Assad’s face looked no different than usual. If anything, he appeared more peaceful than before. The red light of the gem illuminating that peaceful face… Cayden felt somewhat troubled.
“I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that.”
Cayden, who had been uttering every negative word he knew, abruptly turned his head forward. He avoided eye contact because whenever he met Assad’s eyes, which occasionally looked like those of a young puppy, his heart would weaken.
Assad didn’t add any unnecessary words to Cayden’s reaction. Only a pleasant laugh reached Cayden’s ears before fading away.
The walk continued with a comfortable silence.
“…”
Since meeting Mat in the west wing of the detached palace until now, Cayden had spent all of his schedule with Assad. Continuously.
He couldn’t remember the last time he had spent such a long time… by Assad’s side.
Assad was a very precious person. The time Assad possessed was just as precious as his value. And that Assad had wasted an entire day just for him. Even though he thought he shouldn’t feel joy at that fact, Cayden couldn’t completely hide his excited feelings.
That precious day was coming to an end.
Looking back, it had been such a short day. Cayden slowly traced the time he had passed through.
Today, Chamberlain Saban wasn’t the only one Cayden had faced with Assad by his side. Ramon, the court physician, also had to face the crown prince couple simultaneously.
‘He seemed… a bit tense…’
The time that had been a pleasant thrill for himself might have been just a burdensome time for others. Such a thought belatedly occurred to him. He found himself needlessly worried about Ramon’s glum face after completing the medical examination.
However, Assad hadn’t contradicted Ramon’s words or added unnecessary comments. Nor did he nitpick or prevent Ramon’s actions. Assad simply smiled silently while watching Ramon examine Cayden. It was a bright smile that only looked beautiful in Cayden’s eyes.
Ramon was still apologetic about hiding the fact of Cayden’s pregnancy. After all, he had only shared the fact with the Emperor, keeping his mouth shut in front of the crown prince couple. He was equally sorry for suddenly revealing that secret in Pima, and in front of people no less. He also felt embarrassed by the fact that he was still working for Cayden as before.
Perhaps Ramon was also feeling emotions like apology or guilt toward Assad. Cayden unconsciously made a resolution while walking with Assad that he should make sure Ramon wouldn’t have to face Assad for long.
“What are you thinking about so deeply?”
“I was thinking about when you and Sir Ramon… I mean, Ramon, first met. When you had Amun’s appearance, not your current one.”
“Did that fellow and I still not seem to get along today?”
“Yes. A little.”
Cayden didn’t have a necklace with Mat’s power infused in it. Assad wouldn’t know which of his words were true or false. But Cayden gave Assad an honest answer. Because he had Assad beside him, who had been showing his heart without reserve through the red light all along. He didn’t want to hide his thoughts, his heart.
“You saw well. Ramon and I will never get along, ever.”
“…Is that so?”
“Well, I don’t really dislike the fellow though. Even if his words are grating, he’s kind to you. Worrying about you and caring for you as if he were your eldest brother. That’s all I could ask for.”
And Assad immediately added one more remark, as if something had occurred to him.
“Seeing how he treats you, I think he’ll take good care of our child’s health too. Though that child would grow well wherever we put it. Just like I did. Not just me, Mat too.”
“…Yes. I really hope so.”
“Kamar. Even the name is strong. An ambitious child who will be both the sun and moon of Helio. There’s no way it won’t be physically robust.”
A light laugh followed the end of Assad’s words.
Watching Assad like that, the corners of Cayden’s mouth also rose gently. It was because he recalled the times when he had put his head together with Assad to name the girl who had appeared in his father’s dream.
After quite a long deliberation, the child’s name was decided as ‘Kamar,’ meaning moon. Regrettably, it wasn’t one of the twenty-seven names that Assad had found by searching through the library books. Nor did it include the opinions of other royal family members.
‘Kamar’ was a name that Cayden had cautiously suggested. He had chosen it with the meaning that the child would become both the sun and moon of Helio, like the goddess Tara, looking down upon both light and darkness as Emperor.
“A name that the Sun Emperor has never had before, and will never have again.”
“A name they will never have again?”
“Because no one as excellent as our child will ever come along. If it’s possible to recognize one’s place, they wouldn’t use the same name out of sheer embarrassment.”
Kamar. Assad accepted Cayden’s suggestion, the name containing his heart, without even the slightest hesitation. Along with a bright smile and an embrace.
“…”
A small smile eventually rose to Cayden’s lips as he finished his contemplation. In the peaceful silence that returned, the crown prince couple continued their slow steps.
The magic lamps placed here and there in the garden began to light up. The round white lights produced by the magic stones, which had finished preparations to patrol the garden, were also getting ready to rise subtly. They would fully rise when half the sky was dyed navy blue and then purple.
‘I’m not even sick… Is it okay for me to receive such affectionate support?’
Feeling an embarrassment he couldn’t express aloud, Cayden needlessly stroked his stomach.
The fact that he was carrying a child still didn’t feel real. Ramon had said that when his belly grew more and his body became more difficult, he would feel the presence of the heir more acutely.
But for now, he only had ridiculous thoughts. Would Kamar suddenly fall from the sky one day? A huge bird carrying the child in its mouth, delivering it to him and Assad, then returning to the sky. Looking at his stomach, which still felt flat, such childish fantasies came to mind.
“…Your Highness.”
Suddenly feeling the sweet pheromones touching his skin, Cayden stopped walking. He raised his head. It was to see the man who was tickling him lost in thought, begging for attention.
“Your thoughtful face is handsome.”
Assad playfully spoke to Cayden who was looking at him. He was holding the transparent gem on the thick cord with his index finger and thumb.
Flash. A red light spread between the two and disappeared.
“Your face looking up at me is even more beautiful.”
“…”
“I want to kiss you right now.”
Again, the red color flashed, and flashed again. It showed a color more vivid than the setting sun to the world.
“With every step I take. I find myself wanting to kiss you.”
Mat’s gem had no rest. It had to continue emitting loud light following several embarrassing words that followed.
“People might hear. They’ll think Your Highness is a lecher.”
Due to Assad’s concern for his pregnant spouse, unlike usual, several guards were following the crown prince couple at a distance. Perhaps their conversation might be heard by them as well. Unnecessary worry found Cayden.
“Is it a problem that I want to kiss my spouse? I’m holding back from doing more and only trying to kiss. This much… isn’t this rather modest for a lecher?”
“Assad…”
Unable to bear the embarrassment, Cayden tried to slightly cover Assad’s mouth with his hand. But of course, he couldn’t bring himself to actually cover Assad’s mouth and just hovered around it.
“You can cover it if you want.”
Assad, smiling pleasantly, placed his lips on Cayden’s palm himself. On his bride’s palm, fingers, and fingertips, Assad planted kisses. Cayden’s hand gradually curled at the subtle ticklishness. But soon his wrist was also seized by Assad, making it impossible to withdraw his hand.
“Cayden. There’s one more lesson left, right?”
“…Yes. The Imperial language lesson.”
Cayden was learning the Imperial language from someone whose patience was as vast as a desert and whose kindness was like the spring breeze. Unlike before, he was learning not just to speak and listen, but also to read and write. That learning took place regardless of day or night.
“What to do. I think we’ll have to cancel that lesson.”
“What if the teacher is disappointed?”
“That fellow is busy too, they say. No time to teach writing because they’re dallying with their spouse. Lucky, isn’t it?”
Cayden chuckled at Assad’s words. It was because the Imperial language teacher in front of his eyes seemed somewhat brazen.
“Will you give me make-up lessons later?”
“If you don’t mind lessons on the bed.”
Drawing his body closer, Assad whispered the answer.
Assad led Cayden’s hand, which he had been holding, a little lower. Cayden’s palm soon came to rest on Assad’s left chest.
“Now, I want to go somewhere with no one else.”
Assad’s heart was beating intensely. His eyes looking down at his bride also trembled gently like flower petals caught in a soft breeze.
Cute and lovely.
Feeling an unbearable fullness, Cayden briefly kissed the cheek of his one and only companion. For that fleeting moment, he wasn’t concerned about the eyes of others.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
