As soon as I finished speaking, Gloria burst into laughter. It was a dazzling and beautiful sight, like facing the rising sun. Her hearty and unrestrained laughter permeated every corner of the villa.
"You really are different from me."
Gloria struck the armrest with her hand and let out the remaining laughter. She looked very pleased. While I was flustered, she continued.
"Indeed, I understand why Selphi calls you 'Mom' and Cetti talks about you every day."
"Really?"
"Seems you have the amazing talent to turn a heavy burden into something light."
I tilted my head, not quite understanding what she meant. But Gloria only muttered softly and did not elaborate.
"To welcome you as his wife, Theo must have used up all his luck at once."
"..."
"Being around you might even change that child who doesnāt know love."
Gloria gestured to a maid standing at a distance. The maid disappeared with quick steps.
"Actually, I prefer alcohol to bland tea. Iām sure it will suit your taste. Cetti knows a lot about wine."
"Oh, Cetti is in the wine business."
"Yes, I heard he once lived immersed in alcohol. He must have tasted every kind of alcohol, so he knows whatās good."
She said this so calmly. While I was taken aback, the maid returned with a strong-smelling brandy, ice glasses, and cheese, lemon, crackers, and salt.
"Do you dislike alcohol?"
"No, not at all!"
I wasnāt particularly fond of it, but I was curious about the brandy that Cetti said was delicious. Gloria smiled and filled my glass herself. Her affection filled the empty glass. When I lifted my glass, Gloria lightly clinked it with hers. A refreshing sound spread like a bell ringing.
"To Perechati."
Gloria smiled brightly and downed her glass in one go. Caught off guard, I shouted "To Perechati" and followed suit, feeling the hot and strong alcohol slide down my throat. Despite its strength, the aftertaste was surprisingly clean and sweet. I squinted for a moment, then licked my lips as I looked at the empty glass.
"Living with Theo must be quite uncomfortable. I understand. He has always been a serious child who grew up seeing the misfortunes of others."
Gloria offered me a piece of cheese. I opened my mouth without thinking, and she smiled contentedly as she fed me the cheese. She looked at me as if I were a cute six-year-old.
"Thatās why he is a pitiful child who doesnāt know how to love others, let alone himself."
Theo? I recalled while savoring the salty and rich cheese. I had indeed seen his self-loathing, but the Theo I knew was someone who could love others.
"Well, the Theo I know is a bit different."
I raised my glass for the first time, presenting a counterpoint. Gloria tilted her head, pouring more alcohol as if she didnāt understand.
"Different? How so?"
"The Theo I know can love others. He took on the role of the villain to prevent Selphi from blaming herself due to the curse. He cares for the child deeply."
"..."
"He values Ailett so much that he gets angry when she is hurt. He was also concerned about Cettiās painful past, and when I was injured, he rushed to me, putting everything aside."
Gloria looked surprised. The more I spoke, the more confident I became. I started hesitantly but ended up speaking confidently, shoulders squared. At the same time, the entrance to the villa became noisy.
"You might really be able to free that child from the curse."
Gloria leaned back and smiled contentedly. Suddenly, the door burst open, and a familiar voice rang out.
"Perechati!"
The Theo who was said to be incapable of loving others.
"Perechati!"
He called out to me, rushing over with a worried expression and kneeling on one knee.
'He must have run here.'
My eyes were drawn to the sweat on his forehead first. If he couldnāt love others, he wouldnāt be this worried about me.
"You fought with the mad princess, I heard."
"It seems thereās a rumor going around."
My short answer made Theoās face brighten slightly.
"You didnāt fight; you slapped the princess, right?"
However, his face darkened again as I continued. He examined my hand with a horrified expression.
"Which hand did you use? Did you get hurt?"
"Iām fine."
"Did you wash your hands? You should wash them immediately; they might be contaminated. Letās go to the cathedral and get holy water."
"I washed them thoroughly."
"Anything else? Did that princess do anything bad to you?"
"Nothing except answering her questions honestly..."
Just as I was about to say that I did nothing, I suddenly remembered Dodea touching my forehead with her palm.
'What was that?'
She couldnāt have suddenly petted or praised me.
'Did she put some poison on my forehead?'
As I frowned, Theo urged me anxiously.
"Did she touch your forehead?"
"Yes."
"Did she dare to hit your forehead?"
I felt a heat that could melt the snow of mid-winter. He seemed ready to kill everyone.
"No! She just touched it! Petted it!"
"Just touched it? ...Why?"
"I donāt know."
Indeed, why did she touch my forehead? I couldnāt even guess.
"Where did she touch?"
"Here."
Feeling uneasy, I didnāt touch my forehead but pointed to where Dodea had touched. Theo, who was examining the spot carefully, murmured.
"Surely she didnāt put poison there."
"Huh?"
Theo muttered so softly that I could barely hear it, then moved in the blink of an eye. His large hand gently grasped my wrist, which was pointing to my forehead. Before I could react, he kissed my forehead lightly. A sweet, marshmallow-like sensation lingered. The air around us filled with a sweet floral scent.
Theo slowly licked his red lips. I stared blankly at his glistening lips.
'What just happened?'
Theo, who had been so serious, met my gaze and nodded as if relieved.
"Fortunately, I didnāt taste any poison."
"......!"
I, I, what just...!"
Shocked, I forgot about Dodea and covered my forehead with both hands. Theo, whose face didnāt change, spoke matter-of-factly.
"The princess wouldnāt touch your forehead for a good reason. She might have put poison there, so I had to check immediately. Iām the only one who can taste it without dying, so thereās no problem, right?"
"Y-You could have wiped it off with your hand!"
"Whether itās you, me, or anyone else, if you wipe it off carelessly, it might accidentally get into your mouth. Donāt you remember when you first drank my blood? You almost died from eating a cookie after touching a ring stained with my blood."
"B-But...!"
My voice trembled. My heart pounded so loudly that I could hear it in my ears. It was a very short moment, less than a second, but the touch of his lips on my forehead felt like it lasted much longer.
"Why are you like this?"
Unlike my face, which felt like a volcano had erupted, Theo remained calm. He seemed to not understand my reaction.
"B-But, a k-kiss...!"
"Kiss?"
My exclamation made Theo repeat the word, looking bewildered. As soon as he said it, he turned his head to the side.
"......!!!"
His face was redder than a ripe tomato. He bit his lip and spoke in a trembling voice without meeting my eyes.
"I didnāt mean to do that."
Seeing his red face, mine also felt hotter.
"I didnāt mean to do it without your permission...!"
It was the first time I had seen Theoās face so red. The heat seemed to intensify.
"I, I didnāt say it was unpleasant... No! Thatās not what I meant!"
"I definitely didnāt do it forcefully. I hope you understand that."
Unlike my rambling, Theo seemed to maintain his composure.
"......Of course, I wanted to... No, thatās not it."
...He couldnāt maintain his composure. He ran his fingers through his hair, his face contorted.
"What, what did you want to do?"
"I didnāt mean to do it without your permission...!"
Theo shouted, looking at me. His face was much redder than I had seen before, like a ripe red apple had been painted on his face. I knew without looking.
'My neck must be red too.'
I lowered my hand from my forehead and covered my face, closing my eyes tightly.
"Donāt, donāt say anything. Letās not talk for a moment. If we talk now, weāll sound like fools."
"......Thatās probably for the best."
I heard Theo take a deep breath, trying to calm himself. Gloria, who had been watching us, downed her drink and said in a tone of disbelief.
"......You already had your wedding night. Did you send him off without a kiss on the first night?"
An awkward silence stretched endlessly.
"......"
"......"
Gloriaās comment hung in the air, and we both remained silent.