Chapter 76
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Insomnia?
Following the unexpected request, Delnia's eyes widened in surprise upon hearing about the illness she had never anticipated.
Leticia sighed deeply with a bitter smile.
"Actually, the Colonel hasn't been able to sleep well lately. It probably started around the time you had your accident."
Not knowing what to say, Delnia just moved her lips.
Of course, it might not be her fault. Delnia hoped that was the case.
"I was going to ask Milan, but since you said you'd be at the mansion, I thought... That guy is terrible at making tea..."
When no reply came, Leticia began to ramble on.
Delnia nodded first to prevent this kind-hearted woman from feeling more awkward.
"Yes, I'll do it."
"Thank you. Then I'll leave it to you."
As Leticia left with her farewell, Delnia, left alone, placed the teapot on the table.
However, her blank gaze still lingered on it.
It was nothing. Just bringing some tea.
Yet, the more she thought about it, the more her throat felt dry.
Even as she was consumed by an inexplicable feeling, the night grew deeper quickly.
Even after the window was shrouded in pitch-black darkness for quite some time, Delnia finally realized she had no more room to hesitate.
Unable to pinpoint the reason for her hesitation, she began to rush to prepare the tea.
Technically, she should have boiled the tea in Roan's bedroom, but she wanted to prepare as much as possible in advance to shorten the time she spent in his room. Of course, she still didn't know why.
While the tea was brewing, she carefully draped a long, thick shawl over her thin nightgown.
Still, the fragrant and neat aroma of the tea helped calm her restless mind.
Delnia cleared away the uneaten food from the tray and neatly arranged the teapot and cups.
But there was one problem. The teapot, filled with water, was much heavier than she had expected.
"What should I do?"
Leaving the room and knocking on Roan's bedroom door again would be quite a challenge. She wondered if she could even leave her room carrying the heavy tray in both hands.
Then the only option left was…
“….”
Delnia's helpless gaze fell on the corridor on one side of the room.
At the end of that corridor was a door leading to Roan's bedroom. It was a place she had never used before.
The thought of walking into that corridor, which she had believed would never be needed, made her fingertips tingle unnecessarily. She also felt a dull ache in her heels.
However, Delnia forced herself to calm her restless heart.
It's just a tea errand.
There's no need to be nervous.
She forced herself to clear her mind of the chaotic thoughts swirling inside. Instead, she visualized the layout of his bedroom and planned the most efficient route to bring the tea back.
Having mentally prepared herself by visualizing the route, Delnia finally picked up the tray.
She took cautious steps through the short corridor and stopped in front of the door.
Holding the tray with one hand, she knocked on the door. Fortunately or unfortunately, the weight on her arm distracted her, leaving her no time to pay attention to what was beyond the door.
However, even after she picked up the tray with both hands again, the door did not open. Instead, the faint sounds that had been coming from the other side of the door had completely ceased.
‘Maybe he didn't hear me.’
Her arms, already trembling from holding the heavy tray, were growing weaker. If she delayed any longer, not only would the tea be spilled, but the teapot and cups might shatter in a terrible accident.
First, put the tray down, signal through the outer door, and then come back for it.
Just as she was about to turn away after deliberating, the floor on the opposite side of the hallway where she had stepped suddenly began to thud loudly.
As the footsteps grew closer, she thought they sounded somehow urgent, and then the door burst open.
Instead of lifting her head to look at him, Delnia hurriedly lowered her head to the floor. For some reason, she felt she had to do so.
But she soon regretted her decision.
There was no trace of the pant leg that should have been there at his feet, which were wearing slippers.
Instead, the tip of a white gown fluttering above his knees briefly caught the corner of her eye, and her mouth opened suddenly, as if she were being chased by something.
“Um, I was asked by Leticia to do this. She asked me to brew some tea instead…”
Even though she was just stating the facts, her voice trembled as if she were lying.
Even though her body hadn’t made eye contact with him, it had already stiffened like stone. She was barely able to keep from dropping the tray.
“…”
Roan said nothing. Instead, his feet, which had been blocking his path, shifted slightly to the side, coming into view through her fixed gaze on the floor.
As she passed by him without lifting her head, the scent of soap wafted strongly through the room.
It seemed like lowering her head immediately was the right decision after all.
After Roan had completely passed by, Delnia slightly raised her gaze to regain her field of vision.
If she maintained this position, she wouldn't have to make eye contact with him. She had never been so grateful for his tall height.
Still, she didn’t completely relax her guard as she carefully moved her steps.
She walked a distance that felt like a mile and finally succeeded in placing the tray on the side table. It was fortunate that she was so focused on him that she didn't even notice her arms were sore.
With her now-free hand, she picked up the teapot and filled the empty cup. The clear sound of water spread through the eerily quiet night air.
Delnia, who had been fully focused on pouring the tea, finally completed her arduous task. Now all that remained was to return.
She glanced toward the door to confirm the path again.
But suddenly, it was as if a wall had risen before her eyes. In that moment, she instinctively lifted her head, frustrated by the obstructed view.
She locked eyes with the man who had approached her unnoticed. There was no time to dodge.
Delnia's movements froze unnaturally. Her head went blank, and her heart began to race wildly. Yet she couldn't hear a single sound.
She finally understood why she had tried so hard not to look at him.
The man standing with his back to the moonlit window was as dark and beautiful as a god ruling the night, and above all, he was enormous. The faint moonlight was insufficient to fully illuminate this man.
However, despite his face being shrouded in such deep darkness that his expression was invisible, his sapphire-blue eyes still shone brightly.
Though they were as blue as ever, they seemed to emit a heat that would burn if touched.
As if the heat from those eyes had transferred to her, the tingling sensation that had been confined to her fingertips spread throughout her body. Her toes went numb, and a chill ran down her spine.
She let her guard down.
The moment she realized that, the man collapsed onto her.
***
From the moment he heard the knock, Roan was already out of his mind.
The reason was simple. The sound had come from a place where it shouldn't have been heard.
He froze as if struck by lightning and turned to look at the door. Perhaps it was a mistake.
But the place where he sensed movement was not a doorway that anyone could enter. It was a passageway that he had never used, but had never been unaware of.
Before he could even think, his body moved first.
When he flung open the door, the woman he had expected was there, but in a form that surpassed his expectations.
"......umm......."
Even though she was swallowed by his shadow, the shape of her trembling lips was clearly visible. But her voice echoed faintly in his ears, as if coming from a very distant place.
He managed to step aside and let the stammering woman inside.
She entered his space with an almost excessive docility. And Roan couldn't take his eyes off her. Perhaps he couldn't help it.
Pale moonlight spilled over the woman standing by the window. She was wrapped in a large shawl that should have covered her entire body, but it seemed useless. Her pale face and white neck were enough to imagine the curves that continued below.
Before he knew it, he had taken another step forward. He didn't know why he was doing it. It was a movement driven solely by instinct.
Just as he was about to reach out and touch her, the woman who had avoided his gaze the entire time suddenly lifted her head as if by magic.
Those eyes that had held him captive and refused to let go. Those eyes that had once made him dwell on hatred and curse the sunset sky now kept him prisoner.
He felt as though time had stopped. It was an eternity in an instant.
Her eyes, which had remained motionless as if she had forgotten how to blink, suddenly trembled.
And Roan did not miss that moment.
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