Xenu murmured quietly next to me, like he could see right through my heart. “Watching His Highness dance makes one keenly aware of his position, doesn’t it? That he’s an imperial prince and one is a commoner. That the worlds you live in are so different… Ah, I’m talking about myself, by the way.”
“Oh, I see…”
Xenu added that last part almost as an afterthought, but his words described me. That was how I took them.
Richard finished dancing with his current partner and another young lady immediately took her place. In a way, I was his dance partner right now too, but on the battlefield and as the Arousing Priestess. If his principal battlefield returned to high society and the world of the ton, then it was only natural that his partners would change constantly.
I wanted to work alongside him forever. But.
The song ended and his current dance partner reluctantly stepped away. The young noblewomen waiting for their turn glared coldly at his next partner. Someday, I would end up in the same position as them. When that day came, would I still be able to work next to him?
“Madam Monica.”
Xenu’s voice sounded very close. Before I knew it, his face was at point-blank range. So close I could see the striations in his golden pupils. He took a breath, about to continue speaking. And then—
“Miss Monica!”
My name echoed across the great hall. I looked down to the first floor with a gasp and saw another song had just ended. Richard waved up at me from the dance hall. The young ladies stared in shock. Then their hostile gazes turned toward me like a barrage of arrows.
“Urk, I don’t want to stay here a second longer.”
“Miss Monica! So this is where you were!”
In the blink of an eye, Richard stood before me, panting lightly. It was clear he ran up here. The pressure from his blinding smile scared me.
“Right then, that’s my cue to leave. Here, Your Highness, have a seat, and enjoy your evening.” Xenu hurried away with that parting remark. Richard spared his departing figure a single glance then turned to stare at me, his eyes narrowed.
“Miss Monica…are you all right? He didn’t do anything to you, did he? Do I need to have him executed?”
“Will you stop with the unsettling suggestions? We were just talking. That’s all…”
We were just talking. While the words slipped out, Richard’s hands suddenly caught my eye. Large, rugged, and strong. The hands of someone who fought on the frontlines. When I thought back to those hands grasping the young ladies’ slim, soft hands, an unbearable pain squeezed my heart.
He stared at me with a worried expression. “Are you sure you’re all right?”
“Yes… I think I ate too much, even though I knew I shouldn’t in this dress.” I smiled wryly at him. In response, he raised an eyebrow in amusement and chuckled too.
“When this is all over, we’ll have ourselves a no-holds-barred victory celebration. No dresses or balls. Only alcohol and tankards to toast.”
“I’ll make sure to leave my stomach empty for it when the time comes.”
As we laughed together, the music started up again. Looking down, I saw the aristocrats twirling around the dance hall, new encounters blooming.
“Watching His Highness dance makes one keenly aware of his position, doesn’t it? That he’s an imperial prince and one is a commoner. That the worlds you live in are so different…”
Xenu’s words ran through my mind. For some reason, I suddenly wanted to cry.
“Richard.”
“Hm?”
“I wonder how much longer I can spend time together like this with you?” The party’s extraordinary atmosphere melted my sense of reason. It was the only explanation for why I blurted out my true feelings to him. “Calling you Richard like it’s the most natural thing in the world… Laughing together, joking together, fighting together backs pressed against each other… After all these years of helping each other, I’ve started thinking maybe it’s about time for us to move on.”
“Miss Monica, are you…perhaps a little drunk?”
“I doubt it, since I haven’t had any alcohol tonight… Though I might be drunk off the atmosphere. I’m sorry. I… Being here, it just struck me again how miraculous it is that I get to be with you, Your Highness. I’m sorry for putting a damper on the mood.” I tried to force a laugh, but I couldn’t. Richard seemed paralyzed by my unusual behavior, like he’d forgotten how to smile.
The music ended again in the dance hall.
Krak, krak.
“Hm? What a strange sound…”
A dry crackling sound was coming from him, like someone had stepped on glass and broke it. In the next moment, I found myself in the circle of his arms.
“Mpf…”
The first thing that hit me was the alluring scent of his sweat. The musk was proof of how long he’d been dancing tonight. I couldn’t think of anything to say, not with his hand on the back of my head pressing my face tightly into his chest. My mind went completely black at the feel of his powerful, resolute arms around me. I just stood there in a daze, letting him do what he wanted.
Another song ended, but Richard continued to hold me tight. And I let him. I closed my eyes, savoring his body heat. It should have felt cramped and painful in his hold. But the space within his arms felt like home.
Then I had a thought. It felt like I knew him, but I didn’t actually know anything about him at all. Because it was the first time he embraced me like this.
Oh, I see… Richard might be a friendly person, but he never touches others more than necessary.
He often kissed my hair, high-fived me, sparred with me, and even rode on horseback together. But his touches never went beyond that. I finally realized this truth once he hugged me like this. And then my next question was, why? Why didn’t he touch me more?
Because I’ve spent my working life in a constant state of desire due to my powers… If he touched me and hugged me when I’m in heat, then I would interpret his actions in a different way. I might attack him…and that would be dangerous for us both. That must be why.
Then why was he embracing me now? Most likely because he wanted to cheer me up after seeing me so upset. There was no other answer, since Richard didn’t feel romantic love or passion or desire.
In that case…let me indulge myself a little now.
This unusual situation must have made me drunk. Because I boldly wound my arms around him. I could have sworn a slight tremor ran through his back. For a moment, I was afraid he hated it, and a chill overcame me. But he didn’t pull away or release me.
“Thank you, Richard… You always cheer me up at my weakest moment.”
“I…I’m not as kind of a man as you think I am.”
“Yes, you are. Even now, it feels so wonderful being with you like this.”
“Oh…really.”
He muttered the words quietly then gently let me go. The warmth that accumulated between us dissipated. His flame-colored eyes pierced me. The smile on his face was his usual kind one.
“Miss Monica. Once we settle things in Kophe, you and I are going to have a nice, long talk about the future.”
“The future?”
“Yes. I…can’t tell you just yet.” He tugged on a hank of my disheveled hair then leaned down to whisper in my ear. “But know this: I have no intention of letting you go. Think of it as a hint to our conversation and plan accordingly, hm?”
“What do you—”
Mean? Except a sudden explosion meant I didn’t get the chance to finish my question.
“A surprise attack?!”
Without hesitation, Richard jumped over the banister and landed in the great hall below.
“Get to your positions! Knights, prepare for battle!”
The atmosphere of the party transformed instantly.