Rou was unquestionably the most conspicuous person at the hunting festival. It was partly because of his appearance that shone even without adornment, but also because the clothes he wore today were quite flamboyant. He, who always enjoyed long white ceremonial robes or achromatic attire, had appeared today wearing red clothes.
The red ceremonial robe was a fabric favored by noble young masters. Gold embroidery was placed on every collar, and around his waist was tied a long pale lemon-colored silk the exact same color as Rou’s hair. The sash that fluttered in the soft breeze every time Rou walked kept making people turn to look at him.
Since the hunting festival was held in the middle of the forest, there wasn’t a strict dress code. However, since they had to spend time continuously outdoors, many people wore clothing that emphasized mobility.
Since Rou wasn’t wearing High Priest ceremonial robes that came down to his ankles, in a way it could be seen as less restrictive on his movement compared to usual, but no one else had come wearing flamboyant and expensive clothing like Rou to a place where mud and blood could splatter at any time or place.
Naturally, among the modest attire, Rou shone the brightest by far. Saying his appearance was exactly like a flower blooming among weeds, Jes looked at him more contentedly than anyone. The High Priest was as good as a walking temple. What he said, what he wore and ate—every single one of his actions represented the temple.
The High Priest was deeply knowledgeable about scripture and had deep faith, so there was no worry he would let slip strange words outside. His eating was at a level where it would be good if he put anything in his mouth, so it wasn’t a subject of concern.
The problem was the High Priest’s clothing. He couldn’t stand stiff clothing or stuffy fabrics. Because fatigue showed directly on that beautiful face, Jes couldn’t stop the High Priest from wandering around fluttering in long tunics.
But today, for some reason, the High Priest had a change of heart and enthusiastically chose clothing together with Jes.
“Jes. After the hunting festival ends today, I’ll need to wear ceremonial robes and offer the burnt offering, right?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Jes answered somewhat fearfully. The ceremonial robe was a long garment that fell straight from the shoulders, completely concealing the priest’s body shape. Though it didn’t cling to the body, its material was stiff and thick, making it truly uncomfortable to move in.
If the High Priest said he didn’t like even this, what should he procure, would wearing something else not violate the ceremony, wouldn’t others gossip behind his back—Jes had countless worries in a short time.
“Then can I change into these ceremonial robes before offering the burnt offering? I… red… I want to wear red clothes.”
It was the first time the High Priest had requested something first. Thanks to that, Jes had a more moved expression than when Rou had said anything before. Between his thickly grown white eyebrows, his vivid green eyes gleamed. He was more sincere than anyone about making the High Priest stand out.
Along with the feeling of blood rushing, his mind began to spin brilliantly.
‘Has the High Priest finally learned to utilize what he was born with!’
It wasn’t easy not to ruin clothes at the hunting festival. Whether splashed with mud kicked up by a rival in high society or covered in dust, for some reason, the clothes worn that day would never be worn again. So coming in clothes with gold embroidery was an extremely extravagant thing.
At the same time, it was also an opportunity to show the world how abundant the temple was (despite the Emperor’s persecution), how lofty the High Priest’s dignity was (despite the Emperor’s verbal abuse), and how beautiful the High Priest was. Jes couldn’t let this pass.
Fearing the High Priest might change his mind, Jes left saying he understood and hurriedly disappeared, taking Yan along. He then brought back all kinds of red clothing and laid them out before Rou. What Rou chose among them was the clothing most similar in color to Brukisel’s eyes.
The red that seemed to blaze captured Rou’s eyes the moment he saw it.
Thus, due to a single remark Brukisel had let slip and Jes’s fanatical desire, Rou, who was already conspicuous, monopolized everyone’s gaze today.
‘Everyone, look at the High Priest!’
Jes straightened his shoulders and thrust out his chest. Though he hadn’t given birth to him, watching made him feel proud and his heart swell as if he had borne him in his heart. If Rou knew, he would be taken aback considering their age difference, but regardless, Jes felt that way.
And entirely contrary to Jes’s intentions, the nobles gained certainty from that clothing. Most of the nobles invited to the hunting festival were also those invited to ‘the day when the sun is most intense.’ The rumors that had been circulating secretly about what might have happened between the Emperor and the High Priest on the swaying ship were accepted as fact even with the smallest clue.
The High Priest was wearing red clothes. He was clearly conscious of the Emperor. So were they really in that kind of relationship? Those who liked to gossip behind backs rolled their eyes diligently.
Rou looked around. The nobles’ speculation was somewhat correct. Because he had worn red clothes for Brukisel. He wanted to show it to Brukisel and hear what he thought.
In the distance, Brukisel was approaching on a black horse. While others were startled and bowed their heads, Rou just blankly watched him approach. Brukisel’s thighs mounted on the horse’s back looked so solid.
He was wearing riding breeches, so the split muscles subtly showed through. Even though the pants had no sheen, to that degree—he wanted to see them in person. While Rou watched Brukisel’s legs as if entranced, Brukisel had already approached right in front of Rou.
He was the Emperor and had to announce the start of the hunting festival, so he had approached in front of the nobles, but Rou’s passionate gaze made him hesitate. For some reason Rou was staring at his thighs with hot eyes. Brukisel slightly turned the horse’s head so that Rou would look at his left thigh.
“Let us begin the hunting festival.”
There was a tradition that continued every year among the hunting festival participants. One of them was that to be recognized as having participated, they had to return to the altar by the time the sunset began, starting at noon when the sun was at the center of the sky. It was to prevent the abuse of going too deep into the forest to catch bigger game.
When Brukisel announced the start, the young blood boiling with competitive spirit rushed into the forest all at once without exception. What remained were only noble young ladies who had come to cheer on their knights or noble men whose bellies were too large to ride horses.
Brukisel tried to dash off for his own reasons, but was blocked because Rou was standing firm in front of the horse’s head. Brukisel, remembering Rou who had been sending suspicious glances earlier, pulled the reins and backed away.
“Move. Unless you want to be trampled.”
Brukisel spoke in a half-threatening tone. And he was a little surprised by his own words. He was concerned about how Rou, who had been sending suspicious glances, might take his words strangely.
But Brukisel’s threats couldn’t stop Rou, who had something he absolutely needed to hear from him. Moreover, Rou, whose head was no different from a garden in full bloom, thought Brukisel was concerned he might get hurt.
Rou stroked the horse’s mane once. The black horse had a lustrous, long, luxuriant mane that looked quite splendid even to Rou’s eyes. That black horse was rolling its large brown eyes, looking at Rou. Rou smiled at the horse.
After receiving Rou’s touch once, the black horse immediately lowered its head and paid respect to the Goddess’s spirit creature. It was possible because animals had keener senses than humans. Though Brukisel was perplexed by his horse’s strange behavior, he was originally someone who wasn’t greatly disturbed by most things anyway. And given the High Priest’s track record, nothing that happened would be surprising.
“It seems to be telling me to mount. May I?”
“How could that be. I’m going to the hunting grounds.”
Though he planned to show himself covered in blood, taking Rou there was absolutely out of the question.
It wasn’t that he was worried about him getting hurt. He had to catch all the game he could, but if Rou was riding in front, he would clearly only be a hindrance. Moreover, Rou’s gaze was particularly insolent today.
“Rise, Charles.”
The black horse, which had quite an elegant name for a horse, raised its head at Brukisel’s command. However, it snorted once, dissatisfied. Before Charles could dash into the forest, Rou quickly whispered in Charles’s large ear.
“Charles, please take good care of your master.”
Charles blinked its large eyes twice as if to say not to worry and swished its tail twice on both sides, then immediately dashed off when Brukisel kicked its flank. Rou stood in place and saw him off until the forest shadows concealed Brukisel’s figure.
And for the nobles who had nothing to do but gossip and play cards because they weren’t riding horses, that scene was too precious a spectacle.
‘Did you see that?’
‘I saw it.’
‘That’s the horse, right? The wild horse His Imperial Majesty the Emperor tamed and brought back as spoils of war from the battlefield.’
‘Yes. I heard that if it’s a human hand, it trembles so much that there are dozens of stable keepers who’ve collapsed after being kicked by its hind legs?’
But contrary to those rumors, before Rou the black horse was as gentle as a well-trained dog. It even lowered its head to carry the High Priest despite the Emperor being mounted on it. As if it were natural for the two to ride together.
‘How much must the two have enjoyed riding together for that horse to lower its head first?’
‘Indeed.’
The nobles covered their mouths and whispered. Coincidentally, Jes, who had been watching the private meeting between the Emperor and High Priest with an anxious face, was beside them. It was a good opportunity to confirm the facts.
