∴ ∵ ∴
“MR. Safina…”
Rose appeared like a ghost. Safina jumped with a start from where he was working in Harij’s bedroom.
“…Is that you, milady? Is something troubling you?”
“Do you have a minute? I wanted to ask you something.”
“I always have time for you. What is it you wish to ask?” Safina escorted Rose to sit on the sofa in Harij’s room and then ordered the footman in attendance to bring a warm cup of tea.
Rose wet her parched throat with the drink. Then she buried her face in her hands.
“Ms. Tala and Mona both tell me it’s true… But I’m having a hard time believing it… It just sounds so crazy to me…,” she rasped, on the verge of tears. Safina gently rubbed her back.
“I see. What happened?”
“You see...there’s a client…an acquaintance I exchange letters with.”
“A friend of yours, then.”
“I’m not sure if it’s all right to call her that. But anyway, she…” Rose finally burst into tears. She recalled the shocking passage from Billaura’s letter.
“I regrettably can’t attend the ceremony because it lands during the final month of my pregnancy, but I hope it will be the happiest of days for you. Just let Harij show you the way if you don’t know how to do the kiss that seals the marriage.”
“Sh-She said y-you have to kiss at the end of the ceremony…”
“You do.”
“Hyaaaaah!”
Rose hopped a whole apple’s height off the sofa—she was that surprised. Face redder than a cherry, she turned with teary eyes toward the speaker and found Harij standing behind her.
“Wh-Wh-Why a-are y-y-youuu h-here?!”
“Why wouldn’t I be? This is my room.”
Rose pressed her lips into a flat line—she couldn’t argue with that.
“You haven’t been around lately, so I thought you would be out today, too.”
“Sorry to disappoint you. I was looking for some files in the other room.”
After hearing the source of Rose’s concern, Safina seemed to determine the problem would be better solved by Harij, and he left the room with a gentle smile.
All that was left was a hot pot of tea, Rose, and Harij.
“Didn’t you say you looked into a bunch of books on marriage? None of them said anything about this?”
“It only talked about exchanging vows. I n-n-never imagined human vows required ph-physical t-touch of that sort.”
“It’s not that big of a deal. Your lips only have to briefly touch.”
“B-Briefly touch?!”
Did briefly touching lips not count as a kiss? Wasn’t that the pure definition of kissing? Rose’s mouth flapped open and closed, but she failed to voice the question.
“Don’t worry. I’ll be gentle.”
“You’ll be gentle?!” Rose cried, half-hysterical. “Does that mean there are other ways to do it aside from gentle?!”
“……”
“Why aren’t you saying anything?! Why did you go quiet?! Is there a need to stay silent?!” Groaning, Rose pulled her knees up to her chest and buried her face in them. “I can’t… My first kiss…during the ceremony, in front of others… I just can’t…”
Seeing Rose trembling and grumbling elicited Harij’s sympathy, and he began tenderly rubbing her back.
“Would you rather practice first?”
“I strongly recommend you don’t tease me right now.”
“…Well, I won’t force you. We can arrange the ceremony to proceed without—”
“Really?!” Rose unfurled herself and instantly perked up like a dog hearing his master pull out the food bowl. Harij glared at her through narrowed eyes.
“…Rose.”
“B-But you just said it can be done… You said it, not me! You did!”
Rose jumped to her feet and fled the room before he could take it back. But then a critical point dawned on her and she poked her head around the door.
“…By the way…”
“What?”
“Do you remember our promise?”
“What promise?”
Rose’s face soured with annoyance at the man who acted as if he had forgotten the vow he made to her.
“What you promised me in return for wearing a wedding dress.”
“Yeah, I remember, but why would you mention that now? Don’t you think it’s a bit abrupt and rude?”
“I can’t say that I don’t, but it’s more important that you wear it.”
Rose brought it up because she worried he might take back his promise to wear his knight attire in return for making concessions over the wedding kiss.
“I have been waiting for the longest time. When will you wear it for me?”
Rose had recently started welcoming Harij home from work at the door every night. She did it partly because he had been coming home less often these days, but the biggest reason was that she hoped he might return in his work clothes. Unfortunately, he showed no inclination of doing so in the near future.
“Can’t you at least tell me when you will wear it for me?”
“…No.”
“Why not?!”
“I’ll wear it when the time is right.”
“When the time is right? You mean while you’re on duty at the palace? Then I will never get to see it for the rest of my life! Do you plan to leave me hanging forever?!”
When she considered he might not keep his promise to her, Rose rapidly grew sad and let anger slip into her voice.
“Does it mean that much to you?”
“It does…”
She nearly forgot how to behave like a witch. Rose took a deep, steadying breath and directed a pointed look at him.
“Are you going to break our promise?”
“I won’t. I’ll keep it.” Harij answered with a serious face and tone.
Mind a little more at ease, her gaze softened.
“I trust you.”
He made a sound like a half-suppressed laugh, and his expression became so sweet, she thought she might melt right there.
“…That’s good.”
“!!”
Rose was so thunderstruck by him, she ran down the hallway before the sweetness made her cease to be.
✦ ✦ ✦
∴ ∵ ∴
A man sat alone in the dark office into the wee hours of the morning. The open curtains welcomed a moonlit night into the room.
The strong winds drowned out the droning of bugs that always seemed to be competing to see who could chirp the loudest. Wispy clouds hugged the moon and reflected its white light. Asleep under the starry dome, the palace was silent for all but the occasional gust of wind blowing by. A pen could be heard scratching across paper in the office used for state affairs.
The sound of footsteps coming down the hall faintly reached the office. With his back bathed in moonlight, the man glaring down at the documents illuminated by nothing more than a small lamp suddenly lifted his head.
“Did you figure anything out?”
Yašm glanced from his moonlit spot toward the door, which opened without a knock. Harij poked his exhausted face into the room.
“I apologize for coming this late at night.”
“I don’t mind. Sit down.” Yašm set down his pen and massaged his brow as he gestured toward the sofa. Harij bowed to his prince and quietly dropped into his seat. “Let’s get this over with quick.”
“I’ll get right to the point, then. Five of the seven nobles who collapsed for unknown reasons testified it happened right after they had just had a drink. Four out of five drank wine.”
“Who made the wine?”
“I have investigated the details with the providers. The winemakers, vineyards, and distribution channels all turned out to be different.”
“I see.”
Harij and Yašm had been independently investigating the recent mystery involving Marjan nobles collapsing one after another for unknown reasons. This was outside of Yašm’s usual duties, but he took it upon himself after an acquaintance succumbed to the same fate.
Fortunately, everyone affected recovered in less than half a day. Furthermore, the mild symptoms and lack of visible aftereffects made it more of a matter for doctors than the military, but Yašm felt the need to get involved in case things took a turn for the worse.
“You haven’t found anything definitive yet?”
Harij quietly answered, “I’m afraid not.”
“Keep looking into it. That’s it for today.”
Harij bowed and took his leave. Yašm heaved a long-suffering sigh as he listened to Harij’s footsteps echo down the empty hallway.