I returned to my room and wrote a letter to Shuan. I had a favor to ask of him. As I was writing, Anna finally woke up. I smiled and handed the letter over to her.
“Oh, Miss. What kind of letter is this at this hour of the morning?”
"Madam."
“Ugh. Sorry.”
Anna covered her mouth and mumbled again. Her voice was hoarse from sleep, but she looked at me with a playful look, as if she suspected something.
“Madam, are you seeing another man?”
“Look at the name. It’s Shuan.”
“Hey, why am I looking at your letter? And there must be a man named Shuan there.”
“You’re curious even though you haven’t seen it? Stop wondering and send it to me tomorrow as soon as the sun rises.”
"Yes."
I glanced at Anna once and smiled faintly. Then, as I was about to go to bed, I got up again. Anna followed, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Where are you going this early in the morning?”
“If you’re sleepy, just stay still.”
“How is that so?”
I already did. I knew I'd get nagged if I said that, so I didn't say anything.
As my steps led out of the room and up to the fourth floor, Anna stopped walking, covering her mouth with a "Madam."
"Is this the night you're meeting His Highness? I'll wait quietly here."
“Anna, that’s not it. And you can come too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, because I gave permission to become Julian.”
As I entered the fourth floor with Anna, I encountered the butler again. He looked surprised to see me, but quickly hid it.
“What about Julian?”
“He are awake.”
“Please guide me. If he says no, I’ll go back, so don’t worry.”
“It may be an old man’s request, but I’m sure he won’t refuse.”
The butler grinned, seemingly delighted by the situation. Anna, the butler, and everyone else were fussing. Trying to explain that it wasn't like that would only make things more embarrassing, so they just fanned their flushed faces.
The butler, who had entered the bedroom, came out shortly afterward. He then naturally ushered me in. I left the butler and Anna outside the door and carefully closed it.
Entering the room, I found Julian comfortably dressed, sitting on the quiet bed. He looked exactly as I had seen him that night. The only difference was that he was reading a book instead of papers.
“Julian. I’m sorry for coming so early in the morning.”
“It doesn’t matter, I was awake.”
The simple answer put my mind at ease. As I stood there, not moving any closer, Julian glanced at me and reached out his hand. I took his hand, and a force pulled me back into the bed.
"Oh..."
Julian let go of my hand as soon as I sat down on the bed. But our distance was so close that my heart pounded even faster than if I had just held his hand. As if he knew how I felt, Julian gently placed the back of his hand on my forehead, then withdrew it, frowning.
I laughed awkwardly, wondering how he could do such an affectionate thing.
“You still have a fever. Why are you walking around?”
“Oh, you heard from the butler?”
"Yes."
I fiddled with my empty fingers, then climbed onto the bed and sat down a little more comfortably. Julian didn't stop me.
"I guess you were too easy on me. I forgot what I needed to do. It was because I was sick and tired that I felt that way."
“What a strange habit.”
“It wasn’t a habit. It just happened suddenly.”
Silence fell between us. I knew what I needed to say, but it was difficult to bring it out. It was hard to tell if it was a natural conversation between us. Thankfully, Julian spoke first.
“Where will Marian be used?”
I rolled my eyes slowly.
Did Julian say I was too comfortable with him? Maybe I really was.
Somehow, I felt like it would be okay for him to tell me what he thought now.
“I plan to send her as a spy for the Second Prince.”
“How?”
"Prince Cain is greedy and arrogant. He'd kidnap the most beautiful woman in the world to get his hands on her, even if it meant kidnapping her."
Julian didn't say anything, but I could tell he was listening.
"So, I'm going to take Marian out into society. I'm going to put a mask on her, tighten her corset, and dress her in dresses she wouldn't normally dare wear. Since Marian has such a beautiful body, I'm going to make him think she's the most beautiful woman in the world."
"What happens after the Second Prince kidnaps that woman? Her face will be revealed in no time."
“Oh, you saw Marian. Wasn’t she beautiful?”
"Marian was quite beautiful," I said with a teasing smile.
“She is not more beautiful than my wife.”
But I was the one being teased. My face instantly flushed. I shrugged my shoulders and turned my head away, feeling a sense of shame. Julian smiled as I cleared my throat, but I didn't see him.
"Don't tease me. Second Prince, yes. We were talking about Prince Cain, right? Prince Cain is an arrogant man, so even if Marian's face doesn't satisfy him, he won't be able to kick her out. How could he spread rumors that he was tricked into kidnapping a woman?"
“That makes sense.”
"But Marian's life is in quite a bit of danger. I intend to save her before then."
“You’re going to save her?”
Well, it might sound quite strange. The whole world would think I took Marian away because I hated her.
By now, the Marian they imagined was a poor woman, whipped and starving every day. So, if I took her into high society, she'd be even more of a topic of conversation.
But instead of telling Julian such a long and tedious story, I responded calmly.
“Yes. I’m not that narrow-minded, am I?”
Just now, I wasn't excited at all. I wasn't even agitated. I was just reciting the spell in my head.
“I have two things to say. One is out of the blue, and the other is because I can’t sleep if I don’t say them.”
Julian looked at me and nodded. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but he leaned in toward me. I stared at him in surprise.
“I’m not doing anything. But it looks like your wife has a lot to say.”
"Ah..."
At those words, I looked at his fingertips. He was holding the edge of the blanket I'd carelessly shoved into. I followed his lead and slowly crawled under the covers, lying down. I hadn't intended to do this, but since he'd asked me to stay, I didn't feel like refusing.
"Thank you."
“Now tell me.”
I looked up at him, clutching the blanket between my fingertips. He listened intently, even placing the book he was reading on his lap.
I liked Julian's serious demeanor. Well, what was it about him that I liked? I opened my mouth, my shoulders trembling.
“I want a dog. A very big one. A dog as big as me.”
“What is the reason?”
"My family always runs to greet me when I come home. But you don't come out to the garden to greet me. So, I wish a really big dog would always be there to greet me."
“Yes.”
“Really?”
My eyes sparkled as I asked. The Count of Winsley kept many hunting dogs, but coming here, I couldn't hear a single bark, so I felt lonely. I smiled at Julian's cheerful permission.
“What’s the second one?”
"Hmm..."
This time, I hesitated quite a bit. But if I didn't lay the groundwork and say it out loud, I'd definitely regret it.
“I’m sorry for picking a fight with you when you were worried earlier.”
“Picking a fight?”
“Yes, I was the one who started the fight earlier.”
Julian seemed to recall his memories as I mumbled. Soon after, he let out a small "Ah." It was quite a surprise to see him make that sound of realization for the first time. That was always my thing.
“Yeah, Madam picked a fight with me.”
“What? You don’t even remember.”
Julian reached out to me again. I didn't pull away. I watched as his hand approached me, slowly brushing my forehead, and then I slowly closed my eyes. His hand was large and cool, a pleasant sensation. It didn't feel rough at all.
“Since Madam called me her friend, you don’t have to feel sorry about that.”
Julian's fingers slowly brushed my eyebrows. I exhaled and muttered.
“I thought I should do it even more because we are friends.”
To be honest, I was worried Julian would think it was useless. But now I see he seems to consider me a friend, too. I was grateful for that, and it made me feel even more at ease. Being around him made me feel like things like my family's death and revenge were fading away. And even though I knew it shouldn't be that way...
My forehead, now cool, naturally became drowsy. I surrendered myself to his touch and slowly fell asleep.
Woof!
“Whoa! What the heck is this? Are you crazy?”
Wal! Wal! Wal!
“Get this mad dog out of here! Now!”
Princess Abigail's shrill scream hurriedly woke me from my restful sleep. As expected, Julian wasn't there. Judging by the coolness of the room, he must have been gone for a while.
I picked up the shawl neatly folded on the nightstand and walked to the window. Judging by the newly drawn curtains and the bright light streaming in, it must have been midday. I'd been asleep in Julian's bedroom all this time. Embarrassment overtook me, but more importantly, I needed to figure out what the scream was.
"Anna!"
I opened the curtains and called Anna to see what was going on.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
As I opened the window, the barking grew louder. It seemed to be coming from just below the window.
“Whoa! Why is that dog barking like that?”
I leaned out the window. The source of the scream was Princess Abigail.
“Your Highness, the Princess!”
As I shouted in alarm, Princess Abigail raised her head and turned her gaze in my direction. Then she shouted sharply at me.
“Get this dog out of here right now! Why are you in that room?!”
I followed her finger. Before Princess Abigail, a dog the size of me was barking loudly. It was a very pretty dog with white fur.
“I’ll be down soon! Just wait a moment, Your Highness!”
It was a very, very urgent voice.
But as I closed the window and went down the stairs, I couldn't help but laugh.
Cheerful laughter spread through the hallway.
“Oh, Miss. What kind of letter is this at this hour of the morning?”
"Madam."
“Ugh. Sorry.”
Anna covered her mouth and mumbled again. Her voice was hoarse from sleep, but she looked at me with a playful look, as if she suspected something.
“Madam, are you seeing another man?”
“Look at the name. It’s Shuan.”
“Hey, why am I looking at your letter? And there must be a man named Shuan there.”
“You’re curious even though you haven’t seen it? Stop wondering and send it to me tomorrow as soon as the sun rises.”
"Yes."
I glanced at Anna once and smiled faintly. Then, as I was about to go to bed, I got up again. Anna followed, rubbing her sleepy eyes.
“Where are you going this early in the morning?”
“If you’re sleepy, just stay still.”
“How is that so?”
I already did. I knew I'd get nagged if I said that, so I didn't say anything.
As my steps led out of the room and up to the fourth floor, Anna stopped walking, covering her mouth with a "Madam."
"Is this the night you're meeting His Highness? I'll wait quietly here."
“Anna, that’s not it. And you can come too.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, because I gave permission to become Julian.”
As I entered the fourth floor with Anna, I encountered the butler again. He looked surprised to see me, but quickly hid it.
“What about Julian?”
“He are awake.”
“Please guide me. If he says no, I’ll go back, so don’t worry.”
“It may be an old man’s request, but I’m sure he won’t refuse.”
The butler grinned, seemingly delighted by the situation. Anna, the butler, and everyone else were fussing. Trying to explain that it wasn't like that would only make things more embarrassing, so they just fanned their flushed faces.
The butler, who had entered the bedroom, came out shortly afterward. He then naturally ushered me in. I left the butler and Anna outside the door and carefully closed it.
Entering the room, I found Julian comfortably dressed, sitting on the quiet bed. He looked exactly as I had seen him that night. The only difference was that he was reading a book instead of papers.
“Julian. I’m sorry for coming so early in the morning.”
“It doesn’t matter, I was awake.”
The simple answer put my mind at ease. As I stood there, not moving any closer, Julian glanced at me and reached out his hand. I took his hand, and a force pulled me back into the bed.
"Oh..."
Julian let go of my hand as soon as I sat down on the bed. But our distance was so close that my heart pounded even faster than if I had just held his hand. As if he knew how I felt, Julian gently placed the back of his hand on my forehead, then withdrew it, frowning.
I laughed awkwardly, wondering how he could do such an affectionate thing.
“You still have a fever. Why are you walking around?”
“Oh, you heard from the butler?”
"Yes."
I fiddled with my empty fingers, then climbed onto the bed and sat down a little more comfortably. Julian didn't stop me.
"I guess you were too easy on me. I forgot what I needed to do. It was because I was sick and tired that I felt that way."
“What a strange habit.”
“It wasn’t a habit. It just happened suddenly.”
Silence fell between us. I knew what I needed to say, but it was difficult to bring it out. It was hard to tell if it was a natural conversation between us. Thankfully, Julian spoke first.
“Where will Marian be used?”
I rolled my eyes slowly.
Did Julian say I was too comfortable with him? Maybe I really was.
Somehow, I felt like it would be okay for him to tell me what he thought now.
“I plan to send her as a spy for the Second Prince.”
“How?”
"Prince Cain is greedy and arrogant. He'd kidnap the most beautiful woman in the world to get his hands on her, even if it meant kidnapping her."
Julian didn't say anything, but I could tell he was listening.
"So, I'm going to take Marian out into society. I'm going to put a mask on her, tighten her corset, and dress her in dresses she wouldn't normally dare wear. Since Marian has such a beautiful body, I'm going to make him think she's the most beautiful woman in the world."
"What happens after the Second Prince kidnaps that woman? Her face will be revealed in no time."
“Oh, you saw Marian. Wasn’t she beautiful?”
"Marian was quite beautiful," I said with a teasing smile.
“She is not more beautiful than my wife.”
But I was the one being teased. My face instantly flushed. I shrugged my shoulders and turned my head away, feeling a sense of shame. Julian smiled as I cleared my throat, but I didn't see him.
"Don't tease me. Second Prince, yes. We were talking about Prince Cain, right? Prince Cain is an arrogant man, so even if Marian's face doesn't satisfy him, he won't be able to kick her out. How could he spread rumors that he was tricked into kidnapping a woman?"
“That makes sense.”
"But Marian's life is in quite a bit of danger. I intend to save her before then."
“You’re going to save her?”
Well, it might sound quite strange. The whole world would think I took Marian away because I hated her.
By now, the Marian they imagined was a poor woman, whipped and starving every day. So, if I took her into high society, she'd be even more of a topic of conversation.
But instead of telling Julian such a long and tedious story, I responded calmly.
“Yes. I’m not that narrow-minded, am I?”
Just now, I wasn't excited at all. I wasn't even agitated. I was just reciting the spell in my head.
“I have two things to say. One is out of the blue, and the other is because I can’t sleep if I don’t say them.”
Julian looked at me and nodded. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but he leaned in toward me. I stared at him in surprise.
“I’m not doing anything. But it looks like your wife has a lot to say.”
"Ah..."
At those words, I looked at his fingertips. He was holding the edge of the blanket I'd carelessly shoved into. I followed his lead and slowly crawled under the covers, lying down. I hadn't intended to do this, but since he'd asked me to stay, I didn't feel like refusing.
"Thank you."
“Now tell me.”
I looked up at him, clutching the blanket between my fingertips. He listened intently, even placing the book he was reading on his lap.
I liked Julian's serious demeanor. Well, what was it about him that I liked? I opened my mouth, my shoulders trembling.
“I want a dog. A very big one. A dog as big as me.”
“What is the reason?”
"My family always runs to greet me when I come home. But you don't come out to the garden to greet me. So, I wish a really big dog would always be there to greet me."
“Yes.”
“Really?”
My eyes sparkled as I asked. The Count of Winsley kept many hunting dogs, but coming here, I couldn't hear a single bark, so I felt lonely. I smiled at Julian's cheerful permission.
“What’s the second one?”
"Hmm..."
This time, I hesitated quite a bit. But if I didn't lay the groundwork and say it out loud, I'd definitely regret it.
“I’m sorry for picking a fight with you when you were worried earlier.”
“Picking a fight?”
“Yes, I was the one who started the fight earlier.”
Julian seemed to recall his memories as I mumbled. Soon after, he let out a small "Ah." It was quite a surprise to see him make that sound of realization for the first time. That was always my thing.
“Yeah, Madam picked a fight with me.”
“What? You don’t even remember.”
Julian reached out to me again. I didn't pull away. I watched as his hand approached me, slowly brushing my forehead, and then I slowly closed my eyes. His hand was large and cool, a pleasant sensation. It didn't feel rough at all.
“Since Madam called me her friend, you don’t have to feel sorry about that.”
Julian's fingers slowly brushed my eyebrows. I exhaled and muttered.
“I thought I should do it even more because we are friends.”
To be honest, I was worried Julian would think it was useless. But now I see he seems to consider me a friend, too. I was grateful for that, and it made me feel even more at ease. Being around him made me feel like things like my family's death and revenge were fading away. And even though I knew it shouldn't be that way...
My forehead, now cool, naturally became drowsy. I surrendered myself to his touch and slowly fell asleep.
***
Woof!
“Whoa! What the heck is this? Are you crazy?”
Wal! Wal! Wal!
“Get this mad dog out of here! Now!”
Princess Abigail's shrill scream hurriedly woke me from my restful sleep. As expected, Julian wasn't there. Judging by the coolness of the room, he must have been gone for a while.
I picked up the shawl neatly folded on the nightstand and walked to the window. Judging by the newly drawn curtains and the bright light streaming in, it must have been midday. I'd been asleep in Julian's bedroom all this time. Embarrassment overtook me, but more importantly, I needed to figure out what the scream was.
"Anna!"
I opened the curtains and called Anna to see what was going on.
Woof! Woof! Woof!
As I opened the window, the barking grew louder. It seemed to be coming from just below the window.
“Whoa! Why is that dog barking like that?”
I leaned out the window. The source of the scream was Princess Abigail.
“Your Highness, the Princess!”
As I shouted in alarm, Princess Abigail raised her head and turned her gaze in my direction. Then she shouted sharply at me.
“Get this dog out of here right now! Why are you in that room?!”
I followed her finger. Before Princess Abigail, a dog the size of me was barking loudly. It was a very pretty dog with white fur.
“I’ll be down soon! Just wait a moment, Your Highness!”
It was a very, very urgent voice.
But as I closed the window and went down the stairs, I couldn't help but laugh.
Cheerful laughter spread through the hallway.
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