Chapter 10
But—why is Blake here?
And wasn’t he supposed to still be in his office with Alec?
What on earth happened in that short span of time for Blake to be here, with his shoes in such a mess?
Before I could even process my confusion, Blake looked down at me with a gentle expression and greeted me.
Which was…strange.
Blake, with a gentle face? And greeting me now, when he had just seen me moments ago?
Dumbfounded, I couldn’t answer for a while, just stared blankly at him, until finally I blurted out:
“Your Highness?”
“Yes, my wife.”
Even the word wife felt awkward now.
Lately, hadn’t he taken to calling me master just for fun?
The Blake in front of me, basking in the warm sunlight, smiled softly.
Then he slowly lifted his hand and tucked the strands of hair blown loose by the breeze behind my ear.
Every gesture was so natural, and his hand against my ear was warm.
“You were just in your office a moment ago…what are you doing here?”
“I came to see you.”
“Me? But you just saw me, and now suddenly…did something happen?”
“No, nothing happened.”
His casual tone was warm and tender, his voice soft and gentle, and the smile on his lips stayed warm throughout.
His broad shoulders even seemed cozy.
Which only made it all the more bewildering!
Where had my dangerously alluring, decadent-looking husband gone?
Where was the mischievous smirk, the biting sarcasm, the endless teasing?
Where was the stiff, commanding tone he used as though addressing his subordinates?
But Blake showed no sign of answering any of my questions.
Instead, as if dreaming, he came closer and suddenly pressed his large hand over mine, rubbing my hand against his face.
“Uh…”
Everything about him that touched me was warm.
But just yesterday, aside from his lips, everything about him had been ice-cold…
Dazed, I stared at my hand—resting against his face, stroking it against my will—and realized his complexion now had color.
Where had that ghastly pallor gone?
Before me stood a Blake who looked full of life, as if he had never known death.
After throwing me into this whirlpool of confusion, he abruptly changed the subject.
“My wife, what kind of dress will you wear to the Autumn Harvest Festival?”
Such an unexpected question, about such an ill-fitting topic.
“…Pardon?”
The Harvest Festival was a grand autumn celebration.
The Imperial Palace would host a large-scale ball, and it seemed he was asking what dress I’d wear to it.
Wasn’t the festival still about a month away?
Blake’s question, so out of the blue, left me more confused than ever.
When I just gawked at him, he pressed again, his face a little more rigid.
“Don’t tell me you plan to dance with Ian Harmel again this year?”
“With Ian…Harmel?”
I mean, I’ve been in Ariel’s body for exactly a year now.
At last year’s Harvest Festival, I didn’t dance with anyone—I just stood like a wallflower and left.
So why on earth was he asking if I planned to dance with Ian again?
Even after becoming crown prince, Blake had never attended the Harvest Festival.
Not even after our marriage.
So how would he know who I danced with last year—or even care?
Lost in his baffling words, I opened and closed my mouth a few times.
But when Blake’s expression grew colder, I quickly shook my head.
Then his eyes curved gently, his voice sweet and tender.
“Good. If you’d paired your dress with his and danced with him again…I might’ve killed him.”
…Killed him?
Those words, murderous and chilling, didn’t match his gentle tone at all. I doubted my ears.
But Blake just smiled serenely, as though nothing were amiss.
A shiver ran down my spine.
Everything about him was warm and gentle, yet a frightening madness seemed to lurk beneath.
Then, as if making a shy little wish, he spoke again:
“…Then at this year’s Harvest Festival, wear a red dress for me, my lovely Ariel.”
“A…red dress? Why red?”
“Because my eyes are red.”
“…Excuse me? But Your Highness, your eyes are blue.”
See? Even now, his eyes—curved like crescents—were unmistakably…
Blue.
Glittering blue under the sunlight, so strange and eerie.
But to my question, he gave no reply—only kept smiling at me.
I didn’t know what to do with him, and the air grew suffocating.
Just then—
“Ah, Your Highness! So this is where you were? I thought you were in your office! Oh, and Her Highness is here too?”
A bright, cheery male voice came from behind.
Light brown hair, a sprinkle of freckles.
A young man, fresh out of the academy, no doubt—Blake’s aide, Ron.
Ron came up with a sunny smile, greeted me politely, and introduced himself.
“Hello, Your Highness! I’m Ron, His Highness’s aide. Uh…wait, where did he go?”
“…What?”
“I—I swear His Highness was just here—”
The instant I turned to glance at Ron, Blake vanished.
But this was the middle of a road, surrounded only by tall buildings.
Even if he’d run off, there was nowhere to hide in such a short moment.
It was as if he had evaporated into thin air, as though he’d never been there at all.
Ron and I stared at each other, frozen, and then—
“Eeeek!”
“Ahhhh! A g-ghost!”
Shrieking in terror, we bolted straight to Blake’s office to find the real one.
“Your Highness! We—we just saw a ghost that looked exactly like you…!”
We burst into the office, trembling.
Thankfully, Alec was already gone.
Only Blake was there, sandwich in one hand, papers in the other.
His indifferent expression was the very Blake I knew—my husband.
He raised an eyebrow at our breathless entrance, as if to ask why we were running together.
Ron, nearly in tears, babbled desperately.
“I—I swear I saw Your Highness standing there, but when I greeted you, you suddenly disappeared!”
“…Ron.”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Have you lost your mind since this morning?”
Ron turned to me, eyes pleading, not wanting to be branded a liar.
I, still panting, nodded emphatically.
But Blake, uninterested, muttered:
“Stop wasting energy on nonsense and finish the work I assigned.”
“I-it’s true! I really saw him! He even—”
“Even what?”
“H-he held my hand. And asked what dress I’d wear for the festival…”
At that, Blake silently gazed at my hand.
I couldn’t tell what he was thinking, but he didn’t look convinced at all.
But I did see a ghost!
Frustrated, I stepped forward and grabbed the hand he was holding the papers with.
Sure enough, his hand was cold to the touch.
“See? Your hand is cold. But that ghost’s hand was warm…”
“My wife.”
Blake called me in the same tender tone the ghost had used, his eyes curved gently.
A chill raced down my spine.
And then he added, true to form, something deadly:
“Didn’t I tell you earlier to stay away from me?”
“…Ah.”
Right—he had said being near me made him drowsy, and since he had to go out, I should keep my distance.
Awkwardly, I loosened my grip on his hand.
But instead, he grasped mine firmly, set his sandwich down, and stood.
Looking down at me, he tugged me along.
“Well then, since you’re here, you can come with me.”
“…Where?”
“Ron, did you dispose of yesterday’s files?”
“Y-yes, sir!”
“Good. Count Janiel will be coming soon, so leave the report for him. After that, just organize today’s documents and you can leave.”
“What? But I just got here…”
Ron’s bewildered face met Blake’s look that clearly said, Then don’t leave and keep working if you want.
“…Yes, sir!”
Ron straightened, replying brightly with a big smile.
Smart kid.
Meanwhile, I was being dragged away, still clueless where to.
I kept glancing up at Blake, peppering him with questions, but he gave me no answer, only led me outside.
A carriage I hadn’t noticed before was waiting beyond the Crown Prince’s palace.
He escorted me in as though it were the most natural thing.
Dazed, I found myself whisked into an outing with him.
“So, where are we going?”
Only after we were seated inside did Blake finally release my hand.
At my question, he answered coolly:
“The temple.”
