Knock. Knock.

The knocking sound, like tapping on a ripe watermelon, announced an uninvited visitor. She didn’t respond. I knew well that her silent response was a sign of permission.

The implicit rules scattered between us were already simple and varied.

“You’re working hard, Irefi.”

“You flatter me. You’ve seen me like this for a while now, so why the sudden concern?”

“From today, I’m trying not to make it seem sudden.”

I circled around to the back of Irefi’s desk where she was working. As I did, her snow-white hair, which covered her small shoulders like a curtain, flowed like a stream. Gently brushing aside her soft white hair revealed the neat line of her shoulders connecting to her nape.

“Nepy?”

“Hmm, is this right?”

I gently placed my hands on her exposed shoulder line. Then, using my thumb joints, I pressed various points along her shoulders while observing her expression.

I was well aware that the mansion would collapse before she’d ever show signs of fatigue from work. But living as a burden who only received benefits from behind Irefi made me uncomfortable. I felt I needed to be a supportive partner who was attentive to her needs, at the very least, to face her with dignity.

That’s what I realized after witnessing Zikharun’s degradation into a homeless beast.

“How’s the massage?”

“It’s as clumsy as when you dry my hair.”

“I’ll stop then.”

“That’s nothing to be embarrassed about. I like it, hehe.”

“Don’t try to make me feel better.”

“I really mean it… If you insist, you could do something you’re good at instead?”

“Something I’m good at?”

When I tilted my head in confusion, Irefi took my hand that was massaging her and placed it against her cheek. Then she raised the corners of her mouth playfully with a mischievous request.

“Give me a kiss.”

“I see your expectations of me are rock bottom.”

So for Irefi, the highest expectation of me was merely a peck on the lips? That stung a little. Seeing my reaction, Irefi gave me a look of exasperation.

“Stop being so negative and just do it already.”

“R-really?”

“Would I joke about this?”

“So… I should do it?”

“Nepy, your face looks quite funny right now.”

“As long as it makes you laugh.”

Smooch. I gently pressed my lips against her rosy ones. Even though this wasn’t our first kiss, I always felt shy when the mood struck. Especially lately, as Irefi had become bolder, my heart was racing just trying to keep up.

Too embarrassed to look directly at Irefi’s beaming face, I diverted my attention to the desk she had been working at.

“What are these documents?”

“They’re cancellation notices for deliveries.”

“Deliveries? Of what and to where?”

“I personally craft minerals that I sell to various nobles, including the imperial palace. They’re just small stones, but they sell for incredibly high prices.”

“Are they extremely rare gems?”

“As you said, some are rare gems, and magic stones used for communication devices are also my main products. No craftsman can work as skillfully as I can. Like engraving a family crest on a hard mineral smaller than your pinky nail…”

Irefi proudly showed me a sword technique scroll emanating blue energy. I was amazed at the idea of applying the world’s best swordsmanship to gem crafting.

“After crafting the final product for the Empress, I plan to quit this work. I can’t keep being involved in finances even after Miren inherits the title, can I?”

“True… Miren will need to develop her own business ventures.”

I naturally continued massaging Irefi’s shoulders. She tilted her head back with a light laugh, and our eyes met—the clumsy masseur and his client, stirring sensual desires.

The only thing that stopped me from giving in to the urge for a deep kiss was a single question.

“Irefi.”

“Yes?”

“Since you mentioned the Empress being your last client… did you dislike the Empress even before you had memories of the future?”

“You remember well.”

“If it’s not too intrusive, may I ask why?”

“You’re not the type to spread gossip, so I don’t mind telling you.”

“Well, if I did spread it, I’d probably end up bent like a bow. Ugh, my head…”

At my exaggerated joke, Irefi’s eyebrows twitched ominously. From experience, I knew this was precisely the moment to tread carefully. My hands were already diligently massaging her shoulders, trying to soothe her sharp mood.

“Sigh…”

“Ahaha…”

Sincerity pays off.

She reluctantly pursed her lips and grumbled.

“Anyway, you and Zikharun are cut from the same cloth when it comes to being slick.”

“Forgive me, Irefi. I’ll be more mindful.”

“It’s fine. Getting back to the point… The reason I dislike the Empress is because she treats her birthright privileges like a child treats candy.”

She added with irritation, as if boiling inside:

“Candy that’s given when she throws a tantrum… and spit out when she gets tired of it… That’s exactly the level of awareness that spoiled brat had.”

Irefi’s focus settled somewhere beyond the transparent window, farther than the blue mountains rising in the distance. Perhaps that place was the distant past, separated from the present.

She began like a narrator reading a fairy tale. The first words opening the past story were the classic beginning.

Once upon a time, she said, loading her voice with sarcasm as she unfolded their past.

◇

“Riharm! Let’s hurry!”

“Wait, Renian. We need to be careful.”

At the girl’s urging, the boy placed his straight index finger over his lips. Chastised, the girl sealed not only her mouth but held her breath tightly, like a child exploring a secret hideout.

The boy restraining the spirited girl was named Riharm, the only crown prince of the Eld Empire.

The girl who addressed him casually was Renian, a count’s daughter and Riharm’s childhood friend.

They pulled their hooded robes down low and moved like assassins, suppressing any trace of their presence. Sneaking out through the imperial palace’s secret passages was always thrilling.

The two avoided the footsteps of countless people as they slipped in and out. Today wasn’t special—their secret excursions had become a hobby that even the Emperor and the Count had given up trying to stop.

“Now’s our chance, let’s go. Someone might recognize us.”

At Riharm’s anxious direction, Renian followed, humming a tune.

“It must be uncomfortable for the Crown Prince. With your portraits plastered everywhere… especially with that red hair, you might need to dye it.”

“He has red hair too, you know.”

“What a strange coincidence, right?”

“It is a rare color.”

The “he” they referred to was a kind of secret friend. At the same time, he was their benefactor who had saved them.

“My heart still pounds when I think about that time. It’s fortunate that Rodrick leads the vigilante group… I had no idea the internal security in the district was that bad.”

“His Majesty values foreign affairs more than domestic ones.”

The current atmosphere in the district was far from peaceful, except in notably prosperous areas. This was a reality they had overlooked while living in the imperial palace.

Riharm had received a powerful shock from the connection he made during his first secret outing.

Rodrick, a commoner who saved them from danger during that excursion, taught them vivid knowledge rooted in reality. From that first day of sneaking out, the three people who would never have mixed otherwise formed a bond of friendship.

After walking for a while, the two slipped into a dark alley and knocked on a door. The response to the knock was swift. A welcoming voice greeted them from behind the willingly opened door.

“Welcome. I’ve been waiting.”

“It’s been a while, Rodrick.”

“I hope you’re not upset that it’s been so long?”

“Haha, of course not.”

Rodrick was a man with a strange charisma. Though a commoner, he wasn’t subservient, and he exuded confidence in everything. Although he didn’t know that Riharm was the crown prince, he wasn’t the type whose attitude would change even if he did know.

Riharm and Renian deeply admired this aspect of him.

However, the admiration that Riharm and Renian felt was subtly different. While Riharm’s admiration was based on unlimited trust and friendship, Renian’s included a woman’s affection.

If there was a note to add, it was that the attraction between Renian and Rodrick was mutual but unspoken.

Rodrick was not the type of man to show his feelings easily, but this couldn’t escape Riharm’s eyes.

Whether a curse or a blessing, Riharm’s eyes could naturally see through human emotions. From malice and goodwill to the complex love-hate hidden in the unconscious, nothing could escape his gaze.

‘Renian, if you’re happy, that’s all that matters.’

Riharm took a step back from Renian and Rodrick’s conversation. It was as if a small circular low wall had been built around the two.

From outside this wall, Riharm glanced at Renian’s bright smile. It was a unique expression she showed only here.

Riharm was content being a silent observer outside the wall. After all, only Rodrick could provide the special seat to witness her genuine smile. He wished for the happiness of the girl who, regardless of her will, was designated to be his crown princess.

“Would you like to look around the square today? The security has improved quite a bit lately.”

“Wow, you’ve worked hard, Rodrick!”

“It’s thanks to everyone who helped form the vigilante group.”

“Stop being so modest. Everyone can see whose achievement it really is just by looking.”

“Ahem…”

Renian’s eyes were filled with twinkling stars. The stars, moving like a constellation, all uniformly illuminated only Rodrick.

Rodrick’s eyes reflected Renian’s stars like a mirror. The well-matched pair of stars formed an ocean that swayed within their narrow pupils.

…

Riharm twisted the corners of his mouth under his shadowed face. It was a bitter smile, suppressing himself behind their romance.