* * *
“…What if she ends up falling for you instead?”
“…Huh?”
Just as I was wondering why he’d bring this all up, those completely unexpected words left his mouth.
Fall for me?
When she already believes Klen is her destined one?
Sure, I did try to smile softer, to make it easier for her to relay the message to Klen, but…
‘It wasn’t enough to make her fall for me… right?’
Could such a small smile really have that effect? I tilted my head, puzzled.
“The harder something is to obtain, the more people burn for it.”
That applied to Klen too.
We’re married now, so it’s just as impossible for either of us to end up with someone else.
Wouldn’t that make Madeline’s feelings for him burn even stronger?
“….”
As my tangled thoughts circled back to that conclusion, a strange, suffocating feeling welled up inside me.
Annoyance flared.
Frustration simmered beneath my skin.
But I couldn’t pinpoint exactly why, and the confusion made it worse.
To clear my head, I reached out and touched his forehead.
‘No fever.’
Despite saying such ridiculous things, his forehead felt cool.
I pressed a little further to be sure—still the same.
Even as I moved my hand over his forehead, Klen stayed completely still, just watching me.
Thanks to that, I missed my chance to pull my hand away.
Left with no choice, I awkwardly shifted my hand, this time playing with his red hair the way he did with mine.
The silky strands tangled around my fingers and slid away—soft and oddly satisfying.
Maybe that’s why he kept touching my hair earlier.
“…I always thought being handsome was your only merit, but apparently not.”
A long sigh escaped Klen’s lips.
“I told you, I only conveyed that it’s difficult for me to attend the ball.”
He gently caught my hand, pulling it down.
My hand landed softly on his cheek, and without letting go, Klen closed his eyes.
It seemed the conversation was over.
He looked ready to sleep—with my hand still pressed to his face.
“…I had something to say today, but I’ll tell you tomorrow.”
“…Huh? What do you mean, ‘something to say’?”
“I’ve already talked too much today. Too tired to keep going.”
Still with his eyes shut, he muttered faintly.
‘Liar.’
It’s not like he’d said that much.
I’m sure he’s gone on longer tangents before.
One of the most frustrating things in this world is getting someone curious, then refusing to explain.
My frown deepened further.
“At least tell me what it is…!”
But as if he couldn’t even be bothered to listen anymore, he grabbed my head and pulled me straight into his arms.
Thanks to that, my lips were pressed shut, making it impossible to say anything more, and my face, squashed against his chest, left me feeling suffocated.
“Let’s just sleep for now.”
I tried to pull my body back to get away, but his grip was firm, and I couldn’t move an inch.
Of course, I pride myself on not being weak compared to others.
I figured if I really pushed him off, I could probably break free.
But no matter how big the bed is, if I shoved him with force, one of us might fall or get hurt. I didn’t really want to go that far.
‘Huh?’
While I was hesitating, the tightness around me disappeared, replaced by the sound of steady breathing near my ear.
It seemed Klen had fallen asleep.
But was he really asleep, or just pretending?
The strength in his arms holding me had lessened enough that I could breathe now.
But that didn’t mean I was completely free.
Naturally, I started to doubt if he was actually asleep.
If this was an act, then I had to admit — for someone claiming to be my acting senior, he really was impressive.
He looked like he was in a perfect, deep sleep, no matter who was watching.
Shifting a little, I ended up just closing my eyes.
The hand resting on my back seemed to pull me a bit deeper into his arms — maybe I was imagining it.
The space that had always felt cold somehow now carried a faint warmth.
Bright sunlight pierced my eyes, signaling morning had arrived.
Struggling to lift my heavy eyelids, I blinked several times.
The situation was different from when I’d fallen asleep.
Klen was completely sprawled out in deep sleep, and the arm that had been wrapped around me had loosened entirely.
And yet, it was me who had ended up clinging so close to him while I slept.
“……”
Before the attendants could come in, I carefully slipped out of his embrace.
Klen stirred at the loss of nearby body heat, but didn’t seem to wake up… probably.
Had I ever stared at him like this, completely defenseless in his sleep?
His sleeping face carried a different vibe altogether.
His cold, sharp eyes were hidden behind his lids, making his expression look softer.
Different again from when he pretended to be dazed and clueless.
I slowly traced his cheek with my hand.
Knock, knock.
But before I could enjoy that sensation any longer, a soft knock echoed through the room.
“Excuse me.”
An attendant greeted politely and approached, instantly shattering the peaceful atmosphere.
And the moment they stepped inside, the faint presence I sensed beside me began to grow clearer.
It seemed Klen had woken the second someone else entered his territory.
“Klen, it’s time to get up.”
“Ugh…”
But wasn’t he a skilled actor?
He didn’t open his eyes until the attendant personally tried to rouse him.
After struggling to get up, wash, and prepare, we sat facing each other at the table.
Klen had informed his brother he might be late, but surprisingly, the reply was that it was fine to rest.
Fabian-hyung seemed to have completely bought into the rumor that I had been on the verge of death.
‘Even though I’m the winner of the hunting competition?’
Thanks to that, the morning was unusually leisurely.
Should I be happy about this?
Bitterness lingered in my mouth.
Normally, an attendant would be nearby pouring drinks or clearing plates, but Klen had dismissed everyone, saying he wanted to dine alone with me.
The room was silent except for the occasional birdsong drifting in through the window.
If he went so far as to send everyone away, there was definitely something important to say.
“The investigation regarding the magic formation is complete.”
“…?!”
As if answering my unspoken question, he casually sliced into his steak and spoke.
“Why are you telling me this now?!”
“Didn’t I say I’d tell you today?”
“Th-that’s…”
For him to mention this first thing after waking meant the investigation concluded yesterday.
So that’s what he meant by ‘later.’
If I had known, I would’ve made him confess no matter what last night.
Why hold back such critical information?
I nearly burst out in frustration but barely managed to swallow it down.
‘He said he didn’t want to talk more because it was annoying… Wait, was he sulking over the whole Madeline thing?’
My lips trembled faintly, but I forced myself to calm down.
Right… I guess that’s understandable.
Even if it was just a political marriage, anyone would be irritated if their partner flirted with someone else.
I tried to convince myself to see it from his side.
Thinking about it, it made sense.
If Klen had pulled that kind of stunt with some woman—
“……”
Clang!
* * *
