By Zephyria 
As the four dance tunes concluded, the tired children dispersed.
Now I could finally see my companions’ faces. Seeing the children, breathless and panting from dancing and playing together, brought a smile to my face.
I grabbed Rubel’s wrist as he tried to pull away from the companions and me, keeping him by my side.
“…Ernhardt, Young Master?”
“If you don’t have anything pressing to do, Senior, I’d like you to stay with us.”
“Ah… shall we?”
I felt uneasy leaving Rubel alone where Wesley Kiadris was wandering. Rubel doesn’t have any close friends, so it would be fine to keep him by my side.
Shayden and Damian, who always took the lead in such matters and mingled with the children, quickly made space for Rubel.
Though they greeted each other awkwardly at first, children quickly become friends when gathered together. They soon opened up and chattered about various things.
Dressed in splendid and elegant clothes, the children recounted stories from the recent exam period and about the new friends they had made. Most of the social gossip was about people I didn’t know, but occasionally, stories about my companions were mixed in, making it interesting to listen to.
Benjamin brought up the topic of hunger, and we all gathered to eat.
Children were still enjoying dancing in the main hall. On a level half a floor higher, overlooking the hall, several dining areas were set up. We sat around the largest of these, ordering and enjoying our food and drinks.
It wasn’t much different from when we used to frequent restaurants together after exams. They chattered about their plans for the vacation and the upcoming semester.
I also spoke about my plans for the next semester.
“What? You mean you’ll barely take any general classes when you’re in the third year?”
“Yes. I intend to focus on rapidly advancing my realm. I’ve heard that I can still graduate because I took many classes in advance.”
“…If I had known, I would have taken more classes myself.”
“Well, Mikael did take a lot of classes even though he wasn’t aiming for early graduation. Wow… but private tutoring, that’s not common, is it? Is it because of that internal energy cultivation method?”
“Well, that too. It’s something I need to resolve before graduation.”
Although Maelo Sanson and Douglas Mustang spent a lot of time educating me, the credits I could earn were limited. This was because the Academy’s credit system was designed to prevent students from accumulating too many credits at once through unfair means.
Because of this, Benjamin, who couldn’t join my classes, showed a hint of disappointment, but I didn’t say anything as there was nothing I could do to help.
Among the drinks the server brought, the bottle of grape drink had Ernhardt’s seal on it, which filled me with a strange sentiment.
“You succeeded this year. No wonder it tastes so good.”
“This year?”
“The drinks served at the New Year’s Ball, or Debutante, every year are considered the highest grade in the Empire.”
“The quality of grapes from the Ernhardt region is famous, but since both Count Ernhardt and the Young Count aggressively avoided selling products from their territory in the capital, we haven’t seen Ernhardt grapes at the Imperial New Year’s Festival until now. This year, it seems they paid extra attention because of Mikael’s Debutante.”
At Shayden and Damian’s explanation, I asked for another glass of grape drink.
Until the meal ended, Rubel maintained a gentle smile, offering only a few interjections and saying little while my companions chattered about various things.
Was he uncomfortable, or was he tired? Concerned, I glanced at Rubel, and Marianne quickly spoke up.
“His Highness looks tired. Why don’t you escort him to the lounge, Mikael?”
“Hmm?”
“There’s still a lot of time before sunrise. Go rest for a bit.”
“Yes. It’s still a long way until we see the new sun.”
I noticed the mischievous glint in Marianne’s beaming smile. Hmph. What do they know that they’re teasing me like this? I was about to speak when Rubel pushed his chair back and declined.
“No, no. I’ll go alone.”
“We’ll go together.”
I had brought Rubel here because I didn’t want to leave him alone, and now I couldn’t let him leave by himself. After lightly dabbing my lips with a napkin, I stood up. I didn’t know where the lounge was, but Rubel would know the way, so it should be fine.
Marianne’s sly smile and knowing glances bothered me.
It was as if Rubel was saying, “It’s fine, I already told my partner,” when he asked me to dance earlier. I wondered what cute scheme these children were up to, but I couldn’t help but smile happily.
Rubel and I went to the lounge to rest.
When I was with the children, he barely spoke a word, but now that we were alone, Rubel quickly opened up and chattered away, making my chest feel warm, as if I were holding a heated stone.
He must have been shy. I thought, How can a man be so shy and cute? but it was fortunate that many people found his reserved demeanor appealing.
As we sat opposite each other in the lounge, sipping tea and chatting, something suddenly came to mind.
I glanced around briefly. There was no one else, but I had heard countless times, both in my past and present life, to be careful of the ears on the walls in the Imperial Palace.
I moved to sit next to Rubel. I placed my hand on his shoulder, which flinched in surprise, and leaned close to his ear.
“A while ago, during the wolf incident.”
“…Huh? Uh, uh…”
“You mentioned that Wesley Kiadris was fighting on the front lines, didn’t you?”
“Mmph, yes. Uh-huh… he was, he was.”
“Wesley is the First Prince’s subordinate. Why would he go all the way to the front lines of the Yuil Mountains?”
“…Well, because he’s a Grand Sword Master…”
Seeing Rubel’s bewildered state, I gently massaged his shoulder a few times to help him relax. The child, sitting obediently, fell into deep thought. I continued,
“If the monsters in the Yuil Mountains are that powerful and numerous, why would he be here now?”
“…I’ve never thought of it that way. Me too… I’ll look into it more.”
“Alright.”
Seeing the depth in Rubel’s eyes, I felt relieved.
Rubel was a wise child. With so much in his hands, if I gave him a topic, he could unravel it on his own. I trusted my intuition. He was dangerous.
To feel at ease even with Rubel out of my reach, he needed to be sufficiently wary of Wesley.
Rubel, who had been lost in thought, finally spoke.
“I thought he might be here to introduce his younger sister to Richard.”
“Poplar Kiadris?”
“Uh-huh. That’s all I knew. I heard that Wesley Kiadris was the one who most opposed the marriage between the Duke Yeldidus Family and Brother Richard. Perhaps if Brother becomes Emperor, the Duke Kiadris Family wants to place the other four Duke Families under their thumb…”
Either way, it wasn’t something to be discussed openly. Their whispered voices were barely audible even to sensitive ears. It was enough that he was properly wary. I patted Rubel’s shoulder a couple of times and only then noticed that the tips of his ears had turned a faint red.
The tension that had stiffened his body inevitably melted away.
Rubel, who noticed the relaxation in my shoulders before I did, bit his pretty lower lip, then smiled and turned to look at me. The blush on his face was accompanied by a voice as gentle as if it were feigned.
“…I think I’m not tired anymore. Shall we go watch the sunrise together?”
“…Yes, let’s.”
He led me, saying he knew a quiet place, and I followed him up the stairs. His gestures, barely holding my sleeve without even touching my fingertips, were so endearing that I let out a small cough. When he asked if I was cold, I shook my head and replied I was fine.
The Opal Palace building where the Debutante was held had seven spires. Each tall spire was topped with a beautifully crafted, rounded roof, which I initially thought were mere decorations. I now realized that the stairs leading inside were separately placed in a precious location.
The spacious area, designed for people to enter, was surrounded by tapestries on all sides, and a wide sofa with several plush cushions created a cozy atmosphere. The sofa was positioned at an angle that allowed a comfortable view of the outside, and Rubel personally drew back the curtains, opening the wide window.
It must have been enchanted. I marveled that not a single gust of cold wind entered and sank onto the sofa.
“Was there a place like this?”
“Yes. When I was young… when I was too young to be invited to the Debutante, my mother, Lucilla, and I used to watch the first sunrise of the year from here.”
“…And after the Debutante?”
I didn’t know why I asked such a question. Rubel carefully sat beside me and offered me a blanket. When I shook my head and declined, Rubel draped the blanket over his lap and continued,
“I just watched it from the main hall. It’s been a while since I came up here.”
“…”
I turned my gaze to the child who had half of his hair, the color of the black night sky, neatly tied back. It was fortunate that his fair, straight neck was not visible. Not wanting to be captivated by his gaze for too long, I looked up at the sky.
Two moons hung far apart, and thousands of stars scattered their light.
From far below the palace, the beautiful sound of music spread like a large resonating chamber. The Opal Palace seemed to have become an instrument. Immersed in the music that vibrated through my entire body, I leaned back against the plush cushions.
I didn’t feel the need to say anything more. I quietly watched the black night sky gradually lighten. I had become accustomed to Sierren’s way of finding great meaning in the clear sunrise.
The sky gradually brightened, and when the red sun peeked over the distant horizon, illuminating the very top of my head.
Rubel, who had been silent until then, suddenly spoke.
“Congratulations on turning fifteen, Mikael.”
“…”
He was the one who always addressed me formally as Young Master Ernhardt. I turned my head to look at Rubel. His face, illuminated by the nascent sunlight, shone as if dusted with pearl powder. He looked back at me.
“…Yes. Congratulations on coming of age, Senior.”
“…I’ll be graduating soon, so I’m not really a Senior anymore, am I…?”
“Then.”
Rubel gently bit his pretty lips. My fingertips twitched, but I refrained from the awkward act of touching those lips. For some reason, I felt breathless.
“…Call me by my name now.”
“Yes, Rubel.”
“…Ruben.”
“…Yes, Ruben.”
I didn’t want to think too deeply about what allowing an endearment meant. As I readily agreed, the child blinked his beautiful eyes and then sank into the sofa, curling his legs up.
There was still about a fist’s width of space between Rubel and me.
After a moment of thought, I spoke.
“You can also call me by my name comfortably.”
“…Mika?”
“Yes, like that.”
It was an endearment that several other companions used. I didn’t think it was a name to be particularly reserved, but for some reason, I felt thirsty.
I sat there thirsty for a long time, not wanting to waste time going down to get drinks and coming back up.