Chapter 9
She blinked rapidly and looked again. To be precise, he was shirtless. Only then did heat flood her face, rushing up all at once.
“……”
The first to recover was Michalis.
With long strides, he closed the distance and pulled the frozen Eliana swiftly inside.
Thud.
As her body was yanked forward, the door shut firmly behind her.
“Kyaa!”
A short scream escaped her lips. Because she had been abruptly pulled forward, Eliana accidentally collided with Michalis’s bare chest—her hands instinctively clutching his waist in surprise.
“I-I apologize.”
Michalis quickly stepped back, his face flushing red as he apologized.
“I-I didn’t mean anything by it.”
He’d expected her to be light, but her body felt as if made of paper… He stammered, thrown off by the unexpected contact.
He had never intended to embrace her. He simply couldn’t shove Eliana back out the door, nor could he allow his aide to witness such an embarrassing scene—so he’d acted quickly to close the door.
Iadis, due to the positioning of his desk, likely saw only Eliana’s back.
“I understand.”
Eliana averted her gaze, eyes cast to the floor as she replied. The subtle, lingering scent of soap in the air made her heart pound even harder.
“Are you hurt?”
“I’m fine. More importantly… could you please put on a shirt?”
“Ah… please, have a seat.”
Only then did Michalis fully realize his own state of undress. He gestured to the sofa and guided Eliana to sit.
“Did I come at a bad time?”
Once seated, Eliana began to regain her composure.
“I didn’t expect you to visit.”
Michalis, pulling a shirt from the wardrobe in his office, answered as he dressed.
Each time he moved, the well-defined muscles around his abdomen shifted, emphasizing the sculpted contours of his body. It was the kind of physique that naturally drew the eye—like observing a masterwork sculpture.
“Do you usually work without clothes on?”
Eliana asked without thinking, eyes still fixed on him.
“Don’t misunderstand. I just finished washing.”
Michalis answered calmly, despite her playful tone.
Just as he said, during naval training, there had been little opportunity to wash properly. The moment he arrived, he’d used the office’s attached shower to freshen up.
“What brings you here?”
Now fully dressed, Michalis sat heavily on the sofa across from her. He’d expected their next meeting to be at the wedding. This came sooner than he had anticipated.
“A gift.”
Meeting his gaze directly, Eliana took a steady breath.
He was the kind of man who looked sensual just breathing. His slightly damp, tousled hair only heightened his decadent aura, making her heart race all over again.
“I wanted to thank you for the gift.”
“Ah.”
Only then did Michalis recall the instructions he had given before departing for naval training, and he looked over Eliana again.
Her pale sky-blue dress, leaving her neck elegantly exposed, suited her perfectly.
“Thank you so much. I’ll wear it well.”
“Then repay me.”
The words slipped out—impulsively, without passing through his brain.
“…What?”
Idiot.
A clear mistake. As Eliana blinked in surprise, Michalis inwardly cursed himself for what he’d just blurted out. Truly, there was no better word for him than idiot.
“On second thought… I need dance practice.”
There was no way to take the words back, so he had no choice but to charge forward.
“Could I ask you to be my partner?”
It was just dance practice—why did it matter so much? Michalis asked himself, but couldn’t find a clear answer.
“Then I’ll see you the day after tomorrow.”
Eliana lowered her eyes, subtly avoiding his gaze.
She couldn’t keep staring into those cobalt-blue eyes. It felt like falling into a deep, icy-blue abyss.
“Not tomorrow?”
Michalis felt an inexplicable sense of dread.
“No, I have a prior engagement tomorrow.”
Eliana thought of Lord Terius, with whom she had practiced today.
He was an easy partner to dance with. One hour hadn’t been enough, so she had already asked him to help her again tomorrow.
“A dance practice appointment?”
“Yes.”
Her response came without hesitation. As Michalis recalled the scene of them practicing earlier, a wave of irritation surged within him.
“I only have time tomorrow. Cancel that prior engagement and practice with me instead.”
Perhaps it was some deeply ingrained defensive instinct—a genetic trait passed down through the ducal line.
“After all, the one you truly need to match steps with is me, isn’t it?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Eliana couldn’t understand why he was suddenly so fixated on dance practice.
“Then I’ll take it that you’re canceling your prior engagement.”
“If you insist… I suppose I will.”
Eliana replied reluctantly, swept up in Michalis’s unyielding tone.
‘Seriously? Was he just as worried about dancing as I was?’
She stared at him, trying to make sense of him.
‘Strange man.’
With a face made for conquering the social scene… he was truly impossible to figure out.
The next day, the Second Banquet Hall.
The rich melody of a waltz filled the spacious room.
Eliana spun gracefully, a step away from Michalis’s hand, then returned to his firm grasp.
“You really needed practice?”
She glanced up at him, skeptical. She had assumed he clung to the idea of practicing because he lacked confidence, but he led her so effortlessly, she couldn’t help but doubt whether he needed practice at all.
“My body simply remembers.”
Michalis answered calmly, lightly supporting her back.
It was the truth. Though he had learned the dance as part of his heir education, he’d only performed it once—begrudgingly, at his coming-of-age ceremony. His body merely recalled the movements from repetitive childhood drills.
“Are you comfortable here?”
Their eyes remained locked for so long that conversation began to flow naturally.
“Yes. Everyone’s kind, and the food is delicious.”
“That’s good to hear.”
Her waist was slim enough to raise doubts about whether she was eating properly, but if she said she was content, he had to take her at her word.
“Is there anything you’d like to do, or something you want?”
“Would you actually grant it if I asked?”
Eliana looked at him, curious. Michalis seemed unusually kind today.
“Go ahead.”
“I’d like to go outside the castle.”
She wasn’t technically restricted, but in reality, her access was limited to a few buildings and the garden within the inner fortress.
No matter how large the ducal estate was, most areas were occupied by knights and soldiers. No one had stopped her directly, but a quiet sense of confinement had begun to weigh on her.
Michalis fell silent for a moment.
With the wedding approaching, many outsiders were entering the territory. It was impossible to know who might approach her with ulterior motives.
“…Is that not allowed?”
As the silence dragged on, Eliana grew uneasy, a slight frown forming on her brow.
“I’ll assign knights to escort you tomorrow. You may go.”
“Wow!”
At his reply, given after a brief pause, Eliana’s face lit up with joy.
“Thank you, Duke.”
‘Does a smile always shine like that?’
It was just a simple smile, yet Michalis felt a sharp pang in his chest.
“That’s enough practice for today.”
He had foolishly missed the beat by three counts. As if it had been deliberate, he hurriedly ended the session.
“Now that we’ve practiced together, you can’t rehearse with anyone else.”
He wasn’t simply stating a fact—it had been bothering him.
“All right.”
“I’ll escort you back to your room.”
As Michalis offered an unexpected escort, Eliana rested her hand on his arm and thought,
‘I thought he was just a cold, aloof, black-haired type… but he’s surprisingly kind, isn’t he?’
That thought was shattered the very next morning.
“Attention!”
Excited for her outing, Eliana had just finished preparing when she stepped into the lobby—only to be stunned by the sheer number of knights filling the space.
“There are too many knights, my lady…”
Even Amy, trailing behind her, was startled into stopping. She’d assumed there would be one or two guards at most—but this?
“Salute for Lady Acklera!”
As Eliana descended the final step, dressed in a smart, practical outfit for her outing, the lined-up knights shouted in unison.
“Protect!”
“Dismissed!”
Their thunderous salute left her ears ringing.
“Greetings. I am Puelini Carlyle, commander of the First Knights Division, assigned to escort you today, my lady.”
As Eliana stood frozen, shocked by the overwhelming presence of the knights, a tall knight stepped forward and introduced himself with crisp formality.
“It is an honor to serve you.”
The deep blue uniform suited his broad frame perfectly.
“Ah… yes, Sir Carlyle.”
His thighs looked sturdier than her waist. Feeling the weight of his presence, Eliana took a deep breath.
“Surely… not all of these knights are escorting me?”
“Yes, my lady. Today’s escort duty falls to the entire First Division.”
‘This is insane…’
At his immediate reply, Eliana’s vision swam. Her mind went blank with disbelief.
