Chapter 77

Just then, I spotted a stall selling festival masks nearby.

I took Michael to the merchant selling masks. All kinds of masks were spread out across the merchant’s wide display.

After looking around for a while, Michael picked up one mask.

“…This mask.”

The mask with a silver horn in the center was imitating the appearance of Anastasia, the Divine Beast of Light. The mysterious form of the Divine Beast, a mix between deer and horse, looked mystical even as a mask.

When Michael was about to pay for the mask, a gloved hand intervened.

“Would you mind letting me have that mask?”

“Who are you!”

Michael grabbed my arm and pulled me behind him. His shoulders stiffened with tension, apparently quite startled by the sudden appearance of the man.

I patted Michael’s shoulder to signal that he shouldn’t worry. Though I didn’t know why this person had appeared here, he was someone I recognized.

“Is that you, Heishar?”

“My, how did you recognize me when I’m wearing a hood?”

Heishar slightly lifted his hood toward me.

Behind the black mask, his green eyes smiled.

“I never thought I’d see you in a place like this.”

“Did you follow us here?”

“Of course not. I’m also out on a secret excursion.”

There was something suspicious about taking Heishar’s words at face value. No matter how coincidental, could we really run into each other like this outside the ballroom?

‘If he followed us, it doesn’t make sense that I couldn’t sense his presence.’

Since we were already caught, I couldn’t press the issue further. Reading my thoughts, Heishar spoke in a gentle voice.

“If you let me have the mask, I’ll keep your presence here a secret.”

“You’ll pretend you didn’t see us?”

“Yes. However, since it’s dangerous, I must accompany you.”

Heishar suddenly pulled my shoulder. He bent down and whispered in my ear, making my hair stand on end.

His voice was exceptionally pleasant, something I had noticed before.

“Does the Grand Duke know that the Grand Princess is here with the Crown Prince?”

“The Grand Duke must not know.”

I feared what would happen if this matter reached the Grand Duke’s ears.

The Grand Duke was already sensitive about my safety. What would he say? He might forbid me from going out ever again.

“I told you to cause moderate trouble, and you dare to do this? And with none other than the Crown Prince?”

“Grand Duke, about that!”

“I’ll make sure you never leave your room for the rest of your life.”

The maids might all be fired and replaced, just like when I first met the Grand Duke. I could picture the maids crying after losing their jobs.

‘This won’t do. We must keep it secret.’

Besides, if the Grand Duke found out, there was a high chance that Tristan and Lucas would know too.

The thought of those two persistently questioning me gave me a headache.

“Didn’t I tell you not to associate with those vile imperial family members!”

“Don’t stop me, little one! This time I’m really going to burn the Crown Prince.”

This was dangerous indeed.

Growing anxious, I snatched the Divine Beast mask Michael was holding and handed it to Heishar. Michael blinked, his hands now empty.

I deliberately ignored Michael’s hurt gaze.

“You’ve made a wise decision. Now, let me pay for this mask.”

“That’ll be 1 gold.”

Perhaps knowing that Heishar wanted the mask, the merchant named an outrageous price.

Heishar handed over 1 gold without complaint. A faint smile played on his lips, apparently quite pleased with the mask he received.

After securing the mask, Heishar looked down at Michael and me. He gestured for us to go elsewhere.

“Now, would you two please follow me for a moment?”

“Michael, let’s go.”

Michael grabbed my hand, showing his displeasure.

“I want to spend time with just you.”

I understood his dissatisfaction, but we had been caught, so there was nothing we could do. Perhaps I should have bought masks earlier to conceal our faces.

I gently tried to persuade Michael, who refused to move.

“I know. But you understand we can’t let this spread.”

“Let’s try persuading him with power.”

“Wouldn’t that be intimidation rather than persuasion?”

“…I can hear you both clearly.”

Heishar, who had been watching our squabble, folded his arms.

After a brief silence, he took a step back and sighed. He suggested in a rather generous tone.

“Fine. If there’s a guarantee of your safety, I could let you two go around by yourselves.”

“Really?”

Michael’s expression brightened at Heishar’s words.

Having come this far, I also wanted to grant Michael’s request. Reading our implicit agreement from the atmosphere, Heishar calmly asked.

“But what were you trying to do that made you sneak out of the ballroom?”

Michael and I looked at each other briefly in response to Heishar’s question.

I answered honestly.

“Sightseeing.”

“In human society, is it normal for two children to wander around a festival for sightseeing?”

“No.”

“No.”

Heishar groaned at our almost simultaneous answers. Stroking his chin visible beneath his mask, he asked again.

“Do you have contingency plans in case a dangerous situation arises?”

“Of course.”

After answering confidently, I looked toward Michael. Though our decision was impulsive, we did have our own agreement.

Michael, being royalty, had many useful magical tools for such occasions.

“Michael, you said you brought protective magical tools, right?”

Michael’s face turned deathly pale and beads of sweat formed. Following an ominous premonition that shot through my mind, I opened the pouch he had brought.

“Wait, what is all this?”

Endless items that weren’t money came out of the small pouch. Among them, I spotted stones and folded skewer sticks, making me doubt my eyes.

No wonder he was silent when I told him to throw away the finished skewer.

There was no sign of the magical tools I was looking for, just a pile of trash. There were even festival flyers and flowers scattered on the ground, though I had no idea when he had collected them.

Michael avoided my gaze and said quietly.

“I didn’t exactly keep them as mementos.”

“Why on earth would stones and skewer sticks be mementos? And where are the magical tools you said you brought?”

“There wasn’t enough space in the pouch.”

“You can’t be serious?”

This crow-like male lead had really messed up.

How precious were those protective magical tools with stored magic! Sometimes, when used properly, they could be more helpful than any knight escort.

And he threw them away because there wasn’t enough space in the pouch? I was beyond speechless; I was dumbfounded.

“You two. Do you agree with my assessment that there’s a safety issue?”

Heishar rubbed his brow and flicked his fingertips, clearly daring us to challenge his assessment.

I shook my head at Michael. Perhaps we should be grateful that Heishar had found us.

‘There’s no other way.’

Festival or not, the original male lead’s safety had to be guaranteed first.

***

Michael became sullen and less talkative. Heishar, who had been halfheartedly looking around the festival, turned to us when he heard a growling sound.

Michael, clutching his stomach, averted his gaze with an embarrassed face.

“Would you like something to eat?”

“…I suppose.”

We finally entered a restaurant with the two men who had reached a compromise.

Despite the food being served before him, Michael maintained a sullen expression. It was because I had thrown away the trash in his pouch when we ordered food earlier.

I couldn’t let him return to the imperial palace with such junk. Michael meekly protested to me.

“Those weren’t trash; they were objects containing memories of our time together.”

“Memories are experiences, not objects.”

“Magical tools can be bought again, but memories can’t be revived.”

His words were plausible, befitting a Crown Prince. Still, I couldn’t forgive him for discarding a magical tool worth a house because of trash.

As I was about to scold him, I remembered this was his first outing. After all, my initial purpose was to help Michael create memories.

I said to Michael, who was emitting a gloomy aura.

“I can’t help it. Wait a moment.”

If he wanted a souvenir, it should at least be a drawing I made myself. I drew a picture on a napkin with chopsticks that I had dipped in sauce.

For something drawn in haste, a decent work was born.

“Here. Take this instead.”

“What is this?”

“What else? It’s a drawing of you.”

Michael’s lips quivered without any particular words. He must have been so moved that he couldn’t speak.

‘A masterpiece. A masterpiece indeed.’

I was proud of my drawing skills, which improved day by day. However, an unexpected, intense reaction came not from Michael but from Heishar.

He picked up the napkin with eyes devoid of humor.

“This drawing, how did you draw it?”

“You saw me draw it with sauce.”

“I’m not asking about the tool. The drawing—who taught you?”

“I wasn’t taught.”

Did he think I drew so well that it seemed I must have been taught by someone? My inner pride crumbled at Heishar’s next words.

“It’s rare to find someone who draws this terribly.”

“That’s not true. I drew it well, didn’t I?”

Michael, who finally spoke up, snatched the napkin from Heishar’s hand.

“I can’t say it’s… well-drawn, but this is mine.”

“I’m sorry, but I need an explanation.”

“There’s nothing to explain.”

Judging by his voice, he seemed quite desperate. I tilted my head, unable to understand why he was so fixated on the drawing.

Michael raised his eyebrows and glared at Heishar.

“If you like poorly drawn pictures, go into town. There are plenty.”

“Have you seen drawings like this before?”

“Of course. Many. Isn’t this how bad drawings generally look?”

“It’s not badly drawn.”

Everyone had said I was improving.

Heishar, who had been rubbing his face with an indecipherable look, made a request. His strange reaction had been bothering me for a while.

“Lady Liat, this may sound strange, but could you draw something for me too…?”

Heishar’s voice suddenly cut off. He abruptly raised his head and looked toward the window.

Sensing a presence loitering outside, I also looked in the same direction. The presences were so blatant that it was strange we hadn’t noticed them until now.

Though I knew it couldn’t be, I lowered my voice and asked.

“Heishar. Are those people acquaintances of yours?”

“…No. They don’t seem to be circling around with good intentions.”

“Who’s there?”

In response to Michael’s question, Heishar nodded toward the window.

“You two. Did your robes come off at any point outside?”

Michael’s hood had slipped a little when we were eating skewers.

‘That’s when we were tailed!’

There were villains who routinely appeared at crowded events like this.

‘Slave traders.’

Heishar’s expression turned cold, probably having the same thought. He urged us not to leave and stood up.