap. At such times, my mother would always sing a lullaby in her beautiful voice.
One day, for fun, I asked my mother to lay on my lap. I hummed a lullaby to my mother, who was lying on my lap with her hair flowing down her face. I hoped she would have a good dream. Just like I always did on my mother's lap.
'My grandfather overheard me and got excited, asking if it was really the song you made.'
Maybe it was because I remembered that memory. A faint smile appeared on my lips.
I continued playing, cherishing the few memories of my childhood. This music was a variation of that lullaby. The music was so gentle and soft that it suited the night, and even Elena would come to me and ask me to play this song when she had to sleep well. And the reason I was playing this music in front of that man right now was...
"... Haa."
The song ended with a clear dominant ninth chord. I slowly took my hands off the keyboard and let out a slightly trembling breath.
'I don't know if this will help you, though.'
Go to the last lingering note of the harmony, The room was filled with a quiet silence.
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