Grrr. Elfand, who made a low growling sound, brought its nose close to Diana’s hand and sniffed it. Diana’s heart skipped a beat.
Please, just let it go. She waited nervously for Elfand’s reaction.
It was at that moment.
Thud— Elfand suddenly nudged Diana’s fist with its head. Then it began to rub its head against her and circled around her, purring.
Huh?
This reaction was completely unexpected.
“Kayden, is this… a normal reaction?” Diana blinked in confusion, watching Elfand nuzzle her, then looked up bewilderedly.
Kayden had a similar expression. He frowned slightly and muttered while watching Elfand, who had turned into a gentle cat. “No, I’ve never seen it act this friendly towards anyone. Not even towards me.”
Kayden, bewildered, mentally communicated with Elfand. Did you eat something strange while I wasn’t looking?
<What a rude question. I don’t know either, but there’s something… comforting about this human.>
What?
Kayden’s eyes widened in surprise. He watched Diana scratch Elfand’s chin with a familiar gesture.
Could it be…?
The unusually comforting feeling when he touched Diana wasn’t a coincidence?
But Diana isn’t an elementalist.
Kayden narrowed his eyes, staring intently at Diana. Diana, sensing his suspicion, quickly avoided his gaze and pretended to enjoy her time with Elfand.
Meanwhile, the night was growing deeper. Kayden decided to put aside his uncertain doubts for now.
“Anyway, I think you’ve greeted enough. Let go.”
Kayden grabbed the scruff of Elfand’s neck, which had been rubbing against Diana’s body for a while. Of course, he got smacked by Elfand’s tail in return.
Diana carefully climbed onto Elfand’s back first, followed by Kayden. She fidgeted, feeling conscious of Kayden’s body heat as he held her close.
Kayden brought his lips close to her ear and smiled. “Hold on tight, Diana.”
The next moment, Elfand leaped out of the window as if diving into the night sky.
* * *
Outside, the festival celebrating the Founding Festival was just as lively as the ballroom. Kayden and Diana landed in an alley near the festival street, sent Elfand away, and mingled naturally with the crowd.
“Cheap, cheap! Magical artifacts certified by the Kingdom of Arlas! A rare opportunity!”
“Steamed seafood freshly caught from the Yelling region! It goes perfectly with the drinks from the next stall!”
“Those who want to join the masquerade, please gather here!”
“Soon, the empire’s best theater troupe, Seriz Theater Troupe, will be performing in the central square! Tickets are running out, so hurry up!”
Street vendors selling food, people promoting plays, and those wanting to join the masquerade created a chaotic mix. Since Diana and Kayden were somewhat recognizable, they walked with their hoods pulled down deeply.
“Ah, I’m sorry!”
“Watch where you’re going…!”
But with so many people, their hoods kept almost getting knocked off every time they bumped into someone. Diana hurriedly held onto her hood to keep her face hidden. She looked at Kayden with a troubled expression.
“What should we do? At this rate, we won’t be able to experience anything properly.”
“Hmm…” Kayden looked around and then lit up as he took Diana’s hand. “There’s a stall selling masks over there. Let’s go.”
They quickly headed to the mask stall. Luckily, the masquerade that marked the grand finale of the festival meant that there were plenty of people in costume. In fact, Kayden and Diana with their hoods were more conspicuous than if they had masks on.
“Welcome, welcome! Feel free to look around!”
Besides those participating in the masquerade, many festival-goers wore masks just for fun. The street vendor cheerfully greeted his many customers.
Kayden and Diana stood in a corner of the stall, picking out masks. After deciding to choose each other’s masks, Kayden ended up holding a rabbit mask, while Diana held a wolf mask.
“A rabbit…?”
“A wolf…? Are you outright calling me a pervert now?”
They exchanged puzzled looks, but since they had promised to accept each other’s choices without complaint, they reluctantly swapped masks and put them on.
Inside Diana’s mind, Yuro laughed loudly as if wanting to be heard.
<Wahaha! Ra-Rabbit! Shouldn’t you be wearing the wolf mask?>
Please, just shut up… Diana gritted her teeth behind her smiling face.
Aside from that, Kayde in the wolf mask looked quite… no, very handsome. She reached out and adjusted the slightly crooked wolf mask.
“It suits you well.”
“Is that a compliment? You chose this mask not because you’re calling me a pervert, are you?”
“Of course not.”
“Your mouth is smiling.”
“Look at my eyes, not my mouth. I’m telling the truth.”
“But with the mask, I can’t see them properly,” Kayden muttered incredulously.
Diana pretended not to hear him and pulled his hand. Before he knew it, she looked as excited as a child stepping out into the world for the first time.
“Let’s go!”
* * *
The masks certainly made it easier to move around. Kayden and Diana wandered the streets, sampling unusual foods.
“How on earth are you eating that…?”
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m more amazed by you.”
They each held spicy meat skewers and chocolate-coated strawberry skewers, eyeing each other curiously. Diana had the spicy meat skewer, while Kayden had the chocolate-coated strawberry skewer.
“I heard you liked sweet things, but I didn’t realize you had such a sweet tooth. It’s not good for your health.”
“And you shouldn’t get used to such spicy food either. When we return, I’ll have to call the imperial doctor.”
“It’s unfair if I’m the only one getting checked. We should both get checked.”
Ignoring Diana’s protest, Kayden spotted a familiar face and widened his eyes.
“Oh? You’re here too?”
“This voice… Gasp, Your Highness? What are you doing here?”
Kayden placed a hand on the shoulder of a man standing near a group playing a game involving rolling balls into holes. The man, startled, recognized Kayden’s voice and quickly lowered his own. He was the shop owner they had visited on their wedding night.
Kayden smiled and gave him a light hug before letting go. “Why else? I’m here to enjoy the festival with my wife.”
“What about the ballroom?”
“I finished my duties and came out.”
“That’s right, don’t worry.” Diana chimed in from beside him.
Only after their reassurances did the shop owner’s face brighten. He cheerfully shook hands with both of them. “It’s been a while. How have you been? I haven’t heard from Lord Liot lately either.”
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