Chapter 58

Do I have eyes on my back too?

Alice was indeed staring intently at Kylus, just as he had said.

It wasn’t with any impure intentions of burning his broad back with her gaze.

It was just that lying in his bed made her acutely aware that she was alone in this room with Kylus, and without realizing it, she found herself focusing all her attention on his movements.

Even being with a complete stranger would make one nervous, let alone Kylus of all people.

It was only natural that her gaze followed his movements.

She really didn’t have any impure intentions towards his Pacific Ocean-like back.

Feeling oddly guilty, Alice cleared her throat and turned away from him to hide her embarrassment.

Soon, it seemed Kylus had lain down on the sofa, as the sound of it sinking deeply echoed through the bedroom.

Then silence settled in.

Alice blinked in the bedroom where only the ticking of the clock could be heard.

Sleep… won’t come.

Despite having wanted to be with Kylus because she was scared tonight, she felt too uncomfortable.

Being alone in the room with him.

Having taken his bed.

Come to think of it, Kylus was still a patient whose body hadn’t fully recovered.

Is it really okay for me to take his bed like this?

To take even the bed of the person who had saved her life.

It felt as if the role of the freeloader, which until recently had been Kylus’s, had now switched to her.

Perhaps because she felt uneasy, she tossed and turned, unable to settle in the bed. Then, the voice of Kylus, whom she thought had fallen asleep, rang out.

“Can’t sleep?”

“…I can’t fall asleep because I’m worried about you sleeping on the sofa, Duke.”

Alice answered honestly.

“If you’d like to switch places…”

“No.”

A firm answer came before Alice could finish her sentence.

“…I see.”

I’ve asked enough now.

Alice thought to herself that she shouldn’t feel sorry anymore since it was Kylus who had refused twice, and she buried her head deep in the pillow and closed her eyes.

Asking any more would just be a nuisance.

As she tried to shake off her uncomfortable feelings, sleep rushed in as if it had been waiting.

Alice ended up drifting off just like that.

“I’m really fine, so there’s no need to feel sorry…”

Snore-

Kylus stopped mid-sentence at the unfamiliar sound echoing through the bedroom.

Did I hear wrong?

He furrowed his brow, but as if to prove he hadn’t misheard, the snoring continued.

“Ha.”

Kylus let out a laugh, momentarily dumbfounded.

The one snoring was none other than Alice.

It was a very deep sleep snore, quite unlike someone who had said she couldn’t fall asleep because she was worried about him sleeping on the sofa.

Although dumbfounded, Kylus found the situation amusing and couldn’t help but keep laughing.

He slowly got up.

He wouldn’t have been able to sleep anyway, nor could he sleep tonight.

Because Alice was by his side.

But unlike him, who was completely aware of her presence, Alice had fallen fast asleep in just a few minutes.

“…Am I really not on her mind at all?”

Just then, he noticed that Alice’s movements had caused the blanket to slip halfway off the bed.

“…She’s really something.”

Although Kylus spoke as if displeased, he got up from the sofa and approached the bed.

Then he properly covered her with the blanket.

She seemed to have fallen into a deep sleep, no longer snoring but breathing regularly and softly.

Yet, as if dreaming something, her brow would occasionally furrow and then relax again.

“This is the second time, isn’t it?”

Seeing Alice’s sleeping face.

On the night she had been sick after taking the antidote, he had seen her sleeping face then too.

Alice’s appearance hadn’t changed since then, but Kylus’s feelings as he looked at her were different now.

Because he had now clearly realized what his feelings for her were.

‘Your Grace. With today’s events at the Empress’s palace, and the Empress’s sudden background check… Does it have something to do with the Duchess?’

‘It does.’

‘…To be honest, Your Grace. When it comes to matters related to the Duchess, I’m surprised to see you behaving in ways unlike yourself. I know the Duchess saved your life, but… is that really all there is to it?’

Yesterday afternoon, Tessiri, unable to understand his orders, had finally asked him.

It was the same question the butler had asked.

Asking if there were no other feelings towards Alice.

Unlike before, Kylus couldn’t firmly answer no.

Even he thought he had lost his reason at the Empress’s palace.

The emotion he felt when he saw Alice frightened before the Empress was also unfamiliar.

For a moment, he couldn’t contain his anger towards the Empress.

Was that really just an emotion felt because Alice was merely necessary to him?

He couldn’t help but question himself.

And the answer to that question came unexpectedly quickly.

Because the confusion of emotions caused by the assassin’s attack had made him clearly understand what it was.

That it wasn’t just simple possessiveness.

Until now, protecting what was his had always been the most important thing to him.

His life and his power.

To protect those, he cut down anything that got in the way.

Even if it was his own people.

Because he had always considered himself the most important, he had never once fretted about losing someone.

Of course, he had never sacrificed himself for anyone either.

But now he knew what that feeling was.

The feeling of his heart sinking at the thought of losing someone.

When the assassin’s blade was aimed directly at Alice, Kylus felt a fear that froze his entire body.

Afraid she might die before his eyes, he couldn’t think or judge anything.

If his body hadn’t moved instinctively first in that moment when everything seemed to move in slow motion… He didn’t even want to imagine what would have happened next.

As he swung his sword more viciously than usual, Kylus clearly realized.

That the anger and killing intent consuming his entire body wasn’t simply out of fear of losing Alice’s holy power.

Even if he wanted to deny it, he could no longer do so with his heart feeling like it might burst.

He wanted Alice.

With an intense emotion he had never felt in his entire life.

He wanted to possess her completely.

This emotion must be love.

He had finally stepped into that emotion he had dismissed and ignored as something so foolish.

And quite thoroughly, to the point of no return.

Alice had already entered deep into his heart, so much so that he couldn’t tell when it had begun.

Perhaps it had been a predetermined fate from the moment she saved his life.

After all, it was Alice who had made his heart beat again.

It wouldn’t be strange if she became the owner of his heart, would it?

Kylus carefully took Alice’s hand.

‘I really don’t know. Who would want to kill me…’

Kylus knew she was lying.

He had a hunch about who had sent the assassins.

The assassins’ movements and swordsmanship.

It was definitely not the swordsmanship of back alley thugs.

The person who sent them was probably… in the Imperial Palace.

But for now, he decided to pretend not to know.

Whatever Alice was hiding, he felt that if he pressed her, she might run away.

‘One year. I’ll stay by your side for one year.’

Even now, wasn’t she ready to run away at any moment?

For now… he would have to lay low.

“…Don’t worry. Even if it costs me my life, I’ll protect you.”

He whispered softly as he kissed the back of her hand.

Hoping that she wouldn’t have any dreams tonight.

Kylus stayed by her side until dawn broke.

* * *

“Mmm…”

Alice’s brow furrowed at the bright light penetrating her eyelids.

As she rolled around, reluctant to wake up, she suddenly sprang up like a coiled spring.

Because she realized this wasn’t her room.

Alice hurriedly looked around.

More precisely, she looked at the sofa where Kylus should have been lying.

But it was already empty.

And Kylus was nowhere to be seen in the spacious bedroom.

Where did he go?

Is he in the dressing room? Or the bathroom?

She held her breath to listen, but there was no sign of life from those places either.

It seemed Kylus had already left the bedroom.

What time is it now?

Alice turned her head towards the clock and muttered a curse.

“…Damn.”

The clock was pointing to late morning.

She had literally slept like a log.

In someone else’s room, in someone else’s bed.

I shouldn’t have said I couldn’t sleep because the Duke was sleeping on the sofa.

To think I’d fall asleep so quickly after shaking off my uneasiness.

Alice tugged at her hair in embarrassment, but what was done was done.

Kylus must have… fallen asleep too, he must have.

I hope I didn’t drool.

As she was checking her mouth just in case, the butler’s voice was heard from outside the door.

Knock knock-

“Young Madam, are you awake?”

“Yes, I’m up.”

The door opened and the butler entered along with Aileen.

Aileen approached with a washbasin. Alice got out of bed, washed her face with warm water, and wiped off the moisture with a cloth.

Then she turned to the butler, who seemed to be waiting quietly as if he had something to say.

“Butler, what is it?”

“It’s nothing much, but by the Duke’s orders, we’re preparing a new room for you. The bedroom that has been used by the Duchesses for generations…”

“You mean the room Mother used.”

“Yes. If you find it displeasing, we can prepare another room. However, that room is the best after the Duke’s bedroom…”

Seeing the butler’s troubled expression, as if there were no better rooms, Alice quickly replied.

“It’s fine. You don’t need to worry about it.”

It’s much better than a room where people have died.

Any traces of Lady Quillian can just be cleared away.

“I see. Then we’ll prepare it as planned. We’re in the process of throwing out all the existing furniture and bringing in new furniture, so the work should be finished by evening. The Duke said that if you don’t mind, you can rest here until then.”

“No, if I stay here, it’ll be difficult for the Duke to rest, won’t it?”

“Ah, the Duke will probably be busy with work in his office until evening… He’ll likely come to the bedroom late at night.”

It seemed Kylus had already returned to his duties as Duke.

Even though his body hasn’t fully recovered yet… Is it okay for him to push himself like that from morning till night?

Of course, he had looked healthy, unlike someone who was sick.

“Butler, is the Duke’s body alright?”

She asked out of concern. For the next year, Alice would be practically Kylus’s dedicated priestess.

“Pardon?”

“I mean, is he feeling unwell anywhere or tired…”

“No. The Duke is fine, Madam.”

“…That’s a relief. Then I’ll stay here until evening.”

“Yes. And lastly, I have something to deliver to you. A letter addressed to you from the temple, Young Madam.”

“The temple?”

Alice received the snow-white envelope handed to her by the butler.