My Former Disciple Wants Me as His Bride

“Yes, yes… We should.”

Her face suddenly felt hot. Barely managing to avoid Ciel’s gaze, Eris got up from her seat first

“Then I’ll go get ready.”

“Ah, Miss Eris?”

Ciel stood as well and caught her by the wrist.

Startled when he abruptly leaned toward her, Eris instinctively sucked in a breath. His fresh, ocean-like scent swept past her nose.

“You have some jam on your mouth.”

Before Eris could even raise a hand in confusion, Ciel’s thumb slowly brushed along the edge of her lower lip.

“I can take care of something like this my—”

“Then I’ll leave today in your capable hands, Miss Eris.”

Before she could finish, Ciel left the room ahead of her. Eris remained alone in the dining room, with nothing but the lingering trace of his refreshing scent hanging in the air.

* * *

At the heart of the Kingdom of Celis, a nation so vibrant in its culture that it was known as the Land of Freedom, lay Luminus Square.

Its pavement was made of milky-white marble that gleamed as though pearls from the sea had been carved and fitted together one by one. At the center stood an enormous fountain crowned by a statue of Liber, the kingdom’s guardian deity.

Jets of water surged high into the air, breaking into glittering droplets beneath the sunlight. In front of the fountain, women with half their faces veiled swayed like flowers as they performed a street dance.

“It looks like there’s a performance.”

Upon arriving at the square, Eris led Ciel toward the sound of music.

“They’re dancing in the street. Did they receive permission from the authorities?”

“The Kingdom of Celis has a Day of Freedom once every two weeks. As long as no crimes are committed, everyone is free to hold their own festivities however they please. It happens to be today.”

“Wow. That’s fascinating.”

Ciel’s voice rose slightly in genuine surprise.

It was understandable. In the Tervanne Empire, performances were rarely held openly in the streets unless one attended a ball or went to a theater. There were occasional public musical performances, but even those had to be given by musicians formally invited by an organization and reported to the authorities in advance.

“You’re lucky. Quite a few tourists mistime their visits and leave without ever getting to see it.”

“I see.”

“That dance is popular these days. I heard it was brought over from the Kingdom of Heli, at the far end of the southern continent…. Did you know? Apparently, the dancers in Heli wear almost… nothing when they perform it.”

“The Kingdom of Heli?”

“Yes. Heli is a desert land of endless red sand, where even a single drop of water is precious. They say the air is always thick with suffocating heat and humidity. Instead of heavy fabrics, people commonly wear nothing against their bare skin but a single thin, almost transparent silk veil…. I can’t even imagine it.”

As Eris shared what she had heard about the performance and the Kingdom of Heli, she watched the dancing women.

Their silk skirts, a deep ruby red like rosewood, and their blue scarves, shimmering like sunlight scattered across the sea, billowed through the air like waterfalls whenever they spun.

Accompanied by the lively music, the women’s sensual movements made them seem as free as birds in flight.

“So these women aren’t dressed that way. Shame. I almost thought I was in for quite a sight.”

Once Eris understood what he meant, her body stiffened for a moment before she shot him a glare.

She was already well acquainted with Ciel’s reputation in the Tervanne Empire, thanks to the extensive research she had done on him.

Troublemaker. Womanizer. Playboy. There was little anyone could criticize when it came to his ability or reputation in official matters, but whenever women or entertainment were involved, he was notorious for causing trouble.

Naturally, considering the Ciel she had known eight years ago, Eris had found those reports difficult to believe. They were only stories she had purchased from other people, after all, and she had never known how much faith to put in them.

She had found them so unbelievable that she had barely given them a second thought. But after meeting him again, she was beginning to suspect that perhaps all those rumors had been true after all.

“Let’s go.”

Her good mood was thoroughly spoiled, Eris turned away, and Ciel followed after her.

“How did you know about all that, Miss Eris?”

“About what?”

“That the dance is popular right now, and that it came from the Kingdom of Heli. You sounded rather knowledgeable just now.”

“I only heard about it from people around me.”

“You must have quite a lot of friends, Miss Eris.”

There was something subtly needling in his tone.

Eris stopped dead in her tracks and turned to look at him.

“What exactly is that supposed to mean? Do I look like someone who doesn’t have any friends?”

“Maybe I should say it’s unexpected. You remind me of a cat, Miss Eris. Sharp, aloof… and difficult to read, I suppose. People don’t usually gather around someone like that very easily. Generally speaking.”