“What did you just say?”
Dominic forcibly placed the handkerchief into her hand as she questioned him and then turned away.
“Make good use of it and be sure to return it, Your Highness.”
“…”
Sasha inwardly scoffed at his obvious attempt to use the handkerchief as an excuse to create a connection. Unfolding it, she deliberately wiped her neck with a careless gesture. Her plan was to use it briefly, discard it, and later claim she had lost it. It was a good plan—except she failed to notice Regen watching her intently.
Meanwhile, at one side of the banquet hall, the knights and princesses who were about to undergo the ‘Embossed Pillar Ornament’ punishment were exchanging brief farewells.
Sasha murmured to herself. “I should offer a small favor.”
Sasha was the first to step out of the banquet hall. Not long after, she spotted Yulis being escorted away, separated from Lilliana.
“Wait a moment.” She stopped Yulis in his tracks. “I’ll return this to you.”
“…”
What Sasha held out was Yulis’ handkerchief, damp with wine. Yulis instinctively opened his mouth to refuse but hesitated. It was because there was something beneath the handkerchief.
“…”
“…”
After exchanging a glance, Yulis gave a small nod of acknowledgment and took the handkerchief back from Sasha. Yulis’ figure disappeared down the hallway. Only then did Sasha let out a long exhale as if finally releasing the tension that had gripped her. It felt like the exhausting day had finally come to an end.
“What did you hand over to him?”
“A drug that will make him sleep like a hibernating bear. It’ll help him endure for five days.”
It was one of the drugs Sasha had hidden in her ring. For something as trivial as borrowing a handkerchief, the favor Yulis received in return was significant. Somehow, that made Regen uncomfortable, and she spoke impulsively.
“Where is my handkerchief?”
“That one is still…”
“Please return it to me.”
“…”
This was the first time Regen had seen the princess with such wide eyes. Had he said something surprising? She hesitated as if reluctant to part with it, and only after a long pause did she return the handkerchief.
“Here.”
The handkerchief, untouched by even a drop of wine, looked as good as new. Regen’s brows furrowed again. Instead of tucking the handkerchief away, he began to directly wipe Sasha’s face. It was a simple gesture, yet Sasha’s senses screamed at every spot his touch grazed. She tried to steady herself, thinking, ‘It’s fine, we’re siblings. This much is normal for siblings.’ But it wasn’t easy.
Unconsciously taking a deep breath, Sasha finally spoke. “I thought… you were angry.”
“How could a knight dare to be angry at their lord?”
“… You’re definitely angry, though.”
“…”
Regen fell silent and changed the subject.
“Now that the competition is over, you should go back and wash up.”
“Alright.”
Sasha reached out subtly, intending to take the handkerchief back from Regen. But misunderstanding her intent, he quickly supported her hand with his own as if escorting her. Her disappointment and longing became secrets known only to the moonlight.
Unaware of her own feelings, she returned to her quarters with the knight, who was merely being polite in his escort.
✦
It seemed I had dozed off in the bathtub after a long, exhausting day. By the time I had washed up thoroughly and dried my hair, the night had grown late.
Every night, it was a fixed routine to treat Regen’s mana core. Since the appointed time was approaching, I decided to go to his quarters instead of calling him to my bedroom tonight. I also wanted to talk about what had happened at the banquet hall, even if it wasn’t directly related to the mana core treatment.
I prepared a good bottle of wine, two glasses, and some pretty, appetizing canapés. After telling Hamel and Demia they could rest for the night, I carried the tray myself.
Regen’s quarters were three rooms away from my bedroom. The interior was dark in the late evening, but the light from the candle on the tray served as a makeshift lantern. Relying on the flickering candlelight, I finally arrived at Regen’s door.
“Sir Regen?” I knocked, but there was no response from inside.
Is he asleep?
As I debated what to do, the door, which hadn’t been properly latched, creaked open slightly with the breeze. It opened just enough for me to slip through, and I couldn’t resist the temptation. No, if I’m being honest, I knew it was just an excuse. I simply wanted to see Regen, even if it was just his sleeping face.
I moved the candlelight around the dark room, taking in the neat and tidy space. It was so orderly that it reminded me of its owner, and I couldn’t help but chuckle. This was a room I had prepared for him, yet just because Regen was staying here, I found myself attaching all sorts of meaning to it, comparing it to him. It made me feel a bit foolish.
Come to think of it, the handkerchief was the same. It was just an ordinary handkerchief, a standard issued from the imperial palace. And yet, for some reason, I had wanted it so badly.
“Ah.”
A gust of wind from beyond the door blew out the candle and slammed the door shut with a loud bang. Startled, I was plunged into complete darkness. It was pitch black, so dark that I couldn’t even see my hand in front of my face.
Recalling there might have been a table nearby, I groped around in the darkness with the hand that wasn’t holding the tray, but I couldn’t find anything. Was it a little further ahead? As I took a step forward, an unfortunate incident occurred. My toe caught on the edge of the carpet.
“…!”
I completely lost my balance. Expecting to fall helplessly, I squeezed my eyes shut. But then, a large hand reached out from the front, pulling me into an embrace as we both tumbled down together. I didn’t feel any pain at all. It was thanks to the person beneath me who absorbed the full impact of the fall.
I propped myself up on my arms and raised my upper body. It was still too dark to see anything, but I cautiously called out. “Sir Regen…?”
“…Yes.”
His voice was much lower and huskier than usual. Maybe he had just woken up.
At that moment, the clouds outside parted, and moonlight poured in, illuminating the room. Lying on the floor, his disheveled hair framing his face, was an incredibly handsome man looking up at me. And I, in turn, was looking down at him, trapping him within my arms.
“…”
“…”
It was an undeniably provocative position.
“My apologies.” I managed to respond calmly and lifted myself off of him.
Once we both stood up, it was as if nothing had happened. Even the tray I had been carrying was perfectly intact, thanks to Regen, who had caught it without spilling a thing.
It was a cloudy night. The moon was about to be hidden by the clouds again, and Regen gently placed a hand on my shoulder, guiding me toward the bed. “Please, have a seat here.”
As he lit the candle, I spoke, almost as if making an excuse. “It was time to treat your mana core. I thought I’d come by first.”
“If you permit, I’d like to rest today.”
“Alright. But let’s talk instead.”
Regen seemed reluctant, but he quietly pulled a chair and sat across from me, humoring me. Truly, he was a knight whose courtesy toward a lady was ingrained in both body and soul.
I picked up the wine bottle I had brought. He moved as if to serve, but I stopped him and poured the wine myself, handing him a glass. “Shall we have a drink before we talk? To celebrate passing the competition safely.”
“…”
He ran his thumb along the rim of the glass before bringing it to his lips. The red wine flowed into his mouth, and his prominent Adam’s apple moved up and down dramatically. It was just the act of drinking something, yet I found myself captivated by his appearance, unable to look away.
We each emptied a glass. As I pondered how to start the conversation, he unexpectedly spoke first.
“Did you know?”
“Know what?”
“Your Highness always gives orders first, then says you want to talk.”
“…”
Is that how it is? More than that, I didn’t like the way he addressed me.
“It’s just the two of us here.”
“Yes, Your Highness.”
He didn’t call me Sasha.
I decided to think positively. At least he was being direct. Better to have emotions collide head-on than have them hidden.
The first step in solving a problem is to bring it to the surface. And so, I spoke without hesitation.
