“Episode 6”
Aris finally wrapped the tail of the toy completely around. Now, just like the toy vendor said, if he let go of the button, the crudely dyed pink bird would fly away.
“Wait, you have to hold onto the string tightly beside it.”
Veronica was unusually nagging today.
“I know that too. We can’t let it fly away forever.”
Still, Aris laughed at the situation.
“Okay, I’m going to release it now!”
After silently counting in his mind, Aris let go of the button and grabbed the end of the string. If the bird flew properly now, it would be a success. Unlike its crude appearance, the toy bird soared vigorously with the sound of flapping wings.
“Wow, it’s flying!”
Perhaps under the mask, Aris would be smiling wider than ever. Thinking about it, Veronica felt a pang of bitterness for no reason. Even though she was just a princess of the kingdom, she had never enjoyed this level of happiness.
“It’s done well. Although it looks a bit amateurish.”
“Yeah, look! There…!”
Excitedly rushing, Aris’s hand got tangled.
“Oops!”
Trying to untangle the tangled string in the wind, he accidentally let go of it.
“We can’t let it go!”
“Stop!”
Veronica shouted, but Aris was too distracted by the bird and ran after it. The string flew as if it would catch it, but when she reached out to grab it, she felt a sinking sensation under her feet.
“Oops!”
Thinking it was just a small pond bank, she was caught off guard when she realized it was connected to the riverbank, and the end of the stone was missing. Was she going to fall and roll down the riverbank? Even for a moment, she had all kinds of thoughts. Aris closed his eyes at the terrible imagination.
“… Indeed.”
However, there was no rolling down the riverbank or sinking feet. Instead, her body floated and a low voice of a man was heard in her ear. Aris instinctively struggled, but the man who firmly held Aris’s waist did not flinch and only let go of Aris after reaching a safe place.
“I must have told you earlier to be more careful.”
It was unclear who the words were directed to. Veronica ran over, almost about to cry, to check if Aris was okay.
“It’s just… no need to hurt yourself for such a thing.”
The man handed the toy bird to Veronica. But either he held it too tightly or something else, it was a mess.
“Thank you twice.”
Veronica regained her composure and thanked him, but the man didn’t respond. Aris still stood there, his stunned mind not yet calmed. Veronica quickly wrapped her arms around Aris’s shoulders and led them away from that place. She couldn’t tell who the man was because of the mask, but it felt very dangerous.
“Are you okay, Your Highness?”
“Yeah. I’m fine. Just surprised.”
“I see.”
Veronica was about to say something else but closed her mouth. The most surprised one was Aris himself. Moreover, as a retainer, she was not in a position to say anything since she couldn’t even protect Aris.
“Let’s go back now. Shall we?”
“Yeah.”
Aris nodded his head. “Still, it’s fortunate that someone helped.”
“It’s a bit unsettling though.”
“Why? He’s a grateful person.”
“But somehow… didn’t it feel unpleasant?”
Veronica recalled the aura emanating from the man. Somehow, she felt a chilling sensation and goosebumps on her skin, a palpable sense of unease.
“I wouldn’t know. Veronica, you always dislike strangers.”
“No, it’s not that. It just felt really strange…”
“We shouldn’t gossip about someone who helped us.”
Surely, even the toy vendor who had held Aris’s wrist had stiffened. However, she couldn’t explain that sensation.
“Yes. Let’s go back now.”
“Yeah.”
Aris looked a bit disappointed as he glanced at the crowd in the square. Would there be another day when they could walk freely on the streets? But first, they had to avoid the fate of becoming the Empress.
* * *
Dmitri wandered around searching for his vanished master like a ghost until he finally found him standing on a small bridge over the pond. But his state was a bit peculiar.
“My lord.”
He called out to his master, but Ricard remained as still as a rock, not even turning to look at Dmitri.
“My lord, what are you doing standing here?”
Dmitri asked again after catching his breath. Ricard, although a bit eccentric as a master, wasn’t usually the type to stand around dumbfounded in a corner of a broken bridge.
“My lord, are you alright?”
Only then did Ricard raise his head to look at Dmitri.
Although his expression couldn’t be seen due to the mask, Ricard, being a man who was always expressionless, didn’t look much different.
“Look at this.”
Ricard reached out his hand, which was stained with cheap dye from the toy bird.
“… That’s severe. Are you even touching such a crude toy?”
“Yeah. The woman who offered gold earlier accidentally let go of the toy bird’s string.”
“And did you catch it for her?”
“No.”
Silence fell again. Dmitri still looked puzzled as he stared at his master standing in one spot.
“First of all, why are you standing here…”
“She couldn’t see ahead and almost fell into the broken gap of the bridge. So, I saved her, and also caught the bird.”
It might sound absurd to ordinary people, but Dmitri believed his words. Ricard’s physical abilities made it possible. Catching a bird flying upwards and simultaneously saving a woman falling downwards.
“I understand that. But…”
“No.”
His voice became a low murmur.
“I didn’t have gloves.”
Dmitri let out a sigh, not one of admiration but one of disbelief.
“But that woman didn’t seem to mind at all.”
Ricard lowered his hands. The warmth he felt when rescuing the woman still lingered, and the dye from the bird stained his hands red.
“I caught it barehanded, but she didn’t seem bothered.”
Ricard’s low voice repeated the fact firmly. He looked up at Dmitri.
“Is that really true?”
Dmitri’s voice trembled slightly.
“I want to know too. No, I must find out.”
Upon hearing that, Dmitri immediately brought his right arm to his chest in a knightly gesture. A deep and heavy atmosphere, unsuitable for the festival scene beyond the bridge, enveloped the two men.
* * *
After finishing her bath and changing into a simple indoor dress, Aris gazed at the broken toy on the table.
“Don’t touch it. I touched it and got dye all over me,” Veronica quickly said. “And either because she grabbed it too hard or because it was such a poor quality item, it completely fell apart.”
“That’s evident.”
Now, the toy no longer resembled a bird; it looked like a bunch of feathers.
“No matter how excited you are, you shouldn’t rush out without looking ahead. The outside isn’t as well-kept as the royal gardens…”
“Sorry. Were you surprised?”
Aris turned his blue eyes towards Veronica. Somehow, Veronica felt like he had matured more than usual, and she nodded her head in response.
“It’s safer to stay at the ducal residence now. Today was lucky.”
“I know. If even a minor accident had occurred, word would have reached the kingdom, and I would have had to go back and be confined immediately.”
Veronica sighed at the unavoidable reality.
“Even though I can’t go out, it’s much freer to be at the ducal residence. Most importantly, I really want to see Grandmother.”
“Yes. You’ll be able to do that soon.”
Veronica combed Aris’s platinum hair gently. Her touch was the only warmth Aris could feel, reminiscent of familial affection.
“I’m really fortunate to have you, Veronica.”
“Of course. Your late mother, the former queen, entrusted you to me, so I’ll be by your side until the end of my life.”
Aris silently nodded. Veronica, originally a maid brought by Aris’s mother when she became queen, had been asked to take care of young Aris when she faced an untimely death.
“It’ll be so lonely without Veronica.”
Aris already knew what such a life would be like.
“Oh, don’t talk about parting. I’ll follow you even when you get married. And even if you have children, I’ll always be with you. His Majesty the King has already given his permission, so don’t worry.”
But even the Emperor’s orders couldn’t interfere. Aris held onto Veronica’s hand, the warmth he didn’t want to lose. He didn’t want to be deceived by someone like the snake-like Patrick, alone again in the palace. He would never again succumb to manipulation and call it love.
“We’ll never part.”
Aris glanced briefly at the mask on the dressing table. His excitement for the festival had subsided, replaced by a calm demeanor.
“Veronica, give the mask back to Lance.”
It seemed that the statement about not going out again was indeed true.
“Yes.”
Veronica quickly put the mask into the box before Aris could change his mind.
“Tonight… I’m too tired to eat. Tell Lance I’m sorry. I just want to rest alone.”
“Yes, go ahead. You had quite a shock today.”
Aris nodded. In truth, he wanted to rest not so much to recuperate but to contemplate how to change his future.
The colorful scenery he saw today, the laughter of the people, could all be lost forever. Sadly, nothing had been resolved yet.
