Chapter 44

The banquet had yet to begin, but guests bustled in early to make their presence known. On a day like this, such behavior wasn’t entirely unwelcome.

As Bleria adjusted her attire one last time, Lucy spoke up.

“By the way, My Lady, the participant list has been revised. The butler sent it over this morning.”

“Are there any important guests newly added?“

“Apparently not.”

“Then it’s fine.“

“And the item you ordered has arrived.“

“The tailor’s studio?“

“No, the green tea from the Eastern Continent. The gloves should arrive by tomorrow, I believe.”

After the banquet, Bleria stifled a sigh of dissatisfaction.

“Send the green tea to my brother’s study.“

“Will do. You’re all set now, My Lady.”

Lucy finished her task and stepped back. Just then, the sound of a horse neighing reached them from outside. Though such sounds weren’t unusual on a day like this, their familiarity caught her attention. Sure enough—

“My Lady, it’s the Allnight carriage!”

Bleria approached the window. Beyond the glass, she saw a familiar carriage.

The large, angular body of the carriage was adorned with only the bare minimum of gold embellishments. A tall man stepped onto the ground when the coachman opened the door.

Under the streaming sunlight, his hair, reminiscent of winter trees, appeared brighter than usual.

Gopher lifted his head. Even at a considerable distance, it felt as though their eyes met.

“My, he’s looking for you the moment he arrives!“

“Should I wave at him?”

The maids chattered excitedly. Commonly, Bleria would have pretended not to hear, but for some reason, she did exactly as they suggested.

Her awkwardly raised hand wavered uncertainly, unsure whether to greet or fan herself. In response, Gopher raised his hand and waved back.

“Oh.”

The maids reacted with fervent enthusiasm in her stead. Their laughter rang high, making Bleria’s ears burn.

Soon, Gopher ascended directly to Bleria’s dressing room. Dismissing the maids, she welcomed her fiancé.

“You’re early.“

“I thought so too—until I saw how many people were already here.”

Feeling regret, he let his eyes crinkle before breaking into a smile.

Once the door to the dressing room closed, Gopher loosened the tight cravat around his neck, drawing Bleria’s gaze.

In truth, from the moment she had laid eyes on him, her focus had been on his neck.

“Was it tied that tightly?“

“Haha, I’m fine now.”

“…”

“It’s not like I broke a collarbone; it was just a muscle injury. With divine energy, it healed quickly.“

“But it’s your neck.“

“Technically, it was my shoulder. If you don’t believe me, you can feel for yourself.”

Gopher sat on the sofa, lowering his height to hers. He dramatically undid the cravat entirely and unfastened a couple of shirt buttons.

Despite the playful glint in his eyes, Bleria didn’t step back. A short while ago, this man—consistently so robust—had been wrapped in thick bandages.

Just a quick check.

Biting the inside of her lip nervously, she reached out a hand. Her touch, light as a feather, brushed against his neck. He flinched slightly as her fingers slid down.

“Does it hurt?“

“…Just tickles a bit.”

It didn’t seem like a lie. Was it itchy from the healing process? Her touch grew gentler.

Her fingertips encountered unfamiliar textures: the rugged ridge of his Adam’s apple, the diagonal line of a sternocleidomastoid muscle, and a strong pulse beneath it.

The contrast between his solid, heated skin and her own left her feeling strangely self-conscious like she was doing something improper. Her cheeks flushed red.

Determined to focus on her purpose, Bleria explored further. She found a faint scar, though the wound itself had healed entirely.

There was no sign of lingering pain. It was remarkable, given the severity of the injury. Divine energy, indeed, was extraordinary.

She felt a wave of relief.

“It’s fully healed—”

Before she could withdraw her hand, Gopher caught her wrist and gently pulled her closer. Having kept her body at a distance while only stretching her arm, the slight tug threw her off balance.

Before she could recover, his fingers slid behind her head, and then—

“Mmph.”

Their lips met.

A smooth tongue slipped between her lips, brushing against hers.

Every spot it touched seemed to ignite with warmth, and soon, her entire body burned. The kiss wasn’t fast or rough, but the heat dazed her. Bleria found herself swept away, like a leaf in a rushing current.

She had no idea how much time passed.

Finally, Gopher withdrew after thoroughly savoring her lips. As cool air rushed into her mouth, her vision blurred, making it hard to focus. Even so, Gopher’s smile stood out vividly.

“Looks like we’ll need to call the maids back.“

“Is my hair a mess?“

“It looks fine, but you’d mind even the slightest disarray.”

Attempting to rise and check the mirror, she stumbled, her legs weak. Gopher steadied her by wrapping an arm around her waist.

“Want me to braid it for you?“

“You… braid my hair?“

“The epaulet cords on my uniform untangle surprisingly easily.”

Although braiding hair and untangling uniform cords were different skills, Bleria let him move behind the sofa. She was too languid to care.

However, when he undid the ribbon and let her hair tumble free, she regretted it a little. Hair that had been tied up always looked messier when let down.

Fortunately, or perhaps unfortunately, Gopher’s question distracted her.

“What color was it originally?”

As he played with her hair, the subject of his question was obvious.

I really don’t want to say.

Bleria rubbed her fingertips along the armrest of the sofa.

She considered lying, claiming she didn’t remember since she lost the color at eight. But pointless falsehoods didn’t sit well with her.

After all, she remembered it vividly.

In the end, Bleria answered reluctantly.

“Caramel.“

“Caramel?“

“Not the expensive kind the wealthy eat, but a cheap imitation snack. It’s barely sweet, though the color is pretty close. Gamblers love it as a go-to snack.“

“Your name…“

“Isn’t it thoughtless?”

Because her hair was caramel-colored, the child was named Mel. Her life had always been haphazard until she became Bleria.

Bleria lifted her head and gazed at Gopher, reflected in the distant mirror.

His calm, ash-brown hair had a faint bluish hue. To dismiss it as simply caramel-colored felt far too different.

If she married Gopher, that beautiful color would mix with the fake caramel.

Bleria lowered her eyes from the mirror. He remained silent, focusing only on his hands.

Perhaps he was only now realizing it, too, which made her suddenly afraid. Then Gopher spoke.

“By that logic, does that make mine Rye Bread?“

“Rye bread…?”

“Like ‘Rye’? ‘Bread‘?“

“It’s not that kind of color.“

“If I were a commoner, it might’ve looked that way.“

“No way.”

Gopher tied a ribbon at the end, completing her hair. As he stepped out from behind the sofa, Bleria quickly turned her head to examine his hair color.

“Not even close.“

“Really? I thought you believed there was a distinct difference between noble and commoner colors.“

“...”

“Sorry to break your illusion, but there isn’t much of one. Half the nobles I’ve met were insufferable fools. No one would notice even if you secretly swapped half their children with commoner offspring.“

“That’s a dangerous thing to say. And ridiculous.“

“If it’s so ridiculous, why has no one ever doubted you?”

The dressing room wasn’t as soundproof as the reception room, study, or Gopher’s private office.

Bleria turned her gaze toward the door, curling her chilly fingertips inward.

“There’s no one nearby. It’s fine.“

“...”

“You’re proving it yourself, Bleria.“

“Surely not for something like that—“

“I wasn’t talking about us being engaged. I have no interest in revolutions or the like.”

Gopher pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, wiping away the makeup that had smudged near her lips. Then he removed the glove from his right hand and leaned down.

“I’m content with what I was born with.“

“Then what are you trying to say?“

“That it doesn’t matter what color it is.”

His thumb brushed against Bleria’s cheek as if to clean the smudged dye outside her lips. Embarrassed, she raised her hand to do it herself, but it was already done.

Gopher wiped his dyed fingertip clean with the handkerchief and smiled.

“Bleria.“

“…Yes.“

“See? You’re Bleria.”

All she had done was respond to her name, but the weight he gave it was extravagant. She blinked in disbelief, yet couldn’t deny that she liked the playful tone of his words.

Bleria nodded slowly.

“That’s true.”

She was Bleria Heaven, not Mel Slopey.

Gopher smiled with satisfaction.

Accepting his escort, Bleria headed toward the annex where the banquet was being prepared.

The capital’s winters weren’t too cold, so the banquet was held outdoors. The pond in Heaven’s Garden was renowned, and the limited space of the annex also contributed.

The Duke wanted Harriet’s pregnancy celebrated by as many people as possible.

Amid the crowd, Bleria spotted Harriet, who had arrived early. Standing before her was another woman