Chapter 91
Bringing him food felt a little too much, but on the other hand, since people already saw them as lovers, maybe it didn’t matter.
Then again, their act as lovers was only supposed to be in front of others. Wasn’t bringing him food when no one was watching going too far? That thought crossed her mind again.
When she stopped by the kitchen to make the request, she hadn’t thought much of it.
She was lost in such thoughts as she walked forward.
“Kamang.”
<Woong.>
Leo, who had been sniffing through the bushes instead of leading the way, answered with a muffled sound, something like a weed hanging from his mouth.
“…What are you eating?”
<Lime flower leaves. They’re tasty.>
For a moment, Liana wondered if she should scold him for eating things off the ground, but then she saw how naturally he was chewing and held her tongue.
If this were before she could hear Leo’s words, she might have treated him like a cute little puppy, but now it felt a little different.
Luckily, Leo only munched on a couple of leaves before trotting off again.
“It’s bigger than I thought…”
Even from outside, the place had looked fairly large, but inside, it felt even more spacious.
She soon found out why.
<Uh-huh, it’s because there’s a spatial distortion array set here.>
At Leo’s words, Liana froze in place.
She couldn’t sense any mana.
Although the magic she mainly used was large-scale combat magic, her body had been naturally attuned to sense mana keenly.
Yet here, in this forest, she couldn’t feel even a trace of it.
Even when she concentrated and spread out her mana, the result was the same.
“Kamang…”
<Ru!>
Just as she was about to ask Leo again if he was certain there was a magic array here, he shouted loudly and darted forward.
Instinctively quickening her pace, Liana followed after Leo—only to find herself locking eyes with Ian Hart, who had just caught Leo jumping into his arms.
“…Liana?”
Rising leisurely to his feet, Ian Hart called her name half a beat late.
But Liana didn’t answer.
Or more precisely, she couldn’t. She was too stunned.
It wasn’t because he had called her name.
<Liana?>
Leo, proudly perched on Ian Hart’s stomach, called again. Only then did Liana blink and tightly shut her eyes.
“What’s wrong?”
Sensing something unusual in her reaction, Ian Hart stood up.
That was when Liana, in a small, hesitant voice, made a request.
“C-could you… put your clothes on properly?”
“Clothes?”
“…Your shirt.”
She had opened her eyes, but her gaze was firmly fixed on the floor as she muttered the words.
Realizing the situation at last, Ian Hart was silent for a moment before breaking into an easy laugh.
“Didn’t you see me plenty during training?”
“…This isn’t training.”
“Hmm, is that so?”
He asked lazily, not really expecting an answer, and still smiling, he began buttoning up his undone shirt.
Each movement of his long fingers covered the indecent stretch of bare skin with white fabric.
‘Well, his body really is good. I mean, anyone could see that just by looking… wait, what the hell?!’
Startled by her own stray thought, Liana quickly scolded herself harshly.
‘Liana Rovelinn, get a hold of yourself! You’re not some pervert…’
She was still mentally slapping herself when Ian Hart, now properly dressed, casually called her.
“Instead of standing there, why don’t you come sit? The buttons are all done up now.”
At his playful words, Liana’s eyes narrowed sharply.
She was a little on edge, having just had such improper thoughts, though of course she couldn’t show her embarrassment.
“…I was just surprised earlier, that’s all.”
Grumbling in irritation, she slowly walked to his side.
“Is it okay if I sit here?”
She asked with a sulky tone, standing beside a piece of furniture that looked like a bed with a canopy.
“…Do I look like the kind of cold-hearted man who makes his lover stand?”
His face clearly showed disbelief as he said this.
The one flustered this time was Liana.
“No, that’s not what I meant… It’s just, you said before that you didn’t like anyone being around when you were here. So I thought I’d just drop this off and leave.”
She had only come because Leo insisted, and since he had said he drove everyone else away, she had planned to leave after handing over the food.
Ian Hart watched her rambling, then let out a laugh like a sigh.
“Really…”
The tone pricked her pride, and she frowned.
“…What.”
“You’re an exception. Come whenever you want. Like I said earlier, I’m not such a bastard that I’d treat my lover coldly.”
Leo, still sitting comfortably on Ian Hart’s stomach, chose that moment to butt in.
<That’s right! Ru’s not that bad!>
It was hard to tell if he was defending him or slyly insulting him.
“I see.”
<Really! He looks like that, but he’s actually kind of nice sometimes…>
Ah.
So it was a bit of both.
A few minutes later, Ian Hart, who had let himself drift out of the conversation, quietly watched Liana chatting along with Leo’s babble.
Liana, sprawled in the spot where he had been lying a moment ago, looked at ease.
Her being in his private space, spending time by his side so naturally, filled him with a satisfaction deeper than he’d realized.
‘…So that’s what it is.’
He finally began to unravel the strange buoyancy he had felt the day before.
<Come to think of it, it was around here that I first met Ru.>
Leo suddenly changed the subject.
“It was here?”
<Uh-huh, this is the place with the strongest divine energy. I was born here.>
“Really? That’s kind of amazing…”
<Hey, Liana. Did you know Ru was cute when he was young? He was still big, but a lot gentler than now.>
“A gentle Your Majesty…? Hm, kind of hard to picture.”
<It’s true! Back then he was softer, and his eyes weren’t so sharp. He was actually cute!>
“I feel like we need to hear His Majesty’s opinion on this. What do you think?”
Doubting Leo’s words, Liana turned to Ian Hart, her face unable to hide her smile.
The instant their eyes met—his curved in playful amusement—her heart gave a powerful thump.
Thud—.
Had anyone’s smile ever made her heart pound so hard?
“…”
That fleeting, hazy feeling now had a clear name. All because of a single, small smile.
In that simple, everyday moment, Ian Hart’s entire world was overturned.
“…Why are you smiling like that?”
<I guess he’s just remembering when he was little? Humans call it being self-absorbed.>
“…That’s not it, I think.”
Unaware that Ian Hart’s world had been utterly shaken, Liana and Leo carried on chatting.
Watching them, Ian Hart let out a quiet laugh.
Because the world, flipped upside down, seemed so much more colorful.
Time passed quickly.
With new members added, the guard was renamed the Leteum Knights and officially became Liana’s personal guard.
It had already been over a week since they had successfully hosted their first tea party with the noble ladies, and Lady Giselle’s crash course lessons were also nearing their successful conclusion.
Tap.
Lady Giselle set down her fountain pen, signaling the end of today’s lesson.
“That’s all for today. Well done, Your Highness.”
“Thank you as always, teacher.”
“More than that, please drop the honorifics, Your Highness.”
As always, even after class ended, Giselle could not accept Liana’s respectful speech. Liana chuckled softly and stood.
“You only accept my respect when you’re my teacher, hm.”
Liana had agreed to treat her as a teacher during lessons, but outside of that, Giselle firmly rejected the honorifics.
Having grown closer over time, Giselle answered her words with a gentle smile.
“Well, I can’t possibly accept respect from the one I serve. Receiving it only in class is more than enough.”
“Anyway… There aren’t any other plans today, right?”
“Yes. Just a few letters that arrived this afternoon for you to check later. What would you like for dinner?”
At her question, Liana hesitated, then faintly blushed—a tiny, nearly imperceptible flush unless one looked closely.
She coughed and waved her hand vaguely.
“I’ll check if there’s any message first, and then decide.”
“As you wish.”
Hiding her delight, Giselle gave a small bow.
She was, after all, Liana’s closest aide.
Which meant she had been watching her from the nearest distance all this time.
And so, she knew very well who the addressee of that “message” would be.
Just then, there came a knock knock.
Liana, who hadn’t sensed anyone approaching, tilted her head and walked to the door.
She was going to step out anyway, so it wasn’t much trouble.
With a clack, the door opened.
“Liana.”
A familiar voice called her name.
The deep, pleasant baritone that greeted her at the door belonged to Ian Hart.
