Chapter 10

***

“Young Master Aiden. His Grace the Grand Duke will arrive shortly.”

“…Right.”

Answering with a heavy sigh, Aiden stepped outside. Exactly as Clyde had promised in his letter, the sky was as brilliantly blue as if someone had spilled a bottle of rich azure ink across it. The vibrant greenery, bathed in warm sunlight, was almost blinding.

Well, I suppose even a completely incomprehensible Grand Duke who claims to love the freezing cold would want to play outside in weather like this. While Aiden was lost in his thoughts, waiting for Clyde—

A magnificent carriage drawn by four flawless white horses pulled up smoothly in front of him. Heavily adorned with extravagant gold detailing, it screamed to the entire world that a Grand Duke was inside.

The door swung open seamlessly, and exactly as expected, Clyde was sitting inside. Wearing a radiant, gentle smile, Clyde stepped out of the carriage with fluid elegance. Bathed in the crisp natural sunlight, he looked even more breathtakingly luminous than the day they first met. Back then and right now, his appearance remained infuriatingly, devastatingly aligned with Aiden’s exact tastes.

“It has been a while, Admiral Rosley.”

“Greetings, Your Grace. Have you been well?”

“Yes, quite well, thank you.”

“By the way, Your Grace… isn’t this carriage slightly too ostentatious for two people trying to ‘run away’?”

A crisp, refreshing laugh slipped past Clyde’s lips. His eyes curving beautifully into crescents, he answered.

“Even so, a patient will be riding in it, so I made sure to steal the absolute best one available.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Despite Aiden’s sullen, completely unenthusiastic reply, a warm smile refused to leave Clyde’s face. He looked as if he was having the time of his life.

“Regardless, thank you for agreeing to join my escape, Admiral Rosley.”

“Haha! Your Grace personally proposed it, so naturally, I had to comply.”

It was a painfully strained, highly artificial laugh and response, but Clyde didn’t bother pointing it out.

“Shall we depart?”

“Yes, Your Grace.”

As the two men approached the carriage, the waiting coachman immediately stepped forward to assist Aiden.

“I will handle it.”

Clyde casually waved the coachman off. There’s really no need for you to do that, Aiden thought, but he ultimately kept his mouth shut and let the Grand Duke help him.

“Oh.”

The moment Aiden settled into the carriage, an involuntary sound of admiration escaped his lips. Someone must have cast a specialized spell, because the interior was perfectly crisp and comfortably warm. True to Clyde’s claim that he had ‘stolen’ it specifically for a patient, the seats were unbelievably plush.

“Hmm?”

While scanning the lavish interior, Aiden’s eyes landed on the windows. Heavy, opaque curtains were drawn tightly across the glass, and they didn’t budge an inch, looking as if they had been nailed to the frame. Did he seal them so we can’t see outside? Aiden tilted his head in confusion.

“Your Grace. Why on earth are the windows completely covered?”

Ah. Exhaling a soft, amused breath, Clyde smiled faintly.

“Carriages exclusively used by Imperial Princes are always designed this way for security reasons.” Providing the smooth explanation, Clyde issued the command to the coachman. “Depart.”

The carriage carrying the two men slowly rolled away from the Rosley Marquisate. After driving for quite some time in stifling, suffocatingly awkward silence, the coachman finally announced their arrival.

“Take my hand and step down.”

“Thank you.”

Offering a brief bow of gratitude, Aiden accepted Clyde’s support and stepped out of the carriage.

“Ugh…”

The brilliant sunlight pouring down from above was so blinding he could barely see. Scowling, Aiden raised a hand to shield his eyes. Only then did the breathtaking scenery finally register, causing his crimson eyes to widen in shock.

“Are we…?”

Their destination was the ocean, the place Aiden loved more than anywhere else in the world. The vast sea glittered brilliantly, as if every single blue gemstone in existence had been melted down and poured into it. Every time a wave crashed, the resulting seafoam looked like heavy, pure white snow cascading over the water.

Keeping his eyes entirely locked on the sprawling ocean, Aiden slowly inhaled. The air filling his lungs was rich with the salty scent of the sea, yet it wasn’t heavy or oppressive in the slightest.

Dropping into a crouch, he scooped up a handful of sand. Warmed perfectly by the afternoon sun, the grains felt soft and comforting. As the sand trickled through his fingers, tickling his skin, a soft, genuine laugh escaped his lips before he could stop it.

“Do you like it, Admiral Rosley?”

Hearing the devastatingly affectionate voice right beside his ear, Aiden slowly turned his head. As their eyes met, Clyde looked as if he already knew the answer. The corners of his mouth were curled up into a beautiful, breathtakingly radiant smile that felt far more refreshing than the blue sea stretching out before them.

I honestly thought I would never be able to see this view again. As the old, buried memory unexpectedly resurfaced, Clyde matched Aiden’s smile.

“If you stay crouched like that for too long, your leg will start to ache. Stand up. I’ll help you.”

Clyde extended his hand toward Aiden, who was still crouching on the sand. Murmuring his thanks, Aiden dusted off his hands and firmly grasped the offered hand.

“Hold on a moment.”

Pulling a pristine silk handkerchief from his breast pocket, Clyde meticulously wiped away the remaining sand from Aiden’s hand before gently pulling him to his feet.

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Perhaps because he was back at his beloved sea, Aiden’s voice carried a distinctly higher, far more excited pitch than usual. Seeing his hastily thrown-together plan executing so flawlessly, a wicked smirk tugged at Clyde’s lips.

Now all that’s left is for our adorable Admiral to fall directly into my trap.

Recalling a suitably dramatic line, Clyde slowly sank to one knee. Every single micro-movement he made dripped with innate aristocratic elegance. It looked as if he were performing a sacred, holy ritual.

Completely mesmerized by the display, Aiden couldn’t even manage to ask, ‘What on earth are you doing?’ He simply stood there, staring blankly at the man kneeling before him.

“Admiral Rosley.”

The low, deeply resonant voice struck Aiden’s ears, finally snapping him out of his daze. He gasped in shock.

“Y-Your Grace! What in the world are you doing?!”

“Take a guess.”

Chuckling softly, Clyde pulled a small velvet box from the inside pocket of his jacket. It was too small to hold a necklace… yes, it was the exact perfect size to hold a ring. No way. Aiden desperately tried to deny the horrifying conclusion, but his gut instincts were always terrifyingly accurate.

“Even if it is a forced marriage, I felt that I should at least propose properly.”

Along with the incredibly unromantic, lackluster line, the velvet box popped open. Resting inside was a pair of wedding bands. A massive, flawlessly clear, vividly blue diamond was set directly in the center of the ring, surrounded by a halo of smaller diamonds to maximize its brilliant extravagance.

Hah. 

A breathless sound that was half-sigh, half-scoff escaped Aiden’s lips. At that, Clyde tilted his head, looking genuinely confused as to what the problem was.

“Do you not like it? I had this custom-made specifically for you, Admiral.”

Aiden had absolutely never anticipated receiving a proposal from Clyde. From the very beginning, this was an arranged marriage orchestrated by the Emperor; therefore, romantic proposals—something strictly reserved for actual lovers—were completely unnecessary.

Consequently, the sudden ambush proposal was deeply flustering. However, the fluster was short-lived, quickly replaced by a completely different emotion rapidly filling Aiden’s mind.

If you’re going to propose on such a breathtakingly beautiful beach, shouldn’t you do it properly?

Whether it was due to his own childhood romantic fantasies about proposals or simply observing how they were supposed to be done, Aiden found that aggressively unromantic line deeply offensive. He knew it shouldn’t matter since it was a forced marriage anyway, but it still rubbed him the wrong way.

“Is the ring the issue right now?! What on earth do you mean by, ‘I felt that I should at least propose’?”

Ah, he fell for it. Swallowing the triumphant laughter threatening to spill out, Clyde responded with maximum nonchalance.

“What does it matter? Isn’t presenting the ring the only important part?”

“Who on earth proposes like that?! Don’t you have a much more romantic line you could use?!”

“Well, if you’re so displeased, do you think you could do it more romantically than I did, Admiral Rosley? No matter how I look at it, I highly doubt you could.”

Clyde stared up at Aiden with a deeply crooked, mocking smirk. Completely oblivious to the fact that this was an elaborate trap, Aiden’s fierce competitive streak flared to life. He snatched the velvet box straight out of Clyde’s hands.

I’ll show you a proposal a hundred—no, a thousand times more romantic than your pathetic attempt. Cementing his resolve, Aiden thrust the box forward and dropped to one knee. Given his injured leg, the posture was incredibly awkward, but the intent was clear.

“His Grace, Grand Duke Clyde Lucy de Seinvilita.”

The moment he filled his mouth with Clyde’s full name, a violent, full-body shudder ripped through Aiden. He could barely tolerate just calling him by name, so how on earth was he supposed to actually spit out those agonizingly cheesy, romantic lines he was formulating?

…Upon further reflection, it was physically impossible. Therefore, Aiden opted for the absolute simplest, most standard classic. Regardless, it would still be infinitely better than the trash line Clyde had used. Clearing his throat lightly, Aiden spoke in a soft, genuine voice.

“Will you marry me?”

“Of course. I would love to.”

The answer was instantaneous, completely devoid of a single millisecond of hesitation. Wearing a soft, impossibly gentle smile, Clyde extended his hand, his eyes gesturing toward the ring on the right side of the box.

Holding Clyde’s gaze, Aiden carefully extracted the ring and slid it onto the Grand Duke’s ring finger.

“Then, it’s my turn.”

Clyde took the remaining ring and slid it onto the ring finger of Aiden’s left hand. It slid on flawlessly—not too tight, and not too loose.

“I never imagined I would receive a proposal from the great Admiral Rosley. I am truly honored.”

“Well, if you propose in such a pathetic, unromantic manner, obviously I—”

Wait a minute. 

Aiden abruptly cut himself off, his eyes snapping up to look at Clyde. The corners of Clyde’s mouth, which he hadn’t fully managed to hide behind his hand, were twitching uncontrollably.

“Why are you looking at me like that? You are the one who asked me to marry you and personally put the ring on my finger, Admiral.”

The heavy amusement lacing his voice and the slightly raised eyebrow practically screamed the truth. Clyde had meticulously engineered this entire situation just to force Aiden into proposing.

Well, whatever.

Aiden slowly shifted his gaze, intentionally locking every single detail of the scenery into his memory. The brilliantly blue sea, the towering trees stretching toward the sky, the warm, clear sunlight, and the rhythmic sound of the waves seeping into the quiet stillness.

Although the person standing in front of him was different, today felt agonizingly, beautifully similar to the day he had first met that child.

“If you’re scared, you can keep holding my hand.” 

“Really?” 

“Yeah. So let’s just take one step forward. It’ll feel super cool and refreshing!”

I was so incredibly happy back then. As the precious memory buried deep within his heart unexpectedly surfaced, a soft, genuine chuckle escaped Aiden’s lips.

Clyde tilted his head. “Hmm? What are you thinking about to make you smile so suddenly?”

Instantly locking the memories away, Aiden adopted a thoroughly sullen tone.

“I was just wondering what would happen if I shoved Your Grace directly into the ocean right now.”

“If you’re that curious, why don’t you try it?”

Despite the viciously unromantic response, Clyde chuckled softly and extended his hand. The blue diamond glittered brilliantly as it caught the sunlight. Grasping Clyde’s hand, Aiden slowly pulled himself upright.

“I apologize, but I must decline. I have a feeling the Imperial Knights secretly monitoring us would drag me straight to the dungeons if I did.”

“I highly doubt that. You are the man who will soon be my husband, after all. Would they really go that far?”

As Clyde offered a casual shrug, Aiden exhaled a deeply exhausted sigh.

“My own father tied me up and locked me in a magically sealed room. Is there anything the Imperial Knights wouldn’t do?”

“Tied up and locked in a room?”

Clyde was perfectly aware of the confinement thanks to Aiden’s drunken rant last night, but he intentionally feigned ignorance, his eyes sparkling with faux curiosity.

“That actually happened. Our dear Marquis Lucen has a somewhat extreme side to his personality.”

“Marquis Lucen? He certainly doesn’t look like the type to do such a thing.”

“Your Grace has completely fallen for the flawless mask Marquis Lucen wears. Have you already forgotten the time he subjected my brothers and me to a grueling thirty-minute lecture while you were waiting?”

“Ah, yes. I suppose he did.”

Clyde’s lips curved upward into a blindingly bright smile. It was a smile that harmonized perfectly with the brilliant blue sea and the warm sunlight.

He really is devastatingly handsome.

Just as Aiden was shamelessly admiring Clyde’s face as if observing a masterpiece in a gallery, a series of fragmented memories violently breached the surface of his mind, as if demanding to be acknowledged.

“Besides, if I were druuunk, could I have thrown that fork so incredibly accurateeely?”

…Huh?

“Handsome young masteer. Hug me.”

What is this? What the hell is this horrifyingly embarrassing memory?!

“I’m cooold. Don’t be mean, just hug me this onceee!” 

“If I freeze to death right here, it’s entirely your fault, handsome young masteer!” 

“Hug me! I said hug meee!”

The person violently whining and throwing a tantrum at some blurry, unidentifiable figure was undoubtedly Aiden himself.

Logan explicitly swore that I was sitting alone in the gazebo, and that absolutely no one passed by.

Didn’t he…? But the memory that had just violently resurfaced was far too terrifyingly vivid to be dismissed in favor of Logan’s report. Letting out a strangled groan, Aiden buried his face in his hands.

However, rather than fading away, the damned memory only cemented its presence with agonizing clarity.

“By the way, handsome young master. When are you going to tell me your nameee?” 

“Think carefully. You already know my name.” 

“I dunnooo.”

Aiden Rosley. What the hell did you do…?! Alongside Aiden’s internal scream of pure, unadulterated horror, the blurry face and voice of the man in his memory slowly, torturously sharpened into absolute clarity.

Brilliant blond hair shining flawlessly under the moonlight. A razor-sharp jawline. Deep blue eyes hidden beneath long, thick eyelashes. A broad chest easily capable of enveloping a grown man, dense forearms, and a low, deeply resonant voice.

“My name is Clyde.”

Aiden swallowed the horrified shriek clawing its way up his throat. So, to summarize: Last night, while completely blackout drunk, he had thrown a fork at Clyde’s head, aggressively demanded a hug because he was cold, and…

His past self was absolutely, certifiably insane.

Even Aiden, who possessed a fairly shameless streak, found this situation completely intolerable. More than anything, the fact that the victim of his drunken harassment was Clyde of all people was absolute torture. If he could, he wanted to run away this very second.

Thankfully, since no further memories were surfacing, he assumed he must have simply passed out immediately after that. It was a small, agonizingly tiny mercy.

…Though he still wanted to die of embarrassment.

“Admiral Rosley, you look incredibly pale. Are you feeling ill?”

“U-Uhh?”

A bizarre, completely incomprehensible noise slipped past Aiden’s lips. Clyde tilted his head slightly before suddenly chuckling, as if a brilliant realization had just struck him.

“Ah, don’t tell me… did you remember?”

“I-I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about, Your Grace.”

Aiden desperately tried to sound calm and collected, but completely betraying his intentions, his voice cracked and wavered pathetically.

“Mmm. I see.”

Despite the painfully obvious, suspicious reaction, Clyde didn’t press the issue further. He simply reached out and gently wrapped his hand around Aiden’s. The heat radiating from his palm caused Aiden to violently flinch.

“Do you happen to like sweets? There is an excellent tart specialty shop nearby. Would you like to go together?”

“I don’t think I ca—”

“Will you not join me?”

Perhaps because the bright sunlight was directly hitting them, those blue eyes glittered as if they held crushed gemstones. Due to the slight droop at the corners of his eyes, he actually managed to look profoundly pitiful. It was a disgustingly beautiful, horribly manipulative face designed explicitly to invoke maximum guilt. If Aiden rejected him here, he felt like he would instantly become the ultimate villain.

“Yes, understood. Let us go.”

Even as he gave the answer, a wave of profound self-loathing washed over him. He desperately wanted to run away, yet his mouth and his actions were completely betraying him…

Was I always this terrifyingly weak against a pretty face?

He hadn’t lived an incredibly long life, but Aiden had never, not even once, made a foolish, hasty decision simply because he was bewitched by someone’s face.

“Can’t you just grant my request this once? Hmm?” 

“…Fine.”

Ah, wait. There was exactly one person. That child with the brilliant blue eyes.

It seemed he was fundamentally, tragically weak against blue eyes that mirrored the sea. Exhaling a deeply resigned sigh internally, Aiden followed Clyde back into the carriage.

The carriage traveled a short distance before dropping the two men off in front of a patisserie. It was a much smaller, simpler establishment than expected, yet it exuded a unique, undeniable charm even among the surrounding extravagantly decorated storefronts.

The kitchen was intentionally positioned near the entrance and enclosed in massive glass windows, allowing passersby to watch the baking process. They clearly spared no expense on high-quality butter, because the intoxicating, rich aroma drifting onto the street instantly snagged the attention of anyone walking past.

“His Grace, Grand Duke Clyde, and Admiral Rosley. We have been eagerly expecting you.”

Clyde must have sent advance notice, because the manager was already waiting at the entrance to greet them.

“Please, right this way.”

Rather than leading them through the main entrance, the manager guided them toward the rear of the building. Using a discreet, hidden door, they entered the shop. The private room they were led to offered a completely unobstructed, breathtaking view of the exact same beach they had just visited. There were no other customers in sight.

“Your Grace, Admiral. Please have a seat.”

As the two men sat down, the manager handed them the menus. Befitting a specialty shop, absolutely every single item on the menu was a variation of a tart.

“The peach tart is exceptionally popular these days.”

The word ‘peach’ made Aiden violently flinch. Ah, right. The alcohol that got me blackout drunk last night was peach-flavored. Smiling wickedly to himself, Clyde addressed the manager.

“Then I will have the peach tart. What about you, Admiral Rosley?”

“I-I will have the lemon tart.”

“Understood, sirs.”

As the manager bowed and left the room, a heavy silence descended. Crossing his arms, Clyde quietly observed Aiden, who was currently refusing to look at him, keeping his head turned firmly toward the window. Between his incredibly suspicious reaction at the beach and the fact that the tips of his ears were currently burning red, it was absolutely guaranteed that Aiden had remembered exactly what happened last night.

After letting the silence stretch for a while, Clyde casually picked up the dessert fork resting on the table. A dangerously playful smile tugged at his lips.

“Admiral Rosley.”

Called out so directly, Aiden had no choice but to slowly turn his head. Deliberately gesturing with the dessert fork, Clyde spoke.

“This fork is incredibly sharp. Don’t you think that if someone were to throw it, it would stick perfectly into the wall?”

“Haha! I-I don’t think there is any need to test that…”

The awkwardly forced smile trembling on Aiden’s lips threatened to shatter at any moment. Right on cue, the manager returned carrying their tarts, granting Aiden the perfect opportunity to desperately change the subject.

“T-This looks absolutely delicious!”

“Yes, it certainly does. Please, enjoy.”

Clyde desperately wanted to tease him a little more, but he decided to show mercy for today. If he pushed any further, he genuinely feared Aiden might just sprint out the door.

“T-Then, I will enjoy the meal.”

Refusing to meet Clyde’s gaze, Aiden aggressively stuffed his face with the tart. The terrifying speed at which the plate was being emptied clearly broadcasted his desperate, unfiltered desire to escape this room immediately. Watching the display, Clyde let out a silent laugh.

The second Aiden’s plate was completely spotless, Clyde slid his own peach tart across the table. He hadn’t touched a single bite; it was in the exact pristine condition the manager had brought it in. Only then did Aiden finally look up. As their eyes met in the space between them, the corners of Clyde’s mouth smoothly curled upward.

“You seem to quite enjoy desserts. Please, have mine as well.”

“No, I am perfectly fine—”

“If you refuse, I’ll have to feed it to you mysel—”

“Thank you, Your Grace.”

Aiden ruthlessly cut him off, instantly snatching the plate. The peach filling spreading across his tongue was perfectly sweet and wonderfully refreshing.

***