Chapter 26
Cecilia turned fully to face Eden.
“And if I said I would, what would you do?”
She casually threw out the question. It was meant to gauge Eden’s reaction.
“I would have let you go.”
It was half in jest. The other half was to see whether he truly cared about her.
“I can’t force you to stay.”
Of course. Whether I leave for somewhere or not—it wouldn’t matter to you, would it?
“How generous of you.”
Cecilia laughed, as if she’d just heard an amusing joke, and praised his leniency. Eden also smiled, his eyes softening.
As if unaware of the subtle tension lingering in the air.
It had not been a long journey. The weather was fair, and the smooth voyage was completed in just over a couple of hours.
“Welcome, Your Grace the Grand Duke. And Your Grace the Grand Duchess.”
Laner Island was an imperial territory, under the direct control of the Emperor, and governed by an appointed administrator. That man was Harry Nelson.
“Welcome to Laner Island.”
As it was not a domain ruled by a noble, Harry himself was not of noble birth. His duties were limited to collecting taxes and managing the island.
“You must want to settle in first, so allow me to guide you to your chambers.”
Managing the secluded villa—rarely visited by any member of the royal family—also fell under his responsibility. When he received word of the Grand Duke and Duchess’s sudden arrival, he had to turn the entire residence upside down to prepare. As Harry led Eden and Cecilia, the hardships of the past few days flashed through his mind.
“These are the chambers prepared for Your Graces.”
There was only one bedroom. Cecilia’s brows arched ever so slightly. In Wyatt, even married couples rarely shared a room unless there was a special reason.
“You’ve done well.”
Before Cecilia could voice any objection, Eden dismissed Harry. Indeed, it would’ve been odd to demand a separate bedroom on the spot. After all, they were a couple who wouldn’t be thought strange for sharing a room.
While Evie, Alice, and Eden’s attendants were unpacking, Cecilia stood by the window, gazing out at the shimmering sea.
“Shall we go outside?”
Eden approached and asked, perhaps thinking she wanted to look around.
“Aren’t you busy? Didn’t you say you’d receive Harry’s report?”
“And you’d have me work the moment we arrive, after calling this a ‘leisurely journey’?”
Eden responded with a faint, teasing smile. Cecilia quietly shook her head.
“The chambermaid is from Laner Island, isn’t she? She must know the area well.”
At those words, Alice perked up like a rabbit, ears twitching as she looked at Cecilia and Eden. Being from the island, she had been allowed to accompany them on this trip.
“Where do most people live?”
“Most of them live along the eastern coast. The west, where the castle stands, is mountainous and rugged, with cliffs—it’s dangerous.”
Alice chattered cheerfully in response.
“Shall we head toward the eastern coast, then?”
Cecilia turned to Eden with the question. Eden nodded silently, a gesture that simply meant she could do as she wished.
“Your Grace, then may I also—”
But when Ilina—who had spent the entire voyage pale from seasickness—clumsily tried to interject, Eden’s demeanor shifted sharply.
“Miss Nova, please see to your duties.”
His voice was gentle, but the cold decisiveness at the end of his sentence struck like ice, chilling to the core.
“It’s not far; we’ll be there soon! But it’s not as developed as the Capital…”
Caught in the tension, Alice smiled awkwardly. She recalled how the Capital had felt like another world when she first arrived. There were no tall buildings or neatly manicured gardens here. Only fishing boats were tied up along the shore.
“It’s fine. I’m just looking around.”
Even though Cecilia reassured her, the concern on Alice’s face did not fade.
Cecilia understood the reason for that concern after they toured the western terrain by carriage and disembarked on the eastern coast. The air was heavy with the scent of seafood, and street stalls lined the beach. Fishing boats were moored one after another along the shore.
“…Hmm.”
Eden sighed quietly. It was a typical sight near the coast, but from an outsider’s point of view, it wasn’t exactly pleasing. Cecilia, dressed in refined attire, drew many curious gazes.
Eden silently wrapped an arm around Cecilia’s waist, pulling her slightly closer to him. As he swept his gaze across the surroundings in caution, eyes filled with curiosity and greed quickly turned away.
“Is the entire coast like this?”
“No, this area is just densely populated, so it’s lively… The higher you go, the fewer people live there, and it’s quieter.”
“Let’s go that way.”
Alice nodded and stepped onto the sand like a nimble squirrel. Startled, she realized Eden and Cecilia were returning to the carriage and froze.
“I-I’m sorry! I usually walk like this…”
As Alice hurried to step off the sand, Cecilia stopped her.
“It’s fine. I wasn’t thinking clearly. If we want to look around, it makes more sense to walk.”
“Cecilia…”
“Since we’ve come all this way, experiencing it isn’t a bad idea.”
Saying so, Cecilia stepped onto the beach. The sand, warm and soft under the midday sun, sunk beneath her feet. Yet with every step, the grains that slipped into her shoes made the soles of her feet feel rough and uncomfortable.
Cecilia glanced at Alice—who was already holding her shoes in her hands, barefoot.
“Cecilia.”
Standing beside her, Eden seemed to notice her gaze and gently spoke her name in a low voice, trying to stop her. It was because a woman’s bare feet were considered intimate—something not to be revealed in public.
“Can I not?”
Cecilia looked at Eden as she asked. At the rare request from his wife, Eden let out a quiet sigh.
“Your Grace!”
And then, on the soft sand of the beach, he silently knelt on one knee. Cecilia called his name, as if to stop him, but Eden didn’t seem to care.
“You might fall—lean on my shoulder.”
He simply lifted her foot with careful hands and began to remove her shoes. Each time Eden’s warm fingertips brushed her heel, the arch of her foot, and the tips of her toes, a tingling sensation traveled up her spine.
“…Your Grace.”
Her head felt dizzy. Reflexively, she had to grip his shoulder more tightly.
“You might lose your balance. Hold on properly.”
As if teasing her, Eden leisurely removed both shoes and then stood up. It was hard to believe that just moments before, he had been kneeling in the sand—his movement was effortlessly elegant.
“Please give them to me.”
Trying to ignore the tingling in her scalp, Cecilia reached out her hand for her shoes.
But instead of handing them over, Eden smoothly hid them behind his back. The faint smile on his face made it clear he had no intention of giving them up easily. Realizing the playful gleam in his eyes, Cecilia sighed in resignation.
“Alice, lead the way.”
Alice, who had been watching her masters’ affectionate exchange like it was street theater, jumped at the sudden call. She turned with an awkward smile and began walking ahead.
“Certainly…”
As Alice had said, the scenery changed slightly as they walked farther along the coast. On one side, tall trees cast long shadows in place of shops; on the other, the beach stretched endlessly.
“At sunset, this place is breathtaking.”
Alice whispered, her cheeks flushed. It seemed returning to her hometown after so long stirred deep emotions.
Originally, they had only planned to take a brief look and return, but…
“We could wait until sunset.”
Just as Cecilia was about to ask Eden if they could stay a little longer, Eden, watching her thoughtful expression, spoke first.
“Shall we?”
Eden blinked slowly, nodding in agreement.
“Since His Grace has allowed it, I’d like to stay and see the sunset.”
At Cecilia’s words, Alice nodded enthusiastically.
“I’ll go get something for us to sit on!”
With that, Alice hurried off in the direction they’d come. Since Eden and two knights were at Cecilia’s side, there was no concern for safety.
“What do you think?”
Eden asked. He was asking whether this island was worth setting up something grand.
“Honestly, before coming here, I thought of tourism. It’s unlikely the island has any significant resources.”
Of course, she knew about the gold—but there was no need to invite misfortune. Cecilia deliberately acted as if she knew nothing of the gold mine.
Like a merchant appraising goods, Cecilia scrutinized her surroundings. The sound of waves lapping the shore, the sparkling sea.
Drawn as if under a spell, Cecilia stepped closer to the water. The damp sand tickled her toes, only to be swept away by the gentle waves.
Suddenly, she felt distant from everything. The blue sky slowly began to blend and dissolve like a drink mixed with colors.
“Cecilia?”
“…Isn’t this island beautiful?”
She imagined the sky above, painted in vivid crimson or soft pink. A perfect picture. Even between people with no feelings, such a view could stir something warm in their hearts.
“An island where love comes true.”
It wouldn’t be bad to promote it that way. Whether love actually came true or not—that wasn’t important.
“It would be nice to market it like that.”
Cecilia turned around with a smile, her face filled with certainty. Standing there was Eden—long legs clad in black trousers, the jacket discarded somewhere, leaving him in a loose, fluttering white shirt.
“…An island where love comes true.”
Eden repeated her words, his voice low and husky. His faintly trembling blue eyes fixed on her.
At the same time, the sky turned fully pink. Light stretched beyond the beach, through the line of trees. It felt as though a beam of light had pierced his heart.
Only then did he realize—there had been a feeling within him that he never even knew existed.
