“Yes, Your Grace.”
“How fortunate. You’re alive.” “Unfortunately.” Summer shot back with a bright smile. That annoying male lead. The urge to tell him to go and treat Julian well rose to the tip of her throat. Ian Langerster’s gloomy gray eyes were filled with Summer. Summer read the pain in Ian’s eyes. But soon, she turned away and feigned ignorance, forcing another artificial smile. “Let’s walk for a bit.” “Sure.” Fortunately, Ian didn’t say anything more. As they strolled through the garden under Summer’s guidance, Ian seemed to be deep in thought while also appearing to have completely let go of his thoughts. “......” It felt like they had already walked a full circle in the garden. Now, only the flower garden remained. Eventually, Summer stopped walking and turned to face Ian. Ian met her gaze steadily, as if he had been watching her all along. “Your Grace, I’m very busy. Enough with the jokes; tell me why you came to see me.” “Summer Lindsey. Do you really know nothing about me?” “I don’t. Except that you’re a war hero and the male lead.” That was the truth. The original story centered around the female lead’s narrative, so there was hardly any backstory for the male lead. “Male lead?” Ian asked slowly, tilting his head. As his beautifully dark hair flowed, his thick and distinct eyebrows became visible. “Yes. A sparkling prince who must end up happy in the conclusion.” Summer let out a small laugh. It could be called arrogance. Seeing the innocent and pure image of the protagonist from the novel, Summer felt a bit like someone who knew something extraordinary. She felt a little smug. But then she remembered that she had known how to return to her original world all along, yet had failed until now, and quickly regained her composure. This wasn’t the time to be flirting with the protagonists. “Sorry, but I’m not a prince; I’m a duke.” Ian’s expression was quite serious. “A typical prince on a white horse. That’s your role, isn’t it?” “My role? Did I ever have such a role? I don’t know. Everyone either fears me or endures me out of necessity. It seems to be just those two.” “Anyway, that’s all I know about you, Your Grace.” Of course. If Summer were a person from this world, she would have both revered and feared Ian Langerster in the same way. From what Summer knew, Ian was a ruthless figure who would eliminate relatives over power struggles within his family. After obtaining the title of duke, he went to war and achieved great feats. “......I see.” For some reason, a sense of loneliness clouded Ian’s slightly lowered gaze. Summer felt his atmosphere was too heavy and burdensome. She forced herself to look away from him and fiddled with the flowers blooming around them. “My mother was here. Until a few years ago.” “......” “I thought that if I became a duke, my mother would be happy.” Ian’s gray eyes wandered into the past. Summer was taken aback by his unexpected vulnerability. A part of her wished he hadn’t shared this with her, while another part was curious about the male lead’s story in the novel. “They said my mother was a sparkling person until she got married. She was actively involved in high society and had a few close friends. But after she got married, or rather... after she had a child, she changed.” Ah. He’s blaming himself. As Summer listened to Ian, she quietly reached out. Her small hand gently tugged at his sleeve. “Your Grace, let’s go to the flower garden.” Ian’s eyes widened in surprise, as if he hadn’t expected her to touch him first. Is that why Julian helped Ian and chose him in the end? It was so pitiful, frustrating, and heartbreaking that if she didn’t help, Summer felt like she would explode with anger. Again, Summer had no thoughts of wanting to die. She just wanted to return to the world she had painstakingly built. “How is it?” “It’s beautiful. It feels like summer... stuck in summer.” Once they arrived at the flower garden, Summer sat Ian down on a bench and crouched in front of the flower bed. There were so many pretty flowers. Summer brought her nose close to a pink flower. It smells wonderful. “Summer. Live.” “......You just ruined the nice atmosphere, Your Grace.” Summer moved away from the flowers with a light sigh. To the people of this world, Summer was just a strange girl making a fuss about wanting to die. Perhaps that’s why Ian could openly talk to Summer about his mother. There was one fact that Summer didn’t know. For Ian, talking about his mother was a sensitive topic. Even the nobles who loved to gossip would tread lightly around the subject, as Ian had already drawn his sword against those who spoke of his mother without hesitation, challenging them to duels until they were beaten to a pulp. “One day, she cried all day. Another day, she was furious with me. What did she say? I think she said everything was ruined because of me. That she couldn’t go back because of me.” “......” “To my mother, I might have been just a part of her life, but to my young self, she was everything. And then she left.” But now, Ian was the one bringing it up first to Summer. To her, who looked like she didn’t want to hear it and was picking flowers. “I’m not like that.” “You fell from that spire you climbed.” “I really didn’t know the spire was such a place.” “I know. I trust you now.” Ah. So that’s why he had that desperate look when he tried to stop her. Now, Summer could understand Ian a little better. Still, she didn’t want to immerse herself in this. If she understood him and felt pity... Summer couldn’t bring herself to leave him alone. That meant she would twist the original story and cause chaos. Not wanting to engage in such a tiring and grand act before returning, she instinctively closed her ears. “Why did it happen? I thought you might know. I still don’t understand.” “I don’t know either. I’m not your Grace’s mother.” Summer replied bluntly, continuing to gather flowers. “Now that resentment and pity are mixed, I’m not even sure if I loved my mother. Maybe I just needed her.” “Why do you think that? Here.” Summer awkwardly handed the bouquet she had gathered to Ian. He accepted it with a slightly flustered expression. The scent of flowers wafted in with a hint of fresh grass. “This is—” “Since we’re in the flower garden, let’s enjoy the flowers. I don’t understand why you keep talking about such gloomy things.” “......Thank you.” Ian quietly lowered his head and brought the petals to his nose. As Summer watched Ian, who looked somewhat dejected, she turned around and picked a red flower. “It’s unfortunate that your mother passed away early, but why do you blame yourself for that? Did your mother ever say it was because of you?” “Well, not exactly—” “Then that’s enough. It’s all just speculation. Your mother must have loved you. You still have her in your heart because you loved her too.” Holding the red flower, Summer approached Ian. Then she stood on her tiptoes and stretched out her arm. “Oh, it’s beautiful. The protagonist is different. I think it’s unfortunate about your situation, but those who live must live. And I’m not the same person as your mother.” As Summer chattered, she lowered her heels. Before she knew it, the red flower she had been holding was now tucked behind Ian’s ear. “Summer.” “Your Grace, you should live in this world.” “Then can you promise me you won’t die?” You’re going back to Korea, not dying, right? Summer rationalized this and nodded. But her voice wouldn’t come out. Perhaps that was why Pay had maintained his silence with her. “Summer Lindsey. I want a definite answer.” “Your Grace, I won’t die. But it might look like I’m dying.” “What kind of nonsense is that?” Ian’s thick eyebrows shot up. This was the first time Summer saw the male lead from the original story. Cold and rude, yet warm only to his woman—like a northern duke on a black horse. “I meant that even if I die, this body will wake up and move just fine.” “Summer!” Ian growled her name, gripping her shoulders tightly. For a moment, betrayal flickered in his gray eyes. At this point, a new sigh escaped Summer’s lips. “Your Grace, could you please just take your interest away from me? There are countless deaths in this world. If you want to save someone, please save them first.” Go save Julian instead. Now that he’s marked by the Ferotia Legacy, Julian will face numerous crises. I wish I could just stay by Julian’s side like this. “I’m telling you to live.” However, Ian didn’t seem willing to back down. His gray eyes sparkled with the determination to save her. “I have no intention of dying.” Summer was equally resolute. She was fed up with the people of this world who accepted their joy as misfortune. Naturally, Summer’s voice began to sharpen. “Stop playing word games.” “Think what you want.” “Summer Lindsey.” “Duke Langerster, it was an honor to meet you. Please return safely.” Summer bowed her head slightly in greeting and turned coldly to leave the flower garden. Fortunately, Ian didn’t follow her. Summer hurried back to the mansion, climbing the stairs. Don’t say things like that to me. Don’t make me worry. You’re just text from a novel. She muttered incessantly.
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