Holding You Close Chapter 9 brings a refreshing shift in tone as Theo and Yuna step out of the palace for a sweet and quiet adventure at the marketplace. What starts as a shy outing quickly blossoms into a heartwarming moment of shared joy and subtle romance. With Theo slowly breaking free from his cold image and Yuna unknowingly warming the hearts of those around her, this chapter offers a perfect blend of tenderness and budding love.
Holding You Close Chapter 9: Market Dates & Dukes Who Turn Red
Holding You Close Chapter 9 starts as Yuna and Theo show up at the market, right after their hand-holding, blushing ride in the carriage. They both sit there, neither saying a word, making Yulis, the lonely third wheel, wonder if they’re avoiding each other or just very caught up in their feelings.
But when they walk out, Yuna looks all around and sees it’s empty. Where are the shoppers? Well, Theo, being overprotective and a little too eager, actually shut down the whole market for two hours for her. Yulis mentally facepalms, but he also sees Theo walking with a rare kind of happiness. Does the Archduke have a smile on his face right now? Alert the kingdom.
Yuna, being as poised as ever, starts looking for things to buy. Theo quietly realizes that the rough old shopkeepers are acting nervous and bowing as if he’s some scary royal warrior. That’s a perfect example of people thinking one way while things are actually different. But suddenly, Yuna starts welcoming Theo into her conversations, asking for his thoughts and including him in what she’s doing. He softly recommends a few pieces of fruit, and all at once, Theo looks anything but frightening. Even sweet.
The more people hear, the more they start to wonder about what they thought. Could it be? Could the scary Archduke be simply a husband really in love with his wife?
As, Yuna sees a young girl at a fruit stand who looks really nervous. She tells the girl to rest and promises that she and Theo will run the shop while she’s gone. The girl, looking both surprised and thankful, goes away. Yuna looks at Theo and worries that if the market is closed, the produce will just spoil. Theo feels really bad about it and immediately tells Yulis to take down the blockade.
And behold! People pour in like a torrent, filling the vacant square with laughter and talk. Yuna beams at seeing the energy return, even selling fruit to a cute little kid.
Love Blooms in a Sealed Marketplace
Meanwhile, she can’t help but think how anyone would ever be afraid of Theo—he’s obviously such a cinnamon roll under that fearsome exterior.
As the sun sets and they are getting ready to leave, Yuna smiles and tells him she had a lot of fun. Theo, the puppy-in-love that he is, responds that if she had fun, he did as well. In a spur-of-the-moment action, Yuna gives him strawberries to eat. Theo, taken aback, turns redder than the fruit, but gratefully chomps them down. The two even vow to go back to the marketplace again. For real, if that’s not a date, then what is?
Meanwhile, back at the palace, Theo lies in his room, flushing like a schoolboy, replaying the strawberry moment in his head. He wonders… is Yuna maybe feeling the same way about him? Is she falling for him too?
His daydream for the sake of romance is abruptly shattered by Yulis, who bursts in with news that matters. First—success in the marketplace. Sold out. The townspeople even commended Theo when they learned he was the mastermind behind it. Good PR day for the Archduke!
But then, gravely serious business: Count Delkan has reached out to an older priest of the central temple of Daphne. Theo is visibly agitated. That temple’s reputation bears mentioning, particularly given that it is associated with the enigmatic “Eye of the Storm,” the site linked to his mother’s fatal demise. We’re pulled into a new setting—dark, cold, and far away (Something very unknown!) One who’s come back… from the Eye of the Storm?? Holding You Close Chapter 9 wraps up on a whirl of sweetness and suspense—just the way we love it.
What Happened So Far?
We watch as a political union slowly becomes something full of real emotion in Holding You Close . Yuelina, who’s known as Yuna to her friends, marries Duke Theovalt, a man known for being cold and stoic, in a political move. Although they didn’t know each other at first, they started out being polite and keeping their distance, but it didn’t take long for small acts, funny mix-ups, and showing weakness to bring them closer.
Early on, we follow Yuna as she gets used to being the Archduchess of Phoenix, and Theo, who doesn’t really know how to be close, starts to open up because of her. Her charm and innocence confuse and please him, and those odd but meaningful talks slowly create trust between them. Yuna’s interest in learning about her new world, her open questions, and her gentle ways of trying to connect with Theo all point to her wish to get closer to him.
Theo, who lost his mom for unknown reasons ordered by the empire, and was hurt by his wives before, finds it hard to open up and trust others. But when he hands Yuna his mother’s irreplaceable earrings, it becomes a major change in their relationship. Wanting to wear them, Yuna finds out her ears aren’t pierced, so Theo takes matters into his own hands and does it himself. Doing this brings up old hurts and sweet feelings for him, hinting at a fresh start.
