It was a peaceful morning that made the patience and irritation of the previous night seem meaningless. Rosetta greeted Seoho, who had woken up at a time neither too late nor too early, and shared breakfast with him.
After the meal, Rosetta was observing Seoho, who sat in a plush chair bathed in sunlight, reading a book.
His clearly shining eyes, his fingers with beautiful lines turning the pages.
Rustle, rustle-.
His lips forming a subtle smile as if he had found an interesting part. His plump lips pronouncing a sentence several times when there was a phrase he liked.
Just watching him created a peaceful and warm atmosphere.
‘Nice.’
When a smile leaked from his lips and he unconsciously let out a small laugh, Seoho, who had been concentrating on his book, raised his head and met eyes with Rosetta.
Then he smiled following Rosetta’s smile. Though he liked those eyes that looked at him without forgetting his presence, Rosetta, who didn’t want to disturb his time, gestured at the book with his eyes.
‘Just wait a little.’
Seoho pointed to the few remaining pages and moved his lips, then concentrated on the book again.
Just as Rosetta emptied his lukewarm teacup once more, Seoho closed the book with a snap and let out a languid breath.
Feeling the satisfaction contained in that breath, Rosetta asked.
“Was the book good?”
“Yes. It was fun. I like mystery novels, and the wordplay that came up occasionally was also fun.”
“I’m glad it was fun.”
Rosetta made sure to remember the author of the book Seoho had read well. Seoho, who had been pleasantly immersed in the afterglow, made an apologetic face.
“But you were bored, weren’t you, Rosetta?”
“Bored? I enjoyed it too.”
Watching Seoho was something he never got tired of no matter how much he did it. However, perhaps interpreting his words differently, Seoho gestured at the single sheet of paper in his hand.
“What were you looking at?”
“Mm. Not that I was happy because of this.”
Seoho became interested in the paper in Rosetta’s hand.
“What is it?”
It was something he had to tell Seoho anyway.
“A story about possibilities?”
“What?”
Right on cue, a knock sounded along with Mage Aris’s voice.
“Your Majesty.”
“Come in.”
Since today wasn’t a day with a scheduled lesson, Seoho called to him in surprise.
“Aris?”
Before Aris could answer the call that contained the implicit question of why he was here, Rosetta raised the paper in his hand.
“From now on, Aris will come to the room often even when it’s not for lessons. Seoho, you mentioned a yellow canary before, right?”
“Ah.”
“Do you remember exactly what conversation you had with that bird?”
Seoho, who had made a small sound of contemplation, answered while searching his memory.
“I don’t remember in detail, but it asked my name.”
When Rosetta nodded and looked back at Aris, he opened his mouth.
“It’s theoretically possible for the Prince, who is a mage, to monitor this side through a bird. And if that’s possible, he would be a truly remarkable mage.”
Aris added.
“It might be dangerous to stay in the same palace.”
Rosetta shook his head. Because it was dangerous, they had to be in the same palace.
“Because it’s easier to monitor when we’re in the same palace. And Seoho isn’t just weak either.”
He was grateful once again that the divine power had transferred to Seoho.
‘I don’t know if it’s true, but if Seoho can stay here thanks to divine power, even more so.’
Looking back at Seoho, Aris agreed with Rosetta’s words.
“It’s a fortunate thing.”
“Even if Seoho isn’t conscious of it, if something dangerous happens, the power will instinctively protect Seoho. But I’m anxious about leaving him alone, so, Mage Aris?”
“Yes.”
“You’ll have to act as Seoho’s guard for a while.”
Aris answered as if it were obvious.
“I will do so.”
Then Seoho cautiously spoke up.
“Is that necessary? There are people watching over me nearby.”
Rosetta, who had been looking at Seoho wondering what he meant, recalled the shadows that had been protecting Seoho since the Prince revealed he was a mage.
Rosetta asked with a surprised face.
“…You can sense that?”
“Yes. There are about five of them, right?”
It seemed Seoho had now truly made the divine power his own. Rosetta asked just in case.
“Seoho, can you distinguish all of them?”
“Roughly.”
Fortunately, Seoho gave an affirmative answer. Unsuitably, his faith surged once again.
“Remember them well. Be wary if others who aren’t them appear.”
“What about Aris?”
“It will be safer to be with Aris.”
When even Aris said once more that would be better, Seoho nodded as if he had no choice. And right on cue, a knock sounded, and Puti, who entered the room, approached Rosetta and handed him a letter.
“Prince Iakos says if it’s alright, he’d like to have tea time together.”
“With whom?”
At Rosetta’s question, an obvious answer came back.
“With Seoho-nim.”
“Just the two of them?”
“Yes.”
After receiving permission from Seoho to read the letter, Rosetta opened it.
The content of the letter wasn’t particularly special. It said he would be staying at the Imperial Palace for quite a long time, and since he was grateful for writing the letter to his mother, how about having tea time together?
Though the words written in the postscript were irritating.
“He says let’s meet alone for a comfortable conversation.”
After folding the letter, Rosetta looked back at Aris.
“It shouldn’t matter if he brings a guard.”
Since attendants and guards naturally followed royalty and nobility, he wouldn’t be able to raise any particular objections. At Rosetta’s words, Aris asked as if he couldn’t understand.
“Will you accept the request?”
“If you don’t dislike it, Seoho.”
Rosetta looked at Seoho.
‘There’s nothing dangerous for Seoho right now.’
The fact that the concubine and Seoho were people from the same country had both gains and losses for both sides.
Just as Seoho was interested in the Prince and the concubine, they too had no choice but to be interested in Seoho.
Rosetta recalled the faint affection that had swirled in the Prince’s eyes. He didn’t like that the Prince was interested in Seoho, but if Seoho was safe because of it, Rosetta had no intention of refusing that interest.
“What will you do, Seoho?”
At Rosetta’s question, Seoho, who had been thinking for a moment, answered.
“…I think we need to meet once. It won’t be solved just by avoiding him, and as you said, I have divine power.”
Puti glanced at Rosetta, but Rosetta showed no particular reaction.
“Alright. But if there’s a problem, release your divine power. Then I’ll come find you right away.”
Seoho smiled brightly.
“I will.”
Rosetta sent a letter to the Prince while ignoring the gazes of Puti and Aris, who were looking at him as if asking why he was sending Seoho off so obediently.
Of course, the reason Rosetta personally wrote this letter was also to show the bond between Seoho and Rosetta.
‘Childish, but.’
He wanted to let him know that they were intimate enough to show each other’s letters, and that their relationship was solid enough to accept his proposal even though he had seen this letter.
***
The tea time between the Prince and Seoho, arranged the very next day, took place in a garden where flowers were blooming beautifully. The weather wasn’t very hot, and the flowers in full bloom pleased Seoho’s eyes.
‘He said he’d be in his office, right?’
Rosetta’s office was not far from the garden where Seoho was, and the fact that he was nearby reassured Seoho.
Right, except for the person in front of him, this tea time wasn’t bad.
‘Awkward.’
Although it was a meeting out of necessity, the time with the Prince who had asked to be called Sol couldn’t be entirely comfortable. It was only their second meeting, and seeing him reminded him of the yellow canary.
‘I think he was a bit cold and sharp then.’
The voice he heard through the canary and the current Prince gave off different feelings.
The Prince was a man with a cheerful impression, which seemed to be more because of his smiling face than because of his features.
When expressionless, he looked cool perhaps because of his long eyes and thin lips, but if Rosetta looked splendidly gorgeous overall, the man was a handsome man with a somewhat sharp appearance.
‘The face without a smile actually matches the voice from that time.’
Then once again with a smile, the Prince’s impression changed instantly. His gaze naturally went to his eyes curved round enough that his pupils couldn’t be seen and his cheeks dimpled, when the Prince asked.
“Shall I show you something interesting to get rid of the awkward atmosphere?”
“Something interesting?”
“Yes.”
After thinking for a moment, Seoho slowly nodded. Then the man squinted his eyes and reached out his hand.
Aris, who had been standing behind Seoho, stepped forward and called to the Prince quietly.
“Prince…, Sol-nim?”
“There’s no need to worry. It’s not dangerous.”
The Prince, who said that, raised his hand a bit higher, and with a fluttering sound, a bird flew into his hand.
The Prince smiled slightly and gestured at the bird that had landed on his finger.
“You’ve seen it before, right?”
A yellow canary that had landed on the Prince’s hand. It was what Seoho had been thinking about just moments ago.
As Seoho looked at the Prince in surprise, he added more explanation.
“As I mentioned, I had my eyes in the Imperial Palace. This is it.”
The canary tilting its head on the Prince’s hand was very cute, but Seoho didn’t know how to react.
“…A canary.”
“Doesn’t my voice sound familiar?”
“Are you saying it was you who spoke to me through the bird, Prince?”
“Yes, that’s right. Isn’t it quite interesting? Mm, it would be even better if His Majesty also thought it was interesting.”
Should he call this interesting? Seoho glanced at Aris, but he too seemed flustered by this situation.
To reveal that he himself monitored him through a bird. Truly unpredictable.
