A dark night.
Russell slowly opened his eyes. His left cheek felt warm.
Turning his head, he saw Summer deeply asleep, hugging her left arm.
“…….”
The sound of crickets, the crackling of the campfire. The gentle rhythm of Summer's breathing.
Russell blinked a few times. It didn’t feel real. It felt like a dream. A feeling of complete comfort enveloped him.
So much so that he almost forgot the pain in his body.
But it was time to wake up from the dream. Russell carefully rose, trying not to disturb Summer.
Summer stirred slightly. Her tousled blonde hair brushed against her face.
As Russell tucked her hair behind her ear, Summer murmured something in her sleep.
“……Did you come to save me? Or to disturb me?”
Russell muttered softly to himself.
He sensed voices and movements in the distance. They would soon find this cave.
Russell gathered his belongings and clothes that were in front of the campfire. Then he covered Summer with his coat and lifted her up.
There was still pain, but it was bearable.
“…….”
Is it possible to fall from a cliff and still be like this? Russell looked at Summer, who was nestled in his arms, with doubt-filled eyes.
Does this little woman, who wants to die, have some special ability?
Russell raised one hand and gently brushed away the golden strands of hair stuck to Summer's cheek.
The presence was now right at the entrance of the cave.
Fortunately, Summer was sound asleep, unaware of the world.
“Summer.”
“…….”
“I'm sorry for eavesdropping.”
* * *
Ian was almost out of his mind.
The moment he saw the bloodstains and the broken branches halfway down the cliff, his rationality flew away.
“You can't, Your Grace!”
“If you stop me one more time, I'll cut you down first.”
His subordinates struggled to prevent their superior from jumping off the cliff.
“There’s a detour! We can take the horses!”
“Can’t you see the current? Split the search party. One will search downstream with the current.”
“What about you, Your Grace?”
“Mind your own business.”
Before he knew it, Ian jumped down.
His subordinates were left speechless, watching Ian shake off the dust from his clothes after landing safely at the bottom of the cliff.
The monster duke. It might not have been an incorrect description.
Once at the bottom, Ian saw the shape of the blood droplets on the rocks and was convinced that Summer was still alive.
Following the blood trail, he spotted a narrow cave entrance in the distance.
Please. Ian sought the god who had betrayed him in his childhood after a long time.
Just let her be alive.
As he reached the entrance, he saw two familiar figures.
His long-time friend, Russell Bertrand, holding the sleeping Summer in his arms.
Only then did Ian remember that not only Summer but also Russell had gone missing. He had lost his mind upon realizing Summer was gone.
“Russell, thank you.”
As Ian reached out to take Summer, Russell tightened his grip on her.
“……Russell?”
“I’ll carry her.”
“You’re injured too.”
“I’ll be fine after I get treated.”
Ian reluctantly accepted and walked ahead. Still, he kept glancing back at Summer, cradled in Russell's arms.
Fortunately, she seemed to be okay, without any visible injuries.
Perhaps due to the release of tension, Ian stumbled slightly, feeling a wave of relief wash over him.
At the same time, he couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was off about Russell. Could it be?
Having known Russell for a long time, Ian understood him well.
Unlike himself, Russell was loved by all the citizens of the Empire. Intelligent, rational, and always making cold judgments.
It seemed impossible for someone like Russell to harbor any emotional affection. He appeared incapable of loving anything.
But Russell’s demeanor now was different.
“Russell. Can I ask you one thing?”
“Go ahead.”
“Do you have feelings for her?”
At Ian's question, Russell stopped walking. After a brief silence, he spoke.
“My feelings are meaningless, so there’s no need to ask.”
“…….”
“Anyway, there will never be a day when I can enter this woman’s heart.”
Russell quietly gazed at Summer in his arms. True to her name, Summer was a season.
Something you cannot possess even if you want, and will not stay even if you try to hold on.
* * *
When Summer and Russell returned, the nobles were in an uproar.
Rumors spread widely that someone had attempted to assassinate Lady Lindsay.
Russell seemed to have sustained serious injuries, as he lost consciousness immediately upon returning and was taken straight to the mansion.
Summer also appeared to be quite shaken, as she spent several days recovering after returning to the mansion.
The palace was in chaos trying to catch the noble assassin.
Thanks to Ian, who was conducting a thorough investigation to catch the culprit.
They succeeded in identifying the assassins, but ultimately could not uncover the forces that had hired them.
“That's a relief.”
Summer sipped her warm tea as she listened to the story.
“I’m sorry. I should have caught the one who ordered it.”
Ian lowered his gaze and apologized, as if it were his fault.
“It’s okay. Thank you.”
Summer shook her head with a smile. She truly felt fine. She already knew. It must have been the work of the Legacy Duke family.
It seemed that Perotia had not participated in this incident. When Lindsay arrived, Perotia muttered that it was a relief before collapsing.
Unless she had extraordinary acting skills, Perotia was not involved in this incident.
Strangely, it felt like a great relief.
“Summer.”
“Yes?”
While pondering how to touch the Legacy family without harming Perotia, Ian quietly called out to Summer.
For some reason, Ian looked a bit shy.
“I didn’t catch a single one in this tournament.”
“Um, I’m sorry. I got lost.”
“No. I said I didn’t catch any. I came in last place in this tournament.”
“……Ah.”
Only then did Summer realize that she had completely forgotten about that promise.
“You can’t use the excuse of not remembering, Summer.”
“No, I remember now. I must keep my promise.”
“Can you give me a day?”
“Of course.”
Summer nodded, gently holding her teacup with both hands.
Thanks to Mary’s brewing, the tea tasted wonderful, and the weather was cool. It felt like summer was coming to an end.
“This world is truly fascinating.”
“In what way?”
“Because we’re having this conversation, a cool breeze is blowing.”
Even South Korea doesn’t have such distinct four seasons.
It feels like the seasons change almost seven or eight times a year. It seems that the sense of seasons also changes to fit the original story.
Just like now. Thanks to the male protagonist, a refreshing breeze suddenly blew in the scorching summer.
Well, it would be a bit funny if the male protagonist was sweating profusely while talking.
“So when are you free, Your Grace? I’m quite free, you know.”
“I’ll send a carriage tomorrow.”
“I don’t know if my day will be as valuable as Your Grace thinks, but I hope it has meaning.”
“It has both value and meaning.”
“…….”
Summer’s eyes widened in surprise, as she didn’t expect to hear such words from Ian.
Wasn’t Ian’s character supposed to be a wounded beast who constantly received healing and comfort from Julian, eventually developing into a romance?
Summer tilted her head slightly. Ian seemed to have changed a bit.
Perhaps the atmosphere had softened a little, making him appear to be in his twenties.
“Everyone’s time is precious. So don’t belittle yourself.”
“It’s fascinating. I didn’t think Your Grace could offer comfort. Truly, you are like a protagonist.”
“That protagonist talk again.”
“Don’t you feel it already? Ah, my narrative is that of a protagonist, something like that.”
“Not at all.”
“Though the past was unfortunate, the future is bright; that’s a typical protagonist story.”
“I’ve never had a bright moment.”
“It will be bright.”
“On what basis?”
Ian raised his thick eyebrows and asked. Summer smiled lightly and set her teacup down.
Then, their eyes met.
“It’s my intuition. You are the protagonist, Your Grace. So it will definitely end up bright.”
“…….”
“You can take a bet on it.”
Summer playfully added, taking a bite of a green macaron.
* * *
“Are you serious?”
“Yeah.”
The next day, as Summer got into the carriage that had arrived, she asked in disbelief. This was right after hearing about today’s plans from Ian.
Ian’s expression, sitting across from her, was disturbingly calm.
“Yeah.”
“Are you going to spend the whole day with me? Please throw the gossipers some bait.”
“Should I care about them?”
“I do care. And you’re going to walk around so openly?”
“I have to have my wish granted, don’t I?”
“Well, that’s true.”
Indeed, Ian stood out too much. He exuded that unique aura of a protagonist.
If they wandered the streets like this, even if people didn’t approach them, it was clear they would receive a barrage of letters from the nobles along with the gossip the next day.
Moreover, Summer was dressed in a light sundress, while Ian looked impeccably dressed.
“Your Grace, who chose your clothes?”
“My butler and my subordinates.”
“What did you say today?”
“I’m meeting Lady Lindsay.”
“Indeed, your butler and knights chose well.”
If this were a date, Ian’s outfit would have scored full marks. His face radiated light, and he was well-dressed.
However, Summer didn’t want to stand out much, nor did she think Ian would spend the day like this.
Ian casually crossed his legs and said in a languid tone.
“What’s wrong with eating, watching an opera, strolling through the garden, and introducing you to my home?”
Summer felt like crying. That’s what people usually call a date in her world.
It seemed that the creator of this world must have had a hard time too.
With a clear female protagonist present, how could the male protagonist go on a date with an extra? How would they erase the memories of all those gossipers and people?
Surely, the god would try to erase this memory from the world.
“Are you thinking of something else?”
“Just that the weather is nice.”
“Such nonsense.”
“Haha.”
As Summer watched the lively people around her, a faint smile appeared on her face.
Ian kept that smile in his eyes for a long, long time.