# 76
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She took Ian's hand and left the annex.
When he suggested we go see the ocean, I thought we'd head toward the cliffs, but instead, he led me into the forest on the other side.
“Grand Duke, ocean in that direction.”
He looked at me briefly as we walked side by side, still holding my hand.
“…When I was young, I found a shortcut at the edge of the forest with His Majesty.”
Ah...with the Emperor?
“You two must have gotten along great when you were younger, finding a shortcut like this together in the annex.”
As expected, Ian didn't respond. Instead, he carefully guided me to the forest entrance opposite the annex.
“Please wait here a moment.”
He left me behind and walked a few steps forward, shaking off a layer of leaves. He quickly revealed a hidden path among the leaves.
The path was wide enough for two people to walk side by side and had a gentle slope.
It looked like a shortcut that skirted the high cliffs and led to the beach.
As I quickly closed my eyes and looked at Ian, I asked him,
“Here?”
“Yes, he is here.”
How does he even know about this place?
Suddenly, she becomes curious about Ian's childhood, which is only briefly mentioned in the novel. He turned back to me and offered his hand again as if inviting me to take it.
“There's a steep part in the middle.”
“Don’t worry about me, I can walk well.”
With a shrug, I took his hand, and he skillfully guided me down.
There were a few sections that were a little steep, but the trail was comfortable enough to walk on, even in my outerwear.
After about ten minutes of walking, we reached the end of the downhill trail, where low bushes lined the exit at waist level.
"here."
Ian gently pulled my hand away, scanning the low branches as we made our way. At that moment, I couldn't help but let out a scream.
"Yes."
On the other side, a pristine white beach and an open view of the ocean stretched out in front of me.
In the distance, the bright blue sky, without a single cloud, met the horizon in perfect harmony.
“It's the ocean!”
After she let go of Ian's hand, she practically jumped towards the beach.
I didn't care that my low-heeled shoes sank into the soft sand with every step. I rushed all the way to the water's edge, where the sound of the waves filled my ears like a sweet melody.
The clear, bright blue water shimmered like emeralds, revealing the bottom beneath.
“Wow, it's really clear.”
I've never seen anything like this before except in pictures.
Feeling dizzy as if I had arrived at a tropical resort, I turned around and asked, “Grand Duke, this is private property, isn’t it?”
“If you are asking if she belongs to the royal family, then yes.”
Great, that means no one else will be watching me.
As soon as he answered, I quickly took off my shoes and started walking barefoot towards the water.
"my lady?"
I ignored Ian's startled voice behind me and was about to step into the waves when—
Spray!
As the wave quickly receded, the sand beneath my feet drifted, causing me to stumble.
"Yes…!"
Just when I thought I was about to fall, Ian lunged forward and grabbed me, pulling me into his arms without warning.
"Yes!"
He wrapped his strong arms around my waist in an instant.
She caught a glimpse of his silver hair, and felt the cool scent it carried a moment later.
Suddenly I found myf awkwardly hugged, my body froze, and I felt heat flowing to my ears.
"What do you do…?"
“What are you doing, ma'am?”
Ian looked upset.
Because of this, I couldn't even calm my racing heart and could only stare at him in amazement.
“Well, I just wanted to… dip my feet in the water.”
"Do you think it's a good idea to run straight into the waves? What if I fall?"
“I didn’t know the sand would suddenly wash away.”
“Great job.”
Ian shook his head in disbelief and began leading me back into the dry sand. At that moment—
Whoosh.
Another wave rolled in, splashing up to my ankles before retreating.
Naturally, Ian's shoes and the entire hem of his pants got wet as well.
A seagull croaked as it soared above me. I looked around nervously and embarrassed and asked
“Is this… the part where I should apologize?”
Ian wiped his face, then put me down and walked away.
“…It's okay, as long as you're not hurt.”
For someone saying that, he sounded very tired.
I couldn't shake the feeling that I was bothering him ever since the incident at the theater.
“Anyway, don't go too deep into the water. I can save you if you fall, but there's no guarantee that you'll float until I get to you.”
Is this supposed to be...worrying?
She stared at him in disbelief, realized something was wrong, and Ian cleared his throat.
“…Because you can’t swim.”
Oh, Eloise can't swim.
“Surely you remembered that I can't swim?”
“It's only polite of you to know such details about your future wife. The report I received before our marriage said that you were not fond of water. It is not that my memory is bad, just that I was not interested in you.”
He definitely uses a long way of saying he's not interested in me. What a royal prince act of him.
For some reason, his comment bothered me even more.
"Yes, okay, I understand. But you're talking like you care now?"
I replied sarcastically, and Ian froze.
'Huh?'
I was expecting him to give me the “what are you talking about nonsense?” look. The usual, but I was the one who felt annoyed.
Well, why doesn't he deny it?
His answer came a little too late.
“…I was just surprised that you suddenly tried to rush into the ocean.”
“Ah, got it?”
Whatever. Let's not focus on something that is not important.
“By the way, why don't you take off your shoes too?”
"Sorry?"
“They're wet anyway. Since they're already wet, why don't you walk with me? It feels good to dip your feet in the water and walk.”
I playfully moved my bare feet in front of him to prove my point. Ian looked between my feet and my face in disbelief, then shook his head.
“No, it's okay. It's dangerous, so just—”
“What day is it?”
I tilted my head and thought for a moment. It was Saturday.
“It's the weekend.”
I threw him a bright smile. Ian's face darkened as he quickly realized the meaning behind my smile.
“Take off your shoes,” she spoke with authority.
Maybe I've been too nice to you lately, you stubborn robot.
Ian rubbed his face in frustration.
“…Is this supposed to be some kind of lesson?”
“If you want to call it that.”
I answered him indifferently, and motioned with my chin for him to hurry up and take off his shoes. Sure, it may seem like an abuse of power, but so what?
With a hesitant look, Ian slowly took off his shoes and stood barefoot. I crossed my arms, watched the scene unfold and generously offered him some advice.
“Here's a little tip for you: People tend to prefer lovers who share things with them.”
I raised my index finger and waved it in front of him for emphasis.
"Instead of being the one who stops someone from doing something foolish, it's better to be the one who does something foolish to them so that they don't feel embarrassed. Of course, it's not that my previous actions were foolish."
Honestly, this guy has no romantic sense at all.
I clicked my tongue dissatisfied.
“You can just avoid doing anything stupid in the first place.”
"Sometimes people want to do something stupid even though they know better. Haven't you heard that before?"
"I didn't hear that. Did you make that up?"
Tsk, sharp as always.
I raised my eyebrows playfully, but Ian still looked conflicted. At that moment, another wave came crashing into another, leaving foam in its wake as it retreated. This time, our toes barely touched before pulling back.
Ian looked at the water and sighed, then extended his hand.
"Let me at least hold your hand while we walk. I don't feel comfortable with the thought of you tripping again."
“Well, I guess...”
I thought this would be a good opportunity to keep some distance since we were away from prying eyes. But Ian's gaze was so stern that I had no choice but to raise my hand.
However, instead of his usual light touch, Ian intertwined his fingers with mine, holding my hand tightly. I was surprised by this sudden change, and looked at him in astonishment.
“This is to keep you from falling, that's all.”
For some reason, his hand felt warmer than usual.