The evening party held to commemorate the ceremony was so splendid that it made people’s eyes turn with interest.
It was thanks to Zion who very diligently fulfilled Kael’s command to decorate it in the most colorful and magnificent way.
Adeline changed into a fluttering dress and looked around the corridor with wide-open eyes.
By Adeline’s standards, it was too much splendor, but the party held for the ceremony was a showcase for the forces of the territory, so she couldn’t say that it was too much.
In addition, the more closely she looked, the more she could see that her preferences had been collected and reflected as much as possible, so she had no choice but to let it go.

“Zion.”
“Yes, Your Grace. Do you need anything?”

Swallowing a laugh, Adeline suddenly found Zion and called out to him.

“No, that’s not it. I don’t need anything, I just wanted to say thank you.”
“Sorry?”
“I can see that you tried very hard, Zion. This hall.”

When Adeline recognized him and thanked him in person, Zion couldn’t hide his emotions.

“It’s an honor that you like it, Your Grace.”

He bowed politely to Adeline, almost crying.

“I’ve never told you before, but I can’t tell you how grateful I am that Your Grace has stood by His Grace’s side. Everyone in the North is deeply grateful, Your Grace.”
“…”
“You don’t know how much has changed since His Grace met you. In a good way, of course.”

After meeting Adeline, Kael began to regain some of the emotions he had lost. He wasn’t sure about those who only knew him as the harsh ruler of the north, but Zion, who had been assisting Kael for a long time, knew better than anyone.
He was showing a little bit of the cheerfulness and warmth he had when he was a boy, before he lost everything and was thrown into the world with a curse.

“I really want to say thank you over and over again, but if I did, His Grace would probably scold me and tell me not to bother Your Grace.”

Adeline smirked and nodded.

“Is Zion thinking of taking Her Grace’s first dance?”

As they were talking, Melissa came up to them, talking playfully.

“The dance is about to begin, Your Grace. You’ll need to prepare your heart.”

It was a mischievous exaggeration, but it was true that she needed to prepare her heart.
Adeline couldn’t refuse anyone’s dance today.
After the ceremony was over, it was a northern tradition for the grand duchess to dance with everyone for the day, listening to their stories, and getting along with them.

“I don’t think you’re bad for the first dance’s partner. What do you think?”
“It’s an honor, Your Grace.”

Adeline smiled broadly and headed to the center of the hall with Zion. It was the beginning of a long night.

***

‘Wow…’

Adeline swallowed an exclamation inwardly and took a breath.
She expected it somewhat, but there were so many people who asked Adeline to dance.
No one was rude, and everyone congratulated Adeline and made her happy, but the endless dancing made her exhausted.
In addition, people didn’t let her go, not even during a brief break, so she emptied quite a few glasses of champagne.

“I think it’s time for me to rescue you.”

Worried that she was going to collapse at this rate, Kael approached Adeline and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Kael!”

Her mind, which was becoming increasingly dazed, was awakened. Adeline greeted Kael with sparkling eyes.
The grand duke was the grand duchess’ final partner. After he danced with the grand duchess, the time for anyone to dance with her was over.

“Where have you been? I kept looking for you but couldn’t see you, so I was worried.”
“I had something to look into. You must have danced a lot.”
“I think my feet are swollen.”

Adeline had searched for Kael throughout the party. She smiled and talked with people, laughed and danced, but she tried to find Kael whenever she had a chance.
But while she was anxious after being unable to see him for a long time, he came back.

“I think you’re quite drunk, too.”
“No, no. I’m not drunk at all. I just emptied a few glasses of champagne.”
“The champagne in the North is strong. It tastes so sweet that you can easily drink it and not notice it.”
“I’m really not drunk.”
“I don’t believe you’re not drunk.”

She had a track record, so she couldn’t refute it. As Adeline pouted, a smile formed on Kael’s lips.

“… Do I smell like alcohol?”
“Of course not.”
“Then why do you keep saying that I’m drunk? I’m really fine.”
“Your face is red.”

Adeline’s eyes shook slightly after listening to the unexpected reason.

“It’s because it’s a little hot. I kept dancing, after all. And I’m not red because of the alcohol, but because I’m…”

Adeline trailed off.
She tried to give a reason for the injustice, but she said something that shouldn’t have been said.
I’m easily embarrassed when you’re in front of me, the words almost flowed out without resistance. She managed to stop it, but Kael, who was quick-witted, wouldn’t let it go.

Just as Adeline was dazzlingly beautiful today, Kael was so cool that it made her look at him with wonder.
The glamorous uniform highlighted Kael’s features, and his hair, with his bangs swept back unlike usual, was also quite exciting. Kael’s current appearance, which could only be seen when there was a big event, always made Adeline excited.
Just making eye contact was embarrassing. When such a wonderful person came to treat her with infinite kindness, her heart melted so easily.

“…”
“…”

Kael immediately understood Adeline’s words, and a somewhat awkward silence hovered between them.
Every time the thoughts she tried to suppress leaked out without hesitation, the atmosphere between the two became strange.
The music changed, and Kael and Adeline’s dance ended. Now it was time for everyone at the party to dance freely.

“Adeline.”
“Yes?”
“There’s somewhere you have to come with me.”

Kael whispered to Adeline while people poured out into the center of the hall.

“Where…”
“You’ll know when you go.”

Kael’s large hand wrapped around Adeline’s small hand. The most important event still remained.

***

“Isn’t this the place that connects with my garden?”
“That’s right.”

The place where Kael and Adeline were going was none other than the garden of the castle.
On the inner side of the large garden, there was a path that led to a small secret garden that was only allowed to the grand duchess, and Kael was leading Adeline there.
Adeline followed Kael with a bewildered face. She was following him, but she couldn’t figure out why he was heading there.

“Please close your eyes from here on.”
“You want me to close my eyes?”
“I’ll lead you safely. Trust me and close your eyes for a moment. You can’t open them.”

Just before entering the secret garden, Kael closed Adeline’s eyes. There were more and more question marks in Adeline’s mind, but since he asked firmly, she had no choice but to follow.

“Open them when I count to three.”
“…”
“One, two, three.”

As she headed a little further inward with Kael’s guidance, Adeline slowly opened her eyes at his signal.

“Ah…”

The moment she opened her eyes, Adeline unconsciously covered her mouth with both hands. She couldn’t help but be surprised by the sight in front of her.

“You’re not a person who likes luxury, and you’re not a woman without land. I wanted to build you a nice villa, but I didn’t have enough time.”
“…”
“Since you love books so much, I thought I would make a large library just for you, but then you would be stuck in there and I wouldn’t even see your face.”

Kael continued speaking a little playfully.
Adeline was still staring forward, stunned.

“I worried for a long time about what to give you that you would like, and I thought this would be the best.”
“…”
“A small sea that’s always waiting for you.”

The gift that Kael had placed in the secret garden, which Herma had made with great care, was a small sea.
In the innermost corner of the garden, in a space surrounded by tall trees, the eastern sky and sea spread out. It was a beach made using magic.

“It’s not an illusion, it’s real water. You can really wet your feet if you want.”
“…”
“Time will pass in the same way, and the seasons will change in the same way. It’s night here right now, so this beach is like holding a star.”
“…”
“When the sun goes down, you will see the red sea that we saw at that time.”

Adeline’s eyes grew wet as Kael continued to speak calmly.

“I hope it will be a place where you can rest when you feel homesick. Although it is not comparable to the real sea in the East.”

The moment he stopped talking with a gentle smile, the bell of the castle rang to announce midnight.

“Happy birthday, Adeline.”
“…”
“I wanted to be the first to congratulate you.”

Kael’s congratulation was infinitely affectionate, and so warm that it made her tear up. Adeline moved closer to Kael, holding back the tears that felt like they were about to flow down her face.

“Kael.”
“Do you like it? If you don’t like it, be honest…”
“How could I not like this gift? How could I even dare?”

How could he ask her to tell him if she doesn’t like it, after giving her a gift that she couldn’t help but fall in love with once more? Adeline shook her head incredulously and looked at Kael.

“I’m glad. I was worried that you might not like it. So much so that I couldn’t even sleep.”
“Ah, Kael.”

When Kael’s laughter dispersed, tears flowed down Adeline’s cheeks.

“It’s a gift I’m giving you on a good day to make you smile, so why are you crying?”

Kael gently wiped Adeline’s tears.

“If you bite your lips like that, it will hurt.”

Kael’s fingers blocked Adeline’s lips as she bit them to hold back her tears. Warmth spread over her lips.

“Thank you, Kael. It’s the most beautiful, most perfect gift I’ve ever received.”

Adeline hoped that her bursting heart would reach Kael safely.
She looked at Kael with tears in her eyes, then pulled him a little closer and kissed him first.

Kael’s eyes fluttered at the unexpected tickling kiss.

“Give me one more gift.”
“…”
“Let’s be honest at this moment, both of us. Let’s just not think about anything. Let go of it all.”
“…”
“Just like you did that day, I’ll bury it tonight. So…”

Adeline’s teary voice did not finish her words.
She wasn’t the only one who couldn’t control her overflowing feelings.
Kael kissed Adeline before she could finish speaking.
Adeline’s arms wrapped around Kael’s neck, and Kael wrapped his around her waist and hugged her tightly as if crushing her.

It was a kiss that showed only the instinct of wanting each other completely, so overwhelming that they didn’t even know how to breathe.
The kiss between Kael and Adeline, who had let go of everything, was hot and honest.

–