Chapter 4
Grand Duke of the North
“Take hold.”
Not long after hearing his words, Selen cautiously placed a hand on his arm.
Was this what it felt like when a small animal lightly tapped against you?
He had meant for her to lean on him and walk comfortably, but he couldn’t feel any weight at all.
Perhaps she was merely touching him out of obligation.
By the time they had crossed the corridor, descended the stairs, and reached the first-floor gallery, quite a bit of time had passed.
Now that they were finally somewhere that could truly be called outside, the sky had already gone dark.
Stars were beginning to appear one by one.
Each breath Selen took became a puff of white vapor before fading away.
By now she seemed much more confident in her footing and walked briskly toward the center of the courtyard.
Flowers struggled to bloom in the North.
Only in late spring or early summer did buds begin to appear.
At the moment, the courtyard contained nothing but bare trees standing in a desolate field.
Yet Selen didn’t seem to mind the bleak scenery at all.
She appeared happy simply to be outside.
Following the stone path laid out for pedestrians, she wandered through the courtyard.
Behind her, Varas strolled at a leisurely pace.
He watched as she looked up at the stars, the trees, and the castle walls, smiling faintly to herself.
Then, while surveying her surroundings with that same smile, her gaze happened to land on him.
Their eyes met briefly.
For just a moment.
Yet Varas felt as though her smile deepened.
That fleeting eye contact left the back of his head tingling.
Afterward, he found himself unable to meet her gaze again.
She no longer looked in his direction.
Perhaps she was avoiding him on purpose.
Instead, she kept her attention fixed on the stars and the towering walls.
Whatever the reason, the expression of wonder on her face—
…was pleasant to look at.
Pleasant enough that he found himself thinking it had been worth bringing her outside after all.
Selen felt as though she had stepped into a real medieval castle.
Back when she dreamed of making it in Hollywood someday, she often imagined herself working overseas.
Those fantasies always became strongest whenever a medieval fantasy movie or drama was released.
A world of magic and spirits.
A world filled with adventures and legends.
Standing here in the middle of a massive castle and looking at an actual building—not a set—felt dreamlike.
Then suddenly, her steps stopped.
What if she could never return to Korea?
If that happened, would she be forced to live as the original Selen had?
Would she spend the rest of her life in a beautiful, luxurious room she could never leave?
Slowly, her gaze drifted toward Varas.
She thought about the enormous man standing there, radiating intimidation and coldness.
Escaping someone like him seemed impossibly difficult.
And what if she became attached to him?
What if she grew emotionally dependent on him without ever receiving his love in return?
What then?
Couldn’t she change things, even a little?
Couldn’t they at least become the sort of couple who took walks together and shared meals?
If they were destined to live as husband and wife, wouldn’t that be better?
Of course it would.
The problem was something else.
Selen had absolutely no idea how to win his heart.
And even if she knew how…
Could she actually do it?
She wasn’t confident.
At that moment, she even wished she had played more romantic roles during her acting days.
A long breath escaped her lips.
White mist drifted through the cold air.
Even dogs didn’t usually stay outside this long on snowy days.
She was clearly cold.
So why wasn’t she asking to go back inside?
Standing some distance away, Varas observed everything about her.
The tilt of her chin toward the sky.
The strands of hair caught on a branch.
The delicate fingers brushing them away.
The occasional glimpse of her shoes beneath her skirt.
Even the way her ears gradually reddened from the cold.
Then she stopped moving.
Slowly, she turned her eyes toward him.
For a moment, Varas felt as though lightning had struck him.
What had she been thinking about?
She had spent so long gazing at the stars and walls.
What thoughts had filled her mind?
Why did her eyes suddenly look so empty?
At first, he thought he must be mistaken.
But even after several long moments, the emptiness remained.
He had seen eyes like that before.
Many times.
Countless times.
Those were the eyes of people about to die on the battlefield.
Resignation.
But why would she look like that?
He hadn’t brought her here to die.
Maybe he was simply too far away and seeing things incorrectly.
Determined to make sure, Varas strode toward her.
He intended to grab her arm and turn her around.
Then he remembered how light she had felt when she fell against him earlier.
How tiny her waist had been.
If her waist was that fragile, how delicate must her arms be?
Clicking his tongue in irritation, he swallowed his frustration and walked past her instead, stopping in front of her.
A trace of confusion appeared on her face.
Yet the look in her eyes remained unchanged.
Damn it.
She had seemed happy when they first came outside.
Hadn’t she smiled while looking at the shabby courtyard and old walls?
Then why had her eyes gone empty after looking at him?
Why should he care?
She had probably just remembered that he was her husband.
Standing close enough now to see her clearly, he noticed that her cheeks and nose had turned bright red from the cold.
Then why hadn’t she asked to go inside?
Why should he care?
Maybe she had planned to freeze to death out here.
The thought irritated him far more than it should have.
Varas struggled to keep his temper under control.
He reminded himself not to raise his voice.
Not to lose patience.
What he couldn’t understand was why he was making such an effort for a woman he had literally paid for.
After clearing the tightness from his throat, he spoke as calmly as possible.
“It would be best to go inside now.”
Selen blinked.
With her wide eyes and innocent expression, she resembled a harmless little animal.
A creature so naïve that it couldn’t distinguish danger from safety.
At his suggestion, she immediately began walking back.
Secretly, Varas had already decided that if she refused, he would simply carry her back inside like a sack of luggage.
But apparently she had enough sense to listen.
Then, after only three steps, she stopped.
Why?
Has she decided freezing to death would be preferable after all—
“Um…”
Her speech sounded clumsy.
Probably because her face had become numb from the cold.
Still, some life seemed to be returning to her eyes.
When he didn’t respond immediately, she lowered her head as though losing courage.
Without thinking, Varas spoke.
“Go on.”
At his encouragement, she looked back up.
For some reason, the sight made something tighten pleasantly in his chest.
It wasn’t unpleasant.
Just… strange.
“Could I borrow your arm?”
For a moment, Varas simply stared.
Then he immediately strode over and stood beside her.
Offering his arm, he glanced down.
Her strength seemed completely spent.
She was trembling faintly.
People never noticed how tired they were while enjoying themselves.
Now came the long journey back:
through the gallery,
up the stairs,
along the corridor,
all the way to the Grand Duchess’s room.
Could her legs even manage it?
How could someone so fragile—
like a glass doll,
no, a sugar doll—
possibly walk that far?
The concern was entirely unnecessary.
Selen took his arm and steadily made her way back.
It took a while, but she reached the room under her own power.
While they had been gone, Anna must have stopped by.
All the windows were closed.
The fireplace had warmed the room.
When the door shut behind them and they were left alone, an awkward silence immediately settled over the room.
Neither knew what to say.
Eventually, Selen moved first.
Now that she was back in the warmth, feeling gradually returned to her body.
Wanting to warm herself further, she removed the cold cloak draped over her shoulders.
Varas watched absentmindedly as it pooled onto the floor.
Then he followed her with his eyes as she crossed the room and sat before the fireplace.
Before he realized it, he had wandered after her and taken a seat nearby.
The flickering firelight cast a mysterious glow across her face.
As she basked in the warmth, her eyes slowly closed.
Only after she shut them did Varas finally manage to look at her properly.
Until now, her direct gaze had always distracted him.
He noticed the loose strands of hair across her forehead.
The pale golden curls.
The matching eyebrows.
The straight bridge of her nose.
Her peach-like cheeks.
Her full lips.
For some reason, the sight unsettled him.
Then those small lips parted.
She drew in a deep breath.
One eyebrow twitched as she let out a sleepy yawn.
Opening her eyes, Selen immediately glanced at Varas.
Had he seen her yawning with her mouth wide open?
Fortunately, he appeared to be sitting quietly beside her, watching sparks drift from the fireplace.
Relieved, she drew her knees up and wrapped her arms around them.
Resting her temple on her knees, she began observing him in return.
Even sitting down, he looked enormous.
She found herself thinking that if she rolled over and curled up against him, she would disappear completely within his embrace.
The thought startled her.
Why was she imagining that?
Ridiculous.
For now, it was fine.
She had gone far too long without any romantic interest in her life.
That didn’t mean she lacked desires altogether.
Perhaps it was only natural.
A man who perfectly matched her ideal type had suddenly appeared in her life.
That had to be the reason.
Repeating that explanation to herself, Selen gradually felt sleepiness creeping in.
Meanwhile, once he realized her gaze had finally left him, Varas looked back at her again.
Where had he stopped?
His eyes naturally drifted toward her lips.
Then lower.
Following the line of her jaw.
His throat bobbed.
There was no reason he couldn’t hold her.
And yet…
He couldn’t.
Why?
