I walked hand in hand with Eliya.
‘What if my hands get sweaty…’
But I couldn’t let go to wipe them.
Her grip was surprisingly strong.
‘Um, more importantly, where are we going?’
We walked in silence for a few minutes.
I started feeling anxious.
Simply walking and watching could be considered a way to enjoy the festival.
‘But for some reason… um…’
I felt this pressure like I needed to do something.
Unlike me, Eliya was calm.
With her cat-like eyes, she gazed around absentmindedly.
A drunken man swaying.
A child laughing at him.
Another man singing an awkward song to the beat of the dance.
A woman joined in, dancing as if she caught the mood.
Street food stalls lined the sidewalk.
Young people gathered in front of them, chatting happily.
There were also places selling simple accessories.
Likewise, customers were happily chatting in small groups.
The night sky full of stars looked like spilled sugar.
Under it, the brightly shining night view of the festival.
Eliya and I continued walking in silence.
The colorful festival lights reflected in her red eyes.
Her jewel-like eyes sparkled.
I asked without thinking.
“What are you looking at?”
“Just, various things.”
“Are you having fun?”
I was genuinely curious.
Eliya is usually indifferent to most things.
What kind of emotions was she feeling in this situation?
Eliya looked up at me in response to my question.
After blinking her big eyes for a moment, she finally replied.
“I don’t know. But…”
She then smiled faintly.
“I think it’s nice.”
Still, Eliya struggled to express her feelings.
Instead of saying it’s good, she seemed to speculate it’s nice.
Even though it was her own emotion.
In a way, that means…
Maybe Eliya is feeling good right now.
“And you?”
She suddenly asked.
“…I feel the same.”
“I see. I’m glad.”
What is she glad about?
What is she thinking?
I considered asking, then held back.
It might be an uncomfortable question for Eliya.
*
“Aren’t you hungry?”
“A little.”
I naturally led her by holding her hand.
Although it was my first festival, I fortunately knew a bit about the foundation ceremony.
Having encountered it in a game.
There were lots of street foods set up in stalls for the festival.
Only verified people and food from the royal palace were served, so hygiene was not an issue.
There were occasionally fakes trying to sell unverified food as well.
Since I could tell them apart, this was fine too.
‘What should I get that she’d like?’
I had fed Eliya for five years.
Quite frequently, too.
As a result, I learned about her taste in food.
First of all, she didn’t have any particular dislikes.
She could eat almost any food.
‘Among them, she particularly liked eating vegetables and meat together.’
That means skewers would be a good choice.
I went to the most famous skewer stall at the foundation ceremony.
As expected, there was quite a line.
“What’s good here?”
“They sell skewers with beef and vegetables.”
“Hmm. Alright.”
“Do you not like it?”
“Not really.”
Eliya replied as if she didn’t care much.
Now that I think about it, I had only figured out her preferences by feeding her.
I had never actually asked Eliya about her likes and dislikes.
“Do you have any particular food that you dislike, Miss?”
“I don’t think so.”
‘What does “I don’t think so” mean? Does she not really know?’
“You seemed to eat well when we were together so far.”
“Because you give it to me.”
“……”
I was momentarily at a loss for words.
Staring blankly at her.
Eliya looked up at me, tilting her head in confusion.
“Why?”
“…Oh, nothing. Just… nothing.”
Good thing we were just holding hands.
If I had embraced her, my heart would race so suspiciously fast she’d find out.
*
We walked through the festival street, each holding a skewer.
It was a relief she didn’t ask me to feed her.
Trying to feed her while holding hands would be quite uncomfortable.
Eliya followed me, calmly munching on her skewer.
‘She really knows how to eat, separating meat and vegetables.’
I watched her every now and then.
The way her lips got greased and her cheeks puffed up…
It was a bit cute.
‘Calling something cute is fine, right?’
Suddenly, Eliya pointed to one side.
“What’s that?”
“That’s a circus performing by acrobats.”
There were people dressed as clowns.
Or people dressed up flamboyantly enough to match.
Some were balancing on large balls or juggling with several small ones.
With their fancy hand movements, they made marionette dolls dance.
“Is this your first time seeing it?”
“I’ve only heard the name. I’m not particularly interested in entertainment.”
I thought she’d know more about it than I did, but it was unexpected.
I still have a lot to learn about Eliya.
“Is that also acrobatics?”
A clown was breathing fire over there.
“I can do that too.”
“Really? What… Oh, those people are not wizards.”
“…Not a wizard?”
Eliya looked at the fire-breathing clown with different eyes than earlier.
Seemingly curious, she tilted her head.
Then she mumbled while chewing her skewer.
“How can they spit fire if they’re not wizards…?”
Her pure confusion was so innocent that…
“…Pfft!”
I couldn’t help but laugh.
I quickly turned my head and covered my face with my other hand.
‘Ah, shoot… I need to hold it in! Who laughs at the master’s words like this…!’
Eliya asked in a pouty voice.
“…Why are you laughing?”
“Oh, I… um! Excuse me!”
I cleared my throat and hurriedly tried to compose myself.
It didn’t seem to work well.
My lips were hurting, indicating I didn’t succeed.
I squeezed my eyes shut and opened them again to look at Eliya.
To my surprise, instead of pouting, she stared at me as if she found it interesting.
“I’ve never seen you laugh like that.”
“…I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have laughed.”
“You rarely laugh in front of me.”
In general, there isn’t much to laugh about in front of a master.
It’s not that I’m special.
“You laugh a lot in front of other people.”
“Hmm…”
“I wish you’d smile at me more often.”
Eliya, who said that, subtly looked away.
It felt like she was embarrassed.
Soon, she looked up at me again.
Her big red eyes.
“Is it weird for me to think like this…?”
I gulped before answering.
I needed a moment to think.
How should I interpret this question?
Is it unusual to want others to smile at you?
I don’t think so.
Desiring someone’s goodwill is perfectly natural.
What’s weird is the question itself, asking if it’s weird.
‘You…’
I swallowed the question that was piling up in my throat.
Eliya, who struggles to express her emotions.
She’s hardly grown in such aspects, similar to a child.
I can’t approach her carelessly.
The wounds left by Sardis might still influence her mind.
So, I decided to answer calmly.
“It’s not weird.”
“…I see.”
At my answer, Eliya smiled brightly.
This version of her no longer feels strange to me.
There was once a time when my presence felt strange to her.
But now, I no longer feel odd.
“Judas?”
“…Yes, yes?”
“Your face is red.”
“…It’s the lighting.”
I hurriedly looked away.
Still feeling uncomfortable, I shoved the entire skewer into my mouth and chewed.
Eliya tilted her head back slightly, looking at me.
As if she couldn’t understand why I was acting that way.
‘This gaze is much better.’
If I were to endure that previous look too many times, my heart would be in shambles.
I continued to act as if nothing had happened.
The awkwardly intertwined hands felt comfortable now.
As if they had been like this from the very beginning.
Next, I decided to get dessert for her.
It was a dessert made by melting sugar on fruit and then solidifying it.
‘Is it okay for me to bring her along like this?’
Eliya followed me quietly as if she didn’t care where we went.
So, it should be fine.
“What is this place?”
“It’s fruit coated with solidified sugar.”
“Oh, that. I’ve tried it.”
It was a dessert she had seen at her table several times.
Naturally, I had fed it to her before.
So, she probably wouldn’t have any resistance to it.
Actually, the reason I brought Eliya here was different.
This stall has a unique way of treating customers.
The shopkeeper teases them by holding out skewers with fruit, enticing them to come and take it.
It’s similar to that Turkish ice cream trick.
The goal is for the customer to snatch the fruit skewer from the shopkeeper’s hand, but of course, it isn’t easy.
Most people end up getting tricked before receiving their food.
‘I want to see Eliya getting teased by this…’
People laughed loudly at those who were being toyed with in front of them.
Eliya seemed uninterested in what was going on.
I slyly suggested.
“Would you like to try it, Miss?”
“Sure.”
Her answer came out very round since she was still munching on her meat skewer.
‘This is going to be chaotic…’
Oblivious to others, she simply continued to munch on her skewer.
Before long, it was Eliya’s turn.
“I’ll have two strawberries, please.”
I made the order and stepped aside.
From this angle, I could see her expressions the best.
Since we were holding hands, I couldn’t step too far away.
Eliya waited, still clueless.
Finally, the cheerful shopkeeper extended the fruit skewer.
Just as Eliya reached out without suspicion…
Swoosh, the shopkeeper quickly pulled his hand back.
The kind smile had turned smug.
‘Is she going to get flustered? Or is she going to wonder why I did that?’
I waited in anticipation, imagining Eliya’s reaction.
To my surprise, she completely defied my expectations.
“……”
With a cold stare, she locked onto the shopkeeper.
Her previously cheerful expression turned icy.
Then she spoke, her voice colder than her expression.
“What are you doing?”
“……”
The startled shopkeeper hurriedly handed her two strawberry skewers.
His hand trembled as he offered them.
It seemed he was intimidated by Eliya’s overwhelming presence, turning pale.
“I-I’m very sorry…”
He stuttered awkwardly in the imperial language while apologizing.
‘Um… I feel strangely apologetic now…’
Eliya, after receiving the skewers, handed one over to me.
“Let’s go.”
“Ah, yes…”
I exchanged an apologetic glance with the shopkeeper before following Eliya.
“Um… were you offended by that?”
“Not particularly? I knew that culture is for entertainment.”
“…Huh? You knew?!”
Eliya chuckled lightly.
“I have a bit of common sense. I just didn’t want to associate with them. There’s only you I need to be with.”
“……”
No.
Today is a bit too much.
Has she been drinking?
I don’t remember that at all!
‘Is she intentionally saying these things…!’
Her words flowed freely as if she breathed them out.
Meanwhile, Eliya was as calm as ever.
It’s the listener who ends up feeling flustered.
“…Hmm?”
As Eliya bit into her strawberry, she stared at something.
The colorful items displayed in the stall caught her attention.
They were making flower crowns by weaving flowers from all over the continent.
Eliya stared at them absentmindedly.
“Shall we go check it out?”
“…Sure.”
As we approached, the strong scent of flowers hit us.
Around us, young couples and families happily chose their flower crowns.
Eliya stared at them, then said to me.
“I want to buy one. Choose for me.”
“…Me?”
I didn’t know a thing about flowers and had no sense of aesthetics!
“Yeah.”
“Um…”
After some pondering, I made a choice.
A crown woven with red and yellow flowers.
I thought it would suit Eliya the best.
Eliya wore the crown and looked up at me.
Her innocent face adorned with flowers.
The red of the flowers matched her eyes.
And the standout yellow looked like bright gold.
“How does it look?”
“…It looks great on you.”
It’s not like there’s anything that wouldn’t suit her…
“Then I’ll go with this one.”
After buying the flower crown, we walked toward the mansion.
It was about time to head back.
The street was still bustling with lively people.
Tomorrow, others will also be living it up like this.
Eliya won’t be.
She was just making time today.
Starting tomorrow, she would be busy again.
After passing through the front gate, we headed to the garden inside the mansion.
Neither of us spoke.
Our steps naturally guided us.
The garden, surrounded by bushes like a maze.
The mansion, used only by invited nobles, was serene, unlike the outside.
It felt like a completely separate world.
The ruckus we just experienced felt like a lie.
Only the gentle moonlight illuminated this place.
We were still holding hands.
Eliya looked up at the sky and suddenly said.
“This peaceful moment will be the last. You know, with who I might turn into an enemy and what I might do. You probably have a vague idea.”
“…Yes.”
“A great war is about to happen.”
What is she trying to say?
“Judas.”
“Yes, Miss.”
She called my name but didn’t continue.
Suddenly stopping, she gazed at me intently.
I silently awaited her response.
The gentle moonlight illuminated her.
The face I’ve known for a long time since I first got here.
She had somehow matured into a full adult.
The traces of her childhood remained slightly, making me feel at ease.
Yet, at the same time, it had started to feel awkward for a while.
I, Eliya…
In that moment,
Crunch! Something came crashing through the bushes.
I quickly pulled Eliya close.
Something swiftly raced across the ground.
Surprised, Eliya wrapped her arms around my neck and jumped up.
What jumped out of the bushes was a mouse.
“……”
And naturally, I found myself holding Eliya in a princess carry.
“……”
Her face was way too close.
Less than a foot apart.
I could feel her breath.
Eliya’s breathing brushed against my skin.
My entire vision was filled with Eliya.
The closer she was, the stronger the sweet scent became.
Time felt like it slowed down, a second stretching into an hour.
Stuck in place, I gazed at Eliya.
She looked back at me, unknowingly swallowing.
My lips felt dry, so I moistened them slightly with my tongue.
Eliya’s gaze dropped down.
Her eyes were focused on my lips.
Then, like me, she licked her red lips with her small tongue.
Thump, thump.
My heart was beating too loudly.
It felt like it was echoing in my ears.
Difficult to distinguish whose heartbeat it was.
Her large eyes trembled, appearing slightly frightened.
Looking up at me, the red in her eyes reflected the moon.
As I attempted to open my mouth, I felt a sudden heat rising from below.
‘…Huh, wait! It’s really hot!’
Looking down, I saw fire ignite on the garden stone floor.
A golden flame.
“Ugh! W-What’s going on?! Did you do this, Miss?!”
“…I got startled.”
It seems she reacted with magic due to being surprised by the mouse.
“Even then, what are you doing setting the garden on fire?!”
“…I don’t know.”
Eliya buried her face in my neck and mumbled.
“It’s because of you, so you take responsibility.”
The fire wasn’t too big.
But because it was Eliya’s fire, extinguishing it wasn’t easy.
So I had to stomp around for a while to put out Eliya’s fire.
*
A few days after the foundation ceremony ended.
Eliya stood on a high hill.
Her red scarf danced in the wind.
Holding a cat doll, she looked down at her surroundings.
Behind Eliya’s mansion lay a massive mountain range, with this being the tallest peak among them.
And finally, she decided.
‘If it has to be big, that’s better. This distance seems close enough.’
It didn’t have to be the mountain closest to home.
After all, she could teleport.
‘This would be perfect for living together.’
It was a secret from Judas, so she temporarily left him behind.
She already missed him a little but decided to hold on for now.
Imagining the surprised expression of Judas when he sees this space made her smile.
She could endure it.
Without realizing she had started crossing a line, Eliya waved her hand.
The solid rocky ground split like soft bread.
A hole large enough for a person to enter kept digging down.
‘If I make the hole too large, it might affect the ground. I should make the passage a suitable size and then go down. Once I find a suitable spot, I can excavate a cave-like space. The shape… a cage-like structure would be nice.’
The wizard, reputed as the reincarnation of the mythical era, began to dig into the mountain.
Support me by donating at least $10, and you'll have the right to request any novel from Novelpia (excluding 19+ content) using a newly developed tool.
