"Okay, I understand."
"Well, I intentionally spoke in a confusing way."
What's that supposed to mean? I looked up, puzzled, but Theo just smiled, as if he wouldn't explain further, and brazenly changed the subject. This guy, seriously, since before...!
"Shall we go for a walk today?"
"Where?"
"There might be artifacts, but you'll need more clothes. Normally, I'd call my personal designer, but your identity might be revealed. Those guys have endlessly loose lips."
"So, buying clothes outside is okay...?"
"It's easier to silence lesser-known designers. It's just a matter of paying them a lot or threatening them strongly."
Is that so...? Well, I don't know, so if Theo says so, it must be true. I smiled brightly, excited about my first outing, and Theo kissed my forehead once more, as if I were cute, and pulled the reins.
I waited quietly in the bedroom and came out of the palace when I was told that the preparations for going out were complete. Waiting at the entrance was a very large, jet-black six-horse carriage. Even the six horses were all black with glossy fur, and the well-defined muscles were clearly visible because of the color of their fur, making them even more impressive.
"Wow, that's really cool...!"
I had seen horses in person before during a horseback riding experience on a school trip to Jeju Island, but these black horses were much bigger than the ones I saw then.
I approached slowly so as not to startle the horses, in case I got kicked. The horses stared at me and neighed, but didn't seem particularly hostile. I cautiously reached out my hand, and they sniffed it a few times before pressing their heads against my palm.
"Oh, I touched them!"
They were harder than I expected, but that made me like them even more. I stroked their heads very slowly, in case they got startled, and the one next to it nudged my hand with its nose, so I stroked it too, and it seemed to like it a lot. Wow, they're cute and gentle!
"They're pretty..."
"They're not usually this gentle, they must know you're beautiful."
That doting fool.... Divine beasts originally loved nature and, even if they were fundamentally indifferent, were more friendly to animals than humans. Maybe that's why the horses liked me too. If you think about it, divine beasts are like the ancestors of animals. There's another good thing about being a divine beast!
I stroked the six horses in turn, giving them equal attention, and came back with a very satisfied look on my face. Theo shook his head as if he couldn't help it and brushed the fur off my clothes. I guess magic can't do anything about fur getting on clothes, as opposed to being contaminated.
The inside of the carriage was as spacious as it looked from the outside, and the seats were so comfortable. In particular, the large windows provided a clear view of the outside scenery, so I could enjoy it comfortably.
"Aren't you scared?"
"Of what?"
"Horses or carriages. Black is often a symbol of bad luck. Like my hair color."
"What's there to be scared of? It's just cool."
"Well, people often avoid it, calling it the seed of the devil or something ominous. Some people were even afraid to come near me, afraid that my black hair would be contagious and make them unhappy too."
That meant Theo's life, born with black hair, had been unhappy.
"I deliberately surrounded myself with more black to prove that those bullshit words didn't hurt me at all, but I, too, sometimes doubted myself. I wondered if I was really cursed."
How much pain must he have endured to talk about such wounds so casually? I can't know all the countless processes it took for the wound to become a scar, but I didn't want to see him get used to unusual moments anymore.
"That's because those people don't know anythiiiing, anything at all! I've never seen such a pretty color!"
I got so excited that I almost turned into an eagle. My pronunciation got twisted, so I stopped talking and tried to calm down.
"Theo's hair is like the night sky. It's very pretty."
"Then would it be okay if this ominous color became contagious?"
"It's not an ominous color! And even if it were contagious, I wouldn't mind if it was such a pretty color."
I answered firmly and then added after thinking for a moment.
"But I don't think that color would suit me as well as it suits Theo."
Theo, who had been quietly watching me huffing and puffing, burst out laughing.
"You always say such pretty things with that pretty mouth of yours. When will I ever not find you lovely?"
It's not that I only say pretty things, it's that you find everything I do pretty. I wanted to tell him the truth, but I didn't dislike being loved, so I pretended not to know and looked out the window.
I heard that the windows were enchanted so that the inside could not be seen from the outside, so I looked around comfortably and soon arrived at my destination. It was in front of a small clothing store, and it was definitely smaller than the stores I had passed so far, so it didn't seem like a famous place.
"That designer's skills aren't that bad, but they're probably not as good as the imperial designer. Please bear with it if you don't like it."
"I don't mind. Don't worry."
Orca opened the door, and I took Theo's hand and stepped down from the carriage. The ground was a dirt road that was not paved at all, but it was still the capital, so it was relatively flat and well-maintained.
Perhaps because magic was so developed, the level of pollution was not significantly different from modern times, unlike the Middle Ages, which had severe pollution levels, which was fortunate for me, as I have a weak stomach.
We walked into the store, matching my slow pace as I looked around. The woman, who had been pacing around the store anxiously, must have been told in advance, because she immediately prostrated herself on the floor as soon as she saw Theo.
"Y-Your Highness, the esteemed Imperial Prince..."
"Skip the unnecessary greetings."
"Y-Yes, Your Highness."
The woman, who introduced herself as Anne, looked like she was about to faint. Judging by the new interior and items, it seemed like she hadn't been open for long, so she probably didn't expect to receive an Imperial Prince as a customer.
If rumors spread that the Imperial Prince had visited, the status of the store would change immediately from tomorrow, but if that person was Theo, who was called a tyrant, it might not be a good thing for Anne.
Anyway, she was the one who was going to make my clothes, so I peeked out from behind Theo to see her face. Anne, who met my eyes, was stunned with her mouth open.
Well, it was a familiar reaction. People who knew my identity were fascinated by my hair and eyes, apart from the fact that an eagle had turned into a human.
Orca quickly said when Theo's eyebrows furrowed at Anne's gaze at me.
"This is Lord Shuian. You should treat him with respect, as he is someone His Highness cherishes."
"Y-Yes! O-Of course! But... I did make the clothes as you ordered in advance... but it might take some time to alter them. I hope that is acceptable...."
"There's no need to rush, so please take care to ensure that Lord Shuian is comfortable."
“I understand…!”
Anne, who answered energetically, brought tea and cookies for Theo, who would have to wait quite a while. The snacks were not high-end, and Anne, who brought them out as a matter of courtesy, looked embarrassed.
Then, suddenly, something from before came to mind, and I smelled the tea on the table and picked up a cookie, looking at it from side to side and smelling it as well. It didn't smell unpleasant, so it didn't seem to be poisoned.
Just in case... I picked up a cookie and took a bite. No one could stop me.
"Shuian!"
Theo jumped up and came to me, trying to take the cookie out of my mouth, so I quickly swallowed it.
"Shuian, what on earth...!"
"Theo, I wanted to talk about this too, but I forgot."
"What? What is it?"
I handed Theo the cookie I was holding in his puzzled hand.
"Now Theo doesn't have to worry or be suspicious about what he eats. You can just eat comfortably and deliciously. I'll worry and be suspicious on your behalf."
The Empress may have failed to kill Theo through those many methods, but she ultimately made him unable to trust people, unable to sleep comfortably, and unable to eat comfortably. She had taken away the everyday life that someone should naturally enjoy. So, I wanted to give him back at least one of those things. Fortunately, that much was within my ability.
Theo, who had been quietly watching me, stroked my cheek with the hand that wasn't holding the cookie and smiled like a sigh.
"Ha, okay. If my lovely bird tells me to, then I must."
Then he immediately took a bite of the cookie. It was the first time he had eaten something given to him by someone else outside, unless it was a meal he absolutely had to eat.
Above all, it was an unusual event, considering the characteristics of nobles who never put cheap food or food that others had eaten in their mouths. I was so surprised that I tried to take the cookie away, but Theo mischievously put all the remaining cookies in his mouth.
"No, I didn't mean for you to eat what I was eating...!"
"I know. It's okay because it's what you were eating."
I pouted. He's talking in a confusing way again....
"It seems that our Shuian can't leave because he's worried about me. I'll be waiting patiently, so please go quickly."
Theo picked up another cookie as if to show me. He seemed to be telling me to go quickly because he would be eating well, so I had no choice but to leave with Anne.
"I'll be back soon."
"Okay."
Comments Box