episode_0039

Despite having overindulged and tossed in bed, I woke up at my usual time.

I had seen the fruits of my continuous efforts, but I couldn’t afford to be complacent.

While building is difficult, collapse can happen in an instant.

If I repeat the same day as yesterday a few times, I’ll quickly return to the past.

Ugh.

I tried to get up from the bed, but succumbed to the rare hangover, groaning and lying back down.

How did I endure such painful things in the past? The regretful me from the past felt truly pathetic.

As I blankly stared at the ceiling, yesterday’s events began flooding my mind.

“I’m going crazy.”

It was so dreadful that it couldn’t be expressed with words like “pathetic.”

I wished there was a mouse hole to crawl into and stay all day.

What face did I have to be jealous like this?

Even if I could give 100 points, causing her pain because of jealousy should not be allowed.

I heard some people become like dogs when they drink, but I didn’t know it was me.

In the end, everything was entirely my fault.

Drinking and uttering those words were all me.

Sighing deeply, I wiped my face with my palm.

I felt utterly lost about how to face her.

Then, I heard a knocking on the door.

It was Melina who had come.

My heart was so complicated, yet everyday life was about to begin as usual.

“Come in.”

I said, getting up.

My face wrinkled with a piercing headache, but soon I regained composure, nodding.

“Young master, are you coughing?”

Melina, entering the room, placed a teacup on the table.

“What’s that?”

“It’s a tea good for hangovers. I thought it might help…”

Without listening to her words, I grabbed the teacup and drank it in one go.

I wasn’t sure about the effect, but the taste was definitely unpleasant.

The remaining drowsiness scattered away, which wasn’t bad.

After a brief wash, I regained my composure and slipped out of the room.

I was quite tense, wondering if I might run into Luna.

However, contrary to my expectations, as I emerged into the corridor, my gaze instinctively turned toward the tightly closed door.

I felt as though the door would open any moment and Luna would peek out, shyly nodding and greeting me with a good morning.

If we did meet, what should I say?

Would it be better to start with an apology, or simply receive her good morning greeting?

Of course, it was all in vain.

Would she even bother to greet me?

Moreover, it was too early for anyone to be awake.

The sky was still dim, and she was probably still wandering in her dreams.

Whether it was fortunate or regrettable, I harbored a strange mix of emotions as I took my steps forward.

At that moment…

Creak—

The sound of the door opening reached my ears.

I quickly turned my head, only to find Luna standing there.

She looked quite fatigued, as if she hadn’t slept well.

Luna blinked her eyes at me, then closed them and nodded slightly.

It was a greeting.

“Luna, I…,”

What I had considered mere daydreams had become reality.

I opened my mouth to not miss this opportunity, but she brushed past me, hastening her steps.

The words I tried to convey dissipated into thin air.

Her retreating figure, the silent hallway—it felt like I had gone back to that day.

The day when, for the first time, I saw you as a woman, not just a friend.

Feeling as if all my efforts until now had been in vain, I stood there dazed for a moment before finally moving on.

As I stepped outside, the knights were already prepared and waiting for me.

The captain of the knights spoke.

“Young master, you are later than usual today.”

“I’m sorry. I’ll get ready right away.”

“It’s alright. Take your time.”

While I appreciated the captain’s consideration, in this late situation, I couldn’t afford to leisurely stretch my body.

It wasn’t about rushing, just running lightly. There shouldn’t be a big problem.

I quickly loosened my body and ran along with the knights.

My body, which had been chilled in the morning air, began to warm up, and sweat formed on my forehead.

As I started to move my body, distracting thoughts disappeared, and my uncomfortable feelings subsided.

How much time had passed like that?

The knight commander running alongside me spoke quietly.

“Young master, have you been in a fight by any chance?”

“It just happened. But how did you guys know about it?”

“We also have eyes to see and ears to hear. Moreover, with such a gloomy expression, how could we not know?”

Was I wearing a gloomy expression?

Realizing this fact, I felt ashamed for inadvertently revealing my feelings to those below me.

“Perhaps, you may or may not be aware, but…”

His trailing words slowly turned towards the garden.

“Lady Luna has been continuously looking in this direction.”

Upon his words, I immediately shifted my gaze towards the garden.

And there, I could see Luna looking in our direction from a corner.

Why is she looking this way?

Could I allow myself to hope a little?

My heart began to flutter unexpectedly.

* * * * *

The previous night.

Thud!

Luna hastily closed the window upon meeting Albert’s gaze.

Then, she sat down and brought her hands to her chest.

Thump thump.

Her heart was beating loudly.

She must have looked out the window to calm her troubled mind, but it only made her more confused.

Why was she acting this way?

Why did she hurriedly close the window upon meeting his gaze?

Why did she sit down in that spot?

It was her own actions, yet she couldn’t understand any of it.

The only thing certain was that such reactions only emerged in relation to incidents involving Master Albert.

Thinking about this point might lead to finding some answers.

With that thought, Luna lay back on her bed.

However, she couldn’t possibly fall asleep.

Her mind was filled with the events of the day, and she was also searching for the right answer to her actions.

In the end, Luna spent the night wide awake.

Since sleep wouldn’t come even if she closed her eyes, she decided to concentrate on her thoughts instead.

However, even that was not easy.

Because there were so many things I didn’t know.

I knew it as information, but I had great difficulty applying it to myself.

Gradually, the darkness that filled the sky receded, and the world began to brighten with dawn.

It seemed suffocating to stay in the room, so Luna made up her mind to go to the garden.

But come to think of it, isn’t it about time for Master Albert to go outside too?

Yesterday’s events bothered her a lot, so she felt awkward about running into anyone.

So, she decided to leave with some time in between.

He would go out first, and then she would follow shortly after.

Eventually, the door in the adjacent room opened and then closed.

It seemed like a maid went into his room.

After that, various sounds could be heard.

Luna judged that Albert had gone out.

So she slipped out of the room, only to run into him in the hallway as if it were a lie.

“What should I do…?”

She knew she had to apologize.

She spent the night worrying about what to say.

But under the gaze that silently watched her, her head turned as white as snow.

The hand that should have taken out the pen was trembling weakly.

In the end, Luna nodded her head vaguely to roughly conclude the situation and hastened her steps.

“Luna, I…”

Though she heard a voice from behind, she couldn’t bring herself to turn around, so she just kept walking forward.

And thus, she wronged him again.

She didn’t intend to ignore him, but he probably felt that way.

She felt so pathetic for not being able to apologize properly.

Finally arriving at the garden, Luna walked slowly along the path.

It was calming to look at the flowers, and it helped her thoughts to gradually organize.

Then, when she suddenly turned her head outside the garden, she saw Albert running with the knights as usual.

He looked quite exhausted. His complexion was dark, perhaps suffering from the aftermath of excessive drinking yesterday.

Maybe he should take a day off.

What on earth was he working so hard for?

Luna couldn’t tear her gaze away from Albert. She was just watching him blankly.

Of course, without realizing it.

Luna regained her senses a little while later.

After the knights and Albert’s early morning ride had ended, Luna, who belatedly came to her senses, tried to return to the mansion.

Yes, that’s how it must have been.

“Can we talk for a moment?”

Albert appeared.