Eight years ago, in the Duchy of Bawentawin.
At the masquerade ball celebrating Lady Lorelei’s coming of age, masked and disguised attendees were dancing and enjoying themselves.
Aachen, who was Lorelei’s cousin, stood by her side as her partner.
“Happy birthday, Lady of Bawentawin.”
“Thank you, Count Dale.”
Lorelei smiled brightly as she received congratulations.
Count Dale turned and, upon seeing Aachen’s jewel-like eyes, recognized him.
“Oh… Aren’t you the Crown Prince of Requier?”
“Pleased to meet you.”
Aachen, merely offering a brief greeting without a handshake, left Count Dale feeling awkward.
Aachen had the ability to hear others’ innermost thoughts when he touched their bare skin.
The discrepancy between their outer demeanor and inner thoughts often amused him.
Even without this ability, which he hadn’t chosen to have, it twisted his insides.
Despite wearing gloves to prevent this, he remained sensitive about physical contact with others.
Ignorant of this, Count Dale stepped back, embarrassed, as Lorelei tilted her head in confusion.
“Aachen, brother. Why do people recognize you even when you’re wearing a mask?”
“Because of my jewel eyes.”
“Right. The jewel eyes.”
Lorelei pouted at his curt and succinct answer.
“Even though you can’t change the jewel eyes with magic, could you at least change your eye color for my birthday?”
“No.”
While the magical trait of his jewel-like eyes couldn’t be suppressed, their color could be altered.
However, Aachen found it too bothersome to even do that.
“Brother, are you really going to be like this?”
Lorelei emphasized her words with ventriloquism.
“Yes.”
Aachen pretended not to hear and remained indifferent.
“Follow me for a moment.”
“……”
“Come on!”
Following Lorelei into a lounge, Aachen sat down on a sofa.
“Who knows? Maybe you’ll find your destined partner here.”
Lorelei, used to his demeanor, didn’t mind and spun around.
“Romantic love comes when you don’t know each other’s status.”
“You and I are both in positions where we have to have arranged marriages.”
Lorelei Bawentawin, the sole heir of the Duchy of Bawentawin, was inevitably bound to a political marriage.
Aachen smirked at Lorelei, who still dreamed of romance.
“Oh, really, brother, you’re too much!”
Tears welled up in Lorelei’s eyes from frustration.
‘Maybe I was too harsh on her birthday.’
Aachen sighed deeply and snapped his fingers.
“You should have done this from the start.”
With that, his previously blue eyes turned purple.
Since he was using magic anyway, he also changed his hair color to platinum blonde.
“…Changing the color so drastically makes the jewel eyes stand out even more.”
Still unsatisfied, Lorelei sighed.
To stop her from complaining, Aachen took out a small perfume bottle from his pocket and sprayed it all over himself.
Lorelei, amazed that his eyes no longer looked like jewel eyes, sniffed the air filled with a rose scent.
“What… is this?”
Curiously sniffing around the lounge, she asked in wonder.
“It’s a magical tool made to suppress the jewel eyes, created in case of an outburst when royal power mixes with a magician’s power.”
Once she heard the explanation, Lorelei seemed to lose interest quickly.
“Oh… I don’t really understand, but I’m not that curious anymore, so let’s go back.”
Satisfied, Lorelei opened the lounge door, only to be stopped by Aachen.
“You go first.”
“Why?”
“I’m tired and need to rest a bit.”
“Fine… but come soon!”
After sending Lorelei off, Aachen took out a bottle of wine. He went out onto the terrace with a wine glass to get some fresh air.
Creak—
The sound of a door opening and closing was followed by the entrance of a woman with blonde hair and bright green eyes.
“…Who are you?”
‘Blonde hair and green eyes…? Is she wearing a wig? Which noble family could she be from?’
Since it was a masquerade ball, it was difficult to identify anyone.
The woman, not responding to his question about her identity, stood beside Aachen.
“Care to drink with me?”
She smiled, her eyes crinkling as she lightly shook the wine bottle in her hand.
The faint scent of alcohol wafted through the air.
“You seem to have already had quite a bit.”
“Just a little,” she replied.
“Hah.”
Aachen chuckled at her boldness.
‘Perhaps she’s acting this way because she doesn’t recognize me.’
It was oddly comforting that the woman didn’t know who he was.
Her hair swayed gently in the breeze.
“What’s your name?”
When Aachen asked, she put a finger to her lips.
“That’s a secret.”
He had no intention of forcing her to reveal her name if she didn’t want to, so he turned his head away.
“Why don’t you ask further?”
The woman poured him a glass of wine and asked curiously.
“Because you said it’s a secret and you don’t want to tell me.”
“…It’s the first time someone’s respected my wishes.”
“What kind of life have you lived?”
Judging by her jewelry, she seemed to be from a prestigious family.
‘It must be a complicated family situation.’
But to say it’s the first time someone’s respected her wishes was surprising to Aachen.
“Indeed.”
The woman, staggering slightly, dropped the wine bottle from her hand.
Crash—
The bottle fell and shattered instantly. A shard of glass grazed her knee, drawing blood.
“You’re bleeding…!”
“It stings a little, but I’m fine.”
She shook her head, indicating he shouldn’t worry about her.
Glass shards were scattered across the floor, and she limped slightly.
“Please excuse me for a moment.”
“?”
Aachen took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.
‘She’s light.’
He then carefully lifted her and set her down on the railing.
“Ah!”
Surprised by being lifted, she yelped, and Aachen asked,
“Are you uncomfortable anywhere?”
“No, I was just startled…”
“I’ll hold you tight so you won’t fall.”
Holding her securely, the veins in Aachen’s pale arm bulged from the effort.
Her cheeks turned a soft pink.
“You can hold onto my shoulder.”
She gently placed her hands on his shoulders. The bleeding on her knee bothered him.
As they were about to enter the lounge, voices could be heard.
“Your wound doesn’t seem to be stopping. How about we go to my room to disinfect it?”
“Y-your room?”
She stammered, her face flushing.
“Hiccup!”
She even let out a small hiccup. Aachen gently patted her back.
“I have a room assigned to me while staying in the Duchy of Bawentawin.”
“……”
“It seems there are people inside the lounge.”
Oddly, he felt good watching her. It was a feeling he’d never experienced before, and it made him feel restless.
‘I wasn’t considerate enough.’
It was a completely innocent suggestion.
Aachen realized belatedly what it might mean for an adult man and woman to enter a room together.
As he was about to apologize for his lack of consideration, she nodded.
“I do need to disinfect it. Let’s go to your room.”
Her surprisingly willing acceptance reassured him.
Aachen carefully placed his hand around her waist and lifted her. She was petite overall.
“You’re quite tall.”
Her eyes widened, and Aachen found her expression endearing, making him smile inadvertently.
“Why are you smiling?”
She squinted, crinkling her nose.
“I think you’re the one who’s small.”
“…I am not.”
“Alright, maybe I am tall.”
He soothed her gently, noting her seemingly pouting expression.
“I’m not actually upset.”
“Are you teasing me?”
“Yes.”
Her confident reply made Aachen laugh again.
‘If we go this way, we’ll be seen. I should take another route.’
He exited the ballroom through a different doorway.
“Where are we…?”
“This is a less frequented path. It’s a bit of a detour, but it’s better than running into people.”
“I see.”
Seeming pleased, she hummed a lullaby softly as they walked down the corridor, tipsy and light-hearted. It wasn’t unpleasant.
Her warm, music box-like voice was pleasant to hear.
“Let me know if you’re uncomfortable.”
“…I’m not uncomfortable.”
To prove her point, she leaned comfortably against Aachen’s shoulder.
‘!’
A refreshing bergamot scent filled his senses.
Now that he thought about it, physical contact with her wasn’t unpleasant.
Normally, this would be intolerable for him.
Instead, his heart raced. Aachen took a deep breath to calm himself.
“We’re here.”
Finally reaching the room at the northernmost end, Aachen pushed open the door.
Walking to the bed, he gently set her down.
“Wait here for a moment. I’ll get something to disinfect the wound.”
“Alright.”
He opened a drawer and brought out tweezers, clean cotton, ointment, and a small bottle of medicinal alcohol. He knelt on one knee.
“This might sting a bit.”
“…….”
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