Chapter 97
‘Surely not…’
Even as she quietly followed, Kirine couldn’t stop her suspicions.
Ares’s steps leaving the ballroom seemed strangely light. Though she thought he wouldn’t go that far, her suspicions proved correct.
As soon as they reached the empty training grounds, Ares suddenly embraced her.
Before she could even be surprised, she felt bewildered first.
“Did you do that on purpose?”
When she asked while remaining in his embrace, Ares played innocent.
“Do what?”
“Did you pick that fight on purpose?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
As he held her even tighter with his response, Kirine pushed him away with a short sigh.
“What were you upset about?”
“I just wanted to be alone with you.”
“Did you have to do it this way?”
Though she scolded him for leaving with such a fierce expression that anyone could see, Ares just shrugged his shoulders lightly.
Though she found it annoying, she didn’t scold him further.
Actually, Kirine felt the same way as Ares.
“Other people don’t know, right? That we’re close?”
It made her laugh thinking about how surprised they would be when they found out.
But even then, they didn’t know.
That someone was watching them from behind.
***
After that, Kirine and Ares continued their secret relationship. When they wanted to be alone, either Ares would pick fights or Kirine would provoke him.
Since this happened regularly, no one around them grew suspicious.
Thanks to this, they spent intimate moments in the training grounds the Emperor had created.
But today that would be difficult.
“…”
Vincent, who had visited not long ago, had returned.
“Seems like you’re not very happy to see me.”
Seeing her clearly startled face, Vincent smiled as if hurt.
Though Kirine belatedly tried to control her expression, it was already too late.
‘Why now of all times…’
She wondered why he had come, but it seemed he had been called for the New Year’s Festival blessing.
She could understand that much, but Vincent had specifically requested Kirine to help with preparations during the festival period, and she had no choice but to comply.
‘Why me of all people?’
Usually, the high priests and believers prepared for the New Year’s Festival. But since Vincent and Kirine were known to be particularly close, it seemed the Emperor had granted Vincent’s request.
Though it was nice not having to struggle with magic experiments, she wasn’t grateful at all.
“Why that expression?”
Vincent asked Kirine, who was just sitting quietly.
Was he genuinely curious, or was he reproaching her?
Either way, it wasn’t welcome.
“What expression would you prefer?”
When she spoke as if asking what kind of question that was, Vincent let out a small laugh.
“At least not looking so troubled like now.”
“Then you shouldn’t have put me in this position.”
“Is that so.”
Vincent, who had been responding indifferently, raised one corner of his mouth and showed a sad expression.
“I couldn’t help it. I missed you.”
His golden eyes sparkled wistfully, as if those words at least were sincere.
But even that didn’t last long.
“If you had just replied to my letter, I wouldn’t have gone this far.”
“…”
At that moment, her pent-up emotions exploded.
“So you’re saying it’s my fault?”
Despite his request for a reply, Kirine hadn’t sent one. Though she felt somewhat sorry, she couldn’t help it.
Not only did she not know what to write, but she also needed time to sort out her feelings.
But before she could have that time to process, he was already blaming her, which was absurd.
“I can’t say it’s not.”
“How can you say that?”
The more he spoke, the more ridiculous it became, almost making her laugh in disbelief.
Unable to take it anymore, she stood up abruptly, and Vincent said spitefully,
“Are you leaving?”
“Yeah, because I can’t stand the sight of you.”
In her current mood, she didn’t want to face Vincent. Thinking it would be better to meet again after she had calmed down somewhat, she tried to leave, but even that proved difficult.
“Are you defying the Imperial order?”
“What?”
When she turned around, thinking she must have misheard, Vincent spoke as if he had been waiting for this.
“Weren’t you ordered to assist me well?”
“…”
“This is problematic.”
Despite his words about it being problematic, Vincent was smiling pleasantly.
“For both you and me.”
“…”
For a moment, the word “crazy bastard” rose to her throat, but she barely swallowed it back.
If she could, she wanted to grab him by the collar right then.
“Why are you doing this?”
“Doing what?”
“Why are you going this far?”
She felt resentful, wondering if he really had to make her this uncomfortable.
Even while receiving her glare with his whole body, Vincent spoke calmly without so much as blinking.
“Because this way, I at least get to see your face.”
“…”
She found herself at a loss for words.
***
After that day, Kirine had to continue accompanying Vincent.
Whenever she tried to distance herself even slightly, he would threaten her about defying the Imperial order, leaving her with no choice but to follow him around.
‘When will this New Year’s Festival finally come?’
Though fortunately it wasn’t far off, her patience began wearing thin as it approached.
Unfortunately, she wasn’t the only one affected.
‘Why do I have to be so careful?’
Whenever she was with Vincent, she could feel a familiar gaze.
Naturally, that gaze belonged to Ares.
Though he didn’t say it out loud, his eyes reproached her, asking why she was spending time with “that guy.”
“Seems like it bothers him.”
As soon as her eyes met Ares’s, a gentle voice spoke beside her.
When she turned, Vincent was looking at her with his usual smiling face.
“It’s not like that.”
Though she tried to brush it off as nothing, Vincent had already noticed.
“I knew this would happen. I knew it would turn out like this.”
Hearing his somewhat resigned tone, Kirine looked up at him in surprise.
“What would?”
Though she had heard him clearly, she asked because she didn’t understand, and Vincent smiled bitterly.
“That I knew first.”
“Knew what?”
“That you liked him.”
“…”
Her mouth closed automatically at his unexpected words.
Before she could ask how he knew, Vincent spoke both matter-of-factly and bitterly.
“How could I not know? You wrote about him in every letter.”
“I didn’t know.”
Even as she heard this, Kirine was so shocked she could barely speak properly.
“I… really didn’t know.”
While she herself hadn’t realized it, Vincent of all people had noticed.
Feeling somehow embarrassed, Kirine unconsciously turned her head. As soon as she did, her eyes met Ares’s, causing her to quickly look straight ahead.
This time, her gaze collided with Vincent’s.
“I don’t want things to become awkward between us.”
“…”
At his sincere words, Kirine quietly bit her lip.
She felt the same way.
She also didn’t want to grow distant from her most precious friend.
“So stay with me just during the New Year’s Festival. So I can sort out my feelings.”
“Won’t being together make it worse?”
“Being apart from you is harder.”
“…”
“Please?”
At his urging voice, Kirine let out a deep sigh, unable to do anything else.
Though she thought it would be better for both of them to stay far apart, she couldn’t force it when he didn’t want that.
“Alright.”
In the end, she had to give him the answer he wanted. Even as she spoke, she felt troubled.
But there was one issue she couldn’t let slide.
“But I’d prefer if you didn’t cling to me.”
After all, her lover was watching with fire in his eyes right now.
