CHAPTER 48……….
. Granting Land to the Princess! (3)
Later, when Master Minte hears about this, she’ll probably scold me so badly that getting bitten by Cerberus would feel preferable.
‘But right now, I don’t care.’
As long as he could get away from that place where those two looked like a pair.
The only place Ares could think to hide at the moment was the camellia garden.
Muttering curses under his breath, Ares plopped down on the ground.
‘Damn it. This Persen Palace is way too small.’
He didn’t have the courage—or rather, the will—to run all the way back to the main palace, Hades Palace.
It wasn’t because he was afraid of the Demon King.
If he stayed hidden and waited like this, maybe—just maybe—he’d be found.
“A—res. Where are you?”
“……”
“Our little Ares, where are you hiding?”
Ares had secretly been hoping Sion would come searching like that.
He peeked through the bushes behind him.
Through the fading blossoms, a small figure came toddling toward him.
Platinum-blond hair glittering in the summer sunlight.
Gone was the fitting gown; instead, the princess wore a fluttering lilac dress.
Worried she wouldn’t be able to find him, Ares shifted so that his left knee stuck out from the bushes.
“Are—s……”
Her voice trailed off, then the sound of hurried footsteps grew nearer.
And then Sion appeared at the side of the bush, beaming brightly.
“Ares, found you!”
“…Why’d you come out? Shouldn’t you be busy with pins and needles?”
“You stormed off like that—how could I not come out?”
“Hmph.”
As if she wouldn’t be walking around with those blue eyes during the ceremony anyway.
Swallowing his sharp words, Ares forced himself to look away from her.
‘At least it’s lucky the blue-eyed brat didn’t follow her out.’
Either he had that much tact, or he was stuck in fittings.
Whatever the reason, Ares was glad his princess had followed him.
It made him feel, once again, like he was still her closest friend.
“Our Ares, why are you so grumpy?”
“……”
“Is it because I couldn’t sit with you the other day?”
“…That’s not the only reason, you know?”
Everything you’re doing right now is upsetting me.
How long have you even known that blue-eyed brat? Why do you smile every time your eyes meet? Why do you two have these little ‘somethings’ only you share?
…But his pride wouldn’t allow him to say it.
Sion gazed at him, wearing a tender smile far too grown-up for her young face.
“At Clotho Salon, you acted so mature.”
“Hmph……”
“Sorry. I’d forgotten that’s how the etiquette worked.”
“……”
“What would make our Ares feel better?”
“……”
“You don’t even like it when I pat your head, so I don’t know.”
Her gentle coaxing made Ares’s shoulders flinch.
He wanted to look at her face right away, but he also wanted to hear her soothe him a little more.
‘Sion really is strange.’
She was definitely younger than him, yet she behaved like his older sisters or the Epikus twins.
‘And that necklace the blue-eyed brat lent her…’
Why had the sacred kingdom’s talisman given off a “Sion-like” feeling?
Sion was clearly the princess of the demons.
But right now, Sion’s eyes were only on Ares.
That mattered far more than the unease he felt from the necklace.
…In the end, Ares battled with his pride and pretended to sigh.
“Well, since you’re so worried about my mood, I hardly know what to do with myself.”
“Hehe. So, are you feeling better now?”
“No—pe.”
Ares deliberately jutted out his lips with a sulky tone.
If not now, when else would Sion be this gentle only toward him?
If he wanted to sneak in some childish affection, now was the time.
‘Later, Master Minte really might sic Cerberus on me…’
Swallowing nervously, Ares puffed himself up as if it were nothing.
“If you… just do one thing for me, I think I’ll feel better.”
“Mm? What is it?”
“Close your eyes for a moment.”
At that, Sion frowned and stepped back.
“Why? You’re not going to hit me, are you?”
“What?! No, of course not!”
Ares yelped in panic.
She may have meant it as a joke, but his heart nearly stopped.
“Not that! Just… for ten seconds.”
“Hmmmmm……”
“Okay, fine. Just five seconds.”
“Okaaay…?”
Reluctantly, Sion looked up at him and closed her eyes.
He had thought it earlier too, but—this tiny princess was the most adorable being in the world.
Sweet, sparkling, kind yet strong—his princess.
She was so precious to him that surely others would see her the same way.
‘Whatever that blue-eyed brat whispered to Sion… it’s none of my business.’
All that mattered was having Sion all to himself in this moment.
And with that thought, Ares quickly pressed his lips against her cheek.
Smack.
It lasted only a few seconds.
But the sound of his lips sticking and parting was unmistakable.
Ever since he’d seen Sion smiling brightly as she came to find him, he’d been overwhelmed by a strange impulse.
He wanted to hug her, to lift her up and spin her around like he had at her birthday festival.
But when he looked at her cheek, he just wanted to press his lips there.
…Why the cheek, if someone asked?
‘Because it’s soft and cute?’
Even though she was smaller than him, she bossed him around like one of his nagging sisters—and he found her utterly lovable for it.
When Ares pulled back, Sion cried out with an exasperated face.
“Ugh, seriously…! What are you doing, Ares!”
“Hmph. You said I could do one thing my way.”
“I didn’t know you’d take it this far!”
“Well, I’ve always done things my way. So what?”
Ares cleared his throat, feigning nonchalance.
His heart had never pounded this hard before.
Not when he secretly rode his brother’s dragon, not even during Minte’s brutal training.
‘But if I got the chance to do it again?’
Then of course—he’d do it, even if his heart burst.
While the back of Ares’s neck burned red, Sion just shook her head as if exhausted.
“You and Calion, honestly…”
“What about him?”
“You two just… always do things that make people kick their blankets at night.”
Sion sighed like someone lamenting the world.
“Calion makes this precocious proposal, and now you—”
“What?”
Ares’s face twisted at the strange word that slipped from her lips.
Proposal? As in, that kind of proposal?
“What did that guy do?”
“—Thrust his lips forward without a shred of fear… huh?”
When Ares’s eyes flashed, Sion—who had been sighing heavily—blinked in surprise.
“That blue-eyed brat did what to you?”
“Blue-eyed—! Ares, apologize right now to every blue-eyed person in the world!”
“Forget that! What’s this about a proposal?!”
“I told you, Calion was just acting like an old man!”
“Old man?! You mean like a sly fox!”
“Why are you yelling at me?!”
Sion groaned, “Why do I let myself get tossed around by these two…”
But Ares hardly heard her.
He had finally realized it.
Why it scared him to see the two of them standing side by side during the fittings.
Why he’d hated seeing them dressed in similar clothes.
It was because those images—!
‘They looked like bride and groom, and that’s why I couldn’t stand it!’
Ares wanted to bash his head for being so dense.
What he had always wanted was…!
With his red eyes blazing more intensely, Ares declared solemnly:
“Then I’ll make that proposal too.”
“…What did you just say?”
“I can’t lose. So I’ll propose to you, Sion.”
“Ha… ha…! Absolutely not. I won’t accept it.”
“Why not? Too bad, accept it!”
“How dare you yell at me! Do you think I’d be happy to accept a proposal from a child?”
“Sion, you’re the smallest one here!”
“Wha—no! If we’re talking mental age, you’re the baby, Ares!”
“What—?!”
Shhhk. Tap. Shhhk. Tap.
Then, from beyond the quiet bushes, came the cold sound of metal.
It was so out of place in the beautiful garden that Ares instinctively pushed Sion behind him.
“Who’s there…! Ah, it’s you?”
“……”
Without a word, Calion was repeatedly drawing and sheathing a practice sword with his thumb.
