The End of the Special Contract Romance (3)
The arboretum tour had to wrap up early because of the overwhelming crowds. As time passed, even more people poured in, making it impossible to find a spot to rest.
As she walked toward the exit, Iris felt a deep pang of regret. She wanted to talk with Eric a little longer. Even though it seemed like she’d said everything she wanted to, a strange reluctance lingered.
*What should I do? It’s awkward to suggest staying longer, but moving somewhere else feels off too…*
When she spotted a carriage in the distance, Iris’s heart quickened. She racked her brain for a moment before suddenly grabbing the hem of Eric’s sleeve.
“What’s wrong, my lady?”
“By any chance… are you busy next week?”
“No, I have nothing on the schedule. The academic conference is over, so I’ll have some free time for a while.”
Iris’s face lit up instantly. She fidgeted with her fingers before mustering her courage to ask.
“Then… would you like to go to the National Library with me? I noticed last time that you seem to enjoy reading.”
Eric often stopped by bookstores to buy books. He’d even mentioned to Iris a few times that he’d visited one before meeting her.
He usually rushed out the moment a new botany book was released, but Iris, unaware of that level of detail, simply assumed his hobby was reading.
“You can turn me down if it’s too much trouble.”
“It’s not any trouble at all. I would really love to, Lady Hugo.”
Eric smiled brightly. It was the first time Iris had ever initiated something like this. Whether it was their contract romance or today’s arboretum visit, it had always been Eric making the suggestions, and her just going along with them.
The joy in his eyes, crinkling into half-moons, drew her own lips into a gentle curve.
“Then take care on your way back.”
“Yes, see you next week.”
Eric escorted her into the carriage, flashing a grin as he waved goodbye. Iris returned the gesture with a shy little wave of her own.
After bowing politely to him and closing the door, the maid Mila turned to her mistress with a curious expression.
“How was the arboretum, miss?”
“It was wonderful. We saw beautiful flowers and rare plants. And young master Roberts explained everything so kindly—it was such an enriching time.”
“Really?”
“Yes, I found young master Roberts truly admirable. The way he memorizes the names and traits of all those plants, constantly studying and exploring…”
As Iris’s praises for Eric flowed without pause, Mila’s eyes narrowed slightly.
In the two years they’d been seeing each other, Iris had never spoken about him at such length—it felt strangely unfamiliar.
Of course, her young mistress had a natural tendency to view others positively, but cases this detailed and specific were rare.
Sensing that subtle shift with her keen intuition, Mila tossed out a probing question, casual as could be.
“What kind of person is young master Roberts, miss?”
“Hm… well…”
The question was hard to answer on the spot, so Iris fell into thoughtful silence.
Eric Roberts was a kind and gentle man, yet firm in his own convictions, and considerate of others all the while.
He understood her heart—and truly knew her—better than the friends and family she’d known for years.
Even when Oscar Vanderimir had been pestering her, Eric had offered advice that fit her situation perfectly, the very words she’d most wanted to hear.
But spelling all that out felt too rambling, so Iris summed it up with the one trait that came to mind first when she thought of him.
“He’s someone with a really beautiful smile.”
“Ah, I see.”
Mila’s lips twitched. She could tell that some progress had finally stirred in her mistress’s stagnant romance, like a flower beginning to bud after circling the same spot.
But if she let it show, Iris would only feel burdened, so Mila kept her mouth shut.
* * *
The days flew by busily until their next appointment.
Iris had obtained permission from her father to manage the ledgers, and she was learning how to read and calculate them from his aide.
The aide marveled at how quickly she picked it up and how adeptly she applied it. Teaching her one thing meant she grasped ten—no, it was a teacher’s dream.
“You handle numbers so well, miss. Did you study mathematics or economics at the academy?”
“Really? At the academy, I mostly focused on the humanities.”
Unless one had a special talent like Aracila, most young ladies were assigned subjects that built cultural refinement, like history or literature.
Things like business management or economics were left to the young masters who would inherit their houses. So Iris had never realized she might have a knack for other subjects too.
“Then it must be innate. I wish young master Adrian were the same. After all, he’ll be the one leading House Hugo as the next marquis someday.”
“…Yeah, I hope so too.”
Iris offered a faint smile before gripping her pen more firmly.
No matter how hard I try, it all comes back to Adrian in the end.
I know that’s just how it is, but it still leaves me with this odd feeling for no reason. Like a clear thorn is caught in my throat—an inexplicable discomfort I can’t shake.
After her lesson with the advisor ended, Iris stepped out into the garden. She thought a light stroll might help settle the churning in her heart.
It was then, as she took in the utterly serene landscape of the garden, that it happened.
“Sis!”
Spotting his eldest sister from afar, Adrian came bounding over like an excited puppy. Seeing him drenched in sweat, Iris’s eyes widened in surprise.
“Oh, Adrian. What on earth have you been up to, covered in sweat like that?”
“Ah, swordsmanship class. Heh heh, I got tons of praise today too! They said I’ve got real talent!”
Adrian puffed out his chest proudly, flashing two fingers in a V-sign and shrugging his shoulders with a grin.
Her brother, who would enter the academy next year, had shot up so quickly day by day, but his face still held that boyish innocence, and his maknae-like spoiled streak hadn’t changed a bit.
“You really love your swordsmanship lessons, don’t you?”
Iris smiled softly as she smoothed her now-taller-than-her brother’s tousled hair.
“I want to become a Sword Master like big brother. Then I’ll form my own knight order and save all sorts of people with my blade.”
“Think you can pull that off? If you’re going to inherit the title, you’ll need to focus more on other things than just the sword.”
At her words, a shadow flickered across Adrian’s face, which had been brimming with bold ambition just moments before.
As Aracila’s resentment toward knights had faded, Adrian had begun openly expressing his admiration for the sword and knighthood. His sister no longer reined him in, but now others were the problem.
When Adrian showed a particular fixation on swordsmanship during his heir training, the retainers voiced their concerns. It wasn’t good for the future marquis to immerse himself so deeply in the blade, they argued.
The marquis, unable to ignore it, reduced the frequency of Adrian’s sword lessons. For next year’s academy entrance, he’d even chosen business studies over swordsmanship as his major.
“…Sis, honestly? More than inheriting the title, I want to become a knight. But I can’t say it out loud—Mom and Dad would be so disappointed and hurt.”
“Adrian…”
Iris’s face softened with a mix of surprise and pity at her brother’s unusually earnest confession. It seemed she wasn’t the only one unable to pursue what she truly wanted.
“Big brother is a knight and a duke at the same time. Couldn’t I do that too?”
Her heart ached at his gloomy question, and Iris stroked his hair as she replied.
“That depends on how hard you work at it. I’ll help you, so don’t get too downhearted. Just keep doing what you need to do, alright?”
“Yeah, got it…!”
Thankfully, Adrian perked up right away, flashing a bright smile before heading off to his next lesson.
Iris waved him off with a laugh, but once he was completely out of sight, she let out a complicated sigh. She’d come out here to clear her mind, but instead, it felt like an even heavier burden had settled on her shoulders.
* * *
The Setron Empire’s National Library was open to anyone, regardless of status. It wasn’t a place nobles frequented often, but its collection of rare and unusual books had cultivated a dedicated following among enthusiasts.
The library’s slightly weathered outer walls were topped with a red spire roof, and its long history lent it a grand, imposing air.
Blinding summer sunlight poured down over the rows of roadside trees planted around the building. Iris and Eric had chosen a weekday morning, when the crowds would be thinnest, to visit.
As expected, there were only a handful of patrons. The two wandered the interior at a leisurely pace.
“What kind of books do you usually read, my lord?”
“Honestly, I only ever read botany texts. What about you, my lady?”
Eric said it with a sheepish chuckle. He’d jumped at the chance to make this appointment, but he’d hardly cracked open anything outside of botany.
“Truth be told, I’m not much of a reader either. I tend to stick to philosophy or history books.”
“Oh? In that case, could I trouble you to recommend the most enjoyable book you’ve read?”
“Are you sure? If it doesn’t suit your tastes, it might just be a chore…”
“It’s fine. I’m curious about your preferences, my lady—what genres you like, or which authors catch your eye.”
Eric’s interest flowed toward Iris as naturally as watering a plant. Unaware, she clenched her fingers tightly and nodded.
The two made their way through the aisles lined with towering shelves crammed full of books. Iris scanned the titles intently, determined not to miss the one she was after.
Eric followed her at an easy pace, hands clasped lightly behind his back. His gaze trailed her just as unhurriedly. The faint furrow between her pale brows as she concentrated looked oddly endearing.
Long, dense lashes. A small, refined nose. Stray wisps of hair curling from her slender cheeks.
Oblivious to his gaze—so gentle yet attentive, like a soft brush against her skin—Iris finally spotted the book and reached out.
“Found it. Here it is.”
But the volume was wedged into a spot just high enough to be tricky. Fetching a ladder or calling a librarian felt unnecessary; her fingers could graze it, so a little more effort ought to do the trick.
As she stood on tiptoe and strained, Eric stepped up behind her. A large hand—one that didn’t quite match his mild features—reached past her to grasp the book.
Iris froze, her breath catching for a moment. The man’s body pressed close—lean but broad-boned and solid—registered with startling clarity.
It was their first time in such intimate proximity, and she didn’t know what to do. Eric, peering down at her sudden stillness, murmured softly.
“Lady Hugo, this is the one you wanted, right?”
His low, resonant voice vibrated right beside her ear, making her shoulders twitch. Heat surged from her neck to her face, and she hastily shielded it with a curtain of hair.
“Ah, y-yes. That’s it. You can read that one.”
“Alright, thank you.”
Through the strands of her hair, he caught sight of her ear flushed a deep crimson and stepped back just enough.
Truth be told, a playful urge to tease her flickered through him, but he had no intention of truly embarrassing her.
“Shall we go pick out a book for you to read now?”
Eric, now at a proper distance, beamed with that easy smile. Though the warmth in her cheeks hadn’t fully faded, Iris took a step toward him.
All the while ignoring the insistent, ticklish flutter stirring deep inside her heart.
