Chapter 4: The Witch Who Became a Mannequin
“GYAAAAAAAA!”
Once upon an early morning, when the sun had yet to rise, Rose’s scream echoed through the halls of the Azm mansion.
The Witch’s robe fluttered, making a loud rustling noise unlike anything heard from it before.
“Oof!”
Rose raced right by the butler, Safina, who was walking down the hallway.
She was blue in the face and sweating profusely as she ran with a wide stride. Never before had she run for her life as she was doing right now. Desperately moving her legs with everything she had did nothing in the face of cruel reality.
“Waaaah?!”
Rose was easily caught by Harij, who had chased right after her. She floated in midair like a cat held by its scruff.
Rose directed an imploring look toward the stunned Safina, clinging to the sliver of hope that he might help her.
But sadly her cry for help didn’t reach him. Because Safina turned his attention to the document he was holding, muttered, “Let’s see…next on the schedule is…” and hurried away.
Harij, carrying Rose over his shoulder, continued briskly down the hallway. Legs and arms swinging, she stared after Safina’s departing back in the fleeting hope he might turn around… But alas, he disappeared around the corner without looking back.
Apart from the current situation, Harij had begun treating Rose like his sweetheart ever since they had both made it clear they loved each other.
Not to say that she wasn’t his official sweetheart before, but he had been right in pointing out that Rose hadn’t entirely caught on to what that meant. To her, loving Harij had become a normal piece of her life over the years, but the same didn’t apply to being loved by him. Knowing he had the same feelings for her wasn’t tantamount to actually experiencing it in the flesh.
Harij, who was hardly reserved when it came to touching her before, had increased the level of intimacy between them a hundredfold since the so-called Sukiyaki Incident.
However, he always respected her boundaries, as two playing cats might, so their contact was limited to sweeter, gentler forms. Every time they held hands, when their feet brushed under the table, when he played with her hair—she felt unbelievably loved as much as she did tickled pink with embarrassment.
But Rose didn’t have even the slightest, faintest idea that this cozy, comfortable, child-friendly version of showing love was built upon Harij’s imperious self-control.
BANG!
The sound of the door closing put an end to Rose’s escape from reality. Harij had kicked the door shut after silently returning to his room with her on his shoulder. Once he released her, she hastily fled. However, running too fast turned her legs to jelly, and she fell onto the floor not far from where she started. And yet, not only did Harij not help her up, but he drew closer to her while emanating an intimidating aura. Rose managed to crawl to the exit but was caught before she could get out the door. Harij slammed his hands down on both sides of her on the floor.
“Eep!”
It was the perfect threat. Even a bandit leader would have put the squeeze on her in a nicer way.
Trembling and too afraid to look at Harij, Rose felt something warm and terribly soft touch her neck. She turned into a statue the moment she realized it was his lips on her skin. She let out a cry when his hot breath tickled her ears.
“I’m sorry! I’m sorry! It was my fault. Please forgive me! I’m sorryyyy!”
✦ ✦ ✦
∴ ∵ ∴
ROSE had woken up at the same time that morning as she had every other day.
She got out of bed in the best of spirits after having a lovely dream. For some reason, her feet just naturally carried her to a certain door. This door connected Rose’s and Harij’s bedrooms. Harij may have given her this room in anticipation of their future as husband and wife. No words could express how delighted she was to sleep in adjoining rooms with him.
Rose unlocked the door and opened it a crack. Through that small opening, she stole a peek into Harij’s room—he was already awake.
“You’re up?” He looked at her, surprised. He was sitting at his desk writing something.
“Yes.”
“What’s wrong? Did you need something?”
“May I come in?”
Rose’s question faithfully revealed their changing relationship.
Whenever Harij used to ask her if she wanted to come in, she was afraid of how her answer would affect their relationship. Only now did she understand why Harij staunchly refused to enter her room. After all, she had been dragging her feet by announcing she would stay at his mansion as a houseguest and witch rather than as his fiancée.
“…Yeah. Come in after you cover up.” Harij gave permission in a gentle voice, the corner of his lip quirked up.
Rose quickly retrieved a shawl from her room and returned to his. Even though he knew she was coming, she minded her footsteps—as if her presence there was supposed to be a secret from others.
“Good morning. Would you mind if I come closer?”
“I don’t mind.”
Rose approached Harij’s chair. She was careful to not get too close—after all, he might’ve wanted some privacy regarding what he was writing. However, Harij leaned to the side, letting her see.
“I was writing a letter to announce our marriage.”
“Must be tough if you know a lot of people. You don’t have to be at work yet?”
“Yeah, I still have a while before I have to leave.”
“I see.”
Silence followed. But Rose didn’t hate this kind of natural quiet.
“I was planning to tell you later, but a guest is coming tonight.”
“Then I should leave for the evening.”
“No, stay.”
Harij was asking her to stay when she’d offered to leave; she’d assumed his guest wouldn’t be pleased to be in the same house as a witch.
Safina managed many of the affairs of this estate, which involved human customs she didn’t understand. As such, Rose believed she served no purpose in entertaining guests when she was not the lady of the house yet.
“…You want me…here for it, too?”
She came certified as someone estranged from social etiquette. Not to mention, she was a shy shut-in who needed more time to come out of her shell. Indeed, if only he had informed her ten days in advance, she would have been mentally prepared to socialize.
“It’s someone you know.”
He better not mean it’s that rude prince again. Rose grimaced, but Harij didn’t elaborate. He seemed to think that, like a typical young lady, Rose would be pleased with visitors.
Well, I would be overjoyed if they were a client with deep pockets. Rose kept that comment to her thoughts alone. She twirled her light-pink hair around her fingers—which reminded her she hadn’t combed her hair yet. Only realizing that now, she circled behind Harij as she ran her fingers through her locks.
She found herself unconsciously drawn to his broad back as she stared at it, and she leaned against it without a second thought.
He felt as warm against her as he had in her dream. A silly grin spread on her lips unseen.
“…Rose?”
If he were to turn around, Rose would fall—as such, he probably didn’t dare make even the slightest of movements. Harij’s voice sounded terribly puzzled, with a touch of embarrassment. Finding it funny, Rose started laughing, her shoulders shaking.
“…You’re in a good mood.”
“I had a good dream.”
“What was it about?”
“The time you carried me on your back, Sir Harij.”
She was talking about the first time she visited the city with him.
He had carried her back to the hermitage after she fell asleep on the carriage ride home from a day of getting too excited about everything. It was on that day she had decided to move in with him after seeing the way he interacted with the townspeople and how they lovingly addressed him as Sir Harij.
“I was really happy about it. It had been so long since someone carried me that way.”
“…Who else carried you like that?” Nervous tension ran through Harij as he asked. Rose rested her head against his back.
“My grandmother.”
“…I see.”
He sounded both a little relieved and horribly drained at the same time. But Rose paid it no mind.
On top of the fantastic dream she’d had, his back felt preciously warm, nostalgic—and most of all, within her reach. Rose had obtained bliss like no other. How could she not be over the moon about it?
Rose turned so her chest was pressed against Harij’s back to better twine her arms around his neck. Without noticing how stiff Harij had become, she whispered into his ear in a dreamy, heady voice.
“May I touch you some more?”