episode_0026

Luna bowed her head, apologizing.

I had some expectations.

To her, I might not be a particularly special existence.

Being engaged is just a social position after all.

But it hurt.

Because to me, she was more special than anyone else.

And because I wanted to be a special existence to her as well, it made me a little sad.

I felt lonely holding her hand, so I clenched and unclenched my fist repeatedly.

While doing so, I said, “It’s okay. Please lift your head.”

Luna slowly raised her head and looked into my eyes.

In our intersecting gazes, an awkward silence settled.

It was all because I spoke unnecessarily.

Even if I dug my own grave.

But I couldn’t show such emotions outwardly, so I acted as usual.

“Shall we go then?”

We walked towards the mansion.

Me, walking while worrying about you.

You, walking beside me with an expressionless face.

Everything was as usual.

Upon arriving at the mansion, I asked the servants about my parents’ whereabouts and received the answer that they were in the study.

So, we headed towards the study.

There were things that needed to be explained.

Eventually, when we arrived in front of the study, just as I was about to knock on the door…

Creak-.

As I turned my head feeling a tug on my clothes, Luna was staring at me intently.

I lowered my hand and asked, “What’s the matter?”

“I’d like to speak to you alone.”

That was a bit…

No, very shocking.

* * * * *

“Come in.”

With permission granted, Luna opened the study door and went in alone.

It was thanks to Albert’s favor.

It was a bit regrettable for him, but it couldn’t be helped.

Everyone has something they want to hide.

Inside the study, Duke David and the Duchess were sitting side by side on the sofa, sipping tea.

Luna greeted them directly.

She held the hem of her skirt with both hands and slightly bent her upper body, just as she had intended to do in front of the mansion.

It was the most formal greeting in the empire’s etiquette.

Since her leg was no longer hurting, the greeting naturally ended successfully.

Toward Luna, Duke David, Daniel David, spoke.

“It seems your body is okay. I’m glad.”

Luna, who wanted to respond, quickly searched through her bag.

She was looking for the pen Albert had given her.

‘Oh…’

But it seemed the pen was nowhere to be found.

She tried to recall if she had left it at the clinic, but that wasn’t the case.

Certainly, she must have talked with Albert after coming out.

She even used it in front of the study.

So where on earth could it be?

‘I don’t know…’

Not only had she broken the potted plant she received as a gift, but now she had also lost the pen, causing all her thought processes to come to a halt.

She couldn’t explain herself to Albert any further.

That’s what Luna was thinking at that moment.

Lady Daisy David spoke.

“Luna, are you looking for the pen by any chance?”

Nodding vigorously, Luna’s head moved up and down.

Her dry face and truly contrasting behavior were quite something.

Daisy thought such Luna was truly adorable and continued speaking.

“If it’s the pen, it’s in your right hand. You took it out right after the greeting.”

Luna slowly lowered her gaze.

Then she saw the pen held in her right hand.

‘Really…’

The fact that she hadn’t lost the pen made her heart, which had been beating faster than usual, calm down.

Her discomfort subsided.

It was truly amazing.

Just finding the pen made her feel at ease.

Was this what relief felt like?

Thinking so, Luna nodded her head slightly and expressed her gratitude.

Her ears were slightly tinged with red, but she didn’t notice.

Anyway, now that she had found the pen, it was time to respond.

“Thank you for worrying about me. And I apologize sincerely for not giving a proper greeting earlier and for coming without notice. I am truly sorry.”

“It’s okay. In life, there are various things that happen, aren’t there? And it’s not like you did it on purpose, so there’s no need to blame yourself.”

“Thank you for understanding so generously.”

“But why is Albert not here? How can he leave my fiancée alone in a place like this?”

[That…]

Luna explained everything by moving the pen.

From why Albert was waiting outside to the reason she had suddenly come.

“You must be frustrated….”

Her handwriting was much slower compared to conversation.

However, the Duke and Duchess simply waited silently.

If her wrist hurt and she paused for a moment, she would smile as if nothing happened.

Thanks to that, Luna wrote comfortably without any burden.

Finally, when the period was put.

Daniel burst into laughter, “So, it’s because of a family mistake that the flowerpot broke, and while trying to plant it in the garden, you fell and got hurt.”

Luna nodded.

It was embarrassing to tell others, but it was the truth.

“Daniel! Luna gathered the courage to speak, and you just blurted that out without consideration?!”

Daisy, who overheard the conversation, grimaced and hit Daniel’s shoulder.

With a loud thud.

Is it normal for couples to be like this?

Thinking so, Luna thought of Albert.

The man who would eventually be connected to her as a husband.

“Hit him…?”

It was still something she couldn’t easily imagine.

Him speaking without consideration, or her hitting him, all felt like distant stories.

Suddenly being hit, Daniel looked unjust, but Daisy ignored him and said, “Luna, I understand your feelings. You’re angry and upset because your family broke the gift pot. It’s natural that you can’t tell Albert. Honestly, it’s scary. It feels like he might be disappointed.”

Luna nodded slightly.

She didn’t know if it was scary for Albert to be disappointed, but it was true that she was afraid to speak.

For some reason, she couldn’t understand the reason.

She just had that feeling.

Trying to suppress the urge to smile, Daisy was struggling.

Because Luna was so cute.

Like a teenage girl experiencing the emotion of love for the first time.

Although she didn’t really understand her emotions well, the way she moved according to her heart and sought reasons was so lovely.

Come to think of it, didn’t Luna say she didn’t have a mother?

“I should think of her as my daughter.”

A woman understands a woman’s suffering the best.

Although she is there, she is in a position to receive love and grow, not to give love.

So, let’s be a mother.

Let’s give the love that we haven’t received until now.

Of course, it doesn’t mean I will treat you like my real daughter.

It’s a bit strange for a son and a daughter to get married.

Daisy cleared her mind with a fake cough.

Anyway, there’s no other way.

“Luna, if possible, tell Albert why you came. He must be worried.”

Luna couldn’t understand.

‘Worried…?’

Even if he had fully recovered from his injury, why would he worry about her?

But she felt it was proper to explain the sudden visit, and unlike before, she nodded, thinking she could tell him now.

Maybe this was the confidence Albert had talked about.

“Oh, right. I told Marquis Iris, so it’s okay to stay as long as you want.”

[I don’t want to cause trouble…]

To be honest, she was hesitant.

She didn’t want to go back.

Maybe in the future. At least for now, she didn’t want to see Rachel’s face.

But she couldn’t easily accept it.

She already felt that she had caused enough trouble.

And no matter how good the advice was, she had learned to refuse it once out of courtesy.

However, Daisy also knew Luna’s heart.

That’s why she insisted again.

“You said you’re running away? Then just sleep outside and do it.”

[Then, I’ll be indebted without any sense of shame.]

Luna bowed slightly, feeling small.

After expressing gratitude to the Marquis and his wife several times, she escaped from the study.

And she met Albert.

He was standing in front of the study, staring blankly at the wall.

For some reason, his expression seemed lonely.

Now it was time to tell him.

Why she had come without notice, and the reasons she had tried not to say.

She had planned to confess everything without hiding anything.

But.

Why on earth.

“Lady Luna, are you okay?”

Luna facing him seemed to have stiffened completely.

She didn’t even think about moving her arms to write.

One corner of my chest felt tight, as if something was stuck.

I was sure I could have said something just a moment ago.

But I couldn’t figure out why this sudden feeling had come over me.

Gulp.

Unconsciously swallowing, she slowly began to move her hand.

[I didn’t mention it earlier, but…]

* * * * *

Luna, who came out of the study, slowly unraveled my story.

And finally, when the period of that story was put in place,

I couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

It was such a trivial reason that I had been upset about until now, it made me feel like a fool.

The fact that I couldn’t talk about such a small thing was too cute in itself.

How kind-hearted must she be?

Feeling like the frustrating feeling was being pierced through, I smiled and said,

“You don’t have to worry about the flowerpot. It’s really okay. But, I do want to see it a little. I’m curious about how the moonflower in the Iris mansion’s garden looks.”

[Then come see it next time.]

“Yes, I’ll come find you right away.”

[Oh, right. I forgot to tell you….]

What else could there be?

Thinking that, I tilted my head.

And once again, I had to doubt my eyes.

“I’ve decided to stay here for a while. I, ran away.”

Taking refuge at the duke’s estate…?

Then I can see Luna every morning.

During meals, after the midnight run, even just before bed.

“Is this self-confidence…?”

That doesn’t seem quite right.

Well, whatever.

Good things are good.