Subliminal Wayfarer

Jaime trembled with excitement as he unfolded the paper Lucas handed him.

His eyes widened as he read and reread the contents, then he looked up at Lucas.

“…Really? Are you really giving this to me?”

“Well, if you don’t want it, you can always hand it back.”

“What? No way! Of course, I want it! Woohoooo! Is this for real? You’re really giving this to me? Really, really?”

Jaime hugged the deed for the suburban estate that Lucas had thrown at him and began dancing across the lobby.

“My dream of owning a house! Everyone! You can achieve your dreams as a servant of House Blacke! Work your butt off, and an entire estate falls into your lap! There’s a risk of death from overwork, but it’s fine!”

Jaime’s cheerful antics echoed loudly throughout the lobby.

The butler, who had been dusting portraits of the past lords of House Blacke nearby, glanced over at Jaime. He smiled warmly and shook his head.

Bemused as Lucas watched Jaime’s antics, he soon froze in place just as he was about to step into the carriage.

‘…That pain again.’

Every now and then, a strange sensation would arise, as if his heart were being wrapped in thorny vines.

The dull pain would leave a lingering sting, and every time it struck, Lucas’s mood would darken.

“…Your Excellency? Are you feeling unwell?”

Jaime, noticing Lucas’s darkened expression, cautiously asked, as though he hadn’t just been bursting with excitement moments earlier.

Lucas quickly put on his usual mischievous smirk, as if the pain had never happened.

“I was just debating whether I should take back the estate I gave you, Jaime.”

“Whaaat? No takesies backsies! If the groom is so stingy, the bride will run away!”

Lucas approached the open carriage door and lightly tapped Jaime on the back of the head.

“Don’t jinx it by talking about the bride running away.”

“Ow—!”

Jaime rubbed the back of his head, even though it hadn’t hurt, and hurried after Lucas.

They quickly set off in the carriage, as they were heading somewhere they absolutely couldn’t afford to be late for.

 

* * *

 

“Milady, the carriage is ready. Shall we go down now?”

“Yes. Thank you, Julie.”

Julie quickly brought the silk gloves she had prepared and gently slipped them onto Grace’s slender hands.

The bright sunlight outside made the pattern on the back of her hands gleam like pearls.

Grace adjusted the gloves that were slipping down as she stepped out of the room.

With a moment to breathe, her mind began to drift over the whirlwind of events from the past few days.

Since returning to her family’s mansion, wedding preparations had swept over her like a storm.

One day was spent choosing a dress, another selecting accessories, and another reviewing the guest list and gifts, all of which flew by in a blur.

There was no time to rest before another new task arrived—choosing furniture for the newlyweds’ room. Catalogs had flooded in.

Master artisans even came in person to consult with her for hours, sketching out the most ideal designs.

Since the crafting process would take some time, they told her that for the time being, they would be using Lucas’s bed.

‘The newlyweds’ room, huh.’

After selecting the furniture, it was already deep into the night.

When she lay down to sleep, the thought of the ‘newlyweds’ room’ kept floating around in her mind, making her restless.

And then she kept remembering his voice—that man who would soon be her husband—and the sensation of his warm, lingering touch when he licked her palm.

“…Was I the indecent one, not him?”

“Pardon? Milady? Did you say incandescent bath? Do you want to bathe?”

“Huh? Oh, no. It’s nothing, just talking to myself.”

Julie, who had been walking ahead, quickly turned around at Grace’s muttering and stared at her.

Seeing Grace shaking her head, Julie asked with concern.

“You seem tired. Are you sure you’re alright?”

“Yes, I’m fine. You’re the one who looks exhausted, Julie. Have you been eating properly?”

“I’m probably eating better than you, Milady. You skipped breakfast again.”

Grace smiled and reassured her that she was fine.

Lately, she had been having strange dreams, and by the time she woke up, she had no appetite.

They weren’t exactly nightmares, but rather peculiar dreams that left her feeling odd.

Even with Grace’s reassurance, Julie’s concerned gaze didn’t leave her.

“Really, I’m fine. I just lose my appetite in the mornings.”

“That’s not it… May I ask you something?”

“Of course. What is it?”

Julie hesitated, then finally asked the question she had been holding back for days.

“The other day, you said you weren’t sure if this marriage was the independence you really wanted.”

“Oh, that… Yes, I did say that.”

Grace nodded and smiled softly.

Julie had been unable to stop thinking about those words ever since she heard them.

She couldn’t shake the worry, however unlikely it seemed, that her lady might have agreed to a marriage she didn’t truly desire.

After agonizing over it for days, Julie decided to simply ask Grace directly.

“Are you hesitating about this marriage, Milady? Did you perhaps decide on a marriage you don’t want?”

At Julie’s words, Grace widened her eyes before letting out a small laugh.

“Oh, did it sound that way?”

“Yes! It sounded like you weren’t sure if this was what you really wanted!”

“I see. Hmm.”

Grace’s relaxed response made Julie fidget anxiously.

As they made their way halfway down the spiral staircase, Grace spoke again.

“I’m actually really looking forward to marrying His Excellency.”

“Oh?”

“I like him. Maybe… I could even love him.”

At Grace’s response, Julie’s face brightened instantly. She let out a silent squeal, her face flushed pink as if she had fallen in love herself.

“It seems like you’re more excited about this than I am, Julie.”

“I am! I’m so happy! Isn’t it wonderful to like someone? Now that you’re finally experiencing it, Milady, how could I not be thrilled?”

Grace couldn’t help but smile at Julie’s unabashed excitement.

“But what do you like about him? Weren’t you a little scared of him at first?”

“At first, yes. But over time, I found him more amusing than scary. He’s actually really fun.”

“Oho!”

“And more than anything…”

“More than anything?”

“His Excellency sees me as me— as just ‘Grace’. That’s the most amazing part.”

“But… You are you, Milady. What’s so amazing about that?”

Julie tilted her head, clearly not understanding. Grace just smiled.

For Grace, being seen for who she truly was—just as herself—was the thing she had longed for most.

The woman who screamed wildly while riding a horse, the woman drenched and splashing in the water, the woman trembling as she fell onto his chest—those were all parts of ‘Grace O’Ellin’.

Sometimes she did admirable things, but more often, she was clumsy and vulnerable. Even as the daughter of an esteemed household, she had been beaten by her brother and insulted by her father, who once compared her to a barmaid.

But despite all of that, Lucas never denied or judged her. He saw her for who she was—just ‘Grace’.

He was the only man who didn’t impose any expectations, prejudices, or narrow obligations on her as a woman. He didn’t measure her by any standards but simply accepted her as she was.

To lose someone like that would be foolish.

So, she didn’t regret her decision to marry him.

Of course… because of this ridiculous curse that entangled them, the marriage wasn’t something she could avoid. But ultimately, the choice to marry him had been hers, not something forced upon her.

“He’s a wonderful man, Julie.”

Lucas Blacke’s wealth, honor, and authority were all just parts of him. If she became fixated on that and rejected it, she felt like she would be the one unfairly reducing him to just those aspects.

Just as she wanted to use her own strength to walk the land and lift up those who had fallen, Lucas wanted to embrace her with everything he had.

If she were Lucas Blacke, she would likely feel the same way—wanting to embrace the people she cared about using everything in her power.

Grace glanced at Julie, whose face was lit up with joy, and thought about how she had also done everything she could to protect her.

So, if she pushed Lucas away because of what he had, it would be hypocritical of her.

“My true independence isn’t about marriage, Julie.”

All she had to do was continue to choose her own path and walk it.

The only person she needed to be mindful of was herself.

“What do you mean?”

“The truth is… it already began a long time ago.”

What Grace truly desired wasn’t just an escape from House O’Ellin—it was independence that she had achieved on her own.

That was all she ever wanted.