# 74
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After another ten minutes of travel, the carriage finally stopped in front of the villa.
I thought it would be a small palace, but I was completely wrong.
The villa was huge as the main palace of the Grand Duke's estate.
No sooner had Ian helped me out of the carriage than a small figure rushed towards us from afar.
“The Grand Duchess!!!”
As usual, the princess made a dramatic entrance, skidded and stopped in front of us.
“You are here!”
“You're already here, princess.”
“Yes, you came as soon as I woke up this morning.”
The princess smiled at me.
“Look, aren’t my clothes nice today?”
She was wearing a bright yellow dress made by Mrs. Zed and a wide-brimmed hat.
The hat, in particular, was adorned with the satin ribbon accessory that Ian and I had chosen together the last time.
The princess's satisfied look passed back and forth between us.
She deftly adjusted her hat and turned to Ian.
“Ahem! Brother, I liked the gift.”
Finally, Ian, who had been staring from a distance, lowered his gaze to look at her.
He slowly examined the hat she was wearing before nodding the slightest.
"Yes."
'Ah, come on.'
Is that all? Couldn't he at least say she looked pretty?
Unlike me, who was frowning in disappointment, the princess seemed more than happy with his reaction.
Her plump cheeks rose, making her face look round and cheerful.
“I really like it!”
She proudly shook the baubles attached to her hat, but of course, Ian made no further reply.
'Seriously, show half the reaction you did before we left.'
Unable to bear the embarrassment any longer, I was about to stab him in the side with my elbow when the princess, who was quicker to draw, motioned for me to come closer.
“Grand Duchess, come here for a second.”
“Huh? Sure.”
I lowered my arms, abandoning my stab at Ian, and walked towards the princess, bowing slightly.
The princess stood on her tiptoes, laughed and whispered to me.
“This decoration, it was your idea, wasn’t it? I also got the contact information you sent through Mrs. Zed.”
“Oh, did you notice?”
“As if my brother would think of that? You’re the only one who had the sense to send the tape with the name and address of the shop owner.”
I think it was clear.
Since it would be awkward to deny it at this point, I nodded my head in agreement.
"If you're interested, give them a visit. The guy's a little rough around the edges, but his skill with lace is incredible."
“I was planning to visit soon. Thank you, Grand Duchess.”
“Don't mention it. Consider it a birthday present.”
As the Princess and I continued whispering to each other, Ian stared at us, clearly not liking being left out.
Before his expression could turn more displeased, the princess quickly turned away, laughing.
“Anyway, since we're going to spend a week together, I'm looking forward to it.”
“Are you looking forward to what? You have your own plans, and I have my own plans. Plus, my brother will be with you, right?”
The princess stuck out her tongue jokingly before running towards the main building.
As I watched her energetic personality disappear, I turned to Ian and linked my arms with his again.
“Shall we head inside too?”
❖ ❖ ❖
When we arrived at the main building, the first thing we did was pay our respects to the Emperor and Empress.
“We salute his majesty, the first sun of the Levant Empire, Eliseo Carlotus Helius Levant, and his empress, the radiant moon of the empire, Her Majesty the Empress Lily Hermias Geryon Levant.”
Ian and I bowed respectfully, and the Emperor responded with a hearty laugh.
“Even after you two have come all this way, you are still stuck with such formal greetings?”
Well, it would be treason if we didn't.
I stifled the response that rose to my throat and simply smiled.
“I apologize for the delay.”
“We have just arrived. The servants are still unpacking our things.”
The Emperor looked back and forth between Ian and me, a happy smile on his face.
“Seeing you two standing together brings me so much happiness!”
Then he winked at me, clearly pleased that I was able to take Ian with me.
“Your Majesty, perhaps we should let them rest now. They must be tired from the trip.”
“Yes, you must be exhausted from the journey. Go and rest. The rooms of the Grand Duke and Grand Duchess are located on the third floor. The servants will show you the way.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty. We will see you again soon.”
After bidding farewell, a waiting servant led us to the third floor.
It seemed that the Emperor and Empress would stay on the fourth floor, Ian and I on the third floor, and the Princess on the second floor.
“These are your rooms for the duration of your stay.”
The place where the servant stopped was in front of an unusually large door in the middle of the third floor.
When they opened the door, a wide window extending along the entire opposite wall appeared, a balcony, and beyond that, a stunning view of the deep blue sea.
Without realizing it, I covered my mouth and gasped.
"wow."
“It's more amazing than I thought!”
It was worth coming here, even if I had prepared myf to fall in between!
She quickly crossed the room and opened the glass door leading outside.
The cool sea breeze that had been gathering at the window rushed in and brushed my cheek.
As I stood on the edge, I heard the melodious sound of the waves crashing in my ears.
"This is amazing."
I was enjoying the sea breeze for a while when I turned around smiling.
By then, the servants were long gone, and Ian was standing there in the white and blue room, staring at me. Not the sea, but in me.
'What's up with that expression?'
His face looked a little strange.
He wasn't as sullen as usual, nor did he look upset.
'Why has he been looking at me like that so much lately?'
I tried to examine his face cloy, but at that moment, a gust of wind blew in from the sea and pushed my hair into my eyes, obscuring my vision.
I gave up watching him, pushed my hair behind my ears and pointed at him.
"Why are you just standing there? Come here and have a look. The view is amazing."
At my urging, Ian frowned for a split second but slowly walked to the balcony.
“Do you like the sea?”
“It's beautiful.”
Who doesn't like the sea? However, for a busy modern-day person, finding time to go see it is not exactly easy.
'This really feels like a vacation!'
Ian, on the other hand, stood beside me with an expression devoid of excitement, even indifference. I raised my eyebrows as I looked at him.
“Don't tell me you're going to say something like 'I don't know what I'm supposed to feel' or 'It's blue,' right?”
He opened his mouth slightly as if to respond, but closed it forcefully.
I got it.
The more I looked at it, the more curious I became about how it was created.
After giving him a quick, angry look, I returned my gaze to the horizon. The meeting point of sea and sky, which I had seen earlier from the carriage, was more clearly visible here.
'Well, at least I won't be bored with this view for the next week.'
Waking up every morning and seeing the ocean through that wide window – just thinking about it makes me happy
Even though I was here to watch over the Princess instead of Duchess Brillose, I wouldn't have to follow her around all day like a governess.
I've already taken care of business in the Grand Duchy, so I might as well enjoy myf while I'm here.
Satisfied just looking at the sea, I left Ian on the balcony and began to sing as I explored the room.
Since it was a villa, the interior was not overly ornate, but rather fresh and cozy.
In the middle there was a living room with a wide window, and on either side of it was the bedroom, reception room and study.
After walking around for a while, she opened the bathroom door and let out a small sigh.
"Yes."
There was also a window facing the sea in the bathroom. I loved that you could relax in the bathtub while looking outside.
“I'll have to ask Vivi to prepare a bubble bath later.”
She closed the bathroom door, smiling contentedly, and headed to the bedroom.
“Wow, the bedroom is the most beautiful.”
As befits a holiday home, all the main rooms had sea views.
The large bed in the center of the bedroom, in particular, was covered with a blue cloth over white sheets and covered with a light and airy canopy, giving it a luxurious feel.
After enjoying the view, I left the bedroom and returned to the living room, but suddenly stopped in my tracks.
She stared at Ian, who had just entered from the balcony, with a blank stare.
Wait a minute...
“Are we… sharing a room?”