chapter 46
This is also the reason I wanted to try again. Well, didn’t Herace say he would think of another way along with the engagement? Our discussion was still ongoing.
‘He must be cautious because someone recently stole the contract.’
I arrived at Herace’s office. The butler who opened the door for me stepped aside, saying we should have some private time.
I pushed the door wide open and craned my neck.
“…Herace?”
I stopped in front of the closed door, and Herace’s office came into view.
The rich brown wooden furniture set against the ornate wallpaper, along with the red curtains, gave the room a cozy feel. The interior was striking but not overwhelming—it suited him perfectly.
“Her-”
My voice calling him vanished like mist. Beyond the books and files, Herace was asleep, resting his face on the desk.
I stepped forward cautiously and stood before his desk to check the time. I wasn’t early, nor late, compared to our appointment.
“I kept the appointment perfectly.”
Usually, I would have woken someone who had forgotten the appointment and fallen asleep. If I didn’t want to, I would have left and waited for the next chance.
But perhaps it was because Herace was sleeping so soundly. Or because he looked beautiful while asleep. I began tidying the documents scattered across his desk. As I picked up and put down the papers, something familiar caught my eye.
“The beginning of the curse is exploration.”
We both owned the same book. Herace must have become a regular at the bookstore for the sake of our love story. He probably studied it diligently.
“He must have studied this book far more than I did. I judged there was nothing for me to gain, so I left it tucked away in the corner.”
Noticing the similarity brought a satisfied smile to my lips. I swallowed the smile and finished tidying the messy desk. Then, as a guest, I sat on the sofa.
“…….”
Ten minutes passed, yet Herace showed no sign of waking.
Having observed the courtesy expected of a guest, I instinctively went around the desk and knelt beside him. I placed my knees on the floor, resting my arms and chin on the desk, and turned my head toward him.
“Herace, Gray.”
I called to Herace again in a barely audible voice. Still, there was no response—only the sound of his breathing. I moved my lips as if trying to catch the breath I seemed to be lacking.
Herace’s breathing was peculiar—light and sweet, almost like a song.
“Is he really a character from a novel?”
My cheeks pressed against the desk. Shaking off the feeling that I might collapse, I tried to face the reality in front of me and laughed.
He was no longer a character from a story—it didn’t matter anymore.
“My companion, my person. Someone special to me. A real person, alive.”
I slowly reached out to Herace. I adjusted the hair covering his nose and eyelids so that when he opened his eyes, he could see me.
Suddenly, my chest felt heavy. Seeing him so peaceful, my mind replayed our endless debates from before.
“Herace, why do you always take the opposing side in our discussions? Why do you say you won’t get married?”
Only the colorful, bird-like sound of his breathing could be heard—Herace did not respond. A knot of frustration kept building inside me.
“Our compatibility is perfect, so why do you keep opposing me?”
I was speaking about the importance of compatibility in marriage. Thanks to the time we had spent together, I knew our compatibility was fantastic.
Marriage is also long-term teamwork. While living together, you need to resolve small conflicts, communicate, and grow.
Even in conflict, we acted calmly, without anger.
Not only that:
“I grew after meeting Herace. I developed. And Herace must have grown too.”
I used to avoid unexpected situations and fear them, but now I could enjoy them in my own way.
Herace, too, had begun to resemble my more methodical side.
“The important things in marriage are personality, trust, family background, financial ability, and appearance. We have all of those. Even if we don’t fully know each other’s family backgrounds, everything else is a perfect 5 out of 5.”
I puffed up my cheeks and exhaled dry air, mumbling oddly.
Herace had never shown interest in my family background. Then, the only remaining concern was appearance.
“I think Herace’s appearance is the best in the empire by my standards. What about me?”
Opening my heart lightened the heavy feeling. I felt a bit frustrated and annoyed, but now I could express it.
“Still, I’ve never lost a debate.”
Of course, I had lost once or twice due to social status differences, but never in an equal standing.
“We are really going to get married. A real marriage, not fake, Herace.”
“…Filena?”
At that moment, Herace’s eyes fluttered open. As his gaze met mine, his lips curved into a gentle smile.
“Filena, my girlfriend.”
I felt breathless. Just waking up, his low, soft voice near my ear, and his unusually playful, childish smile, made my hands and feet stiffen.
“You came to my dream again, Filena. Don’t leave soon—stay a while. We won’t always be able to see each other.”
“….”
“I never get tired of looking at you. Will you come again tomorrow? I hope you do—”
He only blinked. It was a meaningless motion, yet Herace hesitated and withdrew the hand that had reached for my cheek.
Seeing his hand retreat rapidly, I pulled my cheek off the desk.
“Filena… no, why are you… here? Who said you should be here? No…”
Herace’s gaze shifted from the wall clock to me. He paused his flustered babbling and pressed his lips together.
“Today… we had an appointment, right? That’s why you came, Filena.”
“Yes, Herace. You’re already 20 minutes late for our appointment.”
“Sorry. Did you wait long? I’ve been completely swamped these past few days. No excuse, I guess.”
“It’s fine. I could have woken you, but I enjoyed watching you sleep, so I didn’t.”
“…I see.”
As if nothing had happened, Herace brushed my hair out of my eyes. I accepted his touch quietly and responded.
“You said you’d come tomorrow too. If we’re married, we could see each other every day.”
“Even with an engagement, you can see me often. If you want, you could see me every day.”
“I know we can’t see each other every day, Herace. You’re the one busy helping your parents, not me.”
“Oh, you caught me. Right, I can’t help it; my parents’ business is moving slowly.”
Herace tapped his chin and covered his mouth. Even though he seemed unwilling to answer, I persisted.
“Never getting tired of seeing each other is an important necessity in marriage. If disaster strikes while trapped in the institution of marriage, you’re likely stuck in a confined space 24/7.”
“You’re right. That’s true. We should resolve this engagement situation first. Don’t we need to consider marriage more carefully?”
I instinctively felt the debate begin, ready to counter, when Herace shushed me and placed a finger on my lips. He then gestured for me to sit on the sofa beside him.
Through the slightly open door, I could see the faint gap in the office.
“The door—”
“No, leave it. Whistler is out today, and I already told the servants to stay away from the office.”
With anyone else, I might have closed the door for safety, but it was Herace. Even slightly open was fine. Feeling unconcerned, I boldly extended my hand to him.
“Give me your hand.”
