67

What is this feeling?

It’s like the child who always seemed younger than me suddenly grew up.

This unfamiliarity and excitement…

After taking a short deep breath to calm my heart,

I smiled at Lucian.

“Have you been well?”

“Eh, so-so.”

Lucian shrugged casually.

“Have you been eating well lately?”

“Why are you suddenly asking? You see me every day.”

Lucian, who made such a sarcastic remark, shook his head again.

“But seriously, Lady, she always asks about my meals. It’s not like she’s my grandma worrying if her grandson has eaten after not seeing him for a long time.”

“…Really, what a comparison.”

I glanced at Lucian without malice.

Then I looked at the young man in front of me again.

“You’ve grown taller.”

“Oh, have I?”

Lucian blinked in surprise.

“Yes.”

I nodded.

Indeed, he was taller than before.

‘He seems to have grown at least an inch since we first met…’

But then.

Lucian suddenly lowered his head.

He looked straight into my eyes and squinted slightly.

“How do I look? Do I seem more like a man now?”

“…?”

Why was it that his question hit me so deeply?

Feeling a flutter in my heart, I took out the handkerchief I had kept in my pocket for no reason.

“Stop talking nonsense and wipe off your sweat.”

“…”

Then Lucian seemed to stare at the handkerchief I offered for a moment.

“Wipe it.”

With a swoosh, he closed his eyes and leaned his face towards me.

I furrowed my brows and retorted to Lucian, “Can’t you wipe off your sweat yourself?”

“Don’t wanna?”

Lucian replied brazenly.

His attitude somehow felt like a puppy begging its owner for attention.

“…”

In the end, I used the handkerchief to gently wipe the sweat off Lucian’s forehead.

Then Lucian closed his eyes and smiled softly.

“I can smell roses.”

“Well, I sprayed perfume.”

To my indifferent response, Lucian turned his gaze towards me.

“Ugh, must you retort so uninterestingly?”

The gentle summer breeze.

The clear sky.

And the beautiful youth, who willingly leaned his face towards me, as if crafted by a god.

It was truly a perfect moment, like a painting.

‘So peaceful.’

When I’m with Lucian, I feel less like the manager of this rose-shadowed mansion…

And more like just a normal ‘Elze.’

If only I could remain in this peace forever.

‘But…’

In an instant, my expression turned sharp.

‘It’s just a false peace anyway.’

In a life where I constantly watch my back, fearing for my life if I make a mistake…

As the ‘villainous Elze’ who manages the boarding school…

I can never truly claim my own life.

So I couldn’t just settle for this peace.

Above all…

‘Winter’s Heart.’

There wasn’t much time left until the gala where the Kalleid’s goblet, which could awaken Lucian, would be auctioned.

So…

“Ah…”

“…Hey.”

I gasped and looked at Lucian.

Lucian was furrowing his brows and staring at me intently.

“How can you be lost in thought to the point of not even hearing someone calling you right in front of your nose?”

“I’m sorry. What’s the matter?”

Lucian paused for a moment.

“Uh… There was a discharge today, right?”

“Yes, the Countess Martine left today.”

“I see.”

Lucian’s expression turned oddly thoughtful.

Surely, his feelings must be complicated.

Seeing Bridgette leave, even regular students envied her.

As I gazed at Lucian, I suddenly asked, “What would you like to do once you leave here, Milord?”

Perhaps revenge against Viscount Craig, or perfect control over the Kalleid Duchy.

I expected such answers, but…

“Hmm…”

Lucian, who had been lost in thought for a moment, smiled slightly.

“I want to take a walk in the park with the Lady.”

His unexpected answer left me a bit stunned.

“With me… a walk?”

“Yeah. I heard from my parents that the roses in Bringen Park are incredibly beautiful.”

Lucian explained softly.

“Once you leave here, there won’t be any shackles or watchful eyes anymore. Isn’t that so?”

“…”

“So, I just want to walk freely.”

Listening to his simple wish, I felt a painful squeeze in my chest.

And I already knew what this emotion was.

…Guilt.

“You’ll definitely be able to go out.”

I forced a smile and hid my emotions.

Lucian glanced at me again.

“Will you walk with me?”

“Of course.”

I lied as if it were natural.

With just that answer, a bright smile appeared on Lucian’s face.

“Is it a promise?”

Suddenly, I felt like the fragile tower of lies we built around our relationship could crumble at any moment.

‘Nevertheless…’

I sincerely hoped that Lucian’s smile would last a little longer.

That he wouldn’t lose his innocence…

I truly wished for that.

* * *

After lightly washing up in the bathroom attached to the gym.

Lucian returned to his cell.

“Get some rest.”

Elze, who escorted him, left with a smiling face.

And then.

Click!

The door closed.

Without looking at the closed door, Lucian absentmindedly wiped his forehead.

The sensation of Elze gently tapping his forehead with a folded handkerchief.

The proximity that was almost tangible,

…even the sweet scent of roses tickling his nose.

“…”

As Lucian reminisced about that sensation for a while, he glanced briefly at the window.

Outside the window, the garden was filled with dazzling sunlight.

At the same time, he clenched his fist tightly.

‘Someday, for sure.’

He wanted to go out there…

and walk with Elze.

* * *

In the large room flooded with bright sunlight.

Dante was busy getting ready to go out.

“So, Countess Martine left?”

Today, Dante was dressed like a businessman straight out of a catalog.

A crisply ironed white shirt, diamond cufflinks, and a luxury suit.

His newly combed hair was neatly styled to ensure not a single strand fell out of place.

Around his neck was a gorgeous cravat that Elze had given him as a gift.

“Yes, my lord.”

Liam politely nodded.

“The discharge process went smoothly. We’ve also received all the signed documents.”

“Hmm, good….”

A satisfied smile played on Dante’s lips.

Liam looked at Dante with a strange expression.

‘Certainly, compared to before, it seems my lord has become more attached to Elze.’

Since the incident at the Diorance Club, their relationship had changed quite a bit.

Before, it felt like Elze was unilaterally attached to Dante, but lately, it seemed like Dante was paying some attention to Elze as well.

Especially, Dante’s change was quite noticeable.

Dante didn’t draw a strict line with Elze as he did before, without blood or tears.

Especially recently, the two of them looked just like ordinary lovers…

‘It seems Elze has changed, after all.’

In fact, Elze had changed quite positively, much like Dante.

Unlike the time when she only begged for love and used Dante for her own purposes,

These days, she was truly diligent in her duties as a manager.

And…

‘She’s more capable than I expected.’

Despite Victor’s disappearance long ago, the boarding school was running smoothly, which was evidence of her competence.

The monthly reports that came in were tidy, and it seemed like the servants followed Elze quite well.

At first, Liam didn’t trust Elze’s handling of tasks that much, but eventually, he had to admit it.

So perhaps Dante hadn’t even considered hiring a new manager…

“Oh.”

Liam paused for a moment.

Since Victor’s expulsion, Elze had been overseeing the boarding school alone.

Until now, Elze had been handling the boarding school’s duties without any complaints, so Liam hadn’t thought about it.

But now, with the workload, wasn’t it too much for Elze?

“Um, my lord.”

“Yes, go on.”

“Do you not plan to hire a new manager in the future?”

Upon hearing this, Dante tilted his head quizzically.

“Why the sudden concern? Is it because you think she’s incompetent in her duties?”

“No, Elze’s performance in her duties is flawless. However…”

Liam carefully continued his words, his voice trailing off for a moment.

“I just thought that handling everything alone might be a bit difficult for her.”

It was a reasonable concern.

Originally, the boarding school was managed by both Victor and Elze, and Victor had taken on much more work than Elze.

But now, it seemed like Elze was handling all of that alone.

“Of course, I’ve been overseeing the work personally until now, but I also have my own tasks to attend to. I can’t focus solely on the boarding school’s duties.”

“Hmm.”

Dante, who had been lost in thought for a moment, soon raised his head.

“No, for the time being, let Elze handle the boarding school alone.”