Linus slipped her hand into his and brought it to his lips with a brilliant smile. Then he helped her into the carriage and sat beside her instead of across from her. Never mind her usual attire as a priestess, today, she wore a dress. The voluminous folds took up a lot of space, so she didn’t understand why he would sit next to her.
Just as she was about to suggest he sit on the opposite bench, she noticed him watching her intently with those indigo eyes. She feared the strength in his gaze would bore a hole through her and unconsciously pulled away from him just a bit, even though she should have been used to it by now.
“Um, is something the matter?”
“Not at all. Simply thinking what a truly divine vision you make.”
While the dress was undeniably lovely, something else bothered Fiona.
“I don’t know the price of the dress, but it must have cost a fortune, yes?”
“Well, it wasn’t cheap, that’s for sure. However. This is your debut as both a saint and my fiancée. Still, I did a decent job of keeping the costs down, if I do say so myself.”
“Then I apologize for the burden the arrangements must have placed on you, Your Highness.”
Although Fiona was grateful he hadn’t dipped into the treasury for the outfit, ultimately, she was causing Linus trouble. He told her not to worry about it, but how could she not when such a fine dress was right before her eyes? Just thinking about how much it cost scared her.
“Money is no object when it comes to you, Fiona.”
While fiddling with her black hair, Linus smiled cheekily.
“Um, Your Highness.”
“Yeeesss, my dear?”
He wound strands around his fingers this way and that as he grinned at her. Truly astounding what a beautiful picture he made regardless of his actions.
“I feel that you’ve been behaving strangely lately.”
“Oh? How so?”
Not even a hint of shadow lurked in his shining eyes, which made her question whether she was wrong about her suspicion, so she’d appreciate it if he stopped.
“You’re always extremely close, and you kiss me everywhere. It’s made me wonder why now and why all of a sudden.”
“All of a sudden, hm?”
Linus smiled wryly and released her hair, the black tresses spiraling back toward her.
“If you twist my arm, I’d say I was holding back until now. But I made a promise to Charles, and I don’t want to push you either, Fiona. So slow and steady.”
He stroked her cheek, his finger almost gliding down it. The sensation made her shiver involuntarily.
“Slow and steady at what though?”
“That…is still a secret.”
He pressed his lips to her cheek, which brought his smiling face much too close for comfort. Her chest tightened for some reason, and she hurriedly looked away from him. He had delighted in invading her personal space until now without remorse, yet something felt different about his recent behavior, especially at the moment. Fiona suspected she was overwhelmed by how beautiful Linus was in his formal raiments.
A beautiful prince in full dress was nothing more than a weapon of destruction. And a commoner like Fiona stood no chance against him. By his “slow and steady,” he must have meant helping ease her into situations like this. It was likely his way of showing his consideration.
Convinced by her logic, she nodded to herself. Then, his hand appeared in front of her face.
“Here, Fiona.”
A necklace made of bluish-purple stones emitting a translucent shine rested on his palm.
“How lovely.”
“This is from me to you. I tried to make it as simple as possible, so I want you to wear it.”
“Do you mean all the time?”
Members of the clergy weren’t forbidden from wearing jewelry, but she hesitated to walk around carrying such an expensive necklace. And being a saint in the present didn’t change her thoughts on the matter.
“Until now, Fiona, you weren’t let out…I mean, you never left the Temple. As the pontiff’s aide, you only ever interacted with the high priests, whom we won over… Still, not many of them knew your face either. But things will be different from now on, so I need you to wear that as an insect repellent. Will you? For me?”
“Insect repellent? I didn’t know the necklace had such an effect. It will come quite in handy when I’m harvesting medicinal herbs.”
On top of using magic, her job also involved creating medicine. However, she often worried about bug bites when she ventured into the forest to look for medicinal plants and herbs. Burning insect-repellent incense helped, but it made the air too smoky, so wearing a necklace would be far more convenient.
“Charlies and I did everything in our power to make sure no irritating pests clung to you, though thanks to our efforts, you ended up exceedingly naive. But I think that’s adorable too.”
Linus muttered to himself as he hooked the necklace around Fiona’s throat. Her brown eyes sparkled with excitement over the piece of jewelry, and she barely heard him. The stones felt cold when they touched her skin. Just as the thought flashed through her mind, he lifted the necklace and pressed his lips to a beautiful gem.
All she could do was stare at the beautiful painting he made. Then, she finally realized something when he lifted his head, and she stared directly into his eyes.
“These stones are almost the same color as yours, Your Highness.”
Both were a clear bluish-purple, and the depth of the hue changed depending on the angle. Truly stunning.
“That’s right. Which is exactly why I want you to wear it, Fiona.”
Unable to endure the combined power of his glittering gaze and beaming smile, she unconsciously looked away from him. Linus wasn’t the only strange one recently. Fiona could give him a run for his money in the strangeness department.
He had been by her side for so long as a precious older brother figure, so why did her heart feel so restless now?
“So…I’m having some effect, after all, hm?”
“What?”
He whispered so softly she couldn’t make out what he said. In response to her questioning sound, he merely smiled and kissed her hand.
“Nothing at all. Oh, look, we’re almost there. I’m looking forward to the ball, my cherished saint.”