Even after ending the kiss that tasted like water, the hand tracing my nape didn’t leave. Discovering people in the distance holding towels and change of clothes, not knowing what to do, embarrassment suddenly rose.
“What’s so embarrassing every time?”
Pointing out that fact was the most shameful. When I tried to create even a little distance, His Highness didn’t tolerate even that. Rather, as if to make me even more embarrassed, he lifted me up. Unable to even recognize it as presumptuous, I flailed, but it was useless.
“It’s difficult when you struggle.”
It wasn’t that he might drop me, just that I would be uncomfortable. With His Highness’s strength and sense of balance, there was no way he’d drop me no matter what I did here.
‘It wasn’t fear of falling that made me embarrassed, but that a fully grown adult was being carried.’
I also knew well that His Highness couldn’t possibly not know that. I lowered my head and whispered in his ear so he’d put me down.
“Please put me down quickly. Other people are watching.”
“You might have hurt your ankle when you fell. I can’t until I confirm you’re okay.”
“I’m perfectly fine.”
“If only I could believe those words.”
His Highness, who had emerged from the lake, received the towel Sir Ken handed him, spread it on the grass, and sat me on it. Then he really thoroughly examined my ankle.
“It doesn’t hurt even when I move it like this?”
“I’m really perfectly fine.”
I hadn’t even twisted it, my foot had just gotten stuck in the mud. When I was Tienas, I’d pretend I wasn’t hurt even when I was, but since becoming Aila, I didn’t think I’d done that, so it was really unfair to be suspected like this. Moreover, perhaps because we’d just been kissing, I became unnecessarily conscious of the hand tracing from my ankle to my anklebone.
“That’s fortunate.”
But when he smiled so innocently like this, I ended up reproaching myself for having unnecessary thoughts. When I carefully withdrew my foot, this time His Highness also easily stepped back.
“If I said I’d help you change clothes too, you’d run away.”
“Pardon? Yes. I can change by myself.”
“Of course you can. I just meant I wanted to do it for you.”
When he spoke like that, my heart instantly weakened. I was certain that if this weren’t outside, I would have told him to do so.
“I’ll change quickly.”
“There’s no need to rush.”
I grabbed the clothes and entered the bushes as if fleeing. Actually, when going to war or subjugation, I’d strip off clothes carelessly among knights, but somehow it felt like I shouldn’t do that now.
‘Even in the past when His Highness was present, I hesitated, well.’
I made excuses to myself while hurriedly changing clothes. Perhaps because my mind was rushed, my hands and feet didn’t move as intended, but I was able to finish changing at a speed that wouldn’t seem strange. It was fortunate it was casual clothes with little decoration.
“Come here.”
His Highness, who had changed long ago, called me while holding a new towel. When I obediently approached, he sat me on the grass and gently patted my hair with the towel. This too should have been embarrassing to show others, but since I could feel His Highness’s fingers stroking my long hair intermittently, I decided to pretend not to notice and enjoy it. Perhaps due to the warm sunlight, I felt slightly drowsy, and sleepiness found me like a ghost. I tried not to fall asleep, but I couldn’t help closing my eyes.
“You’re like a cat.”
“Me?”
At the word cat, something suddenly came to mind, but perhaps because I was sleepy, I only had a vague feeling of almost grasping it, with nothing clear. In the meantime, His Highness seemed to have finished drying my hair and put away the towel.
“It seems difficult to play in the water more, so shall we go together to the hill where we can see the plaza at a glance?”
“As long as you don’t say you’ll carry me again, I’ll do that.”
A somewhat sulky tone popped out, surprising even myself. I looked up, worried His Highness might have been offended. But His Highness looked no different than usual—no, even to my oblivious eyes, he seemed to be in a good mood.
“Alright. Get up carefully.”
On the path from the lake to the hill, we met many people. There were those laughing and chattering excitedly, and a child who seemed to have been scolded for throwing a tantrum and was bursting into tears. I’d rarely looked around a village like this in my life, so it was very unfamiliar. Perhaps even more so because of the festive atmosphere.
The hill within the village wasn’t too steep, befitting its name. However, we did have to walk longer than expected. Had we walked uphill for about 10 minutes when His Highness took my hand and asked.
“Aren’t you tired?”
“I’m a knight too.”
In my heart I wanted to say I could even carry His Highness up, but I decided not to show off since it might be a bit difficult with Aila’s body. Of course, even if I’d said that, there was no way His Highness would truly let me carry him.
“Right. It’s not that I don’t know that, but I said it hoping you’d exaggerate.”
“I’m really fine.”
“I’ll have to make it so you can’t say you’re fine.”
Without that word, there really wasn’t much I could say. Unable to answer, I walked quietly, and His Highness also only gently stroked the hand he was holding without continuing further.
“We’ve arrived.”
“Wow.”
Had we walked a bit more like that when we reached the summit—though it was an embarrassing height to call a summit. Perhaps it was a place well-known to the locals, as several families who seemed to be on picnics were visible. However, they were busy talking among themselves and didn’t particularly give attention to the newcomers.
“Look over there.”
Following those words, when I shifted my gaze, the village bustling with the festival came into view at a glance. I felt my chest opening up, and suddenly recalled when I’d gone to subjugate magical beasts with His Highness before. Just as I was about to end the day without much emotion as always, His Highness had whispered to look at the sky. That day’s sky was full of stars, and I realized for the first time that it had been so long since I’d looked up at the sky. And this time too, I realized I hadn’t seen such everyday sights even once since becoming Aila.
“For you right now, outside is safer than the imperial palace.”
It really was. Just the absence of people whispering while looking at me was reassuring. I’d thought I wasn’t particularly frustrated, but it seemed that wasn’t the case.
“The imperial palace isn’t that bad either.”
“Still, it sounds like here is more comfortable.”
That would be the same for His Highness too. I swallowed those words along with my inner feeling that being by His Highness’s side was the best.
“If Your Highness hadn’t brought me, I wouldn’t have thought to come to a place like this.”
“You only say nice things.”
A slight silence descended after that. I just watched the people below the hill who looked as small as fingernails. Though I didn’t know well what they were doing, everyone was moving busily doing their own work. Seeing them living their lives in their own places, neither adding nor subtracting, just living their own lives, made me feel at ease.
‘To others’ eyes, I must look like that too.’
The fact that my struggling appearance could seem like nothing was slightly sad, but at the same time I also felt very comfortable.
“Sit comfortably.”
“Thank you.”
Perhaps finding my standing still uncomfortable, His Highness said so. Perhaps because my mind was at ease, or because I’d become drowsy after going in the water, the moment I sat down, sleepiness washed over me again.
“I keep… getting sleepy… I apologize.”
“If you’re sleepy, just sleep. You don’t need to be sorry every time.”
Because it sounded just like permission, I didn’t resist the pouring sleep and closed my eyes as I leaned against a tree.
How long had I been like that when suddenly I heard a thud and my body shook, waking me from sleep. The first thing I saw was the sky that had darkened somewhat, and next what entered my eyes was His Highness with his back turned, something red on his shoulder. In front of him was a girl who looked like she’d cry at any moment.
“Oh, uh. I’m sorry.”
Shaking my head slightly to drive away sleep, I grasped the situation. It seemed the child had been running with tomato juice and spilled it on His Highness.
‘Come to think of it, in the foresight His Highness’s shoulder was wet with red. It wasn’t that he was hit with a tomato, but this is why.’
I was in a daze before looking back at the escort knights. They all seemed to be checking whether the child had some other ulterior motive.
“It’s okay, so there’s no need to cry like that.”
His Highness himself seemed to be soothing the child with an unconcerned face while giving her something.
“Can I really eat this?”
“Yes. But from next time, you can’t run while holding food. It’s dangerous for you too.”
“Okay.”
The child now blushed and glanced at His Highness’s face. It wouldn’t be too surprising if that child’s first love became His Highness.
“Are you all right?”
“Did you wake up? It’s nothing.”
Hearing my voice, the child peeked out her head curiously, but because His Highness naturally moved his body to block, she didn’t seem to see me.
“Then go along now.”
“Okaaay.”
The child still seemed to have many curiosities, but at His Highness’s firm voice, she reluctantly left the spot slowly.
“You could have avoided it, so why did you just let it happen?”
“If I’d avoided it, the child seemed like she’d fall. I remembered the old days and couldn’t just let it be.”
I wondered if he’d recalled his childhood, but His Highness didn’t seem like he would have made such a mistake no matter how young he was.
“And there’s no need to show off even outside the imperial palace.”
“That’s not showing off…”
I tried to object but closed my mouth. It was only a few hours ago that I’d thought His Highness might also be more comfortable in this moment than life inside the imperial palace, just like me. Even then, it was a situation with several escort knights waiting nearby, but that was unavoidable.
“Shall we head back now?”
“Yes.”
However, we couldn’t be like this forever. Since I’d been taught that if you enjoy something, you must also fulfill your responsibilities, I’d thought there was nothing to regret even if it was disappointing. But for the first time, I had a different thought.
‘What if His Highness and I had grown up ordinarily in a neighborhood like this?’
Only the foolish thought that I would have fallen in love with His Highness anyway came to mind, with no other thoughts arising.
“Let’s go back.”
* * *
And that night, an event occurred that seemed to indicate the daytime peace had been a dream.
“I think I need to go out for a bit.”
It was because a report had come up that a magical beast had appeared near civilian houses.
