EEA Chapter 17

As soon as they left the office, Ailea pulled her arm from Clint's hand. Only then did he easily release his grip.

"You know what? His Highness the Crown Prince might have been jealous."

Before Ailea could say anything, Clint made his excuse first. She replied restlessly.

"That can't be."

"If it were me, I'd be incredibly jealous."

Ailea looked up at Clint. Just then, the clear sound of young ladies chattering in the garden reached them.

How could even their voices be so pretty? Colorful dresses, fine jewelry. They became even more beautiful when they put on makeup. Unlike herself. Sometimes when she looked in the mirror, she felt as if she weren't human. Like something that was neither this nor that.

Ailea asked Clint carefully.

"Could you perhaps leave a little later?"

"Why?"

"It would look strange if you walked around with me."

After saying this, Ailea walked ahead before Clint could respond. The young ladies who had been continuing their tea party approached Ailea as she walked out first, speaking to her with concern.

"How are you...? Are you alright?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Ailea nodded. Then Lady Norton said petulantly.

"A broken engagement on your birthday—how heartless."

"I'm really fine."

"He really didn't even prepare a proper gift..."

Lady Norton trailed off when she spotted Clint walking behind them. His eye color should have looked brilliant, but it appeared dark instead. When you met his gaze, your heart would tremble. He was usually a mischievous man, but sometimes he would show an overwhelming look in his eyes. His mischievousness came from the leisure of knowing that no one could defeat him with force.

Rita spoke to him instead of Norton, who was at a loss for words.

"What brings you here, Captain Clint?"

"Ah, it's a birthday gift from His Highness the Crown Prince to Lady Ailea."

"Excuse me?"

"Me."

He looked between Rita and Norton with a strange smile.

A moment of silence flowed, and Ailea, who understood his meaning first, instantly turned red. In contrast, Clint, who originally had no sense of shame or propriety, just shrugged his shoulders as if to say, "What did I say wrong?"

As all eyes suddenly focused on Ailea, she ran toward the door like she was fleeing, too flustered to even think of saying goodbye. Clint followed Ailea with long strides, asking.

"Leaving without saying goodbye? How rude."

"It's because you said something ridiculous."

"It's true though. Since they gave me to you today, I'm your birthday gift."

That smooth talker. That playboy. That fool!

How could he say such embarrassing things as if they were natural? It was absurd. When Ailea glanced back briefly, she saw several young ladies who had feelings for Clint glaring at her. She hadn't intended it, but she had ended up stealing the best prey from them.

Just as Ailea was about to turn her head back, she suddenly made eye contact with Rita, who was watching her.

A strange chill ran through her. How should she put it?

'I know you.'

That was the feeling. A penetrating gaze.

But Rita soon returned to her usual self and smiled kindly.

When they arrived where the carriage was, Ailea said.

"I think others know about my condition too."

"Why?"

"Earlier, I covered my face when entering the imperial palace, but Lady Rita called my name..."

There was no reason for anyone to call her name when she was covered like this. That's why Ailea found it somehow memorable that Rita had called her name first.

"Well, they might know you're unwell, but not the details. Rumors whispered among maids and servants don't reach us very well."

"Ah... Then she must have heard it from His Highness the Crown Prince."

"It seems so."

Would Roylin have told Rita such things? Clint helped her into the carriage with a puzzled expression. He leaned against the carriage doorframe and said to Ailea.

"When my duties end today, I'll bring my subordinates home."

"You're coming home today?"

"Yeah. I don't want to leave you alone on your birthday."

"Clint."

Ailea called his name softly. When Clint looked at her, she said.

"You don't have to be so kind to me. That's what we agreed on, isn't it? You said you needed someone to play the role of a wife, not that you needed a wife."

"What are you talking about? That's why I'm playing the husband role right now."

He smiled mischievously.

"It's natural for a husband to escort his wife. I'm faithfully playing the husband role."

He knew women all too well. Clint gave Ailea sweetness she had never dared to hope for, moment by moment.

Ailea felt like this moment was a dream.

Soon, when he found a woman to love, I would wake from this dream and gradually be forgotten by him.

Right now, she was happy just to be able to tell her family about the marriage. But if she were to fall in love with him...

When Clint loved another woman, she felt she wouldn't be able to bear that pain.

So she hoped he wouldn't come any closer, so she wouldn't harbor such ridiculous desires. Ailea wished for this. His approach brought her both joy and a sense of defeat at the same time.

Not long after the door closed and the carriage started moving, the carriage tilted slightly to the left. Just as she was thinking they might have gone over a rock, the door opened. Ailea's eyes widened. Standing on the carriage step was Clint. He entered the carriage and sat down heavily.

"What, what are you doing? Did you just jump onto the carriage?"

"Yeah."

"What if you got hurt?"

He closed the carriage door and frowned.

"This lady is underestimating me."

"I'm not underestimating you..."

Why did he climb on? Ailea was bewildered. No, more than that.

"You're on duty right now, aren't you?"

"Originally, when the higher-ups work leisurely, it's more comfortable for those below."

"Don't make excuses. And really, what if you had gotten hurt..."

Clint shrugged and then pretended to lean back and rest, as if he didn't want to hear any more nagging.

'It would look strange if you walked around with me.'

'You don't have to be so kind to me.'

These words of Ailea's bothered him, and he couldn't let her go alone.

The carriage arrived at the outer castle.

Ailea's birthday was during the season when roses were in full bloom. When she was young, on Ailea's birthday, her parents would hold her hands tightly and say.

'You're prettier than the May roses.'

Ailea knew that those words weren't said because she was truly as beautiful as roses. It was just that in that moment, her parents could see only Ailea, and so they forgot the beauty of roses.

Every May since coming to the imperial palace, Ailea would remember that kind of love.

Ailea looked up at the outer castle surrounded by wild rose vines. Ailea had grown quite fond of this outer castle. If Clint didn't dislike it, she thought it would be nice to live here, in this place where roses grew exceptionally well.

Clint, who had gotten out of the carriage, said.

"Ah, I should have hired a maid first. I'm hungry."

"Who told you to slack off and come home? You should have eaten at the imperial palace."

"Leave my wife alone on her birthday and hear about it later? I've been scolded more than once for going home after she said it was okay."

He grumbled while looking around the kitchen for something to eat. Seeing this, Ailea took out the pie crust she had made before leaving and said to Clint.

"Could you get some apples from that jar?"

"How many?"

"Ten?"

"What are you planning to make so much of?"

"Apple pie. Since I'm making it anyway, I thought I'd make plenty. It worked out well that the other knights are coming back today too."

Ailea said this as she received the apples and began peeling them. Clint observed her movements carefully, then brought a knife and started peeling apples himself. Ailea said with a smile.

"Please rest."

"I'm going to eat it, so put me to work."

"Hmm."

Ailea pretended to think, then said playfully.

"It's not that—I feel sorry for the apples."

When she pointed to the incredibly thick peels that Clint had cut, he made a groaning expression. Ailea had made it look easy, cutting them neatly and small, but it was damn difficult.

"Isn't there something that requires strength?"

As soon as he gave up and asked, Ailea pointed to the oven.

"Please light the fire in the oven."

"That's easy."

Clint confidently lit the fire in the oven. He simply lit the fire and was very proud of himself, making Ailea burst into laughter again.

Not long after putting it in the oven, a golden-brown apple pie was completed. The well-cooked sweet apples had caramelized, giving off a blissful aroma.

Clint cut the pie into appropriate pieces, put them in a picnic basket, and handed it to Ailea, who was wondering what he was doing.

"I was going to carry it, but it doesn't seem to suit me, so you carry it."

"Excuse me?"

"Let's go on a picnic to celebrate your birthday."

"A, a picnic?"

"You haven't been out of the castle much. Since it's your birthday, let's go out. There's a lake nearby."

Ailea's eyes widened at those words.

While she was flustered, Clint brought his horse Velvet from the stable and made a step with his hands. Ailea climbed on while watching the horse nervously. Perhaps because its owner was nearby, the horse was well-behaved. Clint asked.

"How is it, riding a horse?"

"It's scarier than I thought..."

Ailea flinched when the horse moved.

Velvet moved slowly so she wouldn't be frightened. The place they arrived at was a crystal-clear lake. Clint, who helped Ailea down from the horse, pointed to the inside of the lake.

"Over there, hot spring water comes out, so it's warm."

Ailea was mesmerized as soon as she saw the beautiful lake. Clint took off his outer coat and spread it on the grass. Then he sat Ailea on top of it. She said in surprise.

"Your clothes will get dirty... What, what are you doing!"

"You have to soak your feet."

Clint grabbed Ailea's feet and took off her shoes. Then he looked at her feet and tilted his head.

"How can your feet be this small?"

"Clint..."

"Your ankle fits entirely in my hand."

Clint looked at her ankles, which had black spots here and there, and joked seriously.

"Are you still growing? Surely this isn't fully grown?"

"...I am fully grown?"

The sun was slowly setting as if dusk was about to fall. Clint took one of her hands and led her to the lake. Ailea was flustered at first, but since she secretly wanted to soak her feet too, she quickly used her other hand to roll up her dress so it wouldn't get wet and slowly dipped her feet into the hot spring water.

"Ah... it's warm..."

As the warm water enveloped her feet, Ailea felt as if her heart was melting. Clint let go of her hand and said.

"Ah, should I go in too?"

"What? Aah!"

Clint threw off his shirt and jumped into the water. Strangely, except for one side where the hot spring water came out, everything else was cold water. The cool May water splashed on Ailea. Ailea covered her eyes with her hands in surprise.

To undress anywhere like that—really, was there no such thing as propriety in that man's head?

The splashing sounds were pleasant to hear. Ailea slowly lowered her hands. She could see Clint's dazzling upper body as he jumped into the lake.

What work of art could be this beautiful? His muscular body took Ailea's breath away.

Clint, who was swimming skillfully in the lake, said.

"The water's really clean. Come in. You like washing."

"I'd like to, but... my clothes will get wet."

"Take them all off."

"I don't undress just anywhere?"

Clint said as he walked out of the water.

"No one's watching."

"You're watching."

"Isn't it okay for a husband to see?"

At his words, Ailea rolled her eyes. Clint smiled mischievously and said.

"I'm joking. I'll turn around. Go in and come out."

"Hmm..."

Ailea asked in a voice full of concern.

"Does it feel... good?"

"Of course."

"Keep watch for me."

"This is my territory anyway, so no one comes here."

Clint said this and went to a spot a little away from the hot spring water and turned around. In the meantime, Ailea began to undress. Today she wasn't wearing a corset. She was only wearing a black dress over an underdress that shaped the dress.

The dress slipped down from her body with a soft sound. She said repeatedly, still anxious.

"You absolutely must not turn around?"

"I said I won't look."

Only after getting a definite answer did Ailea take off all her clothes and quietly enter the hot spring water. She felt as if her whole body was becoming soft.

"Ah, it feels good..."

When she made a suggestive sound, Clint got irritated.

"Don't make sounds like that."

"What?"

"Sounds like that..."

Clint forgot that she had undressed and carelessly looked back. Fortunately, Ailea was turned away, so she didn't know he was looking. Clint's eyes widened, then he immediately turned his back to her again.

The glimpse of her back that he saw for a moment was devastatingly beautiful. Her delicate shoulders, a waist so narrow it seemed it might break, her round, fleshy hips. Her arms and legs were long compared to her small height.

"I'm going crazy."

Clint unconsciously rubbed his reddened face with his hands. Even her mottled skin made him feel strangely stirred.

He thought that if Ailea knew he had just stolen a glance at her, the late Captain Ron would come back to life and grab him by the collar.

Clint realized for the first time that he was paying unusually close attention to Ailea. Until then, he hadn't even been aware of that fact.

"...Because she's Ron's daughter."

He muttered with a slightly flustered face.