Ah!
Normally, I might have made a show of refusing it at least once, saying ‘Oh, you shouldn’t have.’ But having been distracted by Raynous’s affectionate actions, I quickly accepted it.
Reflexively saying ‘Thank you’ and opening the lid, a pink gold bracelet with a light pink hue was revealed.
In the center of the bracelet was a navy iolite delicately crafted into a flower shape. It seemed to have been chosen to match my hair and eye color.
Touched by his thoughtfulness, I smiled brightly.
“It’s really beautiful. I love it.”
“I’m glad you like it.”
“Could you put it on for me?”
When I held out my wrist and asked, Raynous nodded in agreement and picked up the bracelet. But suddenly, he flinched, and his expression darkened.
“Is this from that bastard earlier?”
“Pardon?”
I checked where his gaze was fixed.
Duval had grabbed me so hard earlier that there were still marks on my wrist.
“Oh, this.”
I casually explained what had happened before Raynous arrived.
The golden eyes that had been full of affection turned cold. His voice also lowered, as if pressed down by something.
“He dared to do such a thing.”
“Well, you know, he’s always been that kind of guy, so I’m not even surprised.”
“I should have broken his wrist. Come to think of it, Essite just submitted a trade route usage permit application…”
“What?”
“Nothing.”
Raynous, who had been muttering to himself with a scary expression, smiled brightly.
He gently grasped my wrist as if handling a newborn chick and pressed his lips to the reddened area.
“……!”
His breath felt soft against my skin. Feeling something indescribable, I involuntarily shuddered.
Raynous stared at me intently while keeping his lips on my wrist.
The moment I met his golden eyes.
I couldn’t even breathe due to the strange pressure, as if I was being swallowed whole. I couldn’t take my eyes off him, not even noticing the red marks on my wrist disappearing.
Slowly removing his lips, he whispered quietly.
“Does it still hurt?”
“Huh? What?”
“Are you in pain?”
He looked ready to press his lips again if I said it hurt.
Since it hadn’t hurt in the first place, I quickly shook my head, hiding my wrist behind my back.
“No, it doesn’t hurt.”
“That’s good.”
Raynous smiled lightly and picked up the bracelet. Then he urged me to give him my hand.
…Why did I ask him to put it on for me?
After a moment’s hesitation, I held out my other hand. Just as I felt a warm touch, the cold metal wrapped around my wrist.
As if he had measured it beforehand, the bracelet fit perfectly on my slender wrist.
‘I’ve never received such a custom gift even from my ex-boyfriend.’
To calm my rapidly beating heart, I turned the bracelet this way and that.
“It’s beautiful. Thank you again. Oh, have you sorted things out with Tirielle, Your Highness?”
I couldn’t just sit still after receiving such a precious gift.
If he said their relationship was settled, I was thinking of giving him a custom gift as well.
“Ah, that.”
For a moment, a cold sneer flashed across Raynous’s face. It was so chilling that even though I knew it wasn’t directed at me, my heart sank.
I didn’t know he could make such an expression. I knew he wasn’t kind to everyone, but this was quite surprising.
“Not yet. There’s a big bug, no, an annoying person involved.”
Raynous, who had spoken coldly, softened his gaze. He had already returned to his usual gentle demeanor.
“My lady, I want to maintain a good relationship with you in the future as well.”
“Me too. I also want to maintain a good relationship with Your Highness for a long time.”
Trying to hide my surprise, I smiled broadly as I spoke.
There was nothing to lose by maintaining a good relationship with a member of the royal family, especially one who would become the future emperor.
Moreover, judging by the killing intent I just felt, I thought I might really die if I made a wrong move.
“You, my lady?”
Raynous widened his eyes, seemingly quite surprised by my answer. Why? Did he think I’d suggest we pretend not to know each other once things were settled with Tirielle?
“Of course. Although it didn’t start with good intentions, I can’t express how honored I am to have met someone like Your Highness. You are truly special to me.”
“Ah.”
Raynous uttered something like an exclamation and clutched his forehead, staggering. He seemed to be feeling dizzy.
Oh no. Did I say something wrong? I hurriedly examined him.
“Are you alright?”
“So, you’re saying that you consider me a special person.”
His face, seen up close, was extremely red. He looked like someone with a fever.
“I thought so, I thought it might be like this, but hearing it directly is really…”
What is he saying? He’s mumbling to himself, and I can’t understand a word.
He hasn’t even taken a sip of the tea May brought, but I hope he hasn’t been poisoned somewhere.
‘There wasn’t any poisoning episode at this point in the story.’
I decided to have Raynous lie down first, as he looked unwell.
Although Raynous was tall, the reception room sofa was quite long too, so it seemed like it could accommodate one person like Raynous lying down.
So I was about to stand up when suddenly Raynous grabbed my wrist.
“Where are you going?”
“Oh, I was going to have you lie down. You don’t look well. I’ll call a doctor too.”
I added the last part as he just blinked and stared at me.
Then Raynous made an ‘Ah’ sound as if realizing something and pulled me back to sit down.
“It’s not like that. It’s just that you considering me a special person-“
He trailed off here and averted his gaze. Then, covering his mouth with the back of his hand, he whispered softly.
“It makes me happy.”
Goodness. If he gets happy twice, he might kill someone.
However, instead of voicing that thought, I smiled shyly. At times like this, it would be only natural to blush.
‘Blush, my face.’
Unfortunately, I didn’t have the talent to change my facial color at will.
So I lowered my head demurely to signify embarrassment, and a slightly trembling voice came from above my head.
“I consider you a special person too, my lady.”
“I’m honored, Your Highness.”
As I was about to raise my head after saying that.
Suddenly, he grasped my hair and pulled it towards him, pressing his lips to the ends.
“Ah…”
I was momentarily flustered by an action that only real lovers would do. His expression as he looked at me was languid, which made it even more so.
Since there was no mirror, I didn’t know what expression I was making.
But I knew one thing for certain. My face must have turned as red as the carpet on the floor over there.
“I just- I just remembered I have something urgent to do. I was supposed to take care of it this morning, but I forgot.”
I made an implausible excuse to cool down. Raynous allowed it without showing any displeasure.
I came out of the reception room quickly, fanning myself. I didn’t even think to unfold the purple fan I always carry.
‘What on earth…’
It was hard to think rationally when someone I liked behaved like that.
Get a grip, Siella. I slapped both my cheeks with my hands to avoid idle thoughts.
*** *** *** *** ***
After completely cooling the heat on my face, I returned and sat across from Raynous.
Then, to prevent another awkward situation like before, I quickly asked a question.
“May I ask why you’ve come here?”
The fact that he appeared in uniform while using his false identity as an imperial knight meant that he had something official to deliver to the Labyrinth household.
He hadn’t come leisurely to see me from the morning.
Raynous, lowering his golden eyelashes slightly, searched his pocket and pulled out a small, flat box.
“First, to return this.”
Curious, I received and opened it to find the handkerchief I had given him on our art exhibition date, neatly washed and folded.
As if he had been carrying it around, the handkerchief was imbued with Raynous’s distinctive citrus scent.
‘I had forgotten about it.’
It seems he had been carrying it around, intending to return it when he met me.
Thinking what a kind person he was, I was closing the box lid and putting it away when.
“Second, this.”
Raynous, who had been fumbling at his waist, now handed over a rolled parchment.
The imperial crest, a sword piercing a golden sun, was stamped on it, suggesting it was a document directly from the emperor.
‘If it’s a document the emperor would send to Labyrinth at this time, there’s only one possibility.’
I respectfully received the parchment with both hands and unrolled it. As expected.
It was a document recommending participation in the ‘Prayer Ceremony to Prevent the Revival of the Evil Dragon’ to be held at the upcoming festival.
In the empire, a red moon appeared once each in summer and winter.
Called the Ruby Moon, it was said to strengthen the power of the evil dragon, and in the early days of the empire’s founding, people greatly feared this time.
‘They were in an uproar, thinking the evil dragon might revive.’
When people were so gripped by fear that normal daily life became impossible, the imperial family took special measures.
They began holding a prayer ceremony hoping the evil dragon wouldn’t revive every time the Ruby Moon appeared, while also holding a grand festival.
People who had been afraid, saying the evil dragon would awaken in anger, began to enjoy the festival one by one as years and decades passed, for nothing can withstand the flow of time.
Now that the fear of the evil dragon had completely subsided, many people looked forward to the Ruby Moon.
‘The festival is one thing, but the ceremony… it’s really boring and uninteresting.’
But this was a society with a strict class system. If the Emperor says to do it, you have to do it, what choice is there?
Inwardly sighing, I picked up the magic quill Raynous handed me.
After writing whether Labyrinth would participate in the ceremony next to where its name was written-
[Labyrinth – Attending]
I checked the attendance of other families, that is, the three families that contributed to defeating the evil dragon, excluding the Argentime imperial family.
[Justice – Attending]
[Abschlecter – Not Attending]
[Puritana – Attending]
It was just as I knew from the original story.
Since the charming Apschuletty never appeared in the original work, it seems only three families will attend the festival this year too.
‘I think Tirielle did something during the festival.’
But since I had focused only on Siella and skimmed through the rest, I couldn’t recall immediately. What had happened-
I rolled up the parchment and handed it back to Raynous while trying to recall the original story.
And the moment I saw Raynous’s face, I realized.
‘Raynous transformed into the evil dragon in a crowded place.’
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