~CHAPTER 53~
* * *
A new task came up.
Since the deal with the merchant Til introduced fell through, I had to find a new business partner myself.
The problem was that I knew nothing about commerce in the capital.
So I planned to explore the busy district.
But going alone felt a bit lonely.
“Honey, let’s go on a date!”
I dragged Aizen along.
It would be great to handle work and romance at the same time.
“You’ll go on a date with me, right?”
“…….”
“Yes?”
I put my hands together under my chin and gave him bright, sparkling eyes.
Soon Aizen’s ears flushed red and he nodded.
“Yay, thank you!”
We decided to go out disguised as commoners.
If we revealed we were nobles, market research might get distorted.
Aizen wore a flat cap to hide his rare silver hair and glasses to soften his handsome face, layering a navy vest over a loose white shirt.
*Wow, he manages to stand out with silhouette alone.*
No matter how much he dressed like a commoner, no one would dare pick a fight with him.
Meanwhile, wearing a shirt, vest, and skirt made me look fairly harmless.
Of course, I never looked intimidating even when dressed nicely.
Maybe Aizen was worried about that, because he warned me.
“Don’t ever leave my side.”
“Of course! I’ll stay right by you all the time.”
Clinging to his arm, I stepped out with him.
The capital’s commercial district was flashier than the northern one, filled with countless shops.
A huge white fountain stood in the center of the square, a clock tower faced it, and elegant buildings rose all around.
*Wow… I should be amazed, but for some reason it doesn’t feel surprising.*
Unlike the first time I visited the northern district, I felt a strange sense of déjà vu.
Honestly, I had felt that way ever since arriving in the capital.
What was this feeling?
“Mmm, something smells good…”
I instinctively followed the smell until a hand caught me by the shoulder.
“Did you already forget what I said about staying beside me?”
“Ah, sorry. Want to get skewers?”
“Do as you like.”
Aizen lowered the eyebrow he had raised a moment before.
I led him to a skewer stall where we bought chicken skewers.
Hmm, so most food stalls were on the eastern path relative to the square.
The carriage stand was between the east and south sides, so the foot traffic was heavy in that area.
Looking around, I spotted a cotton candy vendor and drifted toward him again, this time gripping Aizen’s hand tightly.
“Two cotton candies, please.”
“Oh dear, only enough for one left.”
“That’s fine, then just one please.”
“Heh heh, I’ll make it as pretty as possible.”
Swinging the stick in wide circles, the vendor sprinkled colored sugar.
A cute rainbow cotton candy soon formed.
“Enjoy.”
“Thank you.”
We sat side by side on a bench.
I tore off a pink piece from the top, took a bite, and offered the rest to Aizen.
“How is it? Good, right?”
“It’s edible enough.”
That meant I could keep feeding him.
As I happily enjoyed the cotton candy, a problem came up.
The melted sugar made my fingers sticky.
Ugh, uncomfortable.
“Honey, should we just bite it directly? My hands are a mess.”
“I’m fine, so you eat the rest.”
“But I want us to finish it together…”
Lowering my eyes in disappointment made Aizen immediately reach for the cotton candy and take a bite.
Hehe, maybe he would hold it for me now.
Thinking that, I let go of the stick and leaned in to take a bite—
“……!”
Because we lowered our heads at the same time, our foreheads bumped.
Ow.
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them to find Aizen’s face right in front of mine.
Up close, his violet eyes looked even more luminous.
Our breaths nearly touched.
My heart thumped fast, and I clearly saw the moment he lowered his gaze then raised it again.
The instant our eyes locked, he jerked back as if burned.
“If you’re done, let’s look around somewhere else.”
His neck flushed as he hurriedly picked up the fallen stick, tossed it out, and pulled me away.
He startled me. He was too handsome.
I tapped my warm cheeks with my palm.
Then something interesting caught my eye, and I stopped Aizen.
“Wait, let’s try that!”
“…You mean the flower petal fortune?”
“Yes!”
An elderly lady sat on a mat with piles of flowers, offering fortunes.
Just as the previous customer left, we quickly took the seats and she greeted us warmly.
“A lovely couple has come. What do you wish to ask?”
“Hmm, we want to know if we’ll stay close like we are now.”
“All right, let’s see.”
The lady picked up a flower.
Her wrinkled hands plucked the white petals one by one.
“Good, bad, good, bad.”
Even knowing it was superstition, I watched the shrinking flower with curiosity and a little hope.
Soon only a few petals remained.
“Good, bad, good…”
“…….”
“Bad… it is.”
The worst possible outcome.
Startled, I looked at Aizen.
Even he, who seemed disinterested, had a crease on his forehead.
Seeing our reaction, the lady hurriedly dug into her pouch.
“Don’t be disappointed yet. I also read cards. I’ll do it for free.”
Pushing aside the flowers, she spread out cards and told us to each draw two.
It probably didn’t mean much, but her kindness made me comply.
The Moon card, the reversed Moon card, a man holding two swords, and a man carrying seven swords.
The four cards lay before us.
With a grave expression, the lady spoke firmly.
“It’s clear someone is hiding something. There’s a lack of trust.”
“……!”
Gasp.
How did she know?
I carried a secret I couldn’t tell anyone. The secret that I wasn’t the real Jena Kreutz.
“Your partner might be different on the inside than they seem. You might even be betrayed. But if you fear revealing your heart, you won’t escape that future.”
Each word stabbed deeper.
I couldn’t even think about Aizen’s reaction as I asked carefully.
“Then… what should I do?”
“If you truly love them, open your heart and accept them. They’ll learn your true nature eventually. That fate can’t be avoided.”
Would my true identity be exposed?
Why?
Unless things reached the worst possible situation, I had no intention of admitting I was a possessor.
*Could it be because I fail to create Aizen’s cure?*
Even knowing this was superstition, I found myself fully immersed.
I tried asking for another reading out of anxiety, but the lady chuckled as she packed her things.
“I’m old, dear. I can only work three hours a day. You two already used up the time. I need to rest.”
“Just once more…”
“Listen to my words well. Then both of you will do fine.”
She shooed us away gently and soon left.
As her figure grew distant, Aizen suddenly grabbed my hand tightly.
Startled, I looked up to find his face stiff.
“That was all nonsense. Don’t believe it.”
“Huh? Oh… yes, of course. You shouldn’t believe it either.”
“I won’t. Not at all.”
He answered firmly and added:
“There’s nothing we would hide from each other.”
That pierced straight through me.
How could I ever tell him I wasn’t Jena Kreutz?
The atmosphere became strangely awkward as we continued exploring the district.
Soon my legs hurt and I grew hungry. I was about to suggest we rest somewhere when—
“Wow! They’re doing a free performance over there!”
“Let’s go, let’s go!”
A sudden crowd surged, pushing us apart.
“Ah! Honey!”
“My lady!”
I was tall for a woman, and Aizen was very tall, but in this chaos, it didn’t help.
His handsome face, which had been above the crowd moments ago, vanished.
By the time I escaped the throng, I was on an unfamiliar street.
No, this was bad. I had a terrible sense of direction.
“Honey! Where are you?!”
I searched desperately.
But not even a strand of his silver hair was anywhere.
Exhaustion slowed my steps, and I dragged my feet when someone blocked my way.
“…?”
“Hello, you look tired. How about resting at our shop? We have great drinks.”
A woman with a friendly smile pointed to the coffee house behind her.
She seemed to be a staff member inviting customers in.
*But I haven’t found Aizen yet…*
Still, I was so drained I couldn’t walk another minute.
After some hesitation, I accepted her offer.
She said there were no seats on the first floor and led me upstairs.
“By the way, the second floor has private rooms so you can rest comfortably.”
“Really?”
“Yes, please go into that one.”
She pointed to a room covered by a red curtain.
I nodded and headed over while she smiled and left.
Without much thought, I lifted the curtain and stepped in.
Then my eyes widened.
There was someone inside.
A stranger smiled lazily as our eyes met.
