By Zephyria I played ten games, winning six, losing three, and drawing one.
After spending the summer by the sea and the autumn on the beach, winter arrived.
I heard news of a major incident in Grimsvein. However, as Ivan had instructed, I had little to do besides sending a few letters to Sierren’s capital and diligently receiving and signing reports before sending them back.
The Crowell Merchant Guild, which had focused on Mana Stones and minerals, suffered immense damage, but the Eldos Merchant Guild was largely unharmed. This was thanks to Ivan, who had advised me to stay out of the conflict between the First Prince and the Second Prince while the Second Prince was away from the capital, leading me to temporarily halt long-distance trade.
My father was furious that I had to leave the capital during such a busy and difficult time. Still, he did not tell me to brave the fierce winter winds and return. If a monster were to appear on the road, I would be as good as dead, so it was only right that I return with as many knights as possible during good weather.
If it weren’t for that damned golden island, I could have returned by ship, but with nothing resolved, that was merely a pipe dream.
When spring comes next year, I will finally leave Yulan.
Now, I no longer feel scared or shrink back when standing before Ivan. Whether I behave myself or act boisterously, Ivan always doted on me. Perhaps his vision is a bit impaired… It seems true, but I decided to just let it go, thinking that love is just like that. Now that I’ve started finding Ivan cute too, it’s even.
I’ve also grown quite fond of the people I met in Yulan.
Among Nova’s three children, Ella, Rio, and Finn, Finn, the youngest, now clings to me from afar, asking to be carried on my shoulders or held. Windy, an informant for the Nobility Yearbook, would often visit for dinner when she had free time and enjoy card games. Mar, a eccentric doctor and Mage, would sometimes bring very strangely flavored candies to tease the children.
Paul had become particularly close with one of the sailors. She seemed to be in turmoil lately, knowing she would have to part with her as well if I were to leave Yulan. Even if I considered establishing a Yulan branch, Eldos did not have the capacity for it, so I could only feel sorry for her in my heart.
And so, as each day passed peacefully, on the night of January 27th.
Windy burst into my bedroom through the window.
Informant for the Nobility Yearbook or not, she had lived as an innkeeper in Yulan for a long time. When entering a building, she would normally open the front door. Fortunately, it wasn’t too late into the night, and I was dressed, so I was spared an embarrassing situation. I let go of the pillow I had picked up, thinking I was about to strike a thief, and cursed inwardly.
Unlike me, who was startled, Ivan sat up in bed and asked nonchalantly.
“Did you receive news?”
“Palmir by noon tomorrow. For the exact location, follow the person wearing a hat with a green feather at Palmir’s south gate.”
“And who is coming?”
“I cannot say.”
“Thank you.”
“…Yes. Well, you’ll do well, I’m sure… Good luck.”
She appeared like the wind and then left through the window again. This was on the second floor. Did she really break in just to say that one sentence and then leave? No matter how many times I saw or heard about the affairs of the Nobility Yearbook, I could never get used to it.
However, Ivan looked quite pleased.
“I’ll get to see you dressed up properly for the first time in a while.”
“…Who… are we going to see?”
“I’ve been continuously contacting informants from the Nobility Yearbook and relaying stories about the Golden Turtle, the Mermaid legend, and the shipwrecked ship, haven’t I?”
“Yes? Yes. You did. But so far, no one…”
“It seems the bait I’ve cast for a long time has finally caught a fish. And it seems to be quite a big one.”
“…Yes?”
“It might even be someone I know.”
“…What?”
“Windy mentioned a title she couldn’t speak of, which means it’s at least a Duke. As far as I know, everyone with such a title has a clear whereabouts, except for one person.”
“…And who is that one person…?”
“That… I’m not entirely sure. But I suspect some rather handsome people might be coming.”
Ivan put his arm around my neck. As I leaned my cheek against his shoulder, he squeezed my cheek firmly and said something absurd and mischievous.
“Don’t fall for them. You’re mine.”
“What… What nonsense are you saying? Do I look like someone who would be swayed by titles?”
“Who knows.”
“…What worries me is, simply, that I’m a bit lacking in manners… If I happen to be rude.”
“Don’t worry about that. Just by being there, I’ll handle everything.”
Wow, fuck.
No… No, this is insane.
How can a person look like this? Is this even human?
I forced my gaping mouth shut. Then I forgot how to breathe.
On a platform three steps higher than me, two men sat side by side.
The man on the left had lustrous, cotton-candy-pink hair. Each strand of his curly hair, scattered across his white forehead, was shaped with the precision of a master craftsman.
His eyebrows, resting above his deep-set eyes, and his long, lush eyelashes were also a delicate pink. Even his lips, located beneath his sharp nose, were a fresh and beautiful pink.
The moisture in his watery eyes, as they gazed at me, was so clear it was indescribable. The seas I had seen my entire life were not seas at all. The real sea was here. It was a sea full of sunlight on a clear day.
Every feature was so radiant and fairy-like, yet he was undeniably male. How was that possible? After blinking three times, I barely managed to notice that he was tall and had broader shoulders than others.
This is the blessing of the First Goddess. Such a beautiful person should exist in this world with a slightly larger volume. If only she had made him up to 30 meters tall, so that everyone passing by could behold this benevolent face.
And what about the man on the right?
While the pink-haired man’s beauty and radiance momentarily stole my attention, this man also far surpassed the bounds of humanity. I couldn’t believe such a deep black color could exist in the world. Just looking at him for a moment made my vision go dark, leaving me dazed.
His hair, as black as obsidian, was grown past his chest. Even with such long hair, he didn’t give off a androgynous or feminine impression at all.
Beneath his dark eyebrows, his sharp eyes, his razor-like nose, and his jawline were all strong, strong, and strong. Yet, when combined, they were surprisingly not overwhelming. Perhaps it was because his pale, cool skin had a faint blush like flower petals, or perhaps it was the tired look beneath his eyes, like makeup, that added to his decadent charm, but I couldn’t tell.
Everything Ivan had considered the epitome of nobility until now felt like a lie. With every glance, gesture, and movement of the man seated there, an elegant grace emanated, pressing down on me. It was an oppressive presence that made one’s head bow involuntarily.
Frozen in place, unable to even breathe properly, let alone perform the greeting Ivan had taught me, the man, who looked like a spring flower fairy with his large eyes blinking and looking back and forth between me and Ivan, suddenly smiled brightly, so brightly it was almost blindingly white.
Ah, fuck, my heart.
“You… No, no. Why is Ivan here?”
“Didn’t you hear the news? We’re here for our honeymoon and work. This person here is my wife.”
…What?
What did he say? No, is that… is that a familiar fairy?
No, is that a familiar person?
Ivan, you bastard. How could you do this to me? No, if you had told me beforehand that you were going to meet someone this beautiful, I would have prepared myself. But then again, even with preparation, it’s not the kind of face one can be ready for.
The fairy, no, the man with the brilliant pink hair, who had been looking at me at Ivan’s words, tilted his head. Oh, what should I do? I feel like I should apologize for startling him.
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Michael Ernhardt.”
“…Yes. I am Sienna Bicov.”
Wow, fuck… His voice is incredible too. Did I sound too much like a squeaky mouse? My legs felt like giving out, but seeing Ivan’s brow furrow slightly, I bit my tongue to hold back. Right, I was a married woman. But isn’t it a merchant’s fate to be mesmerized by expensive and precious works of art…
Wait a minute, Ernhardt?
The Michael Ernhardt who was the cause of Ivan wearing a magic defense artifact?
Now I finally understood. If I had been able to see such a face up close throughout my academy days, would it have mattered whether I was big or small, looked like a squid or a grasshopper? It’s a relief. That my husband sees me as cute, at least.
I suppressed the urge to grab Ivan’s forearm and cling to him, thanking him for accepting me.
As I held myself back, the marble statue who had been sitting quietly stood up.
“It’s been a while. I should have recognized you immediately upon hearing your name, but I didn’t consider that you would have succeeded to the title and changed your surname. May I call you Baron Bicov now, instead of Young Master Holmos?”
“Yes. Well, I left the capital immediately after receiving the baronetcy, so it’s natural that you two wouldn’t recognize me. I don’t mind.”
How could someone answer so brazenly when faced with such an overwhelmingly imposing presence? Ivan is truly amazing. As I watched him, a thought struck me with a gasp.
Ivan had clearly said that his friend Michael would become… involved with the Second Prince. And that they had climbed the Yuil Mountains together… Then, then is the man before me now royalty? Is he the Second Prince?
Having come from Sierren’s capital, I had seen portraits of royalty countless times. The man in the portraits also had black hair and black eyes, but he looked a hundred times more gentle and kind than the man before me. No, did the portrait artist draw them with their feet? How was I supposed to recognize this man from that painting? It’s truly absurd.
Silently scolding the royal portrait artist, I widened my eyes to prevent myself from shedding tears. I remembered how to breathe and recalled how to blink.
While I was lost in a daze, Ivan and the Second Prince exchanged words. So lost was I that their conversation sounded like this:
Woof woof woof.
Hum hum hum.
Woof woof woof.
Chirp chirp chirp.
Then Ivan tugged at my sleeve. So I walked. After walking for a short while, I found myself sitting on a sofa…
The sofa in the Eldos Merchant Guild was a precious item, bought for five gold coins, but sitting here, my backside felt like it was melting. I wondered how much this sofa cost. I felt like I wouldn’t even notice if someone moved me to the bottom of the sea. I was completely out of my mind.
Sitting closer, they looked even more beautiful and handsome.
When would I ever see such faces again? Looking at them for a long time, I felt like my eyes would improve. Not my eyesight, but rather, my discernment, which would help me choose gems.
Not wanting to miss a single second, I diligently looked at Mikael and the Prince. Mikael’s eyes met mine often, making it hard to stare for too long, but the Prince never once looked my way, allowing me to admire him more comfortably.
Woof hum woof.
Chirp hum hum.
Wing wing ong.
Woof woof woof.
The voices that had seemed distant suddenly entered my ears when Ivan brought up a hypothesis he hadn’t bothered to explain to me before.
“In my opinion, it’s closer to Spirit Arts than Magic.”
“Spirit Arts?”
…Spirit Arts?