Chapter 128
It was a soft kiss, yet long and lingering.
When their lips finally parted, both of their mouths were redder than usual, glistening faintly.
Smack—
Peck—
Ianheart brushed his lips against hers several more times.
It felt almost like an apology, as though he was sorry for biting and sucking so eagerly—or perhaps it was a way to soothe the unspent yearning still left within him.
Riana let herself enjoy the ticklish, adorable, and faintly dangerous sensation.
After sharing those light kisses filled with so many emotions, Ianheart pressed his forehead gently against hers, whispering with a soft smile.
“I love you. …Thank you, Riana.”
“For me, just hearing you say you love me is enough.”
Riana whispered back with a gentle laugh.
Ianheart chuckled lowly again. His curved eyes held nothing but love for her.
“How far are you planning to go with being this perfect?”
“Then what about you, Your Majesty? How far are you planning to go with being this cute?”
Her voice was deliberately playful, though she meant every word.
“…What?”
Ianheart leaned back slightly, letting out a startled laugh, as if doubting what he had just heard.
See? That’s exactly what makes him cute.
Instead of explaining which part of him was adorable, Riana simply buried her face against his chest, grinning to herself.
From above came a sighing laugh that quickly softened into tenderness.
“Fine. If you say I’m cute, then I suppose that’s what I am.”
“I like that attitude.”
“…Good. I’ve realized recently that I might actually be pretty good at acting spoiled.”
The amused murmur made Riana laugh out loud.
Honestly, who would ever believe this man was the Emperor of Erkal?
She had never met anyone as lovable as him.
They stayed wrapped in each other’s arms for several more minutes before finally pulling apart, their hands laced together in place of the embrace.
Crunch, crunch—
The sound of grass beneath their feet filled the air.
Ianheart bent down to carefully pick up the lavender box Riana had tossed aside earlier. He inspected every corner of it.
“What are you doing?”
“Checking if it’s damaged.”
“…It’s just a box.”
The way he treated even the packaging of her gift so preciously made her heart flutter, and the teasing words slipped out before she could stop them.
“But you chose this box. I’m going to keep it in my office.”
Satisfied to find no dents, Ianheart replied warmly.
His office?
That was where Bernian, Kion, and other high-ranking ministers often came and went.
That’s just showing off…
Riana’s face grew faintly pink.
It was one thing if it were the dagger itself, but displaying the box and ribbon in his office?
“…What if people tease you?”
Like Sir Laviel, or Duke Delcaron.
But Ianheart clearly didn’t care about appearances.
“They already know I’m in love with you anyway.”
Riana was struck speechless.
That explained it. No wonder Bernian and Kion had been giving her such strange looks lately.
So they had already noticed the current between her and Ianheart.
Mortifying.
She lightly smacked his arm with a sigh.
“…That’s not the point. It’s not about them knowing.”
“Then what is?”
Ianheart looked at her with complete seriousness, as if he genuinely didn’t understand.
She was weak to his face. Especially when he looked a little sulky like that.
“…Never mind.”
In the end, Riana simply shook her head and thanked him for cherishing her gift.
It was only a little embarrassing—because the truth was, she liked how much he treasured it. It made her heart flutter.
Ianheart let out a quiet laugh before his gaze dropped to the silver dagger inside the box.
Though the blade itself was hidden in its ornate sheath, the crimson magic stone embedded in the hilt gave away its nature as a magic weapon.
“Was this dagger yours originally?”
Riana nodded.
“Yes. I wanted to make it a longsword, but none of the swords I owned were as good as the one you’re using now.”
If she had possessed a better sword than the one Ianheart currently carried, she wouldn’t have hesitated to inscribe her magic onto it instead.
It was a little disappointing, but the dagger she’d given him was still of high quality.
“What kind of magic did you inscribe on it?”
“Do you really want to know?”
“Yes. Please tell me.”
His curved, lazy smile looked so much like the fox-like expression she’d once teased him for.
Riana couldn’t resist. Rising slightly on her toes, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips.
Now that they were lovers, she had no reason to hold back on such impulses.
“….”
Perhaps it would take time to get used to this deeper level of affection.
But looking at Ianheart’s dazed face, Riana couldn’t help but grin.
“Ha…”
Ianheart let out a laugh, his ruby eyes melting with sweetness, and kissed her back the way she had.
Their lips curved upward together as they met.
This kiss was longer, deeper, and warmer than the last.
When they finally parted with a faint, wet sound, Riana let out a small laugh without realizing it.
The look in his eyes asked why she was laughing.
“Because I’m happy. I wonder if I should’ve confessed earlier.”
“I like that it was today.”
His voice was firm yet gentle, the answer of a man who had been waiting for this moment more than anyone else.
It made her smile even brighter.
“Hehe, actually, I like today too. The place is perfect, and the timing… well, it’s all very romantic.”
Riana giggled softly and leaned against him, then tapped the box he held.
“Anyway, I inscribed restoration magic first. So even if it breaks, it’ll repair itself.”
“Mm.”
“Then I added wind enhancement magic, and retrieval magic too. You’ll be able to throw it and still call it back from pretty far—about half the size of this palace.”
Ianheart gave a low sound of admiration.
“I heard inscribing multiple spells isn’t easy…”
“It’s definitely not. That’s why it took so long to finish.”
She didn’t tell him about the last one, though.
Defense magic.
Enough to withstand three normal strikes, or one powerful attack—it would protect his life.
That was why she’d set a purified monster core into the hilt.
She hoped he would never be in such danger, but the world was unpredictable.
“…I’ll carry it with me every day.”
Unaware of the hidden spell, Ianheart’s voice was low and husky, as though deeply moved.
“Mm, good.”
Riana smiled, her cheeks faintly warm.
Ianheart carefully closed the box and tied the ribbon back with meticulous care. His touch was cautious, almost excited.
…Adorable.
The Emperor of Erkal, who surely had access to countless finer blades, was overjoyed by a single dagger from her.
It made Riana feel both embarrassed and giddy all at once.
“Ahem.”
She cleared her throat to shake off the fluttering in her chest.
“Shall we sit for a while?”
Ianheart asked, taking her hand again.
He nodded toward a sofa-like seat near the pond.
“It’s a magic item, so you don’t have to worry about cleanliness. It’s always fresh.”
The way he emphasized cleanliness, even though he had once told her he’d slept on battlefields, was… unbearably cute.
“I don’t mind the floor, you know.”
“…I know. But clean is better.”
Fair enough.
Riana laughed brightly and nodded.
“Alright. I wasn’t ready to part ways yet anyway.”
Her soft whisper made Ianheart chuckle.
Pat, pat—
He set her aside briefly to brush down the sofa with his hands.
Didn’t he just say the magic would keep it clean?
“It feels cleaner this way.”
Riana gave him a strange look, but he stubbornly dusted off the entire seat before straightening.
He looked oddly proud of himself.
Unbelievable…
“…Why do you keep acting so cute?” Riana muttered in disbelief.
