“A cherry blossom petal is stuck on you.”

Raoul moved away casually.

Diana felt her pulse racing wildly throughout her body, making her want to jump into the lake right away.

‘How embarrassing! What was I imagining all by myself…!’

Diana’s earlobes were burning red.

It was closer to the color of roses than cherry blossoms.

Diana bit her trembling lips and fanned herself vigorously with her left hand that wasn’t holding anything.

“Are you embarrassed?”

“No… It’s just hot.”

Honestly, Raoul was a bit annoying at times like this.

Was it fun to tease his only friend like this? He had a nasty hobby.

“Shall we sit down and rest for a moment?”

“Okay…”

Raoul spread a handkerchief on the grass. It was a plain cloth handkerchief without any embroidery.

“Sit here.”

“Thank you.”

After seating Diana, Raoul took a seat beside her.

The distance was so close that their fingertips touched. It felt like they should be held.

‘No. Get a grip.’

Diana shook off the ticklish sensation and quickly placed her hands on her knees.

It was a clearly conscious action to anyone watching.

Raoul didn’t bother to point it out and fixed his gaze on Diana’s cheek.

“What did you learn in class today?”

“We learned about Eastern Continent lyric poetry and other races.”

“You always seem to be learning about the Eastern Continent.”

Raoul muttered softly as he shifted his gaze to Diana’s delicate hands.

Somehow, he looked like a puppy whimpering with complaints it couldn’t express.

‘How strange. His eyes used to always have sharp upturned corners, but now they’re drooping gently like a puppy’s. Even more so when he’s sulking.’

Diana could suddenly feel how much Raoul had changed too.

Diana lowered her head even lower than his downcast gaze and said,

“I think I understand your feelings a little now.”

Just when he was about to approach boldly, Raoul flinched in surprise and pulled his head back.

That appearance was as cute as an innocent puppy.

‘If he’s this affectionate with his childhood friend, how well will he treat his lover later?’

Just imagining it made her smile.

“Raoul, do you not like that I’m interested in the Eastern Continent?”

“No. If you like it, I like it too.”

“Really?”

“It’s just that I’m concerned because it’s something the Duke ordered.”

Raoul trailed off. Diana didn’t show it outwardly, but she was startled inside.

‘So Raoul was feeling it too.’

Raoul seemed anxious that the Duke might send Diana away to study abroad in the Eastern Continent.

But there was no need to worry at all.

Diana had no intention of leaving first until Raoul escaped first.

‘If the timing is right, the Dunkel tree will bear fruit the year Raoul returns. At least seeing Raoul escape safely would put my mind at ease.’

Raoul would leave to help Ayla and Diana would escape to the Eastern Continent.

It was a plan where everyone would benefit.

‘You’ll never be left alone in the castle. I’ll break the curse for you.’

Since she couldn’t tell him right now that she came from the future, Diana tried her best to cheer up Raoul’s mood instead.

“Our family recently started maritime trade with the Eastern Continent, right? I may not inherit the succession, but I still need to have basic knowledge about the family business, so I’m taking classes. More importantly, I really liked the poem I learned today. Would you like to hear it?”

Diana smiled brightly as she changed the subject.

Raoul sat close to Diana and perked up his ears.

‘Now that I’m about to recite it, I feel awkward.’

Having already brought it up, Diana had no choice but to recite the poem. It was Hwang Jin-yi’s poem that she remembered learning in school.

“What does it mean?”

“Since winter nights are long, I want to save that time and use it when I reunite with my awaited lover.”

“It sounds nice.”

“Right? It seems like people in the past spoke so beautifully. If I were the lover, I’d want to run to them in one breath.”

“Let me hear it again.”

“Again? I’ll just write it down for you.”

Raoul liked the exotic words coming from Diana’s mouth.

The sound of the words before translating into the imperial language was round and soft, as if soothing his heart.

Diana tore out a page from her notebook and wrote down the poem with the quill pen she had tucked inside.

“I’ll cut out the long hours of winter nights and store them under a warm blanket. When you return, let’s spend the whole night together.”

Diana felt a little embarrassed because of Raoul who kept begging to hear it again and again.

Nevertheless, his lips reciting along were so cute that she soon repeated the same verse again.

Raoul watched Diana’s mouth shape and mumbled it over and over again. Over and over.

Raoul gazed at Diana’s beak-like lips as she chattered about the other races of the Eastern Continent.

In fact, the content didn’t really sink into his head.

Until just now, Diana had recited a lovely poem with a shy face.

The sound was so smooth that it felt like sweet fruit juice was flowing over his eardrums.

As always, but especially recently, Raoul couldn’t contain his impatience whenever he saw Diana.

He wanted to propose right away.

Especially when she stood close and muttered incomprehensible words, it felt like her small breath reached straight to his heart.

He was afraid that the unknown land Raoul didn’t know might take Diana away, but he liked hearing the unfamiliar words Diana whispered.

“I slept fitfully last night, so I’m very grapefruit.”

“…What do you mean?”

“I tossed and turned all night, so I’m sleepy. Are you okay, Raoul? The thunder was really loud last night.”

Every time she giggled, it felt like seeds were being scattered in his heart.

The fluffy wildflowers, like puppy fur, had already grown all over Raoul’s heart and couldn’t be pulled out.

Every time Diana blinked her eyelashes, raised her plump cheeks, or patted his shoulder with her thin hand, the seeds scattered again and again.

It never left his heart at peace for a moment.

It wasn’t enough to just hold hands pretending to still be young, or to share breaths up close on the pretext of cherry blossom petals. Something bigger was needed.

Unaware of Raoul’s feelings, Diana picked up a flower petal that had fallen on his head and blew it away.

“Diana.”

“Yes?”

Her round eyes looking up innocently were just like a naive rabbit that knew nothing.

So, he was afraid to touch her carelessly.

She got scared just by him approaching, so what more could he do?

This innocent creature blinking in the cherry blossom rain clearly had no idea what the wolf crouching before her was begging for.

Raoul returned straight to his bedroom after parting with Diana.

If he had stayed together any longer, he felt he might say words he shouldn’t.

Raoul wanted to confess to Diana.

‘I love you. I love you, Diana.’

But for a lycan, a confession is tantamount to a proposal. Would he be asking her to become a slave together?

Sometimes Raoul wanted to hug Diana tighter and kiss her. But he had to hold back.

So the time spent together was as painful as it was happy.

If Vincent or Biche saw this, they would surely click their tongues and call him crazy. They thought Raoul was a very cynical lycan.

In fact, he showed no mercy even to his comrades on the same side.

If he thought someone deserved to die, he wouldn’t draw his sword even in a situation where he could easily help.

But he wanted to be a tender man, at least to his perfect bride candidate.

He wanted to become a suitable person as soon as possible and share the same bed with Diana.

Raoul now lay down on the bed that had become too cramped and covered his eyes with the back of his hand.

The breath escaping between his lips was sweet. He might have inhaled all of Diana’s pretty breaths.

‘I want to kiss her.’

Raoul sighed. His heart ached.

He had never heard of a lycan falling ill with lovesickness even while being close by.

‘It hurts. Diana…’

He could almost hear Diana’s bright laughter.

Raoul swallowed hard and clenched his jaw. He hoped his heart would calm down a bit if he slept and woke up like this.

No, maybe his mind would be a bit more at peace if he went to the forest right now and slew some monsters.

He felt like he was going crazy with anxiety and impatience.

What if one day you get tired and say you’ll marry a man from the Eastern Continent? What if you come to hate me?

Raoul writhed in frustration.

I want to imprint on you. I want to bind you to me forever.

It was a terribly frightening thought. Raoul quickly got up before soaking the bed with sweat.

He didn’t want to dwell on these useless thoughts anymore.

He hardened his sharp gaze and picked up his sword. It was a much faster return than expected.