Chapter 28

Lucien took advantage of her determined moment and kissed her on the forehead, smiling broadly.

“People… everyone’s watching.”

“That’s the point, isn’t it? We have to look like a couple. Shall we go, Honey?”

“Cough, cough.”

At the word “Honey,” Serenia bowed her head and started coughing. Her nape and ears turned bright red, and Lucien’s gaze momentarily grew dangerously deep as he watched her.

He thought, ‘I might be the most dangerous one here… Why is Serenia so cute that she drives me crazy even in broad daylight?’ Lucien quietly clicked his tongue, his expression serious despite his playful thoughts.

As expected, when they arrived at the bustling festival downtown, the streets were packed with people. Even without trying, the two had no choice but to stick close together. Bright flowers and lanterns hung from strings like awnings above the narrow alleys.

“It must be even prettier at night.”

“Then let’s stay until evening and look around.”

“Is that alright?”

“Of course. Today is practically a day off anyway.”

Lucien wrapped his arm around Serenia’s shoulders, opening his mouth so she could feed him one of the candied fruits she was holding. It was soft, chewy, and so sweet it almost stung his tongue. Lucien nearly frowned at the overwhelming sweetness, but Serenia looked up at him expectantly, so he swallowed it with a smile.

“How is it? Good?”

“Yeah. Tasty. Not much different from what you’d get on a ship.”

“Do you eat things like this often when you’re at sea?”

“Well, it’s not easy to eat like you do on land when you’re on a ship. Dried foods are easier to store, so we eat those a lot.”

In reality, Lucien wasn’t as picky or pampered as Serenia imagined. His status was certainly impressive, but he was still a soldier. Life on the battlefield was tough, so Lucien wasn’t particular about food or drink. He enjoyed wines more expensive than a commoner’s monthly wage, but also drank rough, cheap liquor without complaint. In fact, except for his childhood, Serenia—who grew up only eating the finest foods in the Delaroz mansion—was probably more delicate.

Lucien picked up another candied fruit, pretending to offer it to Serenia, then popped it into his own mouth with a mischievous smile. Serenia, who had opened her mouth like a baby bird, glared at him, and Lucien just grinned and kissed her.

“Ah.”

Worried about the people around them, Serenia tried to push Lucien away, but he didn’t budge. The sweet fruit and his warm tongue intertwined, melting together between them. A weak thrill ran down her neck, and Serenia gripped Lucien’s clothes tightly as her strength faded. After not being intimate for a while, even small touches felt so stimulating—like water to someone parched for days.

“Hng… mm…”

A soft moan bubbled up from deep in her throat. Lucien didn’t let go until the fruit had melted away completely, finally pulling back with a gentle touch. Sticky saliva, sweet with sugar, stretched between their lips like a thin thread. Lucien made a show of licking his lips noisily, then lightly touched Serenia’s dazed eyes.

“Isn’t it sweet and hot?”

“…You startled me.”

“Everyone does this. We have to at least do this to look like a couple.”

Looking around at Lucien’s words, Serenia saw that while not everyone was as bold, there were plenty of couples hugging and even some sharing quick kisses.

‘Is this really okay?’ 

Serenia glanced up at Lucien’s shameless face, confused.

Meanwhile, Lucien confirmed that Derkan, hiding among the crowd, was giving him two thumbs up. Good.

The two wandered all around the festival, using the ghost ship rumors as an excuse.

Thinking that seafood lovers would know about ghost ships, they had lunch on the second-floor terrace of a famous local seafood restaurant. The staff mentioned that if you walked along the beach at dawn, you could sometimes see ghostly lights from the ship in the distance.

But what stuck with them more was how the honey-glazed cod melted in their mouths. Serenia was surprised by the floral and honey notes in the wine, and Lucien decided he’d bring her to that restaurant often.

He also bought her a flower crown for her hair, just to avoid being rude by not buying anything, and they took pictures together in front of the festival’s symbol.

Serenia had never really enjoyed a festival before, so everything was fun with Lucien. For Lucien, the festival itself didn’t matter—he just gazed at Serenia, dazzled by her happiness.

Far off, Derkan, watching the two, dabbed away tears with his handkerchief, missing his wife on their own trip.

“It’s getting dark, isn’t it?”

They’d played so much that the sun was already setting. As they considered where to eat dinner, Serenia tugged on Lucien’s elbow.

“What is it?”

“Is that shop closed today?”

She pointed to a large, fairly new building. The sign said it was a winery, so it didn’t seem out of business, but even with all the festival crowds, the doors were shut and the lights off.

“I’ve never seen that place before.”

With a shop that size, Lucien should have heard of it, but the name was completely new. It must have opened when Lucien was busy with his brother’s wedding and Serenia’s affairs. A new shop should be open for the festival, so it was definitely odd.

As they peered at the shop, a merchant preparing for evening business across the street approached.

“Are you the owners of this place?”

“No, we just wondered why it’s closed on such a busy day.”

“Don’t even ask. They only opened for one day, and it’s been shut for months. They haul crates of wine out every morning, but who knows where it all goes.”

The merchant grumbled about how the closed, gloomy shop hurt business, then returned to his own stall. Lucien and Serenia, both sensing something suspicious, listened for any signs inside the shop, away from prying eyes.

“If they bring in wine every morning, someone must be managing it… Should we call the city guards to investigate?”

“Maybe, but with the festival, most of them are probably busy. Maybe we should call our own people instead?”

Technically, city security was the responsibility of the city guards, not the military, so Lucien crossed his arms and pondered.