Chapter 23

Grace looked at Arthur, who had the same expression as her, with a tearful look on her face.

“Duke, do you see me as such a cold and unkind person? Wherever I go, I can feel the duke’s gaze reaching me, even if I don’t see the duke’s face, I am able to feel it. So you want me to just pretend I don’t know? I can’t do that!”

“……What am I supposed to do? Are you telling me to give up even looking at you from afar?

Then, with a voice filled with grief and despair, Grace answered, shaking her head firmly.

“No, please keep looking at me. Just like this, standing within a close reach of each other.”

“……”

“And don’t go away from me, don’t go, you may have a hard time from now on, but don’t leave me. Just say something like that….Then I won’t go.”

“…..My lady.”

“Don’t you understand if I am saying so? I like you, too! So I want you to hold on to me! Had it not been for this feeling, would I have deliberately done the troublesome job of passing by the garden overlooking the duke’s office?”

Arthur let go of her hand in disbelief at Grace’s loud cry. Then he stretched out his trembling hand and stammered, hugging her.

“…… Are you sure? You really, me?”

[T/N: It’s not a typo, he is stammering in disbelief, so he is talking in broken language hehe.]

“Yes, I do.”

“….Really, can I hold onto you?”

“Yes, please. I hope you do.”

” ……If you get closer to me, the curse will get even stronger, is that ok?”

Grace, who was still in Arthur’s arms, gently pushed him away when he asked in a trembling voice. Then she answered, gazing at him, who had a mournful look in his eyes.

“To be honest, I’m actually scared. My hands still tremble with fear at the thought of the party.”

“….To be more honest, I’m afraid of the curse as much as I like you. About half and half?

Arthur also smiled at Grace’s playful smile as if to lighten up the mood. Grace gently reached out to his face. Arthur was surprised at the touch on his cheek, Grace continued, looking at Arthur gently placing his hands over hers.

“That’s why I made a bet with myself.”

“……A bet?”

“Will the Duke come to hold onto me or not? Yes, if the Duke comes to hold onto me and asks me to stay with him, I’ll try to pluck up my courage even if I am afraid.”

“…..My lady.”

“So promise me you’ll always love me as you do now. Tell them we’ll find a way to solve the curse together somehow… and promise me that. Promise me that, and I won’t leave.”

Then Grace smiled broadly at Arthur. Arthur clasped her hand under his hand, looking at her heartily and overwhelmingly.

“……That’s all I need to promise?”

“Yes, with that promise, I think I’ll be able to stand even if I’m scared.”

“….Okay. I promise with my life.”

Arthur took a step closer to her, making a promise with a firm look. Then he pulled her back into his arms with one hand and she made one more vow in her heart, such that he wouldn’t hear it.

If she couldn’t find a way to solve the curse, she would kill herself with this hand to prevent it.

Then Arthur stroked her head in his arms. Grace smiled softly, raised her head out from his arms, reached out to Arthur, and said, touching his mask.

“Duke, can you promise me one more thing?”

“What do you mean?”

“One day, when all my fears and scared feelings disappear from my heart and only this heart that likes you remains.”

“……?”

“Then, let me take off this ‘mask’ that you wear.”

Arthur, who had a puzzled expression at Grace’s request for a promise on one more thing, replied with a sad smile at the words that followed.

“……Ok. Please, do that.”

Arthur embraced her even more strongly. Grace dug deep into his arms and wrapped her arms around his wide back. Then she could feel a few drops of tears dripping on her head with his low-pitched voice.

Grace smiled briefly, gently sweeping Arthur’s back. As she said to him, she was still afraid of the curse that would come to her. And she wasn’t too relieved to think that she might be losing her second life to a curse.

However, she could not turn her back towards the first person that gave her the warmth of his hand. She would live alone with this strong but weak man crying at every word she said. She couldn’t escape.

‘I don’t think it’s meaningful to lose someone like this and live solely as me.’

And the poor little Leon, who looked just like this man, also had a big impact on the decision. Grace remembered the cute face that she was easily intimidated by.

‘I couldn’t go out for a walk yesterday. Is he upset?’

Grace dug deeper into the warm arms of Arthur, worrying about how to soothe Leon’s feelings, which must have been very hurt. It was snowing heavily from the sky before she knew it, but it wasn’t cold at all because she was in his arms.

***

It was already dark when Arthur and Grace, who had been hugging each other for a long time in the snow, returned to the mansion.

The two walked in silence, walking side by side on the white snow piled up all night. Climbing the stairs they soon stood side by side in front of Grace’s bedroom door, masking the sound of footsteps afraid that someone would wake up.

Arthur stopped in front of the bedroom door and gently brushed off the snow on Grace’s head while she was looking up at him.

“You may catch a cold, make sure you wash up with hot water and sit in front of the fireplace in the bedroom.”

“The Duke, too. You’ll go to the bedroom like me, too, won’t you?”

“No, I think I have to go back to my office for now.”

“What? Why? Are you so busy with your work?”

“Yes, even if I’ve been in my office, my work was delayed because I’ve been looking out the window.”

[T/N: My boy… Why so much lobe… *blush* *blush*(｡・//ε//・｡)]

“….Ah.”

When Grace blushed slightly at the words, Arthur burst into laughter, and said, gazing at her with eyes dripping with honey* as he said,

[*T/N: Probably means looking at her with a sweet gaze as if honey is dripping from his eyes.]

“I want to quit my job and keep looking at you.”

“……Haha, I am not kidding at all, by the way. Does it sound like a joke?”

“……No.”

Grace, who had already turned red, replied in a crawling voice. Arthur gently swept her hair like that and lightly swept down her shoulder.

“……I’ll be back from work soon. If you don’t mind, I’d like to have dinner with you, what do you think?”

“I like it.”

“Is there anything you like or dislike?”

“……Uh, there is no such thing. I eat everything well.”

“Really? I hope Leon learns from you. He spits it out of his mouth if it smells a little strong or if the texture is unfamiliar.”

“Oh, really?”

“I tried to fix it several times, but it didn’t work out.”

While talking about Leon for a while, the two burst into laughter.

Soon after, as the early morning sun gradually filtered through the window of the hallway, Arthur was still looking at Grace with his lingering eyes. He then said,

“I’m really going to go now. Lady.”

“Yes….have a safe trip.”

“Don’t forget your promise to have dinner together.”

At the end of the remark, Arthur turned slowly and went down the stairs. Grace stared fondly at the back of Arthur, who was getting farther away. Then, when he was no longer in sight, Grace entered the bedroom and sneezed violently.

[T/N: “Sneezed violently”….(≧▽≦)]

Grace quickly took off her wet coat and sat down in front of the burning fireplace. Then she checked the wall clock in the bedroom. It was about time for Sally to wake up, so she was going to ask for a hot bath when she arrived. She had been waiting for about 10 minutes when Sally’s voice was heard outside the door with a few knocks.

“Madam, are you awake?”

Grace answered the call as if she had been waiting.

“Yes, please come in.”

Sally then entered, pushing a silver tray with a simple breakfast and hot water.

“Oh, my God, you’re up already? …… No, by the way, why are you wearing your outdoor clothes?”

Sally, who thought Grace was in her bed, was looking only at the bed with her eyes, and quickly approached Grace, sitting in front of the fireplace and warming herself up.

Then she picked up the coat Grace had taken off next to her and shouted in a frightened voice after confirming that it was wet.

“Oh, my! How did your coat get so wet? Did you go out last night by any chance?”

“……Uh, yeah, wait a minute, I couldn’t sleep…”

“Oh my God! Why did you do that? Didn’t you hear that? At night, heinous beasts and creatures roam around! But you went out alone without me or an escort? What if you got hurt?”

Sally’s stunned voice was filled with anxiety and concern. Grace replied awkwardly and hesitantly, smiling at Sally, whose nagging was never ending.

“……You know what, Sally. I wasn’t alone.”

“What? What do you mean….”

Sally, who was frowning when she asked what she was saying, seemed to realize something soon. Then she covered her mouth with her hands and said.

“……Oh my, oh, my. Oh my God.”

“…..Haha.”

“I’m sorry, but you went with the man I think you were with, haven’t you?”

“……Maybe.”

Grace replied with a laugh at Sally’s careful question, trying to resist making a fuss right away. Then Sally’s face brightened. Sally put her hands together and said to Grace.

“If that’s the case, you should have given me a word in advance. I would have dressed you up beautifully.”

“….How can I do that? Sally’s tired, too.”

“No, it’s all right, ma’am. Be sure to call me next time. I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, no matter how deep I am sleeping.”

Therefore, Sally asked Grace not to go out alone at night without saying a word. Grace, who nodded with a smile at the remark, sneezed loudly again at the sudden rise of cold. Then Sally said in surprise,

“Oh, my God! Come to your senses*. You’re going to catch a cold! I’m sorry, I’ll get you some hot water and change your clothes right now!”

[*T/N: Sally is telling herself to come to senses.]

“Thank you, then I’ll ask you a favor, please help me get my hair done afterwards… Achoo!”

Sally placed a blanket over Grace’s shoulder, covered her properly, made hot tea, and ran into the bathroom next to her bedroom.

Grace took a sip of hot tea with a giggle at the hectic look. Her heart was as warm as the tea going through her throat.

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ㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡㅡ

T/N: YESH! I came back and my exams went…. Fairly well I guess… Hehe. It was REALLY stressful. The exams ate me up. But phew! It has ended at last. I will soon post the two chapters so stay tuned!!