Miragen’s farewell was quickly over.
She seemed to want to acknowledge me, but since it was a public occasion, she couldn’t casually speak to someone.
She is a princess. Due to her status, no one could easily approach her, so she had already exchanged her farewells earlier.
“Did you greet her?”
“I saw her last night.”
When Adele asked, I nodded slightly in response.
Her smile momentarily faded, but she quickly returned to her usual expression and started speaking again.
“I see.”
She looked like she had a lot to say. Although she might have wanted to say more, she slowly kept her mouth shut, mindful of her surroundings.
I felt the same way—I had things I wanted to say to her as well.
Of course, what I had to say couldn’t be considered good news, but I came to the North for the purpose I had in mind from the start.
Anyway, the odd thing about Adele today was that she seemed to be in a surprisingly good mood.
Seeing her smile gently each time I looked at her made me cautiously open my mouth.
“Did something good happen today?”
“Good thing?”
“You’ve been smiling since a while ago.”
Pointing at her subtly smiling face, Adele jumped slightly and fidgeted with her mouth.
Was it my imagination that her ears turned red? Covering her mouth, Adele stared at me intently for a moment.
“It’s just your imagination.”
When the hand covering her mouth disappeared, her gentle smile was erased, and she returned to her original cold expression.
It had been a while since that smile lingered for her to dismiss it as a misunderstanding.
Perhaps she was just embarrassed, or maybe it had nothing to do with me.
Since she was desperately trying to hide it, I simply nodded in agreement.
“But… was I smiling?”
When our eyes met again, Adele hesitated and began to fidget with her lips.
That cautious question felt like a different attitude than usual.
Rather than her usual confident demeanor, she seemed almost shy.
Whatever was making her feel embarrassed, it was clear that the smile just now had come out against her will.
After pondering a response for a moment, I opened my mouth casually.
“You were smiling. And you look good when you smile. It’s better than always looking cold.”
“Don’t add unnecessary comments.”
It’s not an unnecessary comment. I often said this during our time together.
Adele appeared to suit that gentle smile much more than scanning the surroundings with cold eyes.
I always thought her exterior wasn’t as rough as a wolf guarding the North.
Rather, it was closer to being delicate and gentle like the nobles of the central region.
However, since her life began in this North, it just felt awkward now.
A woman who suited a wolf-furred cloak better than a dress, and a sword rather than flowers or tea.
Woman.
That unique charm was something only a woman named Adele could possess.
Perhaps bothered by my comment that my smile suited her better, Adele frowned slightly and strode ahead.
Miragen returned to the Imperial Palace, and the North grew quiet once more.
There might be a commotion at the Imperial Palace about this incident, but no one would dare speak to Adele.
If it were the Crown Prince, that would be a different story, but for the time being, the North would remain calm.
So, I made up my mind.
Now was the time to leave, as it would avoid unnecessary noise, and I needed space to gather my thoughts about the tasks waiting to be wrapped up in the South.
“Grand Duke, I have something to discuss. Do you have a moment?”
At that, Adele, who had come to a sudden stop, stared at me blankly.
With a rather peculiar expression, she gazed at me for a moment before shaking her head and answering softly.
“Follow me.”
#
While trying to bring up a conversation with Adele, I realized my attitude was quite cautious.
Saying I would leave the North and head back to the South,
would sound to Adele—who didn’t know I was joining the Saint—as if I were going to find Teresa.
Adele had warned me several times after hearing my story.
-If you decide to go, don’t go alone. It’s too dangerous.
It was clear that Teresa was calling out to me.
Unless I was a fool, showing my existence so blatantly in the North could only point to one thing.
If I went South, I thought I might finally face that reality.
“So, what is it that you wanted to tell me?”
Adele lightly asked as she set her teacup down.
Curious about the tea, I glanced over and saw that it was black tea in front of her.
Now that I thought about it, she often enjoyed black tea from the Center.
Pausing for a moment to smile at the old memory, I wiped the grin off my face under her steady gaze and slowly began to speak.
“It’s already been three weeks since I came to the North.”
“It’s already been that long? It doesn’t feel like it.”
“Do you remember the first thing you said? When you made me your lieutenant?”
Adele seemed to recall something, briefly swallowing her breath before nodding.
It was an absurd proposal, as I tried to ensure it wouldn’t please her too much. I had no idea how much I truly satisfied her needs.
I thought that perhaps it hadn’t been a sincere statement.
“…Right, you said you’d observe my work.”
“Then how much did I meet the Grand Duke’s expectations? As your lieutenant, that is.”
“If it’s the lieutenant…”
As her azure gaze swept over me, Adele let out a playful laugh and spoke.
“Unfortunately, it’s a shame. If you hadn’t been injured, I would have kept you by my side. It would be problematic to have a lieutenant who returns injured from the Immigrant Tribe.”
“Is that so?”
“Then why are you asking? You still have plenty of time left in the North.”
I momentarily closed my mouth at her doubting question, but I knew I couldn’t keep it hidden forever.
There wasn’t much time left.
I had no choice.
Two days until the New Year, and thinking about returning to the center to join Adrian afterward, I realized I only had about a week to spare.
I wished I had more time, but it seemed I had to say it now.
I caught a glimpse of Adele staring at me blankly and cautiously opened my mouth.
“I’m planning to go back.”
Silence hung in the air for a moment before Adele, still staring at me with her mouth closed, replied with an incredulous laugh.
“What?”
“I’m thinking of going to the center and then heading south again. I was already planning to go south, but because of Teresa, I need to move a little faster.”
“South, huh.”
As she muttered that, Adele’s expression gradually darkened. She brushed her face with her hand and looked at me quietly.
She was probably trying to figure out what I meant by this.
After a long pause while our eyes met, Adele moved her lips again.
“I told you not to go alone. No matter how much your fiancée is waiting, don’t you think it’s obvious?”
“I’m not going alone.”
“Then who are you going with?”
“…I think I’ll be traveling with the Saintess. The original plan was to go to the Temple of the Moon, after all.”
Upon hearing the word ‘Saintess,’ Adele squinted for a moment and sipped her tea.
The slight smirk at the corners of her lips was mocking.
It was a habit that showed when her mood soured. Was she reacting to the word ‘Saintess,’ or did she simply dislike the idea of my trip to the south?
As I guessed her inner thoughts, Adele’s voice reached my ears.
“You have a knack for annoying people.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I haven’t asked you anything. I don’t plan to stop you from returning either. I figured you’d be uncomfortable, since it was obvious you detested such things.”
Her brows knitted between her furrowed frown.
With an incredulous gesture, Adele continued.
“I don’t know anything about you. Other than you’re the firstborn of the Taylor family, that you wield a sword better than expected, and that you owe some unknown favor to the princess. Yet, I’ve been considerate of you.”
“……”
For a moment, her lips fell silent, and a brief silence ensued.
Adele looked frustrated, as if she had plenty to say, but was struggling to organize her thoughts.
So I waited. Until she could express whatever it was she wanted to say.
Then, she curled her lips in a teasing smile.
“But now you’re saying you’re off to see the Saintess? After stirring up my feelings like this, just to do what you want? I find that pretty selfish.”
“I didn’t do it on purpose—”
“If it wasn’t on purpose, are you trying to mess around with me?”
Her words were far from the reaction I had expected.
I thought she would question my early departure, but I never anticipated such a sharp response.
I thought about it, but I didn’t expect her to react so sharply.
The truth is, I was flustered. The emotions mixed in Adele’s voice seemed more like…
She looked like she was truly disappointed.
The feelings peeking through her trembling eyes were complex.
While she was annoyed with me, it felt like her disappointment outweighed that.
Now, finally, I was bringing up things like leaving the North to go elsewhere.
It’s just a guess, but I also brought up being with the Saint.
What caught my attention was Adele’s lips. They were already pale from being bitten.
For a moment, when her quivering lips relaxed, the marks of her bite were clearly visible.
“…Are you feeling jealous?”
The words that suddenly sprang to my mind slipped out, and I was startled without realizing it.
It was a thought born from her uncharacteristic response.
Since she was reacting that way to my words about going with the Saint, it tied back to how sensitive she had been about the Saint for quite some time.
She would surely deny it.
Just as I thought that and was about to speak again, Adele stepped closer and pushed me toward the wall.
Thud, my chest was unexpectedly pushed back easily.
With my back against the wall, I frowned slightly at Adele facing me.
“Did you say jealousy?”
“I don’t think that’s exactly it, but…”
We were close enough to feel each other’s breath.
Her eyes were slightly red, visible even through the tiny gaps between her eyes.
Facing her at that distance, her scent was sweet.
The rose fragrance I was so used to tickled my nose, making me blink at the strange feeling that momentarily arose.
“It’s jealousy.”
I stood there dazed for a moment, wondering if I had heard correctly, but Adele continued without giving me a chance to collect myself.
“It’s true that I don’t like the idea of you leaving the North. I still have things I want to say. Who gives you the right to just leave without my permission?”
“…Your Excellency.”
Her delicate hand gently grasped my collar.
She held my shirt so tightly that it wrinkled, then leaned closer to whisper into my ear.
Her words were soft enough for only me to hear, yet they seeped into my consciousness.
“You wouldn’t be too busy to wait for two days, would you?”
As I nodded slightly, satisfied with my answer, Adele slowly released her grip.
While she tidied her cloak, I was left speechless until she sat down again.
Waving her hand, she added,
“I have something I want to show you.”
So stay.
That was such a typical statement from her, I couldn’t help but smile bitterly.
It was absurd; I was struggling to comprehend the situation.
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