The date for the engagement ceremony has not been set yet.
With Epherna’s academy entrance coming up soon and several events scheduled after the New Year’s Festival, the preparations for the ceremony have yet to be started.
However, it seems Epherna is not planning to wait until everything is ready.
“How about this?”
The dress was gold. Adorned with elaborate accessories, it was a high-end garment painstakingly crafted by a skilled artisan.
“It suits you well.”
Her face is so beautiful that she looks good in almost any outfit. Occasionally, her striking features could overshadow the clothes, but since this was a renowned clothing store in Few Inner, it was fortunate that didn’t happen.
Epherna picked up a black dress and headed into the fitting room.
It was probably better this way—deciding on the outfit in advance when there was time would save time later.
As I was thinking this, Epherna suddenly voiced her dissatisfaction.
“Mister, does this not suit me?”
“Huh? I said it looks good on you.”
“The reaction seemed so indifferent that I wondered if it wasn’t good.”
“No, it’s just that you don’t usually wear dark colors. It’s refreshing.”
Epherna’s eyebrows furrowed. She pouted her lips.
“So you’re saying you didn’t like it normally?”
“Why does it have to be like that?”
“Then answer me. Do you prefer dark colors or light colors?”
“It doesn’t really matter to me.”
“…Mister, you’re not interested in me, are you?”
Epherna’s shoulders and the corners of her mouth drooped.
I instinctively replied.
“No, that’s not what I meant. I meant you look pretty no matter what you wear.”
“Hmmm. But you must have your own preferences. Do you think black or white looks better on me?”
“Personally, black. It’s a look I don’t usually see. It’s refreshing.”
“Great! Then I’ll try on a few more and you can tell me which one looks better!”
“Wait, you’re going to try on more here?”
“Of course. There are more types of dresses, aren’t there? Even if I don’t wear them for the engagement ceremony, I’ll wear what I decide on for the coming-of-age ceremony.”
“How about you decide on one now?”
“I want to try on a few more that I have my eye on… Unless it’s a hassle for you?”
“…No, I’m looking forward to it.”
Epherna’s eyes were filled with bubbling joy.
“Once I pick out a dress, I’ll also pick out your clothes!”
“…Sure.”
I sighed deeply inwardly.
*****
After finishing what felt like a hellish dress selection, Epherna and I had a meal and watched a play.
Epherna wanted to go to a busier area, but Few Inner, mostly frequented by nobles, was not crowded.
Naturally, we ended up going to Much-Sector, and among the places we could visit, we chose the Magician’s Lake.
“It’s been a while since we’ve been here.”
“Yes. I haven’t been here since four years ago.”
The Magician’s Lake was a place Epherna used to visit almost daily when she was younger.
It was a place she particularly liked as it provided much inspiration for her magic training.
“How is it now? Does it still inspire you?”
“Not really.”
“Is that so.”
Compared to four years ago, Epherna’s magical achievements had grown significantly.
It was only natural that seeing the lake alone wouldn’t evoke much of a reaction from her now.
“Mister, look over there.”
Epherna crossed her arms.
Seeing the crowd starting to build, I shrugged my shoulders, and Epherna smiled.
“The reason people are crowding today is because of that.”
Epherna pointed to the night sky, where countless stars seemed to be pouring down.
In the center was a round moon, and with the soft light from the Magician’s Lake, the area exuded an unusually mystical atmosphere.
“Every New Year’s, the moon and stars shine with an unusually strong light here. I don’t know why, but it’s so atmospheric that people come in droves during this time.”
Ern gazed at the moon with a dazed look.
The moon, reflecting the sun and emitting a strong light, was so bright it felt like it might blind him.
He wondered if this was what it felt like to look directly at the sun.
Turning to the side, he said.
“Epherna, you’ll become an adult when you graduate from the academy, right?”
“That’s right. Since my birthday is coming up soon, I’ll have my coming-of-age ceremony right after graduation.”
“So, you’ll be an adult.”
“Yeah, but I’m not sure what will actually change.”
Epherna laughed softly and continued.
“Funny thing is, I never thought I’d become an adult four years ago.”
“Anyone can become an adult.”
“I thought I’d die before that.”
It would have probably been that way if I hadn’t been around.
“What do you think you’ll think when I become an adult?”
“I guess I’ll just take it as it comes.”
“Don’t you think it’ll make me look less like a child?”
“I don’t think so.”
Epherna puffed out her cheeks.
“So, do you always see me as a child?”
“No.”
Ern shook his head.
He said, with a relaxed expression as if giving up,
“That used to be the case, but now it’s not possible.”
Ern seemed a bit embarrassed to explain why, swallowing his words awkwardly.
Epherna’s lips, which had loosened from her folded arms, slowly parted.
Ern wouldn’t know.
How much his casual words meant to Epherna as a woman.
Epherna tightened her grip on his hand, squeezing it firmly. Resting her head on his solid shoulder, she chewed her lips.
She couldn’t stay still.
Letting go of his hand felt like her uncontrollable body might dart off somewhere.
Whether he knew it or not, Ern continued to speak calmly.
“Oh? A shooting star.”
As Epherna heard this, she made a wish in her heart.
Please let today not be a dream.
Please, let me become his lover.
*****
The next day.
In the resting room where Valtean was staying.
“Choosing clothes was especially tough.”
“Choosing women’s clothes always takes time. What else did you do?”
Ern happened to have a meal with Valtean.
“After eating, we watched a play and visited the Magician’s Lake in Much-Sector, then came here.”
“You really enjoyed yourself, huh? So what did you come here for? To brag?”
“Does it look like I’m bragging?”
“Isn’t dating the Princess worth bragging about?”
“I’d prefer if you focused on how I suffered.”
“Crazy b*stard. Your stomach is so full it’s about to burst. Where else in the world would you get to date the Princess?”
“True. She should probably make a decent friend. It’s hard to meet Lemea’s eldest daughter because of the distance.”
Valtean made a face as if he couldn’t believe it.
“You idiot.”
“Why the sudden curse?”
“You deserve it.”
Tsk, tsk. Valtean clicked his tongue.
He reminisced about the past and said,
“Hey, do you know how the Princess has been when you weren’t around?”
Ern showed curiosity.
“I’m a bit curious about that.”
A year ago, Ern often had to be away from Epherna due to his training schedule.
There were times he was away for as long as a week because of personal matters.
“She’s expressionless all day. She doesn’t get angry when she makes a mistake or show pain when she’s hurt. She seems to have lost interest in everything. The only time she has a faint expression is when she’s learning magic.”
“Oh… Is it really that bad…”
“Want to see for yourself? Since you have some vacation time accumulated, why not use it all and disguise yourself as a servant to secretly observe how the Princess spends her time?”
“I’m the only one in the Personal Guard, so how can I take a vacation?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
“Then it’s a different story.”
He was curious.
How Epherna spent her time when he wasn’t around.
“How should I go about disguising myself?”
“Well…”
Although disguising others is Valtean’s specialty, the current circumstances aren’t ideal for it.
Securing disguise tools and getting help from someone to disguise are both challenging. How would I find someone willing to help out of mere curiosity?
“Hiding would be too risky, so disguising is the way to go… Ah!”
Valtean clapped his hands as if an idea had suddenly come to him.
“I just thought of the easiest way.”
“Could it be the chamberlain?”
“Exactly! If it’s my wife, she can get the disguise tools and also find a servant suitable for you to impersonate.”
“Do you think the chamberlain will help? I doubt it.”
“She will help. I’ll persuade her, so don’t ask any questions.”
“Well… alright then.”
As long as it gets done, Ern nodded in agreement.
“Oh, by the way, what about the matter I asked you to look into last time?”
“The kids from Kyne? That’s already been accepted, and they’re currently infiltrating. It’ll take a bit longer. The loyalists to Duke Tesran aren’t easy nobles, so it will take at least a month or two.”
“Understood.”
Infiltration usually takes this long, so he finished the conversation.
*****
The following week.
Having taken a vacation, I disguised myself as a servant and reported to the Princess’s palace.
To avoid being caught, I had meticulously memorized and learned the servant’s schedule and behavior.
I had managed to secure a high-ranking servant, so although I wouldn’t see every detail of Epherna’s daily life, I would still be able to observe quite a bit.
With this mindset, I knocked on Epherna’s office door and entered.
“…I-I’m sorry, Your Highness!”
An unknown noble was kneeling before Epherna.
“Didn’t your parents provide you with proper education, Baron Stinger?”
Epherna had her chin propped up with a haughty expression. She spoke in a languid voice.
“I asked you to explain what you did wrong. Do you not understand? Hmm?”
“Are you planning to make me burn my tongue to get me to speak?”
“No. Should I burn your entire family to ashes before you admit your mistake?”
Oh. This is quite a new side to her.
