After this, I ruled over my territory as leader .

  That being said, honestly my duties weren’t much different from beforehand .

  Each day I was pursued by my work, and hunched over a desk making my best effort .

  Although……there were a lot fewer people charging into my room with dramatic announcements, so I had a lot more spare time .

  I learned from Lady Letticia that she was officially succeeding to the throne .

  Seems like after a year of mourning for Dean she was going to hold her coronation .

  I would attend the ceremony as well as leader of my territory .

  This would be the first ceremony I attended as leader……basically the first time I would appear in public as a territory leader .

  A year, huh .

  I couldn’t help but sigh .

  After he was gone, several weeks felt like a long, long time .

  Like Mother said, occasionally I would feel a streak of pain in my chest .

  But now I even enjoyed this pain .

  “Where are you heading, milady?”


  When I walked out the room, I encountered Tanya who was walking over with files in her hands .

  “I’m going to take a walk . I need to move around . ”


  “Then let me come……”


  “No, that’s fine . I’ll just walk around in the yard . ”


  I left her behind and walked out .

  The spring air enveloped me with warmth .

  When I stretched, my bones made a cracking sound .

  Sitting at my desk every day was making my body stiff . Thinking this, I gazed out at my beautiful garden to relax .

  “The weather is great……”


  Looking up, I saw the clear blue sky .

  “Is Dean somewhere in that sky?”


  I couldn’t help but say this to myself, clasping my pocket watch .

  He was protecting me from above……it was a fairytale belief that I clung to .

  No, I forced myself to .

  “No . Not in the sky . ”


  My murmurs were greeted by someone responding behind me .

  The familiar voice made me freeze where I stood .

  Unbelievable .

  “It can’t be……”


  I was already hallucinating voices, huh, I attempted to calm my shaking body .

  But as if to mock me, the voice continued to ring out .

  “I’m so sorry, milady . I always lie to you . ”


  My tears began to fall slowly .

  It wasn’t a mishearing or a hallucination .

  “What kind of lie is it?”


  The voice shuddered .

  “So many . An identity as the son of a merchant from the merchants’ guild . Pretending to be calm when I heard about your engagement . And my death . ”


  “None of it matters……!”


  Turning around, I rammed into his chest .

  It was him .

  It was him……Alfred Dean Tasmeria .

  His warmth, the heartbeat I heard in his chest, was enough for me to burst into tears .

  He was alive……alive!

  “As long as you’re still alive, I don’t need anything else……”


  His hands wrapped around my back .

  The shuddering in his hands couldn’t be a hallucination .

  Engulfed in emotions, I hugged him harder .

  I wanted the concreteness of him being right here, right now .

  We hugged each other, enjoying the warmth of our bodies .

  I wanted to see you……wanted to see you!

  And yet I was powerless to do so .

  Even if I knew I couldn’t see him again, I still hungered for him, chased after him .

  Lightly, our bodies separated . I raised my hands to his cheeks .

  “But why?”


  “I was indeed injured by arrows, and was in fatal danger……but thanks to the doctor’s hard work, I survived . But by that point the news that I had passed away had already made it back to the palace . ”


  “Ah……so you’re fine? Not in pain anymore?”


  “I’m completely recovered, without any after effects . ”


  He said with a smile . I sighed in relief .

  “Is that so……that’s good . ”


  “Only the doctor who saved me knows I survived . I asked him not to spread the news . ”


  “Why is that?”


  “Letty said I wasn’t suitable for the role of king . She wanted to be king, so I should just back down . I think that in some ways this was the right thing for her to do……since she was already handling everything in the palace anyways . If I went back it would just be more chaotic . ”


  Dean chuckled .

  “My sister told me to do something I wanted to do . What I want to do is work here . ”


  Dean clasped my hands on his face .

  “In the past I thought my only two paths were becoming king or dying . I’d never thought of any other possibility . Everything I did was to become king……and I only connected with the people around me for this purpose . ”


  I listened quietly to his confession .

  “But when I was here, it was different . My imagined future disappeared from my mind . I enjoyed my work here……”


  “Dean……”


  These words sounded like a declaration of love .

  My heart kept leaping at his words .

  “I couldn’t help but wish . I couldn’t help but wonder . At another future . I wanted to build a future I had never seen and never imagined with you . ”


  His hands tightened .

  “Although in the past you only hired me on a temporary basis, I want to work here forever . I am a ghost now . May I have this privilege?”


  “.……Of course!”


  Indeed, since he was dead he had no status .

  But what did that matter?

  After tasting despair once, I was willing to labor at any cost . No, this wasn’t even hard work for me .

  Clasping my hand, Dean knelt down on one knee .

  It was like a fairytale, a knight to a princess .

  “Hold on……Dean!”


  His sudden movement made me shout, my eyes wide .

  But he just smiled and shook his head .

  His determined eyes fixed upon me . They stole my consciousness away .

  “I love you . ”


  And then his words stunned me .

  No disguising, simple words .

  But the emotion behind them was enough for my tears to start flowing .

  “I’ve always been lying to you, this whole time . Now I’m a phantom with no real identity who can never step onto the stage of this world . I’ll create a lot of work for you, I’m sure . But I don’t want to lie to you anymore . I love you, from the bottom of my heart . Even if I know the toll it might take on you, I can’t give up . I want to walk into the future with you . Please, may I accompany you in the journey of your life?”


  My face was hot .

  Joy, happiness . My chest felt full .

  “You care about these things . ” I took his hand .

  “These things……It’s odd for me to say this, but they really are a lot of trouble . A man without an identity cannot be husband to a territory’s ruler . Plus, this man has royal blood, the rights to the throne……so he can never walk onto the political scene . ”


  “None of this matters to me . Because this way I can be with you . I thought you were dead . Faced with a miracle like this, these things are nothing important . ”


  He was wide-eyed at my response .

  I pulled him to his feet, and buried my face in his chest .

  Everything I should say and do as a lady, as the daughter of a duke, disappeared in my mind .

  “That being said, this also means you’re giving up the crown for me? Even if you come back as king, I’m already the ruler of this territory . I have no intentions of giving up this position, no matter how much I love you . ”


  “Iris……”


  “I’m a troublesome woman too, Dean . Even if I love you, I have my own wants and refuse to stray from my path . Because I love this land, and I love the people who live here . ”


  I couldn’t back down on this point, no matter how much I loved him .

  “That’s exactly the Iris that I love . ” He laughed .

  “Dean……”


  We were gazing at each other, with only the other person in our universe .

  “But you have to promise me this . ”


  His earnest eyes sought elaboration .

  “I’ve had enough suffering . Don’t tell lies that will make me shed tears anymore . ”


  The pain, the suffering, the tragedy .

  Feeling like my chest was about to be rent apart……I couldn’t handle those emotions any longer .

  “Of course . I’ve had enough of the lies too . ”


  His hands caressed my face .

  I let his hands take me, looking up to him .

  “I want to be with you . Closer than anyone else……I love you too . ”


  Finally, I could say the words . I love you .

  My true feelings, my intense longing .

  A deep satisfaction overcame me and I sighed in relief .

  His face approached mine gently . I closed my eyes .

  And so our lips pressed together .

  So touching and loving .

  Grateful that he still lived, grateful for everything I had .

  At the same time, my heart filled with a rash impulse .

  I wanted to erupt, to scream .

  I wanted him to be completely mine, to the point where I couldn’t think about anything else .

  Hopefully he was satisfied as me . Perhaps we were thinking the same thought .

  And then we separated

  “Well then, let’s go back first . ”


  If we continued we’d be far too immersed . My embarrassment didn’t stop me from making this suggestion .

  “Yes . ”


  He was blushing too .

  It was an adorable sight that made me smile .

  “Everyone will welcome you back . We were all so sad to hear you’d passed . ”


  “How should I say this……I’m sure everyone in the financial offices will be a little more reserved . ”


  “Indeed……”


  We held hands .

  The warmth at our fingertips made us shudder .

  Was it possible to keep walking like this from now on?

  “All right, let’s go then! Dean . ”


  “All right .