“Um… Thank you.”

Belatedly, Aristie offered words of gratitude. The man released her from his embrace with a smile.

“Are you hurt anywhere?”

“No, I’m fine thanks to you.”

“I’m glad. I’m sorry I don’t have the courage to retrieve your hat as well.”

The man apologized, pointing to the hat floating away on the river. Aristie shook her head with a faint smile.

“It’s alright. It’s probably going to find someone who needs it more than me.”

“You think so?”

‘The hat’s journey…’ the young man muttered and laughed. Then he added,

“The river wind can often blow dangerously. It’s better not to lean on the bridge.”

“You’re right. I knew that, but I was lost in thought and ended up putting myself in danger. Thank you again for helping me.”

“Since I’ve received thanks twice…”

The young man said, smoothing out Aristie’s dress that had been blown up.

“I’d like to return one of them to the wind.”

“The wind…?”

Aristie tilted her head at the puzzling words. Then the man continued,

“Because thanks to it, I’ve been able to form a connection with you, my lady. In that sense, may I treat you to a cup of tea?”

“……!”

Aristie looked at the young man with a face as if she had been hit. It was truly a sudden and smooth date proposal.

But there was no malice in the young man’s attitude. He was very polite and gentlemanly, and his eyes were not gleaming with desire, but rather imbued with self-restraint.

But why…

Aristie became even more puzzled.

“W-why are you suddenly making such a proposal? We’ve only just met…”

She even stammered in her bewilderment. Of course, she had dreamed of meeting someone too. To experience the freedom and excitement that Khalid must have felt.

Even so, she hadn’t expected to be asked out for tea so abruptly like this. Skipping all greetings and such.

“Please tell me. It’s difficult to give you an answer without knowing the reason.”

Aristie demanded an explanation. The man hesitated for a moment, then carefully answered.

“…Because you seemed to want it.”

“I wanted it?”

“You looked like you were wishing for someone to do something, anything.”

“Me? For me?”

“Actually, I’ve been watching you since you crossed the bridge. Haven’t you been wearing a precarious expression all this time?”

“Ah…”

Hearing that, she finally understood.

Indeed, she had been feeling that way since she stood on this bridge. So much so that anyone watching might have thought she was about to jump into the river.

As the scene she had witnessed in the square came to mind, Aristie’s chest ached again. But it wasn’t just a miserable feeling like before. While the sight of Khalid and Estelle walking intimately stung like a thorn, looking at the handsome young man before her caused ripples of excitement.

She had felt it from the first glance, but he was truly a handsome man. If Khalid reminded one of a black panther, this man resembled a noble silver wolf.

The delicate silver hair fluttering gently, amethyst eyes that drew one in like magic. A refined nose bridge and elegant jawline. And those lips, those lips…

‘Am I, am I going crazy!’

Aristie realized her gaze was lingering on the man’s lips and hurriedly turned her head away. The man was still looking down at her.

Silently, he caressed and soothed her cheek with just his gaze. Succumbing to that persistence, Aristie steeled her resolve and finally faced the young man.

“…Alright. But I don’t just want to drink tea.”

“Then?”

“Are you free for the whole day today?”

“Perfectly fine, but…”

“Then please go on a date with me. As I wish.”

“……”

The man’s purple eyes took on a strange light.

His lips slowly curved into an arc.

It was an expression as if he had been waiting for just those words. Perhaps because of that, there was no hesitation in his voice as he answered.

“As you wish, my lady.”

As the young man held out his hand, Aristie gently placed her hand on top of his. A faint smile also appeared on her lips at the warmth of the other person transmitted through their hands.

It was the beginning of the deviation she had been dreaming of.

* * *

“Khalid, what’s wrong?”

As Khalid suddenly pushed back his hood and looked behind while walking, Estelle asked curiously.

“…No. I just felt a familiar presence from somewhere.”

Khalid looked around and muttered lowly as he hid his face deep in his hood again.

His expression was blurred in the shadows, but coincidentally, it was very visible from Estelle’s eye level.

The emperor, who didn’t seem as glad to see her as she had expected despite meeting after a long time… and the emotion that just flashed in the emperor’s eyes was a strange disappointment and complex anguish.

‘What’s this! He’s not focusing on me!’

It felt like Khalid’s heart kept wanting to leave to find someone. It had been like that since the moment they met today. He looked like someone whose mind was completely elsewhere.

Estelle couldn’t leave the emperor like this. As if trying to hold onto Khalid’s attention that was drifting away from her, she said coquettishly.

“Forget about anything familiar. We came to enjoy an unfamiliar atmosphere today, didn’t we?”

At Estelle’s words, Khalid’s gaze barely reached her. Then he gave an answer that was contrary to his expression.

“I am enjoying it plenty.”

“Liar.”

Estelle pouted her deep pink lips primly.

“It’s already upsetting that we have to go back soon even though we’re meeting after a long time, but if you get distracted too, I might really cry, you know.”

“We just need to spend the time meaningfully. Is there anything special you want to do?”

“Hmm…”

As Estelle looked around, a perfectly suitable event venue caught her eye.

That would be good. In the novel, the emperor liked the female lead’s quirky side.

“There’s something that I think would be fun if you did it, not me.”

“Me? What is it?”

“That!”

Estelle’s finger suddenly pointed somewhere. It was a place where burly men were gathered in a crowd.

Khalid looked at the tent where the men were gathered with a dubious gaze, then slowly read the name written above it.

“Arm wrestling competition…?”

* * *

“May I ask your name?”

“It’s Alice.”

Aristie only gave her nickname without a surname in response to the young man’s question. She couldn’t reveal her identity to someone she would only know for today.

“And you?”

“I’m Ryuel.”

As if reading her intention, Ryuel also only revealed his name. Even though they had just learned each other’s names, somehow it felt like their hearts were in sync.

“Alice…”

Ryuel called her name sweetly as if melting chocolate, then said with a satisfied face.

“Then tell me what you’d like to do, Lady Alice.”

“I want to look around the festival together. It’s my first time seeing a festival with this kind of atmosphere.”

“As you command.”

Ryuel replied lightly as he led Aristie. His skill in escorting her while avoiding the crowd was remarkably adept.

Wherever they went, he amazingly maneuvered through the crowded gaps to create space for her to comfortably look around. His attitude of consideration towards women seemed not just familiar but ingrained.

Even when she felt thirsty, he bought a drink and naturally offered it to her, showing such keen observation that it was admirable how attentive he was.

“Thank you.”

Aristie took the drink and pressed it against her cheek, which contained ice.

It was to cool her flushed face.

Although she had boldly asked for a date, this situation was by no means familiar to her. She had never approached any man, let alone a man she had just met, in this way before.

Even when she was with Khalid, hadn’t he always taken the lead? Of course, it was because she was so passive that Khalid had no choice but to take the initiative.

Anyway, she who had been like that was now suddenly catching a man off the street and dragging him around as she pleased. Even accepting drinks from him.

Does this man know how excited and nervous I am right now?

“You’re trembling.”

He does know.

“The juice… is cold.”

Aristie made an excuse about the innocent juice and took a few sips. Even in that brief moment, Ryuel took out a handkerchief and wiped the moisture from her cheeks and hands.

Aristie’s back shivered again at his gentle yet unhesitating touch.

She tried to act nonchalant, but the keen-eyed silver-haired young man seemed to quickly notice her state.

“Are you afraid of me?”

When Ryuel asked with his eyes gently curved, Aristie flinched.

“No. That’s not…”

“Do you think I’ll turn into a lion and eat you up?”

“Th-that’s impossible.”

“Or perhaps you’re worried I might drug your juice and kidnap you?”

“Not at all! I’ve never even thought of that.”

“Then why do you keep trembling like a deer?”

“That’s… right. I wonder why, haha?”

‘Haha?’ What’s with this strange intonation of laughter!