The faint, golden morning light filtered through the sheer silk curtains, painting soft stripes across the opulently patterned wallpaper. Serena sat at her vanity, her long, untamed brown hair cascading past her bare shoulders. Still clad in her light nightgown, she raised the vintage telephone receiver to her ear, lazily running a hand through her tangled locks as she tried to shake off the remnants of sleep.
"Good morning. Did you rest well?" Sui's polite, measured voice echoed through the speaker.
"Yeah, Sui," Serena murmured, her voice thick with fatigue. She leaned back slightly, trying to piece together the blurred events of the evening before. "Well... I fell asleep early yesterday because I was so tired. What did you say before?"
Sui paused briefly on the other end before clarifying. "Ah, yes. The guest stopped by around five yesterday afternoon. Since he was from the royal family, I thought it might be urgent, so after some thought, I called the hotel. When I mentioned you were out and would be back late, he left a letter and asked me to hand it to you."
Serena's hand froze against her hair. Her dark eyes sharpened with instant alertness as she gripped the heavy metal receiver tighter. "...Someone from the royal family?"
"Yes," Sui replied smoothly. "He said he was Prince Hired's personal chamberlain, and he came to deliver a personal letter sent by the prince."
Meanwhile, in the adjoining suite, Eiser moved with quiet, deliberate grace. Dressed in a loose white robe that exposed the broad expanse of his chest, he poured dark, aromatic tea from a porcelain teapot into a delicate, gilt-rimmed cup. He paused as the name registered-Prince Hired.
If it's Hired... the royal family's youngest prince?
He lifted the teacup, his intense, dark eyes narrowing slightly in deep thought as he listened in on the conversation. Setting the teapot down with a soft click, he murmured under his breath, "...Got it. I'll head to the manor now."
A heavy, unspoken tension settled in the air.
So be careful.
A Few Days Later
The atmosphere shifted to the bustling, sunlit interior of the high-end atelier. Floor-to-ceiling wooden display cases held delicate mannequins, intricate embroidery threads, and tailor's tools. White leather sofas occupied the center of the room, flanked by elegant shopping bags stacked neatly along the polished floor.
Serena sat poised on the sofa in a delicate, puff-sleeved white dress, her hands resting casually in her lap as she inspected the final arrangements.
"The items to be sent to Atiazen are all properly prepared, right?" she asked calmly.
The head attendant stood attentively before her, hands clasped, nodding with crisp professionalism. "Yes, of course!"
"Good work," Serena said, her tone smooth and authoritative. "The sacred sculptures will go to the Atiazen Royal Family, and the other paintings and serenades are going to direct royal line members, so pay close attention."
Serena ran a slender finger over her wrist, adjusting the delicate, jewel-encrusted bracelets that shimmered under the salon's soft lighting. She offered a slight nod as she ran through the logistical checklist in her mind.
"The rest will go to a few nobles and business leaders," she added, her tone cool and collected.
"Yes! Don't worry," the attendant reassured her brightly, offering a reassuring smile. "All the gifts for the royal family and VIPs have been thoroughly inspected, packaged, and sent ahead via convoy. You're finally leaving today. Have a safe and wonderful trip!"
The attendant paused, gesturing gracefully toward a mannequin dressed in an exquisite ivory suit, complete with a tailored cape jacket and a strand of lustrous pearls. "Before that, I also prepared some neat, light-colored outfits. Since you'll have to see His Highness the Prince... Ah, the Royal Palace sent a vehicle. It should already be at the manor."
Serena's eyebrows furrowed as she turned around, her expression instantly twisting into one of utter disbelief.
"What? Why protocol all of a sudden~?" she snapped, her eyes widening in annoyance. "I'm taking my own car!"
She stared at the pristine white suit on display, her mind racing with irritation. Why is he doing this, seriously! Making things so unfamiliar. What on earth does he want to tell me after calling me over? I really have no clue what this is about, honestly.
Lang Piaget Train Station, Private Room Inside VIP Lounge
Sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the private lounge, illuminating the quiet elegance of the room. Eaus sat impeccably tailored in a sharp brown suit, calmly reading through the morning newspaper with a small teacup sitting on the table beside him.
The rhythmic, sharp click of high heels echoing against the marble floor broke the quiet atmosphere. Eiser didn't look up immediately, though his gaze shifted as he checked the sleek watch on his wrist.
...She's late, he noted silently.
The heavy double doors swung open with a sharp click. Serena stepped into the room, impeccably dressed in her cream-colored pillbox hat and matching tailored outfit. But before Eiser could even speak, she blurted out, her face flushed with utter shock and disbelief:
"I got proposed to!"
Eiser sat serenely in the high-backed armchair, the morning paper resting casually in his hands as light filtered through the grand windows.
"Didn't you hear me?" Serena burst out, her voice rising in disbelief as she stared at his unfazed silhouette. "I said I got proposed to!"
With a slow, deliberate motion, Eiser gave a slight nod to the attendant waiting nearby. The aide bowed silently, stepped outside, and pulled the heavy doors closed behind him with a sharp clack.
"Talk," Eiser commanded, his eyes barely leaving the printed news.
Serena sank into the armchair across from him, her crisp white cape jacket fanning around her as she let out an exasperated sigh.
"He's been wanting to see me for days, saying he had something to talk about, and he even sent a royal vehicle. When I got there, he said that the last incident was carried out arbitrarily by the Prime Minister in charge of state affairs at the time, pretending it was the royal family's will. He offered a sincere apology on behalf of the royal family."
She leaned forward, her voice dropping as she recounted the grim details. "He said they won't stop at dismissing the Prime Minister, so he will be ordered executed for using the royal name recklessly and defiling the honor of Her Late Majesty the Queen... saying he hoped that would ease my mind even a little bit."
Serena shook her head, a bewildered look flashing across her features. "But he was smiling while saying all that... I mean, did anyone ask him to kill someone? He seemed a bit crazy, to be honest."
She took a breath before continuing. "Anyway, he said no one will be allowed to throw around the royal name like that again, and that something like this will never happen twice. Then he said he wants to marry me. He proposed combining forces-me on my end, him on his. The terms he offered were pretty good, too... no, honestly, absurdly good."
Eiser's gaze remained impassive as he murmured calmly, "That makes sense. Since he'll probably have his coronation soon."
Serena's breath hitched. What? How did he know? The Prince said that was classified information... that the coronation is scheduled within a year...
Her eyes narrowed as she stared at Eiser's unbothered face. "...Did you plant a spy in the royal court or something?"
Serena leaned across the small table, her wide eyes locked onto Eiser's composed expression. The absurdity of his casual tone sent a sharp prickle of disbelief straight through her.
"I just deduced it on my own," Eiser stated smoothly, turning another page of his newspaper without a single flicker of emotion. "Royal descendants who were scattered around have recently been gathering back at the palace and capital. And ever since the Prime Minister was dismissed, the royal family's movements haven't been ordinary."
He paused, resting his cool gaze on her. "If the royal family wants to reclaim its authority, the Serenity family is the most perfect choice. If it's already decided, it'll probably be within half a year-or within a year at the latest."
Serena felt a chill run down her spine as the realization hit her.
Marrying Serena gives the royal family massive capital and influence, and Serena, with the royal power added, can expand her business much faster than now.
...He's a wizard, seriously. How does he even figure out stuff like this?
She shook her head slowly, a sudden memory surfacing through her thoughts. The way Eiser had brought up the royal family out of nowhere back then... how unnervingly calm he remained no matter what shocking news she threw at him now...
It's almost as if he already guessed the Prince would propose to me.
A memory flashed in her mind-an earlier conversation where she had asked him offhandedly: "By any chance... did you get any other calls? Like, from our royal family... or the Prince's aides..." She remembered his irritation, the subtle tension in his jaw.
Was that why? That he was acting grumpy for no reason that day...?
Before she could process the thought further, Eiser set his paper down on the tablecloth with a soft thud.
"How nice for you," he remarked, his voice completely indifferent as he casually took a sip of his black coffee. "Then you'll become a real princess now. Or is it the queen?"
Serena's eyebrows shot up, irritation instantly flaring through her shock.
"What are you talking about?" she snapped, slapping her hands against the table. "Why would I marry him?!"
Serena gripped the edge of her armchair, her knuckles turning white as heat flared in her cheeks.
"What are you talking about?" she demanded, leaning forward until her crisp white cape jacket rustled against the table. "Why would I marry him?!"
Eiser didn't so much as glance up from his tea, his infuriatingly calm demeanor remaining utterly unshakeable.
Her breath hitched in outrage. "I have zero intention of becoming royalty, and I don't intend to live following stuffy royal etiquette! Whatever the case, the royal family might need me, but I don't need them!"
Not even knowing how I feel, what does he mean 'how nice'? Idiot.
She glared at Eiser's impassive profile, the memory of her meeting with the Prince playing sharply behind her eyes. She was literally sitting here right now after driving the point home to the Prince himself that she already had someone she intended to marry.
Earlier that day, seated in the suffocating grandeur of the royal reception hall, Serena had sat across from the Prince. Dressed in his pristine white military uniform adorned with gold epaulets and medals, the Prince had leaned back, his boots crossed as he observed her with calculated interest.
"I fully understand the terms you've offered," Serena had said firmly, sitting straight-backed on the gilded chair. "However, I don't think I can accept them."
The Prince had uncrossed his legs slowly, a subtle shift in his expression. "It seems you don't even need time to consider it. May I ask the reason? If it's a matter of terms, please tell me what you want."
"No," Serena replied without hesitation. "I know these are remarkably generous terms for me. However, more than that, I already have someone else I want to marry. I'm sorry."
The Prince rested his chin on his steepled fingers, a enigmatic, faint smirk playing on his lips despite the outright rejection.
"There's no need to apologize. After all, it was a unilateral proposal on my end," he murmured softly, his dark eyes fixed on her. "Still, it is quite... a shame. Before meeting you in person today, Ms. Serena, it wouldn't have been this disappointing."
"If Hired becomes the new king, he is highly likely to lead the royal family into its golden age in a different way than former Queen Helenian Doatur," Eiser said, his voice measured as he swirled his tea. "I've only seen him a few times when we were kids, but it seems entirely plausible. Just looking at the fact that he made his first move on you before even ascending the throne shows he's no ordinary person."
Serena felt a sharp prickle under her skin. There he goes again, being insufferable!
"...No, wait," Serena interrupted, leaning back in her chair and crossing her arms to regain control of the conversation. "That's not what I was trying to talk about right now anyway."
Eiser raised his gaze to meet hers, his dark eyes cool and unreadable. "I was curious about that too. What is it that you want to talk about? If you want to, accept it, but if not, reject it. What's the reason you brought that up to me specifically?"
A bitter laugh nearly escaped her lips. Did you want to see me react with jealousy because another man, a prince, no less, proposed to you?
"Who said that?!" Serena snapped, her cheeks flushing hot as she met his sharp gaze head-on. "I just...!"
She trailed off, the defensive words dying in her throat as she looked at Eiser's composed expression.
...Jealousy? No, it's not that. I mean... what's been bothering me all this time is...
Serena swallowed hard, her heart pounding against her ribs in the heavy silence that fell over the room.
What are we to each other right now?
They sat across from one another, locked in a quiet tug-of-war. For now, while they had agreed to focus on their own work, marriage might still be a distant topic... but couldn't they at least get engaged?
Honestly, this wasn't even the first time a marriage proposal had come in for her. The situation must have been the same for Eiser-he just never said everything out loud.
Having already been married and divorced once, calling themselves "lovers" now felt somewhat silly and absurd. Yet, looking at the man sitting across from her, Serena hated this vague, undefined relationship they shared right now more than anything else.
"Try to think about it. We do look strange," Serena said, her voice rising as the weight of her frustration spilled over.
"It's seriously unpleasant to keep receiving marriage proposals when I'm clearly going to marry the person in my mind," she continued, her chest heaving slightly as she stared at him. "And I truly hate hearing things like 'your ex-husband' or 'ex-wife.' Doesn't that bother you at all-us keeping our relationship like this?"
She took a slow, steadying breath, trying to anchor her trembling pulse. "I want... to make our relationship clear now. I just... want everyone to know that we belong to each other."
Eiser's icy blue eyes fixed on her, unwavering and unreadable. For a fleeting second, something sharp flickered behind his calm gaze, but just as quickly, he adjusted his cuffs and pushed himself up from his seat.
"Stand up," Eiser said smoothly, his tone businesslike and entirely detached. "The train is set to leave around 2 o'clock, so we need to head out now."
"I'm not done talking yet-" Serena began, her hands clenching into fists.
"We have plenty of time," Eiser cut in, his voice trailing over his shoulder as he turned toward the door. "We'll be together on the train the whole time from now on."
The steady, rhythmic clatter of the train tracks echoed through the private luxury carriage as it cut through the dark countryside.
Inside the dimly lit compartment, the air was thick with a stifling silence. True to his word, they had plenty of time, but Eiser hadn't spoken a word about her confession since they boarded. He had eaten his meal in complete silence, briefly outlined their schedule for the upcoming days, and then retreated behind his newspaper, lounging on the plush bed as if they were nothing more than traveling companions.
Across the room, Serena stood before the vanity mirror, drawing a silver brush through her long, dark hair with increasingly agitated strokes. Shhh, shhh.
A heavy atmosphere filled the room, suffocating in its quietness.
I have no idea what on earth he's thinking, Serena thought, her gaze flickering to his reflection in the glass.
At the hotel, he had acted petty over a single message from the prince's side, sharp and territorial. Yet now that she had admitted the prince proposed-now that she had laid her feelings completely bare-he was acting entirely unbothered.
Pulling her black robe tightly around her shoulders, she cinched the silk belt with a sharp tug. Her knuckle turned white as her patience finally snapped.
Does he even care, or not?
Or... did I speak too hastily and ruin his mood?
The thought gnawed at Serena as she turned away from the mirror, her footsteps silent against the plush carpet. She sank onto the edge of the bed, her body heavy with exhaustion, yet her mind raced in the dim twilight of the compartment.
Tick... tick... tick...
The steady, rhythmic ticking of the small bedside clock cut through the low rumble of the train. It was faint, but in the suffocating quiet, it felt insufferable.
...It's annoying, Serena thought, brow furrowing as she shifted beneath her dark robe. I should turn it off.
She turned toward the nightstand, reaching out to fiddle with the brass casing.
...How do I turn this off? Why won't it turn off? She fumbled with the gears, her fingers clumsy from frustration, but the relentless ticking only seemed to grow louder.
Suddenly, a large, warm hand reached over her shoulder. Long, veined fingers brushed gently against hers, firm and precise as they took the clock from her grasp. With a soft click, Eiser set it down, silencing the noise effortlessly before retreating behind his paper once more.
Serena froze, staring at his impassive profile before settling back into the pillows. "...Thank you," she muttered softly, her voice barely carrying over the hum of the engine.
Silence fell over them again, thick and lingering.
"Once we arrive in Atiazen, there will be quite a few people approaching you," Eiser said suddenly, his deep voice slicing through the dark quiet without him ever lowering the newspaper. "Don't take their goodwill at face value."
Serena blinked, caught off guard. ...? Why the sudden warning all of a sudden?
"...Especially the men," he added coldly.
Serena turned onto her side, pulling the dark blankets closer to her chest. "I can handle that much myself," she replied, her tone defensive. "I know full well that not everyone approaches with good intentions. It's not like there haven't been people like that before, and what's the big deal if someone approaches? It's not like I'm going to fall for it."
Eiser didn't answer immediately. The steady rustle of paper echoed softly in the carriage.
"It doesn't matter," he murmured smoothly, his pale eyes remaining fixed on the printed words.
A heavy beat passed.
"...How much do you really know?" Eiser murmured, his voice dropping an octave, low and laced with a quiet, dangerous edge.
Behind the newspaper, hidden completely from her sight, his knuckles turned stark white as his hand clamped tightly around the paper, crushing the newsprint in a sudden, silent grip.
Serena blinked, her dark lashes fluttering in disbelief as she shifted on the mattress. "...What?"
"Those guys who act so gentle and refined in front of you," Eiser continued, his posture still impossibly composed, though his words hit like ice. "Do you have any idea what they imagine, and what kind of talk they exchange about you behind your back?"
...Ah, so that's what he meant.
A sudden flash of annoyance flared in Serena's chest. She pushed herself up slightly against the pillows, her brow furrowing with irritation. "...What do you expect me to do about it?"
Eiser's gaze shifted, piercingly sharp as he leaned forward. "Don't think so simply-that it's fine as long as you don't fall for them," he warned, his voice low and uncompromising. "You don't need to entertain everyone who approaches you every single time."
He held her eyes, his intensity unyielding. "Because you never know what kind of thoughts they might be harboring."
"Why are you bringing up stuff like that to me now?!" Serena shot back, sitting bolt upright. Her dark hair spilled over her shoulders as she glaring at him, exasperated. "Those are things I couldn't know, and don't even need to know!"
She leaned forward, her chest heaving slightly with agitation. "What are you upset about this time? Why should I care about every single detail like that! How extreme could their thoughts even be for you to act so serious?"
Swish-!
Without a second thought, Eiser tossed the newspaper aside, letting it drop to the table. In a single, fluid motion, he closed the distance between them, lunging over the bed and pinning her down before she could even react.
Serena gasped as the mattress depressed beneath his weight, his large, imposing frame looming directly over her.
"Then shall I tell you one thing?" he murmured, his breath brushing warm against her skin.
His hand slammed onto the mattress right beside her head, trapping her beneath his shadow. His pale eyes burned with an intensity that made her breath hitch in her throat, raw and suffocatingly close.
"Just looking at your purple eyes is enough..."
He leaned down further, his voice dropping into a raspy, dangerous whisper right beside her ear.
"...to make the blood rush to one place for scores of men."
Serena's eyes widened in sheer shock, her heart hammering wildly against her ribs as the weight of his words sank in. Her hand instinctively clutched the fabric of her dark robe over her chest, her fingers trembling against the silk.
"So be careful," Eiser breathed, holding her gaze for one long, agonizing second before pulling back just enough to let the silence wrap around them once more.
Serena's heart slammed violently against her ribs, the sheer audacity of his words leaving her utterly paralyzed. Her hand stayed frozen, desperately clutching the front of her dark robe, the thin silk crumpled beneath her white-knuckled grip.
Eiser's gaze remained locked onto hers, cold and piercing, yet burning with an unsettling intensity that seemed to swallow the dim light of the train compartment. He leaned in even closer, his jaw tense as he broke the heavy silence.
"Don't say it doesn't matter so easily," he commanded, his low voice vibrating right against her skin.
Before Serena could force out a retort, the air shifted-a sudden, breathless surge of heat as Eiser leaned down and captured her lips with his own.
"What...?!"
The muffled protest died instantly in her throat. His mouth closed over hers with a possessive, unyielding pressure, cutting off her breath entirely. Serena's eyes widened in shock as his weight pressed down against her, the solid warmth of his body trapping her beneath him on the mattress. Dark, chaotic thoughts swirled in her mind, but as his lips parted hers, every shred of logic dissolved into the sudden, suffocating heat between them.
tip : Serena chooses most of her outfits and accessories herself.
However, as Sui gradually became familiar with Serena's taste, she began pre-selecting a few options or suggesting items that might suit the occasion and venue. Serena makes the final choice, often adjusting the fine details of the outfits or accessory combinations herself. Recently, Sui's eye for fashion has become quite accurate, so the frequency of Serena picking an outfit without any modifications has increased.
팁: 세레나는 대부분의 의상과 액세서리를 직접 고릅니다.
하지만 스이는 점차 세레나의 취향에 익숙해지면서 몇 가지 옵션을 미리 선택하거나 상황과 장소에 어울릴 만한 아이템을 제안하기 시작했습니다. 세레나는 최종 선택을 하며, 의상이나 액세서리 조합의 세부적인 부분을 직접 조정하는 경우가 많습니다. 최근 스이의 패션 감각이 상당히 정확해지면서 세레나가 아무런 수정 없이 의상을 고르는 빈도가 늘어났습니다