Chapter 83
The administrative flow within the Woodpecker estate was remarkably smooth, largely due to the sheer volume of personnel staffing the Escort Knight Division. The duty roster was organized into four-hour blocks, allowing six different guards to rotate around Yuls throughout the day. Once a knight finished their shift, they were granted a full forty-eight hours of recovery time.
It was standard practice for pages awaiting their official elevation to the knighthood to shadow their superiors. This afternoon was no different. A pair of sentries from the Soldier Division held the outer perimeter of the entrance, while two high-ranking knights maintained a watch further inside the residence.
Among them was a young page scheduled to be knighted in the same ceremony as Adi. He shot her a puzzled look, his expression clearly questioning why she had shown up when she wasn’t on the schedule. Adi offered nothing more than a casual shrug. While she didn’t explain herself, her silence successfully signaled that she wasn’t interested in small talk.
Inside, Gavin was waiting, presumably because Dimitri had finished his duties for the day. He caught Adi’s attention and led her toward a separate suite.
The Duke’s personal living quarters were divided into five distinct areas. While there was a bedroom and an auxiliary chamber, the remaining rooms served primarily as workspaces. Upon entering, Adi immediately spotted Yuls immersed in his documents.
“Take a seat. Don’t just hover there.”
This room felt far more intimate than the formal office where the guards usually stood watch. Greenery was tucked into various corners, and Yuls was dressed in relaxed, informal attire. Even the furniture suggested a private lounge rather than a place of business, featuring plush, expansive sofas instead of stiff individual chairs.
Adi perched herself tentatively on the very edge of the cushion. Yuls, who had been scowling at a piece of parchment as if it were a personal enemy, suddenly pushed back from his desk. Gavin moved to assist him, but Yuls raised a palm to dismiss the help.
“I need to verify something. Give me a moment.”
Adi sat in silence, tracking Yuls as he vanished into the adjoining room. Sensing eyes on her, she turned her head.
“Gavin.”
“Adrina.”
It was a curious habit; while the rest of the staff used the nickname Adi, Gavin insisted on using her full name. He had never explained why.
“You’ve picked up some color,” he noted.
“The Southern sun is quite intense,” she replied.
“The Escort Knight Division doesn’t spend much time outdoors, so your complexion will likely pale again soon.”
“A tan doesn’t bother me. I’m a knight, not a debutante.”
Gavin’s lips quirked into a faint, helpless grin at her bluntness. Adi shifted the subject.
“Are you traveling to Ionad with us?”
“I’m staying behind. Dimitri is the one accompanying him to the capital.”
The thought made her uneasy. She suspected Dimitri felt the same level of friction that she did.
“Bert will be part of the group as well,” Gavin added.
“You and Bert are inseparable.”
“He is the soul of reliability. There is a specific reason he was chosen to lead the Escort Knight Division.”
Adi gave a slow nod of agreement. Bert was a genuinely good man. Just knowing he would be present brought her a sense of security.
“I find myself jealous of that kind of bond,” she admitted.
Gavin looked at her, surprised by the sudden vulnerability in her voice.
He believed they had already established a profound level of trust. Regardless of Bert’s kindly exterior, he was the commander for a reason. He didn’t permit just anyone into his inner circle. His vetting process was legendary for its ruthlessness; beneath the facade of a gentle older man lived one of the most formidable figures in the territory.
Gavin himself was equally observant. While Joel and Billy were often too trusting and Ivan was naturally cynical due to his past as an assassin, none of them treated Adi with suspicion anymore. She had earned her place among them, despite the weight of the Grimaldi name she carried.
“Joel, Billy, and Ivan are all making the trip to Ionad,” Gavin continued.
“That’s a relief.”
“Dimitri is cautious by nature, but once the full picture becomes clear to him, he’ll likely become your greatest supporter. Don’t let his current attitude weigh on you.”
Adi wasn’t actually worried about winning Dimitri over. Her concern was simpler: she just didn’t like the man.
“He’s acting this way because he’s in the dark.”
“……”
“If he understood the role you played in breaking His Excellency’s curse…”
Adi’s brow furrowed. Gavin spoke as if her involvement was a settled fact that would change everything. Yet, despite seeing the Duke daily, she hadn’t noticed any miraculous transformation in him lately.
“Is it certain that I’m the reason the curse broke?”
“There is no other candidate,” Gavin said, a ghost of a smile touching his face.
The Duke likely knew the truth as well, but he kept that knowledge close to his chest. He hadn’t even shared it with the woman responsible. Adi wondered what was going on in his head, but she knew better than to expect a straight answer.
“Truly, he won’t hold a grudge against you forever.”
“It’s a bit late for this,” she muttered, “but since I haven’t officially been knighted here, you shouldn’t be calling me ‘Sir.’”
Gavin found the comment ironic. She had already been knighted by the Crown Prince himself. Even if that honor technically belonged to ‘Adrian,’ Adrina was the one actually doing the work and living the life. It struck Gavin as a tragedy. As a father himself, he found the Count’s treatment of his daughter utterly incomprehensible.
The door swung open and the Duke returned. He had changed into even more casual clothing. He glanced at Adi on the sofa and Gavin standing nearby before crossing the room.
Adi looked up, her face a mask of silent questions. Yuls seemed lost in thought for a second before he simply dropped onto the sofa beside her.
As she tried to shift over to give him more room, he let his head fall onto her shoulder.
“I believe I’ll go prepare the bedchamber now,” Gavin announced. Adi reached out as if to stop him from leaving her alone in this awkward position, but the attendant beat a hasty retreat.
“Just stay still for a moment,” Yuls murmured. “I need something to lean on.”
Despite his massive frame, he felt surprisingly light, as if he were carefully avoiding putting his full weight on her. He smelled of fresh earth and greenery—likely a lingering scent from his time in the Orangerie.
His hair brushed against her shoulder and tickled her cheek. She could feel the rhythmic warmth of his breath. Just as she began to wonder if he had actually fallen asleep, she turned her head to check on him. At that exact moment, he looked up, and her lips brushed against his.
“Oh—my apologies,” she stammered.
Yuls didn’t move. He just stared at her for a long beat before a low chuckle escaped him.
“We do this every day. Why start apologizing now?”
His eyes held an intensity she couldn’t quite define. It was a look she had seen only once before, a long time ago, when Adrian had looked at her with pure affection. But this was different. It was deeper.
Yuls reached out, cupping the back of her head, and pressed a kiss into her hair. When he had first met her, she had seemed substantial, but now she felt so fragile it made him uneasy.
“You smell like a summer afternoon,” he whispered.
She had spent her post-training hours washing up and sitting in the sun with a book. Life in the Woodpecker territory was far more tranquil than the frantic pace of Pallesa Palace. The air was dry and pleasant, perfect for lounging.
“It’s like someone wove sunlight into silk threads,” he added.
Adi was at a loss for words. It was clear that Yuls had dropped his defenses entirely. He was relaxed, his eyes half-closed in a way he never allowed in public. Perhaps being on his own land allowed him this luxury.
Suddenly, he took her hand in his. Adi blinked at the contact.
“Your hands are quite small.”
“It’s more that your hands are enormous, Your Excellency.”
He had always been large for his age, possessing the raw, heavy build of a predator.
“Clench your fingers into a fist.”
Confused but obedient, she did as he asked.
“They say a person’s heart is the same size as their fist.”
Yuls wrapped his hand around hers, his palm completely swallowing her knuckles. He rubbed his thumb over her skin and spoke her name softly. “Adi.”
“Yes, Your Excellency?”
“Things will be dangerous in Ionad.”
“I’m prepared for that.”
He knew she wasn’t. She had no idea what was coming. Yet, he wondered if her ignorance was a blessing. It was often easier to protect someone who didn’t realize they were walking into a lion’s den.
Yuls began to stroke her hair with a gentle, rhythmic motion. Adi didn’t flinch or try to pull away; she had grown accustomed to his touch.
He found himself wondering if he could take her with him as something other than a guard.
“Your Excellency?”
He dismissed the thought. She wouldn’t want that. She would likely bolt the moment he suggested it. He pressed another kiss to the top of her head. Adi remained staring straight ahead, unaware of how intimate they looked, but Gavin had just re-entered from the bedroom and saw the whole display. Yuls finally let go of her.
“You’re dismissed.”
“But I haven’t actually helped with anything yet…”
“It doesn’t matter. Go.”
As he looked away, a faint flush crept up the tips of his ears. Adi stood and bowed, but he stopped her before she could reach the door.
“One more thing. We’re taking your measurements tomorrow.”
Adi wanted to ask why, but he cut her off by mentioning her early training session. Taking the hint, she nodded and left. Gavin gave her a subtle wink as she passed. Even after the door clicked shut, the room remained silent, though the air was thick with Gavin’s unspoken judgment.
“Do you have a comment to make?” Yuls asked eventually.
“Not at all, Your Excellency,” Gavin replied smoothly.
Yuls sighed and buried his face in his hand. The gap between them felt impossible to bridge. Adrina Grimaldi was a puzzle he couldn’t solve. He was used to people who were easy to read, but her persistent distance was exhausting.
“How can she be so oblivious?”
“Are we talking about Adi?”
Yuls didn’t answer directly. He just clicked his tongue in frustration.
“It’s maddening being the only one who feels this.”
