Chapter 217

Grace had recently been feeling happiness day by day. There were more happy days than those filled with anxiety.

Feeling happy naturally meant she was less stressed, and everything seemed beautiful. This must be what it feels like to fly.

Pressure over Academy grades? Family expectations? The gazes of those around her? None of it mattered.

All she needed was her own happiness. There was nothing sweeter than that, even if everything else was given up.

“I see why people who have everything are unhappy.”

There’s a common trope in novels. A character who has everything yet remains unhappy.

But only now did she realize. Even being born as a noble in a Duke’s family, receiving various supports, and getting good grades at the Academy meant nothing if there wasn’t someone to share it with and reciprocate emotions. She needed someone to confide in.

Not a swarm of flies drawn in by a strong background, but someone who approached her purely. With that person, life became much more enjoyable.

“On the contrary, people began to gather around.”

Like bees flocking to fragrant flowers, people started converging around that person one by one.

Desperate to somehow obtain that honey. Grace was just one of those many bees.

However, it wouldn’t be wrong to say she was at the forefront, having begun living together, after all.

If bodies drift apart, hearts do too, and on the contrary, when bodies are close, hearts grow closer as well.

If emotions are shared slowly in this manner and they find emotional stability, surely they could savor the delightful honey.

“But there’s no helping the entanglements. I must ensure that Sivar likes me the most.”

Compared to others, Grace had quite a slow start.

Eli was the one who met Sivar first, and Kara got close due to their great compatibility.

On the other hand, Grace was not like that. She had initially underestimated Sivar’s value and only recently realized it.

Though she might look different from the noble knights depicted in fairy tales, he bore some resemblance. Even without any embellishments, he was handsome.

So, Grace decided to create a knight out of a fairy tale with her own hands. She vowed to put in continuous effort.

“Still, the anxiety is unavoidable…”

Even though they had begun living together, Grace was anxious. And rightfully so, because her competitors were formidable.

Eli who openly shared physical affection. Kara who clicked well with him in various aspects.

Luna… had much rumor surrounding her, but there was nothing substantial. So she was treated just like that, a mere rumor.

“But they haven’t started living together, have they? Is there any fortress as sturdy as here?”

The Dormitory was like a fortress. Unless invited, no one could enter.

Sometimes Eli would come over to work out, but if she wanted to stay the night, she needed permission.

If things continued like this, she was at a distinct advantage. If she were lucky, she might even develop a deeper relationship with Sivar.

“Ah, but having a child is out of the question…!”

Occasionally, she would swing in the realm of desire. Trying to tempt Sivar into making it a given.

However, Sivar was purely too innocent, making it hard to tempt him. All she could do was entice him with snacks.

While his intelligence was exceptional, in terms of personality, he was purely innocent. He hadn’t been tainted by adult depravity, thus making it challenging to seduce him.

“Though he does enjoy breasts since he’s a man.”

That’s a good aspect. They could fulfill desires by cuddling while they slept.

Though it was more often her being the one to cuddle, that was fine. She was always ready to embrace him.

“If things continue like this… heh heh heh.”

Grace could gulp down Sivar, leaving both Eli and Kara behind. Just imagining it made her salivate.

Once Sivar became hers completely and graduated from the Academy, only a flowery path would remain.

She didn’t care about family honor. Isn’t that something Arthas would handle?

Moreover, with Sivar’s exceptional strength, obtaining a high position would be a breeze for him.

Perhaps within the Matra Empire, especially within the military, he might even be offered a high rank.

“To maintain that position, I’ll have to work hard by his side.”

In the Eastern Empire, there’s a saying about a wise and virtuous wife who diligently supports her husband.

To achieve that, she too must put in effort. First, she planned to focus on building her physical strength.

“I can’t pass out every time we share a bed later. Yes. That’s what it is.”

Grace was raving to herself while focusing solely on a rosy future.

She thought her life ahead would be smooth sailing, but things don’t always go as planned.

“@#$!$”

“…?”

Grace, who had fallen into a deep slumber, slowly opened her eyes. She heard a strange sound by her ear.

Normally, she’d be sleeping until the next morning. But for some reason, her eyes opened.

It felt as if someone had woken her forcibly. It wasn’t entirely out of the realm of possibility, so she didn’t find it that strange.

“…Sivar?”

Grace called for Sivar and turned her head. But there was no Sivar, just a pillow lying alone.

It seemed she had mistaken the pillow for Sivar. It was oddly too soft.

So, she slowly rose from her spot. Without Sivar beside her, sleeping would be difficult.

“@!#!”

“…What is it?”

But a sound came from outside, specifically from the balcony. Grace blinked and stepped out of bed.

As she entered the living room, she caught sight of a familiar back facing the balcony. It was Sivar.

At first, she thought he merely stepped out for some fresh air, but something felt wrong. Sivar’s gaze was not facing forward.

To make matters worse, his mouth was moving. As if he was engaged in conversation with someone.

“… …”

Grace was mesmerized as she walked closer.

The more she approached, the more she started to hear fragments of the conversation.

A sense of unease welled inside her, and with it, the conversation became clearer.

Finally, when she got right up to the balcony, she realized.

“…Sivar?”

“?!”

“Who are you… talking to?”

The realization that Sivar was conversing with someone. It was definitely not a monologue.

Startled by Grace’s silent approach, Sivar’s eyes widened, rolling around nervously before he looked to the side.

For a moment, traces of worry etched across his face, more noticeable given his usual expressionless demeanor.

Grace, not hesitating, stepped onto the balcony. She intended to see who it was herself.

“…It’s you.”

“This is unexpected.”

Then she was able to see the person Sivar had been talking to clearly.

A woman with a significant smile holding a glass of wine—Danyerin.

Grace was taken aback as this unexpected figure appeared.

If it had been a stranger, perhaps it would have been different, but he was talking fondly with someone she knew.

This left Grace utterly confused about the situation. And yet, there was also a strange intuition.

“Talking late at night, huh? Could it be…?”

Having read countless novels including fairy tales, Grace’s mind was racing.

To be clear, Sivar was not having an affair. They were simply living together, not officially dating.

But the biggest shock was that the fortress she believed to be safe was crumbling.

“No. Not yet. Let’s think slowly.”

She felt the sleep swiftly fade away. Grace took a deep breath to regain her composure.

Then she looked at Danyerin, who wore a nonchalant smile. There she was, drinking in the dead of night.

Her slightly intoxicated face was very beautiful, but Grace wasn’t interested in that.

What mattered was why she was talking with Sivar at such a late hour. Just the two of them.

“…Was the Princess in need of company?”

“How did you know? Impressive.”

“At this hour?”

“If I didn’t talk at night, it’d be hard to share what’s on my mind.”

Danyerin shrugged casually as she answered.

Even intoxicated, it seemed her wits were still intact. Grace narrowed her eyes, glaring at her.

Her smile, concealing her true thoughts, made it difficult to discern her intentions. It felt as though she was relishing this situation.

Ultimately, Grace decided to question Sivar instead of Danyerin. She could count on Sivar to answer honestly.

“Sivar.”

“Yeah.”

“Is this something that happens often?”

“Yeah. We’ve talked every night.”

“Every night…”

Grace mulled over his words. It was quite a shocking revelation.

It meant they had talked every night since moving into the Dormitory. She felt her head grow increasingly hazy.

“I just can’t sleep well at night, you see. I happened to be out when I met Sivar, and it just continued from there.”

“Are you implying that I should believe…?”

Grace almost retorted but held back. After all, wasn’t she the one who couldn’t sleep at night herself?

Perhaps Danyerin had a similar trauma. Especially since she was royalty.

“I… understand. I’m in a similar situation.”

“Thanks for understanding.”

“But! Separately from that, I just can’t wrap my head around you two meeting every night. You don’t have any ulterior motives, do you?”

Grace shot a skeptical glare at Danyerin. In response, Danyerin merely tipped her glass.

The sleeplessness itself was fine. But the problem lay in meeting and talking under the guise of urgency.

What was Danyerin’s true intent? Did she really need someone to talk to and called Sivar?

“If that were the case, you would have called me instead.”

While Grace doubted, Danyerin fixed her gaze on her. A still smiling face.

Then she looked at Sivar, who was standing idly behind Grace, and spoke.

“Motives… what are you talking about? Do you think I have feelings for Sivar?”

“…Yes.”

“If that’s the case, you’ve nailed it. I do have an interest as a person.”

An interest as a person—that struck Grace oddly.

While it might have been confusing if she had simply said she was interested, Danyerin cut through the ambiguity.

“…Should I take it that you don’t have romantic feelings for him?”

“Well, I’m more interested in Sivar as a person.”

“How vague.”

This caused Grace to distrust her even more. Her guard was up.

She felt as if relaxing her vigilance would result in getting stabbed in the back. She couldn’t let her guard down.

“Throughout my life, I haven’t had anyone I could open my heart to like Sivar. He’s someone I could get close to without any background.”

“… …”

“You feel the same way, don’t you? No, you want something even closer.”

Danyerin was indeed sharp. She accurately grasped Grace’s inner thoughts.

Of course, if she had gathered even a bit of gossip from those around, it would have been common knowledge. It was already a public fact.

Danyerin spun her glass and set it on the railing.

“Tonight’s enough of the drinking. I think it’s time I head in.”

“Do you usually head in at this time?”

“No. Normally, I stay out longer. No matter how much I can drink, I can’t finish it all by myself.”

Hearing this made Grace look at the railing. It wasn’t just one glass, but two resting there.

In other words, it meant both Danyerin and Sivar were drinking. This revelation was shocking in multiple ways.

“And let me give you a piece of advice.”

While Grace was momentarily bewildered, Danyerin spoke. Grace turned to look at her.

An enigmatic smile hung on Danyerin’s face. As if to say, “The initiative is ours now.”

“Just like if you eat too many sweets, you’d get bored, it’s the same with people. You must occasionally taste bitterness to appreciate sweetness.”

“… …”

“Above all, people aren’t just made of sweetness. Excess of anything leads to imbalance.”

Danyerin left this weighty piece of advice before entering into the balcony.

“I’ll see you tomorrow then. I hope we won’t be in any embarrassing situations.”

With many hidden meanings in her words.

Grace stood there for a while, even after Danyerin had gone inside. She merely stared at the empty balcony.

Then she turned her head with a complex expression. The distinctive, blank expression of Sivar caught her eye.

“…Let’s head inside too.”

“Yeah.”

It was a complicated night. Grace firmly clutched Sivar’s hand as they returned to the bed.

Even as they lay side by side on the bed, her heart was still uneasy. Danyerin’s words lingered in her mind.

“As of now it’s okay but… if Sivar ever gets tired of me…?”

Sivar was essentially a good person. Too good, to the point it was a problem.

Thus, even if she were to throw a tantrum, he would accommodate it all. However, he was still human.

He experienced every emotion and sometimes revealed unexpected sides of himself. Suddenly, the image of the student who had gotten his tongue cut for speaking out came to mind.

“I just want to keep tasting the sweetness…”

She was afraid the sweetness would turn into bitterness. She feared that Sivar might turn his back on her.

What would she do if he ever did? Should she cling while crying, or beg for forgiveness?

She didn’t know. It had been challenging to find a way as she had never had a relationship as close as this with another human.

“…Sivar.”

“Yeah.”

“Sivar… you won’t leave me, will you?”

So she found herself relying solely on Sivar. Ultimately, it all depended on Sivar’s feelings.

No matter how much she clung, it would be meaningless if his heart changed. The very idea of monopolization was impossible to begin with.

Whether Grace was aware of it or not, Sivar blinked before moving his body.

Softly—

He embraced her snugly, wrapping his arm around her face and pulling her close to his chest.

Grace was momentarily flustered by his sudden physical affection but gradually closed her eyes. The sound of his heartbeat felt like a lullaby.

“I won’t leave.”

“… …”

“Don’t worry.”

His sweet voice, which calmed her, made Grace take a long breath and drift into sleep.

‘Even if I…’

Grace thought. Even if Sivar left, it wouldn’t matter.

‘I’ll follow you…’

As long as she followed, that was enough.

[Faith is increasing.]

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