By Zephyria 
It was a gift prepared by Mother. I placed the precious box, about the size of my palm, on the reception room table and pushed it towards the child. The child quickly took the gift and opened the box.
“Before I forget, I’ll give this to you first.”
“Ah, this is what you mentioned in your reply.”
“Yes. It’s the Gift of Faith… and it’s said to be from Valentia and Ernhardt.”
It was a brooch, decorated with clear pink and purple jewels on a branch made by joining gold ore to silver.
It was a precious and weighty symbol, adorned with various valuable additions. Rubel, who calmly examined the jewels resting like fruit on the silver branch, smiled weakly again.
“Gift of Faith…”
“Yes. You’ll know when I show it to you.”
“…Yes. Thank you very much. I’ll wear it well.”
“Yes, and…”
It seemed improper to offer only the symbol from his parents and relatives after promising a gift, so I had brought something extra. I had refused the attendant’s offer to carry it and brought it myself.
When I placed the tiered lunch box on the reception room table, Rubel’s face turned pale.
“Huh?”
“This is from me.”
“This, could it be, is it really…?”
“Yes. It’s time for you to finish the previous one.”
Rubel let out a groan and covered his entire face with both hands.
Perhaps because his head was small, or perhaps because his hands were large. Seeing his lovely face hidden from view, I felt a pang of regret. It was cute and amusing. I couldn’t hold back my laughter.
“No, that…”
“Are there still some left?”
“I… ate it all. I ate it… No, honestly…”
“You must live a long life.”
Rubel glared at me through his fingers. How audacious. Seeing my smiling face, the child eventually chuckled, and I couldn’t help but laugh along.
We sat facing each other and laughed for a long time. It was a great relief.
Ah.
Yes, it was good to see him.
It hadn’t even been a month since we parted so affectionately last time, yet we had so much to talk about that we emptied the teapot twice.
As always, Rubel offered me sweets while talking about various things, and I accepted them as usual.
He said the Imperial Palace was in a state of constant commotion these days, preparing for the Debutante and the new year festival.
The princes’ and princesses’ palaces were relatively free from the chaos, but the Opal Palace, where the party hall for the banquet was located, was undergoing renovations, not just for tapestries and chandeliers, but also for windows and decorations.
Rubel, whom I met at the Imperial Palace, was dressed in fine attire, just as he had been during dance practice before.
While I felt uncomfortable and constricted with every movement in similar attire, Rubel seemed as if he were draped in light feathers. His arm movements and the way he occasionally crossed his legs were incredibly natural.
He’s accustomed to this appearance, these clothes, these poses, I thought, when Rubel, with a hint of nervousness, opened his mouth.
“So… do you perhaps have someone to escort you?”
“Yes.”
I answered casually without much thought, but realizing Rubel had flinched, I quickly added.
“I decided to escort that child, Marianne.”
“Oh… Young Lady Philodendor? …Why?”
“Yes. Last year, he entered with Glotin Tenner, but this year he said he was troubled by not having a partner. There’s no particular reason.”
“Ah… I see.”
I watched Rubel’s hand as he swept his chest. The jeweled ring on the martial artist’s hand scattered a faint light as it caught the sun.
“What about you, Senior?”
“I… still, no one.”
“I see.”
I wondered what expression Rubel had as he replied, but my gaze remained fixed on the ring. Around my neck hung the locket he had given me. I couldn’t forget that the locket had a jewel the same color as that ring.
I felt thirsty. I picked up my teacup again.
“Still, it’s good to see your face like this.”
“…Yes. Me too.”
“Are you only going to show me the reception room?”
“Ah, would you like to see other places too?”
“Yes. Since you’ve lived here for a long time, I’m curious.”
Duke Valentia’s mansion was so grand and had so much to see, how much more would the Second Prince’s Palace have? Rubel’s face brightened as he stood up, and I followed suit.
Rubel hesitated for a moment, then turned to me and smiled beautifully.
Feeling a strange queasiness, I brushed my jaw with one hand, covering my lips.
Rubel quickly asked, “Shall we see the armory first?”
“…Let’s do that.”
I didn’t refuse the child’s consideration.
Rubel said he lived alone in this vast palace. Of course, there were plenty of attendants, but according to custom, the Emperor lived in the Emperor’s Palace, the Empress in the Empress’s Palace, and princes and princesses in their respective palaces. The palaces were so vast that it was rare to see each other without making plans.
When I asked if he wasn’t lonely, given that family and kin live in close proximity, the child couldn’t answer immediately and hesitated.
“Uh… Rubell and I lived in the Empress’s Palace until we were five. So I haven’t really thought about being lonely…”
“Hmm.”
“I don’t remember it well because I was so young… I had a big fifth birthday party and received many gifts, and this palace was also given to me as a birthday present. Since the path to the Empress’s Palace wasn’t blocked, there was no need to feel lonely.”
How did he spend his nights when he had nightmares? I couldn’t help but wonder, but I didn’t ask. It wasn’t a good question to ask a boy who had grown up so well without any apparent scars.
As we walked through the armory side by side, I listened to the history of the precious swords and shields. I couldn’t take my eyes off one that resembled a well-sharpened glaive, and he immediately asked, “Shall I give you this?” to which I laughed.
“Why do you keep wanting to give me things?”
“But Young Master Ernhardt also gave me a good gift.”
“Even though you glared at me with such a displeased expression.”
“…No, not that…”
“Not that?”
“…But I never thought I could eat a turtle…”
“It’s good for your body.”
His sulky face was so endearing that my fingertips twitched. I suppressed the urge to stroke his head. We were no longer in a comfortable, friendly academy senior-junior relationship, so I had to refrain from such impolite actions.
To hide my disappointment, I gently pushed his back and moved away from the display case where the glaive was placed.
“I want to see the garden. I saw some familiar things.”
“Really? Familiar things, what kind?”
“I saw many evergreen trees, like the ones we saw before… Do you usually like that tree?”
Ah.
…A blush returned to Rubel’s face. Realizing my mistake, I didn’t press further.
As I strolled through the academy gardens, I had imagined how large and beautiful the Imperial Palace gardens would be.
I had vaguely thought they would be filled with only abundant and precious things, but Rubel’s garden was unlike any garden I had imagined.
The evergreen trees, which felt simple, stood side by side with ample space between them, and their green fruits were visible among the branches. The branches on one side and the other were tied together to form a cave-like structure, hung with magic lamps, so it wasn’t dark at all.
We walked along similar paths several times. What I had thought were white flowers all around turned out to be plant leaves, not flowers.
“Silver Lace isn’t a plant that blooms year-round, but its leaves are as beautiful as flowers, so I like it.”
“…Mm.”
“Isn’t it pretty?”
“Yes.”
When I was allowed to touch it, it had soft, downy fuzz. Rubel, watching me, whispered again as if murmuring, “…I like things that don’t change.”
I wondered if he was referring to the evergreen trees, this beautiful plant, or perhaps… I couldn’t find the words to reply and remained silent. Rubel didn’t press me for an answer. Instead, he said in a gentle voice, “The ground is cold, let’s get up and walk,” and pulled me along.
In one corner of the vast garden, a swing was hung from a giant tree. The swing, hanging beneath the lush green leaves, was well-maintained but small.
Even though I wasn’t large in build, I judged it would barely fit me and measured its length with my hand, then asked if there were any young children who could use such a thing.
Rubel looked a little embarrassed and told me it was something he used to ride when he was little.
Looking at the swing that a small, dark-haired child must have kicked his feet on, I felt a smile creep onto my face. I wanted to see him swinging. His dancing was so beautiful, so his swinging would surely be pretty and lovely too. I felt pleased with the thought.
“Why, why are you smiling like that…?”
“Because you’re cute.”
“…Sometimes, I’m really curious about how I appear in your eyes.”
How do you appear? Cute, lovely, pitiful… and also…
Instead of saying such things, I asked something else.
“I have a question.”
“Yes?”
“About the Nobility Almanac Management and Inspection Department.”
“…Huh?”
“I want to hear about it from you, more than from anyone else.”
“Ah, no… Suddenly?”
Rubel looked around.
The attendants had been dismissed, and we were alone on the walking path. I focused my gaze on the child who didn’t answer. His bright smile was lovely, but seeing his eyebrows drawn down in embarrassment made me feel as if I held a lake within my body. I tried to ignore the ripples.
I idly grabbed the empty swing and swayed it, waiting for his answer. When I realized the child’s embarrassment was lasting longer than expected, I added an explanation.
“I received an offer from Professor Wilton Roberts.”
“…Ah.”
“He said I would be in the same position as him. No matter how much I thought about it, I couldn’t imagine anyone other than you being the reason for such a remark.”
“Ah, I see. Through Professor Roberts… So that’s what happened.”
Rubel seemed greatly relieved and smiled, then looked up at the sky and let out a big sigh.
“I have something I want to show you. I was thinking I should tell you before the Debutante anyway.”
“What is it?”
“Hmm, shall we go to the study first? Let’s talk there.”
“Yes.”
The dignity in Rubel’s voice was unfamiliar. I followed him wordlessly.
It was only now that I noticed I had been walking shoulder-to-shoulder with him through the garden. His hair, which fluttered around the height of Rubel’s shoulder, looked like it had been meticulously brushed multiple times.
I recalled Marianne’s words. Wasn’t it right to consider whether I liked him, rather than whether he liked me…?
But what if I did love him?
Rubel had already found the right path. I couldn’t shake this tender child with selfish desires. I cleared my throat, trying to dismiss my thoughts.