“Are you worried about people’s stares?”
“…Yes.”
“These are gifts for you, Cayden. They’re not gifts for others. They weren’t sent to show off to the people of the imperial palace either.”
“…”
“Don’t worry about it. Whether others see you favorably or not, what does it matter? If there’s someone who gives you looks that make you feel awful, His Highness will slap them on your behalf. The same goes for those who babble nonsense, buzzing like mosquitoes.”
Just until a moment ago, he had told Cayden that he needed to show he was the Crown Prince’s companion, that if he went around looking too plain, it would cause trouble for the Crown Prince. But now, he was passionately telling him not to mind others’ eyes.
He had spoken with a forked tongue. It was absurd. The Crown Prince of Helio was changing his words casually just to accommodate someone’s feelings.
“…Cayden, you are sufficiently beautiful. Think of those who fail to see it as having eyes attached to their feet.”
Amun borrowed Lihet’s words and muttered softly in the imperial language. He didn’t want to say it in the Kingdom language, which his bride would more surely understand, as it would hurt his pride.
But it was also an honest statement. Though his bride was lacking in many ways, his face was indeed handsome. Only those with eyes on the soles of their feet, like the male servant who had quarreled with Lihet, would talk nonsense about not knowing whether Cayden was good-looking.
Hearing Amun’s words, Cayden moved his lips but ultimately just bowed his head deeply. With his fingertips, he only fiddled with the translucent fabric inside an open box. It was a gesture of pretending not to hear, not knowing how to respond.
“It’s amazing how fabric can be this soft.”
Cayden urgently changed the subject.
How can he not believe what I say? Assad clicked his tongue inwardly. But well… since Amun wasn’t that man’s companion, it wasn’t bad to see him filtering words appropriately.
“The long shawl that the Crown Prince occasionally wears must be made of this material too, right?”
“If you’re referring to the haik, then yes.”
Amun was secretly surprised at Cayden’s words. The fabric used to make sleeping clothes for the royalty and nobility of Elba would likely look somewhat similar to this. Yet, seeing this made him think of me first. It was both curious and strange… and somewhat awkward.
“When I was young, I heard stories about the fairy kingdom. They said a world of beautiful fairies was hidden in the deepest part of the forest.”
Cayden, who had suddenly brought up fairies, continued.
“I was curious about what fairies looked like. I think I often imagined them in my own way. Though I completely forgot as I grew older.”
“…”
“But… seeing the Crown Prince with this flowing fabric wrapped around his body reminds me of the fairy stories I heard long ago. I wonder if the king of the fairy kingdom might look like the Crown Prince.”
Raising his head again, Cayden looked at Amun.
“I’ve even had nonsensical fantasies, wondering if the Crown Prince has fairy wings covered with pollen hidden behind his back.”
“Fairy…”
“Keep what I said a secret from His Highness. Will you promise?”
Cayden whispered with a small smile. It seemed somewhat playful, which didn’t match him.
Amun’s mind instantly calmed as he thought of the fairies from Helio’s legends—creatures close to monsters with beast heads. It was because he belatedly remembered the pretty fairy world from the old tales of the north.
Unlike Cayden, who went around completely covered, Assad didn’t wear tops. He fully exposed his body under the sun. Occasionally, depending on his mood, he would wear a haik, but not often.
Other royal family members also roamed the palace in attire not much different from Assad’s. They covered their skin like Cayden only when standing on the desert sand.
Helio’s revealing attire was based on tradition and convenience. Of course, there was also the coexisting reason of displaying the robustness of one’s physique to the world. The atmosphere of not neglecting to train one’s body even in old age was so pervasive throughout Helio that the desert people strived to maintain a strong appearance.
So, it was both strange and amusing that Cayden, looking at the haik that revealed a muscular body, thought of the fairy world.
It seemed he appeared quite beautiful in that man’s eyes. Still, he didn’t mind being likened to a king among fairies.
To think that Cayden, who he thought found the desert people’s attire awkward and difficult, had been looking at his body through the haik under the pretense of fairy wings. He thought that the man, who seemed to have not even a fingernail’s worth of lust, had a somewhat lecherous side.
‘Well, for a person, it’s natural to look at a body like this.’
He thought he should wear a haik when meeting that foolish man.
Of course, he wasn’t paying attention to Cayden’s words. It was just an act of sharing beauty with those around him. If he wanted to feel the worth of giving a gift, he’d have to put the ring on with his own hands, so he thought he should meet Cayden tonight.
Without even thinking of hiding his raised corners of his mouth, Amun touched the fabric before him with his fingertips, following Cayden.
To him, it was a fabric with nothing special. But as he kept touching it absentmindedly, it did feel soft, as Cayden had said. Judging by how the fabric’s texture felt particularly good against his fingertips.
“You really don’t dislike the gifts, do you?”
Amun, who had been stroking the fabric as if smoothing a horse’s mane, glanced at the man beside him. Cayden was already looking at him.
Cayden, whose gaze met with his interlocutor, smiled slightly once more.
“Of course not.”
“…Please tell the Crown Prince directly as well. It would be better than me relaying your words.”
Ahem. Still with his hand bound to the fabric, Amun unnecessarily cleared his throat.
“Yes, I definitely will. I’ll tell him I’m truly grateful for his thoughtfulness.”
Cayden’s face was too solemn as he said this.
Yes, it was better that he was solemn. Assad was relieved that Cayden didn’t cry in front of the gifts. Although he seemed to like Amun’s gift more, he didn’t feel resentful.
Because Cayden and he weren’t real spouses, nor were they close. They weren’t in a relationship to feel resentment over such a matter.
Now, Cayden was in a room so bright it was almost dazzling, not in a dark tent. He didn’t look troubled like someone choked with sadness. He wasn’t crying. The midday sunshine gently wavered through his pitch-black hair.
His bride was smiling.
‘That’s enough.’
That was all that mattered. In Amun’s form, Assad smiled along with Cayden.
* * *
Cayden, who had been tossing in bed, quietly opened his eyes. Carefully lifting his left hand, he looked at the ring finger that had been empty just a few hours ago. More precisely, he glared at the ring firmly embracing his ring finger. His face was serious, as if engaged in a staring contest.
The one who had put the ring on Cayden’s empty finger and left was Assad.
In the early night when even the birds had stopped crying, Assad had abruptly burst into Cayden’s bedroom.
Dropping a small, unidentified jewelry box on the low table, he leaned back on the sofa. Except for the jewelry box he had brought, his appearance was no different from usual.
Though it was a bit late… Cayden had thought Assad had come to see him because of an obligatory meeting he had to have. He believed Assad had come without any particular purpose, not wanting to skip a visit for no reason. After all, Assad had been faithfully visiting him almost every day lately, as if he had made an appointment with someone.
In front of Assad, Cayden usually played the role of a listener. He was busy just trying to understand the imperial language Assad used.
But today, he was the first to speak, as if he had been waiting. It was to express gratitude for the gifts Assad had sent him.
Trying his best not to stammer, Cayden conveyed his sincere thanks to Assad. Assad merely grinned as if it was nothing, showing no particular reaction.
‘…’
Cayden, who had closed his mouth, followed Assad’s gaze. He felt the gaze falling from his face to the collar of his clothes, to his chest, to his two hands awkwardly placed on the table.
Assad stared fixedly at the ordinary bracelet wrapped around Cayden’s left wrist. But soon he moved his eyes without hesitation to Cayden’s empty fingers. And he didn’t avert his gaze anymore.
Was there a problem he didn’t know about?
Cayden, who had been observing, tried to withdraw his hand. But in the end, he couldn’t move at all. Because Assad had already grasped Cayden’s hand.
‘Why aren’t you wearing the ring?’
‘…The ring?’
‘The wedding ring.’
Assad had answered with a composed face.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
