After I, a Penniless Noble, Entered a Fake Engagement with the Most Elegant Duke’s Daughter at the Academy, For Some Reason She Started Showering Me with Love - Chapter 06.3: Side.Yuliana- The Duke’s Daughter and the Truth Beneath the Moon

Chapter 06.3: Side.Yuliana- The Duke’s Daughter and the Truth Beneath the Moon

My dear husband looked like he was panicking,

But from my point of view, the original goal—scaring off those suitors—was accomplished.

So in a way, everything had gone just as planned.

…Well, aside from a few unexpected developments.

“What if someone sees us…?”

“Fufu. Wouldn’t that actually work in our favor?”

“For me, it’s nothing but trouble!”

As we quietly made our way down the boys’ dorm hallway,

My dear husband kept nervously glancing around, praying that no one would pass by.

Honestly, I thought he was overreacting a bit.

Sure, the sky was already draped in night’s curtain—

But technically, it wasn’t even midnight yet.

This was still around the time most people would be heading to dinner.

If we were going to talk about what’s a real problem,

Then the moment I stepped foot into the boys’ dorm, it was already too late.

At this point, sneaking out quietly wouldn’t change much.

Which is why… from my perspective, all of his sneaky effort felt kind of pointless.

Still—

Watching him try so hard was cute in its own way,

So I had no intention of ruining it for him.

“Feels like a secret rendezvous. Kind of exciting, isn’t it?”

“…I hate that I can’t exactly deny it.”

“Fufu. It’s true, after all. An unmarried girl sneaking into a boy’s room? It wasn’t like a secret meeting—it was one.”

Watching my dear husband grind his teeth in frustration made a soft laugh slip from my lips.

He was so expressive—

Just watching the emotions play across his face was enough to keep me entertained.

If, say, one of the dorm students just happened to run into us here,

I was sure he’d make an even more delightful face.

I had high hopes…

But in the end, we made it to the dorm entrance without a single incident.

“What a letdown. I was hoping someone would catch us, just to see you panic a little. Such a waste.”

“Oi.”

I let out a small sigh and said how I really felt,

Which made my dear husband twitch at the corner of his mouth.

Well, getting to see that expression was good enough for now.

We passed through the dorm gate,

And I glanced up at the sky.

A round moon. 

Twinkling stars.

Not a single cloud in sight.

The breeze was cool and gentle as we walked beneath the night sky—

Perfect for calming down after everything.

“Today was fun, dear husband. Good night.”

“You’re not letting me walk you back?”

“Fufu.”

His surprised reaction made me chuckle.

“Oh my, are you offering to escort me?”

“I’m just walking you home.”

“Then I suppose I’ll accept.”

Normally, I’d take his hand right away.

But… just for today, I stopped myself.

I reached out, almost touching—

Our hands just a breath apart.

Then, with a small smile, I pressed his hand against my chest instead,

Holding it there gently, without letting our skin meet.

“Just kidding.”

“…Huh?”

My dear husband looked confused, and I responded with a mischievous smile.

“Walking home with a man at night sounds thrilling, But I think I’ll save that excitement for another time.”

The truth was—

I did want him to walk me back.

Not because I was afraid to walk alone at night,

But simply because… going home with him would’ve been fun.

That was all.

Even so, just for tonight, I had my reasons.

Reasons that made me choose to go back alone.

“There won’t be a next time.”

“Oh? You sure about that?”

“Don’t make it sound like there will be.”

His quick reply tugged gently at my heart.

It made me want to keep talking with him forever.

But I knew I couldn’t linger too long.

As I stepped back a few paces to create some distance,

My dear husband called out to me.

“Are you really okay going by yourself?”

“You’re sweet, you know that?”

He always said things like “I don’t care,”

But he worried about me anyway.

That part of him was so endearing,

It made me want to tease him more.

He’d probably find it annoying—

But to me, that was just one more way to show affection.

“I’m a student just like you, remember? And I’m only walking across the school grounds.  It’s not that dangerous.”

To begin with, noble daughters usually had attendants following them everywhere.

Even on school grounds, it was rare to see one walking alone.

In my case, I had also brought a maid from home.

But honestly, having someone hovering around me all the time felt suffocating.

So I often left her in my dorm room.

Some people might say that was reckless…

But I didn’t really care.

“But still…”

My dear husband still looked worried.

And at this rate, I was going to give in and let him walk me back.

So—

I decided to take slightly more drastic measures.

I quickly stepped up beside him and rose onto my toes.

He froze.

Then, close to his ear, I whispered softly—

“…If it’s a goodbye kiss, I wouldn’t mind taking it. Will you give me one?”

“Wh—! No way in hell!!”

He practically shouted, unable to hold it in.

I let out a bright laugh—“Ahaha!”—and quickly stepped away.

It was hard to tell in the darkness,

But I was sure his face was red like a ripened fruit.

“Good night, dear husband! I’ll be coming to get you again tomorrow!”

“Don’t bother!!”

I raised my arm and waved with all my energy.

He scowled at first—

But in the end, he gave me a small wave back.

Feeling satisfied with that little exchange, I turned and headed home.

“Watching his reactions never gets old.”

This all started as a plan to stop the flood of marriage proposals—

But at some point, the means had completely replaced the goal.

Still, I didn’t mind that at all.

Nodding to myself, I continued walking.

Step after step—

“Haahhh…!”

And then—

I collapsed to my knees.

I covered my face with both hands.

I couldn’t hold it in any longer.

“Does he seriously think I don’t get embarrassed about anything…!?”

…Well, I was the one acting like that, so it’s no wonder he got that impression.

But that didn’t mean I didn’t feel shame.

“I’m still a girl, you know!?”

Sure, I was the one who thought it would be funny—

Who jumped onto his bed like it was nothing.

If someone was to blame, it was obviously me.

I’ll admit that.

That part’s fine.

But… I never expected us to actually fall asleep like that!

That was definitely not part of the plan.

I somehow managed to keep a straight face until we parted,

But inside, the embarrassment had ballooned to the point of bursting.

If he had walked me back to the girls’ dorm, I wouldn’t have made it.

I probably would’ve fallen apart halfway there.

“To think I ended up sleeping in the same bed as a guy…!”

Now was not the time to be worrying about his feelings.

My face was burning.

Thank goodness it was night.

At least no one could see how red I was.

I’d never been this flustered before.

So I had no idea how to deal with it.

“How am I supposed to face him tomorrow!?”

I shouted up at the night sky—

But neither the moon nor stars gave me an answer.

They only lit up my overwhelmed, panicked self with their gentle glow.

◆ End of Chapter 6 ◆

To be continued.