“If I hold you like this, will you run away again and leave me alone?”
“…Pardon?”
“Well, it’s fine if you run away. I can quickly come and catch you.”
Cayden seemed to want to protest against Assad’s mysterious words, whose meaning he couldn’t understand.
But Assad couldn’t accommodate Cayden’s situation. Instead of continuing to speak, he kissed Cayden again.
It seemed that the residual heat from his first joy period wouldn’t easily subside. Though he didn’t want to blame the joy period, at this point he felt he should blame it somewhat. It didn’t make sense that he couldn’t stop such insane behavior by his own will.
With his back to the scenery that had begun to sway once more, Assad pressed his lips against Cayden’s for a long time. In a world where even the moonlight was distorted, only his bride remained clear.
Part 2
- Emma’s Wedding
Cayden received a welcome letter. It came from Elba, the northern kingdom that was his homeland. A young priest working under the high priest visited the annex palace and delivered the letter to Cayden personally.
The sender of the letter was Emma, Cayden’s only colleague and friend who had been close to him when he worked at Count Servman’s farm.
For Cayden, his relationship with Emma was something precious and miraculous. Despite various incidents, it had never quite broken off. Even just being able to exchange letters with her through the priest was proof of that. Looking at it that way… it was as if Emma was the only person allowed to exist around him, who otherwise had no one.
Of course, there had been times when Cayden hadn’t heard from Emma for quite a while. It was after Emma had paid off her debt and left Count Servman’s farm.
Cayden couldn’t send letters to Emma, nor could he receive letters from her. He couldn’t even go outside on holidays. This was because suddenly everything had been forbidden under the pretext that he might run away without paying his debt.
But by a very fortunate chance, Cayden was reunited with Emma.
Thrown out of the farm overnight, Cayden had to sleep outdoors without a single silver coin. Following the request boards in the village, he did labor work under carpenters, and worked at farms or orchards during harvest season, doing familiar work to save money.
Cayden met Emma when he arrived at the capital, looking for a job he could keep for a long time. Cayden, who had visited the request board at the western square, encountered Emma there. It was a meeting that seemed like a lie.
Emma recognized Cayden immediately. With a smile several times brighter than before, she hugged Cayden tightly. “Seeking a stable keeper for a mansion.” The papers in her hand flew away with the wind. They were job advertisements.
Emma, who had been Cayden’s only kindness and friend, became his benefactor.
Emma, who worked as a maid in a wealthy merchant guild leader’s mansion, introduced Cayden to a new job. She even forcibly created a place for Cayden to stay at the top of the employee dormitory where rooms were scarce. She provided him with lodging to save money. It was an act of kindness he would never forget.
But he was only able to stay at the guild leader’s mansion for half a year. It was because of the companion oracle that flew in from the desert.
Cayden couldn’t tell Emma that he had become entangled with the Crown Prince of Helio through an oracle.
“Emma, before meeting you again, a grateful person I had briefly worked for offered me a job. It’s for a really small… trading company.”
Instead, he had to say such nonsense. He said he wanted to go to the imperial land standing on the desert to help with the business of the trading company that this grateful person from Helio had established. He simply relayed the story as suggested by the imperial side.
“Is it because you want to go far away from the farm, no, from the north?”
A surprised Emma had asked Cayden.
Cayden couldn’t give Emma a clear answer. He could only smile awkwardly throughout. He felt sorry that he couldn’t be honest with Emma, who worried that the imperial capital would be too far and too hot.
“Cayden, tell me the address of the trading company you’ll be joining. I’ll write to you! We can’t lose contact again.”
Emma, with a serious face, had told Cayden.
What helped the confused Cayden regarding the address was the imperial priest who had visited the mansion, promising to play the role of a trading company employee. The same priest who delivered Emma’s letter to Cayden today.
The man, who introduced himself as someone who would become Cayden’s colleague, gave Emma the address of a small trading company office run by his family. It was better to give her the assurance that he was leaving for a place where contact was possible, rather than implanting anxiety that he had suddenly disappeared to a place where contact couldn’t be made.
The priest wasn’t worried about his lie being discovered. He reassured Cayden, saying he just needed to inform his family in advance in case of any situation. After all, the imperial family would take care of the Crown Prince Consort’s circumstances.
Even if Emma felt suspicious, there was nothing to be done. After all, unless one had considerable financial and time resources, it wasn’t easy to travel between the capitals of the kingdom and the empire.
Thus, Emma’s letters first went to the priest. Cayden felt immensely grateful to the priest who had taken on this troublesome task. This was already Emma’s second letter, which made him feel even more grateful.
Cayden carefully placed the letter he had been holding into the drawer below the mirror. It wasn’t just a letter, but one with a small bouquet of dried flowers attached.
Emma was getting married.
The new owner of the mansion where Cayden had briefly worked, who had risen from being the heir of the guild to now the master of the guild, was to become Emma’s spouse. She was a tall woman with a cold impression.
“…”
Carefully closing the drawer, Cayden turned around. He slowly looked around the bedroom that still felt too spacious. But his gaze didn’t readily settle anywhere.
Cayden hesitated, unable to step in any direction. Then finally, he turned back again and headed toward the balcony.
Cayden hid his body under the new canopy that had appeared one day. Leaning his back against the soft, large cushion, his anxiety subsided.
Cayden blankly looked up at the sky. It was still amazing that the sky could be so clear and clean without a single cloud. It was a scenery that one wouldn’t tire of, no matter how long one looked.
But the peace of mind didn’t last long.
‘How can I attend Emma’s wedding…’
It was because worries and concerns began to badger Cayden.
“If we ever get decent spouse candidates…”
“Yes.”
“You, you must come to my wedding. I’ll definitely come to your wedding too. Oh, let’s celebrate each other, acting as ten friends for those who don’t have friends. Will you promise me?”
“…I promise.”
Even while thinking there wouldn’t be anything like a wedding in his life, Cayden had promised Emma. He gave her the answer she wanted to hear. What was important, he thought, was not his own wedding but Emma’s.
Due to strange circumstances, it was he, not Emma, who got married first. However, it wasn’t a marriage to be blessed. It wasn’t even a proper union. The romance and love Emma had talked about didn’t exist either. Everything was kept secret. Naturally, he couldn’t invite Emma to his wedding ceremony.
But Emma’s case was different. Her marriage was something to be blessed. If possible, Cayden wanted to keep the promise he had made with Emma.
I’m worried if you’ll have time. But if you’re lucky enough to spare some time, don’t worry about money. We’ll cover all your travel expenses. The same goes for accommodation. We’ll give you the best guest room on the second floor, so stay as long as you want!
At the end of the letter, Emma had written the same thing twice.
But the biggest obstacle was… neither time nor money. It was whether he could leave this imperial palace. That was the problem.
He didn’t dare bring up the desire to go to Elba to see his friend’s wedding.
Cayden knew that while he might not be a precious Crown Prince Consort, he was currently a necessary one. For the imperial Crown Prince Consort to step foot on the far northern land while hiding his original role… it would be too much trouble.
Whether he wanted it or not, several attendants and guards would follow him. To shorten travel time, they would have to use portals multiple times, which would cost a lot. Since he had to appear to be working for a trading company, he would need to coordinate with many people. He might even have to disguise himself in a way that wasn’t quite a disguise.
‘For just someone like me… would they go to such trouble?’
He thought his request wouldn’t be accepted. Even though he should at least mention it, he was a bit afraid that even that would only invite ridicule. He worried that his request would just be met with contemptuous looks before dissipating into thin air.
“…”
The image of Emma, disappointed after receiving his letter about not attending, was clearly visible. Cayden sighed without realizing it.
“What are you thinking about?”
Cayden turned toward the voice that came from right beside him. A visitor who had approached without a sound was looking down at him.
“…Amun.”
“Yes, it’s Amun.”
“You came early. I must have missed the knock.”
Cayden smiled as he lowered his head, following Amun who plopped down beside him.
He no longer got startled by Amun barging onto the balcony. It was because his visits had become so familiar. It was also because Amun didn’t seem as frightening as before. Compared to the day he first met Amun, it was quite a remarkable development.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
