Chapter 42
Preparations for the banquet grew busier with each passing day.
Since the empress was often absent, both the emperor and the crown prince seemed very adept at mobilizing the ladies-in-waiting to manage everything.
Aenes deliberately followed Theowin around, watching him as he oversaw the preparations.
“If anyone saw us now, they’d think I was ordering you about.”
His lightly chiding words carried no negative tone. Instead, there was a faint trace of satisfaction, which in turn made Aenes feel oddly proud.
It was almost as if she were being praised for doing well.
Her father, César, dearly loved his daughter, but he was stingy with words of praise. Taryn, on the other hand, went overboard with endless compliments about how pretty and beautiful she was.
Perhaps that’s why—when Theowin occasionally let slip remarks that could be taken as subtle compliments—Aenes felt a deep sense of pride.
She had never realized before how susceptible she was to praise.
“I’ll take that as your way of saying I’m doing well.”
Theowin, infamous for his cold and frightening demeanor, had approached her first with kindness. Yet, it was the first time he had ever been treated with such casual warmth in return.
Of course, she was also the first person to ever open her heart to him and approach him so boldly. As always, he had treated the fiancée chosen by his father with indifference, assuming his aloofness wouldn’t cause any serious trouble.
But this woman had created a problem.
Or rather, she was prepared to. If she had truly acted on her original intent, a major conflict might have erupted between him and the emperor.
She had assumed he disliked her and did not want the marriage, and so had drawn only one conclusion.
What would have happened if he hadn’t stopped her then?
His amber eyes glimmered.
The head chef, standing nearby, stiffened slightly.
Seeing Aenes appear behind the crown prince during the banquet preparations, watching every detail with sharp eyes, the servants instinctively straightened their postures.
She wasn’t the empress, yet she followed closely at Theowin’s side, inspecting everything he did. Only then did the palace staff begin to truly feel that a new mistress had entered the imperial household.
Especially when they witnessed the crown prince speaking to her in a gentle voice with a softened expression, many shook their heads in disbelief.
Some nodded knowingly, saying that indeed every man changed when he had someone to call his own. Others, having caught fleeting glimpses of her strong gaze beneath her gentleness, whispered that perhaps this new mistress might one day gain a fearsome reputation.
“Is everything done now? It seems like we’ve checked everything for today.”
As they left the kitchens, Aenes asked him for confirmation. With paper and notes in hand, her diligence only made her fair, luminous face shine all the more.
“It seems I’ve managed to make you quite energetic.”
Seeing nothing was missing from her checklist, Aenes smirked and lifted her lips into a playful smile.
“Weren’t you just being kind so I’d learn before the banquet? From what I’ve seen, there’s a mountain of things to pick up.”
Half teasing, half genuinely impressed—because just giving orders and ensuring everything was followed through was no small task. The emperor rarely involved himself in such matters, so the burden usually fell on Theowin.
“It isn’t meant to be extravagant or complicated. Once a year, everyone simply gathers here at the palace. What we’re doing now is merely the basics.”
“The basics, huh.”
Nodding, Aenes folded the paper and tucked it into the pocket of her skirt. Theowin smiled softly at the sight.
She wasn’t working hard to impress him, nor the emperor, nor even the staff. It seemed more like she simply gave her all to whatever task was before her.
He was curious how she would react once the real demands began. But there was a clear difference between helping her learn and exploiting her labor.
Perhaps, in time, there would be an opportunity to see.
Afterward, Theowin led Aenes to the hill they had once visited together.
“Wow… I love how open the air feels up here. It’s refreshing.”
Without saying much, he guided her up the hill, and they simply enjoyed the time together.
Neither forced anything upon the other. They simply followed along wherever the other led, living in the moment. Perhaps it was because neither had ever feared being led astray.
Gradually, a subtle trust began to grow, and along with it, layers of affection seemed to stack steadily between them.
At least, that’s how Aenes felt.
“So, is this my reward for working hard today?”
Watching her with a softened expression, he drew a radiant smile from her in return.
Their relationship had become somewhat ambiguous. It wasn’t dislike, but neither was it yet a clear declaration of love.
But when they were together, he always looked at her with gentleness, and it felt perfectly natural for Aenes to smile back at him.
Even without sharing deep conversations, this quiet shift between them wasn’t something she minded at all.
Looking out toward the distant silhouettes of the secondary palace and the crown prince’s residence, Aenes extended her hand toward him.
He immediately understood. His large hand covered hers and lowered it, letting her feel the warmth seeping from his grip. That warmth was what she wanted to hold onto.
“Don’t worry about Marquis Rizerne. He’s living peacefully. After all, he’s my great teacher.”
Whether he meant to boast about the marquis or about himself, she didn’t know. Either way, it was good news. She nodded while meeting his caring gaze.
“So… was it my father who taught Your Highness swordsmanship?”
She was curious about her father’s younger days. Since she and Theowin were close in age, he should still remember what it was like to be trained by him.
“In training, he was strict. You might find it hard to imagine—cold, thorough, relentless.”
Yet, recalling it brought the faintest smile to his lips.
“For him to be so warm and gentle with you—it’s astonishing. But seeing him so stern in my presence… it’s hard even to picture.”
Indeed, it was exactly as he said.
Her father was openly tender, affectionate, and overflowing with love toward her. For that very same man to be such a severe instructor, even intimidating the crown prince, was difficult to reconcile.
“I’m really curious to see Father wielding a sword with magic. He must’ve been amazing, right?”
Aenes was far more intrigued than she admitted, especially since she had missed the chance to see him twice before. Personally, she regretted it.
“You’ve never seen him?”
Theowin’s puzzled look made her eyes flicker. If he knew the former Aenes had once visited the imperial knights’ training ground, she’d be in trouble.
“No, not once. Was I too careless?”
She shrugged innocently, and Theowin simply gazed at her quietly. Fortunately, it seemed he had no other memory contradicting her words.
“Well… as you know, it was just the two of us here. Two blunt men—the emperor and the crown prince. You can imagine the atmosphere.”
Aenes chuckled and nodded. She understood, especially from how Theowin himself behaved with her.
Feelings existed, but expressing them was difficult. The emotions overflowed inside, but showing them outwardly was rare.
César, however, was an exception for his daughter. He expressed his love freely enough that there was no room for doubt or misunderstanding.
Because of that warmth, it hadn’t taken long for her to recognize him not only as family, but as someone she cherished deeply, as precious as her own life.
Aenes looked sideways at Theowin.
Could we become that kind of family, too?
They had both stepped out from under their fathers’ shadows to build something of their own.
They hadn’t yet shared the deepest parts of their hearts, but certain truths were undeniable. Denying the possibility of being a family would mean denying their very marriage.
“Then perhaps, Your Highness, you should try being the first to express it.”
“…If the time comes, I suppose I could.”
She hoped he would open his heart someday. And when he did, she wished he would express his true feelings to her directly.
“Even to me? You’ll tell me whenever the time comes?”
Whoosh—
A sudden breeze swept Aenes’s skirt, and the two of them turned to face each other fully.
“If the time comes, of course I’ll say so. I’m not the type to hide what’s truly needed. You can rest assured.”
Thankfully, he accepted her words sincerely but kept the atmosphere light.
As they tidied up and started back down the hill, his strong hand supported hers securely.
If things could continue like this… it would be wonderful. They could truly… become a good family.
Aenes stared quietly at Theowin’s back as he led her down.
