Dream #7
I stared blankly at his retreating figure as he spat out those cold words and turned away without a shred of mercy. Yeah, this was all karma. What had I even been hoping for?
I let out a small sigh and tried once more to push myself up, but the sharp pain that shot through my heel forced me right back down.
“Ugh…!”
This was bad. At this rate, I wouldn’t be able to walk…
“……?”
At that moment, my eyes caught sight of something I could hardly believe.
Leo had come back. He knelt in front of me, lowering himself until his back was within easy reach.
“Get on.”
“Pardon…?”
A dazed sound slipped from my lips. Flustered, I blurted out the first excuse that came to mind.
“I-I’m wearing a skirt…”
“……”
Leo suddenly let out a heavy sigh. Had my words irritated him? I was busy inwardly scolding myself for the slip when he spoke again.
“Then how would you like me to carry you?”
“……”
To be honest, it was a difficult question to answer. In my heart, I wanted to ask him to carry me on his back, but given our current relationship, I couldn’t possibly make such a request so casually…
In the end, the words that left my mouth were…
“H-hold me…”
It was far more embarrassing than asking for a piggyback ride—an absolutely insane thing to say.
Is this a dream? Or am I awake?
My head felt like it was going to explode from the completely unexpected turn of events.
Leo was holding me. And not just any hold—he was carrying me in a romantic princess carry. His arms supported my back and the underside of my knees, cradling me securely against his chest. I could feel the solid strength of his arms all over my body.
From this upward angle, his handsome face filled my entire field of vision. But more than anything, I was mortified by how clearly the slight dip of my neckline revealed my cleavage.
Even if Leo was pretending to be indifferent, he was still a man. He had to have some interest in a woman’s body. Maybe… maybe he was looking at me with those lewd eyes right now.
The thought made me steal glances at his face.
“……”
But to my utter embarrassment, Leo’s expression remained completely impassive. He simply stared straight ahead with an unchanging face as he carried me forward.
Suddenly, a complicated feeling washed over me. Of course I didn’t actually want him looking at me with dirty eyes, but… couldn’t he at least show a little interest?
At the same time, the fact that Leo was being so considerate made me incredibly happy. Before I knew it, the words had already left my mouth.
“…Thank you.”
I turned my head away so he wouldn’t hear.
I don’t even know why I said it. It just slipped out.
“Pardon?”
As expected, Leo hadn’t caught it. His voice sounded puzzled.
“Oh, it’s nothing. Just… talking to myself…”
“……?”
His doubtful expression made me quickly change the subject.
“Am I not too heavy…?”
“Not at all.”
“!”
The sincere answer made my face burn with embarrassment. I whipped my head to the opposite side. The way his arms held me firmly, muscles tensed with strength, felt incredibly reassuring.
I tried my best to suppress the fluttering in my chest and hide the smile that kept threatening to break free. If Leo saw my face right now, he would definitely notice how I was feeling.
Maybe it was because of the sunset beginning to dye the distant sky, but when I stole a sideways glance, I could have sworn Leo’s face looked faintly flushed too.
**
On the way back, I sat across from Leo in the carriage just like on the way there, watching the scenery flow past the window. My heart wanted nothing more than to stare openly at his face, but I knew that would only make the atmosphere turn awkward again. So I told myself I should be grateful just to be sitting across from him like this.
“Haa…”
A soft, even breath suddenly came from directly in front of me. When I looked up, I saw that Leo had fallen fast asleep. One arm rested against the window frame, his cheek propped on his hand.
The slanted rays of the setting sun pouring through the carriage window painted his face in a warm crimson glow. And mine… was probably flushed for an entirely different reason.
Just to be sure, I waved my hand gently in front of his face. No reaction. Only then did I relax. I copied his posture, resting my elbow on the windowsill and propping my chin on my hand as I gazed at him intently.
Leo. My lovely Leo.
Thank you for growing up so wonderfully. I know you may never look at me the way I want you to… but for now, just being able to watch you like this is enough.
I continued staring at his sleeping face for dozens of minutes until we finally reached the mansion. It was the happiest day I’d had since my regression.
#8. [POV: Leo]
“…Haa…”
After returning home from what could barely be called a date with Aria, I sat at the desk in my private study and let out yet another sigh. I had already lost count of how many times I’d done so.
The soft sensation of her slender body that I had held in my arms earlier still lingered vividly on my skin. She had been so light I could have lifted her with one hand. And then there was that quiet murmur she’d let slip while nestled against me.
‘…Thank you…’
Right after that, the shy little smile that had flickered across her face when she turned away.
What the hell was that?
It was so unlike her that I thought I must have misheard and asked again, only to receive some half-hearted excuse in return. Maybe I really had heard wrong. After all, there was no way that woman would ever say something so sweet.
But if it had been real… how was I supposed to take it?
“Ah, damn it…”
I ruffled my hair roughly with both hands. My mind was a complete mess. Too many things were tangled up inside my head. In the end, it was all because of her. Ever since I got involved with that woman, nothing had gone right.
Why did she have to say something so confusing…?
“……”
Then it hit me—I had been thinking about her face nonstop. No way. That couldn’t be it. It was realistically impossible for me to fall for that villainess again. And it absolutely shouldn’t happen.
‘I’m sorry. Let’s end this.’
I recalled the cold words she had thrown at me years ago and forced myself to calm down. Right. I needed to get a grip. That woman was definitely not for me.
“…I don’t know anymore, damn it…”
I shot up from my seat to clear my head. Maybe I should take a walk. Scratching the back of my neck, I grabbed my coat and left the room.
**
“Ah, Sebastian. Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you.”
“Of course, young master. What seems to be the matter?”
On my way out for a walk, I spotted the butler Sebastian passing through the hallway and called out to him. I pulled him aside and briefly explained what had happened during the outing with Aria earlier.
“Look, no matter how much she asked, you can’t just hand over my personal information like that. Do you understand what I’m saying?”
“…Young master. I apologize, but I’m afraid I don’t follow.”
“Huh?”
His bewildered frown only made me more confused.
“I have never spoken about you to anyone outside the household… Are you perhaps misunderstanding something?”
“What? You didn’t tell her?”
“No. I have not relayed any such information. Why on earth would I do something like that?”
“……”
The way he said it made it clear Sebastian wasn’t the culprit. Come to think of it, of course he wasn’t. Sebastian wasn’t the type to meddle in my affairs without good reason. He had no motive.
But then… how had that woman figured out every single one of my favorite foods and packed them all?
#9. [POV: Aria]
“My lord! The western front has been breached! At this rate, it’s only a matter of time before the entire fief falls!”
The captain of the guard’s urgent report rang out. So they couldn’t hold after all. If I had known this would happen, I should have prepared sooner.
Father’s face was grave as he pondered the situation. Finally, he spoke in a low voice.
“For now, pull a portion of the troops stationed in the south to form a temporary defense. If we can hold out until the imperial forces and the Stuart family’s reinforcements arrive, we should be able to find a solution.”
“Yes, understood!”
The captain saluted and hurried out of the study. I watched his retreating back before letting out a small sigh so Father wouldn’t hear.
One hundred knights, five hundred soldiers, and ten mages. The Grace family’s military strength was nowhere near enough to withstand the enemy’s assault. Just as the captain said, the fall of the fief was only a matter of time.
I had sent letters to the imperial family and the influential houses, warning them that the neighboring country’s movements were suspicious and that we needed to strengthen the border defenses. But the imperial family was too busy fighting among themselves for power, and the other families had dismissed the possibility entirely, refusing support until the crisis was upon us.
To make matters worse, the imperial crown prince, Reinhardt, had even staged a rebellion. The Grace fief was now completely surrounded with no escape.
We were barely holding on thanks to the Stuart family’s support, but… from what I heard, their situation wasn’t looking good either.
“My lady. There is something I must tell you.”
At that moment, the maid Marie called me out from just outside the study. Father gave me a look that said I could step out for a moment.
“What is it? If it’s not urgent, can it wait? I’m rather busy right now.”
I closed the study door behind me and answered Marie in the hallway, my voice heavy with exhaustion. I hadn’t slept properly for three days and nights because of the war, and my mind was foggy.
But the next words out of Marie’s mouth snapped me wide awake.
“I just received word… Young master Leo is riding here personally.”
“……What?”
In that instant, the world around me was sucked away. The hallway walls crumbled in the blink of an eye. The carpeted floor transformed into a field of black grass. My body was suddenly kneeling in the middle of a field as black rain poured down.
And in my arms was Leo’s bloodied, wounded body—just like that day. He lay there, broken and helpless.
“Aria… I’m so glad… you’re safe…”
His voice reached me. I somehow already knew what he would say next.
“…I love you…”
Then his hand fell limply to the ground.
No. No, Leo.
I tried to scream, but no sound came out. Everything went black, and my body began to fall into an endless abyss of darkness. Down, down, without end. All the light in the world vanished.
The same nightmare again.
The day I lost him.
“……!”
I jolted upright with a gasp, waking from the dream. The room was still filled with dim, early-morning darkness. I frantically looked around. The translucent linen curtains around the bed, the vanity and wardrobe visible beyond them. The same familiar bedroom as always. The peaceful sky visible through the window. It was nothing like that horrific day.
It had been a dream. It took me a long time to fully register that fact.
“……”
Cold sweat had soaked my entire body. I forced myself to take deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. Only then did I realize that tears had pooled in my eyes and were now streaming down my cheeks.
The horrors of that day were still so vivid behind my eyelids. The battlefield turned into a sea of flames. The heart-wrenching agony of losing Leo. All of it came rushing back like a living nightmare buried deep inside my chest.
“……”
Suddenly, I missed Leo so desperately it hurt. I wanted to hear his voice, feel his warmth, confirm that he was really there. The urge flooded my mind until there was no room for anything else.
I felt like I might run straight to the Stuart mansion at any second.
…Yes. This is just to check. Just to make sure he’s alive and safe. That’s all.
My thoughts were completely consumed by Leo. I couldn’t think of anything else. By the time I came back to my senses, I had already thrown on an outer robe and was stepping out of the room.