When our feet touched down on solid ground again, I realized we were downtown, where I’d come so many times to shop and have cakes with Oliphia.
“Oh, we’re in town!” I exclaimed with delight.
I looked all around me.
We’d arrived at the town’s main street, where horses and carriages rolled past. From our vantage point at the mouth of a small alleyway, I could see the big crossroads up ahead. Horses clopped past, pulling carriages that creaked and rattled.
“Downtown, to be precise.”
I’d never come to town in disguise before. I was practically beside myself with excitement. Ed chuckled as he took in my sparkling eyes and big grin.
“You’ve been here many times before, haven’t you?” he asked.
“Yes, but never with you!”
“You’re right. But time is ticking. Let’s go.” Ed took my hand and pointed to the main street.
“Hey, Ed?” I tugged Ed’s hand as he started to step forward.
“What’s wrong?”
“When I really think about it…is it really okay for us to be doing this? Leaving the castle without permission…”
Remembering how my last illicit foray into town had affected all the people around me, I suddenly felt anxious. If something bad happened again, I wouldn’t be able to repair the trust I lost.
And it wasn’t only me I had to worry about. Ed would be on the hook, too.
“It’s all right.” Ed nodded, understanding my concerns, but still smiling anyway. “You don’t need to worry about it. I spoke to Charles beforehand.”
“You did?”
“I did. I would never take you away from the palace without letting anyone know. That would be kidnapping. Charles was cool with it. I had to promise to share my transformation magic next time and go on a wild run with him too, though.”
Ed chuckled at the thought.
So Charles knew about things?
How much did he know, in that case?
Just about my excursion with Ed? Or about our relationship?
Worries swirled around my mind, but as I looked at Ed, I began to feel calmer.
“Now that I’ve assuaged your fears, shall we get going?”
“Absolutely.”
Ed started walking again, my hand in his.
Nobody noticed it was us as we strolled through town hand in hand. We probably looked like nothing more than a pair of young aristocrats in love.
Ed’s hand was so big and warm, enveloping mine.
“Hehehe.”
I couldn’t suppress a giggle. I was having so much fun.
Ed looked down at me.
As our eyes met, his narrowed happily. Even with their new brown color, they still seemed so familiar.
Ed led me by the hand right to a certain shop. We paused on the threshold.
“Oh! It’s San Cleart,” I said.
The carved, thick doors, the imposing pillars, the glittering jewels in the shop window… It was San Cleart, the fancy jewelry store I’d stopped by on the day I lost my Magic Stone.
“Since it’s your birthday, we have to start off by buying your present, of course,” Ed said suavely.
The store guard opened the doors for us with an intense stare. Ed headed straight to the floor where the most expensive jewels were sold.
“These are all the most expensive ones, aren’t they?” I asked.
“It’s for your coming-of-age, Princess—I mean, Bel. A Royal Magician’s salary isn’t too shabby, you know.”
Ed had called me “Princess” as he always did and then corrected it to “Bel.” Now he was frowning, as if my concerns about money had caught him off-guard.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have said anything. Are you really going to buy me a present here?”
“Of course. That’s why I brought you here.” Ed was smiling softly again.
I headed over to the jewelry cases, my heart beating fast. Ed was chatting with the store staff.
“Is it for a present?” the staff person was saying.
“Yes, it is,” Ed responded.
Red, blue, yellow, green, purple…
So many colorful jewels were on display in neat rows behind the glass.
Which one should I choose?
Just looking at them all glinting and twinkling away made my head swim.
After gazing at the jewels, I raised my head to ask the store clerk a question.
“Excuse me…do you have any hair accessories?”
“Certainly, miss. They’re over here.” The clerk gestured toward a different glass case.
“Are you sure it’s a hair accessory that you want?”
Ed was scrutinizing my face as we walked over to the next case. Presumably, he’d expected me to choose a necklace or earrings.
“Yes, I’d love a nice, understated hair accessory. Then I can wear it every day, you see?”
Ed’s brown eyes blinked. Then as my words sunk in, his smile grew.
“I see. In that case, please pick whatever you’d like.”
“Okay.”
Once I came of age, I wouldn’t have to wear my school uniform with the tight collars anymore. I’d wear dresses fit for a princess during my official duties. I should probably choose an accessory that would go well with dresses like that.
To that end, if I went with a hair accessory, it could be worn on any occasion.
“I like this one.”
I’d picked up a simple, elegant hair accessory with a single clear gemstone. There was also another space there where you could have a Magic Stone or gem affixed.
“We’ll take this one, please.”
“Certainly, sir. This is one of our finest pieces, very simple yet elegant. It can be worn with an assortment of different hairstyles, too.”
Smiling, the clerk placed the hair accessory into a jewelry box.
“Hey, Ed. One of the stone spaces is empty. Did you notice?”
“I’d love to put a Magic Stone of my own in there, but shall we put a Magic Crystal in as a placeholder for now?” he asked me.
Publicly wearing someone’s Magic Stone was a clear sign of being engaged. Ed certainly wouldn’t want that yet. Not when we couldn’t make things official.
“I’d like a red crystal, in that case,” I declared.
Ed’s eyes widened with surprise. Then he squeezed my hand, smiling happily.
I wanted a red crystal the same color as Ed’s eyes. And one day, I wanted a real Magic Stone from this world’s Ed, too. I’d just have to enjoy the anticipation of that for now, though.
“Whatever you like, Princess.”
“I thought it was Bel today?”
“Of course…Bel.”
Ed quickly corrected himself. Then we looked each other in the eye and grinned like fools.
After we left San Cleart, we headed straight to a shop that was renowned for selling gorgeous Magic Crystals. Ed bought me the bright, blood-red Magic Crystal I desired.
Then he used his own magical powers to set the Magic Crystal into the space on the hair accessory he’d bought me.
“I added some protective power to it. To always keep you safe.”
“You did?”
“Of course. I am your knight, after all.”
Ed smiled as he clipped the new hair accessory into my hair. I suddenly remembered how Charles had introduced Ed to me for the first time in this world…he’d called him my knight.
“It looks lovely on you,” he said, beaming at me.
“Thank you so much!”
“We still have a little time. Is there anywhere else you’d like to go?”
“I’d love to go to a café! I always try to order coffee, but Olthe keeps telling me it’s too soon. Well, it’s not too soon anymore, right?”
“Olthe? Oh right, the Anglate family’s bodyguard.”
Ed immediately knew who I was talking about and that Olthe was employed by Oliphia’s family, the Anglates. I’d often told him about our excursions into town. Now he was chuckling over the image of Olthe trying to keep me away from the dangers of caffeine.
“Then let us go to your choice of café.”
Taking my hand, Ed started walking again.
As we sat down at the café, I took my first-ever sip of coffee, and I was shocked at how bitter it tasted. As I screwed up my face in dismay, Ed quickly added sugar and milk to my cup and stirred it for me.
“Try it like this.”
I took a tentative sip and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the bitterness had been evened out by the creamy milk and sweet sugar.
“Oh…it’s really good!”
“I’m glad you like it.”
Ed’s eyes softened as he smiled.