Chapter 75
Rena’s handkerchief had roses embroidered on it.
While the twins admired the different shades of red and compared how similar yet different their flowers were,
Darren stuck his lips out in a pout.
“Hey, what’s this? Why do only the two of them get one? Am I being discriminated against?”
“…I thought you wouldn’t notice even if you had one.”
I narrowed my eyes at him in disbelief.
This guy is so oblivious he wouldn’t even notice a gift if it hit him in the face.
Realizing only then that he hadn’t checked his own pockets, Darren hurried into his room.
There was a loud thud-thud-thud, and then he reappeared, pouting even more.
“What the—why do they get elegant flowers, and why am I the only one with this picture?”
On the white handkerchief he held out was a beautifully detailed embroidery of a spiky chestnut burr.
Honestly speaking, that one took the most effort to make.
I shrugged—just as Rena burst into giggles and shouted:
“Why? It suits you perfectly! It’s totally you.”
My questionable sense of humor seemed to work perfectly on my roommate, which was satisfying—
but I also worried they’d start bickering again.
After that incident in the Silvagrove Forest, they’d been treating each other with surprising mutual respect.
If these two ended up fighting in a foreign kingdom’s palace, what was I supposed to do?
But Darren’s reaction was unexpected.
“Huh? R-Really? If you say it suits me, then… okay. Yeah.”
And then he neatly folded the handkerchief and tucked it into the breast pocket of his suit.
‘…What is with him?’
His obedience was so unexpected it was almost unsettling.
Well, at least the situation wrapped up nicely.
So I nodded and explained the meaning behind the handkerchiefs.
“These are surprise gifts I prepared for our team—so we can feel united. Do you like them?”
I’d actually felt a little guilty about only giving Adrian a handkerchief last time.
So I embroidered like mad to finish these in time for our departure to the Aither Desert.
Seeing everyone happy with them made me feel proud.
“Y-Yes… I really love it. Thank you so much, Lady Elaine. B-But… is it okay if just we receive something like this…?”
Leo glanced awkwardly at Adrian.
He clearly had no idea that Adrian had already received a handkerchief long ago.
‘…And he doesn’t know I prepared even more things for Adrian this time.’
The obsidian brooch proudly pinned to Adrian’s suit.
And those gloves he was wearing right now.
I had made them and secretly slipped them into his robe pocket.
There was an obsidian ornament attached to the wrist of the gloves too—designed as a matching set with the brooch.
Obsidian isn’t a gemstone that holds magical effects anyway.
I just thought, instead of letting it sit around unused, why not make something out of it?
And Adrian would look good in it… or so I thought.
‘…But now things have become awkward.’
This morning, when I handed out the robes, I never imagined anything like this happening.
Both Adrian and I kept trying to avoid each other’s eyes.
Then—
“Ah, everyone. The banquet preparations are complete.”
Captain of the Royal Guard, Shamsir, arrived at the pavilion to escort us to the banquet hall.
When we reached the hall, I worried until the last moment that maybe Rena had exaggerated—maybe it was actually just a light meal.
But my concern was completely unfounded.
The banquet was extremely formal.
Live Near Eastern–style music played by court musicians filled the room.
In one corner, dancers draped in airy fabrics swayed gracefully.
You know the typical outfit you picture for Near Eastern dancers—
sparkling gemstones, veils, shimmering costumes.
I never imagined I’d actually see it in person.
Well, except for one difference:
Alongside the women were muscular men in similar glittering outfits, dancing just as elegantly.
Imagining myself attending such an event in everyday clothes made cold sweat drip down my back.
Even Darren had slicked his spiky hair flat with an absurd amount of pomade and put on a bowtie.
We sat down and waited in silence for the banquet to begin.
“His Majesty is entering.”
The music stopped.
Everyone stood to welcome the king.
After a short moment, Anzav appeared from behind a beaded curtain—
golden hair, golden eyes, and draped head to toe in gold.
Beside him walked the black panther Nemir, wearing a gold necklace studded with gemstones, looking dignified as ever.
I had probably said the word “gold” more times in the last minute than in my entire life.
“Be seated.”
King Anzav raised a graceful hand, dismissing the formalities.
We all sat down.
“We met earlier today, but seeing our Goddess’s Champion in such a setting… you look even lovelier.”
I placed a hand against my chest and executed a poised bow.
“You flatter me.”
It was just an imitation of something I’d once seen,
but at least no one laughed.
Anzav kept grinning at me, staring as if amused by something.
I wished he would direct his gaze elsewhere, but I couldn’t exactly tell a foreign monarch,
“Could you stop staring at me, please?”
So I simply endured it.
“Now then, you must all be hungry. Serve the meal.”
The food began to arrive.
But throughout the entire meal, I couldn’t enjoy the palace chef’s cooking—
Because Nemir kept rubbing against me.
“…Can you please let me eat?”
A big creature purring beside me sounded like the engine of a luxury sports car rumbling.
Thankfully, he wasn’t wearing a bright outfit like earlier, so I wasn’t worried about getting fur on my clothes.
But why he liked me so much, I had no idea.
Sure, I had plenty of good food stored in my inventory, but that couldn’t be the reason… right?
Anyway, trying to eat while he kept brushing against me was exhausting.
When dessert—a sweet tropical fruit dish—was served and the banquet neared its end, everyone looked relaxed and drowsy.
Then—
“I wonder if everyone ate well. I think I’ll share an amusing old tale.”
Anzav suddenly spoke out of nowhere.
An amusing old tale?
I had no idea what he was getting at.
“It’s a story passed down in the Aither Desert. You may have heard it.”
Clearing his throat, the king began speaking with a gentle smile—
so bright that deep dimples appeared on his cheeks.
“As with many places, our region warns against opening your door to strangers at night.
Even if a breathtakingly beautiful woman knocks seeking help,
or an unbelievably handsome man appears at your door,
you must never let them in.”
His low voice flowed like honey.
Even the black panther Nemir stopped purring and listened intently.
“The moment you open the door, charmed by their beauty,
you fall under a curse and never wake again.
For that visitor is a dream demon—a succubus.”
Anzav smiled meaningfully.
And I couldn’t help sinking into deep thought.
‘…’
Because the final boss we had to defeat in this region was exactly that dream demon.
In the game, there was no banquet like this.
No scene where the king told that story.
“In any case, beware so that you are not slain by a dream demon.
With that, let us conclude the banquet.”
The banquet ended.
On the way back to our lodgings,
I replayed Anzav’s words over and over.
It was the dream demon that brought darkness to the desert.
Once the demon was defeated, the darkness would disperse.
Did Anzav know that?
If he told us this story because he already knew the truth—
how did he find out?
Or was it simply a bit of entertainment to lighten the dinner mood?
My thoughts tangled chaotically in my head.
“Lady Elaine, what are you thinking about so hard?”
Leo spoke quietly.
My head had been so noisy I wondered if thoughts were leaking out.
“Ah… I was thinking about the king’s story of the dream demon.”
“…Come on, that can’t be real, right? Just a legend.”
Rena shrugged, as if wondering why I’d bother thinking about that.
Of course. If you didn’t know dream demons actually existed, that was the normal reaction.
The problem was—they did exist. And we had to fight one.
Then—
The person who had stayed silent the entire dinner, Adrian, finally spoke in a low voice.
“I don’t think it’s something to dismiss so easily. After all, there is real darkness lingering in the desert outside the city.
Since monsters exist… a demon that feeds on life through dreams may very well be real.”
