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As I imagined dancing with Kwanach and preparing for the banquet, time flew by and the day was ending. It was time for the outdoor banquet to begin.
Kwanach came to pick me up personally. Marianne was checking her curls for the last time to make sure they weren’t messed up.
I turned my head as soon as I heard the door open. Kwanach stood there looking somewhat awkward and shy. He walked over to me while coughing and said,
“Are you ready?”
“Yes, but you…… You look very different than usual.”
“That…it doesn’t suit me?”
I guess the reason he was restless was because his outfit was awkward. Kwanach scratched his cheek.
He usually wore only black clothes. He didn’t seem to like being over decorated. But now he looked a little different. I looked at him in a daze without realizing it.
A white tailcoat over the top. Gold embroidery was embroidered along the collar and jacket lines. The wavy hair was neatly pulled back.
Kwanach, dressed in white, looked like a different person. He was more glamorous and aristocratic than usual. His features seemed to stand out more, contrasting dark skin and clothes.
“For me, in bright clothes like this…….”
I must have been lost for a long time. Kwanach muttered sullenly, looking at my countenance. I came to my senses belatedly and clasped his hand.
“No! It’s very good!”
“……really?”
I nodded quickly. Then, the awkward look on Kwanach’s face faded away.
“You look beautiful, too. Usphere.”
“Really?”
“You’re pretty no matter what you wear…….”
I wore a dark green dress unlike the wedding dress. It was velvet fabric, so it wouldn’t be cold at night. Just in case, there was a cape on top.
The dress was light and easy to move around. It was simple in design, delicate and colorful embroidery was engraved here and there with silver thread. The earrings were emerald to match the color of the dress.
Kwanach said, grabbing my hand.
“Then let’s go out together. Everyone is waiting.”
“Yes.”
Social gatherings and banquets that have always been inconvenient. I thought it was only uncomfortable because there was a lot of tension and pretentiousness.
However, I had a hunch that this banquet would be enjoyable. Maybe it was because I was with Kwanach.
* * *
The music rang out smoothly in the center of the palace. The sound of water from the next fountain was sometimes mixed between the melodies.
Time passed by quickly as the nobles came and greeted us. At this time, I also saw Oslin’s wife for the first time. Oslin, standing next to his wife, looked very calm and fresh.
Oslin’s sister, Linvera, also came with her husband.
“Your Majesty. Empress.”
Linvera, who didn’t like social gatherings like me in my previous life, looked more comfortable today. It seemed to be because her husband, Marquis Brooks, was with her.
I heard Marquis Brooks and Linvera got married politically, but they seemed to be in love. The Marquis’ eyes were always on Linvera.
The Marquis was a handsome man with bright blond hair and green eyes. I could feel the aristocratic attitude from him clearly.
Marquis Brooks bowed to me and said with courtesy.
“I heard that Your Majesty was kind to my wife during her stay in the capital. I think you’ve made her feel comfortable. I’m thankful, Your Majesty.”
“I didn’t do anything special. I’m glad the Marquis feel that way.”
Linvera looked more lively with a little weight on her face while I hadn’t seen her in a long time. She looked at me with glittering eyes and then opened her mouth.
“Hm… Your Majesty. I have something to tell you.”
“Speak comfortably.”
“Actually, not too long ago, I found out I was pregnant with my first child.”
Linvera’s cheeks flushed red. I heard she was naturally weak, but she had a baby. I grabbed Linvera’s hand without realizing it.
“Really? Congratulations. Take care of yourself. I can’t believe you came all the way here while being pregnant. Wasn’t it hard?”
“It’s okay,……. The doctor said I’m in a period of stability. Your Majesty, this may be presumptuous, but if you don’t mind, I’d like to have your blessing.….”
The end of Linvera’s words became increasingly blurred. Her confidence seemed to have disappeared as she spoke. The Marquis gently wrapped his hand around Linvera’s shoulder.
“I’m delighted. Of course I’ll bless you.”
Linvera smiled again at my answer.
When I heard Linbera’s story, it seemed like she became pregnant unexpectedly. Even though she didn’t take birth control at all, she couldn’t get pregnant for a long time, and suddenly she became pregnant like a miracle.
The Marquis and Linvera seemed very happy to convey their recent status. I gave my blessing to Linvera’s child to be born safe and well.
I blessed her with pure joy and sincerity, but when Linvera stepped down and I was alone, a melancholy thought suddenly came to me.
‘Ha…’
I put my hand to my stomach without realizing it. Kwanach told me not to worry about having children, but it was upsetting not to have a child that looked like Kwanach.
“Usphere?”
At that time, Kwanach, who had been talking to other nobles for a while, approached me. He naturally wrapped his arm around my back and looked at me intently.
“What happened? Your expression…….”
“Yes? No. I’m having a lot of fun.”
I smiled, trying to shake off the mundane thoughts. Kwanach held my hand with an expression of disbelief.
“Are you cold?”
“Not at all. It’s perfect weather for an outdoor banquet. I think I can take off my cape.”
Just in time, the music turned into a waltz. The dance time, the main course of the banquet, has begun. I took off my cape and left it to a servant.
Kwanach looked at me awkwardly. Then he reached out to me with a stiff gesture and said,
“Usphere Catatel Radon…. Will you dance with me?”
I smiled and held his hand.
“Gladly.”
Only then did Kwanach slowly loosen his stiff expression. As we went out to the center hand in hand, people naturally retreated to the edge.
It looked like our solo stage, and it was a very difficult task.
‘I’m not confident in dancing…….’
Although I learned the basics when I was a Princess, I would be clumsy because I had never danced often.
“Oh, what should I do? I’m not good at dancing.”
Kwanach also looked perplexed. But soon, he gently led my hand to prepare for the dance.
“It doesn’t matter if you can’t dance. Let’s just dance, in our own way.”
It was a Kwanach-like answer. I nodded my head. I started to step slowly according to the melody of the music.
‘I heard he was learning hard for a few days…….’
To my surprise, Kwanach was leading me. His gesture was crude, but it continued without disturbance.
“Why are you doing so well?”
I was busy dancing after a long time. I asked, looking up at Kwanach in embarrassment.
“I’m dancing well? Then it’s worth practicing. I’m normally a little fast at learning with my body.”
Kwanach grinned. His confident words were not a joke. All I had to do was leave it to Kwanach and follow him.
Instead of aristocratic modesty, Kwanach’s dance was much larger and more dynamic. It was a nice gesture.
His hands were hot. I looked up at him. Unlike usual, his forehead, which was clearly revealed with his hair pulled back, was strong and handsome.
‘How can he be so good?’
It was an appearance that I couldn’t get used to no matter how many times I looked at it. No matter how he decorated it, he looked good no matter what. I couldn’t believe this was my husband.
“Kwanach…”
“Yes?”
“I feel like I have a crush on you again.”
Kwanach, who had been moving smoothly, paused for the first time and the steps were twisted. Fortunately, I found the rhythm right away.
“Ah, You can’t say that all of a sudden. Are you making fun of me?”
Kwanach stammered and coughed.
“No, I just said what came to mind…….”
Kwanach lowered his head for a moment and lifted it. His face had turned red in no time. I could feel his temperature getting hotter. It looked like he didn’t know what to do.
When Kwanach was embarrassed, it felt like the feeling was being transferred to me.
“Why are you so flustered?”
“Well… .because you say you like me.”
“It’s not the first time you’ve heard of it.”
“But my heart is pounding every time I hear it. What should I do?”
“What, what…….”
By that time, both of our faces turned red. Fortunately, the music ended. We retreated to the back and gave room for the others.
The fever went up hot. It was a relief that I took off my cape. After two weddings, I was still nervous and timid in front of Kwanach.
It felt like a person who started falling in love for the first time. I wiggled the hand held by Kwanach for no reason. Then I whispered quietly.
“Get used to it now.”
“What?”
Kwanach still looked at me with a red face.
“That I like you. Get used to it.”
“My heart is pounding again……. Don’t talk like this outside…….”
Kwanach limped again. The image of the clumsy boy when I first met overlapped. Unknowingly, a bright smile burst out.
It was a night full of full happiness.