‘…Did she really go tell him?’
By the time I nervously made my way to the living room, Vivi had already rushed over to Ian and was delivering the message.
Normally, she barely ever crossed paths with him, yet she was quick to relay every detail in a situation like this.
I stood back, unable to interrupt, and watched from a distance.
That’s when Ian lifted his gaze and looked at me.
Unconsciously, my shoulders twitched.
‘…What, what now?’
Maybe because I had been desperately avoiding him all week, but just meeting his eyes from afar made me nervous.
“Do you want to see the fireworks?”
“What…?”
I glanced at Vivi, who was nodding so hard beside him that her head might fall off. Her face screamed, ‘Hurry and say yes!’
I couldn’t believe this.
“Well, they say it’s a famous local event. And since today’s the last day, I thought I might go…”
I trailed off as I spoke, and Ian simply nodded and picked up the jacket he had left on the sofa.
“Let’s go, then. To see the fireworks.”
Just like that?
“You don’t have to come, though…”
“This is perfect! Come along, my lady!”
The moment Ian agreed, Vivi lit up with excitement and whisked me back to the bedroom.
The two of them were getting along way too well.
I didn’t even have a chance to finish my sentence as I was dragged back into my room by Vivi’s eager hands.
“I’ll help you get ready in no time!”
Vivi quickly helped me into the chiffon dress she had prepared, then added a light blue Panama hat with pearl decorations. Only then did she flash a satisfied thumbs-up.
“It suits you so well! Actually, this was my masterpiece, so I’ve been saving it for the last day. Now that I see it on you, I know I made the right choice. It’s perfect for a date like this!”
She looked incredibly proud, almost fulfilled.
‘A date, huh…’
The thought of going out with Ian was already overwhelming. Vivi, on the other hand, seemed to think we were actually dating, given how passionate she was. I stared at her, feeling conflicted, before shifting my gaze to the mirror.
‘Still… I do like it.’
The light blue chiffon dress gradually deepened in color toward the hem, as if it had absorbed the ocean’s hue.
The off-shoulder design had delicate, sheer sleeves, and the waist was cinched with a tie at the back. It wasn’t flashy, so if I went out like this, I’d probably pass for a wealthy commoner.
‘Vivi must have planned this outing from the start.’
As I swayed slightly in front of the mirror, Vivi finished by slipping a pair of low-heeled open-toe shoes onto my feet and beamed.
“You’ll be walking a lot today, so it’s best to wear comfortable shoes!”
She looked so pleased that it would’ve been hard to turn her down.
In the end, I quietly nodded.
“…Alright. Thank you, Vivi.”
“Have a great date, my lady!”
❖ ❖ ❖
The night market was about a 30-minute carriage ride from the villa.
Since I was dressed like a commoner, arriving in a carriage didn’t seem appropriate, so we decided to get dropped off nearby and walk the rest of the way.
When we reached the entrance to the night market, I let out a gasp of wonder.
“Wow…”
The entire street was filled with twinkling lights. Glass lanterns, strung up on thin wires, dangled in the air like constellations hanging low to the ground. Beneath them, a sea of people bustled about, chatting and laughing, friends and couples alike.
‘Honestly, I wasn’t expecting much…’
It was far more impressive than I had imagined. Now I understood why the Emperor had mentioned it to me on the first day.
I forgot all about my initial reluctance to leave and eagerly took in the sights, my eyes wide with amazement.
Ian, who had been quietly watching me the whole time, spoke.
“You’re going to drop your jaw.”
“…I don’t need those kinds of comments, thanks.”
I glared at him before sheepishly closing my mouth.
Unlike me, excited and taking in everything for the first time, Ian remained his usual calm and indifferent self.
I glanced at him sideways and asked,
“You… don’t seem very impressed?”
“I’ve been here once before, when I was young. Not much has changed. The lights look the same, though they seem lower now.”
He looked up briefly as he said that.
“If you were younger back then, maybe it’s not the lights that have gotten lower but the fact that you’ve grown taller.”
“…That’s possible.”
His tone made it sound like the thought hadn’t occurred to him.
“Did you come here with the Emperor back then?”
“…Yes.”
I guessed right.
“You two must have spent a lot of time together when you were younger.”
Feigning ignorance, I probed with a question, and he firmly shut his mouth. True to Ian’s nature, he preferred staying silent over telling a lie.
‘Ian started distancing himself from Elisio after his tenth birthday, so if he came here with him, it must have been before then.’
Considering how indifferent he usually was, the fact that he still remembered this place showed that it must have left a strong impression on him. I was starting to understand why Emperor Elisio had said that Ian had a “soft heart.”
“Well, since you’ve been here before, you must know the place better. Could you guide me around?”
I forgot about the awkwardness and brazenly made my request.
We were already here, so what could I do? Might as well enjoy the night market and the fireworks.
Ian, who had been staring at me for a moment, extended his hand with an even expression.
“Then, take my hand. With this crowd, it would be troublesome if you got lost.”
Hesitant, I slowly took his hand. Just like at the beach, Ian intertwined our fingers and held my hand tightly. My body tensed.
“I won’t bite.”
With a glance at our clasped hands and then my face, he led me through the crowd.
True to the spirit of a night market, most of the stalls were simple setups—either laid out on blankets or under small tents. Some were selling homemade jams, while
others offered crafts or food. Some shoppers were even haggling with the stall owners in the midst of the bustling crowd.
“Hey there, young lady! Come take a look at this,”
a vendor called out, waving toward us.
“…Are you talking to me?”
“Of course, who else would I mean besides you and your husband?” The vendor nodded, pointing directly at me.
“Come on over. I’ve got something special I want to show you.”
The vendor’s sales pitch was hard to resist.
I glanced at Ian, who merely raised his eyebrows as if to say, ‘Go ahead if you want.’ In the end, I pulled him along and slowly approached the stall.
The vendor was selling brightly colored string bracelets. The bracelets were woven from various threads, decorated not with gemstones or beads but with small seashells and conch shells.
‘I’ve seen these kinds of bracelets at college festivals, but I guess they sell them here too.’
“You’re newlyweds, right? Then you should buy one of these. These bracelets are made with rare white shells, which are said to keep couples bound together, never to be separated.”
“White shells?”
“Ah, you’re not from around here, are you? There’s a local legend that if a couple shares a pair of white shell bracelets, they’ll never part ways!”
“Ah, I see.”
I gave a half-hearted response. It was just another baseless superstition.
‘A story like that is typical in a vacation spot, I guess.’
Feigning reluctance, I picked up a bracelet woven with blue and purple threads and examined it. Superstitions and legends aside, the design was cute and intricate.
‘I do like it, but…’
I glanced at Ian before putting it back down.
There was no reason to buy something like this since there was no chance we’d ever wear matching bracelets. I could already imagine him teasing me, saying,
“Do you really believe in such superstitions, madam?”
“Thanks, but I’ll pass. It’s been nice browsing…”
“How much is it?”
Just as I was about to politely decline and leave, Ian, who had been examining the bracelets next to me, asked the vendor for the price.
I widened my eyes in surprise.
“…Are you really going to buy it?”
He looked at me.
“Is there a problem?”
“You don’t even like things like this.”
This man, who usually despised such things, was suddenly acting strange.
In response to my bewildered question, he answered calmly, “Didn’t you say that it’s important to go along with the mood and enjoy yourself when visiting places like this?”
“Well, yes, but…”
“Besides, we already have the brooches we bought together last time. Adding one more accessory won’t make much of a difference.”
“That’s… true.”
Having swiftly concluded his reasoning, Ian raised his eyebrows, as if waiting for my agreement. He had a knack for saying the right things at the right time, leaving me without room to argue.
While I was still dumbfounded, Ian paid the vendor and accepted the pair of bracelets. Then, he wiggled his fingers.
“Your wrist, please.”
♧♧♧
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