Ran, who was going to ask him to talk quickly, took a step away from him and coughed in vain.
"Well, I'm not doing this here. Let's talk after we get changed and rest."
"Okay."
Eustaf nodded and stepped back calmly.
Ran was waiting calmly in the study. Wearing a fresh light- yellow indoor suit, she was looking out the window.
It was drizzling outside. As the sun was setting, the sky full of clouds was all colored with majestic red.
Ran swallowed deeply and exhaled.
"Will the rain be strong?"
Ran turned her head to the question. She laughed when she saw Eustaf standing by the door.
"Why didn't you tell me you're already here?"
"I think you've lost in thought."
"Yes, I've been thinking."
Ran said so, moving away from the window.
"So far, it's not going to be just drizzle."
"Is that so?"
Eustaf recommended a sofa, so Ran sat down, and he sat naturally next to her.
"So, what happened?"
Eustaf talked about everything from beginning to end. His conversation with Ruth, the story of Label's involvement, and his approval in that way.
Listening to the story, her face changed every minute, and as soon as he finished, she cried out,
"Ran."
"He's crazy, isn't he crazy?"
Eustaf thought for a moment and asked.
"Which one?"
"Of course, Ruth!"
Ran answered loudly and crossed her arms.
"Is he going to have an all-out war with Lazia? No, and he told the soldiers to catch you? No way."
Then she pressed her forehead again with both hands.
"Oh, and if Label dries up like that - it's going to sparkle later on. And the Empress."
Ran crossed her arms again after talking. Just looking at her behavior, Eustaf said, as It would be a pleasure.
"That's none of our business."
"That's true, though."
Ran narrowed the forehead.
"I have no idea what the Empress thinks."
"Is that so? I think it's simpler than I thought."
"What do you think?"
asked Ran, snugly.
"I think it was Olivia who killed the Emperor."
Ran's face was slightly stiffened and released by the words. She said with a sigh.
"I actually think so, too. But I thought she'd rather kill the Crown Prince."
Eustaf whispered, looking at Ran, who was making scary noises.
"Why do you think so?"
"But there isn't much benefit from killing the Emperor, is there? By comparison, the Crown Prince is a trash."
"But didn't she take the position of empress? Besides, the palace is steadily building its support base."
"A base of support?"
"Yes, when the Emperor dies, she is the empress who can fully lead the state affairs."
"Ah."
Ran said so and then said it again.
"But she doesn't have children, does she?"
Without offspring, the emperor was more likely to fall to Label.
"I'm not sure about that either. And Ran, I have one more thing to say."
"What is it? Did the Emperor write another billion won?"
"There was an attempt to kidnap Ran."
For a moment, she stared blankly at Eustaf and she asked.
"When?"
"It's the last day you stayed at the villa on a tour in Lazia."
"I had no idea!"
"Because no one said it."
"Why?"
"I didn't know until today actually."
"Really?"
"Yes."
When Eustaf nodded, she squinted and looked at him and nodded.
"Okay, if Eustaf does."
Ran said so and asked.
"Then do you know who's behind this?"
"It's still under investigation."
"Is that so ..."
Ran is lost in thought.
"No matter how much I think, a man full of resentment enough to kidnap me..."
"Marquis Cameron and the Emperor."
Eustaf pointed out two fingers.
"I think that's about it."
"What about Baron Lindbergh?"
"He's into gambling these days."
"Yeah."
Once he knows what he's doing, he's in Eustaf's eye.
"We have a secret enemy."
Eustaf said, kissing her forehead at the muttered words of Ran.
"I'll protect you."
Ran turned red and bowed her head slightly. Carefully, Eustaf kissed her on the cheek, and Ran was still sitting silently, saying nothing.
"Ran"
He whispered softly.
"If you stay still like that, I'll be mistaken."
Ran looked down at her fingertips at the words. I don't hate Eustaf coming.
I-
"...no..."
She spoke very quietly, so Eustaf said snugly.
"Would you say that again?"
"It's, it's not an illusion ····."
After barely spitting out, my heart began to beat like crazy. It was all the more so because Eustaf didn't say anything. Ran looked at her fingertips and waited for him to tell me something.
'Should I be more specific? Did I say something wrong?'
Eustaf reached out and lifted her chin slightly as her head went spinning.
Her red face caught his eyes, and Eustaf smiled quietly. Then his hands gently wrapped around her back neck and head, and Ran closed her eyes tightly.
A long time later, his lips slowly touched mine. The warm and soft touch fell, and just by that, Ran felt numb on the back of her neck.
My heart is beating so fast that it's about to explode. She opened her eyes, breathing out, peeked at Eustaf and shook her head.
There was a short silence and Ran raised her hand before Eustaf told her something.
"Can, can I go first?"
"Of course."
His voice was sweet, so Ran peeked at Eustaf's face and said,
"Well, I'm not getting married for now."
For a moment, Eustaf's face hardened. But he didn't open his mouth and waited for Ran to continue talking.
"But, but it's okay to dating..."
"Love."
"Yes."
"Without engagement?"
"Yes"
Ran nodded.
Won't it be okay if it's for a while?
I think it'll be okay if it takes a while for Sina to come. Next, when Sina comes, you can go far away with the box.
Ran thought so.
It was inevitable to accuse her of cowardice or selfishness.
It was scary to get hurt.
"Alright."
Unexpectedly, Eustaf replied refreshingly. Ran's eyes widen.
"Really?"
"Yes, then be I'll dating you."
He said so and stretched his arms around her waist and asked.
"Then can I do it one more time?"
"You can do it without asking."
It's a cliche, but I can't think of any other lines except that, so Eustaf kissed me again. It was a longer, sweeter kiss than before.
After the long kiss, Eustaf hugged her tightly and Ran hugged him. It was much better than I imagined to hear Eustaf's heart beating around the bush.
'Eus, your heart is beating fast.'
Eus's heart is also pounding like mine, but laughter flowed out. The tickling, sweet feeling overflowed and she held him tightly and said,
"Eus."
"Yes."
"I can protect myself."
It was out of the line, but Eustaf noticed that this was an extension of the pre-kiss conversation.
"How do you say that?"
Eustaf asked after kissing her head.
"It'd be nice if you could carry it around like this. I don't take it out of my arms."
Ran laughed at the words. She laughed in his arms, and even with the sensation of his body ringing, Eustaf felt nervous.
The contradictory feeling of wanting to hug her and push her roughly and treat her very, very preciously, like glass work was mixed and swirled.
'But not yet, no.'
A little more. A little more.
I won't push her until she's perfectly mine.
Eustaf thought so and swept her hair down. Smooth, milky hair flowed down between my fingers.
Ran said, pulling herself out of his arms.
"But, come to think of it, Marquis Cameron won't kidnap me."
"Oh. Definitely."
"Of course, he may have a vengeance to kidnap me, torture me, and kill me, but I think he'll wants just to simply kill me. It's much more comfortable."
It was just the stupid Marquis who fought a territorial battle.
"Then do you think it was the Emperor's work?"
"Other than that, I don't know. Of course, The Viridescent Shadow will have to investigate."
"Maybe I should have burned it."
Eustaf leaned over and kissed her on the back of her neck, and Ran trembled and made a small noise, "Hak." Was the neck part this sensitive?
When Eustaf took his body off, Ran rubbed the concave between her neck and shoulder. There still seemed to be a ticklish feeling left.
"Burning it, killing the Emperor or something, you're not gonna be able to stay in Lazia comfortably."
"That's true."
Eustaf answered gently, and Ran frowned slightly before saying.
"And I'm worried from now on. Anyway, he failed to bring Eustaf to his knees head on, so now he might do something behind."
"He'd already done it."
He was trying to mess with Ran. Eustaf said so, scattering the outline of Ran's face.
"Eustaf."
"Yes."
"Didn't you say you hated skinship before?"
"I don't like it."
"But what is this hand?"
"I like doing it with Ran."
Ran's face turned red at the confident words. Eustaf added.
"I also like what Ran does."
Ran opened her mouth, and he grabbed her hand and said, while going to put it on his cheek.
"If you don't like it, say no."
"I, I don't hate it."
When Ran spoke quietly, he smiled and kissed the bottom of her hand.
"I think we're going to get along very well."
********
Ran came back to her room completely limp. Eustaf took me to the front of the room, and he didn't forget the kiss of goodbye, so I felt like my feet didn't touch the ground somewhere.
It feels like there's a space between feet and the ground, so light. Ran came into her room thinking she could fly.
Dimodia and Lumiere looked back and tried to greeting, but they stopped talking. Ran was dazed in the afterglow without even noticing it, and came back to her senses when Dimodia asked.
"What's the matter, miss?"
I didn't ask Lumiere. I thought something he didn't want would come out of her mouth.
"That-"
Ran laughed.
"I've decided to go out with Eus."
At the words, Dimodia threw away the towel she was carrying and ran. Without a sound, she eagerly grabbed Ran's hand and shook her, who burst into laughter.
She shook her head and said,
"It's all about dating. No marriage or engagement yet."
"That's a matter of time."
At Dimodia's words, Ran just smiled without answering.
When Kara asked, "What's going on?" after cleaning her bedroom, Dimodia replied with a smile.
"Miss decided to go out with the Duke."
"Oh my?"
Kara's cheeks turned red.
"Congratulations."
Dimodia giggled at her greeting.
"Isn't that line supposed to be to the Duke?"
"Dimodia, by the way."
Kara said so and laughed. Dimodia asked, shining her eyes.
"What happened to you? Why did you change your mind? And all of a sudden?"
"Later, later."
Ran said so and laughed. Then she made a serious face.
"And I want to talk to Dia and Lumiere separately."
Despite leaving Dimodia, Kara bowed down and quietly stepped back to the other room.
Ran called the two into her bedroom and said,
"There was an attempt to kidnap me?"
Dimodia opened her eyes wide and flinched at Lumiere.
"I heard it from Eustaf."
"Master, I'm--"
With a perplexed look on his face, Lumiere tried to make an excuse in a hurry, and Lan shook her hand.
"No, I'm not trying to say anything. I'm just trying to tell you that you both worked hard and that you don't want me to hide it next time. That way, I'll be careful."
"Respect."
Dimodia nodded, and Lumiere replied hesitating.
"Respect."
But I didn't want to let Ran know anything about it. I wanted to avoid shadowing her laughter.
"I'll be more careful from now on. Maybe the maid is a fool. Soda and Kara will be disappointed."
"Yeah. Do we really need to change it?"
Ran nodded at Dimodia's words.
"As expected, I think so, too. Eus is overprotective."
While grumbling, the cheeks are flushed with fever.
"You like it."
Dimodia covered her mouth and giggled, and Ran replied coyly, "It's not necessarily like that."
"This is all I wanted to talk about."
With a smile, as Ran finished, Dimodia graciously grabbed the hem of her skirt and said.
"Respect."
"Master."
Lumiere called Ran quietly then. When Ran looked at him, Lumiere said.
"Can I talk to you alone?"