AWSIL - Chapter 26

Cecilia turned her body completely to face Eden.

“What are you going to do then?”

So, she just randomly asked the question to see how Eden would react.

“I would have sent you.”

It was half a joke, and the other half a test to see if he was really interested in her.

“Because I can’t force you.”

Well, then. Yeah, whether I go away or not. It doesn't matter to you.

“You are generous.”

So Cecilia laughed, praising his generous disposition as if she had heard a funny joke. Eden smiled too, his eyes softening.

Pretending not to notice the tension quietly floating in the air.

***

It was not a long journey. The weather was good, and the smooth sailing was over in a little over two hours.

“Welcome, Your Highness the Grand Duke. And Your Highness the Grand Duchess.”

The Isle of Laner was under the direct control of the Emperor, and a representative was sent to administer it. That person was Harry Nelson.

“Welcome to Laner Island.”

Since it was not a fief ruled by a lord, Harry, the administrator, was not a noble. And all he was given was the task of collecting taxes and managing the island.

“First, you need to unpack, so I’ll show you to the bedroom first.”

It was also his job to manage the villa that no one from the royal family visited, and he had to turn the entire mansion upside down and clean it up in response to the sudden news of the Archduke's visit. He guided Eden and Cecilia, feeling the hardships of the past few days flash before his eyes.

“This is the bedroom for the two of you.”

There was only one bedroom. Cecilia's eyebrows furrowed subtly. Wyatt said that even if they were a married couple, they rarely shared a bedroom unless there was something special.

“Good job.”

But before Cecilia could voice any complaints, Eden had Harry back off. Well, come to think of it, it was funny to demand another bedroom right now. They were a couple who wouldn't have thought it strange to share a room anyway.

While Abby, Alice, and Eden's servants were unpacking, Cecilia stood by the window, her eyes fixed on the sea sparkling in the light.

“Shall we go out and see?”

Eden came closer and asked, perhaps thinking that she wanted to go out and see it.

“Aren’t you busy? You said you wanted to hear Harry’s report.”

“You called it a trip and now you want to make me work as soon as I get back?”

Eden asked with a hint of playfulness. Cecilia shook her head quietly.

“The chambermaid said she was from Laner Island, so she must know the geography well.”

At that sound, Alice looked at Cecilia and Eden like a rabbit with its ears perked up. It was thanks to their hometown that they had allowed her to accompany them.

“Where do people mostly live?”

“People live mainly along the eastern coast. The western side, where the castle is, is dangerous because of the mountains and rugged terrain and cliffs.”

Alice explained chatterily.

“Shall we go near the east coast first?”

Cecilia turned to Eden and asked. Eden nodded silently. In fact, it was no different from expressing her opinion that he should do whatever she wanted.

“Your Highness, then I too...!”

But when Ilya, who had been complaining of seasickness the whole time, intervened without notice, his attitude changed significantly.

“Miss Nova, let's do what we have to do.”

The soft voice, but the firmness with which the words ended, was cold enough to make her heart sink.

“It won’t be long, we’ll get there soon! However, it’s not a very developed place like the island...”

Alice, who had been watching the situation, smiled awkwardly. There was a reason why the first impression she had when she arrived on the island was that it was a ‘different world.’ There were no tall buildings or fancy landscaping on the island. There were only fishing boats tied up on the shore.

“It’s okay. I just wanted to look.”

Even though Cecilia said she didn't care, Alice's worried expression did not disappear.

Cecilia understood the meaningless worry when she got off on the eastern coast after riding the carriage around the western terrain. There were a lot of stalls along the beach with a strong smell of seafood, and there were rows of fishing boats tied up on the beach.

"...Hmm."

Eden sighed softly. It was a common sight near the coast. However, it was not a pleasant sight for an outsider. Many people followed Cecilia, who was dressed in a luxurious outfit as if they were curious.

Eden quietly wrapped his arms around Cecilia's waist and pulled her towards him a little. As Eden looked around cautiously, Ilya's gaze, filled with curiosity and greed, dropped away.

“Is it like this all around the coast?”

“No. This is where most of the island’s residents live, so... The higher you go from here, the quieter it gets because there are fewer residents.”

“Let’s go that way.”

Alice nodded and stepped onto the sand like a swift squirrel. It was only natural that she flinched when she saw Eden and Cecilia turning to get back into the carriage.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I always do this...”

Just as Alice was about to move frantically to get away from the sandy beach, Cecilia stopped her.

“No. I was short-sighted. If I want to see this area, I should walk on my own.”

“Cecilia.”

“Since I’ve come this far, I think it wouldn’t be a bad idea to try it out.”

As Cecilia spoke, she walked along the sandy beach. The sand under her feet was warm and soft under the midday sun. However, the sand that got into her shoes made her soles feel rough and uncomfortable with each step she took.

Cecilia's gaze turned to Alice. Alice had already taken off her shoes and was holding them in her hands.

“Cecilia.”

Eden, who was standing nearby, seemed to notice her gaze and stopped Cecilia in a low voice. Usually, a woman's bare feet were an intimate part and were not meant to be revealed.

“Can't I do that?”

Cecilia looked at Eden and asked. Eden let out a low sigh at his wife's unusual request.

"Your Highness!"

And he quietly knelt down on one knee on the soft sandy beach. Cecilia called out to him as if to stop him, but Eden paid no attention.

“Put your hand on my shoulder, you might fall.”

He simply lifted Cecilia's feet with careful hands and took off her shoes. Every time Eden's lukewarm fingertips brushed her heels, the hollows of her soles, and the tips of her toes, a tingling sensation ran down her waist.

"...Your Highness's."

Her head was spinning. She had to instinctively tighten her grip on his shoulder.

“Hold it properly, or you might lose your balance.”

As if teasing, Eden leisurely took off both shoes and stood up from his seat. It was a graceful movement that made it hard to believe that he had been kneeling on the sandy beach until just now.

"Please."

Cecilia pretended not to notice the hair-raising sensation and reached out for her shoe.

But instead of handing over the shoes, Eden hid them behind his back with a smooth motion. His smiling face didn't seem like it would be easy for him to give them up. Cecilia, who noticed the playfulness faintly on his face, immediately gave up.

“Go ahead, Alice.”

Alice, who had been watching the owners' affectionate behavior as if she were watching a street play, jumped at the sudden call. Then, smiling awkwardly, she turned around and started to lead the way.

"Surely..."

As Alice had described, as they began to walk a little further up the coast, the surroundings changed a little. On one side, instead of shops, there were tall trees casting shadows, and on the other side, there was a long stretch of sandy beach.

“The sunset here is spectacular.”

Alice blushed and whispered. It seemed like it had been a long time since she had returned to her hometown.

Originally, she was planning to stop here and go back, but...

“I guess I can wait a little while until the sunset.”

Just when she was about to ask Eden if it would be okay to wait a moment, Eden, who was watching Cecilia's troubled face, made the suggestion first.

“Is that okay?”

Eden blinked slowly and agreed.

“Since His Highness has given permission, I would like to go see the sunset.”

Alice nodded at Cecilia's words.

“Then I’ll bring something to spread on the floor!”

Alice said so and hurriedly ran in the direction they had come from. With Eden and the two knights by Cecilia's side, there was no need to worry about safety.

“How is it?”

Eden asked. What exactly was going on on this island that she had been observing so far?

“Actually, before coming to the island, I thought about the tourism business. There aren’t many resources on the island.”

Of course, she knew there was gold, but there was no need to pull the arrow of misfortune. Cecilia pretended not to know about the existence of the gold mine.

Cecilia looked around her like a merchant calculating the value of an item. The sound of waves crashing and receding, the sparkling sea.

Cecilia approached the sea as if in a trance. The wet sand tickled her toes, and she was swept away by the small waves crashing in.

Then, suddenly, she was overcome by a distant feeling. Slowly, the blue sky began to naturally melt into her like a mixed drink.

“Cecilia?”

“...Isn’t this island wonderful?”

She thought of the combination of the vivid scarlet or pink sky above it. It was a perfect picture. It would be a beautiful sight, enough to make even the most emotionless person feel a sense of elation.

“The island where love comes true.”

She thought it wouldn't be a bad idea to promote it like that. It didn't really matter whether love actually came true or not.

“I think it would be good to promote it like that.”

Cecilia looked back with a confident face and smiled. There stood Eden, with long legs wrapped in black trousers and a white shirt that flowed comfortably as if he had sold his jacket somewhere.

“...the island where love comes true.”

The voice that followed Cecilia's words was low and locked. The faintly trembling blue eyes looked straight at Cecilia.

At the same time, the sky turned completely pink. Beyond the sandy beach, the light slanted down to where the trees were hanging down. It seemed as if a heart was pierced by a window of light.

Only then did he realize that there was a heart there that he didn't even know existed.

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