* * *
Lennox Carlyle’s affection was blind yet shallow.
He was desperate to give Juliet anything, but the really important things, like family or children, weren’t something he could grant her according to his will.
He was insensitive to others’ emotions, but he realized that the expensive gifts he gave didn’t hold any value for Juliet.
No matter how precious the gifts were, Juliet left him, leaving all the things she had received untouched, when she ran away from him.
But that was the only way. He liked it even if Juliet smiled a little.
He didn’t know how to express his emotions any other way.
“So teach me. Tell me what you’d like me to do and how.”
Juliet, seated at the table, looked at him with a complicated expression.
“You don’t have to give me something as compensation every time.”
“How else am I to prove it?”
“Like other people, build trust step by step, normally.”
Normally?
Seeing Lennox’s expression becoming serious, Juliet felt awkward. He was a person far from normal in many ways.
Juliet suddenly became curious. Was he like this with his past lovers too?
“So… aside from giving expensive jewels, have you ever tried to gain favor?”
“Never.”
Lennox answered flatly without thinking much. Juliet thought she had asked a foolish question.
He was the kind of person who didn’t need to work to gain others’ favor.
“But you wouldn’t have just given gifts every time, right?”
“Damn. How do you know that?”
Lennox’s eyes became fierce.
“Being desperate to look good in front of someone, or being scared of being hated. It’s all for the first time for me.”
Nervously brushing back his hair, Lennox only caught Juliet’s expression after he spat out his words.
“So, what I mean is.”
“Hehe.”
Juliet burst into laughter. Lennox seemed puzzled as to why she was laughing.
“It’s nothing.”
Juliet fake-coughed to hide her reddened cheeks.
Sometimes Lennox was too straightforward, often making Juliet flustered. Juliet chuckled for some reason.
‘My goodness.’
She had lived for many years.
Even young children playing house seemed to be more mature than their relationship.
It wasn’t just Lennox, Juliet was also clumsy when talking about feelings.
“…Usually, people hold hands when they like each other, then kiss.”
“We do that every day. What’s different?”
Lennox seemed to not understand.
“It’s different. Not grabbing the wrist impulsively as soon as our eyes meet.”
Lennox made a strange expression.
“Why?”
“Because you seemed to not know me.”
Lennox chuckled and pulled her onto his lap.
“As much as I don’t know you.”
Juliet was puzzled why he was laughing but Lennox confidently tilted his chin and asked.
“So. Holding hands, kissing, and then?”
“And then you should talk.”
“…”
“Like you said it earlier yourself. If you don’t talk, you won’t know.”
Juliet smirked and stroked his cheek.
“So, say you love me. From morning till night.”
“…Just that?”
“That’s enough.”
Their tender gazes met. Lennox, who had been silently staring at Juliet, gently kissed her neck.
“Okay. I promise.”
Juliet giggled as if tickled but Lennox didn’t let go of her hand that he had tightly grasped.
“I’ll say it many times.”
And then Lennox realized. Talking was a good thing.
The temple, which hadn’t yielded to all sorts of threats, eventually revoked the excommunication against the Carlyle Duke.
Lennox Carlyle was the first to instruct the reopening of the closed chapel, and the reason was quite obvious.
The Duke himself had to hold a wedding ceremony.
He was even ready to order the reconstruction of the main temple that he had personally destroyed, if necessary.
Soon, Lionel Lebatan arrived.
“You’ve traveled a long way, thank you for coming.”
Duke Carlyle greeted the guests with surprising courtesy.
“Duke.”
Lionel Lebatan was still displeased, but he at least accepted the greeting.
In fact, Juliet was quite curious about how Lennox managed to get Lionel Lebatan’s permission.
Ever since Juliet disappeared and miraculously returned alive, her grandfather had openly treated Lennox as a wretched guy.
“So, this is the list of dowries?”
Sure enough. As soon as Lionel Lebatan entered the ducal residence, he laid down his demands.
“Ha! Is that all for taking my granddaughter?”
Lionel Lebatan, who skimmed through the list of dowries, exaggeratedly threw the scroll away.
“You intend to make her live in this decrepit castle? Feh!”
Could it be that by ‘decrepit castle’, he was referring to the largest castle in the North? Juliet unwittingly glanced at the ceiling in astonishment.
“At least a decent roof should be…”
“I knew you’d say that, so I prepared separately.”
However, Duke Carlyle, as if anticipating this, picked up the scroll Lionel Lebatan had thrown away earlier and politely placed it back on the tea table.
“You didn’t see the back.”
There was a backside to the long list of wedding gifts.
“…Ahem, yes. This much is needed to uphold the dignity of a Duke’s house.”
“You’re quite right.”
Listening to the conversation going back and forth between the two, Juliet couldn’t help but intervene.
“It seems both of you have forgotten, but this is my wedding.”
“…”
“If you’re going to bicker pointlessly, please stop.”
Only after Juliet rather harshly stated her opinion did Lennox finally leave his seat.
Afterward, Juliet enjoyed a quiet tea time with her grandfather.
“I’m glad to see you look healthy.”
“It’s all thanks to you.”
Lionel Lebatan, having cleared his name and regained his status as a free citizen, contrary to the people’s expectations or worries, didn’t seek vengeance against the imperial family nor did he try to expand his influence through power plays.
He simply enjoyed strolling through the capital freely without the fear of being arrested. One of Lionel Lebatan’s simple joys was to take care of the youngest daughter’s grave and mansion on behalf of Juliet.
People in the capital often witnessed the surreal sight of the legendary fugitive, the Red King, strolling leisurely and freely through the streets as the sun set.
“But honey.”
Lionel Lebatan asked bluntly without any preliminary greetings.
“Are you really okay with such a guy?”
“…?”
“This is the last time I’ll ask. I respect your judgment but~”
“Grandfather, it’s a secret, but…”
Juliet slightly smiled as she set down her teacup.
“I’ve always thought I was a bit strange.”
She experienced fifteen years old twice. Though she returned to being fifteen due to an inexplicable phenomenon, Juliet could never forget her previous life.
Maybe because she had lived too long in a tired and wounded state, she felt she was broken.
“And he’s as messed up as me.”
Juliet gently smiled as she fiddled with the ring on her left ring finger.
“So, I guess I fell for him at first sight.”
It wasn’t an emotion that could be easily described. Falling for someone was a matter of instinct and intuition.
And Juliet’s choice was right.
‘I changed it.’
Juliet managed to twist the predetermined trajectory and succeeded in changing the ending.
Satisfaction rose like warm sunlight.
* * *
While the entire North was busy with wedding preparations, the baby dragon also found a role.
It was assigned the important task of carrying the rings during the ceremony.
“Meow?”
“Oh my. It’s too cute, Miss.”
“Yeah. Everyone will enjoy it, right?”
Skillful tailors made straps so that a cushion could be tied to the baby dragon’s back.
With a cushion to hold the ring placed on its back like a backpack, the baby dragon monopolized the attention of the maids.
“…You’re going to use a dragon as a ring bearer?”
Juliet’s magician friend, Eshelrid, asked skeptically.
“Are you serious?”
Juliet shrugged as if there were no problem.
“Why? Our Nix is smart.”
“Peep!”
“What did I tell you to do, Nix?”
Upon Juliet’s words, the baby dragon proudly went to the end of the corridor.
Then it walked back dignifiedly and stopped precisely at the marked position, without dropping the practice ring placed on the cushion on its back.
“Oh my, look at that. He understood just with one explanation.”
“He’s only been 8 months, mind you.”
“Oh, maybe he’s a genius!”
Juliet and the maids praised the baby dragon as if he was very special.
It wasn’t a difficult task, but Onyx was completely thrilled.
“Peep!”
Observing the self-important young dragon, Eshelrid was at a loss for words.
Usually in weddings, a young page boy was responsible for delivering the rings. Sometimes well-trained animals were used.
But Eshelrid couldn’t believe that one of the most mysterious and powerful magical creatures in the world was merely carrying rings.
‘A dragon!’
Eshelrid had been steadily trying to teach Onyx letters and numbers. Through the process, Eshelrid realized that the baby dragon was quite cunning.
Onyx could count the number of apples up to ten.
However, when it got tired of studying, it pretended not to understand Eshelrid to shoo him away.
He only acted ignorant and adorable in front of Juliet.
‘Everyone’s being fooled!’
Eshelrid found a quite ominous record in the magic library.
The record stated that a powerful magical creature like a dragon awakens a tremendous power within a year of its birth that could surpass even a mature magician, and would be able to use magic merely by wanting it.
But the baby dragon in front of him was loafing around to be cute instead of awakening any power…
“Our Nix is smart too.”
“Peep!”
Could it be that because Juliet overly doted on and indulged him, Onyx didn’t have an occasion to awaken his magic?
It was a somewhat rational speculation.
Suddenly, Eshelrid remembered the Duke Carlyle, who had begun to gain notoriety as a very loving husband even before their marriage, and realized something.
If the two had a child in the near future, without a doubt, they would spoil the child to the core.