Our Summer Isn't Over Yet - Chapter 12

“And there’s still one royal family member who hasn’t been caught, though it hasn’t been made public yet.”

At Dylan’s words, a slight tremble appeared between Mia’s brows.

Everything they had been talking about until now had already faded from her mind. She quietly curled her fingers into her palm, trying to steady her emotions as she thought about who it could be.

The crown prince? If he hadn’t been captured, it would have already made headlines.

Since Dylan was telling her directly, it had to be someone connected to her. Among the members of the Murad royal family, there were very few who knew she had served as Princess Seydimia’s double.

At most, four people.

Among them, the king and queen were already dead. The real princess as well.

Trying to recall her time in Murad made her head ache. The pain came so suddenly that she stopped thinking and asked in a quiet voice,

“I thought Princess Seydimia was already declared dead. Are you saying she’s come back?”

Dylan shook his head.

“She died of illness more than three years ago. There’s no way she could have returned.”

And he was right.

Ever since Mia came to Hippolyte, she had lived quietly, careful never to reveal her true role as Seydimia’s stand-in. Shortly after the war began, it had been announced that the real Princess Seydimia had died from illness.

Since the information had been confirmed by the Hippolyte royal family, it was unlikely to be false.

Dylan mentioning an uncaptured royal was simply part of sharing information with a fellow ally. It didn’t seem like something that would cause trouble.

A small sense of relief loosened Mia’s tense expression. With her composure returning, she looked at Dylan and asked,

“Then who hasn’t been captured?”

He paused for a moment before answering.

“The one who’s still at large is Prince Jose Yan Murad, the fourth prince.”

The name rolled off his tongue naturally, but Mia felt the air leave her lungs in a sharp breath. Her entire body stiffened far more than before. Her fingers clenched tightly. She forgot she needed to control her expression or hide what she was feeling.

It was only natural.

Jose Yan Murad was the last remaining royal of Murad who knew Mia had acted as Princess Seydimia’s double.

But that wasn’t the only reason her emotions spiked.

What truly terrified her was remembering the countless things Jose had done in his obsession to possess her.

He had broken her spirit, and when he could not hurt the king and queen directly, he had turned his violence toward Mia instead.

To her, the news of Jose being free was far more dangerous than the idea of Princess Seydimia coming back from the dead.

Her body trembled beyond her control.

Trying to calm herself, Mia held her breath and forced herself to the edge of her limits. It was a bad habit she sometimes fell into when her thoughts became too clouded to make sense.

A high-pitched ringing echoed faintly in her ears, but still, she didn’t breathe.

Then, suddenly, a warm hand closed around her tightly clenched fist.

A fresh, subtle scent brushed past her nose, and then a firm, steady voice spoke clearly.

“Mia, you need to breathe.”

At the sound of his voice, Mia finally exhaled.

It was like a child learning to swim for the first time, as if she had only just realized she couldn’t breathe underwater.

His steady hand patted her back rhythmically as she began to steady her breathing again.

Once her thoughts slowly began to return, she became aware of how she had just lost control in front of someone.

She had no idea how to explain her reaction to him, or how to make him understand it.

She had already revealed that Jose knew her true identity, but she couldn’t bring herself to explain the deeper truth, how cruel and violent Jose had been to her.

How much more of herself would she have to show?

The mind that once reasoned clearly and the mouth that once spoke calmly had both long since gone quiet.

The only sound in the drawing room was the heavy breathing Mia struggled to control.

Then, cutting through that silence, Dylan’s voice returned calm, emotionless, and steady.

“There’s little chance the fourth prince would go around telling others who you are.”

The feeling of being buried in something deeper than rock bottom finally started to ease.

“Even if he does speak, he has no real proof. And even then, there would be nothing you’re personally responsible for.”

Dylan seemed to believe that Mia’s shaken reaction came from the fact that Jose knew her identity as Mia Blair.

“Was there something else between you and the fourth prince?”

“No. Nothing like that. He just happened to find out who I was. And considering the kind of person he is, I got worried.”

Dylan didn’t press further.

Mia was relieved. She didn’t expect him to believe her completely, but the fact that he chose not to ask more meant he was willing to let the subject go. There was no need to speak again and risk bringing more trouble.

She glanced at him as he sighed. His clear blue eyes met hers briefly before he spoke again, calm and composed.

“You should go back to the annex now.”

“I haven’t tried on the last dress yet.”

“I’ll take care of that. You’ve had a rough day dealing with something you never asked for.”

“I suppose so, but—”

“I won’t be able to make it back to the bedroom early tonight. I still have work to finish. Don’t wait up. Just go ahead and sleep first.”

Before Mia could respond, Dylan stood up.

Since she didn’t move right away, he reached out and gently took her hand, helping her to her feet. Caught off guard, she looked up and met his eyes.

Then, as if saying goodbye, he leaned in and kissed her.

At first, it was soft and brief. But their lips stayed together longer than she expected. Dylan looked at her closely, and when she slowly closed her eyes and parted her lips, his warm tongue touched hers with care.

His kiss wasn’t rushed or intense. It was gentle, comforting, and patient.

Mia gripped his arm but didn’t pull away.

To her, that kiss felt like a quiet reassurance. As if he was telling her that everything would be alright. That even if he didn’t know all the details, he was still there for her.

His movements were slow and deliberate, so much so that she could feel the texture of his tongue against hers. When the kiss finally ended, Dylan gradually pulled away.

He then took out a handkerchief and wiped the corner of her lips, which were damp from their kiss. He calmly wiped his own mouth afterward.

Without saying a word, and with the same steady expression, he gently guided her out of the room.

“You should go get some rest now.”

Mia stepped into the hallway, still in a daze. She only realized she had left the drawing room when she heard the door close behind her.

At that moment, the kiss came rushing back to her mind.

It wasn’t something to be ashamed of. After everything they had already shared, there was nothing left to hide. Still, it felt strangely tender. Almost too delicate for someone like Dylan.

It was the kind of moment that didn’t match his usual cold and distant presence.

She placed her hand on her chest.

Her heart was beating low and steady, but she couldn’t tell whether it was because of her fear of Jose or because of Dylan’s unexpected touch.

For some reason, it felt like her heart was beating right behind her lips.

* * *

“He really must be busy.”

Dylan hadn’t returned to the bedroom, even though it was already late. When Mia had pressured him recently, he hadn’t seemed this overwhelmed. It must have all come on suddenly.

Shaking her head slightly, Mia pushed thoughts of Dylan aside.

She had things to do as well, though not quite as many. She didn’t have any public responsibilities as the Duchess of Richard, but she was managing the household directly. It was something she had been doing for the past three years while Dylan had been away.

“I believe I’m supposed to finish the documents regarding the staff salaries today. Could you please bring them to my office?”

Before heading there, Mia turned to the servant waiting outside her room and asked them to bring the necessary paperwork.

She had expected the usual answer of agreement. Instead, the servant looked uncomfortable as they responded.

“My lady, His Grace took all those documents with him yesterday.”

“What?”

“He also asked me to let you know that from now on, he will handle all matters related to staff management, and you should simply rest.”

Mia couldn’t fully process what she had just heard.

Dylan had taken over her responsibilities? Why?

He already had enough on his plate as both the Duke of Richard and the Admiral of the Navy. Instead of reducing his workload, he had taken on something he didn’t even need to worry about. It made no sense to Mia.

She had no intention of becoming a burden to him, so she would have to speak with Dylan and get her responsibilities back.

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