Forgotten Juliet

Juliet gazed at the sparkling garden. It must have taken a lot of effort to decorate it like this.

“Why the garden all of a sudden?”

“It’s for you.”

“…The garden?”

Juliet eyed the man speaking calmly with a skeptical gaze.

Lately, it wasn’t surprising that he was bringing unexpected gifts.

Not long ago, he had made her a personal library filled with her favorite books, and a bit earlier than that, he had renovated an annex and handed her the keys.

And today it was a lily garden in a heart shape.

“It seemed like you were missing home.”

Home?

Looking around once again, Juliet realized that the arrangement of the garden was quite similar to the garden at the Monad mansion in the capital.

She had realized.

Of course. In her childhood, Juliet had drawn pictures looking at that garden.

It’s pretty, indeed.

“…What’s that?”

Juliet discovered some suspicious shadows in the corner of the garden and gasped.

There were more than just them in the lily garden.

Then, as if waiting, an elegant string waltz flowed out.

Even an orchestra. It felt like they had arrived at a private ball.

Juliet knew Lennox Carlyle more than he suspected. Whenever he acted impulsively like this, there was usually a reason.

“Ah, I see.”

Juliet quickly grasped his intention and looked back at him.

Lennox looked nonchalant, but reflecting back, there was a hook.

“It’s because of that ball, isn’t it?”

About ten days ago, they had been invited to a small ball.

The invitation was addressed to Duke Carlyle, but he had arrived at the ballroom a bit late.

And just as he entered the ballroom, what caught his eye was Juliet dancing with a stranger.

Among the partners she danced with that day was a famous choreographer from the capital, a dance instructor well-regarded among the ladies for being strict but a good teacher.

And right after that, Lennox started coming to fetch Juliet personally under the pretext of some business.

“I just watched the dance practice and had a conversation. You didn’t believe me, did you?”

Juliet’s eyes narrowed.

“And they praised me for dancing the waltz well.”

Though his childish intention was revealed, Lennox, instead of blushing, paused. Then he tilted his head slightly as if he waited for this moment.

“Why do you need dance practice?”

Juliet was dumbfounded, but on the other hand, it felt like he had been holding back with his fiery temperament for a long time.

Should she be relieved that he held back with a garden instead of a ballroom as a gift?

“If you need practice, do it with me.”

Lennox calmly extended his hand as if really inviting her to dance.

At the brazen reply, Juliet burst into laughter.

“You don’t like dancing in front of people.”

“I’ve never disliked it.”

Who was the one always showing displeasure at every ball? As Juliet rolled her eyes gently, Lennox added as if making an excuse.

“If it’s with you, it’s okay.”

Lennox reached out and pulled Juliet’s waist toward him.

“If you need a practice partner, I’ll teach you anytime.”

“Even though I’m better at dancing?”

As Juliet protested in astonishment, Lennox chuckled playfully.

“No way. I’m good at anything that involves physical movement.”

Lennox smiled ominously and whispered into Juliet’s ear.

“If you don’t believe me, feel free to test me.”

* * *

The private midnight lesson went as Juliet had anticipated.

As Lennox had boasted, he was good at anything that involved physical movement. There was no need to test him.

Juliet, who had fallen asleep unknowingly, opened her eyes on the bed in the early dawn.

Lennox laid her down on the bed and their eyes met.

“Did you wake up because of me?”

“No.”

Juliet blinked and pulled the sheet up to the red mark left on the edge of her collarbone.

Lennox, who had been sitting on the armchair across the bed, seemed to have been awake for quite a while watching her sleep as there was a glass on the side table next to the chair.

It smelled of tea, not alcohol. It was silphium tea, which Juliet also knew well.

Lennox was dressed in a white shirt and black pants. His tie was loosened, and his hair was slightly disheveled.

But compared to Juliet, who had fallen asleep exhausted and was in her negligee, he looked quite fine.

How could he look so fine…

“Didn’t you sleep?”

“I slept.”

Lie.

Juliet carefully sat up and perched on the edge of the bed.

“What were you doing instead of sleeping?”

“Watching you sleep. I was wondering what time I should wake you up today.”

“Today?”

Juliet blushed for a moment.

“Is it past midnight now?”

“Yes. Why?”

“Nothing. Rather, come here.”

Juliet changed the subject.

“I still need to sleep more.”

But Lennox grinned, and instead of returning to bed, he sat down next to her.

Why?

As Juliet twitched her toes, Lennox handed her a flower.

“Take it. It’s yours.”

“What’s this?”

“Open it.”

Juliet paused with a small yawn, and her chirpy demeanor halted.

It wasn’t just a flower. In the middle of a perfect blue rose without a single damaged petal, there was a dazzling ring.

“…”

“This”

“Juliet.”

Juliet, who was about to ask what this was, paused.

“You might not remember, but I promised a long time ago.”

Juliet looked at him with surprised eyes.

“If I met you again, I said I’d give you whatever you wanted.”

The most arrogant man in the world was pleading with her, kneeling on one knee at her feet.

“In the past, and for the remaining future, everything I have is yours.”

In the quiet and serene bedroom illuminated only by moonlight, the man held out a ring and calmly confessed.

“So, please let me be by your side for the remaining time.”

His sincere confession was simple.

“It’s okay if you never forgive me for a lifetime.”

“…”

“Let me live as your husband.”

It was enough to blank out Juliet’s mind.

“Marry me, Juliet.”

Tuk.

“Juliet?”

“Oh… sorry. That’s.”

A tear dropped from Juliet’s cheek.

But somehow, she looked more flustered than touched, and Lennox became anxious along with her.

‘Was I too hasty?’

He was always impulsive when it came to Juliet.

Instead of waiting until tomorrow evening at a romantic place he prepared beforehand, the moment he saw Juliet, with her cheeks flushed with sleepiness, reaching out to him, he resolved to propose impulsively.

‘It wasn’t supposed to be hastily done.’

The dazzling ring in her hand was the perfect engagement ring he had painstakingly chosen.

Throughout the summer, whenever he got a chance, he kept proposing ‘Shall we get married’, and every time, Juliet either burst into laughter or gently shook her head.

I like how it is now.

But Lennox hated their current relationship. He at least wanted a relationship where he could deal with the brazen people around Juliet without anyone knowing.

If a husband wanted to take care of his wife, who could say anything?

Lennox Carlyle eventually threatened the temple and received a promise to host the grandest wedding ceremony, along with the baptism date for the unborn child.

Juliet didn’t know, but with tearful persuasion, Lennox eventually received approval to propose to Juliet from Lionel Lebatan.

All that remained was choosing a ring.

And Lennox eventually found the perfect one.

But Juliet remained silent for a long time.

With her lips slightly bitten, she didn’t look like someone who was touched by a proposal.

The expression on Juliet’s face was perplexity.

There was no need to forcefully ask for acceptance or rejection.

Somehow, Juliet’s expression, which seemed to have lost spirit looking at the dazzling ring, told him everything.

Until yesterday, he thought he had at least found the perfect ring.

Lennox took pride in his aesthetic sense. His taste was high-end, and especially regarding Juliet, it was even more so.

The proposal ring that he had selected over a long period was a rare blue diamond intricately set in a platinum ring.

Dazzling but not too much.

It was an elegant, restrained, and classic design.

He thought the ring somehow resembled Juliet.

But to Juliet, an item not chosen by her was worthless.

“…You don’t like it?”

If the gift was the problem, he could choose again any time. He bought a gift impulsively because he didn’t know what Juliet would like.

However, Juliet seemed choked up somehow and shook her head.

“No, it’s pretty. The ring is so beautiful…”

Fidgeting with the ring and trailing off her words, Juliet looked somehow gloomy.

“It’s pretty, and it looks expensive… Is it expensive…?”

So indeed, the thing she didn’t like wasn’t the ring but the person who handed it to her.

Of course, Lennox was calmer than expected.

I shouldn’t have rushed, he thought, but the bitterness was inevitable.

Lennox couldn’t ask her why she disliked it.

Juliet had many reasons to not want to marry him.

She lost a child because of him, and had suffered too much pain due to a damn curse and evil spirits.

Juliet suddenly lifted her head.

“Can I ask you one thing?”

“Speak.”

“Why do you want to marry me?”

“You.”

Lennox almost said, fearing she might run away from him someday, but barely shut his mouth.

Saying that would only mean he didn’t trust Juliet.

Somehow, he felt he needed to be cautious, so he gave the second answer that came to his mind.

“I want you to be beside me every time I open my eyes in the morning.”

“But isn’t it the same now?”

“…Different.”

Lennox frowned, wondering how to explain this.

“I hate it when you always mention being a lover or a couple, I wish it had… “

Lennox hesitated unexpectedly.

“Meaning.”

Like a husband.

It’s childish, but it was so.

“Phew.”

Juliet giggled a little at his overly honest answer.

“Um, yeah. Lennox.”

Juliet had come down from the bed at some point, matched his eye level by kneeling on the floor. Her soft hair flowed down.

“It’s a bit silly to ask this now… but I’d still like you to answer. It’s important to me.”

“Okay, ask me.”

Juliet, with a serious attitude, hesitated before asking.

“Why do you like me?”

Lennox thought it was a strange question. Because, well…

“Because ou are Juliet Monad.”

But that wasn’t the answer Juliet was looking for.

“I mean, have you ever thought about why you like me?”

“Yes.”

Juliet was the cleverest and the most beautiful person he knew.

But that wasn’t just it. He also had thought about why it had to be Juliet, why he chose her as a life-or-death partner.

After choosing his words for a long time, he finally found a clumsy answer.

“You always… make me feel strange.”

Juliet patiently blinked her eyes, waiting for his answer.

“So you are the most difficult for me.”

You may not know, but.

Lennox gave a faint smile.

Winning Juliet’s heart was the hardest thing in the world.

“And you make me act like a slightly decent human.”

He didn’t know when it started, but before he knew it, he was always anxious in front of Juliet, fearing he would lose her.

“But whenever you smile, everything seems fine.”

Strangely, when Juliet smiled, it seemed like everything around brightened.

And now he knew the name of that feeling.

“It was love.”

“…”

“Both in the past, and now.”

Juliet stared at him in astonishment. Lennox regretted saying foolish words since he was going to be rejected anyway.

He chuckled and got up from his seat.

“Sleep well.”

He lightly kissed her forehead and was about to leave.

But Juliet quickly grabbed his hand as he tried to get up.

“Wait a minute.”

She then pulled him and made him sit on the chair, climbed onto his lap, and suddenly said.

“Close your eyes.”

“What?”

“Hurry up.”

At Juliet’s urging, he closed his eyes reluctantly.

“Don’t open your eyes until I say it’s okay.”

Juliet, being serious, got up from her place and ran somewhere in the room.

And after a while, there was the sound of clattering.

“Now you can open your eyes.”

“…”

He wondered what this was all about, but he did as told and opened his eyes.

Then her soft lips touched his eyes and moved away.

Juliet, in front of him, proudly handed over something.

It was a small square box. When he just looked without saying a word, Juliet urged him.

“You have to open it.”

Lennox obediently opened the small box.

A pair of platinum rings, simple in design but different in size, shimmered.

Lennox finally understood. Why Juliet looked surprised at the fancy ring.

“Happy Birthday, Your Highness.”

Juliet gave him a bright smile.

“I wanted to give it first. It’s not very expensive but-.

Juliet couldn’t continue her words. Because before she could say anything more, he kissed her.