Chapter 69

First, we rushed up to the third floor via the central staircase. The handrails were polished to a shine, and the carpet was not dusty at all. It was immediately clear that regular cleaning was being done, as the place was kept so clean.

On the third floor, the servants' rooms lined up. Although the rooms were not yet occupied, I had heard that a butler and several housemaids from the von Einhard family, as well as a chef and a gardener, would be coming. They were all people who had known Noah since he was a child, so he would surely be able to relax.

On the second floor were Noah's and my rooms, as well as the couple's bedroom. The empty rooms were there in anticipation of the family growing in the future. A large bed was placed in the couple's bedroom. It was only natural to have a bed in a bedroom, but I felt a bit nervous, and Noah seemed to see right through me.

"Your face is red."

"…Shut up."

"What kind of sleeper are you?"

"I don't think I'm a bad one…"

"Then you won't fall out of bed."

"Considering how big this bed is, it should be fine even if I roll a little, right?"

Even though the bed was so large that there was no need to worry about falling out, I wondered what Noah was worried about. Just as I was wondering, he suddenly hugged me. When he wrapped his arms around my waist from behind, I felt a sense of reassurance.

"If you roll, I'll roll with you."

"…What do you mean?"

"Like this."

Noah bent down and rested his head on my shoulder. His breath tickled my ear, making me feel uneasy.

"I won't let you go even when we sleep."

"N…!"

His straightforward words and the current position were more than enough to make me blush. With his low voice whispering in my ear, it was impossible to remain calm.

"Heh, even redder than before."

"Whose fault is it…!"

"It's my fault. This hairstyle is cute too."

"Wh… What, you say that now?"

Noah laughed in a good mood, but I didn't have such a relaxed state of mind. However, I was sure Noah could see that I had no intention of breaking free from his embrace. Even though I felt like I was being toyed with, I didn't mind… perhaps because I was weak for love.

When we went down to the first floor, we toured the dining room, the parlor, the salon, and the guest rooms. The furniture we had chosen together fit well, and I thought the atmosphere was very pleasant. The wallpaper on the corridor walls had tiles about the size of a palm at waist height, which I found very charming. I smiled, feeling as if I were in a house filled with my favorite things.

The last place we went to was the library. Hand in hand, Noah opened the door to the room. I couldn't suppress my excitement and squeezed his hand, and he squeezed back.

Inside the room, there were many bookshelves. Although the shelves were not yet filled, the idea of filling all of them with books seemed too luxurious.

"Wow… so many bookshelves!"

"Will they be enough for a while?"

"To fill these, it will take a long time. I'm looking forward to it!"

The room, which was larger than a typical private library, had nine bookshelves. Three were lined up along one wall, and then two more were placed in three rows with some space between them. On the opposite wall, there was a small fireplace, and a large sofa and table were arranged facing it.

"It's wonderful. I'm looking forward to reading books here."

"Good. And… since this wall leads to the back garden, I thought we could put a door here to connect to a pavilion we'll build in the garden."

He remembered our conversation about enjoying drinks outside. There was no choice but to nod at his wonderful suggestion, and I couldn't help but smile.

"That sounds good. But… is it really okay to start renovations now?"

"I've already checked, so it's fine. We should also decide on the design of the pavilion, so let's talk about that later."

"Okay."

We could read books here, and on nice days, we could read outside. The thought of spending such wonderful times with Noah made my heart leap. It would be fun even on my own, but with two people, it would be even more enjoyable.

"…It sounds fun."

"It is. Isn't it fun for you, Noah?"

"It is, but… I find you so cute when you're excited."

"…Why are you saying that all of a sudden?"

"Isn't it cute when you get excited?"

"…Weird Noah."

I didn't know how to react to such comments. I knew his eyes behind his glasses were softly narrowed.

My heart was beating so loudly that I felt it had moved next to my ear. Noah smiled slightly at my embarrassed silence and led me by the hand. We sat side by side on the dark blue sofa, and Noah began to speak in a calmer voice than before.

"By the way, the book I borrowed the other day was interesting."

"I'm glad. I thought you would like it."

"I had guessed the culprit, but I didn't expect to be so far off."

"Who did you think it was? I thought it was the high priest."

"I thought it was the narrator, who was playing the detective."

"Oh, I also thought that was a bit suspicious."

We shared our thoughts on the book. The parts we found interesting, the parts that surprised us. It was fun to hear Noah's thoughts and to have him listen to mine. I hoped that such times would continue forever.

Before we knew it, time had flown by while we were chatting in the library. Noah checked his pocket watch, sighed slightly, and then hugged me tightly.

"Sorry. I was told to show up at the station this afternoon."

"No, it's fine. I'm glad you came despite being busy. Thank you."

"I wanted to see you."

I knew he had tried to stay by my side after what happened yesterday. His kindness made my heart ache, and I felt my love for him overflow. I couldn't contain my feelings, so I wrapped my arms around his back and hugged him.

"I wanted to see you too."

When I expressed my feelings honestly, Noah tightened his grip on me.

"It's hard to meet, and rumors spread, and you get involved because of that… In such a situation, all I can do is make sure you understand. I want to be by your side all the time and keep you away from harm. Since we can't meet often, I want to use letters or anything to let you know that I only think of Alicia. So this might be… just my own satisfaction."

"That's not true. If Noah hadn't done that, I would have been troubled and anxious, and it would have been terrible. Thank you for thinking so much about me. I love that about you too."

His kindness couldn't be just for his own satisfaction. I wished he could understand how much I was saved by it. If only there was a way to show him how much my heart was filled with Noah.

Noah nodded slightly and muttered, "I don't want to let you go," so I patted his back to encourage him. He had things to do afterward, so we couldn't linger here.

"Come on, let's go. It's closer to the palace from here."

"What are you saying? I'll take you."

"It will be a detour. I can—"

"I'm fine. I can't relax until I know you're safe."

His firm statement made it difficult to refuse. It would be better for both of us if I asked, so I nodded. However, Noah didn't let go easily.

His embrace was so comfortable that it was hard to break free. I told myself, "Just a little more…" and hugged Noah tightly again.