Chapter 42
“Lady, I think you should wear a cat mask. It’s convenient, and it has a pretty decoration as well.”
Olentia nodded. She had never attended a masked ball before, so this would be her first time wearing a mask.
Would wearing a mask help her understand Dimidius better?
A sudden, silly thought crossed her mind, and Olentia nervously chewed at her lips for no reason.
The carriage clattered loudly as it made its way into a street crowded with people. Olentia stepped onto the ground, escorted by Dimidius. An involuntary exclamation escaped her lips.
“Wow!”
Everyone on the street was wearing a mask. She had never imagined seeing something so rare. Olentia went to a shop that sold masks and quickly bought a suitable cat mask. She couldn’t be the only one showing her bare face.
When Olentia put on the mask with cat ears, Dimidius burst out laughing.
“Haha! It suits you perfectly, Lady.”
It seemed like this was the first time he had laughed so freely. His excitement was obvious in his voice. Olentia looked up at him, momentarily startled. He couldn’t see her expression because of the mask.
‘If I tell Podion that I think he looks really happy, will His Grace get mad at me, just like I did with Podion?’
Olentia found herself frustrated at her own silly thoughts. She couldn’t understand why she was curious about such things.
She linked her arm with Dimidius’s and said,
“I don’t want to get lost. There are just too many people.”
“Yes. Hold on tight.”
With that, Dimidius guided her through the busy street. Stalls sold popular northern foods and jewelry, and uniquely, many workshops allowed visitors to make their own accessories. In areas filled with the warm sounds of people’s laughter, there was a street lined with beautiful cafes.
Noticing Olentia’s wandering eyes, Dimidius explained,
“The reason there are so many workshops is that people in the Belial territory like to make things themselves. I believe it’s become a trend for couples to craft rings or necklaces together.”
Olentia’s curiosity grew.
“Really? I’ve only ever bought from jewelers; I’ve never made anything myself, so I’m curious.”
Dimidius led her into one of the workshops with an open door.
“Then let’s try it ourselves.”
“Oh, no! Why would we do something meant for couples?”
Olentia felt uneasy about his suggestion. He had mentioned that couples made rings or necklaces together, and entering a workshop now seemed strange. Their relationship was strictly contractual.
After she objected, Dimidius silently headed to a nearby restaurant instead.
Seated at a terrace on the second floor, Olentia finally relaxed. The crowd had been so overwhelming that walking through it felt like being swept by waves.
She briefly watched Dimidius skillfully order their food before looking away, feeling that making eye contact might be awkward.
Soon, Dimidius’s voice spoke.
“I ordered a simple salmon galette and butter-lemon crepe.”
Olentia nodded politely.
“These are famous dishes from the north. I’m excited to try them at the source.”
“They should be delicious. Far better than going to a workshop to make jewelry, especially since we aren’t a couple.”
‘What? Is he mocking me?’
Olentia hesitated, coughing lightly, and stared into Dimidius’s red eyes. She seemed to try reading his expression, as if compensating for the mask hiding his face. It was almost pitiful how earnest she looked.
‘Just stop it!’
She sipped the cider while waiting for the food. It was sweet, probably because it was made from apples, and she liked it very much.
When the silence became slightly awkward, the food arrived. Olentia tasted the salmon galette and widened her eyes. The dough was perfectly baked, and the salmon topping made it truly delicious.
Seeing her enjoy the food, Dimidius said,
“This place is quite famous. I’m glad it suits your taste.”
“Yes! It’s so delicious!”
Olentia quickly finished the galette and cut into the dessert, the butter-lemon crepe, which smelled sweet and refreshing.
However, Dimidius seemed somewhat subdued compared to earlier, which bothered her. He had looked much better when he was cheerful. She guessed it was because she had refused to go to the workshop.
As she cut the crepe, she asked,
“What shall we do now?”
Dimidius sipped his cider and replied,
“There should be many small theaters around here. How about watching a play?”
A play sounded like a wonderful idea. Olentia immediately agreed.
“Sure, that sounds great!”
After their satisfying meal, Olentia and Dimidius left the restaurant. As Dimidius had said, there were many small theaters along the way. He chose one spontaneously and entered.
After buying tickets and taking their seats, the lights dimmed, and the play began.
Everyone held their breath as they watched the stage.
A middle-aged male actor and a young male actor appeared. They looked so much alike that one might assume they were father and son.
The middle-aged actor patted the young actor’s shoulder and said,
“Dimidius, your grades are excellent once again. I am proud of you. I can hardly sleep, excited to see how you will develop the Belial territory.”
Olentia glanced at Dimidius with wide eyes. It seemed the character’s name wasn’t random—could this play be about him?
She kept watching. The theater was small, so she could hear everyone’s breathing, which was slightly uncomfortable but bearable.
“Thank you, Father. My goal is to become a grand duke and lord as admirable as you.”
The young actor looked at the older actor with eyes full of respect.
It seemed this was about Dimidius and the former Grand Duke, James Belial. Within the Belial territory, their reputation appeared to be quite good. It was impressive that a play had been made about them.
The two men in the play appeared very close. Imagining such a father-son relationship was heartwarming.
Suddenly, Dimidius stood up. In the small theater, this action annoyed those around him.
“Hey! I can’t see!”
“Sit down! What are you doing?”
Dimidius moved toward the back and left the theater. Flustered, Olentia quickly followed. She could not understand why he was doing this.
Outside, she saw him pounding his chest with his fist in the alley.
Cautiously, she approached and asked,
“Is something wrong? Why are you doing that?”
Dimidius, clearly uncomfortable, continued hitting his chest,
“The theater felt too stifling. I couldn’t bear it.”
His voice trembled slightly. Whatever the reason, he looked extremely distressed. The force he used to hit his chest seemed strong enough to bruise him.
Olentia raised her hand to stroke his broad shoulders and back, thinking it best to let him calm down.
‘Why does the theater suddenly feel stifling? It was fine before the play started…’
Seeing him unable to calm down, Olentia grasped his hand tightly, wishing she could transmit some divine energy to him.
“Are you okay? You’re not losing control, right?”
Dimidius held her hand firmly and said,
“No. But holding your hand seems to make me feel a bit better.”
It seemed he wasn’t joking. He began to breathe more steadily. Olentia let him hold her hand for a long while, glad to be able to help.
By now, dusk had fallen, and night had settled.
Olentia held Dimidius’s hand as they arrived at the lake park. The lake’s surface was dotted with floating lanterns set afloat by the people. The orange glow of the lanterns looked cute and charming.
Olentia approached a vendor and bought two lanterns and a quill.
“How about we write our wishes and send the lanterns off?”
Dimidius nodded in agreement.
“Good idea. What will you write?”
“Eh! That’s a secret. Let’s each write our own and not look at each other’s.”
Olentia sat on a bench and carefully wrote her wish with the quill. It was simple and clear:
‘I want to stop having prophetic dreams.’
She could have tried changing the unfortunate futures revealed in her dreams, but not seeing them seemed better for her mental health. Her mind was complicated enough as it was.
Curious about Dimidius’s wish, she still refrained from looking. She had insisted they not see each other’s wishes.
Together, Olentia and Dimidius set their lanterns afloat. The lanterns floated vigorously with the waves. It was easy to lose track of them among the others, but that didn’t matter. She hoped that whoever or whatever could hear her wish would grant it.
Watching Dimidius quietly observe the lake, Olentia asked,
“Do you think our wishes will come true?”
Dimidius answered earnestly,
“I hope they do.”
“Was it a really earnest wish?”
He paused as if thinking, giving no immediate reply.
After a moment, he looked straight at Olentia and said,
“Well… it seems impossible, but the fact that there’s a tiny hope makes me realize how fickle humans can be.”
