Chapter 19
Hernan came out to the garden about ten minutes earlier than the time he was supposed to arrive at the duke’s residence. Since he was feeling good today, he decided to come out and greet him.
It was ten minutes before 3 PM. The weather was perfect.
Standing under the warm afternoon sunlight, it felt like all the weakness of this body had completely disappeared.
The neatly trimmed grass swayed in the same direction whenever the wind blew, and a faint floral scent drifted through the air from somewhere unknown.
It felt like something good was about to happen—a wonderful premonition.
How long had I been lightly tapping my shoes against the ground like that? Soon, I heard the rattling sound of carriage wheels.
It was the only sound cutting through the quiet duke’s residence.
The closer the carriage got, the more nervous I became. My heart began to beat much faster than usual.
I knew who was inside that carriage—and how handsome he was. That must be why I felt so excited.
I swallowed dryly. It wasn’t even our first meeting, so why was I this nervous?
At last, the carriage stopped in front of me.
The coachman quickly jumped down and opened the carriage door.
Someone began to step out.
The first thing I saw was a pair of black shoes.
They were polished so well that they almost hurt my eyes from how much they shined. Clearly, they had been carefully cleaned.
Next, I saw black pants that highlighted a sensual Achilles tendon.
The pants weren’t too wide or too tight, but they fit snugly around the thighs, making them stand out.
Perfect pants for showing off one’s thighs.
I slowly lifted my gaze from the shoes upward. His legs were incredibly long.
Finally, my eyes reached his face.
An expressionless face, tinged with a strange loneliness.
His good physique and calm face gave off a natural sense of pressure.
But I knew just how cute and kind this man really was.
I called out his name loudly.
“Prince Hernan!”
Hernan looked at me and gave a small smile. As he smiled, his face softened.
The contrast between his expressionless face and his softened one—those who hadn’t experienced it would never understand how thrilling it was.
I clutched my chest.
‘He looks even more handsome today. Even his outfit is perfect.’
My heart felt like it might burst out of my chest from how overwhelming his handsomeness was.
It was beating far too violently.
As I leaned forward, holding my chest for a few seconds, I heard the hurried sound of Hernan’s footsteps.
He rushed over to me in an instant and tightly grabbed both my arms.
“Are you alright? Are you hurting somewhere again?”
I let out a weak breath.
“Your Highness… you’re too handsome… my heart hurts…”
“Hah.” Hernan let out a sigh of relief. He must have thought I was actually sick and got very worried.
I lifted my head and looked at his face, now much closer. It was filled with concern.
“Your Highness, I’m really fine, so you don’t need to worry.”
“……”
“But if, by any chance, I die today, the cause will be excitement.”
“That’s a cute thing to say, but I’d prefer you not speak so lightly about dying.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
Hernan chuckled softly.
“Your Highness, I also put some effort into my appearance today.”
I stretched my right leg forward.
The hem of my dress slid down, revealing my pale leg.
It was a deliberate move.
I saw Hernan’s gaze shift toward my leg.
But strangely, there was no reaction.
Instead of the wild reaction I had expected, he slightly frowned, as if displeased.
“Do you… not like it?”
“What are you talking about?”
“My leg!”
“……Haa.”
He began taking off his thin jacket.
In just two movements, he removed it and wrapped it around my waist.
It was so large that it covered almost my entire lower body.
“Hey! You’re not supposed to cover it!”
“There are many eyes watching. That outfit is dangerous.”
There are only the people you brought, Mini, and a few gardeners though?
I puffed up confidently.
“I showed it on purpose, you know?”
“……”
Hernan’s expression turned serious.
Only then did I realize I needed to fix the situation.
“I showed it because I wanted you to see it, Your Highness. Not anyone else—only you.”
“……”
“W-wait… do you prefer modest styles?”
Instead of answering, Hernan lifted me up in one motion. Just like before, I ended up in his arms.
He whispered softly.
“If it’s something you want to show me, then only dress like that when we are alone.”
Wow… he really has no filter.
So he’s not saying don’t wear it—just wear it only when we’re alone?
That’s honestly embarrassing.
Even though I was flustered inside, I answered calmly.
“Yes, Your Highness.”
I still wanted to pretend to be a well-behaved cat.
“……And I don’t care about style. Whatever you wear…”
Hernan… are you really completely into me?
I remembered a question I had asked him before.
‘Your Highness, do you like me enough to risk your life?’
I asked something similar.
“Your Highness, would you still like me even if I wore rags?”
“Clothes don’t matter. The person does. I think you would still be beautiful even in rags.”
It was a clear answer. A soft smile spread across my lips.
“How is it? Does it sound like something you’d hear in heaven?”
I looked up at his face.
“There’s nothing more heavenly than this.”
If this isn’t heaven, then what is?
“I like that answer.”
“……”
“Hmm… and…”
Hernan hesitated mid-sentence.
What was he trying to say?
“And?”
“Pa…”
Pa? Pants?
“Should I only look at you?”
He shook his head.
“Will I become a fool who only looks at you?”
Maybe I got too carried away.
He awkwardly shook his head again, about to answer.
I placed my finger on his lips.
“Shh. Let me guess!”
I felt like I could get it right this time.
Because I remembered similar situations from before.
Whenever he hesitated to say something!
If I complimented his clothes, he liked it.
There was only one clothing item that started with “pa.”
“Your Highness, the pants you’re wearing today suit you really well. They look much more stylish than the wide ones you used to wear.”
“……!”
His eyes widened immediately.
I was sure I got it right.
“Of course, the ones you wore before were nice too. With your handsome face and great body, there’s nothing that wouldn’t suit you.”
“……Thank you. I did put effort into it.”
“Thank you for that, Your Highness.”
I already looked forward to what he would wear next time.
But wait… could these pants be the ones Ishar mentioned?
I remembered Ishar complaining that Hernan copied his pants.
While wondering how long Hernan’s imitation would last, he asked:
“Rinzel. Where should we go?”
There were many options—the reception room, the garden, the balcony…
My choice was simple.
“Let’s go to my room.”
It was the most private place.
No one would see us there.
Of course, it’s not like I’m planning to do anything suspicious…
* * *
Hernan entered the duke’s residence and walked down the long hallway.
His steps were confident.
Since he had been to my room before, he seemed to remember where it was.
I glanced behind him.
A man was following him.
He had brown hair and a stubborn-looking face—a middle-aged man.
Hernan’s close aide.
The one who turned him into a villain.
It had to be Gakt.
As I was observing him, our eyes met.
I glared sharply.
He flinched slightly.
I warned him with my eyes.
‘Hey, you. If you give His Highness any strange advice, you won’t get away with it.’
He lowered his head. I wasn’t sure if he understood, but I considered it my win.
I turned my gaze back to Hernan and spoke quietly.
“Your Highness.”
“Yes.”
“Is the man behind you your aide?”
“He is.”
As expected, it was Gakt.
“I think it would be better if you didn’t listen too much to his advice.”
Hernan replied firmly.
“Gakt has assisted me for a long time.”
There was deep trust in his voice.
More trust than he had in me.
That was natural.
I had only known him for a few days, while Gakt had been by his side for years.
Still… why did that bother me?
I wanted Hernan to trust me more.
“Everything else is fine, but when it comes to romance, I think it’s better to ignore his advice…”
“Romance, huh.”
“Has he been giving you any advice?”
