~Chapter 122~
“……”
For some reason, I felt a little emotional.
The Duke always told me to respect myself.
Every time he said that—
It really felt like I had become someone precious.
“I will.”
I quietly nodded my head.
Then the Duke’s expression softened, and once again, he gently rested his head on my shoulder.
His pale platinum hair fell loosely over me.
“Feels nice.”
The Duke muttered softly, almost like a sigh.
I smiled.
“Me too.”
We leaned against each other for a long while.
‘Ah, he smells nice.’
I had always noticed it before—the Duke carried a refreshing scent, like a forest breeze.
Enjoying that fragrance, I suddenly asked:
“Do you use any special perfume, my lord?”
“Well… I usually wear Tobre perfume. Why do you ask?”
His voice carried a hint of confusion.
I answered without thinking much.
“Because it smells nice.”
“……”
The Duke fell silent, then let out a quiet laugh.
“Really? Hearing you say that makes me happy.”
“It’s true. I’ve always thought so.”
He lifted his gaze toward me.
“Now that I think about it, I don’t know much about Lady Ansie’s tastes.”
And from that, he began asking questions.
“What color do you prefer?”
“Hmm…”
I hesitated for a moment, but then I noticed his blue eyes staring at me.
Without thinking, I answered:
“I like blue.”
“I see.”
He nodded and asked again.
“Do you prefer patterned cravats, or plain ones?”
“Well… it depends, but usually plain ones.”
“And shoes—glossy or matte?”
“I don’t really mind. As long as they match the outfit, I think.”
Why was he asking me all this?
Still, I answered him seriously.
It was a casual, scattered conversation, but I found it fun.
Then—
‘Huh?’
The Duke’s words started to slow down.
“So, about Eva clinging to Lady Ansie all the time…”
He mumbled something, and then—
Thud.
The Duke’s head slumped against my shoulder.
His breathing became slow and steady.
He had fallen asleep.
‘Maybe the chamomile tea helped?’
I glanced at his half-empty teacup.
It could’ve been a placebo, but still—
What mattered was that his fatigue was easing, even a little.
Just then, Lady Eva returned to the living room.
“Lari, I—!”
“Shh.”
I quickly raised a finger to my lips.
The moment she saw her brother asleep on my shoulder, her face twisted in disbelief.
“Unbelievable.”
She muttered under her breath, low but full of complaint.
“Anyone would think he’s the only one in the world who knows how to fall in love.”
Still, perhaps because she didn’t want to wake him, her voice stayed quiet.
“Well, even so…”
She walked softly over to us. Looking down at her brother with a frown, she then smiled faintly.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen him sleep so peacefully.”
“That’s good then.”
“But shouldn’t we wake him up? It’s about time for bed.”
“No, it’s fine. He’s finally resting well.”
I shook my head.
“I’ll stay just a little longer before going.”
Eva teased me.
“Oh, I see. You want to spend sweet, cozy time together as lovers?”
“N-no, that’s not it…!”
She laughed softly and turned away.
“Alright, I get it. But don’t stay up too late, okay?”
“Yes, I won’t.”
“Good night, Lari.”
“Sweet dreams, Eva.”
With those warm words, Lady Eva left the room.
Watching her go, I let out a small yawn.
“Haaam…”
Maybe it was because we had spent the whole day walking through the department store and shopping district, but my eyelids grew heavy.
I tried my best to resist sleep, forcing my eyes wide open.
But slowly, inevitably, drowsiness took over.
At last, I closed my eyes.
Dawn
Dietrich stirred awake.
Where… was he?
For a moment, he couldn’t quite recognize his surroundings. Blinking with a dazed expression, he looked around.
Through the half-open curtains, pale moonlight poured in. The living room, half-covered in darkness and half in silver light, felt both strange and dreamlike.
Then—
‘Hm?’
He froze.
Soft, steady breathing came from nearby.
Turning slightly, he saw Laritte fast asleep, leaning against him.
It seemed she had stayed by his side, waiting while he slept… until she dozed off as well.
Carefully, he shifted so she could rest more comfortably on his shoulder.
“……”
His blue eyes softened.
The cold, iron-blooded Duke—who was often called too calm, almost inhuman—was nowhere to be found.
Dietrich gazed down at the sleeping Laritte with warmth.
“…It feels like a dream.”
Never before had he wanted someone so much.
Never before had he felt so full, just from someone’s presence beside him.
Everything was new.
And Dietrich welcomed that unfamiliar happiness with all his heart.
“Mm…”
Just then, Laritte stirred softly, her lashes fluttering as she slowly opened her eyes.
Her long, dark lashes quivered.
Beneath them, her clear pink eyes shimmered faintly in the moonlight.
“……”
Dietrich stared, as if spellbound.
At that moment, he understood perfectly what a miracle was.
Inside those beautiful eyes, there was only him.
Still half-drowsy, she met his gaze and smiled faintly.
That smile—was a miracle.
“Ah…”
Laritte, staring at him in a daze, muttered softly like a sigh.
“How can you be this handsome…?”
“…?”
The sudden compliment made him blink in surprise.
She gazed at him for a while longer, then whispered slowly, as if to herself:
“Having the Duke right here beside me… it must be a dream.”
The way she said it—“like a dream”—was the exact same as his own feelings.
Dietrich pressed down on the laugh threatening to escape.
Soon, Laritte leaned her head back against him and drifted off again.
He pulled her gently into his arms, holding her delicate shoulders.
“This is driving me crazy.”
It was like having a giant piece of candy in his mouth—sweetness overflowing everywhere.
If loveliness could be shaped into a human form, it would surely be Laritte.
Dietrich truly believed that.
The first thing I felt was sunlight brushing against my eyes.
“Mmm…”
I frowned at the brightness.
Then suddenly, a shadow fell over my face.
As if someone was shielding me with their hand.
‘Wait… is that…?’
I almost slipped back into sleep, content with the shade—until realization struck.
‘A shadow? A hand shadow?!’
Startled, I opened my eyes wide.
At the same time, the hand lifted away from my face.
The Duke’s gentle voice reached me.
“Did you sleep well?”
Awwww🥰🥰
So cute 🥺