Chapter 26
“Do You Like Me?”
I once saw red blood fall on pure white snow.
A cruel contrast—the winter battlefield, where blood poured from dying bodies.
Lukas used to look at that blood with eyes full of emptiness and despair.
But now… why couldn’t he look that way?
Why did her lips—flushed red like a camellia bloom on the snow—capture his gaze so completely?
“Lukas…?”
Rosedale felt the heat of his fingertip against her lips.
His burning gaze didn’t let her go. The longer he stared at her lips, the more his eyes, too, turned red—as if the color was bleeding into him.
She gazed back at him—and suddenly jumped in alarm.
“Lukas! Do you have a fever?!”
“…What?”
Lukas froze, his hand still near her lips.
But Rosedale, swept up in her own concern, didn’t even notice his expression. She smacked both hands to his cheeks, checking his face in a panic.
“Humans get sick and run fevers all the time, right? This must be one of those times!”
“That’s not—”
“Come closer! Let me check!”
“Wait, Ro—!”
Before he could react, Rosedale leaned in so close their lips were just a breath apart.
Lukas’s eyes widened as her face hovered right in front of his.
“Calm down, Rozi.”
Before something happened, Lukas gently took her wrist and chuckled.
He couldn’t look away from her worried face—like she was on the verge of tears.
“I’m not sick. I’m fine.”
“Liar. You’re hotter than usual. Your face is all red!”
“Just… tired.”
Even as he explained it was from overwork, her concern didn’t ease.
She stared hard at him like she was trying to read the truth from his pores.
His color was slowly returning to normal.
As a swordmaster, he had more stamina and rarely fell ill. But still—tired was tired. Sick was sick.
“Nope. That’s it. You’re coming to rest with me.”
“What?”
Before he could stop her, she grabbed his hand and pulled.
“Let’s sneak out for a quick walk. Just holding hands, then we come right back. You trust me, right?”
“…Y-Yeah. Of course.”
Totally unaware of how romantic her words sounded, Rosedale tugged Lukas toward the window—like a scene out of a novel teens weren’t allowed to read.
“There are guards at the door, so let’s go out the window.”
“Alright.”
He had no choice but to follow her dazedly.
The cool night breeze brushed their foreheads. A full moon lit the silent garden, its starlight pouring over the quiet landscape.
They stood in peace for a long moment.
“Shall we go?”
Lukas placed one foot on the window ledge and held out his hand.
In that moonlight, he didn’t look human. His black hair shimmered like a galaxy, his boyish features like a sculpture shaped by gods.
Rosedale grabbed his hand in a hurry, afraid he might disappear like light.
He smiled softly.
That smile—like a silver crescent moon—made Rosedale feel as though she had conquered the sky itself.
“Let’s go.”
“Okay.”
Just as she was about to lift them down with magic, her feet left the ground—
Lukas lifted her into his arms.
“Hold on tight, Rozi.”
“Huh?”
Before she could even ask, he jumped—three stories down.
No hesitation. No shaking. He landed lightly.
Rosedale stared in shock as he gently set her down.
“Lukas! Are you sure you’re human? How can you survive a fall like that?!”
“I use aura.”
He shrugged casually.
There were so few swordmasters in the world that Rosedale had never studied aura in detail.
With her hands over her mouth, she could only gape at his ability.
“That was amazing. Like riding an eagle.”
“…That’s a compliment, right?”
Her unique phrasing caught him off guard.
But seeing her sincere, sparkling eyes, he smiled.
Her eyes—like twin garnets—reflected his smile back at him.
“Where should we go now? Is there somewhere you want to show me?”
“Let’s go to the northern palace. I want to show you the garden we made.”
“As you wish, Rozi.”
As they walked, she chatted happily.
She told him about how Liamson showed her a high-level magic circle, how tasty dinner was—simple things.
But for her, these were treasured memories, and she wanted Lukas to know them all.
And he did.
He listened to every word with care, soaking it in.
When Rosedale talked and Lukas listened, even trivial things sounded like epic tales.
Lost in their own world, they walked on.
“Rozi. Hold on.”
Lukas suddenly stopped, shielding her with his arm.
They were nearly at the garden.
“Someone’s there.”
“Huh?”
Peeking from behind his chest, Rosedale spotted a figure crouched in the garden.
By the dim candlelight, someone was carefully doing something…
“It’s Todd!”
“Todd? The one you told me about?”
“Yeah. Why’s he still here?”
Most staff would’ve gone home by now. There was no reason for him to be there so late.
“What’s he doing?”
“Looks like he’s taking care of the herbs.”
“…Ah!”
It was the same patch that had been crushed when Philippe fell.
Todd was carefully supporting the plant with thin stakes.
“No wonder the herbs didn’t die…”
He’d been nursing them back night after night.
Yet he said nothing to Philippe the next day. Just endured her coldness.
“He must really like her. That Philippe person.”
“Yeah…”
His words were sharp, but his heart wasn’t bad.
Rosedale smiled softly, thinking it might be time to shoot that gold arrow of love at Philippe.
But right then—
“What are you doing?”
Philippe appeared.
She stomped over to Todd with a deep frown.
“Messing with my herbs again?!”
“N-No! I was just—”
Startled, Todd stood up.
Philippe looked down at the plant and froze.
The herbs were upright—supported by clumsy, but gentle sticks. Nutrients were injected like an IV.
Her eyes widened.
“You…”
“…”
Todd looked down, fidgeting. His usual cocky words wouldn’t come out.
His hunched shoulders looked painfully small to Lukas and Rosedale.
“This is better than an opera.”
“Shh!”
Rosedale covered Lukas’s mouth.
Hiding behind a tree, they continued watching.
Though it was dark, their enhanced senses let them see clearly.
Their faces were lit up with fascination—like a couple on a movie date.
“What were you doing?”
Philippe asked again. Her voice had softened. The anger was gone.
Todd didn’t answer.
The team had warned him—his words often came out wrong.
He was scared that anything he said would hurt her again.
“I asked you what you were doing.”
“You’ve… been taking care of my herbs, haven’t you?”
“…Yeah.”
Todd finally whispered.
Philippe scoffed softly.
“Why? You’re a noble. Why get your hands dirty like this?”
“…”
She stared at him.
The proud, arrogant noble boy now looked so… small.
She remembered what Liamson had said:
“Todd really regrets what happened. He just didn’t know how to be close to you.”
“Why?”
Only one question remained in Philippe’s heart.
“Why did you treat me so badly? Everyone else on the team is a commoner too. Why was I the only one you picked on?”
“Because…”
He bit his lip hard.
Philippe continued, her voice rising.
“Why did you give me snacks and gifts like you were doing me a favor? Why try to act strong only when I needed help? Why always seek my attention? Why, Todd? Why?!”
She looked at the small man standing before her.
That arrogant young noble.
Who never bowed to anyone—but stood meekly before her now.
Who stayed behind after hours, getting dirty.
Who endured being ignored—just to be near her.
“Don’t tell me…”
Her lips trembled as she asked,
“Do you… like me?”
