Chapter 206

“Scheherazade?”

Julian startled awake.

For some reason, he couldn’t fall asleep.

The house he’d returned to after so long felt unfamiliar.

And his mind kept circling back to everything that troubled him.

So he sat alone on a bench in the hallway.

He liked the summer night air drifting in through the window across from him.

He liked the insects’ chirping, tickling his ears.

More than anything, he liked the damp, pleasant stillness.

He sat there with his eyes closed.

Then, by accident, he heard it.

Very softly, a door creaked open.

Carefully, gently, someone took a step.

As if afraid of waking someone.

Or being caught.

Scheherazade stepped into the dark hallway, glanced around, and met his eyes.

Julian’s rabbit-like eyes flew open.

“Oh, is something the matter?”

He asked without thinking.

The moment the words left his mouth, he realized how stupid it sounded.

Scheherazade turned toward him with the same blank face as always.

“……”

She didn’t answer.

She only stared at him—emotionless, unreadable.

Was she angry because of his stupid question?

Julian shrank back and hurriedly added,

“Ah, th-that’s… I’m sorry.”

“……For what?”

“Huh?”

“What are you sorry for?”

“Ah……”

Scheherazade’s face remained serious.

He was relieved the silence had broken, but the question was even harder.

Was she really angry?

Why?

And what, exactly, was he apologizing for?

Julian searched desperately for an answer.

But the brilliant mind that excelled in academics refused to cooperate.

Like a wheel without oil—creak, creak.

Swallowing hard, he lifted his head.

“J-Just… because.”

“……”

“Because I was sitting here for no reason, um… so I think I startled you.”

“……”

“If you were really surprised, I apologize. I’m sorry.”

“……”

Scheherazade hesitated.

She was surprised, but not angry.

And he had nothing to apologize for.

If he came at her like that, what was she supposed to say?

She felt awkward, too.

‘I didn’t expect to run into him here.’

She truly hadn’t known.

Until a moment ago, she’d been too dazed.

She was exhausted from spending too much emotion.

Even with her Swordmaster Syndrome, her focus had loosened.

That was why she hadn’t noticed.

“Um, actually, I couldn’t sleep. So I came out for some night air. I didn’t know you’d come into the hallway like this… I didn’t know I’d startle you… Um, if I’d known, I would’ve made some noise.”

“I knew. I wasn’t surprised.”

“……Really?”

“Yes.”

Somehow, she’d ended up telling a string of lies.

And yet, strangely, it came naturally.

This rabbit-like man in front of her kept making her lie.

“But what is that bag you’re carrying…?”

“Lunch box.”

The moment she said it, her face flushed.

Scheherazade’s cheeks turned bright red.

Even to her, it was an absurd answer—something she’d blurted out just to get past the moment.

‘……Do I look like a woman who can’t sleep and sneaks out in the middle of the night carrying a lunch box?’

She hoped not.

But this rabbit-like man simply accepted even that ridiculous remark.

“Ah, I see.”

…No.

“You must have been very hungry.”

…That’s not it.

“Actually, I’m a little hungry too, hehe.”

…Don’t believe that.

Julian smiled innocently, defenseless.

Scheherazade’s expression hardened.

“If you don’t have anything else to do, I’ll be going.”

She strode past him.

That was the plan.

But she couldn’t.

“Um… it’s not that I don’t have anything to do…”

“……Yes?”

The unexpected words stopped her.

Without meaning to, she looked back.

The rabbit-like man smiled shyly.

“If you’re going for a walk… would you like to walk with me?”

“Of course I’ll rejec—”

“I won’t touch your lunch box.”

“……”

“Actually, I wanted to walk. But I only read books, so my night vision is a little poor. If I walk alone at night, I often trip over stones.”

“……”

“So I’ll just follow you.”

“……”

Shake him off.

That was Scheherazade’s thought.

She turned away and walked down the hallway without answering.

She heard Julian’s footsteps following behind.

She didn’t care.

Passing the main office, she opened the door and stepped into the garden.

Behind her, Julian hurried to keep up.

She still didn’t care.

She cut across the garden, away from the annex, and stopped in front of the wall.

“Um, wait a minute—”

Whoosh!

Ignoring him, she kicked off the ground.

In an instant, she cleared the wall.

“……”

He wouldn’t be able to follow now.

Relief—thin and empty—washed over her as she took a step forward.

Then—

“……Ugh!”

Thud!

Julian tumbled over the wall and hit the ground in an awkward roll.

“Ugh, let’s go together.”

“……”

“I’m dying of pain.”

“……”

“Aren’t you going to ask if I’m hurt anywhere?”

“……Not at all.”

Ignore him and go.

That was what she tried to do.

But then his question struck her unexpectedly.

“Are you still… in a lot of pain?”

“Huh?”

Scheherazade froze.

He was the one who’d clumsily climbed the wall and fallen.

So why was he asking if she was in pain?

And why was he looking at her like that—worried?

“You’ve been like that since earlier.”

Julian’s voice was gentle.

He continued carefully.

“Earlier, at dinner. With the family.”

“……”

“You’ve had a very painful expression since then.”

“……”

“Um, actually, that’s why… here, take this.”

Limping as he stood, Julian rummaged through his pockets.

From the vest he wore over his pajamas, he pulled something out and offered it to her.

A small bottle of medicine.

“It’s digestive medicine. There was a lot of greasy food at dinner… so I thought your stomach might be upset. Um… it works pretty well. It tastes really sour and bitter, but… um, so I prepared this too.”

He rummaged again.

This time, two red candies wrapped in oil paper.

“Take the digestive medicine first, then roll this around in your mouth. You’ll feel better.”

“……”

Scheherazade stared blankly.

Not at the medicine or the candy, but at his palm.

‘He’s bleeding.’

A shallow scrape, but fresh.

He must have cut himself when he fell.

It had to hurt.

Yet his face showed none of it.

He only looked up at her—apologetic, concerned.

“Do you not like strawberry candy?”

“……”

“Um, if that’s not it… whew, I’m sorry. I lied earlier. It’s true I couldn’t sleep, so I came out… but, um, I was more worried about you, Scheherazade.”

“……”

“So I wandered around and ended up in the annex hallway. I thought I’d give this to you if I heard you awake. Um, and also…”

“Did you tell any other lies?”

“……Ah, yes.”

His rabbit eyes twitched.

Julian widened them even more.

“The part about wanting to walk… and the part about having poor night vision…”

“Those were lies?”

“……Yes.”

“Did you want to give this to me?”

“Um, yes.”

“You’re very good at making excuses.”

“……I’m sorry.”

“It’s fine. I lied too.”

“Yes?”

His round eyes twitched again.

Seeing him look up at her like that, Scheherazade let out a small chuckle—the first smile she’d shown all evening.

“I don’t have a lunch box.”

“……Ah.”

“This bag isn’t a lunch box. It’s a travel bag.”

“Don’t tell me… are you leaving?”

“Yes.”

“……”

“Aren’t you going to ask why?”

“No. I’m not going to ask.”

Julian shook his head.

His gaze grew deeper.

“If I ask for no reason, you’ll have to explain. And to explain, you’ll have to dig up something painful in your heart.”

“……”

“I don’t want to do that. Here. Take this.”

“……”

The digestive medicine.

The candy.

Scheherazade took them without realizing it.

Then a thought hit her.

“……Wait.”

She unfolded the oil paper.

She put one candy into her mouth.

Then she placed the other into Julian’s.

She took the remaining oil paper and crumpled it tight.

As Julian turned to leave, she grabbed his hand and pressed the crumpled paper firmly against his palm.

“……Ow! That hurts!”

“Bear with it.”

“Ugh, it stings.”

“Are you exaggerating? You didn’t even know you were hurt.”

“It’s true I didn’t notice, but it stings when you press it like that.”

“Stay still.”

She couldn’t leave like this.

She had to stop the bleeding, at least.

Only then would she feel a little less unsettled.

Only then would she have fewer regrets.

Scheherazade pressed harder.

Julian looked troubled.

“Um, Scheherazade?”

“Yes.”

“What if I eat the candy now?”

“……”

“That digestive medicine is really sour and bitter.”

“……”

Even now, he was worried about that?

Maybe that was why.

Without meaning to, Scheherazade blurted out the question swelling inside her.

“Why are you so worried about me?”

“Yes?”

“Why have you been so unusually worried about me since earlier?”

She was curious.

Puzzled.

She had to ask—had to know—before she left.

Julian’s attitude was that strange.

Like a fledgling worrying over its mother.

Fidgeting, following, hovering.

There had to be a reason.

So when she heard his answer, Scheherazade forgot to breathe for a moment.

“Just because.”

“……”

“Just… I was really just worried.”

“……”

“So I worried a little, brought the medicine and this, and then… now that you say you’re leaving, I’m a little…”

“Are you sad?”

“……Yes.”

“Why?”

“That’s just because too.”

“……”

Just because.

Truly just because—her throat tightened.

Scheherazade bit her lip.

Until now, the concern she’d received always had a reason.

She didn’t understand what it meant to be ‘just worried.’

She didn’t even know such a thing existed.

And in that moment, she finally understood why that phrase felt so unfamiliar.

The reason became clear.

The sorrow she’d been forcing down melted her mask away.

Just like that.

Without leaving a trace.

“Um, I…”

From that point on, it was as if she were possessed.

She spoke of how she’d grown up.

Indifferently, like she were telling someone else’s story.

Still pressing Julian’s wounded palm.

Still dry.

Still even.

She laid out only facts, one by one.

And all the while, her eyes kept growing wet.

Julian didn’t say it was okay.

Didn’t say it must have been hard.

He simply listened.

Sometimes he nodded.

Sometimes he only looked into her eyes.

Silently, face to face.

Listening until her story ended.

That was how the night passed.

And when morning finally came—

When she realized she’d been holding on to Julian all night—

The thought of leaving vanished from Scheherazade’s mind.

There was no special reason.

She just wanted to stay by his side.

♣

‘Ha. Look at those two. What a time to be alive.’

A warm—already scorching—summer morning.

No. Not warm.

A cruel season that rubs salt into the pure heart of a man forever alone.

Lloyd rested his chin on the mansion’s wooden fence and grumbled.

His gaze drifted to the road lined with trees below the hill.

A man and a woman walked there side by side.

Julian and Scheherazade.

“Hmm.”

Lloyd frowned, thinking back on the last few days.

It started about five days ago.

At the family dinner the night Julian returned to the estate, Scheherazade’s expression had been dark the whole time.

She looked ready to leave at any moment.

But the next day?

She’d completely changed.

‘Her expression was different. And she started spending time with Julian.’

What happened that night?

What kind of incident turned them into this sweet, harmonious budding romance?

But Lloyd wasn’t curious.

‘That’s not what matters.’

It stung that he was still single.

But that wasn’t important, either.

What mattered was something else.

‘My retirement plan.’

Not some vague dream.

A plan to deal with the very real crisis of old age.

‘If I just sit back and do nothing, I won’t be able to suck honey for the rest of my life. The Queen-noona won’t allow it. I know that for a fact.’

He could say it with conviction.

Looking back, it was always the same.

He’d been too active.

First, he tackled the estate’s financial crisis.

Then came the physical crisis, the administrative crisis, even the bacteriological crisis.

And every time, he performed far beyond what anyone expected.

That was why.

He’d earned far too much trust from the Queen.

Lloyd bit down hard as the thought settled in.

‘This won’t do. There’s no path to a comfortable life if I keep going like this. If I sit back now, I’ll end up like Hwang Hee—worked to the bone by King Sejong until he closed his eyes.’

He didn’t want that.

He’d already lived too hard.

Now he wanted rest.

A guaranteed, comfortable retirement.

A life of leisure, sucking honey to the end.

‘To do that, I need a plan.’

He’d felt the need for a while.

But he hadn’t seen an opening.

Nothing was clear.

It gnawed at him.

But now, by chance—

Watching Julian and Scheherazade walking together, bright and happy—

A perfect picture snapped into place.

A blueprint to secure his beautiful, leisurely retirement.

‘It’s possible. If things go according to my plan… I can do it. I can slowly lay down a blueprint that keeps the Queen-noona from using me however she wants.’

A sinister smile spread across his face.

“Hehehe. So, you see.”

Lloyd grinned slyly at the couple below the hill.

And he checked the big picture he’d just drawn up once more.

“This brother will play Cupid properly this time. Thank you, Julian.”