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Chapter 25
He waved a small slip of paper he took from his chest, then kissed me on the cheek over it.
His embrace was so ticklish I couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
“Hahaha! Wait! Stop!”
“Oh dear. I think I’ve just found our Duke’s weakness.”
“Ahhh! Haha!”
As I staggered away from him, Ashidua caught the back of my head.
He swayed along with me, and with him hovering over me, I couldn’t help but laugh again.
“Hahaha… haah… enough!”
He couldn’t take his eyes off me for a while, then finally smiled gently and sat up.
“With that kind of reaction, it makes me want to tease you more.”
He gently tapped my cheek with his long fingers as I lay sprawled on the carriage seat.
“Too bad. I’ll stop here for now. But next time, you’d better not leave me alone for so long.”
I swayed along as he pulled me.
“I’m only saying this for your sake.”
✦ ✦ ✦
Inside the carriage heading to the capital, I quietly studied Ashidua.
‘When will I ever get used to that face?’
No—will I ever get used to it?
Today, the unique scent of him kept tickling my chest.
It was a calming, comforting scent.
He was sitting across from me, legs crossed.
“Honestly, this kind of noisy atmosphere isn’t really my style.”
I figured as much, but I shouldn’t say that.
His long fingers slowly traced the carriage window.
His gaze out the window was quiet and subdued.
“But today’s a little different. Because you’re here beside me, Ina.”
After a moment’s hesitation, I mustered the courage to reply honestly.
“I feel a little fluttery too.”
While I was fiddling with the cuff of his shirt, he opened his arms.
“Come here.”
I leaned into him.
I entrusted my body to his wide embrace.
He really was like a beautiful doll.
Warm, fragrant, and soft breaths tickled my ear…
Wait—his breathing tickled my ear?
When I came to my senses, he was already gently holding me.
“Ina, won’t you say my name?”
His seductive voice made me curl my back.
“Ash…”
His arms were so firm around me, I couldn’t escape even if I wanted to.
To be honest, it was so comfortable I wouldn’t have minded staying in his arms forever.
“Yes, just like that. I like it.”
“……!”
His grip around my waist tightened.
Ashidua lowered his head and buried his face in my nape, closing his eyes quietly.
The expensive carriage rolled on smoothly without a single noise, as if not to disturb this moment.
My nape tickled.
As his high nose brushed against my neck, my hands, resting on his back, squirmed aimlessly, unsure where to go.
But just for a moment.
Soon enough, a soft breathing sound filled the air.
I turned my head, but all I could see was radiant honey-blonde hair.
“Ash?”
“……”
“Ashidua?”
Don’t tell me… he’s sleeping?
In this position?
I twisted slightly, but his arms around me only tightened.
I gave up and stayed still for a while.
He was heavy—but I didn’t mind.
He must’ve been really tired.
Well, life as a crown prince couldn’t be easy.
Watching him sleep so defenselessly in my arms made me feel strangely tender.
I lifted my hand and placed it on his head.
“Your hair is so soft.”
As I stroked him, the silky strands slipped through my fingers.
It was like honey flowing over my white gloves.
I admired his beautifully defined profile, stroking his hair with one hand and rubbing his back with the other.
“Ash, are you really asleep?”
I murmured, but all I heard in response was his steady breathing.
I guess I should just let him rest like this.
“So heavy…”
Holding a tall man like this in such an awkward position with no strength left in my body, I kept leaning farther back.
Then, maybe the carriage hit a bump or something—but I couldn’t hold on and toppled backward.
“Oof!”
With a loud thud, the back of my head hit the carriage seat.
Because I had Ashidua in my arms, the added weight made it even more painful.
As I lost balance and reflexively shut my eyes, I opened them again—
“……!”
And met a pair of clear blue eyes staring directly into mine.
My body froze instantly.
He had opened his eyes silently while in my arms and was gazing at me.
His blue eyes, filled with an emotionless void, seemed to pierce straight through me.
I felt like my heart stopped.
Ashidua’s eyes were the most beautiful in the world.
I knew this because I’d been mesmerized by them more than once.
But those weren’t the eyes he was supposed to show me.
He blinked once slowly, his long lashes brushing his cheeks.
That moment felt like an eternity.
It felt like all the blood in my body reversed direction.
My nerves were on edge, and my body tensed up.
Then, the arm around my waist slowly relaxed.
And when he opened his eyes again—
“You okay?”
The chilling aura from before was completely gone.
Like someone had lifted the weight off my chest, I finally managed to breathe.
Seeing my expression, Ashidua furrowed his brow and reached under my head.
“Did I fall asleep?”
I didn’t even have the energy to answer.
The image from earlier was still burned into my mind.
Was it just because he’d just woken up?
For a moment, he really seemed like someone else.
“Hold my hand.”
“Auuuugh…”
A groan escaped me instinctively.
As I straightened up, he looked apologetic and spoke up.
“Let me know if you’re hurt anywhere.”
While I spent some time reassuring his worried expression, the carriage began to slow down.
I looked out, curious, and saw we were approaching a residential area.
I lifted the curtain slightly and peeked out.
“Looks crowded, huh?”
With my heart slightly fluttering, I nodded.
Soon, we arrived and got off the carriage.
“I changed my hair color, but my face is still the same. I should probably wear the robe.”
Using an artifact, we changed my hair color and put on a robe.
“There’s no way commoners would recognize this face, but… just in case.”
He kissed me just under the eye.
“Brown suits you.”
“You look good in everything.”
“Let’s try another hair color later.”
I must have unconsciously voiced my desire to see him with different hair colors, because he responded right away.
“That sounds fun.”
He straightened my clothes under the robe.
Today, I wore simple trousers and a shirt.
Under the ripening pomegranate-colored sky, we headed for the night market.
“Hey, look over there. What’s that? A performance?”
“The performance’s over there. That’s just a store promotion.”
My eyes sparkled at the bizarre sight of someone juggling to promote a store.
We watched a clown’s tricks and observed all kinds of strange contests.
“There’s a betting game over there. Ina, do you know how to use a bow?”
At Ashidua’s casual question, I looked up.
“Uh… of course not. I don’t know how to use any weapons.”
I saw a small target in the distance.
It was a betting game where you place a wager.
Judging by the crowd, it must be a decent money-maker.
As I watched the distance between the archer and the target, I muttered casually,
“I’m not even sure I could pull the bowstring.”
“Really?”
He tilted his head and chuckled softly.
His reaction made me pause.
Again.
That strange sense of déjà vu.
What was that?
But the odd feeling quickly faded.
“I could teach you, you know. I’m actually a pretty good teacher.”
“You’ve never taught anyone before.”
I looked down at his large, capable-looking hands that seemed like they could hold anything.
“But seeing everyone so lively makes me feel good.”
When he didn’t respond, I looked up to find his face just visible beneath the robe.
He nodded slightly and replied,
“Maybe that’s why you were able to become the empire’s hero.”
That embarrassing title made my eyes widen.
That accidental title, huh?
“Inaira, you’re allowed to feel proud. More than half the people here would’ve died without you.”
My hands fidgeted inside the robe.
The Empire’s Hero.
No matter how many times I heard it, it still made me cringe.
I hadn’t done it out of saintly kindness—it was for my father’s praise. I never imagined it would come back to me like this.
Then again, maybe back then, I just wanted to save them.
What good is retracing the meaning of it now?
Lost in thought, I was startled when Ashidua shook a clock-like object in front of me, smiling.
“Hungry yet?”
It was an odd time—I’d already eaten.
I shook my head, and after glancing around, he spotted a place and said,
“Hmm… then shall we share a drink? I feel like it’d be fun to enjoy a good drink with you.”
