Ray stared intently at Naro.
Memory. What traces would that vanished memory contain? If he could find his memory and stay with Naro and protect him, there was no reason not to search for it.
Perhaps a fragment of his own memory—someone’s life slowly fading away in his arms and warmth that had turned cold.
He had to find his memory to protect Naro, to know for certain who he was. But contradictorily, he also felt he didn’t want to find it. He had a strange feeling that if the forgotten memories returned, he would somehow lose his current self. If that really happened, what kind of eyes would Naro look at him with?
‘Isn’t that because there’s been a change of heart?’
Would it change? Would the appearance of Naro he’d seen until now disappear and would Naro treat him with an unfamiliar attitude? If so, wouldn’t it be better to give up on memories and everything else and just take Naro somewhere far away?
Naro had said it might be absolutely necessary work to stay together, but what if they went somewhere no one knew? If he tied Naro up tight so he couldn’t go anywhere and they lived together just the two of them, maybe they could be together forever no matter what happened.
“…i.”
“…”
“Ray!”
Light slowly seeped into Ray’s eyes that had been dying black. At the same time, the black and sticky thoughts that had filled his head disappeared in an instant like snow melting in sunlight. A clear face very much like the sunlight seeping in through the carriage window filled his entire vision.
Ray looked at Naro, who was silently examining him.
“Don’t worry! Everything will be fine.”
Naro grinned.
“…Yeah.”
He was like sunlight. Warm and gentle. Melting away any wounds, negative emotions, or traces without leaving anything behind. That’s why no matter what happened, he wanted to protect him so he wouldn’t get hurt, so he wouldn’t be sad.
To Ray, Naro was that kind of existence.
***
“Um… My lady, what is all this…?”
Naro, who had entered one of the estate’s rooms, looked at Mellian with a flustered face. In the space somewhat smaller than Mellian’s room, several servants from this estate were waiting, and in front of them, quite a lot of banquet attire was prepared. Besides that, numerous accessories that reflected light and sparkled hurt his eyes just looking at them.
“You heard from Hayla, right? These are the children I’m taking to the banquet, so prepare them properly.”
“Yes, my lady.”
“They’ll take care of the preparations.”
Mellian said, looking at Naro.
“What about Ray?”
“He’s in the room right next door.”
It seemed they were preparing separately to save time. As soon as Naro nodded, the servants approached. At their examining gazes as they said “excuse us” and looked him over, Naro’s Adam’s apple bobbed involuntarily. Right after Mellian gave instructions and left, that preparation began.
Nobles gather at banquets. And they come meticulously adorned from head to toe, not missing a single spot. It was to maintain formality and also to show off to others. Ray’s words that wealthy people gathered to be extravagant were accurate.
They wore not only jewels and accessories that commoners couldn’t buy even if they saved money their entire lives, but also clothing made to fit perfectly by excellent tailors using high-quality fabric that was difficult to obtain.
Rather, if someone dressed modestly and attended a banquet, gossip would immediately flow. Saying that family must be running out of money these days, or aren’t they ashamed, and so on.
That’s what gatherings of nobles were like.
“How is it?”
As a reader who had devoured many fantasy novels, Naro fully understood that part well. But now that it had become his own affair, he just couldn’t adapt to it.
In the mirror the servant held up, some unfamiliar man was sitting. His hair was half pulled back so his forehead was slightly visible and fixed that way, and the clothing wrapping around his body felt so clingy to his skin, showing just how good the fabric was.
Over navy blue pants that appeared black at first glance, he wore a shirt of a similar color. And over that, he wore a white vest and fastened the buttons.
Just how skilled was the tailor who made these clothes—even each golden button had intricate patterns engraved on them. Finally, Naro’s gaze, now wearing an outer coat the exact same color as the vest, naturally went to his chest.
The brooch attached there was flower-shaped. The petals were greenish gemstones, and gold actually wrapped around their edges.
Naro couldn’t help but look at his own appearance unfamiliarly. It was truly his first time in his life being adorned like this.
“Um… isn’t this a bit excessive?”
“Not at all.”
The servant waiting behind firmly shook his head. As if that much was necessary.
“I don’t think it really suits me.”
When Naro smiled awkwardly, the servants waiting behind exchanged glances with each other. As if they didn’t understand those words at all. Because right now, Naro’s appearance was undoubtedly that of a young noble master itself. Even if he were said to be the youngest son born into some count’s family, raised preciously with plenty of love from parents and siblings, a lovely young master—it wouldn’t be awkward at all.
The clothing with white accents overall highlighted Naro’s fair and fine skin even more while emphasizing his characteristically clear atmosphere.
“It’s time. Let’s head down now.”
“Ah, yes.”
Naro came out to the hallway, trying hard to adapt to the awkward sensations felt all over his body. Just then, Ray also walked out from the next room.
“Ah, Ray…”
Naro, who spotted him first, raised his hand cheerfully, but the hand lifted in the air stopped abruptly at an awkward height.
Unlike Naro, who had color point accents of dark and white top and bottom, Ray was dressed in all black clothing from head to toe.
Over a pure white shirt, he wore an outer coat directly without a vest and fastened the buttons. Unlike Naro, who had a wide white cord crossed in an X-shape and fixed as a necktie, Ray had a thin cord wrapped around his shirt collar and fixed with a brooch embedded with pure white gemstones.
Gold embroidery was sewn into the black clothing to add luxury, and the belt wrapped around as if fixing his waist had a deep golden color.
Thanks to the belt fixing his upper garment, Ray’s long legs stood out especially more. Above all, his deep black hair was completely swept back to fully reveal his forehead, and his face was perfect like a carefully sculpted statue.
Naro stared at Ray blankly. He was frowning as if uncomfortable dressed like this, and thanks to that, Ray’s characteristic coolness and chill felt even stronger.
Whether he felt Naro’s blatant gaze or instinctively noticed that Naro was standing there, Ray turned his head. The moment their green eyes met, Naro caught his breath.
It was the gaze he’d always seen, but today it felt different. As if a small lush forest had entered those eyes intact, his breath caught at those mysterious and enigmatic green eyes.
“Naro!”
Ray’s face, which had been frowning just moments ago, brightened instantly. And then he ran to Naro like a puppy following its master.
“Naro, you’re cute. It suits you well.”
“…”
“Naro?”
“Ah, yeah. Thanks. It suits you well too, Ray.”
Even while speaking as if calm, Naro bowed his head deeply. At the servant’s words that they should head down now, Naro quickly turned his body and stepped on the stairs first without even making eye contact with Ray.
‘This is trouble.’
Naro muttered inwardly and scratched the back of his neck unnecessarily. The body heat felt through his palm was a bit hot.
Mellian had also dressed up fully to match today’s banquet. Her hair was tied low in one style, and she wore a light purple dress that matched her purple hair.
With the servants’ help, Mellian saw the two people who had finished preparing for the banquet and nodded satisfactorily. Saying that to this extent, no one would doubt they were members of a ducal family.
Mellian didn’t forget to take the herbs Naro had prepared for her before properly leaving the estate.
The place where today’s banquet was being held was the Keitner Marquis family’s estate. Though not as much as the Hernia Ducal House, it was still a family with some prestige within the Empire.
While riding in the carriage, Naro kept staring only out the window. To be precise, it wasn’t easy to look toward Ray. It seemed like he could feel a blatant gaze from the back of his head, but he just ignored it.
The closer they got to the estate, the more carriages from other families became visible. The carriage slowly stopped in front of the estate, and Naro, Ray, and Mellian got off together.
Mellian had a resolute expression. He’d worried whether she might be scared prematurely, but right now her face was like that of a knight standing before a battlefield.
“Alright, let’s go.”
Even while saying that, Mellian couldn’t hastily move her feet.
“Yes, my lady. D-don’t be nervous. It’ll be fine.”
“Nervous? When did I, did I say I was nervous?”
Naro and Mellian were standing side by side, stammering. Whether it was the person saying not to be nervous or the person saying they weren’t nervous at all—both were exactly the same. Anyone could see they were unmistakably people trembling with nervousness.
Only Ray among them was perfectly fine alone. Even with another family’s grand estate right before his eyes, he showed not a single change in expression.
