Chapter 85
Shwaaa—.
In that moment, the wind blew.
Purple hair fluttered like a banner in the breeze.
Beneath the swirling strands, the pair of red eyes gazing at Adrian remained serenely calm.
The instant waiting for Sabina’s answer felt as long as eternity.
And then.
“Other than Maybel…… I don’t think there’s been anyone.”
“……I see.”
What was it about that answer that made him feel so utterly deflated?
Adrian managed a bitter smile.
However, Sabina was not finished speaking.
“But you know.”
Those red eyes curved into a soft crescent.
“I think my thoughts on that might change a bit from now on.”
At those words, Adrian’s eyes widened slightly.
Sabina’s face grew bashful, and she subtly averted her gaze.
It was nothing grand, so why did she feel so embarrassingly self-conscious?
“…….”
“…….”
A silence stretched between them.
The two, awkwardly fidgeting and pretending to look elsewhere, finally opened their mouths at the exact same time, unable to bear the tense atmosphere any longer.
The only problem was:
“Um, Sabina!”
“Adrian, you see—!”
Their words collided completely.
They hastily tried to defer to one another.
“You go first.”
“No, after you……”
After repeatedly insisting that the other should speak first, Sabina finally broke the ice with a embarrassed blush.
“So, um, speaking of May… do you think she’s eating well right now?”
It was glaringly obvious she was trying to change the subject.
This was the grand reception of a ducal house, and moreover, Maybel was accompanying Sabina, who held a special personal connection to the family.
How could they possibly mistreat her?
Yet, Adrian enthusiastically chimed in to match her rhythm.
“Of course, without a doubt. Dominic is right by her side, isn’t he?”
“Right?”
“Definitely.”
The two nodded continuously, spouting answers that didn’t even need to be said.
It was truly fortunate that the sun was gradually setting.
Otherwise, they would have been caught red-handed with their flushed, burning faces.
***
Maybel and Dominic were sitting together at a table with the children from the honor guard.
“Dominic, you were so cool earlier!”
Maybel’s eyes sparkled bright as she aggressively waved a fork with a sausage impaled on the end.
She was trying to imitate Dominic’s movements from before.
“Was it like this, like this?”
“No, I don’t think it was like that at all.”
Dominic answered firmly with a smile.
Maybel sulked, pouting her lips.
“Hmph.”
Just then, the other children from the honor guard chimed into the conversation.
“Honestly, that guy Dominic…… isn’t human.”
“I don’t get how anyone can move like that without being fused to their sword.”
“No matter how much we practice, we can’t pull that off.”
Another child shook his head in absolute awe.
Right at that moment—
A shadow suddenly fell over the children’s heads.
At the same time, a gentle voice greeted them.
“It’s been a while, Dominic.”
Dominic’s shoulders instantly stiffened.
As he snapped his head up, his eyes met those of a man smiling warmly at him.
Yet, the royal family’s signature purple eyes he shared were not smiling at all.
Springing up from his seat, Dominic offered his polite greeting.
“……I greet His Imperial Majesty the Emperor.”
The other children scrambled to their feet as well to show proper respect.
Be that as it may, the Emperor did not spare a single grain of attention to anyone else.
He merely scanned Dominic up and down with an unhurried gaze before casually tossing out a remark.
“You’ve quite taken on the air of a Holy Knight now.”
At a glance, it sounded like praise.
However, Dominic’s life had been far too treacherous for him to miss the hidden thorns buried beneath those words.
The Emperor added with a pleasant smile:
“To think you would distinguish yourself so splendidly at the wedding of Duke Valencia. Your achievement is truly commendable.”
“……You flatter me, Your Majesty.”
Dominic swallowed hard.
The words the Emperor had spoken to him in the past echoed in his ears.
“Live quietly. Without drawing attention, without a presence.”
Right now, the Emperor was subtly delivering that exact warning.
The Emperor casually added: “Furthermore, I was deeply impressed by the way you showed proper respect to Duke and Duchess Valencia.”
With that, the Emperor let out a subtle, mocking smirk.
“You’ve become quite mature.”
“…….”
In that instant, Dominic clamped his teeth down hard on his lower lip.
Though the surrounding children were too young to grasp the true meaning behind those words, Dominic understood the Emperor’s real intent all too well.
No, it was impossible not to understand.
‘Damn it.’
Dominic desperately suppressed the burning indignity rising in his throat.
Today, Dominic had deliberately addressed the ducal couple using the etiquette of a Holy Knight.
It was to avoid giving the Emperor any pretext to fault him—for if he had used the etiquette of a prince, he would undoubtedly have been reprimanded for still harboring a sense of royal privilege.
And so, the Emperor was sending a clear message:
“Don’t even think about acting like a prince ever again. Know your place, and be satisfied with the status of a Holy Knight.”
“…….”
Dominic clenched his fists tightly.
Right then and there—
“His Imperial Majesty the Emperor is truly wise!”
Suddenly, a bright, cheerful voice broke the tension.
It was Maybel.
‘May?’
Flustered, Dominic turned to look at her.
Maybel was looking up at them, her bright blue eyes shimmering with innocent awe.
‘That child is……’
The Emperor’s brow furrowed almost imperceptibly.
Maybel.
He had heard she was the younger sister of Sabina, who had recently been making a name for herself as a representative of the magic circle.
And that she was quite close friends with Dominic.
‘A child she may be, but she lacks tact.’
Still, it was awkward to call her out on it.
She was nothing more than a ten-year-old child.
For the Emperor of a nation to earnestly scold a little girl would look terrible on his part.
It was a bad look in many ways.
Meanwhile, the child continued with an unblemished, innocent expression.
“Since Dominic is a prince, he doesn’t actually have to bow his head to anyone other than Your Imperial Majesty, right?”
“…….”
The Emperor’s eyebrows twitched.
It was true.
In principle, direct members of the imperial family did not bow their heads to anyone unless they were of a higher imperial rank.
Instead, when imperial family members showed respect, placing a hand over their heart was sufficient.
Furthermore, as the sole descendant of the former Crown Prince, Dominic was the highest-ranking imperial family member of all.
By rule, he had no reason to bow his head to anyone except the Emperor himself.
“And yet, brother Dominic is a Holy Knight candidate, so he’s being faithful to his current position.”
Maybel looked up at the Emperor with an expectant gaze.
“And Your Imperial Majesty acknowledged that, didn’t you?”
‘What?’
The Emperor’s expression hardened even further.
Why was the flow of this conversation turning out so strangely?
She was subtly driving a stake into the narrative: that Dominic was undeniably a prince of the direct line, that his use of Holy Knight etiquette was merely out of consideration for the Grand Temple, and that by prioritizing his position as a Holy Knight over his royal status, he was showing respect to the Grand Temple itself.
“Dominic is so cool, isn’t he?”
Maybel smiled radiantly.
“I’m really, really proud of my friend!”
