Rose exchanged a confused glance with the man beside her, curiosity written all over her face.
“Your grace, are you fine? You seem lost,” she asked, her voice pulling Julian back to reality.
Her words jolted him awake, and he quickly responded, “Yes, I’m fine, Rose. I just had something on my mind.”
“What is that thing that made you daydream mid conversation?”
Rose inquired, her tone playful as she tilted her head slightly, inviting him to share.
Before Julian could respond, Raphael, with a teasing grin, chimed in, “Must be some maiden who has captured the young duke’s heart.”
Julian’s cheeks flushed, and he immediately replied, “No, no! It’s not like that! I was thinking about war.”
His defensive tone only seemed to amuse Rose more. She laughed lightly, the sound bright and melodic, making his heart skip a beat.
“The young duke must have lots of maidens by his side,” she teased, her eyes sparkling with mischief. “Perhaps one has caught his attention so much that he daydreams about her.”
Julian felt a mix of embarrassment and affection at her words, his heart racing as he realized just how much he valued these moments with her.
Julian’s gaze shifted to the man beside Rose, his eyes narrowing slightly. “And who might this be?” he asked, trying to keep his voice steady but clearly sounding more intense than intended. “I don’t believe I’ve seen him before.”
Rose gave a cheerful smile, seemingly unaware of Julian’s changed reaction.
“This is Edwin,” she said warmly. “He’s a soldier from another unit, and he’s been such a great help with preparations.”
The admiration in her tone was unmistakable, and Julian felt a spark of irritation flicker inside his head.
Edwin extended his hand politely, but Julian merely stared at it, as if he were assessing a particularly suspicious fruit. Raphael, watching all of this unfold, held himself back from laughing, clearly finding Julian’s response hilarious.
Julian, feeling Raphael’s gaze, shot him a look that could only be described as the “Don’t you dare laugh” glare.
Rose then said, “Edwin is quite the charmer, isn’t he?”
Julian’s jaw practically dropped, and he let out a choked laugh. “Charm?” he sputtered. “Oh, I bet he charms the… uh… recruits… in his spare time.”
He immediately felt Raphael nudging him, as if to say, “Smooth recovery, my lord!”
Julian crossed his arms, desperately trying to keep his dignity intact as Rose and Edwin exchanged polite smiles.
Edwin gave Rose a warm smile and said, “Rose, I’ll have to be off now, but I’ll see you later.”
And, without a hint of hesitation, he reached out and gently tucked a loose strand of her hair behind her ear. Julian felt his jaw clench involuntarily as his eyes darted to Raphael, who looked equally taken aback.
Julian’s gaze screamed, Is this actually happening right now? And Raphael, clearly fighting to keep a straight face, shot him a look that seemed to say, Don’t look at me, I’m as shocked as you are.
They both stood frozen, sharing a silent and mutual bewilderment, watching Edwin walk away with a confidence that only added fuel to Julian’s already simmering irritation.
Julian felt his aura leak out unconsciously, a small storm brewing around him as his jealousy bubbled to the surface.
Raphael, doing his best to maintain a straight face, coughed lightly and said, “My lord, we should probably be on our way too.”
Julian jolted awake from his disbelief, realizing he might have been scaring everyone with his impending thunderstorm of emotions.
He turned back to Rose, who was still standing there, bowing respectfully.
“Your grace, I wish you well for the war,” she said, her voice sweet and sincere. Julian, still caught in the whirlwind of his feelings, blurted out, “You too, Rose!” with a suddenness that made it sound more like a command than a farewell.
As he walked away, he couldn’t help but imagine her waving goodbye, which made him awkwardly glance back, only to trip over his own feet.
“Smooth, Julian,” he muttered to himself, while Raphael erupted into laughter beside him. “What a way to impress the ladies, my lord!”
Rose, noticing the young duke’s clumsy behavior, couldn’t help but burst into laughter. The sight of Julian tripping over his own feet was too much to bear, and her laughter rang through the training camp like music.
“You’re really making a grand impression, Your Grace!” she teased, a playful sparkle in her eyes.
Julian, his face turning a shade of crimson, quickly straightened up and tried to regain his composure.
“I meant to do that!” he stammered, waving his arms dismissively.
But the more he tried to sound nonchalant, the more ridiculous he felt. Raphael, standing nearby, struggled to hold back his laughter, which only added to Julian’s embarrassment.
Rose, seeing him flustered, smiled even wider. “Just be careful on the battlefield, or you might trip over your own sword!” she teased. Julian, despite his awkwardness, found himself smiling at her infectious laughter.
Julian and Raphael continued their stroll around the army camp, the atmosphere buzzing with anticipation for the upcoming battle. As they walked, Julian turned to Raphael, a playful glint in his eye. “So, have you fallen in love?” he asked, genuinely curious.
Raphael let out a deep sigh, a smirk playing on his lips. “Yes, I have,” he admitted, his tone a mix of amusement and sorrow.
Intrigued, Julian pressed on, “And how did that go for you?”
With a dramatic flair, Raphael replied, “Oh, my lord, it was a disaster! She hurt me so bad that now I’m just itching to fight wars! Who needs romance when you can have the thrill of battle?” His voice was exaggerated, making it clear he was only half-serious, but there was a hint of truth in his words.
Julian chuckled, shaking his head. “Well, at least you’ve found a good motivation for the fight ahead. Let’s just hope your next love doesn’t send you straight to the gods!”
