The Grand Duke of the North

Chapter 4

“Take it.”

After hearing his words, it didn’t take long for Selene to carefully place her hand on his arm.

Is this what it would feel like if a small animal brushed past me? Varas thought. He had intended for her to lean on him and walk comfortably, but it felt like she wasn’t putting any weight on him at all. Maybe she was just reluctantly resting her hand there.

It took quite a while to make it through the hallway and down the stairs until they finally reached the first-floor corridor. By the time they reached outside, the sky had already darkened, and stars were beginning to twinkle into view.

With each breath, Selene exhaled little puffs of air. In the meantime, she had gained some confidence in her steps and walked briskly toward the center of the courtyard. Because of the harsh northern climate, flowers struggled to bloom, so they only started to bud in late spring or early summer. The courtyard, in contrast to regions with warmer climates, was currently a desolate field with trees as bare as skeletons.

However, the unappealing scenery didn’t seem to bother Selene one bit. She seemed happy to be outside, and she walked along the paved stone path as Varas sauntered after her. He caught sight of her face, and a faint smile was playing on her lips as she gazed at the ground, the stars, the trees, and the inner walls of the fortress.

As she looked around with that smile still on her face, she glanced his way. For a brief moment, their eyes met. Varas could have sworn he saw her smile getting bigger. Their brief moment of eye contact gave him a tingling sensation. For a while afterward, he couldn’t meet her gaze. However, she no longer glanced in his direction.

Perhaps she wanted to avoid eye contact, keeping her eyes fixed on the stars and the fortress walls. It was nothing special, but at that moment, she looked as if she were entranced. It was quite a sight to behold.

I suppose I’m glad I went against my better judgment and did her this last act of kindness, Varas thought.

Selene found herself captivated by the feeling of being in a fortress straight out of medieval times. At one point, she imagined herself working overseas, dreaming of making it big. Those fantasies reached their peak whenever a movie or TV series set in medieval times was released. A world filled with magic and spirits, where fantastical adventures unfolded—standing in the middle of that world’s enormous fortress, looking at the “real” architecture felt surreal, almost dreamlike.

Suddenly, her steps halted. She might never be able to return to Korea. If that were the case, would she have to live like the character in the original story? Would she spend her life in a grand but isolated room, unable to step outside?

Her gaze slowly drifted toward Varas. Selene thought that escaping from this imposing man, who radiated coldness, seemed utterly impossible. But what would happen if she found herself physically drawn to him without ever receiving even a shred of his affection? Couldn’t she change things just a little? Couldn’t they become close enough to take walks together or share meals while sitting across from each other? If they had to live as a couple anyway, wouldn’t that be better?

Of course, it would be preferable, but the real problem lay elsewhere. Selene had no clue how to win his heart. Even if she knew how, she wasn’t sure if she could actually do it. She didn’t feel confident. She even thought about how it would have been nice if she had at least played a romantic role in her acting career.

A soft sigh escaped her lips, leaving a misty trail in the air.

Even a puppy wouldn’t spend so long wandering outside on a snowy day like this. She looked cold, so why didn’t she suggest going back inside?

Varas observed everything about her from a distance. Her chin tilted upward to the sky, strands of her hair caught on a branch. She brushed them aside with her fingertips. Her shoes occasionally peeked out from beneath her skirt. Even her ears were gradually turning red from the cold. When she finally turned and fixed her gaze on him, it felt like a bolt of lightning had struck him.

What could she have been thinking about all that time? What thoughts could have filled her mind after staring at the night sky for so long, making her eyes look so empty?

He wondered if he was just imagining things, but her gaze remained vacant for some time until she finally turned away from him. He had seen that kind of look before—many times, countless times. Those who were about to die on the battlefield had that look—the look of resignation. But why would she feel that way? He hadn’t brought her here to kill her.

Thinking he might have misunderstood, Varas decided to confirm and quickly approached her. As he reached for her arm to turn her around, he remembered how light she had felt when she fell on top of him. Her waist was so small—her arms must be fragile as well.

Dissatisfied, Varas swallowed a sigh and walked past her. Although her face showed confusion, the expression in her eyes remained unchanged.

Damn it, he thought. She seemed to be enjoying herself just a moment ago. Hadn’t she smiled when she saw the shabby courtyard and the crumbling walls? So why was she suddenly looking at him with those empty eyes? Well, what did he care anyway? She was probably just realizing that this beastly man was her husband now.

Up close, her nose and cheeks were bright red from the cold. Why didn’t she suggest that they go inside? Varas’s eyes narrowed slightly. Ah, whatever. Maybe she was planning to freeze to death out here.

He took a deep breath, trying to rein in his frustration. When he couldn’t calm down, he reminded himself of that frustrating concept called patience in order to navigate the situation. He couldn’t understand why he couldn’t raise his voice at a woman he had paid for.

He cleared his throat, forcing a more calm tone as he spoke.

“It’s best if we head inside now.”

The woman blinked at him, her eyes wide, looking like a harmless little creature. Despite her situation, she seemed blissfully unaware of what was dangerous and what wasn’t, wearing an utterly innocent expression.

At Varas’ words, Selene took a step forward. He thought that if she told him to leave her out here to freeze to death, he’d simply pick her up like a sack of potatoes and carry her inside. She had only blinked when he finally suggested heading inside, but it seemed she had some sense after all. However, Selene only managed to take three steps before stopping in her tracks.

Varas titled his head slightly. Huh? Maybe she’d prefer to freeze to death.

“H-hey, excuse me.”

She stuttered, likely because her cheeks were stiff from the cold. And yet, her expression looked brighter now, and it seemed life was slowly returning to her eyes. When he didn’t respond, Selene lowered her gaze, as if she’d lost her courage. Seeing her like that, Varas found himself speaking without thinking.

“Speak up.”

As Selene lifted her head at his words, he felt a strange tightness in his chest. It was a tingling sensation, but not an unpleasant one.

“Could you lend me your arm?”

It took a second to process her request, but he quickly moved closer. He extended his arm and glanced down, noticing that she was trembling, as though all her strength was gone. When having a good time, one didn’t really notice if they were cold or running out of energy. The two of them still had the corridor to cross, stairs to climb, and hallways to navigate before reaching the grand duchess’s room. Would her legs hold out until then?

How can someone so fragile like a porcelain doll—or rather, a sugar doll—manage that long trek again?

Varas’ thoughts were utterly pointless. Selene leaned against him, steadily putting one foot in front of the other. After quite some time, she finally reached the room on her own two feet. While they were on their walk, it seemed Anna had come and gone, shutting the windows and starting a fire. Once the door closed behind them, and they were left alone in the room, an awkward silence settled between them. Neither knew what to say at that moment.

Eventually, Selene broke the tension and moved closer to the fire. As she settled into the cozy atmosphere, warmth slowly returned to her body. Wanting to feel even warmer, she removed the cloak she was wearing.

Varas stared blankly at the now discarded cloak, his eyes following Selene as she rose from beside him and moved to sit in front of the fireplace. Without even realizing it, he found himself wandering over and taking a seat beside her. The flickering firelight cast an enchanting glow on her face. As she soaked in the warmth, she slowly closed her eyes.

It was only after she had closed her eyes that Varas could take a good look at her face. He had been so caught up in her gaze earlier that he hadn’t really taken the time to take in her features. A few stray hairs fell over her smooth forehead. Her wavy light golden hair matched her eyebrows. She had a straight nose, and her peachy-hued cheeks and full lips stirred something deep inside him.

As her lips parted, she let out a big yawn. Then, her eyes shot open, surveying Varas’ face.

Oh, no, did he see that? she thought, feeling slightly embarrassed.

Fortunately, he was sitting beside her, calmly watching the sparks from the fireplace. Selene hugged her knees and rested her head on them, admiring Varas as he gazed at the embers. Even while sitting, he was so large that it felt like she could roll right into his arms and fit perfectly, which startled her. She wondered why she was imagining herself in his arms—it was downright silly. She couldn’t help it, though.

Selene realized that she was simply out of touch when it came to dating. That didn’t mean she had no desires, though. It was only natural to feel this way, considering that the man who had just entered her life also happened to be just her type.

With that thought, Selene calmed her mind, and sleep gradually overtook her.

Once Selene’s gaze finally drifted away from him, Varas found himself drawn to her face again. Where had he left off?

His eyes naturally landed on her lips. His throat tightened as his gaze traveled down the curve of her jaw. There was no reason not to take her into his arms, yet he couldn’t bring himself to do it.