“Me?”
Cayden asked reflexively.
He already knew how poorly he matched gentlemen’s attire. It was because he had tried on Alex’s clothes before.
Cayden could still vividly recall the fine formal suit he had been forced to wear under strange orders, the soft yet uncomfortable feel of the fabric. His reflection in the mirror had looked like nothing more than a vagrant who had secretly stolen someone else’s clothes. He would have had nothing to say even if the security patrol had arrested him for being a suspicious person wearing expensive clothing.
“I’ll just look… like someone wearing clothes that don’t belong to me.”
“Hmm. Later you’ll come to agree with me. Anyway, you’ll have to dress as a gentleman too. Since you’re attending a wedding, or rather, a northern wedding ceremony.”
Hearing Amun’s words, Cayden nodded for now. He realized he had been too distracted. He had only thought about dressing Amun, neglecting concerns about his own appearance.
Moreover, permission for the northern trip hadn’t even been granted yet. Amun had only said he would relay the message. Yet he had become excited by the possibility of attending Emma’s wedding.
“If I were the head of a trading company, I wouldn’t spare money for an employee taking leave to attend a hometown friend’s wedding. Being the owner of a small trading company, I couldn’t spend a lot, but I would provide enough money to buy one decent new outfit.”
“…I’m worried. I’ve never gone out wearing such clothes.”
“I’m the same. How fortunate that both of us lack experience.”
“Why?”
“Because we can share the awkwardness together. Isn’t that a good thing?”
Sharing awkwardness. For some reason, those words sounded quite nice. A strange sense of relief came over him.
“Amun.”
“Yes.”
“Thank you so much.”
“You’ve already thanked me.”
“But I’m still grateful.”
“…We don’t know yet how the northern trip will turn out. What will you do if you’re disappointed?”
“I know. But thank you anyway. Even if I can’t go to Elba, it’s okay. I’m just happy that you cared enough to try.”
Cayden smiled.
Amun, who had been staring at Cayden, stood up. Bending slightly, he abruptly extended his hand to Cayden who was sitting below.
“…It would be better to go back inside. The sun is too strong. I can feel the day getting hotter.”
Cayden readily took Amun’s outstretched hand. The moment their skin touched, intense heat transferred from Amun. It seemed the heat Amun mentioned had reached him first.
“Yes. Let’s go in quickly.”
Cayden said as he stood up, following Amun. His voice was warm, filled with joy.
* * *
Like a dream, Cayden was able to attend Emma’s wedding. It was a short 5-day, 4-night schedule including travel time.
“We’ll arrive in Ruana just before sunset. You’ll attend the wedding at noon the next day. After that, you can spend one day… resting freely. Though there won’t be much you can do.”
Amun had apologized, saying that since there were limits to maintaining secrecy, it was difficult to allow for a more relaxed schedule.
But Cayden had no complaints about the short itinerary. On the contrary, he thought it was good that he didn’t need to stay in Elba for long. Cayden didn’t miss the northern land he had left at all. He was satisfied just to be able to see Emma’s wedding and keep the promise he had made with her.
He did worry that by some absurd coincidence he might run into Alex. It was frightening. But not enough to make him suffocate with anxiety.
Count Servman’s farm was located far from the capital, so unless he deliberately sought him out, there would be no chance of encountering Alex. And if he was still worried, he could simply spend his time quietly inside the lodging. As for Amun’s clothes, they could find time to buy them before Emma’s wedding.
Cayden wanted to feel only joy and gratitude. He was happy to be able to respond to Emma’s invitation, and grateful to Assad who had permitted the trip to the north, and to Amun who would accompany him.
‘When I return… I should express my gratitude to His Highness as well.’
He had heard through Chamberlain Saban that Assad had obtained permission from his superiors. But since he hadn’t seen Assad for the past few days, he hadn’t had the opportunity to properly thank him.
It was equally difficult to see Amun as well. It seemed both of them had urgent matters to attend to. Though it didn’t seem like something he should inquire about, so he couldn’t ask.
Cayden boarded the carriage without windows. It was a rough, large cargo wagon that would normally be used by an ordinary trading company.
But its interior, unlike its exterior, was very comfortable and cozy. The various spells cast by magicians were an added bonus. It had been designed with different interiors and exteriors for the sake of disguise.
Sitting on the soft seat, Cayden absently touched his cheek as he looked at the elegantly draped fabric on the carriage walls. He felt embarrassed, feeling sorry for those who had worked hard to decorate the carriage interior.
The disguise wasn’t limited to the cargo wagon. He was told that two guards wearing worn hooded cloaks would act as drivers, controlling the horses from the front, while three other guards would follow behind, pretending to be members of the trading company. Since the Crown Prince Consort’s departure from the palace was kept completely secret, it was only natural that the guards also had to pretend to be other people.
Amun, as previously mentioned, was to become Cayden’s junior colleague. He said he would check their route one last time before entering the carriage…
‘He’s a bit late.’
Stealthily, anxiety began to raise its head. He felt pathetic for drawing in unnecessary anxiety. He was also embarrassed to be relying on Amun, who was younger than himself.
Just then, the sound of the cargo wagon’s door opening was heard. The anxious thoughts instantly crumpled. Cayden immediately raised his head.
“Amun…”
The name Cayden spoke scattered into the air. It became a call with no one to receive it.
Facing the man who had entered the carriage, Cayden momentarily lost his words. His expression, too, became briefly blurred. Wondering if he was dreaming, he closed his mouth. The scene captured in his vision was too surreal.
“Why are you so surprised?”
The man who had lightly boarded the cargo wagon asked gruffly.
Following that, the sound of the door closing spread throughout the cargo wagon. The man with the tall height and good physique, which might have caused a regular cargo wagon to shake considerably just by him entering, was not Amun…
It was Assad.
“Are you disappointed that it’s me and not Amun?”
Assad, who smiled crookedly, sat across from Cayden.
Cayden looked at the man dressed in clothes that workers of a trading company would wear. He stared at the man who had chosen to hide his golden eyes, which seemed as if they had been coated with melted gold, under a deep brown color, yet still had not lost their luster. He was so confused by the fact that Assad was in front of him that he couldn’t utter a word.
“…Don’t tell me you can’t recognize your husband just because my eye color changed a bit? Or is it the clothes?”
Assad, removing the smile from his lips, needlessly adjusted his appearance.
Assad’s appearance in disguise wasn’t strange. Rather, it suited him too well. But unless he personally stated it, it seemed unlikely that anyone would consider Assad to be a trading company worker. He was dressed as if he was going on an outing to a nice place.
“Golden eyes would stand out too much, right? It’s not like I’m showing off, asking people to recognize me as royalty. That’s why I changed the color. You probably haven’t forgotten that I can use magic, but well, anyway.”
Assad rambled on, observing Cayden’s expressionless face. The hesitations that slipped between sentences and the awkward endings didn’t suit Assad at all.
“Why is Your Highness here…”
Cayden’s ending was just as awkward. However, rather than ending it voluntarily, he trailed off involuntarily.
“Why? I came to follow you to Elba. What other reason could there be?”
Assad’s words brought silence into the cargo wagon. Only the faint sound of horses stamping their feet could be heard from the front. It seemed the carriage was about to depart.
“Just think I’m doing this because I’m bored.”
“Pardon?”
“Because I’m bored. I usurped Amun’s place thinking I might as well go sightseeing in Elba with you.”
If the man before him had been an ordinary person, an ordinary alpha he had privately harbored feelings for, he would have felt only joy at the fact that he could spend time with Assad.
But Assad was far from the ordinariness Cayden knew. Could the imperial Crown Prince vacate his position so easily just because he was bored? It seemed unlikely that someone as busy as Assad could do such a thing.
Moreover, it was too strange that the imperial people would leave Assad alone when he intended to visit Elba in disguise. Even with his lack of common sense, he couldn’t understand it at all.
“Do the others know that Your Highness is here?”
Cayden carefully put his question into words.
“They don’t.”
Assad’s indifferent answer made Cayden’s mouth drop open. His heart sank with a thud.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
