Khalid suddenly turned his head. For some reason, the tips of his ears were burning.

Rubian smacked him lightly and said, “What? You’re staring a hole through the side of my head,” before turning back to Sebelena.

“That really is fascinating. A doomed romance.”

“And our Academy graduation academic festival is doing a play about that theme!”

That line lodged itself squarely in Khalid’s ears, and he cut back in at once.

“A play? Ruby... you?”

Rubian had joined the ancient-language academic society Professor Yuliope ran at the Academy and had been active in it.

“Yeah. What’s with that look?”

“No, it’s just... you don’t like standing in front of people.”

At that, Rubian curled one corner of her mouth and let out a smug little laugh.

“I grow too, you know. I’m even onstage for quite a long time!”

Of course she was.

She was obviously the lead.

There was no way they would make anyone else the protagonist when she sparkled like that. A girl whose presence rang out like thunder among pumpkins could only be the star.

Khalid had been momentarily transfixed by the confident tilt of Rubian’s lips when one particular word suddenly caught in his mind.

“...A love story?”

Ah, wait.

“All right, everyone, thank you for waiting so long! The play is about to begin!”

“You’re really the lead—”

“Waaaaah!”

Khalid’s voice was buried cleanly beneath the crowd’s applause.

For the first time in a long while, and with a faint sense of urgency, he carefully twined his magic with hers.

[When is play practice?]

Rubian flicked only her eyes to the side, then touched her earlobe.

Next week?

[You’ll show me when we get back, right?]

Mm, sure! It’s a little embarrassing, though.

He wanted to ask who her counterpart was, but he stabbed his own thigh and held it in. Otherwise that damned “blond” story might come up again.

Licht was a member of that ancient-language academic society too.

How petty...

Even so, there was nothing he could do about the part of him that did not want to be reminded of it even for a moment.

By the time they came back out after the play, the sun had begun to tilt low.

Sebelena looked ahead at Rubian, who was too busy explaining the plot of the play to Khalid to pay attention to anything else.

Then Rubian caught slightly on a jutting bit of decoration from a vendor’s stall and staggered.

“Ah—”

The ones who caught her were Sebelena and Khalid.

“Are you all right?”

“Oh! Thank you.”

She smells nice.

The thought came to Sebelena before she realized it. The lingering feel in her hand had been astonishingly soft, warm, and plush.

She looks like spun sugar. She doesn’t seem like she’d survive even a day in the forests of Iosia...

So how had she lived through the human-demon war?

Senia must have been right. She really is an extraordinary mage.

Sebelena was just about to ask again if she was hurt when a black-clad forearm suddenly appeared and whisked Rubian away.

“Let me see.”

It was Sir Khalid, bent nearly double at the waist, frowning with grave intensity.

“You didn’t twist your ankle, did you? Can you walk? If not, then like before, you can just—”

Sebelena let out a breath of laughter before she could stop herself.

So even the great Sir Khalid had moments when he didn’t know what to do.

“Hey, I’m completely fine. Really.”

“Oh. Right...”

“If I said I’m fine, why do you look disappointed?”

“I don’t.”

“You do.”

“I don’t. Watch where you’re going.”

“That only happened because you tied your cloak too tight and I was trying to loosen it. What’s gotten into you today?”

Sebelena bit back another laugh.

Because that way he can see your face a little better... probably.

And block everyone else’s view with that enormous body of his.

“Ah. Sorry about that.”

“Why are you apologizing so fast over something like that...?”

It was surprising enough that the apology came out of him so obediently, but then there was the smile that followed it—a brief curve of the lips that looked genuinely delighted.

Who is that, seriously?

Sebelena stared at the young man and woman walking side by side ahead of her.

The princess, who did not even reach Khalid’s shoulder, was chattering without pause about something or other.

The man beside her had all his attention trained on her, straining not to miss even the smallest word.

That posture of his—waist slightly bent, intent on listening.

That... looks like something he learned by watching someone else.

It seemed there must be people around the princess who listened to her like that.

“Wow! A cute white horse!”

“Careful.”

“Oh no, it kind of looks like our Arherkalberrominia the Third.”

“That... what is that supposed to mean?”

“My white horse’s name. I’ll introduce you later!”

“No... that’s not what I meant.”

For just a moment, the tip of the large man’s ear turned faintly red.

“I was asking why you put my name in your horse’s name.”

“Huh?”

“Arherkalberkalberrominia the Third, remember?”

“Oh! Why did I do that, then? Does it make you uncomfortable?”

“It makes me embarrassed.”

“Huh?”

Rubian, scolding him as if he were making no sense, was immediately distracted by something else and hurried ahead again. Khalid lingered there for a moment, rubbing his chin with one hand, before slowly following after her.

“What is this?”

Sebelena let out an incredulous laugh.

“I thought maybe he’d gotten a little warped in the head from being drenched in too much magical beast blood. Turns out he just had no interest in anyone else to begin with?”

“What are you muttering, Princess?”

“Nothing. Look at that, Nova. I thought he was a savage wild dog, but he’s a loyal hound.”

Practically wagging his tail.

Must be beside himself with joy because he found his master again.

“Mm. I really was right not to tell him my real purpose.”

I nearly would have made a fool of myself.

“You must remember this, Sebelena. ✪ Nоvеlіgһt ✪ (Official version) During this visit to Babilon, you must absolutely become engaged to Sir Khalid Riorc!”

The King’s voice, drifting through her head in a clinging, ugly echo, stuck to her.

That’s not happening.

Sebelena clenched her handbag tightly.

One look is enough to tell. He’s the sort who’d give that princess absolutely anything.

And besides... 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

If Sir Khalid proves difficult, there’s always the next option. Who’ll it be then? The princes of Babilon?

What terms would he sell me off for, this time?

A large wagon lumbered past.

Chunks of meat bound for the butcher hung from it in rows.

Sebelena looked at those slabs of flesh dangling belly-up and thought she was not much different.

If the price and conditions were right, she’d be sold too.

A bitter little laugh slipped out.

*****

“Whew, that was fun!”

After finishing our round of the festival, I went back to the estate.

The escort party had decided to stay here for two days to reorganize before moving out again.

The King was staying in a grand manor owned by a nearby noble. According to the senior knights, Dad had already had a brief dinner with him.

A middle-aged man with a generous face, they said.

And behind the scenes he was pulling that kind of thing.

Anyway, the moment I got back, I headed for the drawing room where Dad was.

It’s nice that the east wing and west wing are separated.

The east wing was being used by the King of Casalia’s party, while the west wing was for Dad and the Zebbert knights, so it didn’t look like I’d run into any Casalians. The Princess was nowhere in sight either.

Ah, right, and as for keeping watch on the Princess afterward—

“Sorry, but I don’t want to monitor the Princess by myself.”

“Huh?”

“I think I’m going to be busy staying attached to something else.”

That was what Khalid had said, so we decided to discuss it again later.

“But... where are you planning to stay attached? The knights?”

“......”

“Why are you staring at me like that again?”

“How does that sweet skewer taste? One bite.”

“Here— ah, why are you taking it with your mouth again!”

“It’s good.”

I couldn’t exactly force him when he was the one saying he didn’t want to, could I?

“Hehe.”

What was that?

For some reason, I kept wanting to hum.

“Ah, what is this~ Are you that happy because you’re going to see your dad~?”

With light steps, I threw open the door to Dad’s drawing room.

“I’m back!”

“Ruby, didn’t your father tell you to be back before dinner? You haven’t even eaten—where have you been running around like that...?”

The Duke, sprawled sideways across the sofa flipping through documents, spotted me and immediately lit up with alarm, starting in on a lecture.

I let it wash right past me with practiced ease, then promptly ratted out everything that had happened with the Princess.