EEA Chapter 17

As soon as they left the office, Ailea pulled her arm from Clint's hand. This time he released it easily.

"Who knows? Maybe His Highness the Crown Prince was jealous."

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

"That's impossible."

"I think I would be, terribly."

Ailea looked up at Clint. Just then, she heard the clear sound of the ladies chattering in the garden.

How could even their voices be so pretty? Colorful dresses, fine jewels. When they wore makeup, they became even more beautiful. Unlike herself. Sometimes when she looked in mirrors, she felt like she wasn't human. Like she was something neither this nor that.

Ailea asked Clint carefully, "Could we leave a little later?"

"Why?"

"It'll look strange if I'm seen with you."

After saying this, Ailea walked ahead before Clint could answer. The ladies continuing their tea party spoke to Ailea as she walked out first, their voices concerned.

"How did it... Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm fine."

Ailea nodded. Then Lady Norton said in a pouty voice, "An annulment on your birthday—how thoughtless."

"I'm really fine."

"He really didn't prepare any gift at all for—"

Lady Norton trailed off when she spotted Clint walking up behind them. His eye color should have looked brilliant, but it appeared dark. When you met his gaze, your heart trembled. He was usually a mischievous man, but sometimes he showed eyes that overwhelmed people. His mischief came from the leisure of knowing no one could beat him with force.

With Lady Norton struck speechless, Rita spoke to him instead.

"What brings you here, Commander Clint?"

"Ah, I'm His Highness the Crown Prince's birthday gift to Lady Ailea."

"Pardon?"

"Me."

He looked between Rita and Lady Norton with a strange smile.

A moment of silence fell, and Ailea's face—the first to understand his meaning—turned bright red in an instant. Meanwhile, Clint, who had no shame or manners to begin with, just shrugged as if to say Did I say something wrong?

As attention instantly focused on Ailea, she fled toward the door in confusion, with no presence of mind to say goodbye. Clint followed Ailea with his long strides, asking, "Leaving without saying goodbye? How rude."

"That's because you said something ridiculous."

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

That sly fox. That flirt. That fool!

It was absurd how he could say such embarrassing things as if they were obvious. When Ailea glanced back briefly, several ladies who'd had their eyes on Clint were glaring at her. It hadn't been her intention, but she'd ended up stealing their best prize.

Just as Ailea was about to turn her head back, she met Rita's eyes.

A strange chill ran through her. How to describe it—

I know you.

It felt like that. A penetrating gaze.

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

When they arrived where the carriage waited, Ailea said, "It seems others know about my condition too."

"Why?"

"Earlier when I entered the Imperial Palace with my face covered, 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 memorable that Rita had called her name first.

"Well, they might know you're unwell, but not the details. Gossip among maids and servants doesn't reach us easily."

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

"Seems like it."

Would Roylins have told Rita such things? Clint wondered as he helped her into the carriage. He leaned his arm against the carriage doorframe and said to Ailea, "When my shift ends, I'll bring my men and come home."

"You're coming back today?"

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

"Clint."

Ailea called him gently. When Clint looked at her, she said, "You don't have to be so kind to me. That's what we agreed on, remember? You need someone to play the role of a wife, not an actual wife."

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

He grinned mischievously.

"A husband escorting his wife is natural. I'm faithfully performing my husband duties."

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

To Ailea, this moment felt like a dream.

Soon, when he has a woman he loves, I'll wake from this dream and gradually be forgotten by him.

Right now, just being able to tell her family about the marriage was happiness enough. But if she were to fall in love with him—

'When Clint loves another woman, I won't be able to bear that pain.'

So she wished he wouldn't come any closer, so she wouldn't have such absurd greed. His approach brought her both joy and a sense of defeat simultaneously.

Not long after the door closed and the carriage departed, it tilted slightly to the left. Did we go over a rock? she wondered, when the door opened. Ailea's eyes went round. Standing on the carriage step was Clint. He entered the carriage and plopped down.

"Wh-what are you doing? Did you just jump onto a moving carriage?"

"Yep."

"What if you'd gotten hurt?"

He closed the carriage door and made a face.

"You're underestimating me, young lady."

"I'm not underestimating—"

Why did he climb on? Ailea felt flustered. No, more than that—

"You're on duty right now."

"The higher-ups need to slack off so the underlings can relax."

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

Clint shrugged, then leaned back as if sleeping, clearly done hearing her lecture.

'It'll look strange if I'm seen with you.'

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

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

The carriage arrived at the outer castle.

Ailea's birthday fell in the season when roses bloomed fully. When she was young, on her birthdays, Ailea's parents would hold her hands tightly and say:

'You're prettier than the May roses.'

Ailea knew those words weren't because she was truly as beautiful as roses. In that moment, their parents' eyes saw only Ailea, and so they forgot the roses' beauty—that was all.

Every May since coming to the Imperial Palace, Ailea had recalled that kind of love.

Ailea looked up at the outer castle surrounded by rambling rose vines. She'd grown quite fond of this outer castle. If Clint didn't mind, she thought it might be nice to live here, in this place where roses thrived so unusually well.

Clint stepped down from the carriage and said, "Ah, I should have hired a maid first. I'm hungry."

"Well, whose fault is it for slacking off and coming 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 enough times for going home after being told it's fine."

He grumbled while looking around the kitchen for something to eat. At the sight, Ailea took out the pie shells she'd made before leaving and said to Clint, "Could you get some apples from that jar?"

"How many?"

"Ten?"

"What are you making so much of?"

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

As Ailea spoke, she began peeling the apples he handed her. Clint observed her carefully, then grabbed a knife himself and started peeling apples. Ailea smiled and said, "Just rest."

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

"Mm."

Ailea made a show of considering, then said playfully, "Actually, I feel bad for the apples."

When she pointed to the incredibly thick peel Clint had cut off, he made a pained expression. Ailea made it look easy, peeling hers neatly in moments, but this was damn difficult.

"Got anything that needs muscle?"

Immediately giving up, he asked, and Ailea pointed to the oven.

"Light the oven for me."

"That's easy."

Clint confidently lit the oven fire. He was enormously proud of himself for simply lighting a fire, which made Ailea burst into laughter again.

Not long after putting it in the oven, golden-brown apple pies were complete. The well-cooked sweet apples had caramelized, giving off a happy fragrance.

Clint cut the pie appropriately, put it in a picnic basket, and handed it to the confused Ailea, saying, "I was going to carry it, but it looks too wrong with me, so you carry it."

"Pardon?"

"Let's go on a birthday picnic."

"P-picnic?"

"You couldn't get out of the castle much. It's your birthday, so let's go out. There's a lake nearby."

At his words, Ailea's eyes went round.

While she stood there flustered, Clint led his horse Velvet out from the stable and made a step with his hands. Ailea cautiously climbed on, watching the horse's reactions. Perhaps because its owner was nearby, the horse was docile. Clint asked, "How is it, riding a horse?"

"More frightening than I expected..."

When the horse moved, Ailea flinched.

Velvet moved slowly so she wouldn't be scared. The place they arrived was a lake so clear it was transparent. After helping Ailea down from the horse, Clint pointed inside the lake.

"That side has hot spring water coming out, so it's warm."

The moment Ailea saw the beautiful lake, she was captivated. Clint removed 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... Wh-what are you doing!"

"You should soak your feet."

Clint grabbed Ailea's foot and removed her shoe. Then, looking at her foot, he tilted his head.

"How can feet be this small?"

"Clint..."

"Your ankle fits entirely in my hand."

Looking at her ankle dotted here and there with black spots, Clint joked seriously.

"You're still growing, right? Surely this isn't full-grown?"

"...I'm done growing?"

The sun was beginning to set, as if twilight would soon fall. Clint took one of her hands and led her to the lake. Ailea was flustered at first, but secretly wanting to soak her feet too, she quickly used her other hand to roll up her dress so it wouldn't get wet, then slowly dipped her feet in the hot spring water.

"Ah... It's warm..."

As the warm water enveloped her feet, Ailea felt like her heart was melting. Clint released her hand and said, "Ah, should I get in too?"

"What? Aah!"

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

'Taking off his clothes anywhere like that—really, does that man have no concept of propriety in his head?'

The pleasant sound of splashing filled the air. Ailea slowly lowered her hands. She could see Clint's dazzling upper body as he'd jumped into the lake.

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

Swimming skillfully in the lake, Clint said, "The water's really clean. Come in. You love washing."

"I want to, but... my clothes will get wet."

"Take them all off."

"I don't take my clothes off just anywhere?"

Clint walked out of the water, saying, "No one's looking."

"You're looking."

"Husbands are allowed to look, aren't they?"

At his words, Ailea rolled her eyes. Clint grinned mischievously and said, "I'm joking. I'll turn around. Get in and come out."

"Mm..."

Ailea asked in a voice full of concern, "Does it... feel good?"

"Of course."

"Keep watch for me."

"No one comes here anyway since it's my territory."

Clint spoke and walked a bit away from the hot spring water, then turned around. In the meantime, Ailea began removing her dress. Today she wasn't wearing a corset at all. She was only wearing an underdress that shaped the dress over it, with the black dress on top.

Swish—the dress slid off her body. She said anxiously again, "You absolutely can't turn around, okay?"

"I said I won't look."

Only after getting his firm promise did Ailea remove all her clothes and slip gently into the hot spring water. She felt like her whole body was turning soft.

"Ah, it feels good..."

When she made that suggestive sound, Clint snapped irritably, "Don't make sounds like that."

"What?"

"Sounds like that..."

Clint forgot she'd taken her clothes off and reflexively looked back. Fortunately, Ailea had turned away and didn't know he was looking. Clint's eyes widened, then he immediately turned to face away from her again.

The glimpse he'd caught of her back was beautiful to a maddening degree. Below her delicate shoulders, a waist so slender he worried it might break, round hips with just enough flesh. Both her arms and legs were long compared to her small height.

"This is driving me crazy."

Without meaning to, Clint roughly rubbed his reddened face with his hand. Even her blotchy skin made him feel strangely affected.

He thought that if Ailea knew he'd just stolen a glance at her, the late Commander Ron would come back from the dead and grab him by the collar.

For the first time, Clint became aware that he was paying unusual attention to Ailea. Until then, he hadn't even noticed the fact.

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

He muttered with a slightly flustered face.