episode_0038

The streets of Hwangdo are filled with the noise of people and various scenes.

The surrounding area was lined with shops decorated with exquisite jewels, and rare magical tools were displayed in every window, catching the eyes of those passing by.

Johan and Rudela walked side by side down the avenue, an awkward air emanating from them.

Rudel glanced at the side profile of Johan, who was walking beside her. His calm expression and calm steps seemed to keep him at a distance, so she repeatedly tried to speak but stopped herself.

This moment of walking side by side with him felt unfamiliar and somehow thrilling.

Standing in front of a glittering jewelry store, John paused and looked at the shining crystal jewels.

The magical power that was subtly swirling within it occasionally changed color, creating a strange atmosphere.

“This crystal ball resembles Lady Bismark’s eyes.”

“John said softly. Rudelha tilted her head and looked at the crystal ball he was looking at.

“Is that so?”

“There are many similarities.”

He continued speaking.

“Lady Bismark’s eyes are a bright blue, but they can appear dark blue depending on the light. The color is the same, but that appearance is similar to this crystal.”

Her eyes were like sky-blue topaz gemstones, reminiscent of the clear sky.

“Does that mean my eyes are like crystals?”

“Well, I guess you could say that.”

John looked at Rudella and smiled. It was a natural smile, but she flinched momentarily and stepped back.

“… Your smile shines like crystal too.”

Rudella muttered quietly. She whispered, hoping it wouldn’t be heard.

“Francia… … No, Princess Perbace also said that often.”

But John heard. Rudella looked at him in surprise, seemingly unconcerned about what it meant.

Rudella sighed in relief, but she also felt strangely regretful. It seemed as if she was not being seen as a person of the opposite sex.

“I’ll buy one.”

“I like Crystal,” said John. Rudella nodded quietly, avoiding eye contact.

“Let’s go in.”

He went into the store and bought a pendant with a sky-blue crystal. Johan gave it to Rudella with a grin.

“Would you like to try it on?”

“…Can I take this?”

“There is no reason why it shouldn’t be done.”

Anyway, since it’s a mass-produced product, it’s not expensive and it doesn’t have any special meaning. I’m just giving it to her because I’m impressed that she’s managing her stress.

“Thank you.”

Ludella cautiously reached out her hand to receive the pendant. However, Johan moved behind her and put the pendant on himself.

“What…?”

Her body stiffened in embarrassment because John’s hand had touched the nape of her neck.

As the distance between them grew closer, her breathing became shallower, and the moment a warm hand touched the back of her neck, her heart began to pound as if it was going to burst.

His breathing seemed to be right behind me, and for a moment, all my senses were focused on John.

But Rudella couldn’t say anything, and her whole body froze as she waited quietly for him to put the pendant on her.

“Usually, it’s the man who gives these kinds of gifts.”

“Basic… ?”

“Yes, it’s similar to how Lady Bismark was escorted when she got into the carriage.”

“Is that so…?”

“Yes.”

John nodded with a faint smile. Realizing that he didn’t mean anything by it, Rudella smiled awkwardly with a look of regret.

“Thank you. I will treasure it.”

Rudella fiddled with the sky-blue crystal pendant hanging around her neck. It felt hard, but strangely warm.

She looked at the pendant with a faint smile, then suddenly turned her gaze to the sound of music coming from the street.

In the middle of the square, street musicians and dancers played music, creating a lively atmosphere.

The melody of the harmony created by the instruments resonated, and people naturally stopped walking and began to appreciate the rhythm.

“Shall we go over there?”

“Okay.”

Ludela, intrigued by the sound of music, entered the center of the square with eyes as bright as sky-blue topaz.

People naturally avoided Johan and Rudela because they could tell they were nobles just by looking at their clothes and appearance.

─♬

When the music ended, Johan gave them a round of applause and Rudella looked at him blankly, a faint smile appearing on her lips.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve heard street music.”

“Have you ever heard of it?”

“Yes. It was when I was attending the academy.”

John suddenly remembered the old days. It was a terrible life back then, but now that he thinks about it, he misses those days.

Because I could live without any worries.

“Let’s take a look at other places.”

Rudel followed John, nodding, and looked around. There was nothing that was not strange. The thought came to her mind that the zodiac was like this all along.

Was it because she hadn’t paid attention to her surroundings for a while that it felt new? Or was it because the person she was walking with was Johan? Although she didn’t know the exact answer, Rudel decided to enjoy the moment.

“What about street vendors?”

John asked. In the direction he was looking, there were rows of stalls selling all kinds of street food, such as skewers.

“I guess it won’t be bad. The rabbit meat I ate in the cave was delicious.”

If you say that a piece of meat without any liver is delicious, then maybe Rudel is not as sophisticated a taste as you think.

“Let’s go once.”

Johan took Rudella’s hand and led her. Her shoulders hunched at the sudden physical contact, but she didn’t push away his hand.

“Two skewers, please.”

“Yeaa.”

As expected from a street vendor with a fast turnover rate, he quickly served two skewers. Johan took one each and handed one to Rudella.

“Eat carefully.”

“Thank you… … .”

She carefully accepted the skewer, pushed her side hair back, and took a bite. It was a wild taste that could not be tasted in the palace.

“It’s delicious… … .”

She covered her mouth with her hand and her eyes, like sky blue topaz, sparkled. She looked quite pleased.

“I’m glad you like it.”

“Hmm, hmm.”

Perhaps embarrassed by having just revealed her honest feelings, Rudella blushed and turned her head away. Still, she continued to chew on the skewer she had placed in her mouth.

Yohan found that strangely cute and found himself chuckling. The more he got to know her, the more he seemed to see a new side of her.

‘From now on, I shouldn’t have any preconceived notions about the main characters in this world.’

While Cassis Lenokhonen and Fedelian Rosino were expected characters, Rudella was quite different from the characters he knew.

Of course, the feelings I mentioned earlier were not feelings of reason. If I had to be specific, I would say they were like those of an ordinary younger sibling.

The two of them, holding skewers, walked along the Hwangdo Street and looked up at the sky.

“It’s nice to wander around like this without a plan.”

“That’s right. It’s a completely different feeling.”

Rudel seemed satisfied with the trick she had used this time. Johan smiled faintly, feeling a sense of satisfaction.

* * *

After walking around the streets of Hwangdo and finishing our meal, we wandered around here and there, and before we knew it, it was night.

The night on the streets of the Imperial City had another kind of magic. Streetlights made of magic tools were lit along the street, emitting a soft glow, and each light shed a subtle blue and purple light, creating a fantastical atmosphere.

The streets were still bustling with people, and the stalls were filled with the aroma of warm bread and spiced dishes.

Rudel bought a small piece of fruit from a street vendor and took a bite, her eyes widening and her expression turning into surprise.

As we were looking around the ecliptic streets where the stars were rising in that way, she said:

“… Won’t you hold my hand?”

“Hands?”

John tilted his head. As he narrowed his eyes with a puzzled expression, Rudella added urgently.

“He, he might get lost…? You are my escort, so I think it would be better to hold my hand and be careful not to let go… … . If you don’t want to, that’s okay… … .”

Rudella stammered and spoke incoherently. Her face turned bright red as a fever spread across her face.

“Well, okay. There are a lot of people, so you better be careful.”

John grabbed Rudella’s hand tightly. He clasped it tightly, as was his habit with Francia.

“… !”

Rudella felt her heart pounding and her shoulders tremble. She didn’t know why this man pretended to keep his distance and then rushed in.

“There’s no need to go that far… ?”

A bewildered Rudella asked. Johan answered with a calm face.

“There are a lot of people. If you don’t do this, you’ll miss it.”

It was a valid reason. There was no particular reason. Rudel nodded, feeling regretful inside.

Big bird- Dang-!

At that moment, the clock tower located atop the tower in the distance rang its low bell to indicate the time.

As if to signal the end of the city’s day, the soft ringing of bells filled the streets of Hwangdo.

“Well, people have been quite excited since the afternoon, and I found out that today is a small festival day. Did you know that it’s harvest day?”

Rudelha shook her head at John’s question.

“That’s the first time I’ve heard of it… … .”

“Didn’t you know? Then you’re in luck.”

He smiled and took Rudella’s hand as he returned to the square.

In the center of the square, knights stood in formation, keeping a safe distance.

Inside there were wizards, preparing something special.

“Is it fireworks?”

John spoke softly. Rudella tilted her head as she heard him.

“Fireworks?”

John, who saw Rudella looking puzzled, explained simply.

“The palace also has a fancy fireworks display, and sometimes the guild’s wizards do it. Today is a small festival, but it looks like the wizards are preparing fireworks to commemorate the occasion.”

John looked at the wizards and added:

“Fireworks are always beautiful, regardless of their size. You can look forward to them.”

“Is that so…? This is my first time seeing it properly, but since you say so, I’ll look forward to it.”

Rudel looked at the magicians while holding Johan’s hand tightly. As if she had just finished preparing, she began to draw a magic circle in the air.

A colorful magic circle made up of many strokes rose and flew high into the sky.

Phew-! Bang!

Small fireworks exploded in the night sky, causing golden flowers to bloom.

Red and blue lights spread out one after another, then disappeared into waves of gentle light. The fireworks scattered like stars in the darkness, embroidering the sky with momentary beauty.

It was a small fireworks display, but it was enough to fill the starry night sky.

“It’s pretty.”

As the magic unfolded with the stars, Johan muttered softly. At those words, Rudel instinctively turned his gaze. He was looking at the magic spreading across the sky.

Rudella’s throat tightened as she stared at John’s profile.

Wouldn’t it be okay now?

If only the sound had disappeared now.

If only he couldn’t hear now.

Wouldn’t it be okay to express my honest feelings?

I know I should never say that.

Rudel could not hold back her exploding desire.

“… I actually like it.”

She whispered quietly, confident that her words would be heard over the fireworks and cheers, and that her sincerity was genuine.

My heart was pounding like crazy, my whole body was burning with heat, and my face turned bright red as if it was going to burst.

“… … fireworks.”

Rudel quickly added her words in case someone overheard, but swallowed hard. The lump in her throat felt heavy and she felt like she was swallowing a rock.

“Me too.”

John smiled lightly and looked at Rudella. The moment he turned his head and met her gaze, she felt as if time had stopped.

The brief moment his gaze lingered felt so long that it seemed as if John was looking deep into his own heart.

Even though she knew he was talking about fireworks, Rudella felt as if he was whispering something to her.

Rudelah squeezed her hand tighter and tried to suppress her racing heart, but it wasn’t easy.

I couldn’t look away from that gaze even though I felt my breathing getting short.

She was afraid that maybe he had noticed the sincerity of what she had just whispered.

John’s gaze still remained unwavering, but Rudelah tried to suppress the urge to get a little closer to him and whispered once more.

“I like it. Really.”